4

Magical Problems Require Magical Solutions

OOOOO​

After the man had invited himself in, we'd moved to the living room. I sat next to my sister and observed the elderly wizard with curious eyes. His appearance didn't ring any bells, but then again, I didn't expect to know everything there was to know about the world.

The man was dressed like an everyday passerby for the most part. Atop his head sat a grandpa's beret highlighting a pair of vibrant emerald green eyes. He wore dark green trousers and an equally sage green jumper over a white polo shirt. The one thing that stood out, however, was his belt. Attached to his side was a scabbard, though it was much, much shorter than your usual scabbard.

I reckoned it was to hold his wand, given the scabbard's length.

"Greetings," he removed his hat and bowed his head before putting it back on. "My name is Alan Archimedes. I am a Professor and the current Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reason for today's visit is to extend a place to one Cyrus Azar at our boarding school."

Sadie was… sceptical, to put it mildly.

"School?" she scoffed. "Excuse me if I don't believe you immediately, sir."

To his credit, the senior citizen sitting across from me didn't seem the least bit perturbed. "Yes Miss Azar, a school. One located in Scotland that teaches students to harness the magic around them to perform feats that regular folk would call miracles."

"So you're saying magic is real?" Sadie asked, sounding close to laughter.

Even though the old man had invited himself in, Sadie was far from welcoming. She followed his every movement and there was a perpetual frown on her face.

"Indeed it is." Archimedes replied, his face a mask of pure calm. "I take it that you require proof?"

His question was met with no answer, but I guess Sadie herself was reason enough.

I sat on the edge of my seat, eyes rooted on the man. He stood up, and drew his wand from the side of his hip in a single fluid movement.

"What to use…" his eyes scanned the room. "Ah, I know!" he chuckled and removed his hat.

Slowly, he swished his wand, turning his beret hat into a top hat. Another wave of it and he plunged his hand into the hat and pulled out a white furred rabbit.

I stared at it with my mouth agape. Reading about it or watching it was one thing, but actually witnessing such an act was another thing entirely. I blinked, making sure that what I sure was real, and not some figment of my imagination.

From beside me, my sister yelped and muttered something underneath her breath.

"Does that answer your question, Miss Azar?" he smiled and crossed his legs.

"Y-Yes." Sadie eyed him warily as he sheathed his wand.

She unconsciously drew me closer and placed a protective arm around my shoulders. Not that the gesture was needed, but it warmed my heart.

"Why Cyrus?" she asked, her voice terse. "Why him?"

"Your brother was born with magic, Miss." Archimedes answered simply.

He gave my sister a disarming smile and placed his hands on his lap where they were easily visible. Perhaps he thought it'd calm her down, but I felt her grip around my shoulder tighten at his words.

He continued on, none the wiser. "Growing up, did you ever notice anything strange happen around him, say, when he was angry or scared?"

Sadie removed her hand from my shoulder, taking a few moments to think.

"Well, there was the time where we saw a dog at a park and you panicked." she broke contact with the man to look at me. "I blinked and you were all the way on a tree. I thought I must've been dehydrated or something." she turned back to the man, or wizard rather. "You're telling me that was magic?"

Hearing her story, I remembered another instance as a child.

"There was that time in Mrs. Linton's class." I felt the two's eyes shift themselves onto me. Still, I continued. "She made us do some kind of test. I didn't want to do it so I remember crying and she told me to do the test or else I'd get my name moved down. The next thing I know the paper's completely filled out."

"I didn't know about that." Sadie said.

"Well, I didn't tell anyone because I was afraid I'd be sent to prison for…" I trailed off, embarrassed.

"What?" Sadie nudged me.

"For cheating." I eventually admitted, absentmindedly rubbing my hands together.

"You thought that you'd go to prison for…" Sadie stared at me before shaking her head. She turned her attention back to the old man. "Say that Cyrus attends this…" she paused and whispered in my ear. "What did he call the school again?"

"Hogwarts." Archimedes interrupted, his hearing surprisingly sharp for someone so old.

My sister flinched, but remained stoic and continued. "Yes, Hogwarts. What will he need? Where will he sleep? How are we supposed to get there? And how can your guarantee that he will be safe?"

