Lily Luna Potter and the New Era of Hogwarts Chapter 35: James's First Wandlore Lesson, a harry potter fanfic

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On the night of Monday, August 31st, 2020, at 8 p.m. Hogwarts time, James returned to Hogwarts early via an empty green M&Ms mint bag portkey and quickly got himself situated in his room.

James began his private Wandlore/Wandmaking lessons with Olivander that night at 11 p.m.

James and Olivander had agreed to have James's Wandlore and Wandmaking lessons in the History of Magic classroom at 11 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and Olivander decided it best for James to have both days his first week so he made arrangements with Harry and with Hogwarts to allow James to arrive at Hogwarts on the night of August 31st.

James went into the History of Magic classroom at 11 p.m. as planned and found Mr. Olivander sitting at a desk. James sat down at the desk opposite him.

There was an almost mythical silence in the room as James and Olivander faced each other.

The subjects of Wandlore and Wandmaking naturally gave off a kind of aura about them.

And for James, being in the presence of the greatest Wandmaker of all time was surreal. James couldn't help but feel almost in awe of Olivander. It was the equivalent of someone from Harry's generation finding himself or herself in the presence of Albus Dumbledore. After all, Olivander was as much legend as he was man and it was impossible not to feel that mystic and aura around him.

Olivander, however, wasn't here to talk about himself. He was here to teach and mentor James Sirius Potter in Wandlore and Wandmaking. Olivander knew that James, like any potential pupil he might have, was likely to be in awe of him. He felt the best way to help James overcome this natural awe and develop a student-teacher relationship with him was to not draw attention to himself or the topic of himself.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," said Olivander in a completely normal voice.

"Good evening, Mr. Olivander," responded James nervously, "What are you going to start me with?"

Getting right down to the business of the evening, Olivander said clearly, "Mr. Potter, we are not going to get into any actual Wandmaking yet. Before we can even think about going there, I must educate you in Wandlore. Wandlore MUST ALWAYS come before Wandmaking. That's because it is extremely important for Wandmakers to fully understand and appreciate the things they are working with."

James quietly nodded in understanding, knowing that Olivander was right on the money on this one.

"Working with things you don't understand is dangerous, especially where magical things are concerned," said James wisely.

"The very first thing we need to discuss is cores," said Olivander matter of factly, "The core is the most important part of a wand. Can you guess why?"

"Because," answered James confidently, "The core is what gives a wand its magic."

"Very good Mr. Potter," said Olivander approvingly, "Without its magical core, a wand would just be a stick of wood. The magical core is what allows witches and wizards to channel their magic through wands. The key point is that witches and wizards have the ability to channel their magic through wands because wands are themselves magical."

"That makes sense," replied James, "But is there a significance to the different types of cores?"

"Ahhh." said Olivander, holding his voice for effect, "Yes yes yes, the different types of cores. Differences in types of cores are VERY significant. Therefore, we will discuss the major types of cores one at a time. Since your wand has a dragon heartstring core, we will start our discussion of cores with dragon heartstring."

"Okay," said James simply.

"The dominant feature of most dragon heartstring core wands is power," said Olivander in an enthralled voice, "For this reason, witches and wizards who are chosen by dragon heartstring wands are almost always awesome at Transfiguration."

"Almost?" asked James.

"Remember," Olivander reminded James, "That a wand consists of three parts. The length and wood also play roles in the strengths and weaknesses of a wand. For this reason, I know that, for an example, Hugo Weasley can never be great in Transfiguration despite his dragon heartstring core wand and you'll understand why when we get into other aspects of wands. Remember too that Transfiguration is the most difficult branch of magic to perform. Sometimes even witches and wizards with talent for Transfiguration need a few years at Hogwarts or whatever school of magic they attend before they develop this skill or before this skill flourishes in them. And do realize that a specific core is not required for excellence in any branch of magic. A witch or wizard doesn't have to have a dragon heartstring core wand to be outstanding at Transfiguration. But almost all dragon heartstring core wand owners will either be or become strong in Transfiguration. "

"Well, my paternal grandfather for whom dad named me and myself were both chosen by Dragon Heartstring wands. I just an O+ in my Transfiguration O.W.L. I've been told my paternal grandfather was also an excellent Transfiguration student. I've heard he could have gotten an O+ O.W.L. in Transfiguration had extra credit existed in his time."

