July 17th, 1888 — Ollivander’s Wands, London

“Try this one,” the wizard directed as he gingerly placed the wand in the youngster’s hand. “Just a light wave—nothing too assertive, now!”

The wave had begun a fortnight ago, and was set only to intensify as Hogwarts began owling out letters of invitation and enrolment to its incoming class of first years. The summer was always Gervaise’s busy time, and even with the fog, this year was proving to be no different.

Privately, he found the season rather irritating. He was an artisan, not a shop girl, and while seeing the right wand fall into the right hands never failed to give him a bit of a thrill, everything that surrounded that moment served only to take him away from his workshop.

He tried not to let it show.

Open to an incoming first year + entourage!

---

  

---

— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

To say Archer was anxious was an understatement. Though, the only outward indication was the button he just about tugged loose from his sleeve. He had been waiting for this moment ever since his sister had come home with her wand, but, now that it was his moment, he seemed to want to be anywhere else.

What if he never found a wand? What if he really hadn't been displaying acts of accidental magic all along? Logically, it didn't make sense, but his brain wasn't being rational. The prospect of Hogwarts was both a daunting and exiting new venture that threw his stomach into knots.

When Gervaise placed a wand into his outstretched hand, he gripped it gingerly and nodded once in understanding. He wasn't a particularly assertive boy, so his wave was more timid and small. Once he'd done so, his eyes flicked to the man and held a questioning look as if asking if he'd done it correctly.

  

---

MJ is the best!

Not a thing happened. It was an unusual result, though not unheard of—usually in indication that the youngster was of a quieter nature. Gervaise gave the boy a reassuring, but perfunctory, smile before snatching back thr wand, sliding it carefully into its box, and then disappearing without further word into the shelves.

After perhaps three minutes, the wandmaker returned once more, half a dozen boxes in hand. He selected the first one, offering it to the lad.

"Try this one," he directed. "Jackalope antler is rather an exotic core, and at twelve inches you'll certainly need to grow into it, but oak is a steadfast wand wood, and its supple build ensures it would be unlikely to overpower a lad still learning."

---

  

---

— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

When nothing seemed to happen, Archie's face grew pale with worry, but he tried to shake it off. Perhaps, it just wasn't the wand for him, or maybe he didn't do it right. He tried to square his shoulders and appear a bit more confident. The wait for Gervaise to return felt like an eternity. The boy tried to busy himself by inspecting the shop, but his inner monologue couldn't be quieted.

When the wandmaker appeared again, Archer eyed the boxes he carried with a curious raise of his eyebrows. He suddenly found himself asking, "Do you think I'll have to try them all?" It made sense to him that, with so many wands in the shop, he wouldn't find the right one on the first try, but the suspense made his toes curl.

"Jackalope!" He piped up with quiet, fascinated, surprise, having not known their antlers could be used as wand cores. He eyed the wand Gervaise held out to him, and he reached out to take it. This time, he rolled it in his fingers as if testing just how long it actually was. It took a moment, but the boy eventually waved it, with a bit more confidence than last time, but there still wasn't too much force.

  

---

MJ is the best!

"It's rare for someone to find the right wand on their first go, and I've seen lads take dozens to find the right fit," the wandmaker explained as the boy surveyed the wand.

After a moment, the youngster tried his hand at this particular combination, but produced only a weak dribble of sparks. An improvement, to be sure, but not the right fit. Gervaise whisked away the jackalope-and-oak without further ado, handing the boy a third wand.

"And this one, troll whisker, ten and an eighth inches, in birch. You may notice it's a bit more rigid."

---

  

---

— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Archer seemed relieved that others took a while to find the right fit for their own wands. At least that was one less thing for him to worry about. The boy was just glad he had at least produced sparks this time. He appeared about to ask Gervaise another question, but he shied away from doing so just then and, instead, waited patiently while the man found another for him to try.

He quietly reached out and took the wand. Again, he gave it a wave, his confidence level just about the same as the previous attempt. He'd rather be timid than too forceful. He did notice it was more rigid, and he quietly queried, "Does its rigidity change the way it works?"

  

---

MJ is the best!

"No, no, not that one," the wizard murmured to himself as he took the wand back from the boy, before realizing the boy was actually speaking to him.

"Think of a wand's rigidity as a human's stubbornness," he explained, moving to select another wand for trial. Perhaps this, Gervaise thought to himself lifting a redwood wand with a veela core from its box. Twelve inches and swishy, it would certainly do for a young lad at the beginning of his magical career, just as it would for an adult. It was nothing flashy, mind, but its polishing did give it a lovely, coppery hue.

"The stiffer the wand, the more reluctant it will be to perform—give this one a swish—but the more closely it will bond to its master. Conversely, a flexible wand works well for anyone who knows how to wield it—as well as those still learning."

---

  

---

— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Archer listened intently to Gervaise's information about wands, and he filed away the information in his mind. He quietly wondered which would be the best for him, but he was soon handed another wand that he took and rolled between his fingers once more.

