We knocked on the Dursley's door at precisely six o'clock the next day.
I stared at the house, 4 Privet Drive…
Harry must be in there somewhere. Unless Dudley turns out to be not even a year old, which I doubt. If Voldemort hadn't been defeated by baby Harry yet, then the wizarding and muggle worlds I've grown up in would've been very different. Voldemort's reign of terror and warfare on the wizarding world was a dark time, there's no way my family would remain so peaceful in such an era.
I find myself wishing more and more that I paid attention to actual dates when I read the Harry Potter series, which was so many years ago now…
Kelly also gets the Daily Prophet every day, and the most interesting thing I've noticed it talk about in the last ten years had to do with migrating giants and erratic dragons. I never really paid attention to the headlines, other than that.
So yeah, the likelihood of Harry Potter being under this roof was at least 98%.
And because Mark's promotion rides a lot on how tonight goes, I've been mentally preparing myself for this encounter since I heard the name 'Dursley' come out of his mouth.
Speaking of Mark, he wore a classy black suit and purple tie, while Kelly was in a modest, purple halter-top dress to match her husband. Lucy was opted by our parents to stay at grandma and grandpa Burns house for tonight.
As for me, I wore a simple red and purple gown. The entire family was putting in extra effort to help Mark with this dinner and meeting; Kelly made an extraordinary strawberry angel cake (despite myself, I tried many times to sneak some cream), which she was currently holding as we stood at the entrance to the house.
Barely ten seconds after we knocked, Vernon Dursley opened the door.
"Hello Mark!" Vernon smiled, "Do come in."
Though I had been anticipating this encounter for the last twenty four hours with high nerves, I was nowhere near prepared for the…creatures that welcomed us into their home. While the house was neat, organized, and clean, the people were…exactly as J.K. Rowling's books described them.
Vernon Dursley was even bigger than I imagined, with his only rival being that insane mustache. And how in the world could he breathe with no neck like that? Or even move his head?
Petunia Dursley, who was a little ways behind Vernon, looked like the embodiment of a human-horse half-breed. Seriously, is she a chimera too? Her nose seemed almost as long as her neck, her blonde hair was in fresh curls (which looked border-line unnatural), and she had way too much makeup on.
Behind them stood Dudley Dursley, who looked like an exact miniature replica of his father, though with blonde hair and no mustache. He looked to be about ten himself; was he my age? Maybe a little older?
Okay, I don't swear often, but damn. These guys are both so big, haughty, and a little ugly that if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought live-action cartoon characters just welcomed us through their door.
"Thank you, Mr. Dursley," Mark smiled and looked around as we all walked in, closing the door behind us, "You have a lovely home. Thank you again for the invitation tonight."
"It wasn't a problem at all!" Vernon smiled, waving his beefy hands a bit, "Your hard work is the reason the firm got to where it is today! You've more than earned a visit; and please, call me Vernon."
"You flatter me, sir. May I introduce my wife, Kelly," Mark gestured to his wife, who far outclassed Vernon's wife in every way, shape, and form, "And our daughter Kayla."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet Mark's coworkers," Kelly bowed her head in greeting. Vernon's mustache twitched at that, though it was hard to tell if he just sniffed or wanted to correct her and say 'boss, not coworker.'
"Nice to meet you," I gave a slight curtsy of my own, feeling slightly embarrassed doing it. This all felt way too formal for my taste.
"Such politeness," Petunia said approvingly, "Your daughter is simply adorable; may I introduce our own son, Dudley," She presented him with such pride you'd think she were handing us a Nobel Prize.
Dudley, for his part, was surprisingly polite and…did his best to be charming? Question mark?
"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss," He took my hand and bowed before…kissing it!?
Okay, it was more of an awkward peck, but ack! What the heck?!
"Er…" I blinked in shock. Everyone watched the exchange; Vernon looked on with pride, Petunia looked like she was going to burst into tears ("He's such a polite boy!"), Mark looked like he wanted to grab Dudley and bust him in for kissing his little girl, and Kelly, wise to the aura Mark suddenly took on, moved the conversation elsewhere.
"I brought an angel cake," She gestured to the pan she was holding, "Where should I set it?"
"Over here, in the kitchen," Petunia led us through the hall. It was down that hallway that I saw a small doorway that must be the entrance to the cupboard under the stairs. It was shut tight and locked from the outside by a deadbolt.
