As I said this chapter is really long but quite important if you want to understand some relationships and such!
The silence in the chamber was deafening as the old man's words sunk into them. The warning was certainly a grave one and should be heeded, but only that, because they all knew that they needed to go through with this in order to know the truth. Ollivander seemed to understand their silent response and leaned back in his chair.
"There are five of each group", he begun, "five carrying Dragon Wands, five carrying Unicorn Wands, and five carrying Phoenix Wands. There is balance and unity in that, something that you will need to keep in mind."
It occurred to them all as he spoke that the boxes seemed to be divided into three sections, depending on the wood used to make them.
"The Dragon Wands", Ollivander continued and got out of his chair, "are the most powerful of the three kinds. They prefer masters who are temperamental or quick to learn, or both, but like with all wands these traits can be numbed by the wood use to create the wand."
He gestured to the five boxes on the left side of the table, from their perspective; they were dark and polished, marked with an arrow, a tree, a rose, a cloud and a wheel, respectively. Ollivander reached down and picked out the wand resting in the box marked with a rose.
"Here is one that enhances the core's preferred traits", he said. "This child came from a town troubled by the ogre wars and upon finding out that the child had magic, the duke of the town wished to kill it. His daughter, however, sought out the family and saved their lives by warning them."
He traced the fine lines of the wand's handle before continuing.
"Dogwood and Dragon finds is master in someone who is clever and mischievous, temperamental and ingenious. This child needs a strong wand like this, for I nicknamed her the Brave, and her connection..."
He stepped down from the dais and walked up to Maryse, handing her the wand with the hilt first.
"Is the Beauty."
"So we're going to have to guess..." Wolfgang begun, but Tessa effectively silenced him by stomping on his foot.
"Most of you already know who it is I'm referring to", Ollivander said as he walked back up the steps, "because you have already met them. Only some will need further information."
Reaching the boxes again he pulled up the wand resting in the box marked with a cloud.
"This child came from a village destroyed by squabbling lords, fighting for the prosperous land its farmers lived on", he explained. "The father had passed away in the fighting and the mother died from her wounds not long after she had come here. She told me that whatever I did with the child, he had to be protected from the shadows and the darkness. Thus, for this child, I created a wand of holly, the most protective of the woods. It does not counteract the core's preferences; instead they work together, as allies and friends. I therefore called this child the Friend and his connection..."
He handed the wand to Chris.
"Is the Orphan."
Chris paled visibly at those words, before he bit his lip and looked down on the floor. Ollivander did not seem to notice; he was already moving back to the boxes. The third wand raised he plucked out of a box marked with a tree.
"Ah, this child I remember well", he said. "The mother died when giving birth and it was the father who made the journey here, together with the child's older brother, already a man grown. I learned that the family were hunters by trade, used to the forest and, unlike other hunters, they did not kill more than necessary. In the animals they saw loyalty, and thus this child was nicknamed just that; Loyal. A trait preferred by a wand created out of cedar, a wood that also enhanced the core's power and temperament while seeking someone who is not so easily fooled."
He stepped down the dais again.
"The Loyal", he said and handed the wand to Rowan, "is connected to the Hunter, his own brother."
"I have a brother here?" Rowan gaped.
"Unfortunately I believe he did not survive the Dark Curse", Ollivander said, "since your connection is not as strong as it should be if he was still alive."
Rowan's grip around the wand tightened.
"What was his name?"
"Graham."
Ollivander then returned to the boxes. The fourth wand came out of one marked with a wheel, like that of a cart.
"This child was born not far from here, in the far North. The parents brought it here before fleeing south, away from the cold winter. I never knew if they made it across the then existing border to the Evil Queen's kingdom or if they were killed on the way, but from the beginning this child had to fight to live. I therefore nicknamed her the Warrior and crafted a wand of Dragon and Hawthorn to match the conflicting nature of her future; fierce and caring, a fighter and a healer."
He looked up at them once more and nodded at Filipi.
"I'm afraid my legs are threatening to give up, my dear", he said. "Would you mind collecting your weapon up here instead?"
The blonde immediately rose and walked up the stairs, helping the old man sit down on his chair once again.
"Thank you", he said, before handing her the wand, "and your connection, Warrior, is the Princess."
"That doesn't help much", Filipi admitted. "We've met many princesses so far."
Ollivander smiled.
"You know of whom I speak, because you felt it in your heart when you met her."
Filipi's eyes widened in surprise, before she walked back down the stairs and sat down. Using his own wand, Ollivander then summoned the final box carrying a dragon heartstring core; the box marked with an arrow.
"Ah, yes, this wand. I remember making it as clearly as if I did it yesterday. A wand of honour, created out of the laurel tree, and meant for someone wild and free. Like the intended owner; born far away from any town, deep in the woods of the south. The parents were outlaws and they knew that their child would be in danger, for no crime against an outlaw can be punished, including murder. A brave man, not a member of the family itself but a close friend, took it upon himself to sneak past all the kingdoms' borders and find me, to ask me to save the child. On the way here he had nicknamed it the Young and I decided to keep that nickname in the written prophecy."
