An: I posted two chapters today so if you are following this story and just skipped to the latest chapter make sure you read the previous chapter (letters from Hogwarts)
Wands, Toads, and Quidditch teams
They had gone to pick up her other supplies, soon all that was left were her books and a wand. It was when they were picking out her school books that they finally spotted Harry and Remus in Flourish and Blotts, the Book shop. They were shocked to find that they were accompanied by a white snowy owl this time.
"You already got an owl?" Jazlyn said upon seeing them.
"Well hello to you too," her Uncle Remus said pretending to be offended. Jazlyn just rolled her eyes.
"Hagrid got it for me for my Birthday!" Harry exclaimed.
"Oh did he now?" Jane said. "That was nice of him. Have you picked a name?"
"No not yet," Harry said. He screwed up in thought as if trying to come up with one right then.
"We've got everything besides a wand," Remus informed Jane while Harry pondered.
"That's all we'll need after this as well," Jane said. "Unless Jazzy would still like an owl."
She looked down at her daughter questioningly. What Jazlyn said next was quite surprising to everyone.
"I'd like a toad." She said with finality.
Harry, Jane, and Remus all stared at her.
"What do you want a toad for!?" Harry exclaimed. "You'll be laughed at!"
"Exactly!" She replied.
"I'm sorry?" Remus said. "That explains nothing."
"They're not exactly in fashion anymore, Jazzy," Jane said, trying to persuade her daughter kindly.
"Were they ever?" Harry muttered.
"Neville has one!" Jazlyn insisted, "One of his uncle's gave it to him for his birthday yesterday."
"And the poor bloke will get the Mickey taken out of him," Harry said dryly. "Neville's not exactly one you should pick for modeling your life choices over. "
"That's rude." Jazlyn said, "and well I can't let him have the Mickey taken out of him on his own now can I?"
"Yes, you can," Harry insisted.
However, Jane and Remus glanced at each other. They started to understand just what she was trying to do. If her friend was going to get made fun of she wasn't about to let him get made fun of by himself. And she would make it a point to not let anyone make fun of her or her friend. It was the exact sort of thing Sirius would have done. Or the exact thing Sirius had done.
"Are you sure about a toad, sweetheart?" Jane asked.
The younger girl nodded. So after making their final book purchases they headed over to the pet shop, Magical Menagerie. The shop was large but crowded with cages and other Hogwarts students. There wasn't much room so Remus and Harry waited for them outside. Jazlyn looked at all the toads. She wanted a giant Purple toad but her Mother did not allow it.
"You are not getting a toad that gives others warts." Jane chided.
Then Jazlyn wanted a dragon toad but those were rare in England and the shop didn't carry it. So Jazlyn picked out a purple three toed tree toad. She paid the lady 9 Galleons for it and left the shop quite pleased with herself.
Afterwards they stopped for lunch at the Hopping Pot and had ice cream at Florean Fortescue's ice cream shop.
Finally it was time for their wands. Together they headed to Ollivanders. It was dark and it didn't look like there was anybody in the shop. Jazlyn could feel the rush of magic as soon as they stepped in from the walls lined with various different wands.
"Good afternoon," came a soft voice. Harry jumped.
"Afternoon, Mr. Ollivander," Remus greeted.
"Ah Mr. Lupin, Cypress, unicorn hair, 10¼ inches, pliable," Mr. Ollivander said, "and Miss Potter, or should I say Mrs Black? Fir, Dragon heartstring, 9 ¾ inches, slightly yielding. I remember telling you that wand could be quite stubborn. And that Fir is often said to be—"
"The survivor's wood," Jane replied quietly.
"I suppose my grandfather was right, you have proven to be quite resilient haven't you?" Ollivander said, giving her a rare smile. "Now I believe we have two young ones here for wands. Yes, I've been expecting the two of you. Ladies first, shall we?"
Jazlyn looked at her mother and then at Harry before turning back to Mr. Ollivander and nodding.
