Chapter Text
Clem probably should have been asleep, but she was way too excited for that. Today her dad’s cousin would be picking them up and going to that strange place to buy school supplies. She still couldn’t believe it. She and Ace were wizards, well, she was a witch, but whatever. So many things made sense now. She knew her father was uncomfortable around his cousin, but she wasn’t sure why. Uncle Harry seemed pretty cool. Nick and Merritt she wasn’t sure about. Time would only tell if they were going to be friends or not.
Uncle Harry had told Mum and Dad that if they wanted to tell Peggy they could, but that she needed to keep quiet about it or the ministry would get involved, but as it turned out, Peggy didn’t care. When she heard Ace and Clem were going to a private school now, all she asked was whether she could study in their room while they were away. Other then that, she didn’t care. Clem didn’t understand her older sister. She had just found out she had magic! She wanted to play around with it, see what she could do before she even got there, but Uncle Harry had made it clear that wasn’t allowed, which really annoyed Clem.
She was starting to get sleepy, so she decided to close her eyes for a few minutes. The next thing she knew, Mum was shaking Clem awake gently and telling her it was time to get ready to go. By the time Clem was dressed and showered and was eating breakfast at the kitchen table with Peggy, Uncle Harry’s car had pulled up to the house.
When Clem got inside the car, she thought something must be wrong with the car. From the outside, it was a normal looking station wagon, with two seats in the front, three in the middle, and two rear-facing ones in the back. Inside, it had at least two more rows then that. Uncle Harry was sitting in the drivers seat, and a tall woman with red hair and warm brown eyes sat in the passenger seat. Clem guessed that was Uncle Harrys wife. She was dressed in a deep emerald green tunic, a pale yellow vest that reached her knees and was fastened just below her bust with a gold button, and a pair of white leggings.
“Morning, Dudley, Amelia,” Uncle Harry turned around to face them. This time, instead of wearing a suit, he wore a plain button up and slacks, with a long loose-looking coat over it in a dark orange-red. “This is my wife, Ginny.” The woman--Aunt Ginny waved cheerfully. “Amelia, I was thinking you could sit in the second row with Ian and Doug Marshall. Ian got his Hogwarts letter a few days after your two did, so he and Doug will be joining us in Diagon Alley.” In the row directly behind Uncle Harry, Ian sat. Clem noted that he was a short, nervous looking boy. He had dark brown skin covered in freckles and red hair he kept pulled back in a ponytail. His father sat next to him, and Mr Marshall was a tall, lean black man who looked almost identical to his son, except Mr Marshall’s hair was black and he had blue eyes to Ians hazel ones.
“I’m still not sure about all this,” Doug said, sounding a bit grumpy. “My son is enrolled in one of the most prestigious arts schools in the country. Are you sure it’s not just puberty?”
“Quite sure, Mr Marshall,” Uncle Harry replied patiently. “Anyway, since the three of you are probably the least familiar with magic, I figured you could in the second row so that if you think of any questions, my wife or I can answer them. Dudley, you’re in the third row with my younger daughter, Lily, and my second son, Albus.” Lily was a skinny girl a few years older than Clem, with flaming red hair and brown eyes, looking like a skinnier, less freckled version of her mother. She was reading from a book with a picture of a broomstick on the front. Albus looked like he was probably almost two feet taller than her when he didn’t slouch, but he was slouching now. He was also pale and skinny, but had sharper corners, piercing green eyes, and a mess of black hair. Both wore glasses and jeans with tunics and vests, Albus wearing a black vest and green tunic and thin silver frames, Lily an eye-smarting red vest and a much more subdued brown tunic and glasses that matched her vest and sparkled wildly. “James--”
“I told you I’m going by Jamie this year! James is so last year,” a black haired, brown eyed boy said from the back, sounding irritated.
“More like Allison said she likes Jamie better,” Aunt Ginny muttered. It was probably meant to be said to herself, but was loud enough for the whole car to hear, sending Albus and Lily into fits of laughter.
Uncle Harry sighed, shooting his wife a disgruntled look. “Fine. JAMIE and Nick are in the fourth row, and Merritt is in the very back, so that leaves one seat in the fourth row and one seat in the fifth row, the one that faces backwards. Ace and Clemency, you two can pick who sits with Jamie and Nick and who sits with Merritt.” Jamie seemed to be taller then his father, and had a deep summer tan and hair almost long enough to put in a ponytail. Clem thought it was a shame that he was her cousin, because he was very handsome. He certainly looked much friendly then Nick, who was glowering. Next to Clem, Ace looked nervous. No doubt he remembered the burnt fingers incident and was wary of their cousin.
