Saturday, 19th August

Sirius woke him the following day at a truly ungodly hour by leaping on his bed as Padfood and refusing to stop licking his face until Harry finally got up.

He accepted the cup of tea from Remus with a tired smile and spent half of breakfast dozing, only barely catching himself before he face planted his toast on more than one occasion. Sirius was like a bumblebee trapped in a glass jar all morning, dashing from one room to the next, thoroughly excited for Harry's Hogwarts letter to arrive and not even an hour playing Quidditch seemed to tire him out.

It would've been sweet, if Harry weren't stuck in the middle of that rambunctious energy.

But finally, at long last, there was a familiar whoosh from the kitchen fireplace, and Albus Dumbledore stepped through. Sirius's grin abruptly fell at the sight of one Severus Snape stepping through straight after him.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, even as Remus sighed and offered the Headmaster a seat.

"Believe me, mutt, it wasn't my choice!" Snape shot back, folding his arms across his chest and giving the man a truly impressive glower.

"Severus is here at my request" Dumbledore said, before reaching into his robe pocket and pulling out a large pale envelope, "And this, my boy, is the reason we're here".

He held out the yellowing parchment to Harry, a cursive Mr H. Potter on the front, and he got the weirdest sense of dejavú, recalling seeing the exact same envolpe all those years before at the Dursleys - the difference now being that he could actually open it.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he slowly took it. "It's a little bit earlier than it should be, and instead of an owl, I'm afraid it's me handing it to you directly, but I thought you might appreciate knowing as soon as possible".

Harry carefully turned it over, the envelope thick and heavy and sealed by purple wax which bore a now-familiar coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.

H for Hogwarts, he remembered thinking, all those years ago.

Breaking the seal, he at last pulled out the letter from within, quickly scanning the cursive writing just enough to see 'fifth year' before glancing over his book list and then neatly refolding the letter and slipping into his own pocket with a nod at the Headmaster.

"Thank you, sir".

There was a beat of silence.

"That's it?!" Sirius exclaimed, leaping to his feet, "Thank you?! That's all you have to say?! It's your Hogwarts letter, pup! You just got your Hogwarts letter!"

Harry frowned, giving his godfather a bewildered look. "I know. I was there. What, do you want me to cry tears of joy or something?"

"Or something!" he yelled, "It's your Hogwarts letter!"

"Yeah, see, you keep saying that as if expecting me to suddenly understand" he replied slowly, "It was never a question of me not going to Hogwarts, Pads, it was a question of which year I would be entering at Hogwarts… I really don't see what all the fuss is about".

"It's Hogwarts! It's the best time of your life! You'll get to learn how to fly and play Quidditch and make new friends and go on ill-advised dates to Hogsmeade during the February weekend-"

"-or" he countered, "And, hear me out, I don't do any of that, and instead focus on learning as much as I can and making beneficial connections while hopefully avoiding getting murdered along the way".

"Oh sweet Salazar" Snape suddenly said, with a look of utter despair, "You're going to be one of mine, aren't you?"

Before they could so much as blink, Sirius had drawn his wand and lunged halfway across the table.

"You take that back!"

"Make me!"

"Sirius!" Remus snapped, hauling the man back by the collar of his leather jacket, "For Merlin's sake, this is hardly a surprise, now is it?!"

The man scowled mutinously even as he allowed his partner to pluck his wand from his grip. Snape, as blank-faced as ever, neatly adjusted the cuff of his robes.

"I know that some dogs have notoriously bad eyesight, mutt, but I didn't think even you were this blind" he drawled, before jutting his chin in Harry's direction, "Him? In Gryffindor? Don't make me laugh".

"I'm surprised you're even capable of laughing" he muttered, collapsing back in his chair with a pout.

"Well clearly, you're not a fraction as amusing as you think".

"Your mum's not a fraction as amusing as you think!"

