The Marauders and the Untold Stories

24. Diagon Alley

The next few days, the Potters and the Marauders cleaned their manson and prepared rooms for the kids. The adults decided that it's better that kids get along well before school starts, so they'd be looking after one another at school. Above all, the boys drove their parents crazy because they wanted to play quidditch as James promised them his full support. After all, James was one of the finest quidditch players. As all the families decided to meet in Diagon Alley to get school supplies, they met two weeks before the school started.

Harry visited Diagon Alley a few times. But, every vist seemed like the first time.
This particular day, Diagon Alley was swarming with witches and wizards purchasing their school supplies.
Sirius pulled some strings to book a reservation for an hour at Madam Malkin's so that the kids could get their uniforms together, and Harry's secrecy would be maintained. While the mothers took their kids for uniforms, the fathers made their way to get their books and other school supplies.
Finally, it was time to get their wands.
"Oh! I really don't want you to do this!" Molly said a bit exasperatedly. It was low-key a tone of embarrassment too.
"Molly!" Arthur sighed.
"But....I'd let you do it because she asked me years ago. I am not sure why I even agreed to that. I was taken aback, honestly....maybe it was because she asked right on the day Ron was conceived."
"Thank you, Molly," Sirus grinned.
"I'll take the kids to Florean," she picked the bags from them. "Come on boys," she called other kids. "Ginny?"
"Here, mum!" Ginny raised her hand from behind Lily.
"Where are Frank and Alice?"
"They went to find seats at Florean," Lily replied.
The women took the kids to Florean and the men took the kids to Ollivanders to get their wands. Frank and Neville joined them.
"Alright, Neville," Frank patted his son on the shoulders. "Time to go get your wand," he gave a warm smile.
"What if I get a bad wand?" Neville looked nervous.
"There are no good wands or bad wands, Neville," Frank gave an encouraging smile. "The power lies in the hands of the wizard. And I know you're going to be a great wizard."
"Yeah! That's what I was trying to say," Harry grinned at his friend.
"Go on, mate," Ron nudged Neville.
His friends encouraging smiles gave Neville some confidence, and made his way into the shop.
"He's been reading about wands these days," Ron told Frank, James, Sirius and Arthur.
"Is he now?" Frank looked amused.
"Yeah! He knows a lot about wands," Harry nodded.
"Well, that's fancy," Sirius smiled.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as Neville walked in. It was a tiny place.
"Good afternoon," Ollivander said. "Welcome."
"Good afternoon," Neville greeted him.
"Ah! You must be Mr. Longbottom," smiled Ollivander. "You look so much like your mother Alice when she was your age. Oh! Yes, I remember your parents when they first came here to get their wands."
Neville smiled back.

The other chatted away. And after a few moments, Neville came out of the shop with a huge grin on his face.
"You look happy!" Frank commented.
"Dad! Look what wand chose me!" Neville hopped. "It's Cherry wood and unicorn hair!"
"Wow!" Harry and Ron looked at Neville's wand in awe. It looked elegant.
"Go on, Ron," Arthur nudged his son.
Ron looked at his friends, and as they gave encouraging smiles, he walked into the wand shop.

"Oh! You must be Mr. Weasley," Ollivander smiled at Ron. "I still remember your parents walking in through that same door years ago. Quite a funny man, your father. But your mother. She was quite warm."

After a few minutes, Ron walked out with a huge grin on his face. "Mine is Willow and unicorn hair!"
"Willow and unicorn? Lily's wand is the same," James smiled.
"That wand is handsome," Sirius smiled. "And it's good with healing."
Ron twirled his wand proudly.
"Go on Harry! Let's see what you get," Neville said.
Harry looked at his father, gave a smile and walked into Ollivanders.

