Chapter 017 School Shopping

Egypt was absolutely fantastic. Although the sun and heat eventually even got to Harry but the sights and everything were amazing. The Library of Alexandria was a veritable trove of knowledge. There was even a sphinx guarding just outside the library which he challenged to a riddle battle. He won of course and the Sphinx absolutely loved it. It gave him a strand of hair from its head. He thanked it for its gift and in return he gave it a small Mystic Diamond. They eventually moved on to take pictures of the pyramids and buy some souvenirs. All in all it was fun birthday celebration for Harry.

It was the next day and right now they were finally buying their school supplies. It was very crowded today as Hogwarts students can be seen clamouring to get their own school things.

After getting some money from the bank the adults decided to separate to move things along faster. Sirius and Remus would get their potions ingredients and school trunks while Harry and Freddie went to get their robes and books. They would later meet at Ollivander's to get their wands.

The boys went inside Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occassions and a plump woman ushered them further inside after a "Howart's robes, dears?" and stood them on a platform.

Freddie was attended to by a helper while Harry waited for a blonde boy to finish being measured by the plump Madam herself.

"Hogwarts, too?"

Harry regarded the boy and nodded.

"Well, mother is getting my wand and father…"

Harry didn't really listen to him but holy Mewtwo the boy…would…not…shut…up. He kept droning on and on about a broom and how he's going to play quidditch and how muggleborns shouldn't be accepted in Hogwarts. Honestly, scanning his thoughts the boy was very nervous and was putting on an act of superiority to hide it. He could have been friendlier but the things the boy was spewing were really inappropriate for polite conversation.

"…I'll see you at Hogwarts, then." The blonde chatterbox nodded at him and finally stepped down. He didn't even notice his listener not paying any attention to what he said.

"Let's get you done, dear." Madam Malkin flicked her wand and the measuring tapes got to working.

"That's you done, dear. Come back in an hour and we'll have your robes ready."

Several minutes later he also stepped down from the platform and he promised the kindly witch he and his friend would come back later.

"Hey, Harry. Who was your new friend?"

"Friend? Oh, him. Honestly, I have no idea. Anyway, let's go get our books now."

Flourish and Blotts was one of the more popular bookstores and they went in there first. Harry didn't really need the books as he already has his mother's books back home but Freddie needed to buy his. Also, it couldn't hurt to look around for new releases.

"What in the…" a whole section was dedicated solely to the Boy-Who-Lived. Shaking his head he flipped through one and found out it was more of a children's story book than anything. Returning it he went to the next section dedicated to Metalworking and Blacksmithing.

"I'm done, mate. I just need to pay for the lot. What about you?" The taller boy carried his basket over.

"Yeah? Oh, I just need these for a project."

"You and your projects, Harry. Honestly, I bet you know more than libraries have books. Can't you just graduate early?"

"I do know a lot admittedly but I'm attending Hogwarts because I need practical experience. You can't really learn those from books, you know."

"How about you, lad? No first year books?" The clerk asked as he rung their purchase.

"Just these, thanks. I already bought mine." The clerk nodded in understanding and put their books in separate bags.

Moving along they also got their quills and ink pots from the next store. Who uses quills and parchment anymore? He will have to go to London and buy two sets of calligraphy pens and several biros for him and Freddie. And maybe some calligraphy guide sheets?

Seeing that his friend was squirming he looked at him and asked what the matter was.

"It's just that…is this really okay, Harry? I mean, you've already done so much for me and you're also buying my school things. I…I don't…"

Harry smiled at him and put an arm around his shoulder.

"I know, Freddie. If you're really uncomfortable you can just pay me back by doing really good in your magical studies. Oh, I almost forgot. You will also be continuing your muggle education. So really, all of this you'll have to work hard for. Alright?" Harry smirked at the shocked boy. Muggle education?! He almost fainted. No, this…what happened to his best friend in the whole world?

"De…demon…"

Harry just tightened his hold and snickered.