Clem took pity on her brother. “I’ll sit in the fourth row.” Ace flashed her a look of immense gratitude.
“Great. Sorry everything’s so hectic, seating arrangements are difficult.”
It took a while, but finally, everyone was settled and the car sped off.
Clem had planned on reading a book on the ride, but she found herself distracted by the noise of the car. Even rides with her sister, baby brother, and three cousins when they visited wasn’t as loud. In the front seat, Aunt Ginny was alternating between talking to Uncle Harry about something with a weird sounding name and telling her kids to knock it off. Mum seemed to be having a good time, asking all sorts of questions and talking to Mr Marshall and Ian.
In the next row, Albus was arguing with his dad. “Last year James’s girlfriend got to come with us, and they only dated for two months! Why can’t Scorpius come with us?”
“I’ve already told you why, Al,” Uncle Harry said calmly, “I know you and Scorpius have been dating for eighteen months, and I’m glad to see that you get along well--”
“As long as it’s not in your bedroom again,” Aunt Ginny said, causing Albus to turn red. James and Nick, next to Clem, started making kissing noises. “Boys! Stop that.”
“Sorry Mum,” they chorused.
“Anyway,” Uncle Harry said, “Regardless of your feelings, I’m sure Scorpius’s father would like to take Scorpius shopping himself. I know I wouldn’t be happy with James if he decided that he’d rather go shopping with Allison and her parents. It’s not like you won’t see him at Diagon Alley.”
“It’s not the same...” Albus grumbled.
Lily, apparently sensing weakness in Dad, had put down her book, opened her mouth and hadn’t stopped talking at Dad since he got buckled up. “Are you really our dad’s cousin? Can I call you Dudley or do I have to call you Mr Parker? Are you really a muggle? Do muggles play quidditch too? How do muggles play quidditch without brooms, I mean brooms are a huge part of quidditch so without them quidditch would be pretty boring wouldn’t it?”
She paused to take a breath, and Dad cut in. “Yes, I’m your fathers cousin, and you can call me Dudley if you like. Yes I’m a muggle, and I have no idea what quidish is, so I’ll assume no. We usually play football. You go to Hogwarts too?”
“Yes!” Lily sounded very excited. “It’s my third year going to Hogwarts. I’m Gryffindor, and that’s the best house so I hope your kids get in Gryffindor.”
Next to Clem, Jamie perked up at the mention of Gryffindor. “Gryffindors are!” he shouted. “Strong!” he and Lily chorused.
“Gryffindors are!” Lily said, then Jamie joined in. “Brave!”
“Gryffindors are--”
“Alright, you two, that’s enough.” Uncle Harry didn’t shout, but his voice carried throughout the car. “I won’t have you starting up house rivalry before school starts, not to mention confusing our guests. If you haven’t forgotten, your brother is in Slytherin and that doesn’t make him any less strong or brave than you.”
“Whatever,” Jamie muttered, leaning back and looking bored again. Albus shot James a withering look, then slouched even more.
“Um...what are houses?” Clem asked hesitantly.
Jamie and Nick stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “What are houses--” Nick began scornfully, but Aunt Ginny in the front cut him off.
“When you go to school at Hogwarts, you get sorted into a house, dear. There are four houses, and students go to different ones depending on their traits. You can still have friends and family in other houses, and in fact since I went, they’ve been working on inter-house unity, but it’s an important tradition. Those who are bravest and chivalrous, willing to fight for a cause and be passionate about it tend to join Gryffindor. Slytherin is for those who display cunning, wit, and ambition, being goal-oriented. Loyal, honest, trusting students join Hufflepuff, and clever, creative, thinking-outside-of-the-box students join Ravenclaw. The most important thing to remember is, who you are the first day of the first year will not necessarily be the person you leave school as after seven years. People can and do change. The houses are simply a way for like-minded students to join together. Houses generally take classes together, study together, and eat together. Families are usually sorted into the same house, but it’s not granted. I was sorted into Gryffindor, as were my brothers, but as you might have gathered, Albus is Slytherin, and Harry almost got into Slytherin. From some genealogy research we’ve done, his family tends to get sorted into both Gryffindor and Slytherin.”
