So I just realized that some of the thoughts were not in italics due to technical problems. Hopefully everything's in order now.
Chapter six: Ollivanders
After leaving Gringotts, Professor McGonagall took Elsa from store to store in Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies. She even gifted Elsa with a magical, bottomless crossbody bag so that the princess would be able to put all her purchases inside.
Each shop was more magical than the last. In the stationary store, feathers were plucked of owls on the spot to make high quality quills*. In the bookstore, all Elsa had to do was read a book title off her school book list, and the book that was needed would come flying towards her. She was also able to buy some other books for light reading to learn more about the magical world.
But what Elsa loved the most was the sweet store. Tall, colourful shelves filled with every sweet treat imaginable lined the walls. Toffees, licorice, bonbons… Just looking at them made Elsa's mouth water. She purchased a few chocolate frogs for herself and Anna. She did promise her sister she would bring something back for her after all.
Professor McGonagall told Elsa to eat the chocolate frogs in a room with closed windows and doors when she noticed Elsa's purchases. When Elsa asked why, McGonagall's eyes twinkled and the professor simply gave Elsa a knowing look, then told the princess that not all secrets can be shared. It seems as though the strict professor had a hint of mischief as well.
"I think all that's missing now is… a wand," Elsa said, looking at her supplies list. The bottomless bag hung across her shoulder. The bag was enchanted to weigh no more than a feather, something that Elsa was grateful for. She wasn't sure how she would have been able to carry the huge amount of stuff she had bought if it wasn't for Professor McGonagall's gift.
"Follow me then Miss Lovelace," McGonagall said, leading the way. She led Elsa towards an old shop with dusty windows. The outer wall was cracking a bit as well. When was the last time this place was renovated? Elsa wondered. Suddenly, one of the shop windows exploded. Elsa stepped back in fear. Professor McGonagall put a hand on her shoulder.
"Nothing to fear Miss Lovelace," she said. "All is perfectly normal." Elsa didn't feel reassured at all by that sentence.
Stepping inside the shop cautiously, Elsa took a look around. The space inside was tinier compared to all the other shops she had visited. Hundreds, no, thousands of narrow boxes filled the shelves. There were a few ladders leaning onto the shelves as well.
An old man with silvery eyes and pale skin stood behind the counter. He seemed to be handing a young girl with bushy, brown hair different wands, encouraging her to try them out. Behind the girl, a woman, who also had brown hair, watched the exchange, curiosity dancing behind her eyes. A short little man, presumably a goblin, stood next to the women.
"Professor Flitwick," Professor McGonagall said. "What a coincidence." The short man turned towards McGonagall, and a smile broke out on his face.
"Why Professor McGonagall! What a nice surprise!" he said, waving them over. He gestured to the women beside him. "Meet Mrs. Granger. She's one of the muggle parents of this batch's first years. Mrs. Granger, meet Professor McGonagall. She will be one of your daughter's teachers in the coming school year."
Mrs. Granger waved nervously. From the way she was staring at everything in awe, it was clear that she was still getting used to the idea of magic existing in the world.
"Finally! A match!"
The old-man-behind-the-counter's voice caused everyone to pay attention to him. "10¾, Vine, dragon heartstring. For witches and wizards with a vision beyond the extraordinary. I have a feeling you're going to change the world someday, Miss Granger," the man said to the girl, who blushed.
She thanked the man then quickly went to join her mother. Brown eyes looked at Elsa up and down. "Are you a muggle as well?" she asked Elsa. Her mother went pink with embarrassment. "Hermoine! You can't just ask people that!" she lightly chastised.
Elsa giggled. "It's fine, Mrs. Granger. I don't mind the question," she reassured. She turned to the girl and stuck her hand out. "Nice to meet you. I'm Elsa Lovelace, fellow muggle born. Are you starting Hogwarts soon as well?"
"Hermione Granger," the girl said, shaking Elsa's hand. "And yes. I am starting Hogwarts this September. It's exciting isn't it? Knowing that magic is real?"
Elsa nodded her head and laughed. Hermoine's excitement was contagious.
"Well we best be off now," Professor Flitwick said. "Still need to finish buying things off that list!"
The Grangers and the short Professor waved their goodbyes, and they left the shop.
"So, are you ready to get your wand, young lady?" the old man asked, still behind the counter. Elsa turned to him and blushed. She had forgotten that he was there.
"Yes sir," she said. She dipped into a small curtsy. "I'm Elsa Lovelace. Pleasure to meet you."
"It's very nice to meet you, Miss Lovelace. I'm Garrick Ollivander," the man said, bowing a bit in return. "And good day to you Professor McGonagall. Fir wood, 9½ inches long, stiff wasn't it?"
Elsa raised an eyebrow, rather confused. Professor McGonagall however, seemed to know what Mr. Ollivander was talking about, and simply nodded her head.