"Sirius!" Remus scolded once more, giving him such a thoroughly chastising look, that even Harry felt a bit reprimanded from just being in the vicinity of it.

Dumbledore quietly cleared his throat. "I believe that now my motivation behind inviting Severus has become rather clear?"

"A little forewarning would've been nice" Sirius grumbled, "And besides, there's no proof that Harry's going to go into Slytherin! You can't say that for certain until he's officially sorted! I mean, look at me! I was supposed to be a Slytherin too, remember?"

"That is a good point" Remus mused, "And personally, I would've put you down for Ravenclaw, pup… After Slytherin".

"Moony!" Sirius whined even as Harry snorted in amusement. There was never any doubt in his mind as to which House he'd be put in, after all - and it would seem that the choice was obvious even to Albus Dumbledore.

"No". His godfather was shaking his head. "No, I'm still putting my money on Gryffindor".

"Or Ravenclaw" Remus countered.

"Slytherin" Snape said with finality, looking thoroughly disgusted with the idea.

"Well then, in the interest of covering all our bases, I feel the need to suggest Hufflepuff" Dumbledore said lightly.

They lasted all of two seconds before Sirius burst out laughing.

"No. No way; not a fucking chance! I mean, no offence, pup, but you are not even remotely friendly enough and you are far too ruthless to find your place there".

Harry grinned wryly. "I mean… I can't really take offence if it's true, can I?"

"I don't know" Remus said, looking at him thoughtfully, "I mean you are a hard worker and you do care an awful lot about fairness…"

"Moony" Sirius said, "Moony, he would eat them alive!"

"And yet you still refuse to believe he's a Slytherin?" Snape asked mildly.

"I refuse to believe that he's anything like you!"

"Why? Afraid he'll prefer me over you?"

"Both of you! Stop it!" Remus said firmly, "No matter what our various personal feelings on the matter are, the fact is we all know exactly which House Harry is going to be sorted into, and that doesn't make a single iota of difference!"

"Well said, my boy". Dumbledore smiled, although there was something… tight in his expression. "And now that we have all accepted that fact, it's time to discuss a few… caveats".

"Caveats?" Sirius frowned. "You mean he isn't joining fifth year?"

"Oh no, he is - there are just one or two stipulations with it" the Headmaster explained, "Professor McGonagall was very impressed with your theoretical knowledge of Transfiguration, my boy, but she does have some concerns about your wand movements. That's understandable, of course, given that your classmates have been using wands for four years longer than yourself. As a result, she has offered to tutor you once a week during term times to bring your wand usage up to scratch, as it were".

"Fair enough" Harry readily agreed, nodding. He quite liked McGonagall after all, and he would be glad for the extra help.

"Professor Snape has also agreed to let you join his fifth year Potions class" Dumbledore continued, ignoring Sirius's scoff, "Provided that you take some time to self-study the practical aspect of it. Should that side of your potions grades not improve, then he'll also offer remedial classes".

"And if I still don't improve?" Harry asked wryly, watching in amusement as Snape's expression immediately darkened.

Before he could snap back at him however, Dumbledore spoke up. "Perhaps it's best if we don't entertain such thoughts, my boy".

The Potions Master narrowed his eyes at him but Harry could tell that there was no real anger behind it.

"Professor Sprout is willing to offer the same deal, should it become necessary, which finally brings us to Professor Sinistra and your Astronomy grade".

"Let me guess" Harry replied dryly, "I shouldn't be allowed within twenty feet of a telescope?"

His godfather snorted and even Dumbledore smiled somewhat indulgently. "You are not quite that terrible, although from what she has said…"

"I'm also not quite that un-terrible".

"Well... yes. She believes that you are missing a lot of basic knowledge and, right being right, you shouldn't be joining the fifth-year class at all. However, she has also stated that you are rather intelligent and appear to be capable of catching up on what knowledge you lack quite quickly. And so, Professor Sinistra will agree to teach you with your fellow cohorts, provided that you also attend fourth-year Astronomy classes as well, given that both years contribute to your O.W.L.s".