"Ah, yes," smiled Olivander dreamily, "Two of the most powerful wands I've ever sold!"

"Besides power, is there any other defining characteristic of dragon heartstring cores?" asked James eagerly.

"Absolutely," said Olivander at once, "Owners of dragon heartstring wands tend to be very bold witches and wizards."

James grinned.

"I am definitely a very bold wizard," said James proudly, "With a name like James Sirius Potter, how could I not be! I'm awesome!"

"It was your boldness that led to the position you're now in, Mr. Potter." said Olivander.

"No doubt about that," agreed James instantly, "I'm one of the greatest and boldest wizards in the world."

"Self-confidence and even having a high opinion of oneself are most common in dragon heartstring core wand owners." said Olivander matter of factly.

"The most self-confident person I've ever known is myself," said James clearly, "But the brashest person I have ever met is my friend Samantha Saver."

"Another dragon heartstring core wand owner," said Olivander in a reminiscing voice, "That covers the key points about dragon heartstring wands. Power, boldness, self-confidence and brashness."

"So, are we moving on to another core type then?" asked James.

Olivander nodded.

"The second major type of core," said Olivander dreamily, "Is unicorn hair."

"Unicorns are known as the purest of all beings," said James in a respectful kind of voice.

"You just hit a huge nail on the head, Mr. Potter," said Olivander approvingly, "Unicorn hair wands always choose pure hearted witches and wizards"

"Umm?" asked James curiously, "My friend Stephanie has a unicorn hair wand and she doesn't value love or affection much. She never really did but since the Savers adopted her, she has become a proactive believer in not valuing love or affection."

"I didn't say that unicorn hair core wands chose witches and wizards that value love and affection. I said that unicorn hair core wands always choose pure hearted witches and wizards." Olivander reminded James.

"What exactly does being pure hearted really mean though?" asked James quietly, wanting to make absolutely sure he understood.

"Pure hearted people value and exemplify such traits as fairness, trustworthiness, honestly, and loyalty." said Olivander in a crystal clear voice.

"Stephanie definitely exemplifies those traits," said James firmly, "In fact, she gets really disappointed in other people and their character when they fail to show those traits. She is always honest, she will always be fair even at great cost to herself, she is a loyal friend, and as for being trustworthy, well, if I were in a foxhole, I would want Stephanie Saver next to me."

"Honesty, fairness, and loyalty are the purest qualities any person can have," said Olivander clearly, "Any witch or wizard who is always honest, is infinitely fair minded, and whose loyalty can be counted is a witch or wizard that a unicorn hair core wand would want to associate with. Love and affection are actually more closely associated with another wand core type."

"Phoenixes are known for their fierceness, their faithfulness, and for having a deep seated love for their owners," said James.

"Spot on again, Mr. Potter", said Olivander, "Phoenix feather core wands tend to choose witches and wizards who have great love for their family and friends."

"My cousin Fred Weasley, my close friend and second Cousin Devon Dursley, my favorite sibling Lily Luna Potter, and my friend Ainsley Cochlain all have Phoenix feather wands. They are amongst the most loving people alive today. Of course, so are Hugo and I and we both have dragon heartstring core wands."

"Again, having a particular wand core is not necessary for any trait," Olivander reminded James, "But the cores will be pretty consistent about the traits they look for."

"You know, probably the fiercest love the magical community has ever known was the undying love my paternal grandmother had for my dad. I mean, she begged Lord Voldemort himself to kill her in the hope of sparing her son's life. If that isn't fierce love, then I don't know what is. There's a reason dad named my favorite sibling Lily after her," said James proudly.

"Fierce love isn't the only kind of fierceness," continued Olivander, "Phoenix feather core wand owners can be very fiery people. Though this trait is not as common as some other connections. But love is the trait most commonly associated with the Phoenix feather core."

"Lily Potter nee Evans, my paternal grandmother for whom my favorite sibling was named for was known to have a fiery side to her," said James.

"Yes, she was a definite example of a fiery phoenix within a witch." smiled Olivander, "By the way, phoenix feather wands are excellent for Charms though hardly necessary to be great at Charms. Truthfully, wand characteristics are not that important in Charms, a subject that is much more about the magical skill of witches and wizards than the strength or weakness of wands."

