03: Wands and Gifts

"Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C."

At last, John arrived at the most exciting part of his journey. If there's one thing that represents the magical world in Harry Potter, it has to be the wand. Without a wand, even Voldemort would be powerless.

Ollivanders Wand Shop.

This was the largest armory supply in the wizarding world. John couldn't help but praise, "No wonder they've been making wands since 382 B.C., truly extraordinary."

Immediately, he acted like a little adult, reminding Mrs. Wick to keep an eye on her overly curious husband.

John, filled with excitement, stepped inside.

Upon entering, the first thing he saw wasn't a person, but thousands of narrow boxes containing wands piled up high. The already small shop appeared even more cramped with these boxes. The thick layer of dust everywhere made John wonder how Ollivander lived there without ever cleaning.

As John was looking around, Ollivander was also sizing him up.

"Good afternoon," Ollivander said with a kindly smile as he emerged from the mountain of boxes.

"Hello, I'd like to get a..." John began.

"A wand, of course, everyone wants a wand," Ollivander finished his sentence with a smile, stepping out from behind the counter.

"A new student at Hogwarts. What's your name?" he asked.

"John Wick."

"Very well, Mr. Wick, may I see your dominant hand?"

"Right hand... though I can use my left hand too," John responded, being ambidextrous thanks to his two and a half years of practice in handling pencils, allowing him to deal quickly with enemies on both sides.

"Let's go with the left hand then," John decided after some thought.

Ollivander took out a tape measure and started measuring John. The tape measure had been enchanted. Watching the serious Ollivander, John felt a strange sensation. This old man seemed more like a tailor than a wand seller.

"Wands are unique. It's not the wizard that chooses the wand, but the wand that chooses the wizard," Ollivander said with a mysterious smile after taking the measurements.

Returning to the shelves, he pulled out a box. Opening it, he revealed a black wand inside.

"Willow wood with unicorn hair, seven and three-quarter inches. Give it a try," Ollivander introduced.

John, with excitement, took the wand—his first ever. He tried swinging it to the side, and the cabinet in the shop exploded, wood chips flying everywhere.

The immense power left John stunned.

"Apparently not that one. Let's try this one," Ollivander said calmly, taking back the wand and handing John another, made of mahogany.

The moment John took it, the box beside them exploded.

"You are quite picky. Try this one, yew and dragon heartstring," Ollivander said.

Time passed, and it seemed none of the wands were suitable. After numerous changes, John felt numb. The shop, initially neat, had turned into a mess, making John's parents outside wonder if they were selling explosives rather than wands.

"Mr. Wick, I must say, I've never met a student with such a destructive touch," Ollivander remarked, increasingly excited. Even the most docile oak and unicorn hair wand acted like a bomb in John's hands.

"The more picky the customer, the more accomplishment I feel," he added.

"I just remembered a wand as picky as yours," Ollivander suddenly said, smacking his forehead.

He swiftly climbed the shelves with surprising agility for his age, making John worry he might fall. After some rummaging, Ollivander pulled out a dusty box.

Blowing off the dust, he revealed, "Red oak with thunderbird tail feather, nine and three-quarter inches, flexible."

With a hopeful smile, he handed it to John.

A thought popped into John's mind as he took it: "This is the one."

Feeling a connection, he elegantly waved the wand. Instead of an explosion, soft light emitted from the tip, like a gentle breeze, softly landing on his face like bubbles.

"This is the one!" Ollivander clapped, satisfied.

Every wand is a temperamental child, and finding the right match for each customer brought him great joy.

"The red oak wand loves a good fight, it's a warrior among wands," Ollivander explained.

"Sounds like it suits me better than a pencil," John joked, relieved he wouldn't need to carry pencils anymore. Hopefully, the red oak would be more durable.

A wand cost 7 Galleons. After paying, John rejoined his parents. On the way, his father showed great interest in the wand, even wanting to make flowers bloom on his wife's head with it. John quickly snatched it back to prevent any further mischief.

"Oh, and we need to buy an owl," John suddenly remembered. Without an owl, communication at Hogwarts would be nearly impossible.

...

At Eeylops Owl Emporium, the noise and smell of owl droppings made Mrs. Wick leave quickly.

"This one," John chose a snowy owl at first glance, naming it Basil.

Basil, the snowy owl, tilted its head and stared at John, as if trying to remember its new owner.

Back home, John's father had a great time taking photos with John's wand, and would have worn John's wizard robe for more pictures if it fit him. Mrs. Wick watched with a smile, as if looking at a child who hadn't grown up.

Meanwhile, Harry also received his gift: a snowy owl he named Hedwig, making it the happiest day of his life.

...

John received a gift as well. When Mrs. Wick brought it out, the moving box startled John, who instinctively drew his wand.

Opening the box, out popped a puppy. With large ears, a brown head, and a black back, it was a Beagle, a beagle hound. The puppy immediately licked John's face enthusiastically.

Mrs. Wick smiled at the heartwarming scene and said, "Your father and I thought you shouldn't take a spider or a rat to school. This little one is your school gift."

John's father silently mouthed, "That was your mother's idea," clearly thinking rats were cool pets.

John thought if his father were a wizard, he'd definitely be a Gryffindor with his adventurous spirit.

'Well, I wanted a cat and I also thought a name for it but why can't I name a dog with that, right?'

"Thank you, Mom. I agree, rats aren't the best choice," John said, appreciating the gift.

"Ow, he is too cute!"

Naming the puppy Tom, after the cartoon character, not Voldemort, John embraced his first dog.

...

TL: I thought only Cats, Owls, and Toads could be kept as pets in Hogwarts?