Harry looked down at his watch and said, "We still have a few hours before we get to Hogwarts. This seems like a really good opportunity for us to get to know each other better. I'll start the conversation. My wand is holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. What about you three?"
"Willow and fwooper feather, ten inches, straight and stiff, " answered Susan.
"Fwooper feather?" chorused Harry and Amy in surprise. Neither of them knew what fwoopers were and neither of them remembered Olivander mentioning fwooper feather as a wand core.
"Not the most common wand core, " explained Hannah, "But every once in a while, a fwooper feather wand or two hits the market."
"You didn't seem surprised by what Susan's wand is though, " observed Harry.
"I already knew," said Hannah cheerfully, "I was with Susan when she got her wand. Susan and I went to Diagon Alley together. Susan and I have grown up as BFF's."
"What is a BFF?" asked Harry in a confused voice.
"Best friend forever, " explained Susan.
"What are fwoopers anyway?" inquired Amy.
"Birds, " explained Susan, "Brightly colored birds that come in pink, orange, yellow, and lime green."
"Nice vivid colors, " said Harry brightly.
"Yeah, fwoopers sound like they're really pretty birds, " said Amy warmly.
"Fwoopers are songbirds, " explained Hannah, "Fwooper song can be enjoyable but listening to too much of it will drive the listener insane. Fwoopers are sold with Silencing Charms on them, and fwooper owners are legally required to reapply Silencing Charms on their birds monthly. Owning a fwooper also requires a license due to the responsibility that comes with owning the creatures."
"Fwooper feathers are also used for quills, " said Susan matter of factly, "This is a MUCH more common use of fwooper feathers than their use as wand cores."
"And yet you have a fwooper feather wand," piped up Hannah, "I'd be jealous, but as it turns out, I've got a pretty unique wand myself."
"It sounds like you two may have been lucky enough to have gone to Olivander's on a day when he happened to be showcasing more unique wands, " said Harry.
"That's true, " admitted Hannah, "But the wands still had to choose us."
"And what's your wand then?" Harry asked Hannah.
"Cherry and niffler hair, eight inches, shiny and slippery, " answered Hannah.
"And what are nifflers? asked Amy.
"Creatures that are attracted to shiny objects, " replied Hannah, "Nifflers are black and fluffy. Though their disposition towards people is gentle, they can't be kept as pets or in houses because they are destructive to belongings."
"Are you the only person who owns a niffler hair wand?" Harry asked Hannah.
"No, " said Hannah simply, "But like Fwooper feathers wands, niffler hair wands are pretty rare."
"Well, "piped up Amy, "My wand consists of mahogany and dragon heartstring, twenty one inches, extremely powerful.
"Well, " smiled Harry, "Dragon heartstring might be a common wand core, but I'd guess offhand that twenty one inches is a record for longest wand ever."
"According to Olivander, it is, " said Amy proudly, "I can't wait for you three to see it. This is amazing. First, McGonagall told me that I'm the first albino to ever attend Hogwarts and then Olivander tells me I was chosen by the longest wand to ever exist. I'm totally awesome baby!"
"it looks I'm the only one without a unique wand, " said Harry, "That's okay though, I'm happy for you three."
"Actually, you do have a unique wand too, Harry, " smiled Susan, "Ollivander may have told you that he uses phoenix feather, unicorn hair, and dragon heartstring, BUT phoenix feather wands are much rarer in ownership and use than the other two main cores. It is MUCH harder to be chosen by a phoenix feather wand than by a unicorn hair wand or a dragon heartstring wand because phoenix feather wands tend to seek immensely powerful witches and wizards. It's also worth noting that phoenix feather wands tend to learn the most varied repertoires of magic."
"Is there any particular tendency of unicorn hair and dragon heartstring wands?" Harry asked Susan, looking to soak up as much knowledge as he could.
"Unicorn hair wands seek pure hearted witches and wizards and are very loyal to the original owner. Though their magic is less varied than phoenix feather wands, unicorn hair wands do perform spells constantly if yielded by a competent owner. Dragon heartstring is the most common wand core and is generally produces the most powerful wands. Dragon Heartstring wands do learn magic easily but can easily switch allegiances if won away from their original owners, " answered Susan, "And that's not all. Not only is phoenix feather the hardest of the three main cores to be chosen by, but holly is one of the rarest wood types in wands."
"Really, " said Harry excitedly.
"Holly wands, " explained Hannah, "Also tend to choose witches or wizards who will face danger, especially in the form of quests. Holly wands are very protective of the owners. Holly wands can also be volatile."
"Which is significant, " added Susan, "Dragon heartstring wands tend to be enormously powerful while unicorn hair wands tend to be very loyal. Phoenix feather wands, on the other hands, tend to be largely detached. They tend to choose immensely powerful witches and wizards and let the witch or wizard supply the power whereas dragon heartstring wands are powerful on their own. Phoenix feather wands, though harder to win away from their original owners than dragon heartstring wands, are far less loyal to their original owners than unicorn hair wands. They tend to have a sense of detachment and just go with it. For this reason, the combination of holly and phoenix feather is rare as phoenix feather's detachment is not compatible with holly's volatility. However, it is often said that if a holly and phoenix feather wand finds its ideal match, no one should stand in the way of it or its owner."
"So, I DO have a unique wand too!" said Harry more happily.
"Indeed" chroused Susan and Hannah kindly.