“Oh.” Clem wondered which house she would get in. The rest of the ride was spent quietly thinking to herself.
Half an hour later, Clem woke as the car stopped abruptly. “Time to get out,” Uncle Harry said from the front.
Clem looked around, confused. It looked like the car had stopped in a rather unremarkable street.
“This looks nothing like the street you told us about,” Mr. Marshall said, once they’d all gotten out, glaring at the Potters. “Why have you brought us here?” Clem kind of agreed with him, but she still felt he was being a bit harsh.
Aunt Ginny smiled far too sweetly, leaning on Uncle Harry. “That’s fine, Mr. Marshall, it’ll be easier just to show you. Harry, darling, you might want to help Amelia and Dudley, since they won’t be able to see it. I’ll take the Marshalls.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Ginny?” Uncle Harry gave Aunt Ginny a stern look, and she relented.
“Alright, fine, you can take the Marshalls.”
Confused, Clem glanced over at Ace, but he shrugged, apparently not affected by this argument. Ace never seemed to notice loud voices. Clem envied his calm. As Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry led them across the street to a small building that seemed oddly squeezed between the shops on either side, and very few people were entering or leaving. Those who were seemed to dressed rather strangely. Many wore the vest-and-tunic outfit that Clem’s cousins were wearing, but others wore what looked like calf-length, scoop neck dresses of varying colors, with either short or elbow-length sleeves. Those who exited usually unfastened the robes to show undershirts and either shorts or skirts underneath, though one girl was wearing a dress. Several old people were wearing long-sleeved dresses that were calf-length or ankle-length, with high collars that fastened with strange pins, one or two with slashs in the sleeves. As they entered, Uncle Harry fastened up his coat, which turned out to be the same calf-length dress she was seeing others wear.
Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny casually pushed past patrons, guiding their family and guests through what looked like a crowded bar. Dad opened his mouth to argue the minute they stepped in, but Uncle Harry whispered something in Dads ear, and after that there were no complaints. Finally, they reached the back of the bar and exited, stepping out into a barren looking courtyard with a huge brick wall in the back. Uncle Harry glanced back. “Everyone ready?”
“I still don’t--” Mr. Marshall started to say, then stopped, for very good reasons. Uncle Harry had taken out a piece of pale brown wood, something like a stick or what might have passed for those play wands Clem and Ace used to play with as little kids, and tapped a seemingly-random brick on the wall. Almost immediately, the wall began to rearrange itself faster than her eyes could follow. Within seconds, what used to be a solid brick wall was now a simple brick archway leading into what might have been a normal street except...it wasn’t. The buildings, the people shopping, the people selling items, and the items themselves being sold...none of them looked like anything Clem had ever seen in her entire life. She was barely aware of her brother standing next to her, gawking with his mouth wide open.
James, apparently having a flair for the dramatics, bowed. “Welcome to Diagon Alley, ladies and gents.” Aunt Ginny smacked him lightly around the head. “You wound me, woman!” Aunt Ginny rolled her eyes and looped an arm around her sons shoulders.
“Want me to kiss it better?” she said to James, who tuck his tongue out at her. “You always wanted us to kiss your hurts better when you were little.”
“Mum! I’m eighteen bloody years old!”
“And still my baby.”
“Come on you lot, we’ve places to go and it’ll take a while.” Uncle Harry seemed completely unaffected by any of this, either the strange world they were entering, or his wife and son’s behavior, walking with intent towards a snowy white marble building, several stories taller than the buildings on either side of it. Glancing at the others, Clem could see that none of Uncle Harry’s kids looked shocked at the sight of such a strange street. Quite the contrary, as they approached the building, people called out greetings and inevitably the group would stop, as either Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, James, or Lily had to have what felt like an hour long conversation.
Clem didn’t really mind, though. She was constantly bumping into someone because she was staring so much. A woman was arguing with a shop-keeper at a nearby table over the price of what looked like frog eggs, both wearing ankle-length robes. A couple doors down, a shop advertised the newest brooms for sale, along with pictures of groups of people dressed in orange, green, or purple robes, holding brooms. Clem was startled to see the pictures moving, not just sitting still like regular pictures. The purple team was shouting threats over at the orange team, and the gray team was goofing off or snogging each other.
