Neville, Harry, Sirius, and Remus crowded together in Ollivander's wand shop the next day. The tree branch that Neville had been gifted was placed on the long counter. Neville looked on worriedly, while Remus, Sirius, and Harry were curious and excited bystanders. "Can you do it?" Neville worked his hands into a worried twist, a nervous habit his grandmother had been unable to break him from.
Ollivander had studied each inch of the branch with a practiced eye and had cast numerous spells over it as well. He spent at least five minutes with his gnarled hand around the branch in a deep meditative trance.
The boys watched him in almost bored fascination. "What's he doing?" Harry asked in a whisper.
"Don't know." Neville whispered back.
"Is he breathing?" Harry asked. Unable to discern any movement beneath the old man's robes. "Maybe your branch killed him."
"Very funny." Neville muttered.
Finally, Ollivander roused himself from his self-induced magical nap and nodded, "It can be done. It's a fine specimen. And there is more than enough for more than one wand. If you let me have what is left over, I can make it at a significant discount." Ollivander looked at the young Longbottom lord.
Neville looked at the branch and shook his head. "The wood was a gift. I don't care about the money." He lifted his head imperiously and for the first time, let the world see his confidence. He didn't know why he wanted the leftover wood so much, but there was enough wood for at least three wands Mr. Ollivander had told him. "I don't wish to sell it." Neville wasn't sure what he would do with it, but he was determined.
Mr. Ollivander sighed in disappointment but nodded. "Did you want to keep the berries and the smaller twiggy branches as well? I'll be happy to take them off your hands."
Neville shook his head. "No sir. I intend to use the ingredients for potions sir." Remus nodded to the boy and held out the foragers' bag for the boy. "You can put them in here for safekeeping Neville.
Mr. Ollivander rendered the branch down to the portion he would need, never touching blade to wood, rather using magic to carefully separate the portion for Neville's wand from the whole, while Remus stored the remainder in the bag.
While he worked Mr. Ollivander talked about the wandlore of the Wiggentree, or magical Rowan. "The Wiggentree, as we call it here, is the magical variant of the Rowan tree. It has given birth to many names over the centuries. It is also known as the Tree of Quickening, Round Wood, Delight of the Eye, Mountain Ash, Quickbane, Roden-Quicken, Roden-Quicken-Royan, Royne Tree, Sorb apple, Service Tree, Thor's Helper, Whitty, Wicken-Tree, Wiggin, Wiggy, Wiky, Wild Ash, Witchbane, Witchen, Witch Wood and Tree of Life."
"Whoa." Harry intoned. "That's a lot of names for a tree."
"That it is, young man." Mr. Ollivander agreed with a creepy smile that gave him goosebumps.
Mr. Ollivander continued lecturing as he worked, "The mythology and folklore surrounding our particular tree, here is also a lot. We know that the Wiggentree has many wondrous magical and protective properties. Its bark is used in potion-making as well as its twigs, and berries. It is guarded by Bowtruckles. Anyone who touches the trunk of one of these trees would be protected from Dark creatures as long as they are doing so."
Neville wondered if his parents had run to the tree would they have been protected? Likely not, as Bellatrix Lestrange, though dark, wasn't technically a creature. The boys missed the look Remus cast at Sirius though. Remus couldn't remember ever feeling particularly affected by the Wiggentree. Touching the bough of the tree hadn't hurt him either. Technically he was a dark creature.
Mr. Ollivander continued telling the boys about the tree and its magical and mundane properties. "The berries are used in all manner of concoctions, alcoholic beverages, and potions. I don't recommend eating them until they turn a dark purple color though."
"Rowan wood had always been a prized and much-favored wand wood due to its protective reputation. Indeed Rowan wands are exceptional with defensive charms. The most powerful wards are crafted from wizards who carry Rowan wands. Rowan was also noted for its believed disassociation with the Dark Arts. I remember every wand I have ever sold and I can not recall a single instance of a wizard I sold a Rowan wand to, who ever became evil or turned to the Dark Arts." Harry wondered about his own Holly wand but didn't want to be there the whole day learning about trees and wand lore. As interesting as it was.
"Rowan wands prefer to be placed with the clear-headed and the pure-hearted, though this reputation for virtue ought not to fool anyone a Rowan wand can match, and even frequently out-perform others in duels."
Once the wand wood had been salvaged, Nevilles measurements taken, and design for his wand picked out, Mr. Ollivander took Neville back to his workroom. Here they chose the core that would be paired with the wand. Mr. Ollivander had already figured out that Neville's core would be unicorn hair, but not all unicorn hairs are the same apparently.
The next few minutes were spent with Neville running his fingers through various strands of white to gold-colored unicorn hairs to see if any of them "Sparked his magic." Harry watched his friend in fascination as he ran his hand over various samples.
After a few minutes of touching various strands, Neville finally chose one that felt "Warmer" to him than the others. Harry was curious and asked if he could try also to see if he could feel a difference.
Mr. Ollivander seemed amicable to the idea and allowed Harry to touch the Unicorn strands. To his disappointment, he didn't feel anything. Later, Neville confided in his friend that he wasn't sure if he had either. They all felt the same and he had chosen one in a bit of a panic.
The finished product was beautiful and Neville's expression revealed he had no reservations that his new wand wasn't everything he had hoped for when they had picked it up a few hours later. The red and ash-gray striations gleamed and swirled like red clouds within the grain of the gleaming wood. The sparks that came from the wand as his hand touched it for the first time, left the boys blinking.
Neville simply looked on with awe. "I'm a wizard." He whispered. As if just now coming to the full realization that his magic wasn't borrowed. It wasn't inherited. It wasn't a legacy to be passed down from father to son. It chose who it wanted and it resided in every part of the world. And it had chosen him.
Later, they had all returned to Remus's cabin for lunch and the boys were begging to go flying when Remus's fireplace chimed. Remus glanced over and saw Albus Dumbledore's head floating there. "It looks like the Kneazles are out of the bag now." He said quietly to Sirius who crossed his arms defensively.
Harry and Neville looked on in curiosity as the head in the harmless green flames called out, "Remus my boy, may I come through?"
Remus and Sirius shared a look between them and sighed. "Might as well get it over with," Sirius muttered.
"If you must Albus. We were just finishing lunch." Remus had a way of sounding both inviting and disinviting at the same time. It was a gift. Harry and Neville watched on in interest as the headmaster of Hogwarts stepped through and looked around, his gaze moving from Remus, to Sirius, and finally landing upon the two boys who stood beside each other almost protectively. The sight brought Albus Dumbledore's words to a stumbling halt. Plan A, should never be in the same room as Plan B. This just could not be.
"Ah, and here is my wayward ward. I am quite happy to see you safe Harry. It was, however, quite unwise to leave the protection of your home." He began only to be cut off by Sirius.
"He is not your ward Albus. In fact, I don't remember seeing your name anywhere in the will. Did you Remus?" Sirius was working towards keeping his temper.
Harry and Neville stood shoulder to shoulder watching the by-play with both morbid curiosity and growing anxiety. Magic was swirling around these powerful adult wizards and no one seemed to notice.
Remus shook his head, "No. I would remember that."
Albus Dumbledore sighed, "Gentlemen. Please. I am not the enemy here. Need I remind you that we have an audience."
Both Sirius and Remus spoke at the same time as if on cue. "Boys, go outside."
Harry and Neville looked at each other with matching dumbfounded expressions, shrugged, and quickly retreated out the back door. The sky was beckoning.