"Excellent idea, yes," Vernon nodded with approval, "Just wait 'till you try the steaks I grilled tonight, and Petunia absolutely outdid herself with the potatoes!"
"I hope the journey wasn't too long, Mark?" Vernon questioned as we all congregated in the kitchen. Most of my focus was on the cupboard door as we passed by, but if I had been paying attention to the others, instead of trying to listen for any kind of noise in the cupboard, I'd have noticed the stare Dudley hadn't stopped giving me.
"Not at all," Mark said in answer to Vernon's question, "We're just thirty minutes north of here. The drive was actually quite pleasant."
"Excellent, excellent…"
The table was set already. As everyone sat down, I wondered if it was Harry who set the dishes out.
I took a seat next to Kelly, who was sitting by Mark. Vernon and Petunia sat opposite Mark, while Dudley sat next to his mother and me. The circular table was quite large, but with Vernon and Dudley, along with everyone else sitting down, the sides of the table were completely filled.
"So, Kelly," Petunia started talking, "I understand you have another, younger daughter. Do you stay home to take care of your children, or do you work too?" As she spoke, her tone reminded me of a gossiping teenager.
"I do some work on the side," Kelly smiled politely, "I'm a sort of biologist, studying certain aspects of animal and environmental life."
"Environments and stuff, eh?" Vernon said as he cut into his large steak, "I don't suppose you know more details about all the avalanches and forest fires, do you?"
"Actually, I am involved in some projects that deal with those, yes," Kelly said, eating some of the potatoes.
That's right…the muggles had problems with avalanches a few years ago. Because it was over in Eastern Europe, I never paid it any mind. And then, more recently, there have been lots of wildfires.
The fires are the cover stories for the strange dragon behavior. The avalanches were products of the giants migrating and getting into fights. Hm…maybe I'll give a go at researching dragons. I have the ability to speak to them…I wonder if I'll be able to tame one someday…
I'll have to talk to Kelly more about possible careers in Care of Magical Creatures.
The conversation died down as everyone continued eating. Throughout the evening, I couldn't help but feel weirded out by how…nice the Dursleys were being. Maybe I've only ever seen their bad side because of how they treat Harry in the books and movies, but still…why were they being so polite?
Was Mark really that good of a hard worker? I guess Vernon admired his work so much that he invited our family over for dinner. Still though, this felt weird.
I have to admit it, though reluctantly: This food is pretty good.
Hm…
Throughout the dinner as I ate, I decided to sneak food from my plate into a napkin I had placed in the folds of my dress. When I was satisfied with the amount, I raised my own voice.
"Excuse me," I said after the conversation quieted while everyone ate, "May I use the bathroom?"
"Well of course," Vernon said, wiping his mouth, "Down the hall and up the stairs, it'll be the first door on your left."
I stood up from the table with my hands down in front of me, which were holding my dress in place, hiding my impromptu bag of steak and potatoes.
As I exited the kitchen, I shut the door behind me, trying to do it in such a way that looked nonchalant.
I waited for the voices in the kitchen to pick up again. When I was satisfied I wouldn't be heard or seen, I went over to the door situated under the stairs. I undid the bolt.
As I opened the door, an unruly head of messy, curly black hair jerked in my direction. I put my finger to my lips, smiling at him.
Harry Potter, with his lightning shaped scar, baggy clothes and broken glasses, blinked at me.
"Wha…who–" He started.
"No time to explain," I interrupted, giving him the most genuine smile I could muster, "Here."
I handed him the parcel of food, "If your aunt found me here, your family would freak," I leaned against the doorway, hesitant to close the door, "Everything will get better soon, I promise."
That was the best I could do. I smiled at him one last time, before silently closing the door and relocking it.
I went up to the bathroom, even though I didn't use it, just to make sure they heard me go up and down the stairs.
Back in the kitchen, the cake was being served as I walked in. Over half of it was on Dudley and Vernon's plates.
"Nice to see you didn't get lost," Mark quipped, giving me a smile.
"We were just discussing schools," Dudley said, turning to me with a smile on his chubby face, "I'm going to Smeltings Academy next year," He puffed out his chest with pride, "What about you, Kayla?"
"I'll be going to the same school my mother went to," I directed the question to Kelly, who picked it up immediately.