"Are there any other wand core types, asked James smartly, knowing he needed to make sure to get as much information as could.

"There are numerous wand core types, but I've only ever used dragon heartstring, phoenix feather, and unicorn hair." answered Olivander.

"Should I learn about them all?" asked James simply.

"That would be impossible or at least impractical," replied Olivander, "There is loads of localization when it comes to wand core types. I think you should be aware of dragon heartstring, unicorn hair, and phoenix feather. Later in the year as your lessons wind down and you get closer to becoming a Wandmaking teacher, I will allow but not require you to suggest other magical creatures that could be used in wand cores if you want and will provide information on whether such cores would be realistic options. For now, we stick to the big three."

"That makes sense," agreed James," Nothing can be learned by overstuffing my head."

"There's a crucial thing for you to understand about cores and, for that matter, wands in general, Mr. Potter." said Olivander matter of factly.

"What's that?" asked James.

"Most witches and wizards have multiple wands that might choose them. In many cases, which wand a witch or wizards actually acquires comes down to is that a witch or wizard simply happens to try a one wand that chooses them before other wands that might choose them get a chance." explained Olivander.

"Ohhhhhhhh!" realized James, "That's a GREAT thing and a VERY important thing. That explains why witches and wizards whose wands become lost or damaged beyond repair are not out of luck and can obtain replacement wands that work just as well for them!"

"Exactly," Mr. Potter, "Now we move on to discussing... began Olivander before coughing,

"We move on to discussing what?" asked James.

"The next thing we need to go over is wand lengths," said Olivander simply.

"How important is length in wands?" asked James.

"Somewhat important," answered Olivander matter of factly, "Very short wands lack power."

"And wand power is very important in Transfiguration!" realized James in a nanosecond. "So that's why Hugo can never be great at Transfiguration. His wand is only six inches long."

"You pick up on things quickly Mr. Potter," said Olivander approvingly, "Your attentiveness and ability to put two and two together make you great student. Yes, the shortest wands ever known to exist are five inches."

"How important is precision in wand measurements?" James asked Olivander.

"Not very important at all. Wandmaking is not a very precise discipline. Wands are always sold in increments of quarter inches but it's actually rare that a wand will be EXACTLY, say eight and a half inches long. An eight and a half inch wand might actually be eight and fifty two hundredth inches long rather than eight and a half inches long. If the length of a wand is in the ballpark of the length the seller claims it to be, it's fine." explained Olivander.

"So, is there a minimum length that a wand needs to be for a witch or wizard to have the potential to be a Transfiguration whiz? My friend Ainsley Cochlain is a prodigy in all disciplines of Transfiguration and her wand is only seven inches," asked James with genuine curiosity.

"It's an accepted fact in Wandlore that wands of lengths five inches to six and three quarter inches will never be good for Transfiguration. Wands of lengths from five inches to six and three quarter inches are considered "very short" wands. Wands of seven to seven and three quarter inches are considered "short" wands. It is rare for witches and wizards whose wands are of lengths seven to seven and three quarter inches to be excellent at Transfiguration. There are exceptions in this length class and Miss Cochlain is one of them. However, these exceptions always come from witches and wizards who are GREAT at Transfiguration. These witches and wizards also almost always have a VERY strong interest in and passion for Transfiguration." explained Olivander.

"Ainsley loves Transfiguration," said James brightly. "Ainsley is a great student but she tells us regularly, hell, frequently, that Transfiguration is her favorite subject. And she's a COMPLETE Transfiguration prodigy. She's AWESOME at Multiplying Spells, Vanishing Spells, and Conjuring Spells."

"Someday, Miss Cochlain will be a regular fixture in Transfiguration Today," predicted Olivander, "To be able to do all that with a seven inch wand is phenomenal."

"So?" guessed James, "Would wands of length eight to nine and three quarter inches would be considered average length wands."

"Yes, Mr. Potter," said Olivander happily, "Wands of lengths ten to eleven and three quarters are considered long wands. To be truly "powerful" a wand must be at least ten inches long. The rule in Wandlore is that short = finesse and long = power. Wands of lengths twelve to thirteen and three quarter inches are considered very long wands and are very powerful. In the wrong hands wands of lengths twelve to thirteen and three quarter inches are dangerous, especially if they also have dragon heartstring cores. One of the worst examples of such a wand falling into the wrong hands was Bellatrix Lestrange's twelve and three quarter inches dragon heartstring core wand."

