"I'll tell my father!" the boy sobbed as he ran out of the shop.
He didn't even know Dudley's name.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that just the mention of Dudley Dursley could make a student cry at St. George's. The sheer, overwhelming pressure of facing Dudley up close was something you couldn't understand without experiencing it firsthand.
"Goodness, what just happened?"
Madam Malkin walked in, looking completely confused. She had just seen the Malfoy boy run out of her shop in tears.
"Nothing at all, Madam," Dudley said calmly.
Madam Malkin was suspicious, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. There were plenty of new students arriving, and a few more had just come into the shop.
"You shouldn't bully people like that," Hermione whispered, poking Dudley in the side.
"I didn't bully him, Hermione. You heard me. I just offered him a friendly greeting."
Hermione just stared at him.
It was true that he had greeted him, but "friendly" was a word no one in their right mind would have used.
Dudley looked at her with an innocent expression. "I'm a very gentle and agreeable person, you know."
"I think we need to redefine those words," Hermione and Harry thought in unison.
Dudley's words made Hermione recall what happened at Oxford Dragon Primary School. At first, everyone thought Dudley was an easy target, until a group of arrogant lads decided to try their luck… It was a truly savage encounter.
"You can't keep doing this at Hogwarts," Hermione whispered.
"Mm-hm, I know, I know." Dudley nodded repeatedly. "I'll make sure to get along with my new classmates and build good relationships."
It wasn't long before their robes and uniforms were ready. The next stop was the wand shop.
The moment wands were mentioned, both Hermione and Harry's faces lit up. Hermione, in particular, had been chattering nonstop to Dudley about how she couldn't wait to get a wand of her own ever since she learned she was a witch.
In this world, a wand was the key to casting magic.
Compared to his excited friends, Dudley was much more composed.
Ollivanders was the largest wand shop in Diagon Alley, and also the only one.
As they pushed open the slightly decaying door, a tiny bell tinkled. The inside of the shop was much narrower than they had expected; there was no evidence of an Undetectable Extension Charm at all, the only shop they'd seen in Diagon Alley that hadn't used one.
There were tens of thousands of narrow boxes stacked on shelves all around the room, clearly holding wands.
"Hello."
A soft voice echoed through the shop. An old man had appeared behind the counter to their left. His silvery eyes shone in the dim light like two full moons.
When he saw the three of them, he was immediately captivated by Harry. He stared at the boy's lightning bolt scar and spoke slowly, "I knew I would be seeing you soon, Harry Potter. Your eyes are just like your mother's. It seems like only yesterday she came in here to buy her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, made of willow. A lovely swishy one, and excellent for Charms."
"Is your brother famous?" Hermione asked Dudley quietly, nudging him in the side. She hadn't read a single book on wizarding history yet and had no idea about the great legend of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.
"Much more famous than you can imagine," Dudley whispered back, leaning down to her.
While they were talking, Ollivander had begun measuring Harry's arm.
He then pulled out a wand and handed it to Harry. "Beechwood and dragon heartstring, nine inches. Give it a wave."
Harry foolishly took the wand and gave it a little swish.
"Oh, marvelous! Now, try this one…"
"Marvelous, try this one…"
"And this one…"
Harry went through several wands, but none seemed to work for him.
"Is it always this much trouble to get a wand?" Hermione asked in a whisper as she watched Harry try another.
Dudley paused for a moment. "I think… maybe it's just Harry."
Ollivander kept bringing out more wands for Harry, until he finally brought out...
"Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches."
When Harry swished the wand in the air, a bright red spark flew out.
Ollivander was a true master. The wand he had selected was a perfect match for Harry.
Next, it was Hermione's turn. Just as Dudley had predicted, Ollivander found her a suitable wand with very little fuss.
Hermione waved the wand in the air, and a rainbow of light immediately appeared.
"Vine wood, with a dragon heartstring core, ten and three-quarter inches."
"And finally… this young gentleman." Ollivander looked at Dudley for a moment, then pulled out a wand and offered it to him. "Try this one."
"Maple, phoenix feather, seven inches long, quite flexible."
Dudley took the wand and waved it. Nothing happened, save for a soft swish of air.
Ollivander's brow furrowed for the first time. He hadn't even looked this concerned when he was selecting a wand for Harry.
He handed Dudley another one.
"Ebony, unicorn hair, eight and a half inches…"
Another swish of air.
This time, Ollivander's frown deepened.
He handed him a third.
"Ten inches, hawthorn, unicorn hair…"
A fourth…
"Willow, unicorn hair, fourteen inches…"
Dudley changed wands again and again, but unlike Harry's varied reactions, Dudley had no reaction at all.
It looked exactly like a Muggle waving a stick. There was no other way to describe it.
Ollivander's brow was now deeply etched with a worried frown.
Hermione looked at Dudley, then at Harry, then at the wand in her hand. She couldn't help but wonder if her own selection had been a bit too rushed. Maybe she should have tried a few more wands...
Even Dudley, for all his stubbornness, knew something was very wrong. After handing the latest useless wand back to Ollivander, he grabbed a random box from a nearby shelf.
"I feel like this wand is calling to me. Didn't you say the wand chooses the wizard? This is the one."
Dudley's tone was dismissive and rushed. He didn't give Ollivander a chance to object. He put twenty-one Galleons on the counter and practically dragged Hermione and Harry out of the shop.
Ollivander watched them go, but didn't try to stop them.
"Ironwood, Thestral tail hair, nine inches…"
"Ironwood is too hard, and Thestral tail hair is too unstable. Neither the wood nor the core are ones I prefer."
"That's the most useless wand I've ever made. It's not a wand at all. It's a dagger."
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