Chapter 3: Wands & Legends

AUTHOR'S NOTE-

Ohk here is the third chapter, it will tell us a bit about the process of wand making, in detail .

Read to know more

"conversation"

'thought'

PERSEUS'S P.O.V

5 MONTHS LATER

A lone figure stood at the edge of the cliff, facing the massive and beautiful Cardigan Bay in front of me, the bay was quiet, as if it had been fed a sleeping drought. Perseus Aries black looked at his wand, the wand he had crafted himself , the wand , humming with power in his hands , ready to unleash his magic and to shape his will. He looked at The clear sky, typical of a summer night,

'but not for long' he thought as he raised his wand ready to test the wand's capacity to channel powerful , elemental magic and uttered the incantation of one of the most powerful elemental spell .

"Tonabit furore meo ,

Fulgur fortitudinem meam "

He felt a slight tug in his chest, magic rushing to power up the spoken spell, and then he heard it, the distinctive sound of thunder, and he continued with the chant.

"Referte ad me nubes ,

Palmarum nigrae quasi noctem"

Nothing changed, the thunder was still rumbling in distance , he thought it didn't work , but then he felt it , even before he saw it, the temperature dropped all of a sudden,. Black massive clouds were coming out of nowhere yet from every direction; they looked just like black mist at first, but gradually merged. Dark clouds obscured the moon; they churned grimly in the night sky as black as the young wizard's name. The moon's mercury flush was painted silver by the thunderheads, casting down shivers of light with a ghostly glow. Underneath the moon, the rain moved towards him like a wraith's wail of sorrow. A winnowing wind fermented and sighed, ripping the surface of the corpse calm sea.

The rain swept across the surrounding grass verges in a downpour. Lightning streaks across the horizon, capturing a frozen shot of The Cottage in the valley below: brown, muddy-red brickwork with turret-like windows and a tall chimney to side. Thunder, then more lightning and another glimpse of the cottage with the metal fencing surrounding the forge further on. More thunder and lightning. Torrents of rain and gusts of wind. Snapping branches and soaked leaves strewn along pavements. The steep winding road to the bottom of the valley glazed from the rain, tiny streams of waters trickle down the hill to join the bay at the other side.

This bedlam of nature caused a rush in his blood as he looked around, the elemental spell that should have been tedious to the point of causing magical exhaustion , specially for him , an eleven year old wizard with a developing magical core, even though he knew his magic was stronger than average .

'but it wasn't that hard' he thought in wonder and looked at his wand again in amazement , and his mind drifted to the days of learning the art of wand crafting from 'teacher' as he now called the ancient wand crafter .

-Flashback—(Perseus's P.O.V)

"So let's start your training, Perseus"said the teacher.

He wasn't kidding when he said' why tomorrow, we start now'. After the departure of grandfather and Mr. ollivander, with the former promising me to send my supplies for daily need later, he lead me to the backyard, and into what I thought was probably a storeroom.

He pushed open the wooden framed glass door and entered the room. I was immediately hit by the smell of the place. There were thousands upon thousands of scents that permeated my mind as I took in my surroundings. The room was dusty, and was oddly shaped, narrow in width, but very long .Shelves lined the long room with one side holding what looked like potions ingredients and the other looking like a surplus supplier for a carpentry business. All sorts of wood lined the wall, most in long blocks the thickness and length of his forearms, while the potions were labeled meticulously and held in glass mason jars.

I was blown away by his sensory overload. Now this, I thought, was a wand maker's workshop. Nothing like the old moldy smell of Ollivander's shop where there were rows upon rows of finished wands. I even wondered if the old man actually made his wands or if he just sat around and tried to scare the children coming into the store.

Teacher kept moving till he reached the end of the room, and placed his palm on the wall for a brief second and then the wall sprung aside and now there was a staircase leading to some sort of basement.

"Come", he said as he motioned for me to follow him down the stairs.

As we walked down the long staircase, I started to smell aromas that were familiar to the outer room, but were slightly different, slightly more volatile and pungent. As we entered the room at the bottom of the stairs I retracted my previous statement about the upper room. This room was what I had pictured a wand maker's work shop would look like.

