On Monday, October 5th, 2020 at 11 p.m. Hogwarts time, James would finally get to take a crack at actually attempting to make a wand.
When James entered the History of Magic classroom for his Wandmaking lesson, he saw one bottle each of Cooling Potion, Strengthening Potion, and Temperament Potion sitting on the left side of Olivander's desk along with a stopwatch. A cauldron and tongs could be seen on the right hand side of the desk.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter, " said Olivander in a businesslike voice, "Are you ready to attempt to make a wand?"
"Yes!" said James excitedly, "I've been looking forward to this opportunity for a while now."
"I have prepared some cores in Temperament Potion and some woods in Strengthening Potion," explained Olivander, " Now, it should be noted that, although treatment in potions is a part of the Wandmaking process, and although you will be learning to make these potions as part of your seventh year Potions class next year, it's not actually necessary for Wandmakers to know how to make potions because they can easily be store bought. However, once you get into to doing Wandmaking on your own, you will need to prepare woods and cores in potions beforehand. At some point this year, I will have you start doing this on your own so that you learn to take responsibility for it."
"How about after New year's?" suggested James, "That will allow me to focus on the actual Wandmaking process for a few months and still incorporate the full responsibility for several months before I begin to teach?"
"Mr. Potter, that's perfect!" squealed Olivander approvingly.
"Let's get down to business now," requested James.
"Ah yes, yes yes yes, "replied Olivander, "Now I have prepared several different types of wood as well as all three core types. You may choose what kind of wand you wish to make. You may choose to do whatever you wish with the wand you make if you are successful."
"OHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed James in delight as though he'd realized something.
"I know EXACTLY what type I want to make. Is willow one of the available woods?"
"Yes," answered Olivander simply, "Though, if it weren't, you could still use Transfiguration to turn one of the woods I did have into willow."
"I want to make a willow wood, phoenix feather wand of ten and three quarter inches! That is Lily's wand. You see, Lily has told me that she has been inspired by how I'm learning to make wands and that she now wishes to pursue a Wandmaking career of her own. Not to stay at Hogwarts and teach like me, but to actually own a shop. Lily has always wanted a career where she could help people and making wands for witches and wizards certainly qualifies for that. She has told me that she will take my class next year. But she isn't entirely sure that she can do it. She has some doubts. I've told her to chase her dream if that's what she wants. What I want to do is present her with the wand I make tonight in the hope that it will motivate and inspire her. I want to tell her, hey, if I can do it, so can you. I think it will make it more meaningful if I make a replica of her own wand."
"Mr. Potter, that's wonderful," said Olivander glowingly,
Olivander opened the bottle of Strengthening Potion and James saw many different strips of wood floating in it. Olivander pulled a strip of willow wood out of the Strengthening Potion and handed it to James.
"The wood must be cut magically with a Splitting Charm," remembered James.
James pulled his wand out of his right hand pocket, set the strip of willow wood down on the desk, and pointed his wand at the strip of willow wood.
"Detachio" cried James.
Next nanosecond, a piece of willow wood of exactly ten and three quarter inches in length detached itself from the rest of the strip.
"Bravo," cried Olivander approvingly, "That's EXACTLY the length you were shooting for."
"YES!" shouted James, "Now I need a second piece, so let's do that again."
James set his first piece down on left hand side of the desk and prepared to repeat his Splitting Charm.
James once again pointed his wand at the strip of willow wood and once again cried "Detachio!"
As before, a piece of willow wood of exactly ten and three quarter inches in length detached itself from the rest of the strip.
"Mr. Potter, you've done it again!" beamed Olivander, "second verse same as the first!"
"I'm awesome," said James glowingly, "I just cut off two pieces of wand wood of EXACTLY the length I want on my first two attempts at it! I did a splendid job. Of course, my Splitting Charms have always been outstanding."
"Feeling good about yourself, Mr. Potter?" observed Olivander.
"Very," smiled James.
James set the second piece of wand willow down by the first one.
Olivander next opened the bottle of Temperament Potion, pulled out a phoenix feather, and handed it to James.
James carefully set the phoenix feather down in the middle of the desk and picked up one of his pieces of wand willow.
James then gently set this piece of wand willow on top of the phoenix feather on the side nearest himself.
"Now it's time to attach my first piece of willow to the phoenix feather," said James eagerly.
James pointed his wand at the piece of willow atop the phoenix feather and cried "Attachio!"
The ten and three quarter inch piece of willow wood fit itself perfectly onto the side of the phoenix feather nearest James.
"Wow!" cried Olivander in amazement, "I see now why you got an O on your Charms O.W.L. last year, Mr. Potter."
"My Charms skills are awesome!" boasted James.
"Now comes the hard part," said Olivander seriously.
"Especially for me," admitted James, "As it requires some patience. I'm not a patient person but now I have to be."
James picked up the stopwatch in his left hand and set it to five minutes. He then placed the attached ten and three quarter inch piece of willow wood into the cauldron.
James next started the stopwatch and used his right hand to simultaneously turn the heat on the cauldron to high.
Remembering what Olivander had previously told him about the importance of not letting this process go unattended, James kept his eyes squarely focused on the cauldron for these five minutes.
When the stopwatch went off, James picked up the tongs, pulled the half finished wand out of the cauldron and set it back on the desk with the unfinished side facing himself.
"Time to attach the second half of wood to the core," said James eagerly, clearly getting more and more excited as he completed each step successfully.