“Don’t get left behind, you three, we’re on a tight schedule.” Aunt Ginny seemed to miss nothing. Clem was embarrassed, but felt better when she saw Ian looking just as distracted as her.
When they reached the marble building, Uncle Harry stopped and turned to the adults. “Doug, Amelia, Dudley, this will probably be boring for the kids and it’ll take a while to exchange money. Why don’t they go with Ginny to get fitted for school robes?”
Dad frowned, but Mum gave him a look and he relented. “Alright, fine.” Ian clung to his father, looking bug-eyed and nervous, but Mr. Marshall gently pulled him off and whispered something Clem couldn’t hear. Reluctantly, Ian joined the others. Clem sympathized with him. She knew her parents seemed to trust Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, and she’d never known them to steer wrong, but she still would have liked one of them to come. Ian only had his father with him.
“Mum, my robes from last year still fit, can I go--”
“Yes James, you can go look for Allison.” Aunt Ginny sighed. At Albus’s pleading look, she gave him a stern look in return. “Oh no, young man, I happen to know you grew at least six inches since May. New robes are a must. You too, Lily.” Lily scowled and crossed her arms over her chest, ears turning a peculiar shade of red.
Getting fitted for robes was the strangest experience Clem had ever had. She had gotten cloths altered before, but Mum had always done it, explaining what she was doing as she did it and making Clem help. In this shop, when they’d entered, a woman had asked what they were in for, and hearing they were in for school robes, had them standing on small stools before Clem could blink. The woman, or Ms Malkin as she introduced herself had gone into the back and come back with a young man who looked like her son and was holding several plain black robes. Once Clem was dressed in one of the robes, a measuring tape, piece of chalk, pair of scissors and needle with thread descended on her from thin air. The measuring tape whipped about her, finding where alterations needed to be made, then the pencil marked it and the scissors and needle worked to cut and sew. In almost no time at all, the robe was completely done and two others appeared on the table at the side, folded neatly. The robe Clem was wearing tugged impatiently, and Clem quickly unfastened it so it could swoop over to join the first two. It seemed that the others finished up either before or at the same time as Clem, because when she stepped off the stool and went to get her robes, the stools were already taken by a new group of students. Ms Malkin left her son to work on the next group and walked over to talk to Aunt Ginny. “Will you be paying for the whole group, or just your kids?”
“The whole group,” Aunt Ginny said. “It’ll be easier that way.” Money changed hands. At least, Clem thought it was money. It certainly didn’t look like any money Clem had ever seen. Either way, Ms Malkin swept the robes into a large bag and handed it to Aunt Ginny. “Name tags are in for everyone per school regulation?”
“Of course.” Ms Malkin sniffed, clearly offended by the assumption that they wouldn’t be.
Once they left Madame Malkin’s and met up with the others, the rest of the trip seemed to fly by. The books interested Clemency, and she was looking forward to opening them, but that was mostly just hunting down the right books. The only really interesting thing that happened was when Aunt Ginny and Lily had to find a shopkeeper to help because the ancient runes book Lily needed was apparently identical to almost all the runes books. The shopkeeper, of course, found the book within minutes, and looked rather annoyed to be bothered for such a trivial thing. Aunt Ginny had to keep Lily from shouting at him or trying to throw a book. Uncle Harry was with Ian and Mr Marshall at the used bookstore getting most of Ians books.
Just outside the bookstore, they found James, holding hands with a slim, pretty black girl with mousy-brown hair kept braided back. The two were smiling rather stupidly at each other, and Clem immediately guessed this was Allison, the girl Aunt Ginny had mentioned. With them were a tall, stocky man with slightly greying blond hair, a woman with silver-flecked blonde hair, and two boys, one with medium brown skin and blue eyes, one with light brown skin and brown eyes, both extremely freckled and with earlobe length curly black hair. “Hullo Neville!” Uncle Harry said, grinning as Aunt Ginny hugged the woman. “Neville, Hannah, this is Ian Marshall and his father, Doug, my cousin Dudley--d’you go by Dursley or Parker?” He turned to face Dad, who grimaced.
“Uh, Parker. Dursley seemed a bit of poor luck.”
