The First Drop

Percy Weasley is worried. A few months from now, he will be attending Hogwarts. His parents were ecstatic when he received the letter on his eleventh birthday. Of course, Percy inherited Bill's old robes since Charlie has a bigger build and he got the books from Charlie (which were previously Bill's).

It will be Bill's sixth year this September and Charlie, his fourth. Bill is perfect and because he got twelve owls last year he might be Head Boy on his seventh. Charlie spent his summer flying – he wanted to win the cup this year for their house but is unable to do anything about the team just yet. Once he becomes captain next year, he's going to bring the Gryffindor Quidditch team to a whole new level (or so he claimed). Both his parents are proud of them.

Percy is with his family in Diagon Alley trying to buy some of his school supplies. He only needs to buy some books (like the Defense Against the Dark Arts book that changes every year depending on the teacher so he can't exactly have to get those from his brothers), some school supplies, and his wand.

Bill has to buy some of his textbooks and because he is the eldest, most of his things aren't second-hand. Charlie was too busy ogling at the Quidditch supplies store. Their mother wasn't with them this time around. Usually, she does but with Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny to take care of, she couldn't. So their father along with Aiden Wood and his son Oliver was with them.

Ever since his parents noticed that Percy has been spending more time with the Lovegoods (though secretly spending time with Marcus Flint) and with Scabbers (his pet rat that he found in their yard when he was six), they were adamant that it was time for Percy to spend more time with their friends' children. Because of it, they have been inviting Oliver and Cedric regularly – since they were the only ones closest of age to him and are able to tolerate his a bit pompous attitude (except for his best friend Marcus but his parents don't know about him yet).

Cedric will join Hogwarts next year. Percy tried to get along with them but all Oliver talks about is quidditch. He swears the boy would just live on his broom if he has to. Cedric likes Quidditch but is not as obsessive about it. He does like to talk to Percy about random things like plants and magical creatures. Cedric stared at Percy like he has two heads when Percy mentioned Crumpled Horn Snorkak and Nargles. Molly wasn't amused and wanted to march towards the Lovegoods about putting nonsense in her son's head but Percy talked her out of it. He likes the Lovegoods and he doesn't want his parents making it difficult for Percy to visit them on occasion.

"Are you okay little brother?" Bill asked while Percy was looking in the second-hand book section on his book list.

"Yes," Percy answered and coughs as dust permeates around him when he drops one of the books on the pile.

"I know you haven't been sleeping well and have been sneaking downstairs for milk." Bill smiled while he watched Percy turn red and bowed his head looking at his weary shoes.

"Something in your mind kiddo?" Bill ruffled his brother's hair. Percy's silence meant that there was and he didn't even complain about Bill messing with his hair.

"What if I'm not good enough?" Percy asked, quietly.

"What are you talking about?" Bill asked surprised at the question.

"What if I'm not good enough that the school would send me back?" Percy asked anxiously, eyeing his brother. Percy likes Bill. Everyone in the family does. It's because he listens and he treats them all equally but Percy didn't know that Bill is particularly protective of Percy most of all and with reason. Of course, Bill knows every first year goes to this stage, including himself. It is common for many first-years to think they are not good enough.

But Bill hated the look his baby brother is giving him. He knows why Percy is acting like this. He knew that Percy is very sensitive about being different from everybody. With their parents always talking proudly of Gryffindor, Percy was even more worried about how they would react if he would wind up in another house. The Weasleys claimed to not be prejudiced but that is a lie. In Bill's opinion, they technically are. He has heard his parents bash people based on their houses before even more so if you are a Slytherin and coming from pure-blooded houses. They'll say they are evil straight to their faces if they can.

Bill knows because Gryffindor wasn't the sorting hat's first choice for him. It was Ravenclaw but he managed to talk hat out of it because he was afraid that his parents would treat him differently especially since he was the first and heir of the family which is a big deal and pressure for him. There are times when Bill wondered what would become of him if he winds up in Ravenclaw. It wasn't exactly a bad house but he thought he would have done better.

"The fact that you received the letter means you are worthy enough to even go to Hogwarts," Bill explained thoughtfully.

Percy frowned and glanced at his father who was talking happily with Mr. Wood. "What if I screw up so bad?"

"Highly doubt it," Bill said confidently. "What was the point of reading all those books and having me tutor you with some of the spells? I'll let you in a secret..." Bill leaned towards his little brother. "On my first day, I woke up so late I trip all over my room to get all my things. I barely have time for breakfast I ate so fast and spilled some juice on my robes, my hair was a mess and I got lost. I accidentally lock myself inside one of the Charms classrooms on the fourth floor and I missed the whole day of class."

Percy was gaping at him. "You did?" he asked. Percy could not imagine Bill doing that. He was like the perfect student and Percy admired him so much.

"Yup!" Bill said. "Got detention with Filch for it too." Bill cringed at the memory. "I'm pretty sure you won't do worst than me brother."

Percy chuckled; Bill rumpled his brother's curly hair. "Bill!" Percy whined as he tried to get rid of Bill's hands. "My hair!"

While Bill was busy looking around, Percy caught sight of Marcus entering the bookstore followed by a very tall, muscular man in expensive robes who looks exactly like Marcus, minus the crooked teeth.