It was a high vaulted ceiling, vent holes across the top to allow for volatile vapors to escape and keep the crafter unharmed, work benches and tools lined the walls, but looked untouched for years, even though not a speck of dust remained on the surfaces. The walls were lined with different magical materials, a vial of basilisk venom here, a jar of powdered unicorn horn there, a box of veela feathers, and many times many other rare and dangerous materials sitting innocuously in jars that had the faint bluish glow of preservation charms. Along the far wall, there was an even greater selection of wooden blanks used to craft the shaft of the wands. The woods were multi colored with different grains running through them, each carrying a distinct look. In a small area, were stacks and bins of different colored metals. Some in small containers as pellets or natural grains, or in stacks of smelted bars.

"Let us begin. Anything that has magic in it, gives a certain feeling, an aura, no two magical items, or two magical beings will ever have the same aura" he said suddenly. "Your first lesson would be to learn to read an aura." He finished as I nodded my head in understanding.

"But to be able to do that, you will have to strengthen and organize your mind" he continued," and I will first teach you that ancient art, it has existed from medieval times, it's called occ-"

"Occlumency ," I blurted out, "I know".

"You know occlumency " he asked without much surprise in his voice , and seeing me nod in affirmation " that's incredibly rare, to master such skill at such young age, this would make it very much easier for the both of us".

"Very well then" he said as he took out a glass vial and uncorked it and took out a strand of hair from it.

"do you know what this is" he asked me as he handed it to I knew what it was.

" unicorn's tail hair "I answered.

"Yes "he replied, "Now feel it and tell me what does your senses tell you about it"

"It's soft" I said, "and shiny".

"no no, my boy, you are feeling its texture , its appearance " he said and after a brief pause continued again.

" you are using your sense of touch and sight, but beside the five sense , that we humans have, there is a sixth sense possessed by wizards , the sense of magic , now feel the magic of this hair , bring forth your magic, and feel the magic within this strand of hair , Perseus, it's like you have to send a signal and wait and read the response".

I did just that, I tried to feel the magic within it but nothing, nada, but then something struck me.

'bring forth your magic' teacher had said, and I recalled the feeling I get whenever I do magic, 'the warm sensation cruising through my veins', and then I searched for the same feeling within the hair strand, I was about to give up on it when I felt it, a very faint sensation of magic and I dug deeper and after what felt like hours I felt it, the feeling of pureness, of innocence and most potently of light.

"It felt like, pureness, innocence "I said looking back at teacher who looked back at me with pride.

"Excellent Perseus, most wizards take up to a month to learn this skill and you did it in a matter of 10 minutes, amazing indeed" he said with pride and continued with the lecture.

" A magical core inside the wand is what allows the user to channel his magic, every wand core has a magic of its own, which gives it some characteristics, and that is why a wand can tell a lot about its owner"

I beamed at his words .

" now do the same for rest of the magical substance that are in the cupboards along the left wall" he said ,"familiarize yourself with them and then we will move towards our next lesson" he finished as he left the room leaving me alone in the room

My smile faltered, there must be hundreds of magical substances here but I started with the next, it was a phoenix feather, and it felt like, warmth and surprisingly hope. The next was a thestral's hair, and where the phoenix feather felt warmth, this felt cold and not surprisingly like a dead end.

It took me seven days to know the feel of every magical core, two hundred and twelve to be exact, and after a day's rest, we were standing in the same room as before , as I waited eagerly for my next lesson.

"good , very good indeed Perseus" teacher said, " now to your next lesson, the next essential thing in a wand, the wood. "He finished.

"Many, but not all types of natural woods are magical or have magical properties; therefore not all woods are made into wants to be used in magic. For those woods that are magical, they eventually find their way onto a wands list somewhere, having been discovered to be magical or have magical properties. This someone must know if they ever wish to carve or make their own magical wand. "He said.

"How can one tell if a wood is magical or not?" I asked.

"A layman would say 'No one really knows. But many seasoned or experienced wand makers somehow can tell the difference between a magical wood and a non-magical wood.', in a sense they are right, feel the magic of the wood just like you did with the cores and you will know "he answered.

"There is a reason the wand chooses the wizard , for wands are semi-sentient due to the fact that both the wood and core of a wand posses certain magic of its own, and wands can learn skills and abilities from their masters from time to time, as their masters can sometimes learn from them. Thus, certain wands will have abilities and skills that other wands might lack. It simply depends on who owns or who owned them." He stated.

"Sometimes, a wand can and will be made of two different types of wand wood, which are often referred to as combination wands. These wands are known to be twice as complex in their magical abilities and thus are twice as hard to find the right core or cores for. As such, combination wands often have combination cores, normally with one core being of the common type (such as Dragon Heartstring, etc.) and one core being of the exotic or less common type (such as Basilisk Skin, etc.)"He said.

