Rita was staring at Julia and Harry hard as Julia shifted uncomfortable while Harry either didn't notice or care. As soon as Krum noticed this he turned to give her a vicious glare. She turned away and talked 'innocently' with Ludo. A while later The other people finally arrived. As Dumbledore arrived Rita turned slightly sour but quickly composed herself.
"Dumbledore!" Cried out Rita skeeter, with every appearance of 'delight' though Julia noticed her clawed fingers were fiddling with her crocodile-skin bag. "How are you?" she said, standing up and approaching him and holds out of one of her large, mannish hands to Dumbledore. "I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the international confederation of wizards' conference?" She asked with a slight smirk. Krum held back a small laugh as Harry gave him a confused glance.
Dumbledore obviously struggled to hold his composure with a restrained glare. "Enchantingly nasty. I particularly enjoyed your description of me as an obsolete dingbat." He said with a fake twinkle in his eye as Harry and Julia look at each other with a slight giggle. Rita Skeeter didn't look remotely abashed.
"I was just making the point that some of your ideas are a little old-fashioned, Dumbledore, and that many wizards in the street - " Rita starts before she gets cut off by Dumbledore as he glared slightly but quickly composed himself. "I will be delighted to hear the reasoning behind the rudeness, Rita. But I'm afraid we will have to discuss this issue later. The weighing of the wands is about to start and it cannot take place if I'm preoccupied with you." Dumbledore says with a fake courteous bow and a smile.
It was at this point the champions were asked to move to the table, which they did. They sat in the chair closet to the doors. In order of: Fred, George, Harry, Julia, Krum, Fleur. The velvet covered table was the only thing that split the champions from the judges- Mr Crouch, Ludo Bagman, Headmaster Dumbledore, Headmaster Karkaroff, Madame Maxine. Rita Skeeter settled herself down in a corner.
At this point, someone Julia vaguely recognised entered the room. "My I introduce Mr Ollivander?" Said Dumbledore, indicating to the man as he talks to the champions. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament." This caused a flashback as Julia remembered Harry and her getting their first wands at his shop.
"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you step forward first please?" Said Mr Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room. Fleur got up and went over and handed him her wand. He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it close to his eyes and examined it carefully.
"Yes.. nine and a half inches ... inflexible ... rosewood ... and containing a hair of a veela." Mr Ollivander mutters quietly. Fleur smiled, "One of my grandmuzzer's.." She said as he nodded thoughtfully. Mr Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.
"Very well. Very well, its in fine working order." Said Mr Ollivander as he scoops up the flowers and hands them with her wand to Fleur Delacour. She smiles and comes over to sit back down. "Mr Krum, if you please." Mr Ollivander asks. Victor Krum got up shoulders back and with a posh stance.
He walked politely around towards Mr Ollivander. He passed his wand over and stood with scowl with his hands in his pockets. Mr Ollivander checks the wand over, " Hmmm this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I .. however ... " He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.
"Yes ... hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" He shot over at Krum, who only nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees ... quite rigid ... ten and a quarter inches ... Avis!" Mr Ollivander says. The hornbeam wand let off a blast like a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end, and through the open window into the watery sunlight. "All looks good." Mr Ollivander says passing the wand back to Krum as he comes back over and sits down.
"Miss Swan-Black, you next." Julia looked up and nervously stood up and approached him. "Ah, Now this is one of mine, isn't it?" Said Mr Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Julia handed over her wand. "Yes I remember it well. Containing a Unicorn hair from a rather friendly unicorn and a phoenix feather both willingly given ... a rarity. Your wand caused me the most trouble to create ... especially with your mixed wood of Acacia and Blackthorn a beautiful but dangerous combination." He says as he scans her wand over, she blushes a little.
A few gasps of surprise were heard and a small babble of confusion. He scans her wand over, running his hands down it. He checks its condition before giving her a pleased impressed look. "Its in fine condition ... you treat it regularly?" He asks. She looks up at him with a slight smile. "Yeah, I just polished it last night." Julia said nervously. He nodded and sent a group of purple butterflies into the air. " Perfect condition." He says giving her an approving pat on the shoulder and passing her wand back.
"Mr Potter your turn." Mr Ollivander says as Julia sits down. Harry got to his feet and slowly walked to him. He handed over his wand with a slight wince. "Aaaah, yes. How well I remember." Mr Ollivander says, his pale eyes gleaming almost. He spent much longer examining Harry's wand than anyone else's. Eventually, however, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it, and handed it back to Harry, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.
"Which just leaves Mr Weasleys 1 and 2." Mr Ollivander says with a slight smirk. The twins pass Harry as he goes to sit down. Fred goes first passing over his wand. "Ah yes Silver Fir ...10 inches a couple of bumps and scratches ... Fwooper feather core ..." He says absently as he scans the wand over. After doing a simple spell shooting a string of water out he passes it back. "Works great still." Mr Ollivander says before turning to George.
George hands his wand over as Mr Ollivander starts checking it over. Much like Fred's it has creases, bumps and scratches. " I remember this wand well Spindle Wood ... 13 inches a little bit of damage but will still work well ... Augurey feather core ..." He says, preforming a simple glitter charm before handing his wand back. " Well it works." He says with a slight smirk handing his wand back to him.
After this Dumbledore called the room to attention. "Thank you all for coming. Your free to return to lessons though you might as well go straight to dinner as they are about to end-" Dumbledore says, standing up at the judges table. As we all got up to leave the man with the black camera jumped up and cleared his throat, looking at Ludo.
"Photos, Dumbledore, Photos!" Cried Bagman excitedly. "All the judges and Champions. What do you think Rita?" He said with a smile while looking at her. Rita Skeeter was staring at Julia and Harry when she responded, " Er - yes, Lets do those first. Then of course individual shots." The photographs took a long time, trying to fit everyone into the frame. Then she insisted on separate shots of all the champions. Finally though they were free to go.
They met the others at the Slytherin table Krum heading down with the Duo so Rita doesn't try to interview them individually without his help. Once at the table they tell the others everything. Draco was jealous until reminded of the danger and them being unwilling. He was semi sorry after.
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Julia Swan-Black
FanfictionJulia Swan, the twin sister of Bella Swan. Her life has been off the rails since her mum abandoned her as soon as she started showing signs of magic without explaining everything. Sending her to live with her uncle in England. This will be interesti...
