Not Worth It
Chapter 8
A New Wand
Merope had practiced the makeup tips Mrs. Hale gave her. Blush and lipstick was easiest for her to apply, so she stuck to that until she got used to using eyeshadow.
Merope took an armload of apple tree limbs with her to Ollivanders the day after her makeover. Mrs. Ollivander didn't recognize her and Merope had to explain who she was.
"It's me, Merope Gaunt. A muggle woman did my hair."
"I like it," said Mrs. Ollivander. "So, did you have any luck finding materials for a wand?"
"The muggle who did my hair has an apple tree," said Merope, laying down the sticks. "They were pruning it yesterday and they let me take some of the wood. Can you use any of these?"
Mrs. Ollivander examined them. "These were pruned quite carefully. I think we can manage with these. What about a core?"
Merope bit her lip. "I was hoping you could help me with that. I looked in the forest outside my village, but I found no magical stones or creatures."
"We'll see what we can do," said Mrs. Ollivander. "Our son is in his fourth year of Hogwarts and he is doing quite well in his Care of Magical Creatures class. I daresay, he knows more about magical creatures than my husband."
"What was that, dear?" called Mr. Ollivander from the back.
"Nothing!" exclaimed Mrs. Ollivander. "Just with a customer!" she turned back to Merope. "Well, he has sent us body parts from magical animals—oh don't worry—the no animals were harmed." Mrs. Ollivander added at Merope's sudden gasp. "I don't think his professor would like that very much. Come on back."
Grabbing a handful of apple wood sticks, Mrs. Ollivander led Merope to the back her husband is working. "Gervaise, dear. Merope Gaunt has come back. She has brought some apple wood."
"Apple wood!" Gervaise exclaimed, taking one of the sticks. "Where did she manage to get that?"
"A muggle," said Merope.
"A muggle?" his eyes widened. "Muggles owned this tree? I wonder if we can use it. What could be the results?"
Gervaise looked nervous and Mrs. Ollivander put her hands on her hips.
"Gervaise, I doubt that just because this grew on a muggle's land doesn't mean we can't use it," she said.
"Apple trees are sacred to the druids, my dear."
"Yes, I know," groaned his wife.
"One way to know if this wood is good to use for wands is if bowtruckles live in its trees…has the muggles mentioned anything that looked like a small stick with arms and legs living in the tree?" He asked Merope, who looked utterly confused at the request.
Moira laughed and shook her head. "Gervaise, really. Just look at how well pruned these sticks are. That must account for something. I know you like to experiment with different woods and wands. Why not try making a wand made from a tree that a muggle cared for? Perhaps it may be beneficial to the muggle."
"Ah, true, true," Gervaise nodded, picking up a parcel and pulling out a long silver strand. Merope cocked her head.
"What's that?"
"Unicorn hair," Moira answered. "Our son sent us a few strands in his most recent letter. He that unicorn is very strong and since it's already an ingredient used in potions, he thought it may be a suitable wand core."
"It's used in potions?" Merope gasped. "What kinds?"
"Oh, I'm not entirely, sure," said Moira, "not much of a potioneer you see…I believe my son did say in his letter."
"Mane hair Intelligence potions," Gervaise muttered, trimming the bark from a stick. "Tail hair for protection draughts."
"Oh that's right.
"What else does his letter say about unicorns?" Merope inquired.
"Well other than that they are gorgeous and shy," Moira said excitedly. "They are quite powerful creatures."
"Ladies, please," said Gervaise. "I need some quiet if I am ever going to get this wand done."
"Oh, sorry, Gervaise, dear," Moira blushed. "Come with me, Merope."
Merope followed her to the front where she folded out her son's letter. "Oh, yes, let's see, according to this he said that a unicorn's favorite food is apples. Ahha! Well, it seems apple wood is perfect for unicorn hair then!"
"Really?" Merope said.