"Wand arm, Miss Black?" Ollivander said.
"It's just Jazlyn," she automatically correctly, "and, er, right arm."
A magic tape measure appeared and started to measure her.
"Your father had quite an interesting wand as well, I recall," Ollivander said as he began pulling a couple wands from shelves. "Incredibly difficult to find a match with. Ebony, Unicorn hair, 13 ½ inches, fairly bendy. Quite an odd combination particularly for a Black. Ebony wands are known to go to those who do not conform, as he had grown and appeared to diverge from his family I thought how the wand must've noticed something about him. Added with the Unicorn hair, which does not like performing for Dark magic… it's not unheard of but quite uncommon. I had thought that with that particular wand combination… but alas it is not I who matches the wand with the wizard but the wand chooses its owner for itself. I believe you once asked if I could repair broken wands or retrieve the last spell…"
Jane coughed and looked at Ollivander meaningfully. Ollivander stopped himself from his rambling. Jazlyn looked between her mother and Ollivander confused. She also shared a glance at Harry who shrugged back at her just as confused as she was. She wondered if Ollivander had gone mad. What did he mean about her father's wand not being a conformist and against dark magic? Her father was the definition of a dark wizard. And why would her mother ask about repairing a broken wand?
Before Jazlyn could question Ollivander he shoved a wand in her hands.
"Dogwood, Phoenix feather, 9 inches," he said.
Jazlyn took it and gave it a wave. One of the candles erupted and Ollivander quickly took it away. She tried wand after wand and nothing extraordinary or satisfying happened. Finally he paused and came close to her, he looked directly into her eyes as if searching her soul. Then he quickly straightened and marched to the back of the shop. Jazlyn looked back at her three companions nervously. Remus and Jane gave her encouraging nods.
Finally Ollivander came back with a wand that was somewhat covered in dust. Carefully he handed a wand that was a light wood that had almost a shimmering silver look about it. Unlike the previous countless wands she tried, he did not tell her what the wand was made of. The handle had little silvery engraved carving that looked like stars wrapping around.
She took it and felt the warmth of magic flow from herself to the wand. She gave it a small wave. Light silver mist came through the wand and sparks formed what Jazlyn knew to be the Canis Minor constellation, the same constellation her first name, Procyon, came from. She gasped.
Jane and Remus applauded while Harry gasped with her.
"Well done! Oh how marvelous!" Mr. Ollivander said. He gave Jazlyn a strange look as he took the wand back. "And quite curious."
"What's curious?" Jazlyn asked although she was a little afraid of the answer.
"Silver Lime, unicorn hair, 8 ½ inches. Rigid. A rather stubborn wand if you ask me. Quite peculiar, Silver lime is a very difficult wood to match with. They often work best with seers or those with a talent for legilimens." He said slowly peering down at her. "That'll be seven galleons."
She exchanged a nervous glance with her mother. How had he figured out she was a Seer? But her mother simply pulled out seven galleons and handed it to him and accepted the box with the wand. (Only later would Jazlyn remember that she was supposed to be paying for her own things.)
Ollivander turned to Harry.
"Mr Harry Potter, you look so much like your father but your eyes are your mother's," Ollivander said.
Now turning his attention fully to him. Like with Jazlyn he explained what wands his parents had. Jazlyn found it fascinating that the man seemed to remember every wand. Like Jazlyn, Harry tried many different wands. This seemed to excite the man. Apparently he liked the challenge .
"Two tricky customers. Not to worry," he said. "Hmm I wonder? Holly. Phoenix feather, 11 inches, nice and supple."
Harry took it and raised the wand. Then he swished it down. Red and gold sparks shot from it like fireworks. Jazlyn joined her mother and uncle in applauding him. But like with Jazlyn, he muttered how curious it was. Jazlyn started to wonder if he did that with all his customers.
"Sorry, sir, but what's curious?" Harry repeated the question Jazlyn had asked earlier.