" Though this doesn't at all mean that a combination wand can't have a single core or double of one type of core, or even a combination of two exotic cores in one wand.."

I nodded in understanding as I listened to him.

"There are times when a combination wand will include three types of wand wood known as three-type combination wands, thus making them three times more complex. The middle wood or heartwood located between the stem and the handle, often balances out the wood that makes up the stem of the wand and the wood that makes up the handle, being that the heartwood shares similarities between the two woods. Certain three-type combination wands with opposing wood types will need heartwood for balance in order to work together. The heartwood is located between where the stem and the handle connect."

He went on full lecturer mode and continued .

"Occasionally however, in the case of two highly compatible wand woods, a combination wand will be of two types of wand wood like a regular combination wand and be in three parts like in a three-type combination wand. These Two-Type Three combination wands for example, will have a handle and a stem of the same wand wood and yet have heartwood of a completely different wand wood. In the case of Two-Type Three combination wands, the favored traits, skills and subjects of the heartwood are normally dominant unless the two wand woods share all or some of the same favored traits, skills and subjects, then no dominance is posed."

Very rarely, though not unheard of, a wand will be made of four or more types of wood, thus are categorized as Rainbow-Type combination wands. Such wands will often have more then one heartwood and are the hardest to find the proper core(s) to. Often, Rainbow-Type combination wands will include a combination core (all rainbow-types have combination cores) that includes Unicorn Hair and/or Peacock Tail Feather, as such a combination of wand cores tends to somehow find balance among all the different wand woods and wand cores within the single wand." He finished.

"you with me so far, Perseus" at my nod , he continued

" Occasionally, some wand makers will take it one step further and literally breed two or more different kinds of trees together to make hybrid wand woods, from which hybrid, wizard-made wands are made from. Taking the best qualities of each wand wood and merging them into a single type wand. These types of wands are extremely rare and in some cases, illegal. One of the most well-known hybrid wand woods of the Wizarding world is known as Weeping Birch, which is a purposely bred combination of Willow and Birch. The best qualities of both wand types are bred into a single type wand rather then the two wand woods apart being made into a combination wand."

"That can be done?" I asked surprise evident in my voice.

"Rarely, but yes ,Wand makers skilled in breeding different wand woods together often get unexpected results - where two wand types are compatible in a combination wand, but not when they are blended together into a single type hybrid wand. In the reverse, two wand types that were not compatible in a combination wand, end up working well and peacefully together in a single type hybrid wand possibly due to the mating of the two wand woods, which will often tame the more opposing, unpredictable or volatile nature of one or the other. The mating of opposites often make for the most attractive results.

"Though it should be noted that not all wand woods can be mated or bred into hybrids, especially if the traits of both wand woods sit completely on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Sometimes, those wand woods of same traits or are completely the same can't be made into hybrid wands, due to being rival wand woods which may or may not try to outperform or out do the other. The compatibility of wand woods can be determined by their strongest favored traits, skills and subjects, and will determine whether or not the two wand woods will breed or blend well together in a single type hybrid wand. "He finished.

"Now," he started again "In normal circumstances, when creating the best wands for use in magic, wand makers will often harvest wand woods and wand cores when the powers of magic have the strongest presence, usually during a full moon or when a certain alignment of planets occurs. This is never more important when a wand maker wishes to make a wand that is strongest in a certain natural element. For example, if the wand maker in question wishes to make a wand that is strongest in Earth spells, they will harvest their wand wood and wand core during the time when earth energies are strongest; usually in an alignment of planets that includes Saturn."

"But this is not the only factor when making a wand. The wand wood and wand core themselves must be able to tap into and harness the powers of these earth energies in order to properly wield spells or incantations involving the earth element. Most wands have powers in Elemental Magic, but most wands are specialized in only a certain natural element or elements depending on the wand wood and wand core. Very few wands (Ebony wands for example) are able to wield all the natural elements, since most wands can only wield certain elements, whereas they can't wield others, due to the fact that every element as an opposing element or an element that will clash with the other."

