Birthday Surprises

"Do you want to see how the wand will be made, or would you prefer to fly around outside?" Harry asked his owl.

The hoot he received indicated her desire to stay with him. Harry allowed her to perch on his shoulder and headed back inside Ollivander's shop.

Mr. Ollivander's eyes widened at the sight of the owl. "Truly an incredible specimen, your familiar. I've only ever seen a moon owl once in my life, and that was at night when she flew over my head in a forest while I was collecting wood for a wand under the full moon. Let's see if we can get this wand balanced out for you now," he said, taking the silver feather reverently.

Ollivander placed both the wand and the feather on a workbench in the back of the shop. Harry could watch the process, but Hagrid was too large to join them.

Swishing his wand in a complicated manner, Ollivander enlarged the wand. An opening appeared at the handle, and he carefully extracted a red and gold feather. Harry recognized the magical essence emanating from the feather.

"Is that feather from Fawkes, the phoenix familiar of Professor Dumbledore?" Harry inquired.

"Indeed it is. You've met the headmaster's familiar then?" Ollivander responded.

"Yes, when I was at St. Mungo's, and the healers found out something troubling with a splint that had been stuck in my scar for ten years since the attack on my parents' home, he healed the wound on my scar with his tears," Harry confirmed.

"Interesting, very interesting," Ollivander commented. "A lesser bond to a phoenix and a strong bond to a moon owl. We can indeed expect great things from you, Mr. Potter."

He proceeded to work on the wand, jabbing each feather with his wand and adding a clear substance that made them glow briefly. "Tears of happiness of a fairy, a good binder for the feathers," he explained absentmindedly. Then, with another swish of his wand, the two feathers intertwined.

Ollivander levitated the feathers into the still-enlarged wooden part of the wand, moved his wand in a circle, and the wand shrank back to its original size, the opening now closed.

"Try it now, Mr. Potter," Ollivander suggested. As Harry waved the wand, a fantastic feeling surged through him, like a cooling breeze on a warm summer day. Silver and blue sparks emanated from the tip, slowly falling down.

"Yes, yes, that did the trick. A remarkable wand, Mr. Potter. I was curious who would buy that specific wand; you see, as it was before, it was the brother to the wand that gave you that scar. A powerful wand, but now, this wand is absolutely unique. Requiring a wand with more than one core component means you'll become a very powerful wizard," Ollivander remarked.

Harry was relieved that Hagrid hadn't overheard the connection his wand had with Voldemort. He paid Ollivander eleven galleons for the wand and left the shop with Hagrid, happily informing him that he now possessed his own wand.

....

At Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore sat in his office behind his desk, engrossed in a letter from Ollivander, the wandmaker.

The second wand had been sold to Harry Potter, but it wasn't a straightforward choice. Instead, the wand needed to be adjusted with the feather of Harry's familiar, a moon owl. Dumbledore found this development utterly fascinating; never before had he heard of a wand requiring such customization.

Moreover, Harry's bond with a moon owl was unprecedented for a wizard of his age. Moon owls, classified as mysterious and magical creatures of light, were exceedingly rare, with little documentation passed down about their kind. The only known fact was that they needed to form a familiar bond with a witch or wizard before a certain age, a mysterious age yet to be determined.

Moon owls, much like phoenixes, had specific requirements for their human partners, only accepting those who had not committed evil deeds. Their powers remained mostly unknown, with conflicting accounts suggesting ties to the moon's power or healing abilities akin to phoenixes but different in nature. The last recorded bonded moon owl dated back to 1705, and assumptions were made that the number of moon owls born was approximately one in ten thousand owls. Snowy owls, and only snowy owls, could sire a moon owl, possibly due to the genetic inheritance.

Breeding moon owls in captivity had proven impossible, and any sightings after the last record had ultimately transformed into snowy owls due to the inability to find a worthy witch or wizard. Dumbledore recognized the incredible opportunity to study the habits of a bonded moon owl once Harry arrived at Hogwarts.

He felt gratified that Harry had chosen to accept his place at the school. However, Dumbledore acknowledged the need for honesty to earn the young wizard's trust.

...

On his birthday, Harry awoke to bright sunshine and a small cake adorning his table in his room.

A card accompanied the cake, offering warm birthday wishes from the crew of the Leaky Cauldron. A smile graced Harry's face; it marked his first-ever birthday cake. The Dursleys had habitually ignored his birthday in previous years, and being during the holidays, he couldn't celebrate with his football team.

The cake, a delightful creation, featured a base of yellow dough, a layer of whipped cream adorned with fresh strawberries, and a sprinkle of chocolate chips on top. Harry eagerly sampled a forkful and found it to be delicious. Noting the vanilla-flavored dough and sweet cream complementing the slightly sour strawberries, he relished the flavors.

After savoring the cake, Harry proceeded to take a refreshing shower. Once done, he combed his wet hair, appreciating that it was the only time his unruly hair seemed somewhat under control.

As the morning sunlight streamed through the windows, Harry was determined to at least keep his unruly hair in check until his appointment in the afternoon. He opted for a pair of black dress pants, a sleek green silk shirt, polished black dress shoes, and draped himself in a black robe to complete his outfit.

Leaving his room, he descended to the common area to grab breakfast. Upon entering the pub, Tom greeted him with a warm smile. "Happy birthday, Harry," he said.

The genuine spoken wish resonated with Harry, making him feel even better than just reading the words. "Thanks, Tom. Can I have blueberry pancakes, chocolate milk, and whipped cream?" Harry requested.

"Of course, you're the birthday boy, after all. When's your appointment today?" Tom inquired.

"At ten. I'm not sure how long it'll take," Harry replied as he settled into a seat.

"Ah, take your time to get the details worked out. It always pays off in the long run," Tom offered sagely.

"I will. Thanks for the advice," Harry expressed his gratitude.

"You're welcome, Harry," Tom replied with a nod.

Soon, a delightful breakfast appeared before Harry—freshly baked blueberry pancakes accompanied by a pot of cold chocolate milk and a bowl of whipped cream. Despite having indulged in some birthday cake earlier, Harry eagerly dug into his meal.

After finishing, he made his way toward the back door to access Diagon Alley. Hagrid couldn't make it in the morning, but he promised to drop by in the afternoon. Harry knew the way to Gringotts, and Tom assured him that he'd check in case he didn't return within a reasonable time.

Tapping the stone archway trigger three times with his wand, it opened, allowing him to step into Diagon Alley. The bustling scene indicated that it was the time of year when families gathered for Hogwarts supplies, and Harry joined the flow of people, eager to start his day.

....

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