Chapter Summary: Harry bumps into Draco Malfoy.

Chapter 5: Call of the Wand

It was not long before Harry found himself standing alone outside of Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Hagrid having slipped off to the Leaky Cauldron for a bit of a "pick-me-up." Pushing thoughts of the Sorcerer's Stone out of his mind - there would be plenty of time later to think on it - he contemplated his next move. If he remembered correctly, which he knew he did as this particular moment in his life had made a bit of a lasting impression on him the first time around, one Draco Malfoy would be inside the shop. Beginnings were always tricky, but Harry felt confident that he would have the upper hand. He already knew Malfoy. The difficult part would be playing off a much younger and more naïve Malfoy than the one he had last seen.

Best go inside, Potter, before he finishes and leaves. Harry sighed and nervously cracked his knuckles. It was time to draw out his Slytherin side. After patting his hair down to hide his scar, he stood up straight, nose slightly raised, and strode confidently into the robe shop. I look ridiculous, he thought, mentally laughing at his eleven-year-old pretentiousness.

"Hogwarts, dear?" Madame Malkin, dressed in mauve from head to toe, smiled at him. "Got the lot here – another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry answered, allowing himself to be led to the back of the shop. There he was, the little git, standing on a stool while a second witch was pinning up his robes. Harry smirked. Draco Malfoy was much scrawnier than he remembered. Of course, he was younger and he didn't have those two idiotic morons, Crabbe and Goyle, standing on either side of him. Harry stood on the stool next to Malfoy and began observing the other boy silently.

"Hello," Malfoy said. "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," Harry responded carefully.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," he drawled. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."

Malfoy looked at Harry consideringly. "Have you got your own broom?" he asked.

"Nope," Harry said, raising an arm to oblige Madame Malkin as she began pinning his robes.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"Not yet," Harry shrugged.

An unholy gleam lit in Malfoy's eyes, taking Harry aback. The blonde boy nearly began vibrating with excitement. "What position do you want to play? Me, I'd want to be a Chaser. Or maybe a Beater and slug bludgers at the other team!" He raised his arm and mimed slugging a bludger, to the protest of the witch pinning his robes. "Sorry," he shrugged, seeming not at all sorry as she refolded his hem and pinned it again.

Well, this was new. Harry assumed Malfoy wanted to be a Seeker. Did he become a Seeker just to face off against me? Feeling an odd combination of annoyance, amusement, and pity that his rival had abandoned his preferred position just to try to show him up, Harry considered the boy in front of him. He hadn't realized just how passionate about Quidditch he apparently was. He reminded Harry a bit of Oliver Wood, in that regard. While he wasn't too keen on being friends with Malfoy, he wouldn't mind being not-enemies with him. In fact, that would make life at Hogwarts infinitely easier if they weren't at each other's throats constantly. He decided to throw him a bone.

"I think I'd like to be a Seeker," he said with a small shrug.

Draco nodded, thoughtfully. "You've got the right build for it," he said. "And Seeker's get the glory when they win the game! But I always found it to be too boring most of the time." Harry's lips twitched in an effort to keep from smiling. How strange it was to have an adult mind, watching Draco Malfoy as just another little boy trying to make friends.

"What house do you think you'll be in?"

Harry hesitated, considering his words carefully. "I think…well, I suppose I might go one of two ways," he said. Draco leaned forward, eagerly. "I figure I'm either bound for Gryffindor or Slytherin." He eyed Malfoy warily.

"You should go to Slytherin, definitely! That's where I'm certain to be. I mean no one really knows until they get there, do they, but all our family has been in Slytherin. It's the best house, by far!"

Harry smirked, though not unkindly. "There are…reasons…why it might be better for me to be in Gryffindor," he said carefully.

"Whyever would you say that?" Draco asked, appearing offended at the thought.

Madame Malkin prompted him to turn around, so Harry spoke over his shoulder to Malfoy. "Well, you'd know better than I, seeing as your family is all Slytherins. But don't they usually see people as either allies or enemies?"

Malfoy frowned thoughtfully but nodded his head. "Well, yes, I suppose so."

"It's just, I have reason to believe a lot of Slytherins probably will lump me in the enemies box without giving me much of a chance," he shrugged. "And I rather suspect being in Slytherin will make my life a bit more difficult even if that weren't the case."

Malfoy's brows were furrowed and his nose wrinkled as he considered Harry's words. "What makes you say that?" he asked, curiously.

Madame Malkin patted his leg and said, "That's you done, my dear." Harry hopped down from the footstool and turned to Draco. "My name has a bit of a reputation," he shrugged nonchalantly.

Draco peered at him curiously as his pinned robes were exchanged for another set that was not part of the uniform. He held his arms up for the witch and tilted his head. "What's your name, then?"