Harry slowly nodded. Having additional Astronomy lessons would definitely not be his first choice, but if the only other alternative was not going to Hogwarts at all, or, even worse, starting in first year, then it was hardly a bad price to pay.

"It will mean quite a number of late nights, my boy, but I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle" Dumbledore finished, "So with your agreement, I shall officially enrol you in your fifth year. If it eventually becomes apparent that these measures are too much or too little, as the case may be, then we can readdress them at a later date. Agreed?"

"Agreed" he replied easily.

"Excellent! Which brings me to my final task of the day". Dumbledore reached inside his robe pocket once more and pulled out a strange, fluid-like, silky material. "Your father left this in my possession before he died, Mr Potter, and it is high time it was returned to you… Use it well".

"Merlin!" Sirius exclaimed, leaning forwards, his eyes wide, "I'd forgotten about that! James used to sneak out after curfew with it to steal food from the kitchens!"

"As well as to do quite a number of other far less savoury things" Remus said dryly, "I'd wondered where it had ended up".

Harry slowly reached out to take it. He knew what it was, of course - the silvery water-like fabric could only mean one thing, but he'd never expected James Potter to have owned an Invisibility Cloak, much less have it last this long. Weren't the charms on it meant to wear out over time? If his father had used it at Hogwarts then it had to be almost twenty years old - how on earth was it still functioning?

"Potter".

Harry glanced up only to find Snape staring at the Cloak with obvious disgust.

"Sir?"

Dark eyes raised to bore holes into his very soul.

"If I catch you using that to break school rules then I will burn you alive within it!"

"So… what you're saying is don't get caught?"

His left eye twitched and Sirius howled with laughter.

"I won't use it to break any school rules, sir" Harry said, smiling, "I promise".

"Marvellous!" Dumbledore declared, standing up, "Well then, that just about covers everything that I wanted to discuss today. There will likely be another Order meeting before the start of term, but just in case there isn't… I will see you at Hogwarts, Mr Potter".

After the professors had left, and after Harry had safely packed away his father's Invisibility Cloak in his room upstairs, he returned to the kitchen and took a seat opposite his godfather with an cautious, apprehensive air.

"Sirius?"

"Yeah, pup?"

"Would you… Would you really hate it if I end up in Slytherin?"

From the stove, he saw Remus abruptly still, before the overflowing tea pot quickly spurred him into action once more. Harry didn't dare look at Sirius for fear of what he'd see on his face, and he hated himself for caring what the man thought of him even as he knew instinctively that he had no control over it.

"... I would".

Harry's heart plummeted.

"But not for the reason you're thinking".

He heard the chair screech back across from him and then felt the air move beside him but he still didn't look up until Sirius physically took hold of his shoulders and turned him bodily to face him. His godfather was smiling, which Harry took as a good sign, but his grey eyes were unbearably sad.

"I don't care what House you end up in, pup" he said quietly, "Truly, I don't. As long as you're happy with it, then I'll be happy with it too… but I can't deny that there's a part of me that would love to have you in Gryffindor so that you can see the dormitory that Moony and I became best friends in, so that you can see the common room where your parents fell in love… A part of me will always want that for you - not because it'll mean you're a Gryffindor, but because it'll mean you can experience Hogwarts the same way we did".

Harry felt a lump form in his throat and he quickly swallowed the tightness back down even as Sirius's gaze turned misty and his hands tightened on his shoulders.

"I don't care where you end up, Harry" he repeated earnestly, "I'll still love you and care for you just as much as I do now… Even if that does mean I'll have to have even more interactions with Severus fucking Snape".

Harry burst out laughing, and if it was a bit wet sounding, then his godfather didn't mention it. Instead, he finally released him and sat back in his chair with a wide grin.

