The tinkling of the shop bell announced Letizia’s arrival as she practically waltzed into Ollivander’s wood shop. She was enamored at all the wand boxes lining the shelves in the musty old shop.
She came alone as her parents were still buying her other school supplies and she has went on ahead to obtain her wand.
“Welcome in!” A cheery raspy voice greeted her warmly from behind the counter.
The voice belonged to a well aged man with wispy silver hair that almost looked like a silver cloud. Though his body showed his age, his eyes sparkled with the excitement of a child.
“Here for a wand Miss Körmt?” He asked knowingly.
Letizia couldn’t hide her surprise.
“H-Have we met before?” She gasped in awe. Surely she must have had to have met him if he knew her name.
The old man shook his head.
“No, no, I do believe this is our first time but where are my manners? My name is Garrick Ollivander. Simply Ollivander will do. I have supplied wands to the Körmt family for many generations. All of which have been placed in the ambitious house of Slytherin.” He said with an tone of peculiarity.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Letizia smiled extending her hand out in a polite gesture and shaking Ollivander’s hand.
“I’m excited to get my first wand so I can learn magic at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry!”
Letizia eagerly wondered what her wand would be made of. Maybe Ebony like her mother’s? Or perhaps Yew like her father’s?
Her thoughts shifted to the core. She had met her friend just outside the shop and he had shown a sleek Elm wand with dragon heartstring as it’s core. Fitting really as his name was Elm.
So many possibilities but which one would choose her? She was determined to get the perfect wand with a unique core like thestral tail hair or phoenix feather.
“I think I have just the wand for you.” Ollivander said as he disappeared to one of the shelves and reappeared not a moment longer.
He unboxed the wand and revealed a pretty reddish brown wand. The wand was a bit grainy looking but gleamed in the shop light and had a unique shine to it.
“Here we have a Cherry wood wand with thunderbird tail feather, 12 inches.” Ollivander informed as he handed it to Letizia.
She grasped the wand firmly in her hand but nothing happened. She shot a quick glance to Ollivander.
“Go on, give it a wave!” He encouraged with a wave of his hand to demonstrate.
Letizia flicked the wand and blast of wind erupted and knocked several wand boxes off one of the shelves.
Taken aback Letizia quickly put the wand back on the counter, mortified.
“Is that supposed to happen?” She asked worried.
“Ahh not to fret. Pay it no mind.” Ollivander chuckled. “It’s very rare that a pairing is ever made on the first try.”
He boxed the Cherry wand back up and replaced it on the shelf he had gotten it from. Then went to a shelf more toward the back. This wand box seemed slightly shorter than the other one.
“This one is Larch wood with White River Monster Spine, 9 3/4 inches.”
He opened the box to reveal a much paler wand. This one was slightly curved in the middle as well almost like a snake.
Letizia took the wand a bit more tentatively this time and gave it a swish. It caused a nearby plant to wither and die almost instantly.
Ollivander shook his head, his silver grey hair swishing from side to side.
“No, no, not that one either.” He muttered disappointed as he again put the wand exactly where he retrieved it from.
The apprehension was agonizing for Letizia. Surely some wand was meant to be hers.
Clarity seemed to strike Ollivander as his eyes lit with confidence.
“I know! We’ll try this one.” He said as he got a new wand box on a shelf that was more toward the front of the store on the right.
He opened the box to reveal a wand that was a bit green in colour with a slightly gold tint in areas. It wasn’t as ornate as the Cherry wand but it was more colourful than the Larch Wand.
“This here is a Willow wood wand with Troll Whisker, 12 1/4 inches, stiff flexibility.”
Letizia tried hard not to pull a face as she wasn’t a fan of trolls. They seemed like vulgar creatures and she felt that a troll whisker wand core was something beneath her. She reluctantly took the wand but as soon as she grasped it she instantly felt a connection. A warm controlled breeze emanated from the wand and Letizia looked at Ollivander with a big smile.
“This one feels different from the others…it’s something a bit unexpected but I think this is the one.”
“At last!” He exclaimed with a smile. “Willow wands are an uncommon wand wood with healing power.” He informed.
“My willow wands have consistently selected those of greatest potential, rather than those who feel they have little to learn. That wand is highly powerful and loves being powerful and is extremely difficult to control.” He stroked his chin rather thoughtfully.
Letizia still didn’t quite love the fact that the core was troll whisker compared to Elm’s dragon heartstring core, but she was happy nonetheless to finally have a wand. She did however relish the fact that it was a powerful wand with an uncommon wand wood.
“I will be curious to see what wonders you both will accomplish together.”
Letizia saw a mixture of curiosity and perhaps a touch of wariness in his eyes.
Letizia handed him the galleons to pay for her wand. She bid Ollivander farewell as she excitedly rushed off to show her parents and Elm the wand that had selected her. Something unexpected did happen but all things happen for a reason.