"It's a lovely private school up in Scotland," Kelly said, before directing the conversation elsewhere, "Petunia, I must ask; what do you use to fertilize your garden? It looks beautiful!"
The evening went by uneventfully after that. Mark's promotion was all but secure; hopefully we wouldn't have to come back again. I really don't like the way Dudley was looking at me.
As we were leaving, I couldn't help but look back as we climbed into the car to go home. I hope Harry is okay. But, if Dudley was talking about secondary school, then I imagine it won't be long before Harry receives a visit from dear old Hagrid.
Which reminds me…
This is my last summer before I start Hogwarts!
"Out, boy. Now!" Vernon barked at Harry as he unlocked the cupboard, "Kitchen needs cleaning."
Harry emerged from his cupboard, blinking to get used to the light. He had stuffed the now empty napkin in his pocket to hide it from the Dursleys.
His mind was still on the white-haired girl who gave it to him. Almost robotically, he sat up and walked over to the kitchen.
"...see how gorgeous she was?" Dudley was talking animatedly to his mother as Harry walked in.
He was speaking with such genuine enthusiasm, it caught Harry off guard for a moment. He listened to Dudley and Petunia talk as he turned the water on at the sink.
"She was indeed a lovely girl," Petunia nodded as she smiled at her son.
"I'll say…she's an angel…" Dudley looked as if a Siren had put him in a trance as his eyes unfocused.
"Looks like our Dudders has his first fancy!" Vernon chuckled as he clapped his son on the shoulder.
Is he talking about that girl? Harry wondered. As amusing as the thought of Dudley trying to be romantic was, Harry couldn't blame his cousin. That white haired girl was really pretty.
But…she seemed to know him. How was that even possible? Had she seen Harry at school? Did she even go to their school? It wasn't exactly common knowledge that Harry Potter is Dudley Dursley's cousin, but it wasn't really a secret either.
She also knew he was in the cupboard…maybe she heard him sneeze or something?
That was the only explanation Harry could come up with, but one thing was certain. It was only for a few seconds, but that girl had shown him a kindness he had scarcely seen his entire life.
Even if he never saw her again, Harry was certain he'd remember her smile his entire life.
"Kayla!" Kelly called out to me from the back door, a smile in her voice. Coral, her orange owl, was perched on her arm.
"Yeah, mom?" I was outside with Lucy, making a rock float with Earth Magic and using it to tease her as she laughed and chased it around.
"Coral has something for you," Her smile got wider as my eyes bugged out at the thick yellow letter she held out for me.
"Is that…" I asked softly.
"Why don't you come see- Oh!" Kelly let out a shocked cry as I bolted for the letter.
It was addressed to me alright, in green ink. My hands shook slightly as I undid the wax seal with the H stamped into it. I unfolded the thick yellow parchment with a reverent anticipation.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Miss Prodvere,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term Begins on 1st of September. We await your owl by no later than 31st of July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions
"YEEEEAAAAH!" Tears were in my eyes as I held the letter high. I had so much adrenaline pumping through me that my body started heating up. I calmed down before I nearly burned the parchment in my hand.
"Good to see you're still excited," Kelly smiled at me.
"Of course I am!" I started jumping up and down, "When can we leave for Diagon Alley!?"
"We'll head out tomorrow morning," Kelly bent down to pick Lucy up, "We'll make a family trip out of it."
"Awesome!" I was bouncing on my toes, "I need to go pack up! My room's an absolute mess, I can't leave everything so unorganized!" I was running through the door before Kelly could stop me.
She shook her head, a smile on her face as she took Lucy back inside.
"You ready, sweetie?" Kelly smiled at me.
"I haven't slept all night. Of course I'm ready!" I was practically bouncing off the walls, I was so excited!
Today's the day. Mark and Kelly are taking me to Diagon Alley! I've been so excited, I didn't sleep at all yesterday!
Oh, and the best part about this trip: We were using the Floo Network! This would be my first time traveling by fire!
"Remember to speak very clearly," Kelly reiterated, "No hesitation or stuttering."
"Got it mom!" I smiled.
"I'll go first to receive you," Kelly smiled back before turning to her husband, "Follow her after, yeah?"
"Of course," Mark winked at her. He had traveled by Floo Powder with Kelly before.