Harry grinned mischievously, "Nah, I think I'll stay mysterious for a little longer. No reason for you to dump me in the enemies box before we even get to Hogwarts!"

"You don't know that I would!" Draco protested.

Harry shrugged as he began to walk toward the exit. "Galleon on Gryffindor for every match between Gryffindor and Slytherin!" he proposed.

Draco thrust a hand out as Harry passed him, "You're on!" They shook on it. "What if you end up in Slytherin anyway?"

Harry hummed thoughtfully. "Then I guess I'll have to support Gryffindor's Quidditch team. Think they can handle a snake in their midst?"

Draco laughed delightedly. "Could you imagine? They're supposed to be brave. They shouldn't be afraid of it! Though you'd probably have to watch your back from the other Slytherins."

"Probably have to anyway," Harry grimaced.

"I could help you with that," Draco said.

"Even if I'm in Gryffindor?"

Draco wrinkled his nose. "I suppose," he said grudgingly.

Harry chuckled. "See you at Hogwarts."

"See you!"

Harry left Madame Malkin's, meeting up with Hagrid who ushered him off for ice cream. Well that went…differently than expected, he thought. He decided to think on it later and focused instead on a spirited conversation with Hagrid about dragons and goblins. After finishing their ice cream cones, Harry and Hagrid set to the task of shopping for his school supplies. First, they bought parchment, ink, and quills before heading off to Flourish and Blotts, chattering the entire way. Though he had never been much for reading, Harry added a rather thick book to his pile of schoolbooks called Dictionary of Defense by Harry Sentinelli, figuring it would be a good cover for spells he shouldn't have learned yet. He also looked forward to expanding his defense repertoire while he was at it.

"Yer gonna need a lot more study before yeh'll be able to work most of those," Hagrid advised, trying to put the book back on the shelf.

Harry held onto it firmly saying, "I'd like to keep it for later, then. I have a feeling I'll need it." When Hagrid started to protest, Harry lightly bantered, "Besides, the author has the same name as me! I'm meant to have it!"

"All righ', yeh just be careful, though," Hagrid warned. "A lot of these spells are gonna be way above yer level as a firs' year, an' a botched spell can be awfully nasty."

"I'll be careful," Harry assured him. "Don't worry!"

The next place on their shopping list was the Apothecary. When they stepped through the door, a little bell chiming to announce their entrance, Harry shuddered. The barrels of slimy ingredients and rows of jars filled with powders, herbs, and various other things made the whole room look far too much like Snape's old office for comfort. Just because he had revised his opinion of the man didn't mean he suddenly had new and improved memories of his office – a place where some most disastrous encounters had occurred. Although, he had to admit that dragon claw hanging over his head looked intriguing. He reached up and poked at it, causing it to swing back and forth, while Hagrid took care of getting Harry's basic potion ingredients. I wonder if I could find all of Snape's old potion texts, Harry thought, poking the claw again.

"Young man!" the shopkeeper snapped from behind him, giving Harry a violent start. "That is not a toy! Do you know how powerful and difficult to get ahold of dragon claws are?!"

"Er…"

"What kind of dragon?" Hagrid asked eagerly. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as the two walked off to pay for the supplies, discussing dragons. He glared up at the claw as if getting into trouble was its fault.

Once they stepped outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again and said, "Just yer wand left – oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

"Oh, you really don't have to – " Harry stammered, embarrassed.

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what. I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at – an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yeh an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."

It only took a moment after stepping into the dimly lit Eeylops Owl Emporium before Harry spotted his old friend peering at him through the bars of a large cage in the far end of the shop. Her yellow eyes glittered brightly and her white feathers gave her a ghost-like quality compared to the darker owls around her. A lump formed in his throat and tears prickled at the corners of his eyes. "Hedwig," he breathed. She cocked her head and blinked at him.

"Find one yeh like?" Hagrid asked, coming over to him. Harry nodded and pointed out the snowy owl. "She's a right beauty, she is. You wait here while I get the shopkeeper," he said.

Minutes later, Harry and Hagrid left Eeylops with the newly dubbed Hedwig sleeping contentedly in her cage, head under a wing. Somewhat embarrassed by Harry's profusions of thanks, Hagrid quickly steered the boy to Ollivanders to purchase a wand. A tinkling bell heralded their arrival, brazenly cutting through the stiff silence. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood up at the prickly feeling of so much magic around him. Barely noticing as Hagrid took Hedwig from him and gingerly sat on a spindly chair, he stepped forward, almost feeling his wand calling to him. Having spent so many years with the holly and phoenix feather as an extension of his arm, Harry was certain he'd find it amidst a thousand wands.

