Bright and intensely radiant sunlight shot through the translucent shuttled windows of Albus's bedroom. Sighing, Albus got out and down for breakfast, ignoring the loud and annoying James who was joking around foolishly as usual. Thankfully, James left him alone this time.
"It's time for you to get your school equipment!" exclaimed his mother. Albus groaned as he made his way upstairs to change and go for their day of shopping.
The last two places they went to were the most interesting, in Albus's opinion. They went to the Owl Emporium first, where Albus got a beautiful silver-white snowy owl with intelligent stormy-gray eyes. Then, the family went over to the place Albus was most looking forwards to, Ollivanders wand shop.
Albus rang the doorbell awkwardly as James grinned at him outside and slurped a huge ice cream on a cone. The store was a disappointment. Albus had thought it would be... cooler. Not as dusty and musty as the wandshop he was currently in. Suddenly, a guy appeared. He was old and wizened, with a pure white beard and hair as white as cotton. "Ahh... Mr Potter. Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple, yes?" Ollivander asked. Albus's father Harry nodded. "Yes, sir," he replied. "And Mr James Potter had a sycamore and dragon heartstring wand, did he not?" "He did," replied Harry. "Now, it is your turn, Albus Potter, am I correct?" Ollivander asked. Albus nodded. "Very good... Which is your wand arm?" "Right," replied Albus promptly. "Good, let's see, try this. Unicorn tail hair and hornbeam. Go on, give it a wave," Ollivander urged. Albus picked it up dubiously and waved it. Ice began to coat the room. Ollivander hurriedly waved his wand, restoring the peace in the room. "No, definitely not. What about pine and dragon heartstring?" Albus took the wand from Ollivander and waved it, feeling foolish as he did so, as though someone had sewn a new hand on him. The lightbulbs exploded. Albus carefully placed the wand back onto the counter, feeling awkward. Ollivander took it and placed the wand back into the box. "Hmm... Let's see, what about this special one? Perhaps this will work for you..." he said as he handed a stylish ivory-coloured wand to Albus. "Aspen wood and phoenix feather, twelve and three quarter inches, nice and supple, try it now," Ollivander suggested. Albus cautiously took it up. However, the instant he picked this one up, he knew it was different. Some deep instinctive urge told him that that was the wand for him. He waved it, and gold sparks shot out like a firework and exploded into a million more tiny firework fragments.
"Aha! That's the one for you, Mr Potter. My my, duelling must run in your family! Your father, Mr Potter, was brilliant at Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Aspen wands usually only choose those with a duelling prowess, which is covered under your DADA classes. I expect to hear you excel at your DADA sessions, Mr Potter," Ollivander said.
Albus handed over the Aspen wand very hesitantly, watching closely at Ollivander wrapped his new wand up in a box. His father paid ten galleons, and they left the shop.
Later in the day, they entered the Owl Emporium. James was speaking parseltongue to the snakes, a gift that Albus had inherited as well, and Albus was staring at the owls, considering which would be the best. In the end, Albus chose a silver-gray owl with a huge pair of intelligent caramel eyes. She hooted cheerily as Albus picked her, and Albus decided to call her Evera, a name he had once read about when he was younger. His father paid for the owl before the Potter family called it a day. Albus found himself poring over his books the rest of the evening, waiting a little nervously for school the next day. It would be his first time staying for extended days away from his parents.
That night, he dreamt of being sorted into Slytherin, and that everyone in school began shunning him for being sorted into Slytherin......
