Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Only the original characters added to J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter.
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Regardless, a wand still needed to be bought, so Kyle cautiously pushed open the door and walked in.
Diana and Chris didn't follow, perhaps because they thought buying a wand would take too long. So, after learning Kyle was going to Ollivander first, they went to Gringotts instead.
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The inside of the store was much nicer than the outside. While it still looked dated and the items were cluttered, it was at least much cleaner.
With the crisp sound of wind chimes, a gray-haired head suddenly appeared behind the counter.
"Good afternoon, son."
Ollivander looked at Kyle and asked, perplexed. "Are you here alone?"
"Yes," Kyle asked, puzzled. "Anything wrong?"
Ollivander shook his head. "No, of course not."
As he spoke, Kyle caught a glimpse of disappointment in his eyes.
Strange, why would a customer be disappointed when they came in?
"Maybe I saw it wrong," Kyle shook his head, not giving it much thought.
"Well, young wizard,"
Ollivander stepped out from behind the counter and asked, "So, son, can you tell me your name?"
"Kyle, Chopper," Kyle said quickly.
"Chopper..." Ollivander was slightly taken aback. "Then Mr. Chris is..."
"My father," Kyle said.
"Oh, of course..." Ollivander instinctively glanced outside the shop, but quickly retracted his gaze and explained, "I mean, after all, the last name Chopper isn't very common in the British wizarding world."
Sure enough, the old man was disappointed!
Kyle saw it clearly; the moment he mentioned Chris as his father, the disappointment in Ollivander's eyes was almost overflowing.
Not only that, he began to mutter, repeating the words "willow wood" or "tochi wood" or something else. It was too quiet for Kyle to hear clearly, but he didn't care.
At that moment, Kyle's mind was preoccupied with his own wand, so he didn't have the heart to care about such trivial matters.
After announcing his name, Kyle volunteered, "Mr. Ollivander, I'm right-handed."
He stretched out his arms straight, allowing Ollivander to measure his height and arms.
He knew the procedure perfectly well.
After the measurements, it was time to choose a wand, which was the most time-consuming part.
There were at least eight thousand wands here, if not ten thousand. Kyle figured even Ollivander would have a hard time finding one that matched the young wizard immediately. He could only pick a rough range and try them out one by one.
He was ready.
Trying out wands, like moving the trash can, was one of Kyle's priorities.
However, Ollivander's next words left Kyle bewildered.
"Oh, kid, if it's you, then no need."
Without measuring his height or asking for any further details, Kyle watched Ollivander approach the counter, quickly pull out a box from a prominent spot, open it, and push it towards Kyle.
His movements were seamless, without a moment's hesitation.
"What are you waiting for? Try it!"
Seeing Kyle didn't move, Ollivander urged.
"Huh? Oh, okay." Kyle finally came to his senses and instinctively picked up the wand from the box.
It was gray-black, with a smooth surface. Apart from the necessary handle, there were no unnecessary patterns or accessories. It looked quite ordinary.
Kyle grasped the wand, and before he could move, a stream of white light burst out from the tip, filling the entire room in the blink of an eye. The originally dark and closed shop suddenly became much brighter, as if a skylight had been opened in the roof.
"Good, excellent."
Ollivander looked very excited. Without waiting for Kyle to ask, he said to himself: "Thirteen and a half inches, cedar wood, phoenix feathers, I have to say, this is a very magical combination."
"A magical combination?" Kyle was puzzled.
"Yes, it's magical."
Ollivander looked at Kyle and explained patiently: "Cedar wands usually choose those wizards who are wise and have keen insight. These wizards are naturally calm, and every choice they make is the result of careful consideration. As my father once said, you can never deceive a person holding a cedar wand. I agree with this."
"Therefore, people who own cedar wands tend to prefer the stable and loyal unicorn tail hair, while the phoenix tail feathers are a bit too proactive…
In fact, I have made and sold a total of 36 cedar wands, 30 of which have unicorn tail hair cores, five are dragon heart tendons, and the last one…"
Ollivander did not speak, but smiled and pointed at Kyle.
Kyle asked, puzzled. "But sir, didn't you say these two materials don't work together? Then why did you still make it?"
"The materials aren't suitable, so why don't you make it? No, no, no, that's wrong. The wand chooses the wizard, child. Every wand, from its birth, chooses its destined owner, just like these…"
Ollivander gestured to the mountain of wand boxes behind him and smiled. "They're still here not because they're bad, but because their fate hasn't arrived yet. Their owners are just waiting for the Hogwarts owl."
Ollivander paused and continued, "Also, completely contradictory wands and cores can perfectly perform their respective functions in the hands of a wizard. This is the most fascinating part of wandwork.
Just like the wand in your hand, your father Chris tried, and your mother Diana tried, but they were just a little bit off, just a little bit.
So since I learned of your birth, I've been waiting for this day. It's perfect, isn't it?"
Uh... Yeah.
Kyle nodded subconsciously.
The feeling of being able to use the wand as easily as with his own arms in his palm really made him a little obsessed, and he naturally couldn't let go of the wand in his hand.
Although the process was a little different from what he expected, the result was still good, and Kyle was very satisfied with his wand.
"Well, kid, seven Galleons."
Ollivander smiled even more happily.
"Okay." Kyle took out the seven gold Galleons that he had prepared long ago and placed them on the counter.
The first wand of a new student is usually seven Galleons, which is already a very favorable price in the wizarding world, but this discount is only applicable to young wizards who have just enrolled.
After paying, Ollivander bowed slightly and watched Kyle leave, then turned to look at another young wizard who had just entered the store, and the adult following behind him.
"Oh, see you again, Mr. Thomas, eleven inches, hawthorn wood…"
[End of the chapter]