"And hey, you know what this means, right? We get to go shopping!"

"And you are strictly forbidden from buying any more leather jackets!" Remus said firmly, carrying a fresh pot of tea and three cups to the kitchen table.

Sirius pouted. "What? No! Moony, come on! A guy can never have too many leather jackets!"

"Pads, we have exactly two metres of wardrobe space, and one entire metre of that is currently taken up by them!"

"So we'll buy a bigger wardrobe, then!"

Remus rolled his eyes at him in exasperation, but he was smiling as he turned to Harry.

"How about it, pup? You want to get your school supplies on Monday?"

"Can we get everything in one day?" he asked, sliding a cup of tea towards himself, "There was a lot of equipment on that list that I don't have".

"If it takes two days, then it takes two days" he replied shrugging, "I don't mind closing up the café for a while - I'll have you know, pup, that I'm rather, uh… friendly with the owner, so I don't think he'll object".

"Oh, he won't, won't he?" Sirius asked, narrowing his eyes at the man, "Well I'll have you know, Remus John Lupin, that the owner of this café will only agree to that provided that he can buy another leather bloody jacket!"

"Go upstairs, take out all of your leather bloody jackets, and then tell me what colour you're missing! Because as far as I can tell, you already have two of everything!"

"Fine!" Sirius snapped, standing up, "I will!"

He marched towards the door without looking back, stomping up the stairs like a petulant child, and Remus gave Harry a conspiratorial wink.

"If you ever need to distract him for a few hours, just tell him to go look at his leather jackets" he stage-whispered, "It usually keeps him occupied for half the day".

Harry grinned in response and took a sip of tea. "So what are you trying to distract him from?"

"I wanted to… talk" he replied haltingly, his smile abruptly falling, "With you. About… something that Sirius would not react very well to".

Harry froze, already feeling himself get defensive, alarm bells clanging loudly in his head.

"It's not anything bad!" Remus rushed to say, as if sensing his panic, "And I will happily drop the topic as soon as you tell me to, but… I just wanted to… ask".

"About?" he said cautiously.

"About… your relatives".

The alarm bells doubled in noise.

There was a loud thud from somewhere upstairs.

Remus paused, casting a wary glance at the doorway Sirius had disappeared through, but no further sounds came. When he turned back to Harry, his expression was soft, but his gaze held a weight that he couldn't ignore.

"I noticed you haven't… reached out to the Dursleys since you've been here" he said slowly, clearly choosing each word with care, "And now you'll be off to Hogwarts pretty soon, and… it doesn't really… seem like you're planning to tell them".

"I'm not" Harry said tightly, gripping his cup, "They wouldn't care, and even if they did, it would only be to find some way of preventing me from going".

The man slowly nodded. "Okay. Alright, that's… I can understand that. But I've also noticed… well… I've seen the way you, uh… react to certain things and I just- I just want to know if- if they, uh… if they… you know… if they…"

For a long moment, Harry couldn't answer. A thousand memories flickered through his mind - the dark, cramped cupboard, the never-ending list of chores, the sharp sting of Vernon's belt, the empty plates he'd been made to wash even thought he hadn't been allowed to eat from them, his cousin pinning him down while his friends laid into him, Petunia swinging a frying pan at his head, hot burning grease from that same pan splashing onto his arms, pulling rose thorns with no gloves, the insults and snide remarks and jibes and slurs and abuse-

He could physically feel himself start to bristle, could feel himself stiffening up, could feel his magic lurching towards the surface of his skin, ready for fight or flight and-

Well.

He'd never really been very good at that last part.

"Not that you have to tell me anything, of course!" Remus blurted, as if sensing a change in the atmosphere or perhaps just seeing the look on his face, "I don't blame you if you'd prefer not to talk or even think about it and I'm most certainly not going to press the matter or- or force you to say anything, pup! I just want you to know that… if you ever do want to talk about it… well, I'll be here. And so will Sirius too. For all of his faults and eccentricity he genuinely does care about you so I hope that… Well, I guess I just hope that you'll trust us and- and tell us… maybe… eventually".

