Chapter 6

Wands and Warlocks

A/N: Firstly, I don't own Harry Potter.

Now that that's out of the way I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. There's nothing like knowing that people are actively waiting to find out the rest of the story. Now I don't wanna be that guy that begs for attention, but if anyone here is interested in post-hardcore music, my band is currently competing to play at Warped Tour in San Antonio. If you're feeling like checking it out (I write all the music, so it shows another side of my writing) the link is warped dot battleofthebands dot com /u/UntilTheEnd .

Starfox5: Every small change you see now will change the rest of the events accordingly. For example, if you look at Voldemort as having control of much of Russia and other European countries before he came to Britain the first time, it entirely changes the level of the threat, and therefore the response. It would probably be safe to assume that Voldemort's first rise was similar to the beginning of a world war. This would also explain why people are so afraid of him rising again.

Anotherboarduser: I will answer your questions in order. As I have said, I might make mistakes when it comes to British culture, but in America when a child is underage and they come into money, they don't gain control of it until they become legal adults. This means that legally, if Harry were to try and buy a house (for example) to get away from the Dursleys, they would legally own the house until he was eighteen unless he became emancipated or someone else became his legal guardians, at least from the muggle side of things. As for the abuse situation, police will often never find out about abuse within the home. Statistically, it's more likely that the authorities would never know than that they would. Harry has only been taken to the hospital once because of a beating. Even if there was more evidence, children are not generally allowed outside of their parent's sight. This means that Harry would never have the opportunity to report something to the police. Even if there was an investigation, many children will not tell an officer that they have been abused for fear of punishment. Finally, you are assuming that all of the things that are in canon are in place in my world. Many, if not most, have changed. The rules of the game are unknown to you, so you'll have to wait for me to reveal them before you can criticize the logic of my playing.

Harry entered Ollivander's Wand Shop and saw a young boy already standing in front of the counter. He was slightly taller than Harry, and was adorned in robes of the finest midnight blue. Harry paused when he saw him. "I would like a wand of aspen." The blond boy said as if he was lecturing a donkey on the finer points of wandlore. "It is a find duelist's wand and I shall be a fine duelist."

The man behind the desk was shaking his head firmly. "As I have already said, an aspen wand is not for you. The wand chooses the wizard, if you would like your wand to perform—"

"I know what you've said you old goat!" The boy said venomously. "It is your job as a wandmaker to find me a wand that suits both me and my desires."

"Child," the man said, clearly angry. "I will not sell you a wand that has not chosen you." He gestured to a wand made of dark wood, nearly black. "This wand has chosen you. If you want me to cater to your foolishness you may go somewhere else."

The child looked at the old man. "My father will be hearing about this!" He said to the man before turning to leave. He stopped when he saw Harry at the door.

"And who are you?" the boy said haughtily, looking at Harry's ragged clothes and the books held in his hands.

In that moment, Harry decided that he did not like this boy. "My name's Harry."

The blond boy looked him up and down for a moment before his eyes locked on Harry's scar. His demeanor changed immediately. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Draco Malfoy." He extended a hand for Harry to shake.

Harry took hold of Draco's hand and shook it, eyes watching the boy the entire time. "This old cocker tried to sell me an inferior product. I asked him for an aspen wand and he gave me this. 'Yew and dragon heartstring!' he says. Bet he expected me to be fooled by his salesmanship."

As he talked, Draco's eyes flitted from place to place, lighting on each item he saw before flitting away to the next. He prattled on for a while, bemoaning the old man, who he said was Ollivander, the shop owner, and his 'absolutely unforgivable behavior, before stopping and saying. "Who are you here with?"

Not expecting the sudden question, it took Harry a moment to answer. "A man who works at Hogwarts, his name's Hagrid."

Draco made a face of disgust, further cementing his place of distaste in Harry's mind. "I heard he was an old hermit. Never leaves his house, not very good at magic, doesn't bathe."

"I happen to quite like him." Harry said scathingly.

The boy gave him a serious look. "You haven't been around wizards much I don't assume. My family is very powerful, if you'd like I can show you who you should try and place yourself around. Help you get a proper start at Hogwarts."