Upon reaching the first set of dusty shelves, he felt the prickling at the back of his neck intensify and whirled around, coming face to face with Mr. Ollivander himself. Squashing down a sudden memory of Mr. Ollivander in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor, he opened his mouth to apologize, but the other man spoke first, staring unblinkingly into Harry's eyes, "Go ahead, lad. Follow the pull."

Swallowing nervously, Harry crept forward and between the tall, dusty shelves. He stopped and closed his eyes and somehow felt his wand up ahead and to the right. The magic of the moment broke when Harry realized, much to his annoyance, that the wand was on a shelf high enough to be just out of his reach. He looked back to see Hagrid craning his neck from the chair to look around the shelves at him and Mr. Ollivander drifting toward him, face inscrutable.

"This one?" the shopkeeper asked, pointing to one black, dusty box among many.

"Erm, I think so," Harry said, suddenly feeling not at all sure of himself. Mr. Ollivander reached over his head and pulled the box down, opening it as he did so. With a raised eyebrow he passed the wand to him and waited expectantly.

As soon as the familiar wood touched his fingertips, Harry felt a sense of completion. This was his wand and his right hand. He gave it a wave so he could prove ownership of it to the two men observing the silent reunion between wand and master.

Nothing happened. Harry frowned in consternation and nonverbally cast the first spell that came to mind. Lumos. The tip of his wand lit up, just as it was supposed to, and he finally looked up. "Isn't the first time you pick up your wand supposed to be, well, more magical?" he hesitantly asked.

"That tends to be the case for many children. Especially muggleborns," Mr. Ollivander replied. "A wand can be a fickle thing, but for those who have used one before, they have developed a sense of control over them." He paused and scrutinized Harry. "I daresay, Mr. Potter, that you have a great deal of control over that wand, which is almost as curious as your pairing with it."

"Oh?" Harry fidgeted, avoiding eye contact with either of the men as he handed the wand over to the shopkeeper who swept it to the counter, disilluminating and boxing it as he went.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. Your pairing with this wand, holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, is a curious thing," he said. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, and it just so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather resides in this wand, unusual combination that it is, gave another feather. Just one other. I find it curious that you have been destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar." He pressed a long, wrinkled finger to Harry's scar, looking at him inscrutably again.

Harry, of course, already knew this. But he, nonetheless, found himself captivated by Mr. Ollivander's words. "So, what happens now?" he asked.

"That, Mr. Potter, depends on you and your wand. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things with his wand – terrible, yes, but great. I think we can expect great things from you as well. Seven galleons, please."

Harry handed over seven gold coins and Mr. Ollivander passed the boxed wand to him. Before releasing it from his grip he said, "Yew. Thirteen-and-a-half inches, it was. Had I known what it was going into the world to do…" he released the box and stepped back, shaking his head and muttering to himself as Harry and Hagrid slipped out of the shop, somewhat subdued.

The walk back through Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron, which had emptied considerably between the lunch and dinner rushes, was a quiet one – neither Harry nor Hagrid spoke other than to point out the direction of the train station. Though he already had known most of what had been told to him about Voldemort that day, in fact he reckoned he knew more about the dark wizard than anyone save Voldemort himself at this point, Harry couldn't help but feel the weight of responsibility fall on his shoulders again. What if he messed up? What if things turned out considerably worse this time?

Harry was startled out of his musings by Hagrid's heavy hand patting his shoulder. Blinking in surprise, he realized they had reached Paddington Station and were waiting for the train to take him back to Surrey.

"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said. Harry nodded and sat in a plastic chair while Hagrid bought them a couple of hamburgers.

"You alright there, Harry? Yer very quiet," Hagrid asked after they had settled in.

Harry nodded and looked around at the muggles going about their business without a clue of the dynamic world living alongside them. "It's just a lot to take in," he said.

Hagrid nodded in understanding and leaned across the table with a kind smile. "You'll be alright, Harry. Don' you worry about it. If it's Mr. Ollivander's got yeh worried, well, he's always been that way. Likes to put on a bit of a show to the firs' years."

Harry smiled. "I am looking forward to Hogwarts," he said.

The corners of Hagrid's eyes crinkled as he gave Harry a wide grin. "Yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts – I did – still do 'smatter of fact!" He reached in his overcoat and pulled out an envelope, passing it to Harry as they stood and made their way to the train. "Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," he explained. "First o' September – King's Cross – it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with Hedwig, she'll know where to find me. See yeh soon, Harry!"

Harry waved to Hagrid as he hauled his packages onto the train, balancing Hedwig's cage. Eyes widened over the tops of newspapers as he sat, placing the cage on the seat next to him. With a lurch the train took off and Harry leaned back feeling exhausted as he sped back to Surrey and the Dursleys.

A/N: Next chapter: Platform Nine and Three Quarters...and something unexpected happens...

Let me know what you think about Harry's conversation with Draco!

xo ~SS