Sorcerer's Shopping Spree: Part III ...revisit his past...

After making their way through Diagon Alley away from Madam Malkin's, they eventually reached Ollivanders. The building was imposing, even though it was nestled neatly among the other structures in Diagon Alley. This was a momentous occasion as it determined the wand that Luca would carry for life, learn magic with, and use to attack or defend himself; it was indeed an important moment. The group reached the door, and as Luca started to step inside, he noticed that everything else remained outside.

"Aren't you coming?" Luca asked curiously.

"This is something you should experience for yourself, son," Lorenzo said, with Amelia and Lilliana standing behind him, nodding in agreement.

Luca nodded, feeling a bit of nerves bubble up from deep within. He swallowed it down and stepped into the dimly lit shop. The sound of the door shutting behind him echoed loudly in his head, making the start of the experience feel more eerie. The room itself wasn't scary, but this was the first truly alone experience he'd had in the last 11 years. His parents and nanny were right outside, but this felt different. Luca stepped in a little further and began looking around at all the boxes, noticing their different features, such as wood, core, and flexibility.

After a few minutes, the voice of an elderly man startled him from behind. "Oh, hello there! What is your name?"

After the initial rise in heart rate from being startled wore off, Luca inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled before answering. Ollivanders had seemed empty when he walked in, but having a shopkeeper in the wand shop made sense. He looked around to see if there was anyone else who might surprise him, but he found that they were alone. The closest people seemed to be his parents and nanny waiting outside, chatting amongst themselves.

"I'm Luca Corranado. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Luca said proudly, doing his best to be brave for his first true task alone. He wasn't entirely alone, but in this case, he was truly on his own. The older man opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly, a faint sound of a box falling from the other end of the shop interrupted them. They walked over together, and the shopkeeper looked down at it.

"It appears that the wand has chosen the wizard once more, Master Corranado," the elderly man remarked as he bent down to retrieve the box. He lifted the lid and set it aside before taking out the wand to examine it. "Ah, 27.9 centimeters, beech wood, and dragon heartstring. A fine wand indeed. What do you think?"

Luca cautiously took the wand. The room seemed blurry, and a powerful aura radiated around him as he connected with the wand. They all stood there quietly for a time as the moment passed, and the shopkeeper nodded, satisfied. "Yes, I think this wand will suit you well," he said gruffly.

"You said beech wood and dragon heartstring earlier. What do those mean?" Master Corranado, ever curious, asked.

Delighted that he could impart wand knowledge, the shopkeeper began his tangent: "Beech wood will perform very poorly for the narrow-minded and intolerant. However, it will do very well at being subtle and artistic when matched with the right wizard. Now, dragon heartstring is a learned core and will absorb spells much more quickly than other cores. However, while it can change allegiances if it is won from its original owner, it is always very bonded with its current owner. Your wand is also very swishy, which means it is harder to learn to cast with, but when you do learn, the spells will be very powerful."

With this Luca looked at his wand, enamored with its possibilities.

The shopkeeper and Luca made their way to the counter once it was decided that this wand had chosen him. The wand was cautiously placed back into the box, and it was evident to those outside that a purchase was in progress. At this moment, Lorenzo entered the shop and joined his son at the counter with a smile. He looked down at a very happy Luca, who was thrilled about his first wand. The shopkeeper and Lorenzo discussed the price, and his father paid in full for the wand that had chosen his son. The pair then exited to the group with the wand box in hand.

At this point, Luca, Lorenzo, Amelia, and Lillinna had their fill of shopping in Diagon Alley. They had everything they needed, and the term was going to start in a couple of short weeks. They all followed the alley to the nearby store that housed the Floo Network fireplace. One by one, the group stepped into the fire, carrying as much as they could. One by one, they announced clearly, "Corranado Manor!" before disappearing in a flash of green flames. As they emerged into Corranado Manor, they began settling in and organizing all of Luca's things for his first trip to Hogwarts, where he would embark on a journey that was his very own.

His story continues: Beyond the Brick Wall