December 28, 1889 - Ollivander’s Wand Shop, London

Somersby still remembered the day his mother had bought him his wand. Willow. 11 inches. Kelpie Hair core. The wand had always seemed something of a friend, someone that was always by his side. Now it sat in the pocket of his robes, broken at an impossible angle, kelpie hair sticking out. It had survived the Irvingly venture and his trip abroad, but it had been a wayward portkey that had finally done it in. Or at least it appeared to have. Somersby was still hopeful that there might be a way to repair the wand. Which is why he was at Ollivander's.

The storefront seemed quiet, shelves of wands stacked as if Somersby had only just been here last year to get his first wand rather than almost eight years ago. “Hello?” Somersby called, peering around toward the back in hopes he might spot Mr. Ollivander. 

Gervaise Ollivander

  

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Made by magic (MJ) <3

"Good afternoon," Gervaise greeted the younger fellow as he emerged from a dead end in the maze created by his crowded shelves. "How might I help you?"

  

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— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

In only a moment Mr. Ollivander appeared and made his way toward the counter. Somersby stepped up, fishing his wand out of his pocket and ginerly laying it before them. "I was rather hoping you could take a look at this and see if it could be repaired?" Somersby asked, a tinge of anxiety lingering in his tone. Anything had to be better than parting with the wand, he found himself thinking.

  

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Made by magic (MJ) <3

Diligently, Gervaise moved to inspect the wand, knowing even before he saw it that the lad's if was not encouraging. While it was true that many minor cracks and chips could be remedied, where uncertainty was concerned, the answer was usually a sad but firm no.

Quietly, Gervaise examined the wand for several minutes before moving his attention back to the wizard.

"I am afraid not," he offered apologetically, "at least not without severely compromising its function. Such a break is difficult to repair with any success, and while it could be done if you wished for sentimental purposes, I would not wish to trust the resulting wand with any spellwork more complex than lighting a candle."

— Somersby Fudge —

  

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— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Somersby's face fell at the man's appraisal. The wand had been with him since he'd turned eleven. It had seen the good and the bad and been through more adventures then Somersby had ever expected to go on. Now it seemed this would be the last.

Somersby straightened his shoulders, trying to act less like a sentimental child and more like the nineteen year old he was. "I see." Fitting that for a new chapter of his life he'd need a new wand. A new purpose, a new wand. Merlin, he didn't like it, but it had a sort of easy symmetry that he could appreciate. "That won't be necessary." A sentimental wand was not what he needed to start his internship with after all. "I suppose in that case I shall need a new wand then."

  

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Made by magic (MJ) <3

"I would be happy to arrange that," Gervaise replied, "or, if you're attached to this one, it could be worked into a new wand—though such a customization would cost more," he allowed, unsure of the young wizard's circumstances.

— Somersby Fudge —

  

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— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

The thought was tempting, but the coins in his pocket likely wouldn't cover such a thing and he certainly wasn't going to go begging to his parents for more money for a wand. He was a grown adult about to start his own career, no reason to be beholden to them for something like that. He gave Mr. Ollivander a smile more like a grimace and shook his head. "That won't be necessary." He repeated. "A new wand should do the trick." Perhaps he'd even like that one more.

  

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Made by magic (MJ) <3

He gave the lad a commiserating smile—a good wand was worth its wielder's weight in gold, and the bond between wand and wizard ran deep. To have to give that up was not unlike giving up one's spouse, sibling, or child (it might have been all three, in Gervaise' own case). With a nod, he set about retrieving some wands for trial, presenting the first to the wizard.

"Willow, nine inches, with a unicorn tail hair."

— Somersby Fudge —

  

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— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Mr. Ollivander was quick to bustle to find a new wand and Somersby was oddly reminded of being eleven again and getting his first wand. He had never thought he'd have to do this again.

With an unconscious frown Somersby took the wand and give it a swish.

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   Gervaise Ollivander

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Made by magic (MJ) <3

"Not that one, I don't think," Gervaise said as he took it away, "but no matter."

Fortunately, adult failings did not have quite the same...firepower as those of children.

"Try this. Yew, fourteen inches, and kelpie mane."

— Somersby Fudge —

  

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— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Nothing happened when Somersby's tried lumos. He simply handed it back to Mr. Ollivander and accepted the next wand, attempting the spell again, compared to his normal wand it felt almost too long in his hands, but that was nothing insurmountable.

Somersby couldn't help but feel as if he might swear portkeys off simply to never have to go through such an ordeal again.

  

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Made by magic (MJ) <3

"I don't think so," Gervaise thought after a pause. The lad could certainly do worse, but where wands were concerned, Gervaise Ollivander was a matchmaker, not just a mother content to have her daughter marry any old suitor.

"This one next."

— Somersby Fudge —

  

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— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Mr. Ollivander took the wand out his hands before he even realized it. Soon another was in his grip. He tried again, sincerely hoping that this would be the one. Wand shopping was much less enjoyable when you were replacing a dear friend then when you were an eager eleven year old looking for your best mate for the first time.

  

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Made by magic (MJ) <3

"Very good," Gervaise commended the pair, a satisfied smile on his face. The wand—ten inches of pine with a kelpie hair at its core—appeared quite well-suited to the young wizard; while he suspected it would take the lad some adjusting, the wand would serve him very well, and hopefully for a long time to come.

— Somersby Fudge —

  

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— Bee makes the pretty things ♥ —

Somersby was ready for Mr. Ollivander to take this wand back too, but his nonverbal lumos actually lit the wand quite well. Somersby was surprised and the shopkeeper agreed. He wasn't thrilled to have a new wand, but at least this ordeal was over. "How much?" Somersby said brusquely, already fishing out his money. Soon he had paid and was on his way.

  

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Made by magic (MJ) <3