Today, I got my wand.

It still feels strange to write that, not because I didn’t expect it, but because I have been waiting so long. It feels like it has been waiting for me, too.
It's lying beside me on the windowsill, catching the last of the grey light. The wood is a smooth, chocolate brown. It fits perfectly in my hand, as though it had always belonged there.

My parents and I arrived in Diagon Alley just after breakfast. I wore my polished shoes and the midnight-blue cloak that Mother had laid out for me. Father refused to Floo directly into the shop ("Improper", he said), so we walked from the Leaky Cauldron, past the usual bustle – owls shrieking overhead and children pointing at sweets through the glass. I barely noticed. My heart was thudding as if it wanted to get ahead of me.
The door creaked as we entered. The air smelled like wand polish and parchment. The shop was full of long, crooked stacks of boxes that almost reached the ceiling. I couldn’t read any labels.
Mr Ollivander appeared from behind one of the stacks. He was older than I’d imagined. He looked at me and simply said, "I've been expecting you, Miss Vale." He probably said that to everyone. But somehow, it made me feel as though the wand had chosen me even before I stepped inside.

He handed me the first wand: blackthorn wood with a phoenix feather core. I barely lifted it before the tip snapped like a whip and the light dimmed. I flinched. The second wand, made of cherry wood with a dragon heartstring core, whirled sparks upwards and set a stack of ribbon boxes on fire. I could feel the heat in my chest more than on my skin. I thought of Bram, smirking behind his hand, even though he wasn’t there.

Then came the third.

Walnut wood. 22.8 centimetres. Unicorn hair.

The moment I touched it, the room changed. A breeze I couldn't explain stirred the air. I felt the hair on my arms rise. The dust particles spun like stars in the sunlight that was peeking through the clouds. My fingers closed around the wood as if they had always meant to.

Mr Ollivander murmured that walnut was drawn to brilliant minds and sharp thinkers. He also said that unicorn hair was steadfast and deeply loyal, and resistant to the Dark Arts but would remain silent if not handled with care.
Information about wood and core found here: viewtopic.php?t=7503&start=10#p305014

Father said nothing at first. He just watched. Mother murmured that it was a wise choice. But I felt it in my bones. This wand is mine.

I haven't used it yet. I want to wait until I'm at Hogwarts. But I’ve held it all afternoon. When I close my fingers around the handle, it feels like something is listening. It's waiting patiently and kindly to see what I’ll do.

-S

PS: This is a sketch of the wand AI generated

PS: This is a sketch of the wand