Harry was about to reply that he didn't need any help choosing his friends, thank you, when the door opened and a tall blond man entered. He looked quickly from Draco to Harry. "Draco," he said slowly. "Who is your new… friend?" he eyed Harry's oversized clothing as he said this.

"This is Harry Potter." Draco said, having adequately determined Harry's last name from his scar. "We met just as I was telling this old bat that I would not buy an inferior wand." He said, gesturing to Ollivander as he did so. "Harry, this is my father."

"Pleased to meet you." Harry said, holding out his hand for the man to shake.

The elder Malfoy sat staring at Harry with a strange look that Harry found very disconcerting, holding his gaze for several moments longer than was socially acceptable before rousing himself visibly from his inner thoughts.

"Lucius. Lucius Malfoy." The man said. "Draco, what were you saying about this man trying to sell you something?"

"Yes, father, he tried to convince me to buy an inferior wand." As Draco said this, he and his father walked to the desk, leaving Harry momentarily to his own devices. Harry felt somehow violated by the stare of Draco's father, as if his insides were being pried open and paraded for the world to see. As he approached the desk, Lucius turned his attention to Ollivander.

"My son tells me you tried to sell him a shoddy wand, is that true?"

Ollivander shot an infuriated look at Draco before responding, "I told your son repeatedly, the wand chooses the wizard. He insists that he wants a wand of aspen, and as much as I know the desirable traits of aspen, he was not chosen by an aspen wand. This was the wand that chose him." He finished by sliding a small box forward across the desk.

Lucius looked at the boy. "You told me he tried to sell you a poor wand, not that it wasn't the wand you would've preferred." He said with a dangerous tone in his voice.

"But, father he—"

"What do you know of wandlore?" Lucius rebuked his son angrily. "No wand, regardless of its wood type, will serve you better than the wand that has chosen you. I expect you to be certain of your words before you make a fool of yourself in public."

Lucius turned to Ollivander and looked at the box he held. "What wand matched with my son?"

Ollivander's attitude seemed to be much improved after watching Draco's rebuke. "Yew with a core of dragon heartstring. Twelve and a quarter inches."

At this Lucius' face grew incredulous and he looked back at his son. "You tried to reject a wand of yew? Do you know anything about it, fool boy?" When Draco shook his head, Lucius asked Ollivander, "Will you be so kind as to explain the finer points of yew to him."

"Certainly." Ollivander said, looking smug. "Yew wands are somewhat rare, their matches are often unusual, sometimes even notorious. The wand of yew is said to hold the power of life and death retaining a dark and fearsome reputation for dueling and curses. Where wizards have been buried with wands of yew, the wand generally sprouts into a tree guarding the dead owner's grave. What is certain, in my experience, is that the yew wand never chooses either a mediocre or a timid owner."

With each word, Draco's face fell farther. His light skin took on a brackish quality, and the harshness of his father's gaze promised that he would receive some sort of punishment for his insolence. "Now, Mr. Ollivander, I believe Draco is quite ready to take possession of his wand. You may charge our Gringotts account." Ollivander nodded graciously. "Thank you, sir. I dearly hope your wand serves you well."

Lucius nodded and began to exit. Draco slumped along behind him, looking to Harry. Unable to resist some last word to wipe away his embarrassment, Draco said quickly, "I'll see you at Hogwarts. Maybe we'll be together in Slytherin."

Harry felt quite certain that he would rather be in any house but the house Draco was in, but was saved from voicing that when Hagrid's large frame opened the door that Lucius was about to exit. The two men froze as they saw each other, taking on a primal look. Hagrid had the look of a bear that had just stumbled unexpectedly onto a snake and was now unsure how he should avoid it. Lucius was coiled and ready to strike.

"Ahh, the industrious Rubeus Hagrid. Do you still live in your ratty hut on the Hogwarts grounds? Or have they finally stopped your drunken cavorting?"

Hagrid turned an unfortunate color that rested somewhere between purple and red and spluttered.

