Oh, wow.
Soren’s eyes went wide as he stared at the wand in his hand with barely concealed disbelief.
Even someone denser than him would’ve connected the dots by now.
This was Harry Potter’s signature wand.
Which meant he’d arrived early and snatched it right out from under the Boy Who Lived.
Umm…
Voldemort had narrowed his own path, and now Soren had gone and narrowed Harry’s.
Was the fundamental logic of the wizarding world just an endless chain of mutual sabotage?
When the Triwizard Tournament rolled around in four years and Harry faced Voldemort with some random, ordinary wand, the kid was absolutely dead meat…
But give up this wand for someone else’s sake?
Not happening.
The best things in life were taken, not given away.
Who in their right mind handed over fortune on a silver platter?
“Mr Ollivander, I think this one feels the most natural by far.”
Soren played the part of a clueless kid perfectly, twirling the wand with infectious excitement, like a child who’d just unwrapped his favorite toy.
Ollivander didn’t seem suspicious.
The young customer was only eleven, after all.
He’d probably been born right around the time the Dark Lord’s reign of terror ended.
Snape, on the other hand, carried far heavier thoughts.
Never mind how much Soren’s circumstances mirrored the young Voldemort’s.
The fact that the boy now held Voldemort’s “brother wand” was unsettling enough.
And this happened to be the year the Boy Who Lived was starting at Hogwarts.
Lily’s child.
Lily…
Lily…
Lily…
Memories surged from the depths, clawing their way through every crack and crevice of his mind.
Even Snape’s legendary composure began to crack under the weight.
He forced himself into Occlumency, redirecting his thoughts with deliberate effort.
“I recall…
holly wands tend to be more defensive in nature.”
“You recall correctly, Severus.
Though I should tell you that’s a rather imprecise generalization.”
Ollivander seized the topic with obvious enthusiasm.
“Traditional wisdom holds that holly wands possess defensive properties and suit those who may need help overcoming anger and emotional impulsiveness.”
He glanced at Snape with a look that carried far too much meaning.
Snape twitched the corner of his mouth and responded with his best poker face.
Ollivander chuckled and pressed on.
“It’s also said that holly wands tend to choose those destined for danger or spiritual pursuit.
That much, I’ll grant you.
But it’s incomplete!
The truth is, holly is an extraordinarily versatile wood.
Its behavior depends far more on the core material.
Different cores produce wands with entirely different characteristics.
Generally speaking, unicorn hair is the ideal pairing, reinforcing stability and shielding the user from dark magic.
Dragon heartstring works well too, amplifying spell power.
Of the three core materials I work with, phoenix feather is actually the least compatible with holly. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Arguably the worst match among all core types.
Holly craves stability, defense.
It’s a gentle wood, one that wants to protect its wielder.
A phoenix feather, on the other hand, is like a capricious, high-maintenance girlfriend.
Nearly impossible to please, let alone tame…”
After delivering all that in a single breath, Ollivander paused to catch his breath.
Soren seized the opening to breathe himself.
Something told him the old man had spent so long crafting wands that he’d gone slightly mad.
The way he talked about wood and core materials as if they were living creatures, with personalities and preferences, was almost unsettling.
A moment later, Ollivander leaned in close, his nose nearly poking Soren in the face.
From that distance, he studied the boy with unnerving intensity.
Soren swallowed involuntarily.
In those silvery eyes, he caught his own reflection.
“The resemblance…
it’s remarkable.”
“Black hair, dark eyes, striking features, quiet and composed, charming, and oh so particular.
Extraordinary potential.
I’ve seen a young wizard like you before.
You remind me of him…”
“Master Ollivander!”
Snape’s voice cut through the shop like a blade.
Ollivander snapped out of his trance and jerked backward.
“Ah…
yes…
perhaps I shouldn’t have said any of that.
Shouldn’t have mentioned the other wand, either.
Sometimes knowing too much only brings trouble…”
Feeling Snape’s glare boring into the back of his skull once more, Soren wanted to cry.
Stab first, apologize later.
The old man had quite the routine…
But the words were already out there.
Playing deaf would’ve looked even more suspicious.
The only move was to steer the conversation elsewhere.
“Mr Ollivander, I’m afraid I didn’t follow.
But…
this is my wand.
I’d like to know everything about it.
You haven’t told me yet what makes the phoenix feather and holly combination so special.”
He put on his best curious face and waited.
That wasn’t an act.
He genuinely wanted to know.
Ollivander nodded in understanding.
“Are you certain this is the one?”
Soren nodded firmly.
I told this to the other person once, too.”
Ignoring Snape’s thunderous expression, Ollivander fixed his gaze on Soren’s eyes.
“When holly and phoenix feather, two materials that fundamentally conflict, are successfully bound together, they completely transform the holly wand’s nature.
It becomes difficult to control, overwhelmingly assertive.
But when the wielder truly wins its loyalty, nothing and no one in this world can stand in its way!”
Soren’s breath quickened.
Those were exactly the qualities he craved most.
A second chance at life, in a world of magic no less.
He wanted too much to let anyone stand in his way.
No more deliberation.
This was his wand.
He reached for his wallet.
With the decision now final, Snape asked in a voice thick with complicated emotions, “This is the wand best suited for him?”
Ollivander nodded slowly.
“Among the wands in my shop, this should indeed be the one.
Ah…
that will be seven Galleons.”
He accepted the payment and was about to place the wand in its box and wrap it in brown paper when Soren pulled his hand back, reversed the wand, and slipped it into his coat sleeve.
Soren offered him an angelic smile.
“I’ll hold onto it myself.
Didn’t you say the bond between wizard and wand grows stronger with time?
Oh, and Mr Ollivander, are your wands waterproof?
Can I keep it on me at all times?”
Bombarded with questions, Ollivander paused before answering with a smile.
“Of course.
Wands are waterproof.
We treat them during crafting.
I have heard of wizards who sleep clutching their wands, hoping to strengthen the bond that way.
I must say, that approach…
hehe, it might actually work.”
Satisfied, Soren added “bond with wand” to his daily task list.
Ollivander walked them to the door.
The young witches and wizards who’d been waiting outside erupted into a chorus of excitement, swarming around them.
Soren scanned the crowd.
No sign of the trio.
He kept his head down and followed Snape in silence.
A dozen paces down the street, he glanced back.
Ollivander still stood in the doorway, watching them go.
Too far to make out his expression, but that gaze carried weight.
He’d definitely bought himself a “very special” wand.
Best to keep quiet about it and avoid trouble down the line.
And the famous Harry Potter?
Ha!
Long may he live!