Christian looked at the signs that read, [Ollivanders: Maker of Fine Wands since 382 BC.] He walked into a shabby room filled with boxes and assumed they were the wands. A thin-looking elderly man with silver hair and intense eyes greeted them.
"Hello, Mr. Ollivander."
The elderly man squinted his eyes, "I remember you: 13-inch birch wood and a rare Thunderbird Feather Core that I received from America."
"A good memory, as always," Tiara said politely.
"Have you taken good care of it?"
"I have," she replied as she showed him the wand. "Excellent. You must be here for the little one here."
"Yes. He's my son, Christian Malik; he's only ten years old and should be attending Hogwarts next year."
"It's rare to choose a wand so early." Ollivander looked at Christian: "What arm do you use?"
"The right."
He immediately began to measure Christian's arms and legs and the ratio of his other limbs.
"Sir Ollivander, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"I noticed all the wands around were made of wood. Why not use metals? That seems like a great way to prevent breaking."
"A great question," said Ollivander. "The earliest wands, well, as far as we know, were created by druids who believed any plant with a woody stem could be used in wand-making. Throughout history, there have been a few attempts at making metals, but none could compare to wood."
"Not even one?"
"Most magical metals have either a low or too high conductivity to magic."
"So, a wand's purpose is to help channel magic?"
"That's a rather simple way to put it, but you're correct."
"So, what's wrong with having a high conductivity?" asked Christian.
"What do you think will be the problem?" asked Tiara before Ollivander could answer.
"Difficult to control?" answered Christian.
"You're correct, but that's also an understatement," added Ollivander. "Copper Iron is one of the most magically conductive metals. However, even someone like Albus Dumbledore would find it extremely difficult to cast the simplest spell with a wand made of this metal."
"I see."
Ollivander soon finished his measurements and thought briefly before taking out a blue wand from the corner. Christian held it, and sparks flew at the tip, nothing more.
"No, not this one. I always hope to find the right one on the first try."
"What was that?" asked Christian.
"The wand will choose its owner, and this one was not a fit for you," explained the thin old man before taking out a second wand. However, the reaction of this one was even more severe: a scream of immense agony emanated from the wand, and Christian immediately dropped it.
"Sorry about that."
"No, it's fine." Ollivander stopped him from picking it up and observed it. He found a small crack at the tip and frowned. He placed it on the counter behind him before taking out a third wand, and this one also screamed. Christian looked at his mother, who was frowning:
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
"No, there is no need to worry."
Ollivander showed a fourth wand, and there was no screaming this time around, only sparks at the tip. Soon, he tried more than ten wands, and nothing was the right fit. Christian was beginning to worry about whether he would get a wand.
"Give me a moment," said Ollivander before walking into the back and returning with a black box with a gold design. As he opened it, Christian saw a slim, elegant, dark wand with streaks of silver running up and down.
"Try it."
Christian instinctively held the wand, and a brilliant golden light shone on him, giving him an image of elegance, ethereal, and divine.
"I never thought its owner would be a child," commented Ollivander.
"What do you mean?" asked Tiara.
"Fourteen inches and a quarter, Elder Wood, flexible, and a Dragon String Core," he said calmly. "Long ago, my great-great-grandfather got possession of the Elder Wand and tried to create a wand as powerful as it — this was the final product."
Ollivander looked at Christian. "Elder Wood represents mystery, knowledge, wisdom, power, and the pursuit of the forbidden. Meanwhile, Dragon String is a core known for its powerful use of magic. A wand made of this combination would only choose very talented and powerful wizards or witches, not a child."
Tiara did not say anything as she remembered Papa Tounde's words. She secretly sighed and did not continue on the topic.
"So, it's an excellent wand?" commented Christian, who felt an intense connection and attention to the wand; it was like it was another extension of him.
"Just our curiosity, is this wand as good as the Elder Wand you mentioned?" he asked.
"Probably not. According to records, my great-great-grandfather claimed he was missing one last piece for this wand to reach the level of the Elder Wand. Now, there are debates about whether that's true or not. Maybe, if you found that last missing ingredient…."
"A wizard's power and accomplishments are not determined by their wand," butted Tiara. "Throughout history, all masters of the Elder Wand have died while using it. So, it's not the wand that's important, but the person wielding it. Understand?"
"I do," nodded Christian, immediately becoming less interested in this so-called Elder Wand. Ollivander looked at this family strangely before saying:
"I feel I should warn you."
"What is it?" asked Tiara.
"All wands made of Elder Wood have one thing in common: they are very selective of their master. Although it has chosen Christian to wield, it may not mean that it has recognized him."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying until the wand truly recognizes him, at which point, it will follow its owner loyally until their death, there is a chance it might stop working for him if it deems him unworthy."
Tiara frowned, "How would he get the wand's approval?"
"As long as he continues to learn and use magic, the wand won't find him unworthy. However, if he wishes for its undying loyalty, that would depend."
"On what?"
"The last person with an Elder Wood wand succeeded after defeating 50 opponents in official duels. His wand might be the same, or it might be different."
Tiara hesitated, wondering whether she should choose another wand. However, seeing the loving look on her son's face, she said: "It's your choice."
"I want it," said Christian decisively.
"Since it's your choice, you should be prepared for the consequences?"
"I am."
"Good." She gazed at Ollivander: "We will take it. How much for it?"
"No need. I'm just glad the wand finally found an owner."
"No, such a powerful wand could be classified as a rare treasure and even a family heirloom. We cannot take it without any compensation."
"There really is no need for that."
"How about this? I will give you 200 Galleons now and will send another 800 later; that should be more than enough." She did not want to return to Gringotts and needed to buy other stuff, so that's all she could offer without affecting today's shopping.
Olivander saw the determined look on her face and reluctantly agreed. He accepted the money, gifted them a set of wand-maintaining supplies, and waved to them as they departed.
"What an interesting child. I cannot wait for what he will achieve," muttered Ollivander before returning to his rest, waiting for the next customer.
"Where are we going next?" asked Christian.
"We have to buy books. A few of the books have been updated since my time at Hogwarts, so we need the latest version," explained Tiara. "After that, we will buy a cauldron, some potion materials, an owl, and a broom."
"An owl? Why do we need that?"
"To send letters."
"So, no telephone in the Wizard World?"
"There is a Two-Way Mirror, but such an item is expensive to buy or difficult to enchant," explained Tiara.
"But why use owls? I mean, there must be faster birds." Muggles used to domesticate pigeons for communication, so Christian does not understand why they do not use that instead.
"I think it's more of a cultural thing. Plus, they are not ordinary owls but magically enhanced ones. Compared to regular owls, they are faster and more intelligent."
"I guess that makes sense."