"The worst of all Death Eaters," acknowledged James, "I actually have an even longer dragon heartstring core wand. Thirteen and a half. No wonder Transfiguration comes so naturally to me. No wonder I can actually feel the power of my wand. Don't worry though, I am a Potter through and through and therefore of the light. What is the longest wand you have ever sold?"

"Sixteen inches, to Hagrid," said Olivander simply, "But unfortunately, that wand got snapped in half."

"So, the notable thing about wand length is power?' said James.

"That's it in a nutshell," said Olivander, "The more length, the more power. "

"Is flexibility an important trait in a wand?" James asked Olivander, "My wand is unbendable. does that make it more power than a swishy wand."?

"No, "answered Olivander clearly, "Both extremely flexible and totally unbendable wands can work equally well in any branch of magic. Length, not flexibility is the key to how powerful a wand is or isn't."

"And power level mostly affects Transfiguration?" said James.

"Primarily in terms of Hogwarts subjects," said Olivander, "It can affect Defense Against the Dark Arts on a small level. But powerful wands are very desirable for performing the Dark Arts, which are not taught at Hogwarts. Having long wands was highly beneficial to Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Have you ever considered stopping selling long wands?" James asked Olivander.

"No!" exclaimed Olivander, "Really powerful wands can be used for good too. But we'll talk about that when we get into woods. Before we do, another aspect of Wandlore is cleanliness. Now there's not a lot to say on the subject of cleanliness, but."

"Filthy and uncared for wands will be less effective in all branches of magic than clean and cared for wands," understood James.

"Bingo!" replied Olivander.

"I polish my wand every Sunday night," James informed Olivander with a grin.

"Excellent, Mr. Potter," smiled Olivander, "Once a week is sufficient to ensure a well-functioning wand."

"So, I'm guessing we're not spending too much time on this topic?" guessed James.

"No, it just needed to be mentioned," said Olivander simply.

"So, what's next?" asked James.

"Woods," said Olivander in a mystical voice as James suddenly quivered with excitement.

"Woods," said Olivander very clearly, "Play various roles with regard to wands. What I'm going to do now is go over some common wand wood types and explain what role(s) that wood plays in the wands that are made of it. Now that are about nine hundred octillion different wand woods known to be in use today. We won't cover all of them. We won't necessarily cover all of the common woods even. You'll learn more about more wand wood types as the year progresses. I want to focus on some major types of wand wood tonight."

"is woods the last topic we are going to cover tonight? "asked James.

"Yes," confirmed Olivander.

"In that case, let's save the discussion of my wand's wood for last. I'd like to end the night on a discussion of something that is germane to my own wand." said James.

"Fair enough," said Olivander, "In that case, is there a particular type pf wand wood you'd like to cover first?"

"Yew!" said James firmly, "Yew should be a fascinating wand wood to learn about!"

"Ah yes," said Olivander in a mythical voice, "Yes yes yes yes. Yew. One of the most intriguing woods in Wandlore. The first thing you gotta understand about yew wands is that yew wands are EASILY the most powerful wands on the market in any wand market. If yew is combined with dragon heartstring core in any wand of at least twelve inches, such a wand would be amongst the most powerful in the world. Regardless of core, any yew wand of at least thirteen inches would also be amongst the most powerful wands in the world. Yew is the ideal wand wood for murderers and the ideal wand wood for healers at the same time. "

"I know of at least two yew wands in existence that are at least thirteen inches, though both are phoenix feather core," said James breathlessly.

"Ah, yes, "said Olivander breathlessly, "One of those belonged to the Dark Lord. thirteen and a half inches yew and phoenix feather."

"How big a factor was having a very long yew wand in Voldemort being the greatest murderer in wizarding history?" James Olivander tensely.

"Not the be all end all but definitely a very important factor," said Olivander briskly, "Here's something that's VERY important to understand: Both the Dark Arts and Defense Against the Dark Arts are subjects where BOTH the wand AND the witch or wizard performing the spells play huge roles in proficiency. Having a very powerful wand is immensely helpful in performing both the Dark Arts and Defense Against the Dark Arts. At the same time, an aptitude at either the Dark Arts or Defense Against the Dark Arts requires strong willpower from the witch or wizard performing them."

