Date: End of August Mention: Reducio

Location: Ollivanders - Diagon Alley, London. Interacting with: Reducio

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Coriolanus´s pale face was slightly illuminated by a thin beam of sunlight as he and Jacob emerged from Flourish and Blotts, each carrying a heavy stack of thick, leather-bound books. The school year was only a few days away. For his cousin Jacob, who had been at Hogwarts for two years, this was just another trip to Diagon Alley, like so many others he had allowed Coriolanus to accompany him on while he bought new equipment and supplies. But for Coriolanus, this was a different occasion. He was here because he had received his letter, and while it was hardly a surprise, he could not deny the rising tide of excitement he felt. He had spent most of the previous night tossing and turning in bed, his imagination racing with thoughts. He wanted to appear cool to the other kids, but at the same time he wanted to make sure he remained himself.

The visit to the cauldron shop was undoubtedly the least exciting, and luckily – as he considered it – it was Jacob's first stop. This meant that the best was saved for last. Jacob would have preferred to go to Madam Malkin's first after purchasing the cauldrons, where they had purchased new sets of clothes. Coriolanus felt that the fabric of Jacob's clothes was softer than what he had seen Jacob's friends wearing in Diagon Alley earlier. However, the first stop after the cauldron shop was the owl shop, at the request of Corius, who was fond of owls. He would not buy one for himself, as his grandmother had said that the financial situation left by his father after his death was not favorable, and she would not allow him to ask his mother for money, even if it were a matter of life and death. It was necessary to keep up appearances and, more than anything, the pride of a Minyard over a Josten. Still, Corius knew his cousin needed an owl, so he grabbed Jacob’s coat sleeve and dragged him along the winding sidewalks to the owl shop, where they could at least admire the birds up close. Jacob had enough money to buy a pet, since his father sent money from Germany every year.

After leaving the owl shop with a stately snowy owl with round golden eyes, they headed to Florish and Blotts, from where they were now returning. Corius felt the collar of his sweater being pulled back as he began to walk. Jacob was right behind him, carrying a pile of books. “Wait a minute, brat,” he said, piling the books into Corius’s already full arms, making him sway from side to side as he tried to balance everything.

“What are you doing, asshole?” he demanded angrily. “Hey, carry your own stuff.”

"You sound like you're carrying your own gear, too," Jacob grumbled, opening a bag and starting to stuff all the books inside. It was an enchanted bag that Jacob always used; everything they had bought was in there. Coriolanus sighed in relief that he no longer had to carry all those books. "This is getting heavy, you should do some of it. Just because we're alone doesn't mean I have to babysit you, brat."

Corius patted Jacob on the back. "You're doing great at babysitting, you should consider the job," he teased, a genuine smile on his face. Jacob hurried after him as they headed towards Ollivanders, their last stop of the day. Corius was eager to buy a wand, not only because of that, but also because he was a huge fan of Garrick Ollivander - the best wandmaker in the world. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. Jacob easily caught up to him, being bigger and faster. Corius was pulled by the collar until he was face to face with Jacob's furious face, while he laughed at his cousin.

"You little brat!" Jacob yelled.

"Let me go, you brute, we're here..." He said, pointing to the sign with gold letters. Jacob abruptly let go of him and entered the store without delay, Corius right behind him.

The interior was dimly lit and there were boxes stacked against the walls, one on top of the other, until they formed long columns. Corius felt a chill in his stomach and instinctively hid behind Jacob. He had expected to find a more airy and bright place than this; the sensation he felt gave him a brief shiver. "Coby, there's no one here... let's go," he whispered, squeezing his cousin's arm with both hands. Jacob ignored him and walked to a counter where he knew there would be a bell and rang it. Corius looked around and began to admire the amount of wands, wondering how long it had taken Garrick Ollivander to make each one. It was certainly one of the most thought-provoking works Corius had ever seen.

Jacob, impatient and visibly bored, rang the bell several times in quick succession. There was a creak of wood and then footsteps. A very tall man with spiky, graying hair emerged from the darkness of what appeared to be a storeroom. With a friendly look, he approached the counter and put the bell away. "Sorry for the wait, young men," he said kindly. Coriolanus could hardly believe his eyes; it was indeed Garrick Ollivander - a little older and stooped than in the stories he had heard. "I am Garrick Ollivander, how may I help you?"