“Right.” Uncle Harry turned back to the two. “My cousin Dudley Parker, his wife Amelia Parker, and their two kids Ace and Clemency Parker. Dudley, Doug, Amelia, this is Neville Longbottom, Hannah Longbottom, and their kids, Allison, Augustus, and Franklin.”
“Nice to meet you.” Mr. Longbottom smiled warmly and shook Mr Marshalls hand, then Mum and Dad. “I teach Herbology at Hogwarts, and my wife is the infirmary matron.”
“Oh.” Mum blinked. “Does...that is...does she get a lot of work, then?”
Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom glanced at each other, seeming to have a silent argument, then Mrs. Longbottom turned to Mum, giving her a slightly forced smile. “Well, there are always the small issues, of course, nosebleeds, colds, flu season can create a few hours of chaos, and the first few weeks usually all the new purebloods flock in complaining of various ailments that was passed on due to the muggleborns, but that all gets dealt with relatively easily. Really, though, it’s fine. ”
“It was much worse when I was a student,” Uncle Harry said, as if he thought that would reassure Mum. “Two wars back-to-back with only a fifteen year difference created a lot of animosity between students, and school policies hadn’t really been updated to reflect some changes. I mean, really, the amount of injuries per year--” He stopped at his wifes stern look. “But of course, Hogwarts is very safe right now?”
Mum looked absolutely terrified at Uncle Harry’ thoughtless words, and Clem silently prayed that she wouldn’t pull them two of them out before classes had even started. Thankfully, James chose that moment to try to sneak off with Allison. Soon almost everyone was involved in that argument, and the mention of danger was forgotten.
Once they said goodbye to Mr and Mrs Longbottom, who still had to purchase books for their own children, they continued shopping. They stopped at a shop and purchased telescopes, including a new one for Lily because she’d apparently managed to destroy hers doing god-knows-what, purchased brass scales somewhere else, again purchasing a replacement for Lily. “And if you break something this year, it’s coming out of your allowance,” Uncle Harry warned his daughter, who looked unfazed by the scolding. “How do you destroy a set of scales, a telescope, and your cauldron in one year?” Lily didn’t respond. She was busy reading a book she’d nicked from the bag.
When Clem glanced over, she saw the book was labeled “Making the Impossible:: Rare and Advanced Potions.” Clem wondered what Lily needed with a book like that, and what kind of potions would be considered advanced or rare. She assumed potions was just chemistry with a fancy name, and Ace insisted chemistry was easy. Ever since Mum had gotten them those little chemistry sets when they were toddlers, Ace had always enjoyed making little combinations, with Mum supervising to make sure he didn’t hurt himself.
After purchasing plain looking cauldrons at a shop (“No Lily, I’m not letting you spend your allowance on a solid gold cauldron. Be practical.”) and potion ingredients at a place called the apothecary (here Lily disappeared briefly and when Clem saw Lily again, she looked extremely pleased with herself), they entered a rather old building. On the outside it had an old sign that was starting to peel, with a shinier sign hanging below it, and the display was simply three wands like what Clem was seeing everyone use around her, all displayed on little pillows. The door swung open to let two pale brown-haired boys skip out clutching rectangular boxes, followed by a somewhat distant, dazed looking woman with wispy blonde hair, and a tall awkward looking man. “Hullo, Harry,” the woman said, smiling faintly at the group.
“Afternoon, Luna, Rolf.” Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny stopped to greet the family. “Got Lorcan and Lysanders wands, have you?”
“Oh, yes,” Luna said dreamily, “We’re very proud. Is this your cousin?”
Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny looked at each other, while Clem and Ace stared at the ditzy woman. How did she know Dad was Uncle Harry’s cousin? “Er, yeah, Luna, he is.” Uncle Harry seemed to realize something. “Luna, Rolf, this is Doug and Ian Marshall, my cousin Dudley and his wife Amelia Parker and their kids Ace and Clemency Parker. Doug, Amelia, Dudley, this is Luna and Rolf Scamander and their sons, Lorcan and Lysander.”
“Nice to meet you.” Mr Marshall and Mum shook hands politely with Mr Scamander, then Aunt Ginny turned to the two boys.
“Well, what are they?” Aunt Ginny asked the two cheerily.
The two boys exchanged glances, then grinned at Aunt Ginny, white teeth flashing against dark skin. They seemed just as dreamy as their mother. “I’ve got an alder wand!” The first boy said happily, “Unicorn hair, ten inches. Lys got dogwood with unicorn hair, too. Ollivander said our wand cores are both from the same unicorn, too.”
