Chapter 5: 05 The Wand

Harry and Hagrid were dropped off back at the bank and they walked over to the doorway. Or so Hagrid thought. When he stepped out of the door and asked Harry what he wanted to buy first, the boy didn't answer. He looked down and didn't see him, then turned around and looked to see where he could have gone. He eventually saw Harry standing at the end of the line to wait for a teller and walked over to him.

“Harry, we need ta get going.” Hagrid said, a little urgency in his voice. “I need ta get yeh back home so yeh can be back before the Dursleys are.” He said. “I also need ta talk ta Dumbledore.”

“I'll just be a minute.” Harry said and the line moved forward. He didn't notice the looks the other goblins gave him. As fate would have it, the next available teller when it was his turn, was the same goblin that had completed their other business.

The goblin didn't react as Harry stepped forward. “Business?”

“I'd like to exchange some gold for English pounds.” Harry said.

The goblin raised his bushy eyebrows slightly. “You want to exchange the most stable currency in the world... gold... for muggle paper money?”

“Yes, please.” Harry said, to the goblin's surprise. “What's the exchange rate?”

The goblin gave him an odd look. “Let me check.” He said and took out a large book. “An ounce of gold is currently worth 224 pounds. Since there are 31.1 grams of gold per ounce, that's 7 pounds, 20 pence.” He closed the book. “A galleon is 1.98 grams, therefore the conversion is 14 pounds 26 pence.”

Harry counted out 50 galleons, which barely touched the pile he had inside, and put them on the counter. The goblin counted them again to make sure, then he reached under the counter and pulled out a huge stack of British pound notes in various denominations. He counted out 713 pounds, giving Harry a nice and even mix of low, medium, and high denomination bills, then put 5 pence on top of it.

Harry took the bills and put them into his money bag and put the pence in his pocket. “Is there a fee for the exchange?” He asked. He knew that much about banks in the real world, because Uncle Vernon complained about being screwed over by it when he sold drills overseas.

“It has been deducted from your vault automatically.” The goblin said.

Harry nodded to the goblin and turned around, then walked away with Hagrid right behind him.

“What do yeh wanna buy first?” Hagrid asked for the second time as he opened the door of the bank.

“A wand.” Harry said. “Then books. Lots of books.” He said. At the moment, they were the only things he really wanted.

“Then yeh'll be wanting Ollivander's.” Hagrid said and pointed to a dark grungy shop. “Ain't no better wand maker in alla Britain!”

They entered the shop and an old man that looked crazier than the hair he wore on the top of his head, came out of the back.

“Ah, Mr. Potter. I was wondering when you would come through my door looking for a wand.” Ollivander said. “Yes, yes indeed.” He said and walked over to Harry. “I just need to take a few measurements and ask a few questions.”

“Why?” Harry asked.

“Hm?” Ollivander looked at him as he held out a measuring tape.

“Why do you need measurements and questions answered? I just want a wand.” Harry said.

Ollivander gave him a slightly surprised look, then he smiled and put the tape away. “Very well. You don't need the distraction to calm your excitement.” He said and then just stared intently at Harry for several minutes.

Harry didn't ask him what he was doing, because he knew he wouldn't be able to make sense of the answer anyway.

“Hmm. Yes, I believe I have just the thing.” Ollivander said and walked over to a large stack of thin boxes and pulled one out of the middle. “Try this.”

Harry opened the box and inside was a pitch black piece of wood with a swirling handle.

“Well? Give it a wave.” Ollivander said and made a motion with his hand.

Harry took the wand and did the same motion. Dozens of boxes flew off the shelves and several of them broke open and wands of all kinds rolled across the floor.

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“Nope. Nope.” Ollivander said and a wand appeared in his hand and swiped at the mess. It reversed and all the wands packed themselves back up and slid back onto the shelves. “All right. Try this one.”

Harry took the light brown stick with a small horse emblem on the handle. He waved it and some kind of glass thing shattered across the room.

“Hmm. No.” Ollivander stood there deep in thought and didn't bother cleaning the mess up this time.

“Sir? Why is this happening?” Harry asked. “I just want a wand.”

Ollivander smiled. “It's not as simple as just finding a pretty one and buying it. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter.”

Harry stood there and listened to the man rave a bit about wands and how they grew with the wizard that used them. He didn't know how a piece of wood would grow as a person does, then he shrugged. He was pretty sure if he asked, the old man would just say it was magic and to leave it at that.

Ollivanger went quiet for several moments after saying something about fate, then spoke. “Maybe...” He quickly walked away and disappeared in the shelves of wands. He came back a minute later and opened the box he had in his hands. Inside was a long wand that was medium brown. It had a simple handle for easy gripping and a long straight shaft.

Harry reached into the box. When his hand wrapped around the handle, the box was broken apart and the wrapping fell to the floor. The wand glowed for several moments and he was filled with a tingling sensation and a wind seemed to come from out of somewhere and blew his hair all around.

“Ah, I thought so.” Ollivander said and plucked the wand from Harry's hand. “I remember every wand I've sold, Mr. Potter. It's curious that the phoenix that donated the feather in that wand has chosen you, since...”

Harry wasn't listening as his anger at being robbed of his things came to the forefront. Dudley had done that to him so many times over the years that he was sick of it. He quickly stepped forward and plucked the wand out of Ollivander's hand.

Ollivander stopped talking and looked quite surprised for a moment, then he looked at how Harry gripped the wand. So possessive of it already? He thought and knew that the wand wouldn't be so easily taken from him in the future. “I think we all must expect great things from you in the future, Mr. Potter. After all, he who must not...”

“How much is the wand?” Harry asked and interrupted him before he started another long story.

“Seven galleons.” Ollivander said and Harry paid for it. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

“Can I buy another wand?” Harry asked. It wouldn't hurt to have a second one, just in case.

“I'm sorry, but no. It's against school policy to have more than one wand.”

“What if I don't go to school?” Harry asked and both Ollivander and Hagrid had surprised expressions on their face.

“By Wizarding Law, you need to complete your education to be deemed safe to wield such a powerful magical item.” Ollivander said and motioned to Hagrid. “Just ask him what it means to not have a proper education. When he was expelled, they broke his wand.”

It was Harry's turn to stare at Hagrid with surprise on his face.

“I'd rather not talk abou' tha'.” Hagrid said, his face slightly red.

“Such a shame. Wonderful wand it was. Oak. Sixteen inches. Rather bendy.” Ollivander said. “It's too bad they wouldn't let you keep it as long as you didn't use it and took care of it properly.”

Those words rang in Harry's head. “Sir? How do I take care of the wand properly?” He asked, not knowing it was an old salesman's trick to tell people what they wanted to buy.

“I'm very glad you asked.” Ollivander said and pulled a small book out of somewhere. “This will show you everything you need to know about caring for the most useful tool a witch or wizard has.”

Harry opened the book and the very first thing it said was that he needed a wand maintenance kit. “Sir, do you have...”

Ollivander had the kit in his hands already and Harry was out another five galleons. Ollivander gave him a very nice wooden box for the wand, free of charge, and thanked him for the business.

Harry left the shop quite happy, because he now owned the most useful tool that a wizard could have.

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