"Pin sharp memory as always, Mr. Ollivander," she said. Mr. Ollivander smiled. "I pride myself in remembering every wand I've ever sold."
He beckoned Elsa forward, and a measuring tape started flying towards her. "Which is your wand hand?" he asked. "I'm right handed," Elsa answered, assuming that he was talking about her dominant hand. The measuring tape began measuring Elsa's arm length, then her height, then her hair length, then her… nose length?
Hiding the surprise from her face, Elsa focused her attention on Mr. Ollivander, who was flitting between the shelves and grabbing different boxes. Those must be the wands, Elsa guessed. It made sense, really. Elsa didn't know why she was only thinking of this now. Of course the products on the shelves in a wand shop would be wands.
"Give this a swish," he said, handing it to Elsa. The tape measure fell onto the floor. "Oak wood, unicorn hair tail, 12 inches and swishy."
Elsa took the wand and studied it a bit. It was dark brown, with intricate, swirly patterns carved into it. She gave the wand a wave. Almost immediately, the lamp on the counter shattered.
"No no, definitely not," Mr. Ollivander muttered. He passed Elsa another wand, but she had barely managed to raise her hand when the wand was snatched back.
Another wand was passed to Elsa, who flicked it slightly. Ten or more wand boxes levitated into the air before crashing down onto Mr. Ollivander. At least, they would have crashed down onto the old shopkeeper if he hadn't stepped away at the last second. I guess this is a common sight, Elsa thought.
Elsa tried wand after wand. Some did nothing and were quickly snatched away. Others caused damage to the shop. However, Mr. Ollivander didn't seem to be fazed by any of this. If anything, he seemed to become more and more cheerful as the number of rejected wands grew.
"I'm sorry," Elsa said for the hundredth time after she managed to make a ladder collapse.
"Not to worry Miss Lovelace," he reassured. "I love challenges." He looked at Elsa long and hard. The gears in his brain seem to be turning.
"I wonder…" he murmured. Opening one of the drawers of the counter, he took out yet another wand box. Unlike the other wand boxes though, which were mostly plain and consisted of a single colour, this wand box had a white edge and a dark blue top. Silver swirl designs can be seen all around the box.
Mr. Ollivander took out the wand and studied it. Like the box, this wand was different from the others as well. There was a light blue crystal connected to the wooden part of the wand with a silver coloured connector connecting the two parts. The wood lacked designs or engravings unlike the previous wands. For some reason, Elsa could feel like this would be the last wand she had to try.
Behind her, McGonagall raised an eyebrow. She hadn't seen a witch or wizard wield a crystal wand for a long time. The last one she'd seen own a wand like this certainly made an impression on her though. It was McGonagall's honor to have been able to have taught her.
Elsa took the wand. The crystal glowed slightly before fading, and her glove suddenly felt quite warm. Wait… It's not my glove, Elsa realized. My hand itself is becoming warm. How strange…
She swished the wand. Blue and silver sparks shot out from the tip to Elsa's surprise, fixing everything she broke in the shop. The magic even fixed the broken window. She gasped and stared at everything, astonished, unable to comprehend the fact that she just fixed everything with magic herself.
McGonagall chuckled at Elsa's awestruck face. However poised and ladylike the crown princess was, she was still just an eleven year old child. The professor was glad to see Elsa act her age once in a while.
"Well, well, well…" Mr. Ollivander said, his pale eyes shining. "How curious…" He put the wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper.
When Elsa asked why, Mr. Ollivander chuckled. "Why Miss Lovelace," he said. "Do you know why the other wands didn't work for you?" Elsa shook her head. She's been wondering about that as well.
"The wand chooses the witch. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just like how no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are quite the same. Those are the creatures we happen to make wand cores from. The wand that chose you, my dear, just so happens to be a little bit different from other wands."
Elsa cocked her head to the side with a curious expression on her face. "Is it because of the crystal?" she asked. "The other wands didn't have that. Nor did it have the metal connector bit."
Mr. Ollivander laughed. "Quite a bright child I see," he said. "Yes. It is because of that crystal. This wand is made from rosewood, with a dragon string core. 11 inches, fairly bendy. But it also has an aquamarine crystal and a platinum connector on it. The crystal enhances the wand's power. It was why you were able to patch up everything in the shop with just a flick. Crystal wands are especially powerful. Something I made in my youth. I was experimenting with crystals during that time. No witch or wizard has been able to make this wand work."
He closed his eyes, as if he was trying to recall a distant memory. "The last crystal wand I sold was to a bright young witch. She ended up doing many great things. After all, she invented many, many spells, including the gelida tempestas. A particular tricky spell if you ask me."
Mr. Ollivander passed the wand box to Elsa, who held it tightly. She gulped. "What does that mean for me?"
Pale eyes stared back into Elsa's blue ones. "It means," Mr. Ollivander said. "You are going to do great things, Elsa Lovelace."
*No owls were harmed in the process