"So even with a very long yew wand you really have to want to kill in order to be able to kill?" asked James tensely.

"Yes," said Olivander queasily, "Magical murders must have strong motivation behind them to be performable. Just saying the words to the spell and waving even a very powerful wand without any real intent will have no result. But if the motive to murder does exist and the dark wizard owns a very powerful wand, the would be murderer has a 99.99999999999 % chance of being successful. Only Harry Potter is known to have survived a genuine murder attempt. "

Knowing perfectly well that Olivander was referring to Harry's survival as a baby and not wishing to discuss that subject, James steered things in a different direction by mentioning, "My close friend and second Cousin Devon Dursley owns the other very long yew wand known to exist. Thirteen inches with yew and phoenix feather."

"Mr. Dursley was very tense when he left my shop after his wand chose him," revealed Olivander, "He knows his wizarding history and was fully aware that the Dark Lord had possessed a wand very similar to his."

"Devon was very uneasy about that his first two months at Hogwarts," explained James uncomfortably, "In fact he was terrified that his yew wand would lead him to the Dark Side, especially since it had the same core and a similar length to Voldemort's wand."

"His attitude towards his wand took a one hundred and eighty degree turn after it saved Mr. Weasley! "said Olivander dramatically.

"How do you know about that?" asked a stunned looking James.

"Professor McGonagall informed me of that event," said Olivander matter of factly, "I have contacts in every important wizarding location in Britain who inform me if anything noteworthy with regard to wands occurs at such a location. For Hogwarts, this is Professor McGonagall."

James felt foolish upon hearing this answer. Of course, Olivander would be informed about anything of significance related to wands!

"Yew has exceptional healing power. This is well known in the healing industry," said Olivander.

"Then why aren't yew wands more common?' asked James urgently, "If a wand wood can help the healing industry that would be more beneficial to, we witches and wizards than anything else."

"One thing you must understand is that yew wands gained a VERY negative reputation because of the Dark Lord. From the time the Dark Lord first rose until many years after the Dark Lord's death, I was under IMMENSE public pressure not to make yew wands. Even those witches and wizards who might have supported the making of yew wands wouldn't dare speak this opinion at the time. The very topic of yew in wands had to kinda die out in public before I could even think about making another yew wand." explained Olivander uncomfortably, "Even now I will only try a yew wand with a known muggleborn. I might not have tried it on Mr. Dursley had I known he had knowledge of wizarding history."

"Do you support the use of yew in wands?" James asked Olivander.

"It's a double edged sword," admitted Olivander, "But I do support the use of yew as a wand wood because there are some conditions for which yew is the only known cure. Sapavetius is the most well-known of these conditions, though it is a rare magical bug. It does pop up from time to time as it did with Mr. Weasley. That said, you have to remember that in the aftermath of Voldemort, many parents and grandparents would have been terrified at the idea of their children and grandchildren owning yew wands. I can't really blame them. The thirteen inch phoenix feather yew wand I sold to Mr. Dursley was the first yew wand I'd made since before the Dark Lord first rose."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh," piped up James suddenly, "I won't do this without gaining Hugo's. Devon's and Lily's permission first, but it might be a good idea to publicize the story of how Devon's yew wand saved Hugo. That might gain more public support for making yew wands and you could make more of them and that would be a big plus for Healers."

Olivander sat frozen for a nanosecond and the smiled, "Ask them. Mr. Potter, I think you may be onto something."

"I will," promised James in a crystal clear voice.

"Another wand wood that will be of great interest to you is willow," said Olivander in a mystical voice.

"Both my paternal grandmother and my favorite sibling who dad named after her were chosen by willow wands.," said James with warmth in his voice.

"Willow wands are quite picky, choosy, and fussy about who they chose," said Olivander clearly, "No dark witch or wizard has ever been known to have owned a willow wand, be it be the wand's original choice or being won. Furthermore, willow wands are so undying loyal to their original owners that it is literally impossible to win a willow wand away from its original owner. Willow wands NEVER work well for witches and wizards who "win" them and will eventually find their way back to their original owner."

"Find their way back to their original owners?" asked James in a confused voice.