“Very nice,” Aunt Ginny praised. “Brother wands can be very powerful.” Clem wondered what was so important about the wands, but she was interested in the apparent fact that unicorns were real. After another few minutes of idle talk, the Scamanders left to get books, and Uncle Harry led them into the shop.
Entering the building, Clem immediately sneezed. Rectangular boxes were stacked up everywhere, very precariously. Other then that, the store was mostly empty. There was a counter with a register money box sort of thing, covered in books and small tiles of wood, a short table in the middle of the floor with three stools, empty except for a surprisingly fresh apple. Clem took a closer look and realized the apple was wax. In the back, she could hear something scraping wood repeatedly. She also heard a brief whistle.
Uncle Harry took a hesitant step forward.“Ollivander?” he said. The scraping continued. Uncle Harry raised his voice. “Megan!”
The scraping sound stopped. There was silence for a minute, then a small head popped up behind a row of boxes. “Oh, Mr Potter, of course!” A moment of loud scrambling, and a ditzy looking woman in peacock blue robes, sleeves rolled up and a wand holding hair together in a loose bun, appeared. She was maybe six inches taller than Lily. If Clem hadn’t known any better, she would have guessed Ollivander to be a month or two older than Lily, not an adult. “Back for another wand for her?” Ollivander gestured at Lily, her mouth twitching. “I’m afraid my brother is currently out gathering the wood for stubborn rule-breaking girls, so...”
Lily grew red as Nick and Albus started cackling. Uncle Harry looked about to laugh, then he noticed his wifes glare and coughed instead. “Boys, stop laughing at your sister. Um, no, Megan, we’ve got--”
“New students!” Ollivander suddenly shrieked excitedly. She pulled a pair of spectacles out of a pocket and eyed Ian curiously. Ian clung to Mr Marshall’s hand. “Hmm...yes, I think...muggleborn, of course, it’s often muggleborns..still, can’t be sure...”
Uncle Harry cleared his throat. “Um, Megan, is something wrong?”
Ollivander blinked, then grinned widely. Clem didn’t like the look on Ollivanders face. It was the look of someone who liked torturing people finally getting a job. “Just getting a feel for the wands, Mr Potter. One moment.” Ollivander ran into the back and they heard rummaging.
Uncle Harry cleared his throat, sounding a little sheepish. “I know she seems a little odd, but she and her brother are actually geniuses when it comes to wands. It’s a family legacy. They inherited the shop after the previous owner retired--he was either their grandfather or their great-uncle, I’m not sure which one. I purchased my wand from him. Megans brother is a little more restrained then her, but he prefers to collect the supplies himself from what I’ve heard. Don’t take anything she says personally, she doesn’t really remember to think of people’s feelings.”
“Here it is! Vine with unicorn hair, nine inches and swishy.” Ollivander emerged from the boxs, holding up a wand triumphantly. It was a pale brown, almost white, stick. “Vine always reacts when it’s owner is in the room, which means one of you is its owner! Here, try it.” She held it out to Merritt, who made a face and glanced at his father. Uncle Harry nodded. Reluctantly, Merritt took the wand. “No, try it! Wave it and see if anything happens, if it reacts.” Merritt made a token wave. “No, I suppoe not, the wand would have reacted as soon as you held it...here, you try it.” Clem had no more luck then Merritt with the pale brown wood. Neither did Nick or Ace. Finally, after staring at it for a moment, Ian took it gingerly. As soon as he gripped it, the wand tip lit up like a sparkler, whistling loudly. “There you go then!” Ollivander looked ecstatic. Ian was decidedly less happy.
“Isn’t there a less...excitable one?” he asked hesitantly. Ollivander’s face fell.
Uncle Harry put a hand on Ians shoulder. “I know you might not be happy with it right now, but it’s best to stick with a wand that chooses you. That’ll work better for you then one that doesn’t want to work for you.”
“Fine.” Ian slumped.