Mr. Ollivander explained how Harry's wand's core used a feather from the same Phoenix as Lord Voldemort's. Jazlyn couldn't help but let out a strangled noise of surprise.
"I remember every wand I ever sold," Ollivander said before explaining the type of wand Voldemort had. "You-know-who did great things with his wand, terrible but great. I expect that we will see great things from you as well Mr. Potter."
Harry quietly thanked the man and paid for his wand. After leaving the shop, Jane asked (in an attempt to cheer them up) if they wanted to be treated with another scoop of ice cream. Which the children merrily accepted. Then she asked if they weren't too tired and wanted to visit the quidditch supply shop.
Suddenly no longer tired or weary from their encounter with Mr. Ollivander, the two rushed over to the quidditch supply shop after excitedly insisting they were fine. When they got there they ogled at the newest broomstick: the Nimbus 2000.
"Can I get it?" Harry and Jazlyn said together.
"You're not even allowed to bring it to Hogwarts!" Jane said. "It'll just be rusting at home. Or the twins and Avalon would take it. You wouldn't want that, would you? And besides next year when you can bring a broom, they will probably come out with a newer and better broom.
Jazlyn and Harry supposed she was right.
Harry ended up being able to pick out a couple new quidditch posters for his favorite quidditch team, the Wimbourne Wasps, and a set of practice quidditch robes as it was his birthday. Jazlyn carefully picked out a poster of England's quidditch team to take with her to Hogwarts. When they reached the back of the shop to check out, they were met with a surprise display on the wall behind the register.
A placard on the wall read: In Honor of James Potter. Below it, They were met with a display of two posters, one of the 1977-'78 Gryffindor Quidditch team with Captain James Potter in the center holding the Quidditch cup. Jane spotted herself in the poster right next to James. The other display was another poster of the Wimbourne Wasps from 1979. James Potter also stood proudly in that photograph. It was the one year James had been able to play for the team before having to quit and fight in a war he was much too young for. Next to each poster was a replica of his number 6 Jersey for both quidditch teams.
Jane, having come to the shop quite often for gifts for each of her children, had never seen it before. She asked the young salesman behind the counter about it.
"Found a box with the old Wimbourne poster and Jersey in the back of the shop," the young wizard answered without really looking up to see who he was talking to as he had begun to ring up their items. "They had only been for sale during the year this team played like most of the stuff we sell, gotta keep up with the times, you know? But I found them and figured it would be nice to pull them out to pay my respects, you know? And we sell the Hogwarts team robes here so I figured I'd make one match the Gryffindor poster. My cousin was the seeker as a second year on the team that year that's how I got the photo and turned it into a poster. Just felt right you know."
Jane was quite touched and thanked the young man. She remembered playing with the seeker he was talking about. She had been quite talented James often boasted about discovering someone so young and talented that year.
"I remember your cousin then, Lucia Johnson. Plays for the HolyHead Harpies now doesn't she?" Jane said.
"That's right." The young man said, he finally looked up and stuttered when he realized who he was talking to. "Ms. Potter, I mean Black…"
He looked down and saw Harry Potter standing next to her arms. His eyes flickered from Harry's, to his scar, to the display. Jane and Remus were about to stop him from drawing attention to Harry when the young man leaned forward carefully whispered.
"Young Harry Potter, an honor to meet you," he said quietly in awe. He disappeared quickly to the back without saying anything. A few moments later he hurried back with one carefully wrapped square package and another round poster package. "We don't sell them anymore obviously but here, take them, on the house."
He thrust the package of the Wimbourne poster and jersey into Harry's arms. Harry gratefully thanked him. The young Salesman tried to insist that all their purchases be free but Jane wouldn't hear of it and paid the nice man the total anyway.
"Well I think Mary and the House elves have dinner waiting for us now, shall we?" Jane said as they left the shop and hurried to the Leaky Cauldron to head home.
An: link to marauders era prequel: Start of a War
s/13846990/1/Start-of-a-War