"Willow wands that have been won will eventually "run away" from the witches and wizards who "won" them and "go home" to their true and beloved owners." said Olivander.

"Does that mean?" asked James slowly, "That willow wands will choose very loyal and loving people.

"Absolutely," said Olivander instantly.

"My favorite sibling is the most loyal and loving person I have ever met," said James proudly, "There is not a person alive today who loves his or her family and friends more than Lily Luna Potter. And there's no more fiercely loyal person on this planet than Lily Luna Potter. I don't even know how to articulate that to someone who doesn't know her personally. "

"The opposite of willow in terms of wand woods is beechwood," piped up Olivander, "Beechwood wand owners are often loners."

"My cousin Roxanne is a loner because she values personal freedom and personal choice far more than affection or companionship," said James.

"And Miss Weasley was chosen by a beechwood wand," remembered Olivander.

"My friend Samantha Saver, though a far less extreme loner, does always insist that Sundays are for me time. Samantha is always discouraging people from becoming attached to other people under the premise that doing so is setting oneself up from grief or sadness by doing so because people can always die or move. Samantha has now passed these beliefs on to Stephanie. Samantha also insists that her greatest strength as a person is that she neither needs nor values love or affection. She's not entirely uncaring, as her donation to Worthy Wands and her push for her family to adopt Stephanie will attest. But she's completely unloving and non-affectionate.

"That sounds like a beechwood wand owner alright, "Is Miss Saver shy?"

"She usually is, and Lily has said Samantha is very uncomfortable having to perform in front of people, such as in class," said James matter of factly, "But her shyness goes away quickly when she has the opportunity to praise herself."

"it is common for beechwood wands owners to be both selfish and materialistic," began Olivander.

"Which Samantha certainly is," said James.

"But because shyness and lonerism are frequent traits of beechwood wand owners, arrogance, brashness, and boastfulness are uncommon amongst beechwood wand owners," said Olivander, "One thing of note about beechwood wands is that beechwood is an EXCELLENT wand wood for nonverbal spells."

"Samantha is still a few years away from learning nonverbal spells but she is always quite adept at Silencing Charms," James informed Olivander.

"All beechwood wand owners are great at Silencing Charms," said Olivander matter of factly, "Beechwood has always had this connection with the quiet side of the world. But there's another wand wood that's associated with playfulness, fun loving, and joking, do you know any pranksters or really fun loving people."

"Ainsley Cochlain is both," answered James,

"A maple wand owner," reminisced Olivander, "Miss Cochlain showed that side of herself when she came to my shop. In fact, it was no surprise to me at all when Miss Saver ended up with a beechwood wand and Miss Cochlain ended up with a maple wand. Miss Saver came into my shop with her head down and seeming very uncomfortable. Miss Cochlain came into my shop naked and laughing and giggling and had a very playful attitude. When the first wand she tried didn't choose her, she tossed it back to me with a between the legs throw and was go lucky to move to the next attempt."

"That doesn't surprise me at all," grinned James.

Olivander next turned to a topic that James had great personal interest in.

"Your father was chosen by a holly wand," said Olivander in mythical voice, "Can you guess what trait is most tied to holly wands?'

"Bravery," said James proudly, "My father was the bravest man in wizarding history!"

"Bingo! "replied Olivander with a rare grin, "Any witch or wizard who is chosen by a holly wand will be unyieldingly brave. The question is how he or she uses that bravery. Mr. Potter used his bravery for the benefit of others to save not only lives, but the wizarding community as we know it. A holly wand owner will always make a good solider, firefighter, or auror."

"Dad is known as one the best aurors the ministry possesses," said James radiantly.

"We'll finish with your wand wood and that is mahogany," smiled Olivander, "Mahogany wands are powerful wands. Not as powerful as yew or even walnut but certainly fantastic wands for Transfiguration. That's especially true when mahogany is combined with a dragon heartstring core in a long wand."

"in other words, " said James. holding up his wand, "I have the perfect tool for Transfiguration!"

"Yes, yes yes, "said Olivander with a rare smile, "Mahogany wands also choose bold witches and wizards, that certainly applies to you Mr. Potter."

"Yes, it does," James grinned.

"We'll leave this lesson here for tonight," said Olivander, "Meet me again at 11 p.m. Wednesday night."