Julian took the wandmaker's hand in a bit of a daze. The story behind his wand was so bizarre and grandiose that it almost felt unreal.
I need to run this wand through the system later and see what else it can tell me, he decided uneasily.
"For the privilege of matching you with that wand today, I will not charge you a Knut," Ollivander said with a delighted smile.
Julian and Harry stepped out of the shop, each lost in their own thoughts. Harry was practically glowing, thrilled both with his own wand and with Julian's success. Julian, meanwhile, was quietly wondering how badly this was going to complicate his life.
In the books, "unique" usually meant "problematic and terrifyingly powerful." The only truly one-of-a-kind wand there had been the Elder Wand, supposedly crafted by Death itself.
My wand is made from the only feather ever taken from the offspring of the two most powerful birds on the planet, and a piece of wood dug out of an ancient alchemist's tomb with a cryptic warning attached. I am absolutely doomed, am I not? Julian thought bleakly.
He had fully intended to keep a low profile at Hogwarts. With this wand, that now felt laughable. And that was before factoring in not one, not two, but three master Legilimens lurking about.
Severus Snape, who could casually dive into students' minds.Albus Dumbledore, whose skill dwarfed Snape's.And Voldemort, still hitching a ride on the back of Quirinus Quirrell's head.
Each of them had their own reasons to pay attention to an unusually gifted orphan with no obvious family history.
Voldemort would be interested because Julian fit his favorite pattern: frighteningly talented, parentless, mysterious background. A bit too familiar.Dumbledore would have his eye on Julian for the same reasons, plus the inconvenient detail that Julian spent a lot of time near Harry.Snape, ironically enough, might notice him because the other two did, and possibly because of his potential in potions. That last bit was questionable, but still possible.
As much as Snape might deny it, potions and chemistry were cousins, and Julian had been working toward a master's degree in chemistry before he died. Those memories were blurred now, nearly eaten away by the world's influence, but they had not been collected by accident.
There had to be talent there.
Hagrid appeared just as they were leaving Ollivander's shop, carrying a large cage. Inside, a beautiful white owl with black speckles shifted uneasily.
"Happy birthday, Harry!" Hagrid announced cheerfully, holding the cage out.
Harry's face lit up with pure joy at the sight of her.
Hagrid, however, did not notice how the owl was doing everything in her power to shrink away from Julian. Her feathers were puffed slightly, eyes wide with a mix of fear and reverence.
"Calm yourself," Julian said softly, directing his words to the owl rather than Hagrid.
The effect was immediate. The bird relaxed visibly, though she kept her head dipped in a respectful, almost deferential posture whenever her gaze slid his way.
Hagrid finally picked up on the odd behavior and frowned. "That is not normal," he said slowly. "I have only seen reactions like that when Professor Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, was around."
He began scanning the area, as if expecting to spot a red and gold phoenix perched somewhere above their heads.
Harry, thinking back to the wandmaker's tale about the hybrid phoenix-thunderbird feather, put the pieces together faster. He explained quietly what Ollivander had said, how Julian's wand was tied to that legendary creature.
Hagrid fell silent for a long moment, his expression thoughtful.
"Wizards and their wands are linked in ways no one fully understands," he said at last. "If that story holds even a sliver of truth, then maybe you feel like that mighty bird itself to our owl friend here."
He smiled, warming to the idea. "From her point of view, you might as well be royalty. Phoenixes and thunderbirds are both princely creatures."
Julian rolled his eyes. He knew Hagrid's weakness for magical beasts, and this was just more fuel for that fire.
The day wound down pleasantly. Hagrid took them to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, where Harry treated himself to two generous scoops of chocolate ice cream. Julian went for two scoops of black walnut, savoring every bite.
Back at the orphanage, Miss Smith was not thrilled to see Harry arrive with an owl in tow, but after a brief, resigned lecture she relented, on the strict condition that Harry was responsible for cleaning up after her.
The owl, now named Hedwig, had calmed down considerably after spending a couple of hours near Julian. She no longer looked on the verge of cardiac arrest every time he moved. Still, she kept a close watch on him, her eyes following his every gesture with quiet intensity.
Harry, as the day wore on, began to look a little downcast. Julian realized why. From Harry's point of view, it probably seemed like Julian had forgotten to get him a birthday present.
That changed just before they went to sleep.
Julian flicked a small, gleaming object in Harry's direction, and Harry clumsily caught it, blinking in surprise.
"Happy birthday, Harry," Julian said with a quiet chuckle at the stunned expression on his friend's face.
Harry looked down at the item resting in his palm.
A ring, shaped like a bird in flight, glinted faintly in the light. The wings formed the band, the body arched smoothly across the top, and the whole piece seemed to hum with restrained power.
Julian was truly pleased with how it had turned out, despite the price his body had paid forging it.
The system's appraisal floated before his eyes.
[RING NAME: Ohtar
Grade: RARE
Abilities: Autosizing, Shield Summoning, Growth, Counterattack
Description: A ring shaped in the image of a soaring bird, forged in the Celebrimbor style by Nicholas Iron using an advanced technique beyond his current level. Bound to a single chosen bearer, its power will grow alongside that person while providing exceptional protection.
System appraisal: A straightforward yet potent piece of magical jewelry with significant future potential, crafted by a promising young ring smith!]