Kelly smiled at her husband as she walked into the large fireplace, taking a small handful of Floo Powder in her hand as she did so. She released it as she said, "Diagon Alley!"
She vanished in a pillar of green fire.
"After you, Squirt," Mark made a dramatic gesture with his hand.
"How courteous of you," I rolled my eyes playfully as he scooped up Lucy.
I took a handful of powder myself, standing in the fireplace, "Diagon Alley!" I shouted as I let the powder fall.
A warm rush enveloped my being; it wasn't unlike the feeling I got when I cast magma magic; except this warmth was on the outside, not the inside.
My surroundings changed as the flames died down almost as immediately as they came.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley, sweetie," Kelly smiled at me as she extended her hand.
We were in some kind of building old building. The door led to an old brick street, bustling with people in cloaks and robes of all kinds.
Mark appeared behind me, with a laughing Lucy in his arms, but I was oblivious to it all. I was too busy staring in awe as the door opened.
The streets were packed, the shops were full, and there were magical oddities everywhere.
Broomstix, Eeylops Owl Emporium, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Flourish and Blotts, Magical Menagerie, and so many more strange and wondrous shops lined the street. Further down, I saw the shop I've been anticipating for over a decade.
Ollivander's. The wand shop.
As if I were in a trance, I took a step towards it, before Kelly stopped me.
"Hold on," She mused at my entranced face, "We need to stop at the bank first." She pointed down the opposite way, towards the wizarding bank of Gringotts.
"Guess we will need money, hehe," I chuckled nervously, following them towards the large, strangely intimidating, white building.
Mark stood at the entrance to wait for us, having an animated "conversation" with his youngest daughter about all the bright colors in the shops.
As soon as we stepped inside Gringotts bank, the atmosphere changed from bartering and bustling to serious and intimidating. Even though I knew I was doing nothing wrong, I got slightly nervous all of a sudden. Is this place charmed or something?
The goblins looked exactly as they did in the movies. No change there. They were typing and clicking away at what I assumed were typewriters, but may actually be some other magical device.
We approached the head desk, causing the goblin there to look up (or down, considering his high desk) at us.
"What is your business?" He curtly asked with a deep voice.
"We wish to visit vault 767," Kelly smiled softly.
"Key?"
"Here you are," Kelly presented the key to him. He took a few moments to inspect it.
"All appears to be in ord-" The goblin started, but he was interrupted by another goblin running out from the entrance to the vaults.
"Sir! Sir!" He cried out with a deep, but soft voice as he ran over to us, "Vault 7! Vault 7!" He held up an ordinary looking key that appeared to be glowing.
At his proclamation, most of the goblins had stopped what they were doing to look over at us.
"Vault 7…?" The head goblin looked over, before turning his eyes back to us, lingering over me and Kelly.
"One of them?" The soft voiced goblin gestured over to us, before approaching, holding the key up to Kelly. When nothing really happened, save for our confused looks, he held it up to me.
"...Is something wrong?" Kelly looked worried.
The goblin didn't answer; instead, he continued pointing the key at me. The glow in the metal intensified.
"Her then," The goblin nodded in satisfaction, "Take it," He shook the key at me.
"Er…" I slowly reached out my hand, tentatively taking the key.
As soon as it touched my fingers, the key's color and texture changed. Instead of smooth metal, it became rough like stone; the color morphed into a black rock, with glowing orange cracks appearing with a crrk. It then gave off a dull heat.
It was then that I sensed something come from the key…a kind of power that I've never felt before. It almost seemed to whisper something to me…
"Griphook!" The head goblin suddenly called out, snapping me out of my stupor, "Lead Mrs. Prodvere to vault 767. Grod, lead the owner of Vault 7 down."
"Hold on," Kelly inquired, "What's going on? Kayla has…a vault?"
"She does," The goblin with the soft voice answered, "Come along, Miss Prodvere."
"Wait a moment," Kelly stopped them, "I'm her mother; if she has a vault, shouldn't we go-"
"None are permitted to follow; we can't let you near Vault 7," The head goblin instructed, "Griphook will lead you to your vault, and Grod will safely lead young Miss Prodvere back out once they're finished." The goblin went back to the papers he was inspecting before we came up to him.
"Come along," Grod started leading me away.
Kelly had a blank expression on her face. I looked back at her; I smiled softly as I hesitantly started to follow Grod.