"Come on, Freddie, my man. We still have to meet up with the Padfoot and Moony."

And with that the shell-shocked boy was dragged out of the supplies' shop.

—-

The one thing that really irks Harry is that he has to be really careful handling a wand. Wands are wonderful tools to channel energies, yes, but Harry is a different thing altogether. One time he tried overpowering a simple Lumos and the thing almost split in two. Right now Edward the Potterer's wand hasn't seen much use lately because there were tiny cracks all over it. He eventually took pity on it and returned his ancestor's wand to the Hidden Vault in the library.

Right now two adults and two boys stood in front of the premier wand shop in Britain. Ollivanders Wand Shop, since 382 B.C.

Harry raised his brows at that. The shop looked old and shabby, a single wand on a dusty pillow could be seen through the display window.

Entering, Harry heard a soft tinkling sound. It was dark inside and also dusty. Several small rectangular boxes were stacked up high in shelves and a single rickety chair was to the side.

Harry sensed someone lurking behind a shelf but didn't sense any maliciousness and kept on observing the shop.

"Oh my, what a crowd we have."

Freddie screamed in fright almost jumping out of his skin.

"Where did you come from?!" Still clutching his chest. Sirius chuckled.

"Still scaring your customers, Mr. Ollivander?"

"Ah, but one must find joy in everything they do. Don't you agree? Mr. Black! Back so soon? Dogwood and Dragon Heartstring, 11 inches, particularly rigid if I'm not mistaken? I hope you're taking good care of it. Nasty business, your incarceration. Good thing they didn't snap it."

"Ah…haha. Of course." Sirius laughed quite awkwardly.

"Mr. Lupin. You use a Cypress wand. Ten and a quarter inches with a Unicorn Hair core, quite bendy." Remus nodded genially at the old wand-maker.

"And I thought I might be seeing you here soon, Mr. Potter. It seems like only yesterday that your mother and father got their first wands from this very shop. Lily Potter, ten and quarter inches, made of Willow, swishy. Nice wand for charm work. Your father, James, on the other hand favoured a Mahogany wand, 11 inches exactly with a core of Dragon Heartstring. Pliable. Quite a powerful wand and excellent for Transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it but it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander then cast his gaze on the other boy.

"I believe I have not made your acquaintance, Mr…?"

"Leighton, sir. Frederick Leighton."

"Excellent! Well, let's get on with it then, shall we? Mr. Leighton, you first. Come on, don't be shy. Now, which is your wand hand?"

The others stood to the side while Freddie tried out some wands. Mr. Ollivander swished his wand and a measuring tape slithered like a snake taking his measurements after he showed that he preferred using his right hand.

"Every Ollivander wand is made from three powerful cores: Phoenix Tail Feathers, Unicorn Hair, and Dragon Heartstrings. There are other cores, of course, but I personally find that these three produce the most powerful combinations. No two Ollivander wands are exactly the same just as no witches or wizards are the same. You'll find that my creations are perfectly suited to the individual, Mr. Leighton."

"Hmmm. Let's see. Ah, here. Ten and a half inches, Chestnut with Unicorn Tail Hair. Swishy. Go on, give it a wave."

And so the boy tried on different wands. Sometimes he didn't even get to hold it for a second when it was snatched from him only to be replaced by another. Box after box was piled on top of the counter.

BANG!

A wand produced a powerful blasting force destroying the counter. Freddie gingerly handed it back.

"Oh, dear. Not to worry! Not to worry!" The old man swished his own wand and the table fixed itself and the boxes retuned to their proper places.

"Hmmm. Tricky customer, eh?"

The old man climbed up a ladder and snatched a box from the topmost shelf.

"Yes. I do believe this is it. A branch from a particularly tall fir tree. I had to climb all the way to the top for this one. It has a core of Dragon Heartstring, 13 inches, semi-pliable. Go on, take it."