Harry felt like he had walked into a strict library. He looked around at the narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in there seemed to tingle with some secret magic.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice.
Harry jumped.
Ollivander's wide, pale eyes were shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Uh ....hello," Harry said awkwardly.
"Oh...yes....yes .... I thought I'd be seeing you soon, Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow.  Nice wand for charm work."
Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy. Your father on the other hand favoured a Mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, ofcourse."
Ollivander moved closer to Harry. He was observing him. "But, he came back after few years for a new wand. Said he would let the wand choose him. Fir, eleven inches, supple." Ollivander paused for a moment and moved more closer to Harry. "Your aunt was with your father that day. She came to get her wand too.....and that's where...." Ollivander pulled back Harry's collar and touched the coin sized star shaped mark on Harry's neck. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it. But I don't know which one... that is," he said softly.
Harry's confusion was evident. "Yes, there were two wands. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful....and in the wrong hands...." He shook his head. "The other one was Holly. Eleven inches, nice and supple. Your aunt....she was rather unwilling to take it. Said the wand can't be hers. I didn't know how she knew what she knew. But she knew."
Harry blinked. He was still lost at 'I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it'. Harry quickly pulled back his collar and moved back.
"Ah!" Ollivander moved back. “Well, now — Mr. Potter. Let me see.” He pulled a long tape mea-
sure with silver markings out of his pocket. “Which is your wand arm?”
“Er — well, I’m right-handed,” said Harry.
“Hold out your arm. That’s it.” He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, “Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard’s wand.”
Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
“That will do,” he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. “Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave.”
Harry took the wand and waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once. “Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —”
Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.
“No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out.”
Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.
Just then, "Harry, is everything alright?" James walked in. "What is  taking so long?" he looked at the pile of wands on the spindly chair.
“Tricky customer, eh?" Ollivander smiled.
James felt deja vu. He remembered the day he came with Kitty.
"James Potter!" Ollivander gave huge smile. "Seems familiar doesn't it?"
James was lost. There was a mix of confusion and anxiety in his face.
"Not to worry," Ollivander continued. we’ll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now yes, why not — unusual combination — Aspen and phoenix feather, eleven inches, and reasonably supple."
Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.
James let out a sigh of relief.
Mr. Ollivander cried, “Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well . . . how curious . . . how very curious . . .”
He put Harry’s wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, “Curious . . . curious . . .”
James started to feel uneasy looking at Ollivander.
“Sorry,” said Harry, “but what’s curious?”
Ollivander looked at James. "Ah! James Potter! You certainly remember the day you walked in with......your..... sister to get your wands?"
"Yes," James answered, looking at the pile of tried wands.
"Curious...." Ollivander muttered. “Isn't it curious that the same is repeating today? I remember every wand I’ve ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. I still remember that night when I received the Pheonix feather that is in Mr. Potter's wand...."
"Harry? Why don't go join Sirius outside?" James quickly told Harry.
Harry didn't want to leave. He wanted to know what is so 'curious' about his wand, and why his dad looked like he's facing a dragon.
"I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter," Ollivander smiled at Harry.
Harry nodded and walked out.
"What took you so long?" Sirius asked Harry. "Where's Prongs?"
"He asked me go first. He's talking to Mr. Ollivander," Harry replied.
"About what?"
"I don't know. He kept on saying 'curious' the whole time. He said something about the Pheonix feather in my wand."
Sirius frowned. "What about?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I got Aspen and Pheonix feather."
"Well, that's a rare wand. I haven't heard anyone having an Aspen wand."
"Harry!" Ron and Neville came running.
"You got your wand?" Ron asked excitedly.
Harry showed his wand.
"That's handsome," Ron commented.
"It's Aspen and Pheonix," Harry was proud of himself.
"Aspen? It's a bit rare," Neville said. "It is for martial magic."
"Wow," Harry wondered. 'Will I become a good duelist?' he thought
"Harry, guess what we saw at Broomstix!"
"What?"
"Nimbus 2000!!!!"
"WHAT???!!!!"
"People were blocking it earlier when we passed through the store. That's why we couldn't see it."
"But first years aren't allowed our own broomsticks though...."
"What a bummer," Sirius chuckled.
At that moment James walked out of the store. He looked pale.
"You alright, mate?" Sirius asked. He was confused.
James ruffled his hair in frustration. "Later," he said and made his way to Florean's.
Sirius understood something was wrong. But he didn't push.

After a long day, and a quick trip to the Marauders' joke shop, the group returned to the Potter's manor. The parents left their kids at the manor to spend their last week together playing quidditch.

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