"So…can you tell me what's happening? What's Vault 7?" I asked as he led me to one of the infamous Gringotts carts.
"All will be explained when we reach the vault," He answered, "Hop on, please."
The ride on the cart was the worst roller coaster I'd ever experienced. And our trip was long. It must have lasted ten minutes.
We zoomed and rolled past miles upon miles of caverns, vaults, caves, and other tracks with carts rolling past at high speeds. After what felt like hours (but was a matter of mere minutes), we finally came to a halting, sudden stop.
"Come along, now," Grod repeated as he hopped off the cart. I had to take a few moments to reorient myself.
As soon as my mind stopped spinning and my stomach stopped churning, I shakily slid out of the seat of the cart.
My feet were slightly numb, but the feeling was coming back quickly. We were in the middle of a large cavern; it was dark save for the torches adorned by a vaulted door with a large '7' in the middle of it. Despite the darkness, I could see just fine.
"Can you explain now?" I asked, turning to look at Grod.
"The one who passed that key to us said a specific enchantment would go off when their successor entered Gringotts for the first time," Grod explained as he held out his hand, "Key, please."
I handed him the key, "But why couldn't my mom come down with us?"
"Only the one the key responds to is permitted to be here," Grod explained as he slid the key into the lock, twisting it before tracing his finger down the middle of the door, "Those are the instructions left to us."
"Can I ask who left it to you?" I tilted my head.
"No," He shook his head as the door finished opening.
"What…?" My eyes widened hysterically at the contents of the vault; it almost seemed bigger on the inside.
There was a decent sized mound of gold, silver, and bronze coins I recognized as Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. But there were also several larger piles of coins and currency I didn't recognize, along with jewels, treasures, and tools I'd never seen before. There were even a few swords and other such weapons. And were those…katanas?
There were canvases and tapestries depicting all sorts of art hanging from the ceiling, and further back along the walls of the vault stood ancient tomes and scrolls all stacked neatly in stone shelves and cubbies.
It looked like a small dragon's hoard!
My attention was brought to a small, simple stone pillar I initially missed in the middle of the doorway. On it was a small, thick yellow envelope sealed with red wax. It bore no seal of any kind.
I slowly approached, picking up the envelope. It was heavier than I thought it'd be. As soon as I touched it, ink as red as blood seeped into existence, forming a single word.
Kayla
I didn't dare to even blink. I turned the envelope over, placing my fingers on the wax seal, only to feel a zap of pain sear my fingers for an instance.
"Ahk!" I flinched, giving the folded parchment a dirty look. Seems it doesn't want to be opened.
Alone…
An eerie whisper echoed in my mind. I whipped my head back and forth, to see if someone else was there. But it was just me in here.
"You're supposed to take that letter with you, and read it when you're alone," Grod said from outside the doorway, "Those are the last of our instructions to relay to you concerning this vault."
I looked around more. My eyes lingered on the pile of wizarding currency. I decided to grab a handful of the gold, silver, and bronze coins, just in case. I put them, along with the letter, in my bookbag.
"Ready to go?" Grod gave me a small smile (which looked strange on a goblin).
"Sure," I replied, walking out. I looked back at the vault as the door closed.
So…I have my own Gringotts vault from a mysterious stranger the goblins can't tell me anything about. Did I inherit this for some reason? My birth parents, perhaps? Does it have to do with my affinity for Ancient Magic?
Ancient Magic…
I pulled the key out of my pocket; it remained that stony texture and was still giving off heat. The power I sense from this thing…could that be what it is?
I put these thoughts aside. I had to brace myself for another trip in that darned cart…
"What was that all about?" Kelly asked me as I walked out of Gringotts. The concern in her eyes made me love her all the more.
"Apparently someone left me a vault…" I scratched the back of my head, "I'm just as confused as you are. They said I was the successor for it. That's all they told me."
"Well…I suppose we can look into the matter another time," Kelly gave Mark a side glance, before smiling at me, "Why don't we take you to get your school things now?"
"Sounds good to me!" I smiled back.
To save money, I would be using Kelly's old robes and books, so we didn't need to stop at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions or Flourish and Blotts. Kelly took good care of her old school things, so they were in pretty good condition. I'll be using Kelly's telescope and scales as well.