"Yes," Moira nodded. "Unicorns are hard to catch, especially for a man. So it took some time for Professor Kettleburn to get the unicorns for his class. Professor Kettleburn here used apples to coax the unicorns. The foals are more trusting and they were the first to show up. The adults came later." Moira continued scanning her son's letter. "After the unicorns gained the classes' trust, they allowed them to brush their manes and tails. That's how he was able to send the hairs. Most of what he sent was from the younger unicorns."
"Is there anymore?" Merope inquired, pointing to the letter.
"No, not about Unicorns," said Moira. "The rest is about his other classes and the quidditch tryouts." She shook her head. "My son isn't the greatest on a broomstick, yet he tries out every year."
"Come back in two hours," said Moira. "Gervaise should be finished with your wand by then."
Merope nodded and then went outside. She decided to stop by the bookstore and pick up some books. She stopped when she recognized Nellie Stopper's name on some of the books. She was the author of her mother's old potion book: Everyday Household Potions. The author had a sense of humor. She joked how she would use the Essence of Romance for her husband so he wouldn't forget their anniversary and gave sleeping potions to her children when they wouldn't go to sleep. Her potions were simple for the busy and bored magical housewives.
She saw two other books by Nellie Stopper: Everyday Household Spells and Britain's Magical Beasts and Plants. To her surprise they were just five sickles each. She skimmed the description on the back of the covers. According to Britain's Magical Beasts and Plants, Nellie visited the homes of the magical beasts in the country with her husband and studied the plants in their natural habitat. The spell book was similar to her potion making guide. Merope was eager to read the books, but she was confused why her plant and animal guide didn't mention non-magical plants or animals. Merope knew that non-magical plants and animals were used in potions, but Merope did not find a guide of those from Nellie Stopper, or from anyone. Merope took the two books to the front counter to pay for them.
"Ah, Nellie Stopper," said Mr. Flourish. "Quite the potioneer. I'd like her to come do a book signing event here someday. Perhaps when writes her new book."
"Is she working on one?" Merope asked.
"No, she hasn't written anything in a while," Mr. Flourish said.
"Er, do you know if she's written anything on non magical plants and beasts?" Merope asked.
"Oh no," he answered.
"Has anybody made a guide?"
He shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of."
Merope raised an eyebrow. "But even though they're not magical plants, roses and thistles are used in some potions."
He shrugged. "I suppose non-magical stuff is easier to come by. Folks just go to the apothecary, or grow them themselves."
He placed her newly bought books in a bag and Merope went outside to Fortescue's for a scoop of chocolate ice cream. She saw Emily at a table reading Witch Weekly.
"Former Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black passes away, good riddance I say," she groaned and turned to her bowl of ice cream.
"Who?" Merope said, approaching her table.
Not recognizing her voice or her new look, Emily flinched. "I-mean—uh—it's such a real shame—real shame." Emily cocked her head. "Wait a minute."
"Hi Emily," she said.
"Merope?" Emily stood up. "That you?"
Merope nodded and Emily squealed, running up to touch her hair. "Your hair! It's gorgeous! Where'd you go to have it done? What magic potion or spell did you use?" She gasped. "Are you a metamorphmagus?"
"What?"
Emily giggled. "Oh just teasing. Metamorphmagi can change their appearance at will. . I've read their hair starts changing color when they're born. I'd love to be one of those." Emily sighed. "I could be blond one day, brunette the next, I can eat ice cream all day and won't have to diet. Just shed the pounds away in a blink of an eye."
"That does sound wonderful," Merope thought. She could smooth out her heavy face and fix her eyes.
"So, where did you get your hair done?" Emily asked.
"Kevin's mother," she answered. "She's a cosmo—cos-,"
"Cosmetologist? A Beautician?" Emily said and Merope nodded.
"You look great," said Emily. "I think muggles make fine beauticians. We don't always have to use magic as a shortcut. That's great. Kevin's such a gentleman. He called me after I got home that day we fixed up your house. He just wanted to be sure I arrived safely."
"Yes," said Merope. "Who's that?" Merope pointed at a picture of an angry looking dark-haired man.
