Books and Olivander

Edited 14/04

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Jace couldn't wait to dive into the magical knowledge contained within those pages.

"Where do we start?" Jace asked Robert, his eyes scanning the titles with excitement.

Robert shot Jace an annoyed glance. "Not we. You. Go inside and bother the store clerk. I will wait for you here," he said curtly. "Oh, and don't buy any other books than those from the list I gave you."

Jace shrugged nonchalantly, not bothered by Robert's dismissive attitude. He entered Flourish and Blotts, leaving Robert behind, and eagerly immersed himself in the collection of books that lined the store's shelves. He paid no attention to Robert, and Robert paid no attention to him.

As he scanned through the books, Jace spotted the titles from the school catalog but didn't bother picking them up since he had already received them from Alexander. Instead, his curiosity was piqued by other titles that caught his attention. "Behind the Mind" by an anonymous legilimens and "Becoming a True Seer" by Cassandra Trelawney were among the books that intrigued him. He couldn't resist the temptation and grabbed everything he found interesting, placing them on the shop counter.

The shop clerk, an elder wizard, raised an eyebrow as he observed the pile of advanced Nbooks that Jace had chosen. "You've got some pretty advanced books there. Are you sure you want to buy them?" he asked, clearly unimpressed. It was common for young wizards and witches to purchase books beyond their level of expertise, only to let them gather dust on their shelves.

"Absolutely," Jace replied confidently, undeterred. He paid for the books without hesitation, eager to delve into the knowledge they held. He couldn't wait to explore the secrets of legilimency and divination, fueled by his insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

Jace realized with a sinking feeling that he had gone overboard with his book purchases, spending twice the amount he was supposed to. That meant he would have to make compromises on the other items he needed to buy. Despite the regret, he was relieved that he managed to snag a book expansion bag for free. It was a unique book that could hold multiple books. It could even transform into a bookcase if the owner desired!

"Woah!" Jace exclaimed in awe as he finished stashing all his books inside the magical bag. He couldn't help but marvel at the incredible storage capacity and versatility of his new acquisition. It was a treasure trove for a book lover like him, and he couldn't wait to explore the contents of his books in the comfort of his own space.

As Jace left the store, he immediately noticed Robert sitting on a bench, leisurely puffing on his pipe. Jace approached the older man making him look puzzled. "Wait, where are your books?" he asked.

Jace grinned and waved a distinctive-looking book at him. "Turns out the owner liked me and gave me this nifty storage book as a bonus," he explained.

Satisfied with the answer, Robert stood up, and they continued with their shopping. Little did Robert know that the clerk who was the owner rewarded customers who made big purchases with a spatial storage book as a special bonus.

A few hours later, Jace and Robert found themselves standing outside a run-down store with faded gold letters engraved over the door that read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands, Bracelets, and Staffs since 382 B.C.

"What do you mean you don't have any money left?" Robert asked incredulously.

"I mean exactly that. Not a single weird coin left, not even a bronze one," Jace replied, frustration evident in his voice.

"But you haven't even bought your wand yet. I counted the money you took from the vault, and it should have been enough for everything," Robert muttered, lost in thought. Suddenly, he looked at Jace with a questioning gaze. "Did you really get the spatial storage book for free?"

Jace smiled sheepishly. Even though it was the truth, he had to lie to Robert else he looked at the books he bought and founds none on the school's list. "No," Jace began, weaving a tale. "The storage book was just sitting on the shop's counter, and the clerk explained its use to me. I was flabbergasted by the idea of walking around with a portable bookcase, and in a moment of greed, I couldn't resist buying it."

Robert sighed, reaching into his pocket. "Well, here, take these. They should be enough to get any kind of magical focus that Ollivander might sell," he said, handing over some galleons to Jace.

Jace felt a pang of guilt but accepted the galleons from Robert, grateful for his generosity but also confused.

"Are you not coming in with me?" Jace asked looking at him.

"I'd rather not. Garrick and I don't get along very well, and that's not even considering his creepiness," Robert replied.

"Alright," Jace nodded, curious about Robert's concerns, before heading into the store on his own.

DING. There was a small bell chime when Jace opened the door.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Jace asked as he looked around.

As Jace stepped inside the store, he couldn't help but feel underwhelmed. The interior was not much better than the shabby exterior. He found himself in a small room with peculiar decorations that caught his attention. There was an armchair that seemed to be made from the hide of a spiky beast, and Jace couldn't help but wonder if sitting on it would result in a few holes in his buttocks. Beside the armchair, there was a floating cylinder that served as a table, but it had no base, giving it an unusual appearance.

Jace's curiosity was further piqued by a vase in the room. Inside it was an odd-looking vine with dusky, variegated leaves that seemed to be swaying as if in motion. Jace blinked in surprise as he noticed that the vine had a mouth, and he could have sworn it glanced at him with a hungry expression when he entered the shop. Before the plant could act on its hidden desires, an elderly man with a stooped posture appeared from a door on the other side of the room, catching Jace off guard.

"Ah. Welcome to my shop, mister?" he inquired. The old man had a thin and wiry frame, with delicate, bony hands. He was wearing a long, dusty, and slightly shabby robe that had definitely seen better days.

"Adler. Jace Adler" answered Jace.

"Nice to officially meet you, mister Adler, if you'll follow me now," said Olivander before disappearing behind the door.

Jace followed Olivander curiously, stepping into the back of the shop and keeping a cautious eye on the peculiar plant. What he saw inside left him in awe. The room he had been in previously was dwarfed by the enormous space he now found himself in. The ceiling soared to a height of about twenty meters (65 ft), and the room extended for about a hundred meters (328 ft) in length. But it wasn't just the size of the room that amazed Jace.

Countless racks lined the walls, filled with an array of staves, bracelets, and wands, each with its unique design and aura. Several bookcases were also scattered around the room, filled with books. Jace couldn't help but be captivated by the sheer variety and abundance of magical items that were neatly organized in the room. It reminded him of the Slytherin's armory.

Olivander didn't seem to let him enjoy the scene as he quickly came back with multiple wands. "Here try these ones," he said before to Jace.

Jace tried every single magical focus that Olivander gave him but none gave a reaction.

A whole hour passed but Olivander still couldn't find a compatible magical focus for Jace.

"Maybe that one will do? No, no. Maybe this one? Absolutely not." murmured Olivander while holding a wand.

Suddenly Olivander fell in contemplation."Why, why, why is no magical focus choosing y- WAIT. Mister Adler don't tell me you've already bonded with a magical focus?" asked an annoyed Olivander.

"Uh. What does it matter to you?" Jace responded somewhat awkwardly.

"Well, Mister Adler, if you have already formed a bond with a magical focus, and it was a complete bond then our efforts here would have been in vain," Olivander stated solemnly. "Typically, a wizard can have multiple magical foci presented to them for bonding. However, when there is full compatibility between the wizard and a focus, any attempts at bonding with other foci are disrupted by the strong connection already formed."

Jace inquired, "How can one tell if a focus is fully bonded with them?"

Olivander replied matter-of-factly, "It's quite simple, actually. When a complete bond occurs, the magician feels a sense of wholeness, as if they have found their missing piece."

Jace's expression turned dismayed as he muttered, "Crap," realizing that he may have already formed a complete bond with a magical focus and wasted both of their times.

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