Harry forced the heat in his fingertips back into the depths of his body. At the very least, that confirmed that Sirius hadn't told Remus of his suspicions - and Harry knew that his godfather had more than a few - which was oddly very considerate of the man.

"Eventually" he replied evenly, hating himself for the relieved smile that came across Remus's face as a result because, quite frankly, Harry would rather never attend Hogwarts at all than have to talk about the Dursley's with anyone.

The man opened his mouth again, and he braced himself for yet another probing question but thankfully, thankfully, before he could say anything, a very breathless Sirius burst into the room with a triumphant grin on his face.

"Navy!" he exclaimed, "I don't have a single navy leather jacket yet, so in your face, Moony!"

Monday, 21st August

They left for Diagon Alley bright and early Monday morning with Harry's book and equipment list stored safely in his pocket.

It was his first time leaving Grimmauld Place in just over two weeks, and although Harry was more than used to being locked up in one place for years on end, it was still a relief to get a change of scenery - especially when that change of scenery was the most magical street in wizarding Britain.

He'd spent a good few days in Diagon Alley before he'd approached Remus and he thought it safe to say that he'd explored the vast majority of it, but everything looked different now, being there with an actual purpose, seeing it through a Hogwarts student's eyes for the first time ever. He had a hundred-and-one things to get, from school robes to cauldrons to potions ingredients to books, but both Sirius and Remus insisted that, first thing first, he should get a wand.

Harry was… mildly irritated about that. Wands weren't just a suggestion at Hogwarts; they were an actual requirement. According to Remus, wandless magic wasn't even officially taught to students - only nonverbal magic, and even that wasn't taught until sixth year! As much as Harry recognised and understood the fact that hiding just how powerful he was was a good thing, he was still annoyed that he had to at least pretend to be as reliant on a piece of wood as everyone else his age.

Having Floo-ed directly to the Leaky Cauldron, they made their way half-way down the street before Sirius directed them to a narrow, shabby store on their left. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382b.c. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled and there was a strange sort of… pulling in his chest.

"Good morning".

Sirius jumped and Remus gave a startled growl, but Harry simply turned towards the source of the voice and found an old man walking towards them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Good morning" he replied calmly, biting back a wave of annoyance as those pale eyes immediately latched onto his forehead where he knew the scar was hidden.

"Ah yes" the man said, "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter".

It wasn't a question.

"You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work".

He stepped around the counter and closer to Harry, who immediately tensed up in preparation for an attack.

"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course".

Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose, but before Harry could snap out a scathing response, there was a loud and not-at-all subtle cough from behind them.

The man blinked, finally, and then turned around to face the other two occupants of the room. "Ah, Mr Lupin, ten and a quarter cypress with unicorn hair, I believe. Yes, yes, pliable and faithful to a fault. Oh! And Your Grace, of course, dragon heartstring and larch, thirteen inches, quite inflexible if I remember correctly".

Sirius gave a noncommittal hum while Remus replied far more politely, but Harry was no longer listening. Instead, he stared down the long rows of dusty narrow boxes, eyes narrowed against the strange… tugging he was still feeling in his chest. It was a sensation that he had never come across before, and considering that it had only started after he'd stepped foot inside the store…

"Well, now - Lord Gloucester. Let me see" Ollivander said, regaining his attention as he pulled out a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Why does that matter?"

There was a snort from the other side of the room, immediately followed by a choked-off grunt as Remus no doubt elbowed his partner in the ribs. Ollivander, on the other hand, didn't seem put off or offended by the question in the slightest. Instead, he looked rather charmed.

