"I just don't see why I can't come with you,"
"Dad, ugh, why must you insist on coming?" Theodore asked.
"Because; I let you do all of your shopping by yourself, while I waited at the bar downstairs. I'm glad you found a sense of responsibility doing it yourself, but I want to at least be present when you get your wand. It's a right of passage every young wizard has to go through,"
"But Dad! It's going to be embarrassing for me if I'm there with my dad,"
"Oh come on, you don't even know anyone,"
Theodore's dad understood when he saw Theodore's silence and the slight pink tone on his cheeks.
"Fine. You can go by yourself," he said with a smile on his face.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Theodore replied, grabbing his bag and running out of the room.
"Do you know which wand category you'll choose?" Penny asked.
"I'm not too sure. My parents really wants me to get a traditional one, but I think I might lean towards the newest ones. How about you?"
"My father forbid me to get an untraditional one. He thinks experimenting with different cores is a bad idea, he only believes in the supreme cores."
The two friends arrived at Ollivanders Wand Shop, run by Claire Ollivander, and entered the building. The shopkeeper was in one of the rows, placing thin boxes up on the shelves.
"Welcome," she said as the two entered, descending from her stepstool and approaching Theodore and Penny. "How may I help you today?"
"Good morning Ms. Ollivander, we're here to buy our wands," Theodore answered.
"Ah, young wizards," she started, smiling. "It's always nice to see fresh faces!"
She raised her eyeglasses higher on her nose, and looked at the duo. It was almost like she was evaluating them.
"Now, who will go first?"
"Oh-"
"Uhm-"
"I'll go first," Penny said.
"Which wand type would you prefer?"
"Traditional,"
"Perfect!" the woman said.
The shopkeeper headed towards the left of the store, and started scanning the black boxes with her eyes. After a short moment of reflection, she grabbed a box and handed it to Penny.
"Try this one and wave it around. Mahogany and dragon heartstring. 12 inches, rigid but springy."
Penny opened the box and lifted the wand in her grip. She was holding this thin and slick rich brown wand, and she elegantly spun it around. A few purple spark dazzled the air, but went away almost immediately.
"Close, but not ideal," the wandmaker said.
She quickly came back with a dustier box, and gave it once more to Penny.
"I'm not sure about this one but let's see. Cherry wood with a unicorn hair. 10 inches, not too flexible,"
Penny waved the wand in the air, but nothing happened. Theodore thought he almost felt a sudden heat emit from the wand, but he was unsure.
After a couple more trial and errors, some wands producing no results, some of them showing weak manifestations, the shopkeeper stopped to think for a moment. She spun around and headed towards her desk. She grabbed a box in one of her drawers, and came back towards Penny.
"This is my latest creation, I finished it last night,"
The wand Penny removed from the box was beautiful; it was slightly wavy, in a golden colored wood with black accents, spiraling around the shaft and decorating the handle.
"Oak and ebony and a phoenix feather core. 13 inches, slightly bendy.
Penny's face lit up at the sight of the wand, she delicately grabbed it, and twisted her wrist in the air. Almost immediately, a golden aura exploded from the tip of the wand, and illuminated the room, as if a glitter bomb just went off.
"That's the one," Penny softly whispered.
"Yes I would have to agree," said the wandmaker happily.
Penny and Ms. Ollivander headed to the desk, to pay for the wand. When they were done, Penny sat on the chair Theodore was previously sitting on, and looked at Theodore's turn.
"I'll take one of your special wands if I may," he said.
The shopkeeper headed to the right of the store, where the blue boxes were aligned. She picked up a few boxes and brought them to Theodore. The first wand he tried was rather short, made of acacia wood, with a veela hair core. The reaction was violent, propelling the wand across the room. Definitely not the right one.
Theodore's turn took quite a few more tries then Penny, but eventually he found the right wand.
"Walnut with a boomslang venom core. 12 inches, somewhat rigid," the wandmaker said handing the wand to the boy.
As Theodore waved his wand, white particles flew out and bounced in the air, a small breeze swept through his hair.
"Now that's a good sign,"
"It's beautiful," Theodore said.
And beautiful it was; the wand had a rustic look to it, bent and bumpy in some places. The wand had markings indented in the wood at the base of the handle, running along the handle, and spiraling around the shaft. Two braided wood rings sat around the top of the handle.
The duo payed Ms. Ollivander for their purchases, and headed out of the store.
"Thanks again!" Penny said.
"Have a great day kids!" the wandmaker replied.
"You too!" Theodore added.
Back on the main street, Penny and Theodore were headed back north towards the Leaky Cauldron.
"I cannot believe Hogwarts starts in a week!"
"I know," Penny replied. "I'm bursting with excitement!"
"I really hope we end up in the same house,"
"I don't," Penny added, laughing.
"I'm joking!" she said after noticing Theodore's reaction. "But if we don't end up in the same house, it'll only make the competition and rivalry even more fun, right?"
"I guess,"
The two kids started laughing, their purchases in hand, and both eager to start the coming school year. Theodore was fulfilled; he was ready to begin his journey alongside his new found friend.