"For example, the opposing element of Fire is Water, while the opposing element of Air is Earth. The Metal element is random, but is largely the opposing element of Air, since Metal is merely another form of Earth. Of course, there are also the factors of Light Magic and Dark Magic and depending on which kind of magic that the wand maker in question wants to wand to wield, will determine the overall strength of the wand when used in magic. Wands made to wield Dark Magic are naturally stronger in some fields of magic then in others, but those fields of magic that oppose the Dark are largely weakened or non-existent in a Dark wand. Of course, this is the same situation in the case of a wand that is made to wield Light Magic."

"However, there are those situations when a certain wand type and wand core can tolerate or peacefully wield opposing elements in the same wand, often when a heart core is involved , we will discuss the combination of cores later. Of course, wand woods and wand cores can be harvested at any time, but they will likely not produce as much of the quality results that are expected of them when harvested at certain times of the year. The area or location from which the wand wood and wand core are harvested can also play an important factor, since some places on Earth are more magically inclined than others.

"One factor that plays a role in harvesting wand woods and wand cores is finding a location that is in tune with spiritual world or the magical realm. Since magical powers or magical energies come from spiritual sources and from different plains of existence. One way to identify a magical location is by finding fairy rings (fungus growing in a circle or ring) or a circle of boulders. Boulder circles and fairy rings are known for being infused with magical energies, which makes the trees and shrubs in and around them highly prized sources of wand wood of the trees and shrubs in question are of a wand wood type. "He finished

"Well, enough theory for one day," he said," now go through every type of wood in this room and feel their magic, same procedure". And with that he left me alone again.

I sighed and did just that, it took me a week to complete the entire process. Teacher has collected some rare woods and cores indeed. There were woods commonly used for wands such as yew, ebony, but there were some special woods too ,like Blackwood , elder wood and black palm and , I even found a some hybrid woods , like yew bony , a hybrid wood of yew and ebony.

I even found some woods which are extinct or extremely rare to the rest of the world, like BIRCH of theWHITEMOUNTAIN, it Favors those who are patient, persistent, unyielding, have inner strength and courageous. At one time, this wand type was mainly found among the ancient necromancers who existed over 1000 years ago, and in ancient wizard lore, it was said that these wands could literally breathe life into the dead.

The next day, teacher showed his library, inside the cottage. It was not vast or huge like the library at black manor; on the contrary, there must be around a hundred books at max.

"You now know , and can identify most of the wand cores and woods, but every core and a wand has certain characteristics , there are books in this library, some are even hand written by me and my ancestors" he said, "that is the next part of your training".

And I like any other ideal student, did just that. Not that I would ever complain about reading a book, specially these tomes, collected by the greatest wand makers of all time , some even detailing the experience of the notable ollivanders.

It was a week later when teacher found my theoretical knowledge sufficient that we started with the real stuff.

"So before we begin our practical learning, if you have any queries, ask me now?" he said.

"Yes, you see I was reading about the use of gemstones in a wand, it can be done I read that much, but I have never seen a witch or wizard use a wand which had a gemstone of any kind?"I reply came instantly.

" In some cases, a wizard or witch will inlay magical gemstones into the handle of their wand, usually for decorative purposes. However, in many situations, the gemstones are used to boost the abilities of Elemental Magic that almost every known magical wand possesses. Most, but not all magical wands have the ability to wield the natural element or elements which associate with them and these gemstones are often used to boost those powers tenfold when they are used in a magical wand." He continued.

"However, not all wands are able to tap into the magical properties of the gemstones inlaid in them and thus will only have such gemstones in their handles for decorative purposes. Despite not being able to use the power of the gemstones inlaid within them in some cases, all magical gemstones have an elemental influence that will still affect the owner or the wand in some way, but will not boost the wand's elemental powers in any way, shape or form, but will affect the owner and/or the wand in other ways that may help the owner and/or the wand in other subjects. " here he stood up and got a small but obviously old book and handed it to me

"The magical gemstones associated with each wand type are listed in this book, used for decoration, elemental boost or elemental influence. It was written by an ancestor of mine even before the founders , he devoted his entire life doing research on the gemstones "He finished . I nodded in understanding as I took the book and asked my next question.

"what about use of metals in a wand and what about a staff, are they used anymore, and what about multiple wand use". To which he replied instantly.

