"Now, Harry, we might as well get your uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would you mind if I slipped off for a... pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate those Gringotts carts."
Happy to have some peace, I simply walked in and, as in the canon, met Draco Malfoy. And yeah, I don't think I'll ever like the boy. I simply responded as the original Harry would have. Just then, I saw Hagrid with two ice cream cones after we left with my new robes. I declined them with some excuses. "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" as they say.
Next, we bought quills and then checked the list of books from Flourish and Blotts. We purchased my potion materials from the apothecary, and then Hagrid insisted on gifting me a pet.
I really like Hedwig; she is a beautiful and intelligent owl, and we have established some kind of connection between each other. I just need to get her checked for all sorts of charms, like tracking charms, but I'm still very happy to have her.
The last item on our shopping list was the wand. For that, we went to magical Britain's only legal and best wandmaker, our friendly neighborhood Ollivander.
After entering the shop, we found an old man standing before us, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," I said.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Harry Potter."
"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. A nice wand for charm work."
Mr. Ollivander moved closer to me. "Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for Transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Mr. Ollivander had come so close that we were almost nose to nose. I could see myself reflected in those misty eyes.
"And that's where…"
Just as his fingers were about to touch my scar, I moved back a little and ran behind Hagrid.
"Hagrid, why did you make me come here? Quickly call the magical police, we have a pedophile here!"
"What...?" both Hagrid and Ollivander exclaimed.
"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Hagrid, bewildered.
"Hagrid, you don't know? My teacher, Miss Lewis, taught us that if an adult tries to touch kids inappropriately and without permission, we should quickly run and inform the police about it."
"No, Harry... Mr. Ollivander is a respected person and the best wandmaker."
"Oh..." I mumbled, "It's still creepy." I said this loudly enough that both of them heard it.
Ollivander coughed awkwardly. "Well, now — Mr. Potter, let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Er — well, I'm right-handed, but don't I first need to make something like a license?" I asked, puzzled.
"License? For what?" asked a very confused and annoyed wandmaker.
"Well... you know... for the wand," I said, as if it was obvious.
"No, Mr. Potter. You won't need any license to carry a wand if you are a witch or wizard."
"Whoa... you mean to say that one doesn't need any kind of permission to carry such a dangerous weapon? In the outside world, if you want to carry dangerous weapons like guns or swords, you need a permit from the authorities." 😱
"But a wand is not a weapon," Ollivander shouted, frustrated.
"One can throw fireballs, cut someone, kill, or subdue someone with a wand, right?" 😒 I looked at him as if he was a fool, making him and Hagrid freeze at my statement.
They were stunned to realize that I was right.
"Look, Mr. Potter, I don't care about these things. Please complete your purchase so that I can tend to my other customers," Ollivander said after a moment of calming down.
"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured me from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and around my head.
Ollivander made me try many, many wands without success.
"Hmm... I wonder now, yes, why not... unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." I tried the wand, and it connected with me.
Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious…"
He put my wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious..."
He looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to ask about it, but I just looked at him and opened my coin pouch to withdraw the required amount, completely ignoring the man and his antics.
He coughed to hide his embarrassment (the second time) and continued shamelessly, "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single one. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand gave another feather — just one other. It's very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother... why, its brother gave you that scar."
I just looked at him with a deadpan expression. 😑 Before he could continue his drivel, I spoke:
"Do you have some kind of holster or sheath for it? And some kind of manual on how to keep it at its best?"
He was speechless at my attitude and just put a wand holster, a wand maintenance kit, and a manual on the tabletop.
"That will be 20 Galleons, thank you."
Giving him the money, I exited the shop with a still-stunned Hagrid. Hagrid took me to Paddington Station, where he helped me onto the train that would take me back to the Dursleys, then handed me an envelope.
"Your ticket for Hogwarts," he said. "First of September — King's Cross — it's all on your ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with your owl; she'll know where to find me... See you soon, Harry." The train pulled out of the station.
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