"Ohhh," he murmured clearly interested.

He admired the coppery hue. Although, honestly, he would be content with just a plain block of wood as long as it worked well for him. He tested the new wand out and waved it, hoping he would soon know which was best for him.

  

---

MJ is the best!

The sound of shattering glass caused Gervaise to duck for cover, and his heart sunk as he saw the shards rain heavily to the ground. It was not the first time that a youngster had blown up his window, but it was not a cheap repair, either. Once the damage was done, the wizard warily returned to a standing position.

“Are you alright, lad?” he asked the boy gently, though his eyes moved to where the window had previously been. It was safe to say, Gervaise thought, that this was not the wand for the boy.

---

  

---

— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

The wand in Archie's hand jumped from his grasp and headed toward the floor.  It was unclear whether he had dropped it or accidentally thrown it in terror.  His arms flew over his face, and he nearly fell to the ground to try and avoid the blast.

Once he was sure it was over, he anxiously peeked up at Gervaise.  While he normally would have tried to retrieve the wand and return it, Archer didn't want to cause anything else to explode, so he quickly side stepped it.

"I am so sorry, sir!  I-I-I can clean it all up for you and repair it."  Even though he had no knowledge of how to go about fixing a window.  Seeming as if he were about to have a panic attack, the boy tugged at one of his jacket buttons until it truly popped off from all of his worrying.  He was going to be a failed wizard; he just knew it.

The following 1 user Likes Archer Belby's post:1 user Likes Archer Belby's post
   Gervaise Ollivander

---

MJ is the best!

“No, no,” he reassured the boy with a dismissive smile and a wave of his hand. “It’s a hazard of my line of work.”

The fresh air the broken window brought in was actually rather refreshing, as daunting as the task of dealing with it felt.

Looking at the boy, though, Gervaise could tell his simple words would not be enough. He held up a finger in a “wait here” motion before disappearing into the stacks, returning perhaps two minutes later with a new wand for him to try.

“Here,” he said gently, handing the wand, another redwood, to the boy. In fact, it was practically the twin of the abysmal failure, but for one key difference. “You clearly do not have the disposition to suit a veela hair wand—you saw that first hand! This, though, contains a phoenix tail feather, and I think it will do much better. Don’t be nervous, put perhaps a gentle wave this time.”

---

  

---

— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Archer gave Gervaise a look between skepticism and hopeful relief that the man truly wasn't going to make him pay for the destroyed window. Of course, he would have scrounged up as much pocket money as he could to do so.

When the wand maker retreated once more, Archer nudged at some of the stray glass with the toe of his boot, his lips in a fine line. What if he exploded another window? Or the whole shop! Could a wizard of such little experience do such a thing without meaning to? The thoughts raced about his head in the illogical way that true anxiety could only muster.

When Gervaise returned, Archie's mouth had gone dry. He couldn't seem to muster up a verbal reply, so he merely nodded and reached out for the new wand. He couldn't help being nervous, but he tried to reign it in when he was told not to be. Just like some of his first attempts, Archie rather softly gave the redwood wand a wave, pointing it toward the floor this time, hoping that if something disastrous happened again it wouldn't be a window!

  

---

MJ is the best!

Gervaise watched first apprehensively, then with relief, as the boy’s latest efforts failed to destroy anything. Quite the contrast—the glow that he and his new wand produced together enveloped them both, and reassured the wandmaker that he had at least been on the right track, even if he had taken a rather startling detour on the way.

“Now that,” he said kindly, “is what is supposed to happen.”

---

  

---

— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Archer wasn't sure what a successful wand selection was supposed to look like, so the glow that was produced caught him completely off guard. However, this time, he held onto the wand since he hadn't been startled into tossing it. "It is?" He questioned automatically in response to Gervaise, even though he seemed to believe him.

His shoulders relaxed a bit, and he allowed a small smile to grace his face. After a few, awkward moments of the boy admiring his new wand, Archer seemed to realize he probably had to pay now. Quickly, he rummaged about in his pocket for the coins he'd been given for payment. Clutching them in his other hand, he tentatively held them out to Gervaise. "Th...thanks! Is, erm, is this enough?"

  

---

MJ is the best!

Swiftly, Gervaise sifted through the coin and took what was needed. The boy seemed so earnest that the wizard did not have the heart to try to sell him add-ons in addition to the wand itself. Besides, he seemed almost lonely without his father or mother present. He handed back the surplus before moving to his ledger.

"Now then, what's your name?" he inquired as he jotted down the particulars of the wand.

---

  

---

— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Archer pocketed the change without even bothering to count it over. He figured the man took the right amount for the wand. Honestly, he wouldn't argue it, even if it wasn't.

"Archer...Archer Belby, sir." He replied, actually confident for the first time since supplying his name wasn't something that was difficult or made him particularly anxious.

  

---

MJ is the best!