Chapter 05: Ollivander
Professor McGonagall and Eda left the bookstore to buy a wand, the last and arguably the most important item on their shopping list.
The shop selling wands was small and shabby, with a peeling gold-lettered sign above the door that read: Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
In the dusty window, a single wand lay on a faded purple cushion.
They entered the small shop, and from the back, a tinkling sound could be heard.
The shop was tiny, with nothing but a long bench and thousands of narrow boxes stacked almost to the ceiling.
"The wands sold by Ollivander in Diagon Alley are the best," McGonagall told Eda.
"He himself is one of the world's finest wandmakers. Many foreign wizards travel great distances to Diagon Alley just to purchase a wand made by Ollivander. So, you will also get the wand that best suits you here."
As Professor McGonagall and Eda were talking, a soft voice suddenly spoke, "Good afternoon." An old man appeared before them, his pale eyes shining like two bright moons in the dim shop.
Needless to say, this must be Mr. Ollivander, the wandmaker whose family had been in the business for over two thousand years.
"Good afternoon," Professor McGonagall responded, then said to Eda, "This is Garrick Ollivander, the owner of this shop."
"Hello," Eda said softly, afraid that speaking too loudly might scare away the wand master.
"Oh, a new Hogwarts student. What is your name, child?" Ollivander asked.
"Esmeralda Twist," Eda replied, "You can call me Eda."
"Very well, Miss Twist. Which hand do you use to hold your wand?" Ollivander asked, pulling out a long tape measure with silver markings from his pocket.
"I prefer using my right hand," Eda said.
"Good, raise your arm," Ollivander instructed, and he began measuring Eda.
He measured from shoulder to fingertip, then from wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and finally her head circumference.
Eda couldn't understand the purpose of all these measurements—Even Madam Malkin didn't measure this much!
Who exactly was selling clothes and who was selling wands?
However, the tape measure operated automatically, sparing Eda some embarrassment.
While the silver tape measure was busy, Mr. Ollivander was not idle either.
He was moving around the shelves, pulling down various long boxes.
As he did, he explained, "Every Ollivander wand contains powerful magical substances, Miss Twist. This is what gives them their essence. We use unicorn hair, phoenix tail feathers, and dragon heartstrings. Every Ollivander wand is unique because no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are exactly the same. Naturally, if you were to use a wand meant for another wizard, it wouldn't work nearly as well for you."
"Alright," he said as the tape measure coiled itself on the floor, "Miss Twist, try this one. Aspen wood, unicorn hair core, nine and a half inches."
Eda took the wand. She seemed to sense the wand's excitement, but she felt it didn't belong to her.
Seeing Eda standing still, Ollivander urged, "Give it a wave, don't just stand there."
Eda waved the wand, feeling rather foolish. As she did, the shelves in the shop turned into a mess. Ollivander quickly snatched the wand back, muttering, "Not suitable, not suitable."
"Applewood, dragon heartstring, eleven and a quarter inches. Try this," Ollivander handed her another wand, but he took it back almost immediately after she held it. "No, not this one either."
Eda tried one wand after another, feeling increasingly numb, like a robot mechanically waving each wand that Ollivander handed her. She didn't understand what Ollivander meant by the perfect match. Though she could sense each wand's excitement, none felt like they truly belonged to her.
"A discerning customer, no problem, Miss Twist. I always find the ideal, perfect, most suitable wand for everyone!" Ollivander said, his expression excited as he continued to search through the shelves.
Eda watched him, thinking silently, 'Mr. Ollivander, are you a masochist? Why do you seem so thrilled?'
Professor McGonagall had been sitting on the only chair in the room since they arrived, paying no attention to the ongoing events. It seemed she had witnessed such situations many times before.
"Ah, here we are, how could we not... a powerful combination, yew wood, phoenix feather, fourteen and three-quarter inches, with some flexibility," Ollivander said as he opened a box and handed Eda a wand with great ceremony.
