The Wolf's Lion ~ Harry Potter (Editing)

Chapter Fifteen | Wand Weighing Ceremony

Once Harry and Ariana entered the classroom, they had discovered that it had been completely cleared of desks. Only a long wooden table stood at the side of the room, covered in velvet. It held the four judges (Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Maxime and Crouch), and Mr. Ollivander stood by the side.

A photographer stood in the corner, his large camera set up on a tripod stand. A blonde woman stood by his side, her hair in ringlets like a China doll. She wore a acid green skirt suit and had crimson painted lips, matching her manicured nails. On her arm hung a crocodile leather handbag, which Ariana did not like the look of at all.

"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore, drawing Ariana's attention from the corner of the room. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament." 

Ariana smiled at the old wizard who she had bought her wand from over three years ago, whose pale eyes were looking out of the window until his name had been mentioned.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" Mr. Ollivander asked, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room. 

Fleur Delacour swept over to Mr. Ollivander and handed him her wand, watching as he twirled it like a baton between his fingers, then held it inches from his face to examine it.

"Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches... inflexible... rosewood... and containing... dear me..." 

"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," Fleur stated. "One of my grandmuzzer's." 

Ariana looked over at Harry, not knowing until now that Fleur was part Veela*. A quarter Veela, she guessed, since it was her grandmother.

"Yes," said Mr. Ollivander. "I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands... However, to each his own, and if this suits you..." 

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, it's in fine working order," said Mr. Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand. "Mr. Diggory, you next." 

Cedric handed his wand over to the older wizard, studying Ollivander's reaction, just as everyone else in the room was.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Mr. Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm. "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn... Must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches... Ash... Pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition... You treat it regularly?" 

"Polished it last night," said Cedric, grinning. 

Ariana inwardly sighed in relief, as she had taken to polishing her wand every three nights. Thankfully, she had done so last night.

She looked over at Harry, who was trying to rub his wand clean with a fistful of his robe, an action which she found quite amusing.

The witch discreetly moved her wand and tapped Harry's with its tip, whispering an incantation almost silently. Harry's wand immediately looked as if it had been polished two seconds ago. He mouthed 'thank you'.

Ariana smiled, then watched as Ollivander made silver rings of smoke puff out of Cedric's wand. Apparently satisfied, the boy was given his wand back.

"Mr. Krum, if you please." 

Viktor proudly handed his crooked wand over, his face as stony as it usually was, observing Ollivander.

"Hmm," Ollivander hummed, "this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I... Yes. Hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees... Quite rigid... Ten and a quarter inches... Avis!" 

Ariana recognised the spell instantly, her eyes watching as a number of small, tweeting birds spouted from the tip of Krum's wand. All of them flew straight out of the window, heading into the sunlight.

"Good," said Mr. Ollivander, handing Krum back his wand. "Miss. O'Connor, please." 

Ariana approached the man, extending her wand out in her right hand. She felt quite confident in her wand, knowing she had kept it well.

"Aaaah, yes," Mr. Ollivander smiled, his pale eyes suddenly gleaming. "Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember. One could not forget." He held her wand up to his face, moving it about as he inspected it. "Elegant carving... Twelve inches... Ebony... Yes, a Phoenix tail feather core. It has two brothers, and one of them is held in the hand of Mr. Potter... You know who the other lies with."

Yes, she did know who its other brother belongs to: Voldemort. A few people in the room shuffled their feet when this was mentioned, but they never said anything. Ariana looked over at Harry and smiled, then her gaze returned to Ollivander. He seemed happy to see her wand again, running his fingers over the smooth surface.

"Lovely and rigid... Perfect condition." Ollivander flicked her wand, causing a series of red and gold sparks to shoot from the end. "Very good."

Ariana smiled when she recognised the Gryffindor colours, then thanked the wizard and accepted her wand, walking back to join the other champions. She noted how Ollivander was positively joyous to see her wand once again, and that made her quite pleased; it must be quite special.

"Now, Mr. Potter. If I may."

Harry stepped up to Ollivander, pressing his wand into the man's hands. He watched eagerly as Ollivander's eyes sparkled, just as they did with Ariana's.

"Yes. You purchased your wand mere days after Miss. O'Connor. I remember it clearly," he hummed, inspecting the wand. "Eleven inches... Holly... Phoenix feather, just as its brothers... Nice and supple..."

Harry's wand emitted a stream of wine into a goblet sitting in the table. Ollivander praised Harry for the condition of his wand, then allowed the boy to take it back.

Ariana noticed how the other Champions' didn't loosest pleased, probably due to the amount of extra positive comments Harry and Ariana received about their wands, and how Ollivander spent much longer examining them.

'Here we go again,' she thought, hating how her status made her a celebrity.