"Ah, I forgot to give you the letter!" he said. After which he leaned over the coffee table and handed me the envelope.

I unfolded its contents, and began to read it out loud.

"First-year students will require: three sets of plain work robes…" I listed off the required equipment, doing my best to stop myself from smiling. I'd read the list more times than I could count—be that in fanfics or the stories themselves—but having one for myself was exhilarating. "One wand, one cauldron—it says that it has to be pewter and standard size 2—, a set of glass or crystal phials, a telescope, and a set of brass scales."

"And would we be expected to pay this completely on our own, or is there some kind of scholarship that he can take?" she asked once I'd finished.

"Well—" Archimedes began but I interrupted him.

"Wait, don't you earn an alright wage?" I asked her, confused. "And since it's just me and you, you should have more than enough to pay for it, right?"

Sadie let out a dry, humourless laugh at that. "I would, but since this fu—" she looked at me. "... idiot landlord keeps jacking up the rent, I can't really afford much at all these days outside of the necessities."

She turned away, her jaw clenched. I knew how she felt all too well. Seeing our own poverty was one thing, but admitting out loud was another thing entirely.

My own discomfort aside, I narrowed my eyes at her and filed away that particular bit of information for later.

"In that case," Archimedes said, sensing the shift in mood. "The Ministry of Magic sets aside a small stipend for orphans and those who are unable to afford the means to buy the necessary school supplies," he explained. "Since you at the very least fulfil one of those requirements, your expenses will be paid for. But bear in mind that you will have to pay this sum back at the end of your schooling. It will not be all at once, but will be subtracted from your wage at a fixed rate per month until it is paid."

I sneaked a glance at Sadie to gauge her reaction to all of this. She was tapping her foot against the floor, a contemplative expression on her face.

"What happens if he doesn't want to go?" she asked.

I turned to her, my eyes widened.

"If neither of you wish for Mr. Azar to attend, then this meeting will be wiped from your memories and you will be free to go on with your lives completely unbothered." he replied, sounding saddened that she would even ask such a question.

"Hold on." I interrupted him. "Sadie, I think I'd like to go to this magic school. I mean, who wouldn't, right? It's magic." smiling softly, I placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Please. Can I go?"

She met my pleading eyes and pursed her lips, a conflicted expression crawling across her face.

"And you are absolutely sure that this school is safe?" she asked Archimedes, her voice stern. I almost missed the tremor in her voice.

Archimedes nodded. "Hogwarts is touted as the safest place in Magical Britain, after Gringotts bank of course. In fact, the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is regarded as the most powerful known wizard in the world."

She sighed. "Then I see no reason to deny him the opportunity." she turned to me and smiled. "If this is what you want to do, then go ahead and do it. What kind of guardian, or sister even, would I be if I stopped you from taking an opportunity like this?"

Smiling, I threw myself at her and laughed. "Thank you, really. You won't regret this."

The elderly wizard clapped his hands and stood up. "It's settled then. It's best we be on our way now."

My sister stood up. "Where are we going?"

He stopped and turned around. "To buy Mr. Azar's school supplies, of course." he unsheathed his wand. "Now, both of you hold onto me and do not, under any circumstance, let go. Do you understand?"

I shared an apprehensive glance with Sadie before I nodded.

The difference between her and I was that I knew what was about to happen. In some respect, that made it all the more nerve wracking. Regardless, we both held onto his arms, eyes shut.

For a few moments there was nothing, and I tightened my grip on his arm.

Then it began.

A squeezing so intense that I felt that my eyes would pop out of my skull and my head would be completely crushed. I made the mistake of opening my eyes, only to witness a dizzying mess of dark smudges and inky blotches.

The sensation disappeared as suddenly as it arrived and I slammed against the ground, grateful. It may have not been gone for long, but its absence was very noticeable. Once I'd regained enough control of myself to take in my surroundings, I turned to see how my sister was doing.

She was currently throwing up in a bucket that I assumed had been conjured by Archimedes. The man in question gazed at her sympathetically. Once she'd finished, he waved his wand, vanishing the bucket before waving it again and removing the vomit around her mouth.

"Would you two like a moment, or shall we be off?" he asked us.