James now picked up the second ten and three quarter inch piece of willow wood and set it atop the uncovered side of the phoenix feather.
"Attachio" cried James.
Once again, the ten and three quarter inch piece of willow wood fit perfectly onto the phoenix feather.
"YES!" said James excitedly, "Man, Wandmaking isn't so hard if you are good at Charms."
"There's a lot of truth to that, " acknowledged Olivander, "But you will find some type of wands harder to make. Willow is one of the easiest woods to work with and phoenix feather is the easiest core to work with. I do think you will be able to make all kinds of wands superbly by the end of the year. But you will be challenged more when you make other kinds of wands."
"I think it's good that I started off with an easier wand to make," said James matter of factly, "Better to start with an easier wand and get a feel for the process and being successful at it and then move into more challenging wands later on."
"Exactly," agreed Olivander.
James now again set the stopwatch to five minutes and placed the wand into the cauldron. He started the stopwatch and used his right hand to set the heat on the cauldron to high.
After these five minutes were up, James removed the wand from the cauldron with the tongs and set it down in front of him.
"Do you remember how to finish making a wand, Mr. Potter?" inquired Olivander.
In response, James pointed his own wand at this nearly completed wand and cried "Lumos Maxima!"
After twenty seconds, James and Olivander heard a loud and distinct snapping sound.
"PERFECT!" squealed Olivander, "That snapping sound means that the two pieces of the wand have successfully fused together! Great job Mr. Potter!"
"I was PERFECT today. My first endeavor into actually making a wand was totally awesome baby! I'm awesome and so was my performance today!"
Olivander now opened the bottle of Cooling Potion and used the tongs to set the newly made wand in it.
"Mr. Potter, your newly made wand will be ready by the time of our next regularly scheduled lesson. I will allow you to use our lesson time Wednesday to write Miss Potter a note or letter to give to her with that wand and we can get cracking with another Wandmaking attempt next Monday."
"Thank you, Mr. Olivander, " said James sincerely.
As had been planned, Albus and Lily met James after this lesson for an hour of sibling time.
Albus had decided that he, James, and Lily would spend this first week of sibling time playing with a hula hoop. James, Albus, and Lily would each take turns jumping through the hula hoop while the other two held on to it. They had fun doing this and Albus thought it a healthy way of spending their sibling time because it required them to help each other with an activity. Albus thought this would help with the bonding part.
After a while, they started competing to see who could jump through the hula hoop for the longest distance. Albus turned out the winner and all three of them went to bed that night feeling that the process of Albus's sibling bonding was off to a good start.
As he had promised, Olivander allowed James to use their Wednesday night lesson to write a massage to Lily.
James took a sheet of paper and a pen out of his schoolbag and wrote:
Dear Lily:
Lily, I know how much you want to eventually become a Wandmaker yourself and I am touched by how much inspiration you have taken from me. I know you have some doubt about whether you can do it even though you are committed to taking my class next year. I want to really push you to believe in yourself, give it your all, and do your best and I hope my inspiration can provide more motivation for you. In my first attempt at actual Wandmaking, I made this wand, a ten and three quarter willow and phoenix feather wand that is a replica of your own wand. I dedicate this wand to you, It is my hope that you will look at this wand and push through by having it plant the idea in your mind that "Hey James did it and I can too." I hope you will not use this wand, but instead let it serve as both inspiration and motivation and to keep pushing through until you are successful. Lily, I believe in you and I hope I can help you to believe in yourself. I KNOW you will make our family proud and I KNOW you will make the entire magical population proud. Always know that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
Love always
- James.
At the end of the hour, Olivander retrieved the wand James had made on Monday from the Cooling Potion and set it in a brown paper bag. James placed his note to Lily in the bag as well and placed the bag in his right hand pocket before going to meet Albus and Lily.
James, Albus, and Lily again played with a hula hoop and Albus again won the jumping competition. All three of them felt good about this first week of this sibling time and Albus was already thinking about how they would spend this time next week.
At 1 a.m. on Thursday morning, Albus went to bed and James took the bag out of his pocket and handed it to Lily before calling it a night himself.
Lily took the bag up to her room and opened it.
As Lily read the note, she felt very meaningful and heartfelt tears forming in her eyes.
Of all the things that James could have done with his first Wandmaking attempt, he had thought of her.
To have had her brother make a replica of her own wand and present it to her as a gift meant more to Lily than she could ever possibly articulate.
Lily had also been very moved by the dedication and the note. Obviously, James wanted Lily to succeed as much as he wanted himself to succeed.
Moreover, James clearly had genuine faith in Lily and wanted to do whatever he could to encourage her.
But this was also about more than wands or encouragement.
This was about family and about love.
Lily could feel James love for her through the paper she had read.
And when she picked the wand James had made and held it in her hand for the first time, she felt a sudden warmth in her heart. It felt as though James himself had shot this warmth into her.
Setting the wand and note back into the bag and placing an extraordinarily strong Anti-Theft Charm on it, Lily looked at the portrait of James that hung on her wall and got a sudden feeling of catching something within herself.
As Lily changed into her pajamas and slippers and climbed into bed, she vowed to prove James's faith in her right.
"Yes," thought Lily determinedly, "It may still be awhile before James starts teaching, but when he does, I'm going to be his best student and his faith in me will prove correct."
And with that, Lily feel asleep.
