Chapter 2: Diagon Alley
This place was wicked!
I had never been to Diagon Alley before. When Mum would shop for school supplies for my brothers, Ginny and I would be left with Bill, or our father if he had the day off. Or we would spend the day with Aunt Muriel. This time, only the twins, Percy, and I went. Ginny stayed back with Bill.
There was so much to see. There was a Quidditch shop with a BEAUTIFUL Nimbus 2000 in the window. Mum had to yank me away from the window, as I had my face pressed against it, almost drooling.
Our first stop was Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. The twins had ran into their friend, Lee Jordan, and Percy decided to look at the pet shop since he was allowed to get a new pet for making prefect.
Perfect Prefect Percy. Try saying that five times fast.
Mum took me into the shop where a very flamboyantly dressed witch grabbed me by the arm and started spinning me around while her magic measuring tape took measurements. By the time she was done, I had almost barfed all over her floor.
As the lady walked with Mum and discussed my robes and uniform, I looked around at some of the robes that were hanging up. Some looked as if they would pay for our entire house. I felt one of the sleeves. Silk. Nice.
Mum came back with a couple shirts and a pair of uniform slacks in her hands. They looked worn. As a matter of fact, I knew they were as soon as I touched them. Secondhand shirts. Probably even more than what Mum could afford.
I gave Mum a forced smile. As much as she probably wanted to get me a couple fine shirts, we simply could not afford it. Normally, I wouldn't have cared. This time, however, I felt bad that I was going to attend school in secondhand clothes and hand me downs. I felt bad for the thought, but I really couldn't help it. All the other first years would look shiny and new. And I would look dingy and old.
We left the robes shop and went to a couple more stores. Mum made a note of the things that I would have to borrow from my brothers, and the things that I had to get secondhand.
We went by Ollivander's Wand Shop to see about a wand. My excitement level began to go off as I touched the handle and pulled open the door.
When I walked in, I saw a cheerful old man behind the counter. He gave a kind smile to Mum, then looked at me, his smile growing brighter.
"Ah, Ronald Weasley. I was wondering when you would come into my shop." he said, extending his hand for me to shake. I wondered how he knew my name, but I shook his hand politely, too anxious to shop for wands to ask.
Getting your first wand, my boy?"
"Well, we are trying." said Mum, quickly, before I could answer. I sighed. My excitement level started to die down a bit.
"Let's see what we have for you, and we will work out the details in the end." said Ollivander in a calm voice.
I stood by the counter and watched as he scanned long boxes for a few seconds. He pulled out a white box, opened it, and I saw what looked like a well polished white wand.
I turned my nose up. I hadn't even touched it yet and I could tell it wasn't for me.
He must have sensed my hate for it as well because he closed the box and chuckled. "Sycamore, 11 inches, with a veela hair core. Very whippy. Great for transfiguration, but not good for you from the look on your face, boy."
"Looks girly." I said.
"No matter. These things take time."
And boy, did it. We spent a good hour in that store trying out wand after wand.
Finally, Ollivander pulled out a long, brown box and opened it up in front of me, and before I even touched it, something seemed to draw me to it.
As I picked it up out of the box, my hand seemed to shake. I felt a force that I never had before. It felt like all the power that was inside of me traveled to my hand and into the wand.
I gave it a small and hesitant wave (I had already broken a couple items in the store with my previous wand waving and didn't want to cause any more destruction). Blue sparks flew out and made interesting patterns in the room.
Ollivander smiled. "That's a fine wand that just chose you, Mr. Weasley. Willow, 14 inches, with a unicorn hair core. Great for defense and dueling. This wand will bring out your powers and use them to their full potential. A fine wand indeed."
I felt like I could do anything with that wand in my hand. I could be more powerful than the twins. Maybe even Bill!
I put the wand back in the box. Mum gave me a satisfied smile and started talking prices with Ollivander.
"This wand is 11 galleons, Mrs. Weasley." he said.
Mum's face instantly fell. She opened up her change purse and looked inside it.
"Oh dear." she said in a glum voice. "Oh Ron, I don't think we will be able to afford this. After giving Percy the money for his new pet and the clothes, I only have 5 galleons and three sickles left, I'm afraid."