The wand had a dark polish and was made to look like it was carved straight from a single branch with no seems to be found. The handle end twisted on itself like a Rotini while the rest of it tapered to a blunt end. The moment Freddie grabbed it he felt a powerful sensation. Bright sparks of light erupted from the wand lighting up the dingy shop.

"Marvellous! Yes, indeed. Resiliency in the face of adversity. Fir wands favour those who have survived through harrowing, even life-threatening, ordeals. We could expect great things from you, Mr. Leighton."

Freddie nodded solemnly, reluctantly putting back his wand in its box to be wrapped.

"Excellent. Now, Mr. Potter, I believe it's your turn."

Harry proudly smiled at his best friend at getting a very fitting wand. A survivor indeed. Coming forward he waited for Ollivander to choose several boxes.

"Try this one, Mr. Potter. Willow with a Dragon Heartstring. Quite bendy."

Harry frowned. He knew that even before he touched the wand that it felt…afraid? The moment that he grabbed it the wand flew away from his grasp and clattered on the floor.

"Oh my. I haven't seen a reaction quite like that before. Hmmm." Ollivander frowned at the Willow wand and picked it up, scrutinising it.

"Oh, well. We can all agree that this is definitely not for you, Mr. Potter. Not to worry. We will get you a match."

And so wand after wand but nothing worked for him. Sometimes it would produce devastating effects thoroughly wrecking the shop. Most of the time though the pieces of wood just flew out of his grasp like the first one. One even cracked perfectly down the middle exposing its core.

"An ordinary wand will not work for you, lad. Why, it's almost like they're afraid of you! Quite extraordinary, indeed. No, maybe…"

The old wand-maker was quite joyful not minding his thrashed shop and went to the very back. After a few minutes he emerged back and carried in his hand an old dusty box.

"There are few wands here that haven't been sold in this shop's long history. This particular wand was made by an ancestor of mine hundreds of years ago and has been kept safe until an it finally chooses an owner. Made of Elder, 13 inches, supremely rigid. It has a core of a tail feather of a Phoenix."

The old man gently presented it to him. It had a thick, gnarly, dark handle with grooves. The rest of it however was perfectly smooth and cylindrical and narrowed to a pointy end.

There was a problem, however, when he grasped it the wood split in half and the core burst into flames leaving only ashes. The wood itself was unharmed.

"Oh, dear. I clearly thought…sigh…the core rejected you, Mr. Potter. The wood, however, we'll have to custom make you a wand."

The old man didn't even finish his last words when Harry's clothes rustled. Frowning, he handed the wand back and reached inside his pocket. Pulling out he produced a golden feather and something that looked like a large shark's tooth.

"Harry is that…?" Sirius widened his eyes in recognition.

"Yeah. Midas." He murmured.

At the call of its name a ball of fire appeared above his shoulder and landed graciously, calling out a beautiful trill. Harry chuckled and stroked his friend's beak.

"You're such an attention seeker."

The phoenix only sticked out its beak pompously in the air.

"Mr. Ollivander, please meet my friend, Midas."

"Oh, my. In all my years…and I assume your handsome companion gave you this golden feather?"

"Yes, sir."

"Marvellous. And this other one. A tooth perhaps?" The wand-maker took both in his hands reverently.

"No. It's a horn, actually. I don't know what kind of creature it belonged to but I felt drawn to it." The horn was mostly flat and had a pinkish hue. It looked dangerously sharp.

"I see. Yes. Oh, yes. These will do nicely." He was already lost to his audience murmuring to himself.

The two Marauders and two boys looked at each other awkwardly not knowing what to do.

"…Oh. Come back tomorrow! Your wand will be ready by then." The eccentric man called out from the back of the shop. Sirius was unconcerned though.

"…Well, that happened. So who wants ice cream?"

——

"Who knew getting a wand was so dangerous?" Freddie asked out loud looking down at his Fir wand.

"Not really. Both of you are just…weird." Sirius snickered.

"No, YOU'RE weird." Harry retorted.

