August 4th, 1890 — Ollivanders

Gideon Ollivander

Greta followed her step-father into the Wand store and tried to look purposeful. It was one of the last things she had to pick up and one of the things she was most nervous about. Mr. Bell had given Maddy and Cameron a bit of money and told the two to go look around for a bit because it may take some time for them to find a wand that suited Greta - Greta wasn't exactly sure what he'd meant by that (why would it take long to find a wand that suited her? She had thought it was merely a piece of interchangeable wood but perhaps... perhaps there was something more behind it all? Perhaps it was like shoes... or a dress?) but she was willing to keep her mind open. Afterall, these were all new experiences...

Her purposeful expression however gave way to one of amazement as she entered the store and she could not help let her eyes wander over the shelves... and shelves... and shelves of boxes that were just big enough to hold wands.

This was it, she thought, the moment she had been waiting for that would prove, without a doubt, that she was a witch. Stepping into Hogsmeade and being able to see it hadn't felt like it counted because it seemed like such an ordinary thing, neither had buying her books or seeing any of the other spectacular things Cam and Maddy had shown her - that had simply been an introduction really to the world no this -  this would be different.

This was something that would be hers, her own, something tangibly and unequivocably hers that would prove without a doubt that she was a witch and she belonged to this magical, and exciting world.

She heard a man's voice and jumped, not realising that she'd let her attention wander and searched for the speaker - either the owner or perhaps one of the employees of the store.

  

---

Thanks go to the marvelous MJ for her sensational set.

It was that time of year, so Gideon knew as soon as they entered that the little girl was the customer today, rather than the man who accompanied her. He was finishing up a transaction at the counter when they came in, but waved one of his employees over to take it over so that he could see to the new guests instead. Matching wands to new witches and wizards was his second favorite part of the job, after actually making the wands themselves, and he never passed up an opportunity to assist an incoming first year if he could.

"Welcome to Ollivander's, Miss," he greeted as he approached, but she startled and it was obvious from her body language that she hadn't quite heard. Gideon couldn't help but laugh. "First time in, then? And looking for something special, I imagine," he said with a grin. He turned to survey the nearest shelf, browsing through the boxes although he was ostensibly still talking to her. "Where should we start you, Miss? Unicorn hair, that's often the safest place to start. Or maybe a kelpie core?"

  

Theoretically Greta knew that that both unicorns and kelpies would... should exist in this new magical world that she now belonged to but the confirmation of that was almost mindboggling.... and the fact that they used them as materials that would be used in wands. Was just- her jaw worked, trying to find her voice and for a moment she stuttered.


" D- Ah- Um. Yes sir. Um. Ah. Whatever is best?" She stared again at the long boxes wondering how she would ever know that one would be right for her. And how did one put any of those things inside them? She knew Cam, and Maddy, and even her stepfather had a wand but they'd all looked like pieces of wood to her, magical wood but wood none the less. Did any of that really matter? She did not know.

  

---

Thanks go to the marvelous MJ for her sensational set.

Well, she was certainly a nervous one, wasn't she? Best to just give her something to start with, then, and not wait for her input on it. Either she'd warm up to the idea and start to participate more fully after a few attempts, or she wouldn't. It would take longer to match her that way, if he couldn't get a sense of her personality as he went, but it was nothing Gideon hadn't dealt with before.

"Unicorn hair and chestnut, let's say," he decided, pulling one down from a shelf and placing it on the nearest counter. "For one. And... English oak for the other, I think," he continued, moving to the relevant section of the shelves. "English oak and kneazle whisker. We'll see how those treat you, and go from there."

---

  

She picked up the unicorn wand tentatively and tried, because she knew it would be improper, not to peer at her wand to see a seam or something where the two materials would've been joined together.

She gave it a flick...... and as nothing happened she gulped. That didn't seem to be good.

She tried the other one.... still... nothing.

  

---

Thanks go to the marvelous MJ for her sensational set.

"Hmm, not an encouraging start," he admitted. "My fault, not yours," he added, lest she start to let her nerves get the better of her. He replaced the two wands in their boxes and set them aside, to be reshelved after she had departed. Then he turned his attention to some new candidates. The fact that there had been no reaction meant he was inclined to change things up dramatically from what he'd first assumed, so for his second attempt he laid out one wand made of ash and dragon heartstring, and another of hazel and phoenix feather.

"Which of your classes are you most excited for?" he asked conversationally, hoping to gain some insight into where her magical talents might lie to better determine what sort of wand would most suit her.

