Splinters

Chapter 2

Penelope took a deep breath before knocking on her father's door. "Dad?" She asked. No reply was heard as Penelope slowly opened the door. 

     "How are you?" Her soft voice echoed in the silent room. 

     Giovan Ollivander had practically disappeared after Sadie died. "Today's my eleventh birthday and I finally got my Hogwarts acceptance letter. Do you want to go to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour to celebrate?" She didn't expect an answer. Penelope hasn't gotten a reply from her father in years. 

     "My Lucky Penny, are you coming?" Garrick called to the young girl. 

     "Coming, Grandpa," Penelope said back. "I'm sorry," she tearfully whispered as she knelt down in front of her father as he sat on his bed. 

     Penelope picked up her bag she had abandoned by the door. "Happy Birthday to me . . ." she trailed off and closed the door behind herself. 

     The two Ollivanders walked towards their favorite ice cream parlour. "How would you like to go shopping for your school supplies tomorrow? I'll open the shop late but we'll have to go early," prompted Garrick. 

     "Can we really?" Penelope jumped up and down in excitement. 

     Garrick chuckled; it seemed that Penelope never ran out of energy. "Of course. Are you going to-"

     "Run? Of course I will!" 

     Penelope and Garrick had been out exploring the Muggle world one day. They came across a cross country race and Penelope had been fascinated. She began running the very next day and found she was quite good at it. Running became her way to express her feelings as well as find out things about people around her. 

     "Before or after getting your supplies?" Penelope shot her grandfather a look.

     "Before, of course!" The child laughed. She loved to run in the back alleys of Diagon Alley. Most in this large wizarding community knew Penelope and would take her in if there was an sign of uncertainty around her. 

     They arrived at the Ice Cream Parlour. "Happy Birthday, Penny!" Florean greeted the young girl. 

     "Thank you, Mr. Fortescue!" She smiled as shop owners from Diagon Alley came by as her and Garrick enjoyed their ice cream outside. 

     Penelope ate her two scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough as Garrick ate a mixture of strawberry and mint chocolate chip. "How can you eat that?" Garrick asked his granddaughter. 

     She pursed her lips. "How can you eat that?" Penelope responded. 

     "You have a point," Garrick chuckled at her antics. She was so much like her mother just in her looks but she acted like her father. Yet Garrick could see a part of him in her. 

     "Can I look through the shop to find my wand today?" Penelope finally asked the question that had tempted her for years. 

     "If you wish," he replied. "But stay away from the ones . . ." 

     Penelope sighed and swirled her spoon around in the empty ice cream bowl. "I'll stay away from the ones my father made," she promised. 

     "If you can't find a wand, which in your case may happen, them we will make wands together until a wand chooses you," Garrick held one of Penelope's hands in his two. 

     The two threw away their ice cream bowls and spoons before walking back towards Ollivanders Wand Shop which they lived above for easy access. Garrick unlocked the door and Penelope immediately scampered to a stool where she always sat. 

     It wasn't too soon until a line had formed outside of the famous wand shop. Penelope would greet the customers as she has done since she was born while Garrick gave them wands to try out. 

     "Gryffindor, of course I'll be in Gryffindor!" A boy exclaimed. He was next in line and Penelope grew excited. Gryffindor was a house at Hogwarts where she had received her letter from. Maybe she had finally found a friend!

     "Are you going to Hogwarts?" Penelope appeared beside the boy. He screeched in surprise and fell back into a man who seemed to be his father. 

     "James, be nice," a woman scolded him. He sheepishly grinned but held his hand out to Penelope. 

     "Yeah, I'm going to Hogwarts. James Potter's the name," Penelope shook his hand. 

     "Penelope Ollivander," she replied. His face turned to shock. 

     "Like the Ollivander family?" James asked. Penelope nodded and signaled towards Garrick. 

     "Garrick Ollivander is my grandfather. I've lived here since I was born," said Penelope, pride shining in her eyes. 

     James seemed to still be frozen as Penelope turned to look at him. "That's wicked!" James burst. Penelope laughed until her name was spoken. 

     "Penny," Garrick called to her. 

     "I'll see you at Hogwarts?" Penelope asked James. 

     He nodded. "Maybe on the train, Penny?" James adopted Penelope's nickname. She rapidly nodded her head then disappeared in the back to find a wand that would choose her. 

     Penelope spent the entire day of her birthday looking for her first wand. She was almost in frustrated tears as Garrick closed up the shop. "I can't find one," her lower lip quivered. 

     "Let's see," Garrick crouched down to her level. "Did you try to 11' Elm with the dragon heartstring core?"

     The young girl nodded. "And the 10' Dogwood with the unicorn hair."

     Garrick racked his brain for where he kept his rarer wands. "Let me show you some I got from my friend in America along with some of my more powerful wands," he took Penelope's hand and they walked to a magically locked safe. Extensive enchantment surrounded the safe until Garrick took them off. 

     The old man reached into the safe and pulled out an old looking box. "I rarely use this wood but my American counterpart sent me a wand made of yew. It is not for a mediocre or timid wizard or witch. 11' 5" yew with a phoenix tail feather. I was saving this for someone special, Penny. Your father tried this very wand but it did not choose him," as Garrick talked about the wand, Penelope felt that there was something hidden in the safe. 

     Penelope reached down into the safe and pulled her hand back out after she held the box that seemed to be calling her. It was almost as if Garrick was blind as Penelope opened the box. Inside of the velvet box sat a beautiful wand. 

     Designs swirled over the entire surface of the wand. It was light in Penelope's hands as she picked it up. Warmth filled her entire body. Wand boxes that scattered the floor flew up and placed themselves on the shelves. Magic flew through the veins of Penelope Ollivander as she fixed every broken item in Ollivander's Wand Shop. 

     Garrick stared at the wand that Penelope held with a hint of disbelief and fear. "What wand is this?" Penelope asked her grandfather. 

     "10' Hawthorn with a dragon heartstring," Penelope grinned as she twirled the wand in between her fingers. "I would have never thought that wand would have chosen you. I stopped using that wood for a reason." 

     "Why, grandpa?" Penelope asked. Garrick went to stopped the wand from twirling but pulled back from the wood. 

     "That's the type of wood that turned your mother into a tree."