"N-No, we're fine." Sadie replied shakily after a quick glance at me.

"Good." Archimedes walked out of the alleyway. "With me."

I nodded at Sadie and took off after him. We walked down Charing Cross Street, weaving through daily commuters, all while making sure to keep the old man in sight.

He was surprisingly spry for an elderly man, though given my own history with seemingly ordinary old men, I realised that assumptions based on appearances weren't the be-all and end-all to things. Eventually, he stopped in front of an archway with a worn down sign reading: Leaky Cauldron.

Sadie caught up to us, huffing and puffing, before whacking me upside the head. "Why'd you leave me in the alley, idiot?!"

"I was following the wizard!" I replied, equally as annoyed. Though my annoyance quickly turned into curiosity once she looked up at the shop, confused.

"Is this the place?" she asked Archimedes. "The Leaky Cauldron?"

"You're able to see it?" Archimedes replied, his eyes widening.

Sadie frowned. "Was I not supposed to be able to?"

Archimedes simply smiled and knocked on the door thrice. A moment later, it opened, revealing a middle-aged man with brown hair and almond-shaped eyes.

"Professor Archimedes." he smiled at the elderly wizard and bowed his head.

"Tom." the professor replied fondly with a smile of his own.

"Another arrival for Hogwarts shopping?" he asked.

"Indeed." Archimedes placed a hand on my shoulder and gestured to Sadie. "I have with me today Mr. Cyrus Azar and his sister, Miss Sadie Azar."

"Welcome!" Tom beamed, opening the door wide and inviting us in. "It may not be much, but it does the job well. Gentlemen, and lady, I welcome you to the Leaky Cauldron!"

Archimedes stepped into the pub first, chuckling as he did so. "As dramatic as ever Tom."

"I need to make a lasting impression, Professor." the man replied as we walked past him and through the pub's door.

Archimedes stopped to turn back to him. "I told you when you graduated, Tom, it's Alan now."

"Well you know me, Professor." Tom grinned. "Never one for doing what I'm told."

Archimedes shook his head helplessly and continued to walk on.

The jolly tune of a violin grew clearer the more we walked until we stepped into the pub itself. Looking around, I noticed the place was old, but in an attractive way. Grime and dust coated the shelves, and tables. The light spilling into the room through the windows highlighted the dust particulates in the air, but I supposed that it added to the pub's charm. Its denizens ate and drank, the low hum of conversation a constant thing alongside the pleasant tune of the violin.

I met the eye of a squat, long-nosed woman who fixed me with a predatory grin that made my skin crawl. But in hindsight, she was probably a hag, so her reaction to me made sense— though that realisation alone made it even worse to me.

I tore my gaze away from her and suppressed a shudder.

Away from the tables was a fireplace that wasn't on for obvious reasons such as it being the middle of July. And in a corner were several barrels—presumably filled with alcohol—stacked on top of each other. Tom led us to the bar and motioned to the several wooden stools lined up in front of it.

"Can I get you anything, Professor?" he leaned over to grab three glass cups from the shelf.

Archimedes hummed and turned to us. "Would you two care for anything?"

My sister peered around at the pub, more withdrawn than I'd ever seen her. In fact, so much so that Archimedes had to repeat his question.

"Oh, just water please." she said.

"How about you, Mr. Azar?" he asked me.

I peered at the list of drinks on the wall before picking one. "How about a Tongue Tying Lemon Squash?"

Tom chuckled. "A bold choice indeed, Master Azar."

"I'll have a glass of water too, Tom." Archimedes said.

The barman nodded and filled up the glasses. Sadie accepted the drink tentatively, taking small sips from it. Archimedes also began to drink, striking up a conversation with Tom whilst he did so.

Curious, I stared at my drink. Why anyone would call it 'Tongue Tying', didn't make much sense to me but I cast caution aside and raised the glass to my lips. Unsurprisingly, I found out the answer to my question almost immediately after tasting the drink.

It was so sour that I squinted my eyes, my lips firmly pressed together in a thin line.

Tom saw this and snorted. "Well, now you know why we call it 'Tongue Tying', lad."

He offered to vanish the squash and bring me a glass of water but I refused. Although sour, I found that I quite enjoyed the taste.