Potage's Cauldron Shop was where we went to obtain my cauldron and other potion supplies. We also stopped at Scribbulus Writing Instruments to get me a new quill and ink.
I wanted to stop at Eeylops Owl Emporium, but Kelly only smiled and said that I wouldn't need a pet of my own right now. We have Coral, her sea-orange owl, and I'd be able to get a pet in my second year if I wanted it. I was a little grumpy at that, but I instantly forgot my troubles as soon as we came to the shop I've been dreaming about for nearly eleven years.
"Alright, sweetie," Kelly knelt down next to me just outside Ollivander's, "We're going to let you go in alone. Getting your first wand is a very personal experience. I'm taking Lucy to Florean Fortescue's."
"Meanwhile, I'll be out here waiting for you," Mark smiled at me as he passed Lucy over to the rising Kelly, "Go on; we know how excited you've been for this moment."
"Thanks," I smiled, suddenly feeling nervous.
I walked over to the door. A bell went off as I opened it. The shop was full of wand boxes stacked in misshapen piles and pillars everywhere. Despite it being a bright sunny day, the shop had a dimmer ambiance, lit only by candles and lanterns.
"Well, hello," Mr. Ollivander was behind the counter, setting a quill down on some parchment he was writing, "What might your name be?"
"Kayla, sir," I bowed slightly, "Kayla Prodvere."
"Prodvere, eh?" Ollivander raised a brow, "I don't believe I've heard that name before."
"My father is a muggle," I explained, "My mother is Kelly Burns."
"Aw, Miss Burns!" Ollivander smiled, "Alder wood, unicorn tail hair, eleven inches. A good and solid wand, excellent for stunning!" He looked at me through his glasses, "Forgive me, but you don't look too much like your mother; you must have more of your father in you."
"I suppose so," I suppressed an amused smile; I don't resemble either Mark or Kelly, but he doesn't need to know that.
"Let's start by taking your measurements, shall we?" Ollivander gave me a kind smile as a tape measure suddenly levitated and flew over to me. He had me stand in a variety of position, from a T-pose, arms over my head, reaching for my toes, crossing my arms while standing on one foot, etc. All the while the old tape measured the length of my arms, legs, full height, length of my hair, fingers, waist, and the bridge of my nose.
"Hm…" Ollivander scrunched his eyebrows as he poured over the notes he was taking.
"Everything alright?" I tentatively asked as the tape measured the length of my forehead.
"Hm? Oh, yes, yes…" He recalled the tape measure to his desk as he set down the notes, "You may prove to be a tricky customer. But not to worry; there are wands for everyone at Ollivander's."
"Now lets see…" Ollivander turned around and twiddled his fingers over several boxes on the shelves behind him, "Since you were raised with a magical parent, I assume you've heard that the wand chooses the wizard. No one is quite sure why…" He trailed off as his finger bounced back and forth between two boxes, before he slid one of them out, pulling a long, straight black wand out.
"Let's give this one a try," He handed me the wand, but my fingers barely hovered over the wood before he jerked his hand back, "Nope! Nope! Absolutely not!"
He promptly put the wand away before slipping it back on the shelf, "Hm…" He slid out another box from a different shelf, "Spruce, phoenix feather, eight and a half inches, quite sturdy. Give it a go," He held the wand out to me.
I touched this wand, but as soon as I gripped it, Ollivander immediately snagged it out of my hand, "Not that one either, it would seem!"
He went over to a different shelf, sliding another box out, "Here we are! Sycamore, unicorn tail hair, ten and a half inches, very flexible. Try this," He handed me a wand with a slight curve to it.
I scarcely reached my hand out before he jerked his hand back again, "Not this one! No, no, not this one…"
Almost the exact same pattern happened with the next thirteen wands he attempted to have me try out. Thirteen! A couple of them I was able to touch (before Ollivander snatched it away saying, "Oh, nope! Definitely not!") while the rest I only held my hand out before he pulled it away.
"Tricky customer indeed," Ollivander smiled, "Not to worry; I've gone through more than a dozen wands with some before!"
Around thirty minutes and nineteen wands later, there had been no change.
"Well…I'm gobsmacked!" Ollivander exclaimed, though in a still somewhat calm tone, "Never before in all my years as a wand-maker have I seen thirty-one wands reject a wizard so quickly!"