Jacob was about to say, "Hello, sir, we just need..." when he was abruptly interrupted.

"I am your greatest admirer in the world, Mr. Ollivander!" Corius exclaimed, interrupting him. "Well, at least in our world," he added, slowly emerging from behind his cousin. Jacob just shook his head in disapproval.

The man leaned over the counter, regarding him intently, as if assessing him with a curious gaze. "The number one in our world, you say? It must be because you're the only one who has one," he said with a smile and a wink, his voice gentle and clear.

"As I was saying, we need a wand, if possible." Jacob snorted.

Mr. Ollivander straightened up. "Of course we do, otherwise you wouldn't be here. And which of you exactly would that wand be for?"

Corius responded with a little jump. "Me! I'm going to Hogwarts at the beginning of term!"

Garrick Ollivander studied him again. "I see, as I imagined. And what's your name?"

"Coriolanus, Coriolanus Minyard."

Garrick nodded, then climbed up a long, narrow wooden ladder that rested against a high shelf behind the counter. He carefully selected a few boxes, then climbed back down. "Very well, Mr. Minyard, acquiring a wand for the first time is quite an exciting experience for young people your age who come here looking for one." He said, opening the first box and carefully handing Coriolanus a large, polished wand. "That said, some of them never trade their wand for another. It becomes as much a part of them as any other limb in their body." Coriolanus took the wand very carefully and waited for Garrick to tell him what to do. "Come on, show us you're worthy of it!" Ollivander said as a friendly encouragement. Corius lifted the object and moved it slowly, drawing a circle in the air. Nothing happened. Garrick Ollivander then put the wand away again and handed him another one, one with a wooden handle. Coriolanus repeated the process, and this time, the wand offered a strange resistance, starting to shake his wrist from side to side, causing Jacob to laugh. Garrick handed him another wand, this one made of thin black wood, which caused a strong gust of wind to ruffle his clothes, forcing Mr. Ollivander to snatch it from his hands. Another wand and a few dozen boxes were thrown in all directions, one of them almost hitting Jacob's head. He had tried many wands of all types, but none of them suited him. He did not know how much time had passed, and Jacob was as bored as he was irritated.

"Acquiring a wand is not an easy task, Mr. Minyard. You have to be very patient until the right wand chooses you."

Corius shrugged secretly. Even though he was an admirer of Mr. Ollivander, he found the idea that wands choose wizards to be complete nonsense. Garrick Ollivander put his hand to his chin thoughtfully and scanned the shelves with a sharp gaze. Suddenly, his eyebrows rose and a glimmer of understanding lit his face. He picked up a ladder and walked to a distant shelf. He climbed to the second-to-last step and removed a single, burgundy-colored box. Opening it, he presented a long, light-colored wand. The man studied him with a precision he had not shown before. The young man carefully held the wand and raised it, experiencing a sensation of unusual warmth that he had never felt before. A golden light emanated from the tip of the wand, spiraling up to the ceiling and then vanishing into thin air. "Very well, Mayhaw, 13.4 inches, unicorn hair. Sometimes simplicity works better than complexity," Garrick Ollivander said with a big smile. Coriolanus jumped for joy and Garrick carefully put the wand away, handing it back in its box. Jacob sighed in relief, eager to go home. "At last," his cousin said. Coriolanus didn't know much about wands, but he was happy to have found his own. And if it was true that a wand chooses its owner, he was even happier.

"If I'm not mistaken, the famous former president of the American Magical Congress, Picquery, had a wand made of mayhaw wood. They are known to hide their magical traces. I hope you won't use this unique ability unwisely, Mr. Minyard."

Corius nodded and tucked his wand into his coat.

"Yes sir," he said with a wink.

"The same goes for you, Mr. Jacob Nathan Minyard."

Jacob frowned at the gentleman. "How do you remember that my wand is made of the same wood as his?" he asked in confusion.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold. Now if you'll excuse me, I must return to my occasional duties."

Jacob huffed and grabbed Corius's hand as they left the shop.