I'd almost finished drinking mine when I heard Sadie gasp.

"Professor!" she said. "I've forgotten my purse so I can't pay for the drinks. Is there any way we can pop back home for me to get it?"

Tom smiled and shook his head. "No need. I offer drinks to first time muggleborn families completely free of charge. And besides, even if you did have your purse, wizards have a different currency to muggles so you wouldn't be able to pay for it anyway."

Sadie breathed a sigh of relief from beside me and downed the remainder of her water. I soon followed suit, wincing at the squash's tang and the sour aftertaste.

Archimedes stood up from his stool. "Now that we've rested, it's onto shopping."

His smile was infectious, and even Sadie found herself smiling at his enthusiasm.

He turned to Tom and nodded. "Tom, my boy, if you would?"

The barman smiled, and opened the gate into the bar with a wave of his wand. "Right this way, folks."

He led us through a door behind the bar and out to an open courtyard. For some reason, there was a dustbin shoved into a corner.

Archimedes walked to a particular section of the wall close to the bin and turned to me. "You would do well to remember the combination necessary to open the entrance. Especially since I assume you will be coming here with your sister from now on."

I nodded, and stared intently at the wall in front of us.

"From the dustbin, you tap three bricks up, and then two across to your left." he instructed.

As he completed the combination, the bricks retreated into the wall before receding outward, forming an archway wide enough for even the tallest of beings to walk through. He smiled and gestured us through.

"Mr. Azar, Miss Azar, I welcome you both to Diagon Alley. The hotspot for wizards and witches in the United Kingdom."

Gazing around at the cobblestoned streets and outlandish shops selling all types of wares and items, I couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

"Sadie." I turned around and tapped the shoulder of my equally blown away sister. "Which shop should we go to first?"

She didn't respond, still turning her head from left to right, sweeping her eyes across the street, gobsmacked.

Instead, Archimedes interrupted me with a cough. "Whilst your enthusiasm is heartwarming to see, I will say that it'd be best to start off with your robes. Even if it's still July, Madam Malkin's is usually swamped by both current and future Hogwarts students. The sooner we get that part of our day over with, the better."

I nodded, and clasped my sister's hand, leading her along as we followed the man to the shop, taking in the sights as we did so.

OOOO

"Stop moving, dear." Madam Malkin sighed, folding her arms over her chest. "I can't exactly measure you otherwise."

I stood up a little straighter, the slight burn of my limbs reminding me that I'd been standing for quite some time. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Sadie hiding her laughter beneath her hand. But it was no use. After we locked eyes, she began to chuckle, unable to hold her laughter any longer. Beside her sat Archimedes, looking between my sister and myself in amusement.

"And I'm done." Madam Malkin stepped back and floated her tape measures over to her desk. "You can get down from there now."

"Thank you." I said gratefully, hopping off the raised platform.

"No problem, dear." she wheeled back and I followed her out of the room. "Take a seat over there and one of my assistants should bring you your robes shortly."

I thanked her once more and returned to the waiting area of the store. Just as Archimedes had said, it was a busy place. Every other step, you were likely to run into another person if you weren't watching where you were going. The waiting area was so full, in fact, that Archimedes had decided to conjure chairs for us instead of waiting for the endless throng of bodies to give up a seat.

"What was so funny?" I asked Sadie, taking the seat beside her with a grateful sigh.

She laughed. "You! You were as stiff as a board up there."

"Well, next time, you can try and stand still whilst being prodded by floating tape measures and needles." I smiled tiredly and looked to our tour guide for the day. "Where are we off to next, Professor?"

He inclined his head. "A valid question. I shall hand you a sum of twenty-five Galleons once we arrive at Ollivanders."

I paused. Didn't wands cost seven Galleons? Though perhaps the ministry could afford to spend more on welfare now that there was some peace. I certainly wasn't complaining though.

We didn't have to wait long for the assistant to arrive. She was a bespeckled girl looking barely older than seventeen. She nearly tripped on her way towards us but was saved by Archimedes who prevented her fall with a simple wave of his wand.

"Thank you, Professor." she smiled, adjusting her glasses.