He waved his hand at Jade, who rose and hurried up to him.
"This wand, young one", Ollivander said as he handed her the weapon, "connects you to the man who brought your here. The outlaw called the Thief."
While Jade hurried back to her chair with a grin on her face, the old man busied himself by summoning the five boxes on the right side of the table. They were made of a pale type of wood and marked with an apple, a snowflake, a flower, a pair of wings and a black sun.
"Unicorn Wands", Ollivander begun, "might be called the least powerful of the wand types by some, but only if matched with the wrong wood. None of these are in such condition. Wands with this core are loyal and seek such a quality in their master, along with a good heart and will."
He picked up the first wand out of the new boxes, its holder marked with a snowflake.
"This child came here on a cold winter's night, the parents having fled from the Evil Queen with their newborn babe. I offered them all shelter, but the parents soon departed as they feared the Evil Queen might be able to find me and the child by tracking them. Despite their youth they showed great wisdom and an ability to put others before themselves, a trait I knew would pass on to the child they left with me. This wand was created based on those traits; wisdom that went beyond age, that would surprise those around the owner of the wand, and thus the child in question was nicknamed the Wise."
He indicated at Catriona when he spoke.
"I only saw it fitting, my dear", he said as she approached, "to pair you with one who showed the same ability to think of others before themselves as your parents and you yourself do; the one called the Pure."
Catriona frowned at this expression, but accepted the wand and walked back to her seat, while Ollivander picked up the next. This one came from the box marked with the black sun.
"Oak", he said, "is a fine tree, which enhances the demanded traits of the unicorn hair. The child that this wand was created for came here all the way from Agrabah, taken here by a genie. As Agrabah was a dangerous place for anyone with magic the parents had asked the genie to bring the child here as their final wish while they themselves claimed that the child had been born dead. The journey of this child, I knew, was only one of those that would be required of it, and thus it would require strength and intuition, as well as loyalty and courage."
He paused, weighing the wand in his hand before turning to look at Indira.
"That child was you and your nickname was the Light, as it is your destiny to find and defeat the Dark..."
He handed her the wand as he spoke.
"Wherever you may find him."
"Wait, you don't mean that... Indira's connection is to the Dark One?" Clarissa asked with a frown.
"That, I'm afraid, is true", Ollivander said as Indira returned to her seat, "but the spell holding that man in darkness can be broken and your friend here is a part of that."
He reached to the next box, marked with a pair of wings, and pulled out the wand resting inside it.
"This is a wand that both counteracts and enhances the traits demanded by its core", he said. "Loyal, yes, but instead of the unicorn's demand for consistency and balance, the acacia wood is temperamental and wants to see the same in its owner. This child in question was found by a fairy, the only one of their kind that I can stand due to her way of thinking and acting outside the traditions of her kind. Recognizing that the child had magic the fairy brought it to me. She commented that the child had smiled and laughed during the whole journey from the Enchanted Forest, which provided me with a suitable nickname for her; the Funny."
His gaze landed on Tessa and her mouth fell open as she slowly rose.
"I'm the funny one?" she asked.
"Indeed you are, my dear", Ollivander mused, "because you brought a smile to a fairy's face when she had none. And that is why you are connected to her; the Fairy."
He smiled again, before taking out the next wand, its box marked with a flower.
"Ah, the second dogwood wand", he said. "However, this time, I combined it with a unicorn's hair instead of a dragon's heartstring. What the wand requires of its master has thus changed somewhat."
He paused as he studied the object in his hands and for a moment he seemed lost in thought.
"This child was one of the few that I had to go find myself instead of waiting for the parents to show up, for they were held captured for some simple crime in a kingdom to the east. The mother had a minor magic gift and through this managed to send me a message about their newborn's powers. As she had also sensed that the Dark Curse would soon be cast she asked me to send the child to safety and that it would end up in a good family wherever that was. I took these words to my heart and nicknamed the child the Gentle, as this was a trait I sensed would be valuable to her later on in life, and fashioned this wand to suit her; clever and loyal, quirky and good."
He turned the wand so that the hilt pointed towards them, in particular towards Miranda, who now rose.
"Your connection", he said as she grabbed the handle, "is from the kingdom you originate from and is in the prophecy known as the Lost."
Miranda slowly made her way back to her seat, studying her wand with renewed interest, while Ollivander brought out the final Unicorn Wand, resting in the box marked with an apple.
"The connection in this pair always surprised me", he admitted, "as it did not seem possible at the time. Now I know better. The core and the silver lime wood here are in perfect balance; intertwined and inseparable. Just like this child and the sister that brought her here were."
He paused.
"The sister was barefooted, her clothes torn and her face streaked with tears. She had wandered a long way to find me as her village had been destroyed by ogres. As I helped her get back to full health she told me how others back home had said that it was the Queen who had sent them, but she herself did not think so. The Queen had done many things but this was not one of her deeds. Instead the girl believed that the ogres had sensed the baby's magic and come to destroy it, as some ogres are capable of that, and she now hoped that her mother would forgive her for taking it away. A trait that this wand requires out of its master."