By this point, I was starting to get concerned, "Er…do you have any idea what's going on, sir?" I asked with trepidation in my voice, and no small amount of concern on my face.
"Not a clue, my dear, not a clue…" Ollivander's eyes were focused in front of him, deep in thought. Suddenly, his head perked up, "I wonder…perhaps…" His eyes darted up to me, before he suddenly turned around and went down a hall, "One moment!" He cried out behind him.
He came back a few minutes later holding a box that was pitch black. Opening it, he pulled a wand out; it was a light brown color with a white tone, while a line of silver swirled around the handle, "Let's have you try this one."
I slowly reached my hand out, looking at Ollivander, expecting him to jerk his hand away. When he made no such motion, I took the wand in my hand.
As soon as I gripped it, a warmth traveled from my hand, spreading across my entire body. I smiled, both at the warm feeling and the wave of relief that spread through my body. Bright sparks shot out from the wand tip, as if the wand itself was excited.
"Ah…" Ollivander smiled too, a little weary, "At last."
"What kind of wand is it?" I looked up at him. I was eager to know what core and wood it has.
"I'll be honest, Miss Prodvere," Ollivander gave me a sympathetic smile, "This wand was an experiment I created quite a few years ago. A stranger sold me some rather…unique materials, and I was anxious to experiment with them. This wand is the product," He gestured to the lightly colored stick in my hand.
"Maple wood, dragon heartstring core, ten and a half inches, nice and supple," He continued, "But dragon heartstring isn't the only material inside that wand. Laced into both wood and core, is the scale of a chimera."
That threw me for a loop, "A…a what?" I blinked with wide eyes.
"A chimera, my dear," Ollivander gave me an understanding smile, "Creatures originating in Greece. They resemble some sort of cross between a lion, goat, and snake. Some researchers say there are more powerful ones with a bit of dragon in them."
I gulped a little at that…
"So…what does this mean, exactly?" I asked slowly.
"Well…let me explain it this way," Ollivander said, "Chimera scales do not act well as wand cores alone. Alchemists and wand-makers use them for their unique properties for a variety of reasons, but in this case, your wand contains a single chimera scale within its existing core. Basically speaking, this supercharges the original core and the wands properties."
He gave me that sympathetic smile again, "In other words, your wand is capable of casting extremely powerful, even volatile magic. It will take a great deal of challenging practice to use it with any sort of finesse. I haven't sold it, nor even brought it out of storage, for these reasons."
Ollivander gave me a piercing eye, "It will take a great deal of character to use that wand properly. I also suspect that we will see great, perhaps even unusual, things from you, Miss Prodvere."
"Well…I'll be sure to do my best," I gave him a somewhat strained smile.
"There's a good lass," Ollivander smiled, "Now, because of these rather unusual circumstances, and due to the unique nature of your wand, I'll throw in a Wand Care Kit for free, and if any sort of issues arise, feel free to send me an owl directly."
"Will do," I smiled back, "Seven galleons, correct?" I asked as I reached into my bag.
"Yes indeed," Ollivander smiled as he accepted the currency, "It's been a most interesting pleasure, Miss Prodvere."
Indeed it has.
As soon as Ollivander accepted the money, and the wand's ownership passed to me, a panel appeared in front of me. A notification from The System?
Legendary Item Acquired:
Wand
Type: Maple, Dragon Heartstring (Chimera Scale Enhanced), 10½ Inches, Supple
This wand was created by the Expert Wand-Maker Garrick Ollivander. Its nature of Maple gives it an edge when the wielder faces new challenges, attempts new magic, or uses arcane arts in unconventional ways. Its core of Dragon Heartstring gives magic cast through it a natural boost in power, and is capable of impressive and flamboyant magics. The Chimera Scale enhances this property even further; magic cast with this wand in trained hands is just shy of power cast from the Elder Wand itself.
Due to its powerful nature, it takes great skill to cast magic with subtlety and finesse; it is difficult to control, despite its shorter length and Supple nature.
I'm sorry, just shy of the freaking Elder Wand!? Good golly!
Why was I given magic that's so hard to control? First it was magma and fire magic, now all the spells I cast with my own wand will be difficult?
Ugh…I really hope I don't blow up my homework with this thing.
I really shouldn't complain, though.
I smiled as I exited the wand shop, never taking my eyes off the new wand in my hand.
I have my own wand now!