Archimedes smiled kindly at her and sheathed his wand. "Not a problem at all, Marigold."

The assistant, or Marigold rather, turned to us. "I do apologise for my blunder there!" she laughed in a Scottish twang. "But here're your robes. Thank you for your patronage and I hope you choose to come to Madam Malkin's again next year!" she smiled.

With that said, she passed Sadie a bag and rushed back towards Madam Malkin's office. I'm pretty sure she managed to trip once more as she entered the room if the scuffle I heard was any evidence.

"Marigold dear," I heard the woman sigh. "How many times have I told you to look where you're going."

"Sorry ma'am." the girl said.

I blinked, staring at the half-open door before shaking my head. "She seemed nice." I said to Sadie.

"Right." she replied. "I think we'll come here next year if the service is usually like this."

"Well, that's that, then." Archimedes clapped his hands, breaking out into a brisk walk.

Once we'd walked a considerable distance from the shop, he turned to me, slightly regretful. "Whilst your letter says that you are entitled to a pet, it is unfortunately not covered by the Ministry. However, the school does have its own parliament of owls that you may feel free to use at any point in the year to send letters to your family."

"That's fine, then." I replied, and continued to follow him, making sure to hold tightly onto Sadie's hand.

It didn't really matter to me much. Pets were troublesome most of the time, and the only use I'd have for one would be for letters.

We walked up the cobbled streets and past countless people peddling their wares. One woman was selling the liver of a dragon in front of an apothecary. Another, a varied assortment of cosmetic products such jars of Boil Cure and shimmering lavender phials of Beautification Potion. Nearly all the shops we saw had small crowds gathered in front of them. Some children, others grown men and women, but mostly a mix of both, all peering through the windows and exchanging excited smiles and gleeful whispers.

After about ten minutes of walking, we'd just got past Eeylop's Owl Emporium when I heard something that made me freeze on the spot.

"... But Tuney!" whined a young girl sporting curly, fiery red hair. She tugged on the arm of an older girl with slightly straighter blonde hair.

"None of that, Lily." the elder girl admonished. "You won't need an owl. We can share Eurus now that you're going to Hogwarts too."

Behind them followed a lost looking couple, who were taking long, frequent steps to keep up with their children.

"Lily, Petunia." the mother called out. "Slow down, alright?"

The father tried to lighten the mood with a joke. "Wouldn't be looking to lose your non-magical parents here, would you?" he laughed.

"Really father?" sighed the blonde girl, swatting his arm.

He laughed and ruffled her hair, much to her displeasure if her complaining was to be believed.

They soon disappeared amidst the continuous throng of people that rushed here and there, but I couldn't help but stare at the direction they'd gone in shock.

What I'd seen shook me to my core— not the event specifically, but rather what it signified in the grand scheme of things. The blonde girl, Petunia, had a wand sticking out of her pocket. The younger one was named Lily, and considering that the year was 1971, there was no mistake.

It took me some time for my brain to restart, but everything felt odd once it did. If Petunia Dursley—or Evans rather—was a witch, then I might as well throw away everything I knew. After all, she was the most hateful, anti-magic person I knew from the books and films, and if she could be a witch, then I wondered what else was different here.

Perhaps my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher would be Tom Riddle in the flesh. Or maybe James Potter, a girl.

I let out a snort at the thought and Sadie squeezed my hand, bringing me back to the moment. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing." I gave her a shaky smile. "Just surprised by how many people there are. I thought Madam Malkin's was bad, but up here might just be worse."

Archimedes laughed. "Yes, there does seem to be quite a few families out today. Don't worry, it's only like this around the summer. Come here later on in the year and you'll find it to be much calmer."

I nodded and began to walk again, taking discreet looks back as I did so. It was, after all, quite the pill to swallow.

Soon afterwards, we stopped in front of a shop that stood out amongst the rest— and not for good reason. Where all the other shops were eye-catching, either through their colours or the lights that spilled out of the open doors and through the windows, this one was not.

It was a towering building that cast half the street in shadow. I made a futile effort to look through its dusty windows, and could barely make out a purple cushion just in front of the window.