"Magical staffs are almost as common as magical wands, just not in England. Though there methods of wielding are different from those of the wands. Only a few highly skilled and gifted wizards and witches are able to wield both a magical staff and a wand. And in some cases with compatible wand types, a wizard or witch is able to wield two wands at once, either of the same type or of two different types, making the wizard or witch twice as powerful and unpredictable. Only some of the most highly gifted and skilled wizards and witches are able to wield two wands at once. The method of wielding two wands at once is also somewhat different and more complex then when wielding a single wand as the owner has to manipulate two wands at once and must keep track of the movements of both wands and where they send their strikes. "He finished

"If I were to assume, I would say you already know how to use a mundane staff." He asked me.

"Yes" I replied

"Good good, for one of the best methods in learning how to wield a magical staff is to look at how normal staffs are wielded in combat, as the movements are the same. Though in the case of magical staffs, the magical energy and spells which comes out from the tip of magic wands can come out of both ends of a magical staff. All that a wielder of a magical staff need do is thrust either end of their magic staff towards their opponent, where then the blasts of magical energy would shoot towards their opponent and strike them.

The wizards of the Durmstrang Institute are among the best wielders of magical staffs in the Wizarding Europe, both in terms of blunt force magical power and creative use. Durmstrang wizards are known for being destructively powerful and highly skilled in what they do. Durmstrang students are trained in various forms of staff combat, and are often tested now and again to ensure that what they have learned remains sharply honed." Came his reply.

"Ohk, I get it, do you know how to wield a staff or how to use multiple wands."I asked

"Yes Perseus I know how to wield a staff , but unfortunately I only know the theory of the use of multiple wand" he said

"Will you teach me that "I asked in excitement.

"Remember what I told you , the day we met Perseus, a master has to teach his apprentice everything he knows" he replied and gave a warm smile which Perseus reciprocated and the said

" and as for the use of metal, we will come to that soon. Now moving towards the practical lesson, I believe the best way to learn something is to observe" he said as he started gathering some ingredients, probably for making a wand.

I watched as the he walked over to the ingredient shelves and began to pull jars and boxes from the shelves without hesitation. After pulling a bottle and box from the shelves, he returned to Perseus wearing a large anticipatory grin.

"I must say, child, I am very excited to make a wand after so long, even an ordinary wand like this" he said and opened the boxes and explained.

"In case of multiple wand cores, you first add the dry ingredients to the room temperature mix of dragon's blood elixir. They will slowly dissolve, but you must touch nothing. Any agitation would disturb the magic as it filtered into the potion. "

"We will use rosewood and unicorn tail hair as a core," he said, picking up a wooden blank.

"How do you know which wood is to be matched with which core" I asked

"You already know how to feel the magic of the wood and cores, if the magic of both wood and core resonate with each other than they can be used to create a wand."

He walked over to the bench and began to take out tools, chisels and bores, sand paper and many other tools were spread over the table as the man started to work. Within a few minutes, he had already created the bore into which the core would be poured, and then he had chiseled the wood down into the shape he required and carved his runes with an expert hand and a small shape knife. I recognized all those runes, they were futhark runes, symbols of Strength , Power, Energy and many more. The wood was smooth and warm. He had definitely not lost his touch.

I was amazed, the wand was almost ready, and that too in a matter of an hour.

"Now this is the standard procedure of making an average wand "he said, "but if one were to use a metal as a shell of the wand, it becomes something more, the metal will be absorbed by the wood . " he finished as I watched him pick a metal sheet which was made of bronze .

The man pointed his own wand at the bronze which floated to a cauldron and slowly started changing into a liquid.

"Use that tool over there and bring the rosewood wand," he ordered.

The tool in question looked akin to a screw driver and was used to hold the wand in place while liquid metal was being poured onto it.

"Now, I want you to slowly roll the wand as I coat it in the copper metal. It need not be even as we can finish it after, but try to make it as even as possible, the more contact the metal has with the wand, the more magic can be channeled through it."

As he turned the wand, he saw the metal move over the wand in waves. It was beautiful as the liquid bronze rolled onto the wood and flowed into the crevices. I nearly made the mistake of stopping to admire the movement of the liquid metal. When it was complete it seemed to shimmer and it solidified immediately. He then took the wand to a grinding wheel where he spent over an hour polishing the wand.

The wand was indeed amazing, the metal was indeed absorbed by the wood but it left its luster behind and gave the wood and amazing durability.

"Now, It's your turn," he said as he motioned me to begin.

It took me a month but I finally I was able to create wands and now teacher has deemed my skills in wand crafting sufficient enough to craft a wand of my own.