"Phineus Black?" Emily rolled her eyes. "Oh nobody important, he was just the Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"Was he headmaster while you went to school?" Merope asked, pulling the magazine to her
Emily groaned. "Unfortunately. When he first took the job in 1880 he wouldn't allow muggleborns to come to Hogwarts. He didn't start letting muggleborns in until my year."
"You're lucky," said Merope.
"Lucky?" Emily muttered. "Not really. Muggleborns might have been finally been admitted to study there, but Phineas definitely didn't treat us like the others. He gave kneazle and troll whiskers and even mooncalf dung to Ollivanders to use as wand cores for muggleborns—because he didn't want us to have stronger cores."
Merope gasped. "You didn't get a wand with-,"
Emily smirked and shook her head, raising her wand. "No, thankfully, nobody got a wand with dung in it. Ollivanders gave it to herbalists to use in their gardens. It works better as fertilizer you know…I got a Hazel wand with a kneazle whisker. Kneazel whiskers aren't powerful, but it does increase my aptitude in divination. I can sense a shady character since I got my wand, and the wood does help with charms and transfiguration, even adding an extra boost to divination."
"What happened when you got to Hogwarts?" Merope asked.
Emily groaned at the memory. "There was a car on the train just for muggleborns. We were the last to be sorted and we couldn't sit with the rest of our classmates. No, we had to sit on the end of the table, and we had to sit in the front so that the teachers could keep an eye on us. Muggleborns couldn't be awarded any points and when electives were available, muggleborns weren't allowed to study Runes or Arithmacy. I think they didn't want us to have important jobs, like in Gringotts or the Ministry. We were forced to take Muggle Studies and learn how 'our' ancestors treated the ancestors of our classmates. Black wanted to risk us losing limbs in Care of Magical Creatures and have us fail at Divination—since you have to be a true seer in order to excel there. Thought if muggleborns took that subject, we'd become discouraged and want to leave Hogwarts or something." Emily made a sour smile. "You can imagine his disappointment when I happened to be a natural seer. He also made it hard for any of us to get any jobs, but thankfully Madame Trelawney isn't prejudiced. Yes, it's too bad that the headmaster passed away. I'd like to see the look on his face when his grandson Regulus gets the love potion. Bet he'll disown Regulus and then die of a heart attack!"
Emily went into short giggling fit and then finished her ice cream. "What brings you to Diagon Alley?"
"I'm getting my wand," said Merope. "It's not ready yet, but it will be apple wood and have a unicorn hair core."
"Wow, unicorn hair!" Emily said. "You've got to tell me how it works for you. I've love to stay and chat, but I've got to get back to work now."
Emily stood up and waved goodbye to her before heading to Madame Trelawny's Fortunes. Merope opened Nellie Stopper's magical animal and herb guide. After reading the first two chapters, she thought about writing to the author and requesting her to write a book on non-magical potion ingredients.
"Your wand is ready," said Mr. Ollivander with a grin. "Never worked with something like that before. Go ahead, try it out."
He handed her the apple wood wand. It still smelled sweet. Merope took a few breaths and tried to relax. The wand felt great in her hand but she was still doubtful if it would make any difference. She shook her head. No, she couldn't have room for doubt. She pointed her wand to an empty wand box.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" she said as clearly as she could muster.
The wand box lifted in the air and Merope gasped, forgetting to focus and the wand box fell back down.
"Excellent!" said Mr. Ollivander. "It works, it really works!"
Merope paid four galleons for her new wand and thanked the Ollivanders for their help. When she got home, she couldn't wait to practice with it. Everything thing worked on the first try. She couldn't believe it. She went through the list of spells in Nellie Stopper's book, Household Spells. After she successfully performed the spells, she looked at her wand. Tears of happiness were stinging her eyes. If only her mother, not just her mother, but her father and brother could see her now. They would be proud and amazed. It was the first time in her life that Merope felt like a witch. Merope was no squib. She was indeed a witch, and she was going to use her wand to the best of her ability.
To Be Continued