He waved at Arianne, who took a deep breath before she rose.
"The Kind", he said as she walked up the stairs, "that is what you are called in the prophecy. Your connection is the Evil."
"Considering your ability to get under the Evil Queen's dark shell, Arianne, I think we were expecting that one", Maryse mused as her friend returned and sat down beside her. Ollivander now focused his attention on the five boxes at the centre of the table, the ones with a phoenix feather core. These boxes were of a more reddish hue than the others, marked with an eye, a wolf, a swan, a horse and a circle with sea waves respectively.
"Phoenix Wands", the old man now said, "seek masters who are independent. That is the one trait that they do not so easily budge on. Other traits usually connecting masters of these wands, such as pickiness and detachment, can be persuaded by the wood used."
He picked out the first wand out of the box marked with a horse.
"Now this one you already partly know", he said and shot a small smile in Rachel's direction. "The sister of Prince David. You were born not long after he had left to take his brother's place and your mother, a very wise woman, knew you had to be protected, as she had already lost both her sons to the Dark One. Despite knowing she might never see you again she asked me to send you to safety, so that you could one day return to her with stories of your own. In your future I saw those stories, all the ones you would write down to clear your head, and I nicknamed you the Writer. Your wand, made of alder, seeks a connection of opposites, and thus bound you with your brother; the Prince."
Rachel did not seem surprised by this revelation; in fact none of them were. Ollivander therefore quickly moved on to the next box, marked with the sea waves.
"The phoenix feather at the core of this one is often dominant", he remarked. "Also this child came from the desert. Not as far as Agrabah; the parents were nomads and ruled under no one but the will of the sandstorms. They could have kept the child safe, I am sure, but the father decided that he could not risk its life if they ended up trapped by the Dark Curse. The mother was not happy with this decision and called the father a coward, but he insisted the child be sent away for safety. The child, I saw, would be detached and find it hard to follow rules and regulations, hence why he was nicknamed the Runner..."
"Wolfgang!" Filipi growled, causing the man in question to turn towards her in surprise.
"I'm the Runner?" he asked. "I did what I believed was right!"
"Which is why you require this wand", Ollivander said and held it out towards him. "Vine, symbolizing a hidden depth of your personality that you must let out. Do not run from your fate anymore, not when it means breaking the hearts of your friends. However, by acting on this natural instinct of yours I believe you met your connection; the Pirate."
He waved Wolfgang away before he could say anything else and picked out the next one, its box marked with a wolf.
"Ah, yes", he said, "the child of the mountain. The mother came with the newborn to me, begging me to save it from the rest of the family, as all of them had been attacked by a lycanthrope except for the child. By the next full moon it might not be as lucky. The mother asked that I remove all memories she had of coming here, so she could not lead the pack back here during the next change. I heeded her prayer and changed her memories so that she believed the child had died in the attack."
He paused.
"There was another interesting part of her plea as well, which I took to my heart. The mother asked that her child learn how to read, as this was something she herself had longed to know. I therefore nicknamed the child the Reader and made sure to set her on a path that would lead to exactly this, while also crafting her a wand of pear wood; a generous being, warm-hearted, wise, and independent..."
He held the wand out towards Ella.
"And connected to the Wolf."
When Ella had accepted her wand back, two remained in front of Ollivander. He begun with the one resting in the box marked with a swan.
"This child's family", he said, "lived close to the castle belonging to Snow White and her Prince. They therefore found out about the possibility of the Dark Curse being cast very soon after the Queen had revealed her plans at the royal couple's wedding. Knowing that they would certainly become victims of this curse the parents rushed with their child to me, asking that wherever their babe ended up she would learn to believe in magic, so that she might one day come back to them. She was therefore nicknamed the Believer."
He turned towards Clarissa with a small smile.
"An Acacia Wand", he said as she rose, "for loyalty, temperament, independency and pickiness, and belief. These traits that you possess, that your wand seeks, can only be found in one other person; the Saviour."
When Clarissa seated herself again, Ollivander's silvery eyes turned towards Toby, the only one in the room left to hear his story. Slowly the old man rose and waved towards him.
"I saved you for last, because your story is quite different", he said as Toby came closer. "Your family was not poor by definition when they sent you to me, but well-adapted in magic themselves; the magic of Camelot. A Knight of the Round Table brought you to me, saying that Merlin himself had seen that you would be one of the children of magic in the prophecy. I could not agree more. For you I forged a wand of black walnut, for your traits as of this day would be good instincts, powerful insight and self-awareness. The traits of a leader."
Toby frowned.
"I'm not sure..."
"You brought them all together, did you not?" Ollivander asked. "You caused all of these people to meet, to become friends. You are the unsung leader of this group, young man, even if they talk you down from time to time. And as the Leader..."
He paused and handed the wand to its rightful owner.
"As the Leader", he repeated, "your connection is not constant. It will shift depending on which side of a fight you stand on and always connect you to the leader of the opposite."
"But", Miranda said with a frown, "that means... that Toby's connected to..."
"Zelena", Ollivander agreed, his face darkening. "The Wicked Witch of the West."
Hope I didn't kill you with this...