"Why, Lord Gloucester, you are the first person to ask me that question in over fifty years!" The tape measure snapped shut and disappeared back into his pocket. "Many wandmakers simply match the wand by length to the size of the witch or wizard who will use it, but it's a crude measurement that fails to take into account many other, far more important considerations. In my experience, longer wands might suit taller wizards, but they tend to be drawn more to bigger personalities, and those of a more spacious and dramatic style of magic".

The old man paused, and then gave a rather significant look in Sirius's direction. Harry had to bite back a smirk.

"Neater wands, on the other hand, favour more elegant and refined spell-casting. However, no single aspect of wand composition should be considered in isolation from all the others, and the type of wood, the core and the flexibility may either counterbalance or enhance the attributes of the wand's length… Unfortunately, however, there are quite a lot of misconceptions regarding wand length, as well as which hand one should hold their wand in, and so I take these so-called measurements into account in order to make the wizard feel better".

"So, the short answer is, it doesn't".

He blinked. "Well… yes".

Harry hummed, considering the man's words even as his gaze was drawn back towards that dim and dusty hallway in between two dimmer and dustier shelves.

"Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, my lord. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand".

Clapping his hands together, the man briefly disappeared behind a mountain of boxes before returning with one and handing it out to him.

"Right then, Lord Gloucester. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave".

Harry took the wand and made a sharp gesture with the wand, but Mr Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try-"

Harry had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr Ollivander.

"No, no - here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out".

Harry tried. And tried. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, his frustration at needing such a fragile and pointless stick was growing, and that damn tugging sensation in his chest was only starting to get worse. Throughout it all, Sirius and Remus remained at the front of the store, smirking and occasionally trading a knowing look. Ollivander, too, seemed unreasonably giddy, and the more wands he pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere. I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple".

He held out the box, and as soon as Harry opened it, the ache in his chest lessened by just a fraction. He stared at the wand for a moment, before swallowing thickly and reaching in to take it.

As soon as his fingers touched the wood, it snapped.

Silence echoed throughout the room.

"Why, how curious" Ollivander muttered, staring at the wood which had split almost perfectly down the middle, "How very curious… curious…"

Harry tuned out his inane mumblings, and instead reached into the destroyed wand to pull out the strange fiery red feather that laid inside of it. He felt a sudden familiar warmth in his hands, and less than a second later, gold sparks shot from his fingertips like a firework.

Ollivander stared at the wand, stared at the feather, and then stared at him, before suddenly reaching out, grabbing his wrist, and yanking him forward.

It took every semblance of control that Harry had not to send the man flying back across the store, and based on the sudden startled noise from behind him, he could safely say that his godfather wasn't too happy with this strange turn of events either.

"Not to worry, Your Grace! I'll return him in a moment!"

Harry's grip tightened around the feather in his hands, though he was careful not to damage it, as the crazy old man dragged him around the counter and down through the aisles of wands and boxes and jars covered in dust.

"Curious, yes, very, very curious indeed" he was muttering, taking a sharp right, and then two lefts, "A tricky customer doesn't even begin to cover this, my lord".

He gave a wry smirk, ignoring the pull in his chest. "I'm rather good at defying expectations".

"I know". Ollivander looked over his shoulder at him, large pale eyes gleaming. "And you're going to defy a lot more over the coming years, aren't you?"

Before Harry could reply, the man came to an abrupt stop, gesturing at the large floor-to-ceiling shelves in front of them.

"It would seem, Lord Gloucester, that the phoenix feather has accepted you wholeheartedly, yet the holly refuses to work with you. Holly wands often choose owners who are engaged in some dangerous and often spiritual quest, which you will experience, of that I have no doubt. However, the wood also chooses owners who are impetuous and somewhat… quick to anger, shall we say?" Knowing eyes peered into his own. "If you had come here when you were eleven, my lord, I believe that it would have worked quite well with you, hm?"