Marcus' dad, Aurelius Flint, was glaring at Oliver's dad and vice versa. Marcus explained to him that the Woods and the Flints have been in each other's throats for a long while. Marcus couldn't even remember how and when it started. It was the same way with the Weasleys and the Malfoys. Percy has been reading about family feuds and many of the feuds can actually be traced back centuries. Percy doesn't understand why wizarding families especially those among the pureblooded ones to still care about feuds that happened years ago.

Luckily, nothing happened. The two adults just glared at each other until they left. It was kind of funny. The temperature in the room probably dropped because of the two men. It was lucky that Mr. Malfoy wasn't here or there could be a glaring war.

Lastly, Percy and Oliver went to Ollivander's to get their wands. Their dads have some things to take care of so they gave them some money and told them to go to Leaky Cauldron within an hour.

"Ah, Mister Weasley and Mister Wood. I have been expecting you, yes I have."

How the old man with the large eyes knows who they are was a big question. Percy suspects the man has some sort of identifier ward at the door (Bill explained this to him, he has a strong interest in runes after all). Of course, Percy is a Weasley, his red hair, blue eyes, shabby robes, and freckles were too obvious that you don't need an identifier ward for it.

Oliver was up first. After a few attempts, he finally found his wand. Seventeen inches, dragon heartstring core and cherry wood, and bright red and yellow sparks came out of the tip. Percy thinks it's odd. The colors were definitely Gryffindor.

It was Percy's turn. "Here you go, try this, Hawthorne, fifteen inches, unicorn hair's core very whippy...no..." Ollivander didn't let Percy have a chance of waving it, he immediately grabbed it from the redhead and handed him one wand after the other. Forty wands later, Percy was worried while Oliver got a little impatient. Ollivander seemed unfazed. He seemed really excited. "You are a challenge, Mister Weasley. A challenge indeed." The man said gleefully.

Ring. The door opened and Ollivander called behind the room, "Please wait Lord Montague and Lord Flint."

Oliver jumped and glanced nervously at the two men along with their sons who were eyeing the two boys curiously.

"You are a hard one, Mister Weasley. It would seem none of my regular cores fit you. I will have to release some of the ones that are on my shelf for centuries."

"What happens when none of them choose me?" Percy looked like he was about to cry. Marcus wanted to go there and assure his best friend that it was going to be fine. He knows Percy was anxious about not being worthy enough for his family or being different from his family.

"Don't worry, young Weasley, if we can't find a match, I will have to do a different approach. Now, try this, cherry wood, eighteen inches, with pixie dust core...no...what about,..." Three wands later, Percy found a match. He almost cried happily. The wand released green and blue sparks.

"Oh, wonderful!" Ollivander clapped happily. Everyone in the room clapped too, surprising both Percy and Oliver when the Montagues and the Flints joined in.

"Very interesting," Ollivander muttered. Percy and Oliver eyed him curiously. "It's very odd for this wand to choose you, Mister Weasley. It's not something I sell every day."

"Really? What is it?"

"Eighteen inches, yew, with Threstral hair core," Ollivander stated. The four boys looked at the wand maker confusingly but the three adults in the room are eyeing Percy Weasley curiously.

"That would be seven galleons," Ollivander stated and the two boys paid and left (and Percy gave Marcus a smile before he left).

"Ah yes...young master Flint..."

*****

When Ollivander closed his shop, he looked around his inventories. Today was such a curious day. He never expected a Weasley to get one of his rare core wands. Of course, young master Percy's wand wasn't registered with the Ministry. The ministry was very strict on its policy of using dragon heartstrings, phoenix feathers, unicorn tails, and coral. There were a few that is considered acceptable like troll whiskers and veela hair but they rarely have a match (very rare unless you actually are related to one like the Flints who have a history of troll lineage in their family tree).

Ollivander thinks that it was stupid to limit wand cores. He has to register young Master Percy's wand the moment it left the shop with the proper excuse that none of the wands under the ministry's law fit the young man. Luckily, Lord Flint was willing to speed up the process. (A Flint helping a Weasley? How times changed). The wand was a result of his previous experiments, a time when the ministry has not regulated its creation. Thresthral hair as a core is not only rare but it is rumored that those who possess it have powerful magic but were banned because they were considered "too dark". It was a shame. This ban against the dark is also causing limits towards magic, especially for wandmakers like him.

He is going to expect great things from Mister Weasley. Yes, he will, yet something in the air made Ollivander think this isn't the last. More will come and is going to turn the magic world upside down.

*****

Fawkes shivered on his perch. He could feel something lingering in the air like a shift in magic to a different direction. He knew something was wrong on the day the dark lord was said to have been killed. A shift usually happens when something is disrupting magic.

Fawkes doesn't want to know what would happen. He just knows something is wrong. He watched his master – no, former master – sit on his chair, reading some documents. Why Fawkes stayed with him? It's because he couldn't find someone else suitable yet. Some light wizard he was. He's worst than the dark lord. This one likes to hide behind masks and amass power in the background. If Fawkes was human, he could snort.

The phoenix eyed the large full moon from the windows. Oh, things will not be the same