---

  

"Um. I'm not sure?" She said nervously... trying to remember the classes that Cam and Maddy had talked about when they came home for the summer. She wasn't quite so sure yet about flying - even though Maddy and Cam loved it - and so did her stepfather and Oakshaft... and what were the others? Potions? She wasn't a hundred percent sure she'd be too good at that one - since Cam said it was hard - though if she thought to hard about alot of the subjects sounded hard. She thought she liked the idea of History of Magic and she thought she might be good at it but.... she wasn't actually that excited for it as being good at something and being excited about it were two different things.

"I think um. Charms? That's one that you can actually do magic in? From what I've read it sounds the funnest?"

She picked up the wand made of ash and dragon heartstring and still, not quite sure what she was doing with it, and hoping that she was doing the right thing she gave it a flick. The boxes from the shelves on the right side of the store cannoned off the book shelf.

Her eyes widened and she hastily put it down as she yelped her apologies. There had to be a method to all of this though she couldn't see it. The fact the wand had done something was probably a good sign - it must mean that she actually had magic - but.... she hoped that that particular wand wasn't hers. She didn't exactly want a wand that made a mess whenever she attempted to touch it. It also... well. It didn't feel right to her.

"That's not my wand... I hope?" She said looking pleadingly at the man.

  

---

Thanks go to the marvelous MJ for her sensational set.

"No, I don't believe so," Gideon said in a soothing tone. The poor thing seemed rather nervous, but in Gideon's mind any reaction was a bit better than no reaction. He didn't see this as a particularly negative sign, but neither was it good enough that he would have felt comfortable sending her home with this particular wand. Charms, though, was something to go on. She wanted to do practical magic, perhaps some pretty spellwork. He could work with that.

"Try the other, and I'll fetch some other options," he said, as he moved to select an aspen and unicorn hair wand. On second thought, he actually chose two: one longer wand with a core from an older, matronly unicorn, and another slightly shorter wand with a hair from a younger and slightly feisty male unicorn.

---

  

Tentatively she picked up remaining hazel and phoenix feather wand expecting the wand to be another dud for her perhaps and hoping desperately it didn't have a reaction worse than the previous wand... and felt her brow furrow instantly. This wand felt quite different from the others she'd tried so far.

It fit better in her hand for one thing and as she gave it a flick what she decided was the most beautiful shower of sparks she'd seen seemed to erupt from it.

She hoped that was what it was supposed to do and looked at the wand-seller expectedly.

  

---

Thanks go to the marvelous MJ for her sensational set.

Gideon could see the difference immediately, but he waited until he saw her reaction before the grin spread over his face. She wasn't a particularly vocal customer, but he thought he could tell that she liked it — which was ultimately the more important part, not the visual display the wand made or didn't.

"Well, I think we've found it," he said, moving towards the counter. "How does it feel?"

---

  

Looking up from the most beautiful sparks she had ever seen Greta looked at the wandseller.

"So that's what it's supposed to do?" She asked brimming with curiousity. "It feels better in my hand than all the other ones? Is there anything else I should be looking for or checking?"  She asked holding it up wondering if it was something like a shoe where she was supposed to be looking at the length of the wand to her arm or if it mattered if she was left or right handed or if she was gripping it right (was there a particular way to grip a wand) or if it was supposed to fit in her hand in a certain way and if it was the right length or just because she'd found one that was amazing compared to the other near duds whether that wasn't an indication they were supposed to keep looking and now he was on the right track.

He'd said there was - what did he say was in it again?

  

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Thanks go to the marvelous MJ for her sensational set.

"Well, I'd say that's a very good indicator," Gideon said indulgently. The child seemed to be nervous, even having found the wand, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. This was a big moment, and they had no experience of it previously. Of course, the magical fit was more important than the physical one, which seemed to be what she was asking about. That being said, Gideon's family prided themselves on crafting well-balanced wands that would be suited to anyone they took a liking to, unlike some inferior wand producers whose products could be truly unwieldy for certain casters.

"Let me box it up for you, then," he offered. "Now, you can take it out and practice some swishes before school starts if you want, but no spells until you know what you're doing," he warned her. "You'll only teach your wand bad habits that way, anyway."

---

  

"Yes. Yes. Of course." She said and nodded firmly as she watched the wandmaker box up her wand and as her father stepped up to pay for it. She reached out to grab the box like it was a lifeline and sent the wandmaker a shy smile as she rushed to leave the shop and follow her father to the next shop.

  

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Thanks go to the marvelous MJ for her sensational set.