Ollivander clapped, excited, then turned to Ace. “Alright, you now! Let’s see...right-handed?” Ace nodded, looking nervous. She leaned in and studied his face, then his right hand, seeming not to notice his discomfort, then turned and pulled the dark brown wand out of her bun and waved it. Immediately, four or five boxs flew out of their positions and settled on the table, the stacks adjusting for the loss. Then she pulled one box open. “Try this one. Walnut, phoenix feather, fourteen inches.” Ace eyed it, looking nervous, but waved it a little. Nothing happened. Ollivander snatched the wand and placed it back in the case, then opened the next. This one, hazel with unicorn horn and nine inches, fared no better. Ollivander didn’t look disappointed at the challenge, though. She seemed to relish it. Poking through a stack by hand, she finally pulled one out and handed it to Ace. “Here. Alder with unicorn hair, nine and a half inches, bendy.”
Ace looked calm as he accepted the wand, but Clem knew her brother well enough to see past his bravado. The failures were starting to get to him, she could tell. If this wand didn’t work for him...
Ace took a deep breath, then waved the wand. Immediately, the wand sparkled, leaving sparks behind it.
“Perfect!” Ollivander beamed. “Who’s next?”
Nick immediately jumped . “Me!” His excitement seemed to die down a bit as Ollivander came over and inspected his face and right hand as closely as she had Ace’s, but he still watched closely as she pulled down several.
“Try this one,” she said, handing him a wand, “Sycamore, phoenix feather, eleven inches.” Nothing happened when Nick waved it, but from both Ollivander and Nicks faces, neither expected anything to happen. Before Nick could say anything, Ollivander had another wand out for him. This wand was no more successful, as were the next two. Nick was starting to look frustrated, but Ollivander seemed to revel in this search, digging through stacks, boxes spinning around her head faster than the eye could follow. Finally she pulled a glossy black box and handed the wand to Nick. “I have a good feeling about this one, young man. Rowan, dragon heartstring, twelve inches. A little flexible, but be careful not to push it past it’s capabilities.”
Slowly at first, Nick waved the wand a bit, biting his lip, eyebrows squinched together in concentration. At first nothing happened, then a light flashed out of the wand and flew off, disappearing before it flew into anything. Nick beamed up at his parents, and they grinned proudly back. Mum looked curious about the light, but she said nothing, choosing to take Dads hand instead. Clem wondered what they were thinking.
“Who’s next?”
Clem had hoped Merritt would take as long if not longer then his brother, but the minute he held the second wand--”Willow, thestral tail hair, nine inches and flexible,”--it lit up and managed to lengthen Merritts hair by two feet. Merritt apologized profusely, but Clem noticed he seemed unhappier when Aunt Ginny trimmed it magically then when it had appeared. Clem wasn’t sure what the Finally, Ollivander turned to Clem. “And you?”
Clem wasn’t so sure if she wanted a wand if it meant she would have to wave about a bunch of sticks and look rather stupid. Still, when Ollivander carried over three different boxes, she gave in to her interest and took the first one Ollivander offered. This one (“walnut, ten inches, phoenix feather,”) did nothing when waved, as did the ivory-colored aspen wand or the larch and unicorn horn wand. Ollivander didn’t seem to notice Clem’s despair, happily pulling down several wand boxes, muttering to herself as she did so. Several wands later, Clem was about ready to give up, and Ollivander had disappeared into the back of the shop. Just as Clem was about to storm out in frustration, Ollivander appeared holding two boxes triumphantly. “Here, try this one,” Ollivander urged, handing Clem a slim black wand. “Ebony and unicorn hair.”
Clem glared, but tried it. It did nothing. Ollivander didn’t seem surprised. “Hmm. Then try this one.” The one Ollivander handed Clem now was even more intimidating looking. It was about half an inch in diameter and fourteen inches long, the wood a dark glossy brown. The wand was almost completely smooth, except for the middle, where it suddenly bent slightly with a giant knot twisting the wood. The wand grew abruptly thick after that, almost like a sort of handle.
Clem was about ready to refuse, but she caught her dad’s glare and changed her mind. “Fine. But if it doesn’t work I’m leaving.” Ollivander said nothing. She just smiled little and held the wand out to Clem. Suspicious, Clem took it. The moment her hand curled around the wood, she felt warmth, and sparks flew out as she waved it. She glanced over at Ollivander, startled, and the woman was beaming. “Fir wood, phoenix feather, a little bendy but mostly stiff.” Clem stared down at the wand. How did Ollivander know it would work for her?
