Nora's mom was as amazed by all the shops in Diagon Alley and the things they found there. She was half Irish and had a strong inclination toward anything resembling magic. She was a superstitious woman, yet very wise too. She owned an apothecary shop in Edinburgh and seemed to fit right into this world her daughter had just been invited into. She could contain her feelings quite well and walk as if she were a witch herself, but that was because she had learned how to be the odd one out her entire life. The same was not true for Nora, who had to remind herself to close her mouth and keep walking every time she saw something unusual.

Finding where to buy each item on the list took longer than it would have for those born into the wizarding world — not only because Nora and her mom had never been to Diagon Alley before, but because they would stop for a second or two to inspect trinkets, read signs, and peek into each shop, even when it was clear they wouldn’t find what they were looking for there. They were exploring, and it was so much fun! Although Nora’s father was a very fun person to be around, when it came to “weird,” her mom was the perfect person to have nearby. Nora was thankful to have a mother like hers. She wasn’t as cheerful as her dad, not by far, definitely more grounded. But for the first time, Nora saw a side of her mom she had never seen before, and she understood who she was and why she kept things to herself. It was because she was wired differently. She noticed things that, if spoken, might make people think less of her, despise her even. She believed in the supernatural. For her, nature itself was a magical thing. Nora wondered if her mom had ever seen real magic before... She had received the news of her daughter being a witch way too well and was acting like a child in a candy shop at Diagon Alley. Nora had never seen her mom so happy, so wide-eyed. She almost wished the letter had come for her mom too... But that didn’t make any sense. She was far past school age, and who would want to go to school with their own mother?! Still, Nora was happy for both of them and felt there was no one else in the world she would rather be sharing that moment with.

That’s what Nora was thinking about, feeling a warmth in her heart, when they finally reached Ollivanders’ shop. That was the last thing on their list, a wand.

“Welcome, welcome! Come in! I’ll be right with you...” said a very old-looking man from the top of the stairs, while Nora’s mom kept her dignified posture and Nora looked around with her mouth half open.

“New to our world, I see... but one could barely tell. I’ve sold nearly every wand you see around, and I remember them all, I do. And the people I sold them to. I don’t remember you, though, that’s why. I welcome you regardless. What have we here?” said Mr. Ollivander, now moving his eyes from Nora’s mom down and to the right to take a closer look at Nora.

“I’m Keira Doyle, and this is my daughter, Nora. We’re here to get her a wand.”

“Mmm...” said the man in deep consideration, looking firmly at Nora. “I have some ideas, yes I do. Let’s see...” He turned his back to the shelves behind him, pulled out a long box, and placed it on the counter in front of them.

Nora glanced at her mom, who gave her an approving look, which meant she could open the box. She placed the lid beside it, but before she touched the wand, she gave Mr. Ollivander the same look she had given her mom.

“Go ahead! You have to try it. That’s how we’ll know if it’s the right one.”

Nora pulled the wand from the box and looked back at Mr. Ollivander.

“What do I do with it...?”
“Give it a little wave, of course!”

She did, and some weak sparks came out of it, as if it had run out of batteries. Mr. Ollivander laughed.

“No spark. No connection.” He turned around and placed two more boxes on the counter, opened one of them, and handed the wand to Nora. “Let’s try this one.”

Nora held it and gave a more confident wave than before, and something like a lightning bolt came out of it, breaking a window.

“Much better, but still not what we want, is it? No, no... Try this other one here. I thought about it first but left it for last because... well, because I like to see how wands behave in different hands. You can learn a lot this way, and one cannot go around handing people any wand. It wouldn’t be wise... Go on! Try it!”

Nora held the wand firmly but comfortably in her hands and gave it a little wave. A swirl of tiny stars emerged, growing larger very quickly and illuminating the room. It was beautiful to look at. Now Keira was the one with her mouth open, while Mr. Ollivander had a satisfied look on his face.

“Well, this is it. Such a special moment when a wand chooses a witch or a wizard. I can never get enough of it...” he said, looking a bit dreamy.

“A wand chooses a witch...? Is that what you said, Mr.?” asked Nora, looking puzzled.
“Yes, yes, my dear. The wand chooses the witch, not the other way around. You’ll understand it as you learn how to do magic. You and your wand will become very, very close. You’ll feel it.”

Keira and Nora looked at each other, and there was no need to say anything. Nora knew she would be writing to her mother at some point to tell her about her wand and everything she was learning. She felt more connected with her mother now, more like her. That was new because she had always related more to her father, sharing his sense of adventure. Little did she know she had so much of her mother in her, and they were finally beginning to understand each other better. Magic was bringing them closer.