But it was easier said than done, I was having difficulty finding a suitable combination. I was in the library, going through a few books that I have not read already.

It was one such book, written by one Edward ollivander in the 12th century, that gave me the answer to what I seek but it also sparked a discussion and debate between me and teacher regarding, what is perhaps the most controversial topic amongst the wand makers ;"The Elder Wand"

"today, I witnessed the most epic duel of my life, my brother-in-law , has finally confronted the dark wizard, Emric the evil and it was a sight to behold, both wizards wielded elements with such efficiency and mastery, that it left me awestruck , but then I noticed the difference, Emric's attack seemed to be more powerful , even the basic dueling charms were somehow amplified by the wand he was using, but my brother-in-law was a tad more skillful then him, and creative in his use of spells. And that is probably why Emric was defeated, despite being more powerful in terms of raw power.

My brother-in-law acquired that wand after slaying Emric , and he allowed me to study it upon my request, and what I found surprised me, The Wand was ancient and made of elder wood. It was fifteen inches long and upon later inspection I discovered that it had a Thestral tail-haircore, which is a tricky substance that only wizards that mastered death can control. The Wand, as well as being more powerful than other wands, is noticeably unique from other wands in its appearance, particularly because it bears carvings that resemble clusters of elderberries running down its length.

To a normal eye, these cravings looked like elderberries , but to a trained one, such as myself, one could literally read the runes that were written within them, , the wand was efficient in every art of magic, be it transfrugation, charms, defense, dueling, battle magic, elemental magic, it was great even in household magic. But that was not all, the wand somehow amplified the power off the spells or reduced the amount of power required to use magic.

And it was then I knew without doubt, that the wand in my hands was none other than the elder wand, the topic of many controversies, the death stick, finally in my hands. And I knew what I had to do; I had to replicate this masterpiece."

"What do you think "I asked him as I showed the page to him?

"ohh, the wand of destiny, so like many powerful wizards before you, you too are drawn to the tale of deathstick"he replied.

"You- you really think this wand exists, then "I asked.

"Oh yes, yes, it is perfectly possible to trace the wand's course through history. There are gaps, of course, and long ones, where it vanishes from view, temporarily lost or hidden; but it always resurfaces. It has certain identifying characteristics that those who are learned in wandlore recognize...Whether it needs to pass by murder, I do not know. "He replied.

"Its history is bloody, but that may be simply due to the fact that it is such a desirable object, and arouses such passions in wizards. Immensely powerful, dangerous in the wrong hands, and an object of incredible fascination to all of us who study the power of wands. "he finished

"Have you , or anyone else tried to duplicate it" I asked.

"Well many wand makers have tried that, including me. But it was at some point many years ago before 1899, the wand eventually ended up in the possession of the wandmaker Mykew Gregorovitch. Upon realising that it was the most powerful wand in existence, Gregorovitch began experimenting to try and duplicate its powers. Gregorovitch, unlike my ancestor Edward , was somewhat foolish by nature and hoping it would improve business, started a rumour about him possessing a wand and his efforts to replicate its properties. " he told me and continued with the story .

"The result came one night between 1899-1945 when Gregorovitch heard someone breaking into his workshop. He promptly ran inside and saw a blond haired young man had taken the wand, an intruder who then promptly shot a Stunning Spell at Gregorovitch to acquire mastery of the wand, before leaping out the window. Gregorovitch never found out who stole the wand."

"So you want to find the elder wand?" he asked me and before I could even respond, he continued

" don't Perseus, The bloody trail of the Elder Wand is splattered across the pages of Wizarding history"

Erseus could detect worry in his voice easily and to sooth his worries he told him

"find it, no, no, I want to replicate it, I don't think the wand was made by death , it may have been created by the eldest of the three Peverell brothers, Antioch. Wouldn't it make more sense that this wand simply allowed one to focus their magic much more easily, while having affinities for all kinds of magic, unlike how your regular wands have affinities for certain branches of magic? After all Every wand crafter or metal charmer knows that the peverells were the best inventors in the history, maybe the elder wand was one of those inventions".he finished and the ancient wizard gave him a knowing smile and then asked

"Many before you have tried to replicate the elder wand, none has ever succeeded, what would make you any different" he asked. To which perseus replied with a grin.

" I have what they lacked, the first hand observation of Edward ollivander, the runes that were etched on that wand and its translation. He said it was these runes that turned the wand into a magic amplifier of sorts and also to make the wand equally suitable for every branch of magic."