"Hmm, your language skills do not seem much improved since last we met. Perhaps that is the reason you are allowed to remain at Hogwarts," Lucius said with an arrogant shrug and a smile. "Maybe Dumbledore is too afraid of what damage you'd cause in the real world."

A small shape squeezed its way around Hagrid to stand in front of Lucius. "Mr. Malfoy, it is so nice to see you. How has your family been faring recently? No problems I'd hope?" The girl speaking was short of stature, especially when viewed next to Hagrid, her head resting only about a foot taller than Harry's. She had a violent blue hair color, a nose ring piercing her left nostril and eyes that were the color of lilacs on a cloudy morning.

At her words, Lucius' face took its turn to become red, and the Malfoys exited out of the door as soon as Hagrid had cleared the entrance.

"Thank yeh, but yeh didn't have to do that Tonks."

"Anything for a friend." The young witch responded with a smile. "Now you owe me a drink." She said cheerily, sticking her tongue out at Hagrid, who only chuckled in response.

Harry stood near to the pair feeling left out and generally confused about the events he had just witnessed. Hagrid seemed to return to his senses after a moment.

"I'm sorry 'arry! Yeh haven't had an introduction! This is Nymphadora Tonks—"

"Just Tonks." She interrupted. "I hate Nymphadora."

"Yes, well. Tonks anyway. She's training to become an auror."

At Harry's puzzled look Tonks offered an explanation, "It's kind of like a magical police force, but we handle a much broader variety of threats and problems."

At this Harry perked up. "What sorts of threats? Were you the ones that fought Voldemort?"

Each of the adult wizards had a different reaction to hearing Harry speak Voldemort's name aloud. Hagrid remained still, but shuddered like a tree when a strong wind blows through it. Tonks took an unplanned step backwards and tumbled over a display stand, crashing to the ground and knocking it over with her. Ollivander had perhaps the smallest reaction, but Harry noticed it the most. He did not shudder, he did not shout out, but when he heard the name, Ollivander's eyes focused on Harry while he slumped forward onto the desk in front of him while he held his left arm close to his chest, cradling himself.

"I'm sorry." Harry said immediately as he stared at the ground, not sure what to expect from them.

"No need ta be sorry." Hagrid said. "We just wasn't expecting it." He watched Tonks disentangle herself from the marble display pillar and attempted to set the wand it had held neatly back onto its small holder, fumbling it and dropping it several times before finally placing it where it belonged.

"Are-are you alright?" Harry asked Tonks nervously. He was so shaken up from their reactions that when Tonks burst out laughing he jumped nearly two full feet backwards. At this Tonks laughed even harder, doubling over and shaking silently.

Harry's confusion was apparent on his face and when Tonks stopped gasping she explained. "I'm the biggest klutz around. I was almost destined to knock something over; you just caught me before I had decided what." Harry smiled at that.

"Have yeh already got yer wand 'arry?"

After everything that had happened, Harry had almost forgotten. He turned to Ollivander. "Hello, sir. I'm here to get my wand." He said quietly, clutching his parents' journals to his hands.

"You must be Mr. Potter." Ollivander said with a smile. "I've been waiting to meet you."

Harry stood there awkwardly, not sure of how to respond. Tonks attempted to break the tension as the moment of silence extended to the point of discomfort. "Everyone's been waiting to meet our Harry here." The eighteen year old said as she snuck behind Harry and put her hands on his shoulders.

Harry jerked forward at the contact, throwing himself to his knees and covering his head with his hands.

Everyone in the room was silent. Tonks stood aghast, a hand in front of her mouth. Hagrid looked completely perplexed by what he was seeing, as if he couldn't understand a boy being afraid of a simple touch. Ollivander looked at the boy with a sadness that only the old can conjure.

Tonks had tears in her eyes as she spoke Harry's name softly.

"Harry? Harry, it's alright. I didn't mean to scare you." Harry felt his face darkening to a violent red, he was so embarrassed. First he had startled everyone in the room by saying Voldemort's name, then he had scared them by showing how truly crazy he was.

"I'm sorry." Harry said as he stood up. "I'm just not used to things like that. You startled me is all." Harry could see that Tonks didn't believe him from the utter sadness in her eyes. Her hand hovered in midair as she fought the desire to comfort the child in front of her.