I felt as if my heart dropped into my stomach. This wasn't happening. Are we that bad off that I couldn't even get a wand of my own? Percy gets a new pet that probably wouldn't love him and I couldn't get a new wand?
I was devastated. I couldn't hide the disappointment if I wanted to. I hated feeling bad about the situation, but I just couldn't help it. I was looking forward to at least having one thing that was my own. And now I couldn't even have that.
"I'm sorry, my boy." said Ollivander. "However, don't lose too much hope. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Weasley. From the way the wand sparked, I can for certain tell you that it will be unyielding. It will only work for you. Whenever you can come back and purchase it, the wand will be waiting."
I looked up at the man's kind but sympathetic smile. "Are you sure?" I asked. "You won't see it to anybody else?"
"I'm as sure as I am a wandmaker. This is your wand, Mr. Weasley. It won't touch anyone's hands but yours when you can come back and purchase it."
"Mr Ollivander, might his brother Charlie's wand work for him?" asked Mum, pulling my older brother's wand out of her purse. "He just recently got a wand from a Romanian wandmaker and he sent me his old wand just in case one of the boys broke theirs."
Ollivander took the wand and inspected it. "Ash, 12 inches, unicorn hair in the core. Ah I remember this day. Little Charlie levitated that chair across the room. Yes yes, this wand will work quite well for Mr. Weasley for the time being. I see no problem with him using it."
He handed the wand over to me. I felt a bit of my power go towards my hand, but it wasn't the use feeling of holding my own wand.
Still, I was thankful to be able to have a wand. Mum gave me a small hug and we headed out the door.
"I'm so sorry, dear." said Mum as I allowed her to hold my hand, despite me being more that capable of walking on my own. "I know you had your heart set on that wand."
"It'll be okay." I said. "It'll be mine someday. Charlie's wand is alright."
Mum looked like she was about to burst into tears. She gave me a huge smile and kisses me embarrassingly on the cheek. "My sweet sweet baby boy." she squeaked.
"We're in public, Mum." I groaned, trying not to sound too disgusted that she had just kissed me where tons of witches, wizards, and the twins could possibly see.
"Ohhhh. I'm just excited. My youngest son. About to be off to Hogwarts. I'm gonna miss our days of cooking and gardening together."
"Imma cook and garden with you in the summer days, Mum. I'm not going away forever." I said.
"I just can't believe you're all grown up. Seems like only yesterday you were a bright eyed bundle in my arms."
"Mum..."
We got back to the Burrow later that night. Percy had gotten himself a screech owl named Hermes and some brand new robes. I couldn't help but be jealous. He gets all this spanking new stuff for being stuffy and boring, and I couldn't even get a new wand that I actually needed for school. He didn't need that bloody owl. Did he even have friends to write to?
I went upstairs and put away my clothes. Mum brought up some old uniform pants of Fred's and some shirts from George to add to what I had. Later on, Bill came up.
"How did you like Diagon Alley, Ronnie?"
"I would have liked it better if I had gotten my wand." I grumbled.
"Yeah, I heard. Sorry about that, kid." said Bill.
"Why does Percy get all the new stuff for? He probably doesn't even care how much Mum and Dad had to sacrifice to get that, and he really doesn't care that I didn't get a new wand."
"Percy's...well, Percy. He may not show that he cares about much, but I'm sure he feels bad that you didn't get your new wand."
I gave Bill a look that clearly told him I wasn't buying what he was selling. He laughed.
"I got something for you." said Bill, pulling out something from behind his shirt. He handed it to me and I unfolded it.
It was his first year Gryffindor cloak. Bill kept his things nice his first year, so it looked almost brand new.
"But..."
"You're a shoe in, Ronnie. I already told you." said Bill, putting the cloak around my neck. And even if you don't get in, which why wouldn't you, you can still have it. I wouldn't want anyone else to have it but you."
I ran over to my mirror and took a good look at myself. I looked like a miniature version of Bill. Mum always said that Ginny and I looked like Bill the most. Only my hair wasn't long like his because Mum would always cut it. I felt like a student finally. Wearing my brother's cloak made me feel like I could do anything.
"Looking good, little brother." said Bill, walking over to me and putting a hand on my shoulder. "Do me proud."
"I will!"