"you would be right, I have read his work, the runes used on the wand, no one can understand them now, from what I can guess, even in 12th century these runes were nearly forgotten, and now they are all but forgotten, I, like many of my ancestors, have tried to fulfill Edward ollivander's dream, but alas I couldn't" he said, with a bit of sadness in his voice.

"why" I asked.

He looked at me and then shuffled through the tome until he found the page he was looking for, and pointed his long bony finger at a rune that was shaped what probably looked like a balloon with three sticks

"This rune was carved on that wand, but this is the only one, even Edwardollivanderr could not figure out what it meant" he told me.

And I realized he was right, as in front of the rune was one word, ""UNKNOWN"".

I couldn't believe it, the lack of understanding of one rune was what prevented me from crafting the strongest wand in existence.

-FLASHBACK ENDS

The sound of clapping brought his attention to the ancient wand maker standing behind him, with a look of pride on his face.

"That was a very powerful piece of magic Perseus" he said, not at all fazed by the harsh weather.

"Thank you, probably all thanks to this extraordinary wand "Perseus replied as he stole a glance at the powerful wand in his hands, made from the hybrid wood of ebony and Australian Blackwood. It was of the darkest shade of black. Ebony being the only wood that has the same affinity for all the elements and Blackwood which is the only wood that is excellent for both light and dark magic. And this hybrid wood has taken after its parent woods in these regards.

It had a piece of amethyst in the handle, amethyst being the only gemstone that can boost not only lethal and destructive spells but also healing spells. The core of the wand was the feather of a Thunderbird, and the shell of the wand was done by mithril, which gave it a magnificent look.

15 inch long, with a 2 inch metal band of silver around the wand between the handle and the stem, the silver metal was infused with a specific runic array, the same which was deciphered from the elder wand by Edward ollivanderr .

His mind wandered to the day when I had finally solved the mystery of the unknown rune in Edward's book.

As it was, the word unknown didn't mean that the meaning of the rune was not known to Edward , he had simply translated the original runic array from the elder wand to futhark runes, which was not very uncommon at that time, in this runic language the number 7 , due to being shrouded by mystery is known as just 'unknown'.

The secret was hidden in the plain sight, it's just that no one ever figured it out, as everyone thought that the rune's meaning was unknown to Edward ollivander.

When he had tried to tell teacher about his discovery, he asked Perseus not to tell him, and to keep it a secret and to take it to his grave.

Perseus then did the same runic array on my wand, but in a different runic language, a language which hardly anyone knows, Parsel Runes. But another thing that made it different from the elder wand was that this wand was bound to me by magic and blood. So no matter what, in the hands of another wizard, it would just be a piece of wood.

But Perseus had made an addition to the runic array, one that was his teacher's invention but he had never commercialized it. A complex runic set which once activated by the caster using any spell, the wand would keep on shooting that spell in rapid succession with amazing speed , until the caster deactivated the runes or dropped the wand.

Perseus had tried that feature using a 'proiectum' spell and his wand shot forth arrows with such speed that reminded Perseus of the muggle machine gun. He had went one step further and altered that rune set a bit and as a result if he so desire to he could shoot maximum seven of any spell at once.

His returned to the present when his teacher said

"This wand is indeed powerful, the most powerful wand I have ever seen no doubt about that, but it's not just the wand that is extraordinary, Perseus, you are an extraordinary wizard "

"no it'—"he started off.

"No listen Perseus, I am not talking about your powers, or your knowledge of even the most obscure magic. "He said cutting him short and said again

" I am talking about your will , about your determination, for you have mastered the art of wand crafting, metal charming and weapon forging in just 5 months, that is an extraordinary feat .and a testament of your dedication and I know you can achieve anything if you put your mind into it. "He finished.

And he was right indeed, Perseus was now able to enchant metals using runes and spells and could forge weapons, which rivaled the goblin made weapons. he had forged a blade for myself, it was 3 feet long sword with a double-edged Stygian iron blade etched with mithril, a dragon hide leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt riveted with silver and etched with the markings 'Toujours pur'. With his name "Perseus black" engraved just above the hilt in silver.

It was the first weapon that had actually felt balanced in his hand. It was forged in Gubraithian fire and cooled in the elixir of fortitudine, producing a clean indestructible blade. It had properties of goblin made weapons and would take on the power of any substance it touches . While the Stygian Iron could actually absorb or destroy a being's essence.