"Alright, we've arrived." Archimedes said, drawing me away from the window. "There are still quite a few things we must acquire so I propose we do this. Miss Azar, you stay with Mr. Azar whilst he acquires his wand. I will go and buy the necessary books and equipment while you do so. I should return soon, but if not, would you wait for me inside the shop?"

"That sounds fine, Professor." Sadie nodded.

The man tipped out a couple of handfuls of golden coins into his hand and counted them before passing them to my sister.

He pocketed the pouch. "And Mr. Azar?"

I looked up.

"Garrick is, shall I say, rather eccentric." he explained with a wry smile. "He has always been since our time at Hogwarts. One of his eccentricities is that he loves to scare customers on their way in. Something he's picked up in his old age that irks me to no end."

After divulging the news, he turned around, disappearing into the crowd.

"Now then, Sadie," I said, placing my hand on the door handle. "In we go!"

She followed after me, a wary hand placed on my shoulder. I looked around in search of the wandmaker but there wasn't a single grey hair in sight. It was only after we'd reached the counter that I felt a spindly hand clasp my other shoulder.

"Here for your wand are you?" an aged voice asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

Sadie let out a loud scream and I spun around to stare at the amused silver eyes of an elderly man.

He raised an eyebrow. "A brave one, then?"

I smirked. "No, but Professor Archimedes warned us that you had a penchant for scaring potential customers. A sign of the marks of age on your mental faculties, I believe he said."

"Is that so?" he snorted. "Well I'll show him the so-called marks of age next time." he vowed. "Regardless, you are here to meet your wand?"

Sadie spoke up. "Yes we are."

"Then we had better start." he said. "Stick out your dominant arm, Mr…" he trailed off.

"Oh, Azar." I supplied. "Cyrus Azar, pleased to meet your acquaintance." I stuck out my right arm.

He shook it, and furled a single finger. A tape measure floated over from the counter and began to wrap itself around my wrist, slowly travelling up my arm.

"Garrick Ollivander, Mr. Azar." Ollivander said, placing his monocle over his left eye. "As the sign outside of the shop says, my family have made wands for generations. The wands you will find in my shop are made of three possible cores: phoenix feather, dragon heartstring, or unicorn tail hair."

"Why only those three?" I asked. "Aren't there hundreds of magical beasts to choose from in the world?"

The elderly looked up and eyed me strangely. "Yes, you're quite right. I have a colleague in America who is quite fond of using the feathers of Thunderbirds for her wands. There is also Gregorovitch in mainland Europe who is known for his rather outlandish combinations. To answer your question, I mainly use wands of the aforementioned cores because I find that they produce the strongest and most stable of wands. No use having a powerful but extremely volatile wand now, is there?"

I hummed in acceptance and let the man work in silence for the most part. A few minutes later, he returned the tape measure and floated over a box— my first wand.

"Try this." he instructed, handing me the stick. "Fir and phoenix feather, nine-and-a-half inches and quite firm."

I grasped the handle and waved it. A shower of golden sparks spouted from the tip of the wand, but it was soon snatched out of my hand.

"No, not that one, but almost…" he huffed, sending the wand back to its shelf with a lazy wave of his hand before summoning another. "Try this one."

I turned back to my sister, who was looking at me with widened eyes and a permanent, goofy smile.

"Hornbeam and unicorn tail hair, eleven inches and slightly bendy." he passed it to me and stood back, poised and ready to spring forward at a moment's notice. No sooner had I raised it above my waist when he snatched it out my hands, muttering: "Not this one, definitely not this one."

He looked back at me and gave me a toothy grin, his silver eyes flashing. "This is one of the reasons I love being a wandmaker so much. You never know which combinations will match a person. In fact, half of the game, I believe, is just that."

I smiled back at him, his enthusiasm rubbing off on me.

"This one." he said, opening the box, revealing a dark grey wand with an etched handle. "Hawthorn and dragon heartstring, ten-and-a-half inches long. Only slightly supple too. Gregorovitch once wrote that Hawthorn 'makes a strange, contradictory wand, as full of paradoxes as the tree that gave it birth, whose leaves and blossoms heal, and yet whose cut branches smell of death.', and whilst I disagree with many of his conclusions, I must concur that Hawthorn wands are quite complex in nature, oftentimes like their owners. Quite the interesting wand wood, if I do say so myself."