"So," Hagrid finally broke the spell. "about Harry's wand."

"Yes!" Ollivander said with a forced casualness. "Let's try this one." He said as he reached for a blue box to his left, removing the wand and holding it out to Harry. "Elder and dragon heartstring." Harry took the wand and held it for a moment. "Go ahead, give it a flick." Harry did so, expecting some mighty whoosh of power to emanate from the wand.

Nothing happened.

Harry looked up at Ollivander, trying to hide his disappointment. "Don't be worried, I rarely get it on the first try." Ollivander said with a smile at the young boy. Grabbing a seemingly random box, Ollivander gave Harry another wand. "English Oak and unicorn hair." Harry took the wand and waved it, he felt a small twinge in his stomach, but nothing happened.

"Not to worry." Ollivander chimed encouragingly. He walked to a stack of boxes. "I wonder." He whispered to himself as he withdrew a box halfway down the stack. Returning to Harry he removed the wand from the box and held it out to him, watching his expression closely.

Harry took the wand and instantly it produced a series of multicolored sparks. Harry looked at it in awe. The wand was a deep, vibrant crimson with streaks of black spiraling from base to tip. Its handle was straight, with a thinner black portion at the hilt. "Midnight Cedar and phoenix feather. Eleven inches. Flexible." Ollivander said quietly. "Very strange."

"What's strange about Midnight Cedar, Mr. Ollivander?" Harry asked, his eyes never leaving the wand in his hand."

"Oh it's not the wood." Ollivander said, waving off the idea. "Mignight Cedar is a proud wood, strong, and known to have a penchant for duels, preferring those with quick reactions. Its ideal partner possesses strength of character and unusual loyalty, as well as a goodly portion of perception. People often make the mistake of believing those with cedar wands can be pushed around, but there is iron in a cedar user, especially if harm is done to those of whom they are fond. The witch or wizard who is well-matched with cedar carries the potential to be a frightening adversary, which often comes as a shock to those who have thoughtlessly challenged them."

He said all this as if in a daze. "The combination of Midnight Cedar with phoenix feather creates a wand that has limitless potential, able to learn any spell, and being particularly protective of its owner. But that this particular wand is yours, astounding."

"What's so astounding about it?" Harry asked impatiently.

"The phoenix who gave its feather for that wand donated me two feathers. Just two. It is astounding to me that you received this wand, when its brother gave you that scar." He said, pointing at Harry's forehead.

Harry tried to look at his own forehead, a particularly impossible endeavor. "You're saying that V—You-Know-Who and I share feathers from the same phoenix? How can you be sure."

"I remember every wand I've ever made. Hagrid's wand was Oak with a unicorn hair core. Sixteen inches, and springy. Tonks here has a wand of Dogwood with a dragon heartstring core. Twelve inches and firm. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named bears a wand of Yew and Phoenix Feather. Thirteen and a half inches. Unyielding."

He looked down at Harry. "Your wand tells me that you have a great destiny about you. After all, its brother did great things. Terrible, but great."

The rest of the transaction was carried out in relative quiet, each person thinking on what Ollivander had said. Harry could not drag his thoughts from the connection between his wand and Voldemorts, wondering what it meant. After Ollivander had been paid he gave Harry a cleaning kit and a wrist holster to which Harry could strap his wand. Harry immediately put it on and slid the wand into place. He felt like he had just rejoined with a fundamental part of himself.

They departed the shop in silence and Hagrid asked for Tonks to accompany Harry as he finished gathering his school supplies. He chatted amiably with the eighteen-year-old Tonks as they drifted from one shop to the next.

"So you're in training to become an auror?" Harry asked excitedly.

"I am." Tonks said with a smile and a wink. In the moments between her eye closing and reopening, it changed from a dark brown to a brilliant blue color. She now stared at Harry with one brown eye and one blue eye. Harry gasped and staggered back a step. After he had recovered and Tonks had stopped laughing for a moment, his questions arose.

"How did you do that? Can you teach me?" He asked quickly.