The blade was also enchanted and it was linked to the ring he now wore on the index finger of his left hand by an advance summoning magic, which allowed him to summon it in a second. The other enchantment on the sword being that to him it weigh about 5 pounds but for someone else, it would be impossible to lift the sword, let alone use it.

"Thank you teacher" he said," I was fortunate enough to learn from you"

"Very well then Perseus, it's time for you to return, there is nothing left for me to teach you "he said with pride in his voice

"Hmm, then Sir what fees do I owe youPerseuss asked

"Fees? I don't understand" he said coyly .

"You are not the only one to follow traditions, I too follow traditions of old, and it's a rule for an apprentice to pay his master with whatever he may desire as fees."Perseuss replied

"I don't need any payment, my boy, to have an apprentice like you, who mastered everything I know, in just 5 months, what else I can ask for." He said. "But I must ask one thing from you".

"Name it "Perseus said.

"A promise, that whatever you have learnt from me, you will not teach any of it to anyone, save your own blood. "He said

Perseus looked at him, it's an odd thing to ask as payment, but nonetheless, he complied and said

" I give you my words".

"And Perseus, before we part ways. You wanted to know about valyrian steel." he asked.

He nodded; all he knew about valyrian steel was that it forged in the days of the mighty dark elves. It was exceptionally sharp and tremendously strong, yet light, keeping its edge and requiring no maintenance. It is said that the valyrian steel could destroy anything and could kill any being. It was even superior to goblin made steel.

If legends are to be believed, the valyrian steel if carved with certain set of runes can absorb and store infinite amount of magic and can subsequently unleash the stored magic.

"All I was able to gather is that it is an alloy of dragonglass , Orichalcum and magic. Although I have both dragonglass and Orichalcum, the problem is no one knows the ratio of these two to make valyrian steel, as the knowledge of forging a valyrian steel weapon has been lost to time" he said.

"Orichalcum is said to be found at the bottom of the deepest seas, the pressure created by the water naturally created the metal over thousands of years, only to be found by the Atlantians. it was created because of a phenomenon of nature. It sparked many wars between the dwarves and the Goblins over who would control ores which housed the rare metal...Perseuss stated

, "Dragonglass. Frozen fire, in the tongue of dark elves, forged in the fires of the elves, far below the earth. They hunted with that, thousands of years ago. They worked no metal . . . In place of swords, they carried blades of obsidian." he finished.

"yes correct , but that's not the only problem, there is no fire that can burn hot enough and long enough in controlled manner to melt these metals. Some wizards have tried to use fiendfire , but. They just ended up burning everything around them. "the old wizard finished

"Oh, I am sure, I will figure something out" Perseus replied.

"Oh I know you will, that is why I have given you all of Orichalcum and dragon steel I had. "He said.

"Thank you for that again , teacher" Perseus said in gratitude.

"very well then Perseus, here is your portkey to take you to you to Black manor", he said handing him a piece of cloth," your grandfather must be dying to meet you, goodbye, and I wish you the very best in life".

The portkey activated before he could even reply and the old wand crafter was standing alone atop the cliff.

Far away, in the master bedroom of Potter manor, lily potter's screams could be heard even in the manor grounds. James potter winced slightly as his wife tightened her grip on his wrist, she then screamed loudly for the final time and then the cries of a newborn echoed in the room.

The healers cleaned the newborn baby and wrapped it in a large towel cloth, just as two people entered the room, Remus Lupin and Charles Potter.

Healer Andromeda tonks then handed what appeared to be a bundle of cloth to lily and james potter and said," it's a beautiful and a healthy baby girl, lily, James, congratulations".

"She is so beautiful lily" said James in a chocked voice.

"Yes, that she is James, "lily said, "come here Charles, and meet you little sister" she said to her son.

"She is so tiny" Charles said in wonder, as he adjusted his spectacles.

"So were you, when you were born Charles "said the godfather of the boy-who-lived, Remus Lupin.

"Have you decided upon a name" asked Andromeda, at which everyone looked at lily.

Lily potter looked at the wide, blue eyes of the newborn in her arm," Iris "she said, "Iris potter ".

And for the first time since that fateful Halloween night, fortune had smiled upon the potter family.

And lily potter again thought of her eldest son, and vowed to herself to find him.

Unknown to her, the newborn daughter she held in her arms would one day become the link between the potter family and her long lost son.