His spooky quote aside, I grasped the wand and was enveloped by a warmth that felt so right that I couldn't help but grin.

"Give it a wave then, Mr. Azar." Ollivander smiled as he pocketed his monocle.

I snorted and did as he asked, a surge of blue and orange sparks rushing out of the wand.

"As I thought." the man smiled. "This wand shall serve you well indeed, Mr. Azar. Could I perhaps interest you in a wand-maintenance kit?"

"Yes please, Mr. Ollivander." I agreed to his offer quickly. "And could you also add a wand holster too?"

He froze, cocking his head. "A wand holster you say? What need could you possibly have for such a thing?"

"I saw Professor Archimedes with one and thought it'd be more useful than shoving it into my pocket or bag."

Ollivander blinked his round, silver eyes. He remained still for a moment before nodding to himself. "Well you are correct indeed. Wands should be treated with proper care. They are oftentimes a wizards sole companion against the world and its toils. In that case, your total will be twenty-five Galleons."

Sadie stepped forward and handed him the coins before the old man darted behind the counter and slipped into the back room.

"That was amazing!" she laughed and ruffled my hair. "You'll have to show me some magic when we get home."

"Then you're in luck, Miss Azar." Ollivander said, walking past the counter. "The Trace is only applied to children once they board the train to Hogwarts and not a moment before. You didn't hear that from me, though." he smirked and winked at us.

Sadie laughed, the shock from earlier having worn off after seeing me bond with my wand, and thanked the man.

"No bother at all Miss Azar." he waved her off, sliding our newly bought equipment into a bag. "This wand maintenance kit will make sure to keep your wand in tip-top shape over the course of the year. Though do remember to come back next year to buy another. Now, since your wand is an absolutely delightful shade of grey, I thought that it'd be nice for your holster to be the same as well."

He tied it around my waist and stepped back, humming appreciatively. I slipped my wand into the sheath and thumbed it.

Content, I smiled at the elderly Wandmaker. It was a truly genuine smile expressing just how grateful I was. "Thank you Mr. Ollivander. Truly."

He grinned and bowed his head. "No thanks needed, Mr. Azar. This is my job, after all. You have been a splendid customer this afternoon."

Just then, the shop door clicked open and a familiarly dressed man stepped through.

"Ah, Garrick." Archimedes enveloped the man in a one-armed hug. "It's good to see you, old friend!"

"Is that so?" Ollivander smirked from beside him. "I have heard that you have referred to my eccentricity as a mark of my declining mental faculties."

Archimedes snorted. "What else could it be? You weren't like this forty years ago."

Ollivander huffed but didn't contest him.

"Well, with this over, it is time for me to take these two home." Archimedes said. "Should we go to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner?"

Ollivander shook his head. "No, I think the Three Broomsticks would be better. Far too many people here today."

Archimedes nodded and turned around to us. "I hope that you've enjoyed the whistle stop tour of Diagon Alley." he smiled. "Now, hold on tight to both your belongings and myself. As usual, I advise you not to let go lest you wish to splinch yourself and possibly die a very painful death."

Sadie blanched, but grabbed onto his outstretched arm and I did the same. A dizzying few moments later, I collapsed into the familiar softness of our couch.

Taking a few moments to collect myself, I squeezed my eyes shut and breathed in through my nose, battling the urge to throw up. Swallowing, I looked around and found Sadie on the floor in a similar state to myself. Archimedes on the hand looked completely unbothered. He set down my books on the coffee table, removed his hat, and bowed.

"I shall see you on the first of September, Mr. Azar." he placed his hat back on his head. "And Miss Azar, have no fear. Your brother will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts, that I assure on my word as Deputy Headmaster and a Professor at the school. It truly was nice to meet you both."

I blinked and he was gone, leaving behind a soft pop, and my school equipment as the only sign of his existence.

I stared at the table for a minute, reading the books' spines before picking out 'The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1' and turning to Sadie.

"So, which spell do you want to see first?" I removed my wand from its holster, my fingers tingling pleasantly at its touch.

She stood up and grinned, taking a seat next to me and flicking through the book