"I'm a metamorphmagus. It's a skill one has to be born with. It cannot be taught. I didn't expect you to react so well, it was brilliant." At this she winked again, and both eyes were blue.

Harry was amazed. "That's the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

Tonks smiled at him. "I'm glad you find me so incredible, now weren't you asking about auror training?"

Suddenly back on track, Harry began to bombard her with questions. How did one become an auror? What were in an auror's job description? How many auror's were there? What was training like?

Tonks answered the last with a lilting laugh. "Well they test your abilities for most combat-based magics. Defense, potions, disguises, stealth." She let out another laugh at the last. "Dear me, I'm terrible at stealth. My disguises more than make up for it though." She said as her skin suddenly changed pigment, darkening to a dark olive.

"Is it hard?" Harry asked.

"Changing my appearance? Or auror training."

"Both." Harry said inquisitively.

"Well changing my appearance is something I've done since I was a baby. Controlling it took a bit of effort, but once I understood it," her nose changed to a pig's broad snout. "it's like breathing. As for auror training, it is taxing physically, mentally, and magically. I'm constantly having to learn new, difficult spells. And physically I've never been as tired as I have been these last two weeks."

They continued to talk on various topics until Hagrid reunited with them after they had nearly finished Harry's shopping. Harry had his back turned when Hagrid first arrived as he was staring at a bookshelf.

"Happy birthday 'arry!" Hagrid said, causing him to spin around.

In Hagrid's hand was a cage containing a beautiful white snowy owl. "Figurred yeh would enjoy having a way ta contact your 'ogwarts friends during summers."

Harry didn't know what to say. No one had ever bought him a gift. Everything he had received for his previous birthdays was secondhand. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish, searching for words as Tonks and Hagrid looked at him with broad smiles. Finally, his thoughts landed on a question.

"What's his name?" He asked.

"Well, it's a she." Hagrid said. "And you get ta name her as she's yers."

Harry looked at the snowy owl and opened her cage, reaching in to brush his fingers over her soft fingers. "What's your name, girl?" he asked softly. The owl hooted appreciatively at his treatment.

Harry remembered a name he had seen in Hogwarts: A History as he flipped through its pages. "Hedwig." He said softly to the owl, who hooted in response. "I think she likes it." Harry said, smiling up at Hagrid.

"Believe she does." Hagrid said, looking at the happy boy.

"Thank you." Harry said. "Thank you so much. I don't even know what to say. I've never had a gift before."

At this, another look was shared between Hagrid and Tonks.

"'arry, when I brought Tonks ta meet you. I talked ta Dumbledore. We agree that yeh can't be going back ta the Dursleys this summer. I brought Tonks 'cause her and her mother have agreed to watch over you until its time for you to go to 'ogwarts. Does that sound alright?"

Harry looked back and forth between the giant and the young girl and became deathly afraid. Tonks and Hagrid were both fine, but he couldn't imagine anyone would be happy to have a wretched, messy-haired boy to take care of. He was certain that Tonks' family wouldn't want him there and would make him leave if he went there. Harry took two unconscious steps backward and looked at the floor, trying to imagine some way he could escape from the conversation.

"Harry," Tonks said. "My parents and I would love to have you stay while you wait for the term to start. And we don't think you should be at the Dursleys either."

Harry wanted to believe her, but found it impossible. "I don't want to cost you." He said quietly. I don't want you to make me leave. I don't want you to realize how useless I am. he thought.

Tonks looked at Harry and said, "It's no worry. We'd love to have you. My mother was friends with your parents. She could tell you about them."

At this, Harry made eye contact with her. "Really?"

"Yes, Harry." Tonks said with a small smile. "And I'll make you a potion that'll let you change the color of your eyebrows."

Harry laughed and looked at the two adults. "Alright." He said "When do we leave."

"Right now." Tonks said. And they began their walk back to the Leaky Cauldron.

A/N: There it is, chapter 6 down. Let me know what y'all think of this one. The changes will be coming faster as the story progresses. Review if you like, review if you hate. I'll respond if I can. Thank you for reading!

Where were you when I was left with alibis and lying eyes?