Black Cat flew up into the sky with the bag of clothes and the cage it had been kept in earlier.
Ethan watched it disappear into the distance, surprised that an owl could actually carry that much.
Ollivander’s was located at the very end of Diagon Alley.
Professor Fig led Ethan past Gringotts and stopped before a small, shabby shop.
The gold lettering on the sign above the door had already begun to peel, but the words could still be read: Ollivanders.
Fine Wands Since 382 B.C.
Through the display window, Ethan saw a single wand lying alone on a faded purple cushion.
They entered the shop, and a tinkling bell sounded from somewhere deep inside.
Ollivander’s was long and narrow.
Apart from a bench and the counter, there were only shelves filled with paper boxes containing wands.
Professor Fig sat down on the bench to wait, while Ethan walked toward the counter, looking over the thousands of narrow paper boxes stacked almost to the ceiling on either side.
Clatter.
A white-haired old man slid along the shelves on a ladder until he reached the counter.
He slowly climbed down, his gaze passing over Ethan to glance at Professor Fig.
“Fir wood, Unicorn tail hair, twelve inches long, with a touch of flexibility.
Wise and tenacious.
A wand that complements its owner, Professor Fig.”
“Choose a suitable wand for this student, Ethan, Garrick,” Professor Fig said simply, without taking the bait.
Mr.
Ollivander withdrew his gaze and fixed it on Ethan, looking him up and down.
“Ah, interesting.
Very interesting.
Which hand do you use your wand with?
Hold out your hand, and I’ll take your measurements.”
“Either hand is fine, sir.” Ethan spread his arms.
Mr.
Ollivander came out from behind the counter, stood in front of Ethan, and pulled a tape measure marked with silver lines from his pocket to begin measuring him, muttering as he worked.
“Every Ollivander wand contains powerful magical materials.
That is its essence, Mr.
Ethan.
We use Unicorn hair, Phoenix tail feathers, and Dragon heartstring.
Every Ollivander wand is unique, because no two Unicorns, Dragons, or Phoenixes are exactly the same.
Of course, if you use a wand meant for another wizard, you will never get such fine results.”
Mr.
Ollivander let go, allowing the tape measure to finish the remaining measurements by itself.
He then walked to one of the shelves, selected a paper box, opened it, and handed it to Ethan.
“Try this one.
Holly wood, phoenix feather, eleven inches long, very flexible.”
Ethan took the wand from the box and gave it a gentle wave.
The wand gave off a beautiful halo, and a spark shot from the tip, bursting in midair like a firework.
“Mm, not bad compatibility, but not quite good enough.
Try this one.
Willow, Unicorn hair, fourteen inches.”
Ollivander found another paper box nearby, took out the wand inside, and handed it to Ethan.
Ethan had barely taken it before Mr.
Ollivander snatched it back.
“No, no, that won’t do.
Same as the last one.
Try this.
Fourteen inches, Vine wood, dragon heartstring.”
Ethan tried one wand after another, and the wands he had already tested piled up on the counter.
He was beginning to feel a little impatient.
Shaking out his sore arm, he asked, “Mr.
Ollivander, haven’t you found one yet?”
“No, no, no.
Your situation is quite special, Mr.
Ethan.
You must understand, the wand chooses the wizard.
To put it simply, the compatibility between a wand and a wizard is either zero or one hundred.
But your compatibility with all these wands reaches sixty or seventy, even over ninety in some cases, and yet it still falls just short of a perfect score.
This has never happened before.
Wonderful, truly wonderful…”
Suddenly, Mr.
Ollivander stopped searching for wands and seemed to think for a moment.
“Mm, perhaps you should try that one.
One moment.”
Mr.
Ollivander turned and disappeared into the depths of the shop.
Ethan could only hear the constant clatter of things being rummaged through from the back.
After a short wait, Mr.
Ollivander came out again, holding a bright yellow paper box.
He placed the box on the counter, blew the dust off it, and gently opened the lid.
Inside lay a silver-gray wand, reflecting a metallic sheen in the dim light.
Small raised segments appeared at regular intervals along the shaft, like the stem of a bamboo stalk.
“This one…
is very special.
Twelve inches long, Elder, and the core is…
dragon sinew.
Chinese dragon sinew.
I believe it may suit you.”
“Dragon sinew?
Didn’t you just say you only use Phoenix feathers, Dragon heartstring, and Unicorn tail hair as wand cores?”
“As I said, it is special.
I once traveled everywhere to refine my wandmaking craft, and this wand was made when I traveled to China.
It incorporates Eastern craftsmanship.
But to this day, no wizard has ever been chosen by it, so it has had no choice but to sit in the shop gathering dust.”
Mr.
Ollivander looked at Ethan solemnly, though the dust that had fallen onto his hair and the tip of his nose while he was rummaging around made him look rather comical.
Half skeptical and half curious, Ethan picked up the wand.
It felt light yet solid in his hand.
It did not feel as hard and cold as it looked.
Instead, it had a warm, smooth texture.
He raised the wand and gave it a gentle wave.
Ethan felt a soft current of energy flow along his arm and into the wand, bursting from the tip as bright silver sparks.
The sparks exploded in midair like fireworks, turning into dazzling rainbow-colored light that slowly drifted down.
“That’s it!
Yes, that’s the one!” Mr.
Ollivander cried out in delight.
Ethan gave the wand a little shake, satisfaction written all over his face.
The shape of the wand reminded him of the rigid whip he had enjoyed practicing with during physical training in his previous life.
“I can’t neglect physical conditioning after I get to Hogwarts either,” he thought to himself.
“A handy wand, isn’t it?” Professor Fig stood up from the bench and beckoned Ethan over.
“How much for this wand, Garrick?”
“To be honest, I originally intended to give this wand to you, Mr.
Ethan.
But the material itself is rather…
Well, I do have to make a living.
Eight Galleons will do.”
Ethan laid eight large gold coins on the counter and tucked the wand into his sleeve.
The wand was slightly shorter than his forearm.
Then he followed Professor Fig out of the shop as Mr.
Ollivander bowed slightly to them.
“Thank you for your business.”
Mr.
Ollivander straightened and turned to look at the mess scattered across the shop from the wand testing.
“Elder…
Ah, wonderful…
How very wonderful…” he murmured, taking the wand tucked behind his ear and gently waving it toward the shop.
“Reparo.”