"No, you are."

"You are."

"No, you."

"Children, that's enough." Remus rolled his eyes. He was the only adult here, sometimes.

"Harry, your horn…" Freddie asked concerned.

"Don't worry. It grew back."

The four of them were walking through the crowds on their way to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Midas was garnering awed gasps from the other shoppers. Of course, the bird was smug about it sticking its nose up. You don't see a genuine Phoenix everyday after all.

Arriving at the parlour and choosing their orders, they settled at a booth.

While enjoying his ice cream, though, Harry frowned and looked out through the glass window.

"Is something wrong, Harry?"

"No, Remus. It's just I'm sensing a lot of weird emotions. They're…scattered throughout the alley."

"What is it, pup?"

"Oh, no. I think they're being mind-controlled. We have to get out of here!"

It was too late though as several explosions rang out outside rocking them off their seats.

Undeterred, Harry waved his hands and covered the entire ice cream shop in a powerful barrier.

'Brace yourselves.' He communicated to the minds of the other three.

Several more explosions rang out but the barrier protected them. The innocent people outside though were not so lucky and Harry could see several critically injured.

'Stay here.'

"Harry wait!"

Harry phased out and appeared high up in the sky overlooking the carnage below. Several shops fronts were blasted apart, debris littered on the cobblestones. People were crying desperately and calling for the Aurors. A group of people were flinging dangerous spells at each other, sometimes hitting bystanders. Harry quickly subdued them and took their wands away. Midas also flew from his shoulder and tried to calm the crowd with its song.

Witches and Wizards, old and young, can be seen strewn about the alley. If nothing was done these people would not make it.

Lifting his arms up to the sky he pumped as much energy as he can. The clouds quickly darkened and rumbled heavily above.

Harry felt the first drop reach his skin and felt the enormous vitality it contained.

Drop after drop fell and soon it showered on the crowds below. Every drop contained powerful healing properties, no less effective than Phoenix tears. Everything the rain touched, flesh mended and injuries were washed away like a bad dream.

People were waking from unconsciousness and children stopped crying as they looked up at the miraculous rain.

Harry didn't stay idle though and quickly searched for the culprits. Closing his eyes he sensed the brainwashed people and teleported them all directly below him, snatching their wands int he process. In the corner of his eyes he saw Sirius and Remus helping people.

'Sirius. Remus. It's them. In front of you.'

Five wizards and a witch were pressed together like glue, seemingly unconscious. Remus pointed his wand and conjured ropes to further bind them.

'This couldn't be all of them. Where's the mastermind?' Alas, the culprit was gone. Probably apparated away.

Several pops rang out the Diagon Alley. Aurors. Harry sneered. How incompetent.

He stayed in mid-air and let Sirius and Remus talk it out with them while he concentrated on keeping up the healing rain until he couldn't sense anymore distressed emotions.

Finally the sudden downpour lessened into a drizzle and eventually stopped. His job done Harry told Midas to go back to the manor and teleported to Freddie. Thankfully the boy was still inside Fortescue's and was unharmed.

"Harry! You're back! What happened?!"

"We'll discuss it later, Freddie. Get our bags. It's time to go home."

Freddie reluctantly nodded. He hasn't seen Harry so serious before but considering the circumstances it would make sense. Harry helped carrying the bags and both boys looked for Sirius and Remus.

Both older men were just finishing giving testimonies to the Aurors and explaining that the bound wizards and witch were responsible for the explosions. Remus said they had been unconscious when he bound them but didn't mention about the mind-control bit. Harry's secret was more important.

His godfather noticed them approaching and quickly made sure that they were alright.

"Thank Merlin!" He gathered the boys into his arms, both boys grinning over the man's shoulders.

"My name's Harry, not Merlin."

"You will explain yourself when we get home, young man." A finger was wagged into his face. Harry just rolled his eyes.

Remus finally joined them after being left alone by the Aurors. Disillusioning them all, nobody noticed their silent departure.

——