Splinters

Chapter 1

"Come along, Penny, dear," Sadie Ollivander called behind her.

     A child six years of age followed her mother. She had to run to catch up to the adult witch's steps.

     "Mummy!" Penelope squealed. Sadie laughed and stopped walking. She picked up her daughter as soon as she was within arms length.

     They continued walking down the cobblestone road of Diagon Alley. The large sign to a certain wand shop came into view. "Is Daddy there?" Penelope squirmed in her mother's arms.

     "Yes," Sadie chuckled, "along with Grandpa."

     Reaching Ollivanders, Sadie set Penelope down. She disappeared into the open door and raced around the shop.

     "Daddy! Gwampa!" Penelope yelled. It was common for her to mispronounce words. As it is for most children.

     "Do I hear my lucky Penny?" Garrick Ollivander poked his head around a broad wand shelf.

     Penelope giggled; skipping towards her grandfather. Garrick picked the six year old up and hugged her tight.

     "Want to see your dad making a wand? He's been doing so well," Garrick smiled down at his only grandchild.

     "Yes!" Penelope's grin was wide as she looked towards the always locked door.

     Garrick pulled a key on a chain from under his shirt. "Do you remember how to unlock it?" He whispered. Penelope rapidly nodded and took the key from him.

     She was placed in front of the door. Pensioners inserted the key into the lock and turned it 180 degrees to the left before stopping. Her small hand reached for an etching looking like a child's drawing and pressed down.

     The door grew warmer before opening into the room. "Sadie?" Giovan Ollivander looked down to see his brunette daughter instead of his blonde wife.

     "Daddy!" Penelope giggled. "Where's your glasses?"

     "Right here," Garrick held his son's glasses as he shuffled into the small room. "I believe you have Penny's glasses too."

     Giovan wore a small pair of navy colored glasses. "I couldn't find mine," Giovan flushed red and rubbed the back of his neck.

     "So you steal your daughter's glasses that are too small for you and the wrong prescription?" Sadie joined the trio as she leaned against the doorframe.

     Garrick handed his son his glasses and took Penelope's from him. Penelope stayed still as her grandfather put her glasses on her. She had once been poked in the eye accidentally because she wouldn't stay still.

     Giovan held in his hands a newly made wand. "I did it," he proudly spoke. Sadie moved forward and kissed her husband on the cheek.

     "First wand he ever made himself," Garrick admired the wand.

     "I'll test it out," Sadie spoke. Giovan looked uncertainly at his wife. "I've tested your other wands before. They've turned out quite well."

     Penelope jumped up and down. Yet she was ignored by the three adults as they spoke to each other. "Testing it out won't hurt me!" Sadie argued.

     The woman took the wand from Giovan and walked towards another sealed door mere feet away. Penelope scampered to a door next to it and disappeared inside.

     "I'll go with Sadie. You go with Penny, Dad," Giovan told Garrick. He nodded and went after the small girl.

     Garrick entered the viewing room to find Penelope sitting in the tallest chair possible. She was used to watching her mother test wands and knew exactly what to do. Sadie strapped on Quidditch keeper gear which was needed in order to test newly made wands.

     "Just a simple stupefy will suffice," Garrick spoke. The walls surrounding the testing room were not soundproof. Instead they were spell proof.

     Giovan entered the testing room in full Quidditch keeper gear like Sadie. He stood behind a spell proof piece of thick glass.

     "Stupefy!" Sadie yelled. The wand did nothing. Penelope's mother looked at the wand with sadness. Giovan looked guilty as his first solo wand isn't work.

     The two began to walk out but the wand sputtered. They froze in place as sparks slowly began flying from the wand but grew increasingly more frequent.

     "Drop the-" Garrick Ollivander gasped as the wand flung Sadie back into the wall.

     "It won't let me go!" The wand began to expand. It covered Sadie's left hand which held the wand and continued to make its way up her body. "Giovan!"

     "Dad, help!" Giovan yelled. Garrick rushed out of the viewing room and into the testing room.

     "Mummy!" Penelope shrieked. "Mummy!"

     Garrick and Giovan used spell after spell to stop the growth but it was too late as it finally encased her entire body in wood. Screams were heard from inside the wood before it went silent.

     "Sadie?" Giovan searched for a hole in the wood. No reply came from the woman inside.

     Slowly the wood grew branches. From those branches leaves sprouted. Sadie's arm grew into branch that birds could rest upon.

     Sadie Ollivander became a tree before their very eyes. "Mummy," Penelope had no idea what was happening. "Daddy! Gwampa! Help Mummy!" 

     Garrick sent a Patronus to the healers at St. Mungo's and they soon arrived. "Mummy!" Penelope cried. It seemed that all had forgotten about Penelope until Garrick looked away from Sadie. 

     "My lucky Penny," Garrick's voice broke. All that was left of Sadie stood in the next room over. Penelope Ollivander, the daughter of Giovan and Sadie Ollivander, watched as healers tried to fix her mother but were too late. 

     "Mummy!" Penelope continued to shriek. Giovan's head whipped towards his daughter. 

     "Shut up!" His voice shocked those around him. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Your mother is dead!" Penelope began to cry. Garrick had no idea who to go to; his son or his granddaughter.

     The door to the viewing room opened as Garrick entered. Penelope jumped off her stool and buried her face in his legs. Her sobs broke the man. Garrick picked her up and clutched her to his chest. 

     "We'll be alright. Your mum's in a better place now. She's happy; I promise you," Garrick whispered into his granddaughter's ear. 

     "I want my mummy."