The wand was coated with black protective lacquer, adorned with intricate patterns, and had a silver handle.
It looked beautiful.
As Eda took the wand, a warm sensation spread from her fingertips. The wand felt like an extension of her arm, a sense of harmony and understanding emerging naturally.
[Ding!]
[The host has obtained her wand and has become a true witch!]
[As a reward, the system grants the host the most powerful spell in the wizarding world! Please check it out promptly,]
The system chimed.
Eda ignored the system's chatter and casually waved the wand. The tip of the wand emitted a dazzling display of lights, like brilliant fireworks, with dancing sparks reflecting off the walls.
Professor McGonagall clapped her hands in applause, and Ollivander exclaimed loudly, "Excellent, very good! Perfect, just like a match made in heaven!"
Ollivander placed the wand back in its box and tied a delicate bow with a ribbon.
He said to Eda, "A yew wand is quite rare, and so are the wizards it chooses. Wands made of yew have some unpleasant and terrifying rumors associated with them. Yew wood has a long life span, and it is often believed that wands made from yew symbolize death. However, yew also represents life, and it prefers to choose wizards with a strong sense of protection as its masters."
Olivander paused and then his tone became more serious,
"The wand chooses the wizard, and a yew wand can provide immense power, the power over life and death, a power that can make people obsessed but also full of fear. But ultimately, it is the wizard who uses the wand, and the wand obeys its master. It is easy for people to lose themselves in the pursuit of power. So, Miss Twist, always remember: as you pursue power with your wand, never let power blind you, never!"
Eda was a bit puzzled by the wand master's speech, but she understood and remembered the final message—control power, and do not let power control you!
Professor McGonagall, sitting on the bench, seemed thoughtful as well. She looked at Eda's thin and frail figure, her brow furrowing unconsciously.
Taking the box containing the wand, Eda paid ten Galleons for it. Each young wizard receives a subsidy when purchasing their first wand to reduce the cost. However, if they need to replace their wand later, they have to pay the full price.
Mr. Ollivander bowed and saw them out the door. This mysterious master wandmaker left a very deep impression on Eda.
After traveling across half of London again, Professor McGonagall and Eda arrived back at the orphanage entrance.
"In the envelope, there's also a train ticket for your journey to Hogwarts. September 1st, King's Cross Station, it's all on the ticket. The platform is nine and three-quarters..."
"I'm sorry, professor, I've never heard of a platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station,"
Eda asked the question at the right time.
This is a special platform that was popular in all memes, but Eda can't remember the specific way to find it.
"The platform is between platforms nine and ten. You will find it if you go and observe carefully." McGonagall thought for a while and continued, "I think you can go earlier, so you can have more time to find the platform. Even if you don't find a way to enter the platform, at least you can see some people who are looking for platform nine and three-quarters like you, and you can go to the platform through them."
"Okay, professor, I will arrive early. I don't want to miss the train."
"Anything else?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Eda thought about it carefully, and she didn't have any questions for the time being. "No, professor. I don't have any questions for the time being."
"Well, see you at school, enjoy your vacation." McGonagall waved goodbye to Eda and turned to walk towards the corner.
When she was about to reach the corner, she turned back and said to Eda, "I personally suggest that you read the textbook more and prepare in advance."
After Professor McGonagall finished speaking, she continued to walk towards the corner without waiting for Eda's response. When she just passed the corner, she disappeared in an instant, as if the Professor McGonagall she saw before was an illusion.
Looking at Professor McGonagall disappearing at the corner, Eda recalled her clean and tidy clothes and her cool and capable style of doing things.
Although she was serious and always pursed her lips with a stern expression, you could feel her warmth and reliability in some of her words.
Although Professor McGonagall was no longer young and the traces of time were written on her face, for some reason, Eda suddenly thought of the words she often heard people mention in her previous life: Time never defeats beauty...
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