Harry thought of the volatility he'd felt as a child, all of the anger and impulsiveness and agitation that the Dursleys had instilled into his eleven-year-old self before those outbursts had been beaten out of him by the boys at St Brutus and replaced with an iron-clad grip on his own emotions. Instead of replying, however, he turned back to the shelves in front of him, allowing the tugging feeling in his heart to pull his gaze to a box on the second-to-top shelf.

"But alas, the holly no longer chooses you to be its master. Quite understandable, I believe, considering that getting holly wood and phoenix feather to work together first day was a nightmare that I shall not be repeating. Phoenix cores are capable of the greatest range of magic, of course, but they also tend to be highly intuitive and rather picky about their owners. Now, however-" Ollivander made a grand sweeping gesture at all the shelves surrounding them. "It's time for you to choose a wood. All of my wands are unique, as I have said, yet it has been quite some time since I got to make a truly unique invention. Close your eyes, Lord Gloucester, and listen to your magic. In time, it should pull you towards a particular wood and-"

"That one".

The old man paused, blinked once, twice, and then-

"I beg your pardon?"

"That one" Harry repeated, pointing at the box above them, "I felt it call to me as soon as I entered the store. I just didn't know what it was until now".

"You felt it… my, how… well then…"

He blinked again, and then pulled out his own wand, cream in colour and slightly bent, before making a short motion that sent the chosen box flying down to them. Ollivander caught it in one hand, repocketed his wand, and then, almost as if he feared what he would see, he slowly, ever so slowly, opened the dust-covered container.

"... Elder wood". His voice was barely more than a whisper. "You have been chosen by… by elder wood".

The tugging in his chest finally abated as Harry gazed at the pale wood in front of him, feeling something akin to pride despite not knowing why. He forced himself to snap out of it and returned his attention to the old man.

Ollivander was staring at him with large, mournful eyes.

"A phoenix feather… and elder wood".

He was still staring.

"Is there a problem?" Harry asked evenly.

That seemed to snap the man out of it.

"A problem? No, no, of course not! It is simply… a unique combination, that is all. Life and death… Yes, yes, very unique. One of a kind, I should say. Elder wood, you know, has quite the… reputation. Of course, all that talk about it being deeply unlucky and related to death is absolute hogwash, but still… yes, still, I wonder…"

He suddenly shook his head, and spun on the spot, making his way back through the store while Harry hurried to catch up with him.

"You see, elder wood contains some very powerful magic, Lord Gloucester, and it can be quite… temperamental, shall we say? It takes a remarkable wizard to keep its interest for very long, oh yes, a highly unusual person indeed. Why, there are only two previous wands that I have ever created using elder wood, and each of their wizards had very special destinies, to say the least".

"And the phoenix feather?"

Ollivander came to an abrupt stop, and it was only due to a lifetime of honing quick reflexes that Harry managed to avoid crashing into him.

"The phoenix feather…" The old man shook his head and continued walking. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Lord Gloucester. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather will be in your wand gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother-"

He stopped once more, just as abruptly, and spun around to face him.

"Why, its brother gave you that scar… Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, my lord… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great".

Harry distantly wondered just whose side of the war Ollivander had once been on.

"Now then, here we are!" the old man announced, returning to the front of the store, "Your godson, Lord Black, alive and unharmed as promised!"

Sirius gave him a quick glance up and down as if searching for injuries, so Harry quickly forced a smile and stepped back around the counter to the customers' side.

"A custom wand" Ollivander continued, gently placing the box of wood down next to the phoenix feather Harry had carefully returned to the countertop, "I should've expected no less… how curious indeed… this combination is rare, oh yes, dreadfully so… and for that feather out of all of them… yes, yes, how very curious…"

Remus politely cleared his throat, and wide silvery eyes shot up to meet them.

"I'll need some time to craft it, of course. So you can collect it, Lord Gloucester, at… oh, shall we say, late this afternoon?"

"We'll be here" Sirius said before gently yet firmly turning Harry around and leading him from the store.