Uncle Harry was extremely happy as they left the shop. “That went very well.” He turned to the kids. “All we have left is the menagerie and then we’ll be done.”
“We’re getting an owl?” Nick asked Uncle Harry excitedly.
“Yes, you are,” Uncle Harry said patiently. “Your mother and I did promise. Ace and Clem, don’t think you’re getting left out, either.”
Ace and Clem glanced at Dad, who shook his head. “Don’t look at me. Your Uncle Harry’s the one getting you something.”
“Every student needs a pet to keep them company,” Uncle Harry said cheerfully, “Just think of it as a late birthday present.”
The Magical Menegarie was the loudest place they’d been yet. Owls lined one wall, in individual and group cages, hooting over each other. Another wall housed cats, fluffy ones and sleek ones and mangy looking ones, some meowing at customers, others coldly ignoring anyone looking. Toads and rats ran wild in huge tanks, getting excited over everything. In a few tanks in the back, snakes eyed passersby like they might be their next meal. Clem noticed that Uncle Harry avoided that area like the plague. In the middle of the store, a pen was filled with puppies, and the back wall had a glass section showing more dogs and cats in another room. When they entered, James and Albus went to the feed section, and Lily made a beeline for the snakes in the back, ignoring her dad calling for her not to antagonize them.
Nicholas and Merritt dragged their cousins over to the owls, insisting that any wizard worth their salt had an owl. All sorts of owls lined the wall, from giant screech owls that glowered down at them, to tiny pygmy owls that chirped happily at the sight of a potential owner. Compared to the rest of the store, the owl section was remarkably dark. “Owl’s prefer it dark out,” Merritt explained, “Dad said that they’ll fly during the day for wizards, but that it’s a good idea to have their eyes checked out every six months to make sure they’re okay.” He was eying a pretty speckled barn owl. “Dad, do we have to share an owl?”
Uncle Harry hesitated, looking about to cave, then Ginny interrupted. “Yes, Merritt, one owl. I’m not sending two off only to get none back because neither of you cared for them properly. One means you split the responsibilities. If you can take care of one owl well enough this year, next year you can get a second. Remember, an owl for the two of you, or two toads, that was the deal.”
“No, Merritt, I don’t want a toad!” Nicholas grabbed onto his twin. “Don’t make me get a toad, Merry!”
“Dont call me Merry!”
While Ace was studying the owls with some fascination, Clem walked over to examine the other animals. As she passed the cats, she noticed a very young kitten in one cage. She stopped and walked back. “Isn’t he a little young to be by himself?” she asked an employee putting cat food in cages.
The employee--Jay, her name tag read--smiled a little sadly. “Well, yes, he is, but his mother abandoned him. We found him and two other kittens in the gutter about two weeks ago. We’re not sure what caused the kittens to be abandoned, but we took them in. One died, unfortunately, and the other one got taken home by an employee. Since this little guy doesn’t have a home to go to, I take care of him and bring him home with me at night, but I don’t really have time for another cat, so I’m hoping someone will buy him instead.”
Clem studied the kitten. He was small and little, less then a month old, and was crawling around the cage curiously. His fur was tangled and a sort of muddy brown, though it was starting to get some stripes, and he looked pretty banged up. His tail had been bitten partially off, and his back right leg was just missing. He wasn’t a pretty sight. Clem doubted anybody would want to buy the kitten, and she didn’t know what happened to cats who couldn’t be purchased, but she suspected it was nothing good. “Could I buy him?” she asked impulsively.
The woman looked startled to find a buyer in the form of an eleven year old, but she didn’t argue. Dad looked ready to argue when Jay brought out all the different things that kittens that age would need, but Mum put a hand on his shoulder and he ceased arguing.
Half an hour later, they left the Menagerie. Clem was holding the currently unnamed kitten in a little sling on her chest, while her brother held a cage with a handsome owl. Mum and Dad held the supplies needed for their new pets, and Nick was hugging a cage holding a huge screech owl to his chest. It was clearly too heavy for him, but he refused to let anyone else hold the cage, and eventually Uncle Harry was forced to cast a charm to make it lighter. Merritt seemed content to carry owl food and other necessary supplies. Clem suspected he wasn’t a fan of the giant, scary looking owl.
Clem tickled the chin of her new kitten gently, and he mewed up at her. “I hope you like living with me,” she whispered. The kitten blinked, then went to sleep.