Chapter 3

Alex felt much more relaxed after the kiss, and just decided to go with it. If Harry wanted to buy her nice things, she couldn't really stop him. And she had to admit it always felt nice to have someone buy something for her without expecting anything in return.

Harry had a lot of fun watching Ollivander-who was looking much better now-try to find a suitable wand for Alex. Her machine made American wand was fine, especially for interacting with modern electronics as it had been designed to work based on the magical equivalent of an electrical power grid. But it would not be nearly as effective as a real wand Ollivander assured Alex.

Alex had a nervous fit of giggles after the 5th one exploded a rack of shelves behind her.

"Oh my God... I'm so sorry! I don't know..."

"Never mind, never mind dear." said Ollivander cheerfully. "Everything is fixable except for the wands-and they all have unbreakable charms on them until they leave the store. Anyway, you're as tough a nut to crack as my young friend... Harry... Potter." He said the last few words slowly, because an idea had dawned on him. It was surely unheard of. But it was a strong possibility that it was meant to be, as the opportunity had come up only once more to get one from Dumbledore before he had been killed.

Ollivander waded through strewn boxes and debris to the back room. Moments later he returned with a wand box. He took off the lid and held the box up to Alex with encouragement.

"Well then... Give it a go!"

The moment Alex touched the wand she felt that swooping sensation in her stomach, her nerves all tingled, and she was bathed in a brilliant glow of light which slowly faded. Ollivander looked triumphant.

Harry felt it. Even on this side of the room, Harry felt the other wand. The sensation seemed very familiar to him. Ollivander obliged to answer the question before it was asked.

"The core contains something that is known quite well by our young Mr Potter here. The core is a Phoenix feather-the last one ever to be provided by Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, before Dumbledore was killed."

"I knew it." Said Harry. "I can feel it vibrating from here."

"Yes... well, indeed..." And Ollivander's eyes actually crinkled in the hint of a smile, as he scrutinised Harry and then Alex. "In any case the wand is 10 1/2 inches long, and the wood is ash, quite supple and springy. This wand has been waiting, specifically for you Miss Russo. The wand chooses the wizard you know."

"How could it be waiting for me?" Asked a puzzled Alex. "I don't get it."

"Well, let me put it another way... lifetimes could go by before this wand would be compatible with another wizard. For now, you are that person. And know this too... Mr Potter here knows... everybody who has ever had a phoenix feather core has gone on to commit incredible feats of magic, for both good and evil. Only the two most powerful wizards in modern history have had such a wand. One is vanquished... and the other stands before us. Yes, Miss Russo, I expect you will also go on to do great things. Especially with Mr Potter at your side. Your two wands acting in concert would be... formidable." Ollivander's eyes gleamed at the thought.

Alex and Harry met each other's eyes. Alex was amazed and puzzled by these revelations. Harry's wand had shared the same core as Voldemort's, and now hers did too? What did that mean? Did that make her related to Voldemort somehow?

"Dunno," said Harry, responding to Alex's thoughts. Harry and Ollivander were on very good terms since Harry had saved his life, and had spoken several times over the summer. Harry trusted Ollivander enough to discuss Alex's questions openly with him. With Dumbledore gone, Mr Ollivander was the only other person besides Hermione who knew about his relationships to Voldemort, and the only person who knew enough about wand-lore to explain some things.

"Mr Ollivander, do you know why we might all have the same wand-core?" Harry asked. "I thought with Voldemort, it was because we were related by blood and the bit of himself that he transferred to me when his killing curse failed."

"Hmmm... Miss Russo has some good questions for someone so new to traditional wand-lore." Said Ollivander discerningly. Harry had often wondered if Mr Ollivander was a practiced Legilimens.

"Yes and no Mr Potter. Your multilayered relationships to the Dark Lord were indeed key reasons that the phoenix feather core chose you. But people don't have to be related by blood, or have any sort of relationship with another individual for a wand which shares a core with other wands to chose them. It is possible, though unlikely in the extreme, someone else could have come in here right now and been compatible with Miss Russo's wand. And they would likely bear no relationship to you or Voldemort at all. Most wands, with shared cores or otherwise, don't chose people by blood, or even their personality, but by matching the resonant frequencies of the core's magic with the magic of the owner. There is no special guarantee that people who are related to each other would be compatible with same cores."

"If I had to guess, I'd think that Miss Russo is compatible with the phoenix feather wand because you are compatible with it Mr Potter-bearing no other relationship to Voldemort except indirectly through you. You and Miss Russo both share a common spirit so to speak, and the wand-cores match your spirit." Ollivander paused, perplexed, then continued.

"And in this special case, I must assume that Dumbledore, or Fawkes himself, had a premonition that having another phoenix feather wand would be necessary."

Oddly, Mr Ollivander's eyes were looking slightly watery. Harry was beginning to think that Mr Ollivander was a bit of a Romantic.