Dialogue: 4682b4

Date: August 30th, 2025

Edward trailed behind his father, his eyes fixed on the crumpled list in his hands as he tried to make sense of the tiny ticks and half-scribbled notes he'd made earlier. He mouthed each item under his breath, wondering how he’d already forgotten what they’d picked up and what was still missing.

“Well?” his father asked, stopping just ahead and turning back to him with one eyebrow raised. “Have you figured out what you're missing?”

His father clearly knew the answer, but he was giving Edward the chance to work it out for himself. Edward frowned at the page, scanning it again. Books… robes… cauldron… quills…
Then it hit him.

“A wand!” he blurted out, far louder than he meant to, and he instantly covered his mouth. A few shoppers glanced his way before carrying on, but his father just chuckled.

“There’s only one place worth getting a wand, and that’s Ollivanders,” his father said as he pulled his own wand from his jacket pocket.

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” his father added, rubbing his thumb along the smooth handle before slipping it away again. “Chestnut wood with a phoenix feather.”

Before he knew it, they were standing in front of a narrow, slightly crooked-looking shop squeezed between two taller buildings. It didn’t look like much at first glance, the windows dusty and the paint a little worn.

He lifted his eyes to the sign hanging above the door and read it slowly.

“Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 AC.”

“Well, you best head inside then.” His father said, taking a seat on one a few boxes that sat outside the building.

“Shouldn’t you come in with me, dad?” Edward replied, his gaze torn between his father and the door “You know.. just in case I buy the wrong wand.”

His father shook his head, and dug into his pocket and passed him some coins to purchase the wand.

“It’s a personal thing, getting your own wand. It wouldn’t be right for me to go in with you.” he replied “Go on now, I won’t be going anywhere.”

As he stepped inside, the door clicked shut behind him, cutting off most of the noise from the street. The shop was surprisingly quiet. All he could hear was the steady ticking of a clock somewhere on the wall and the faint sounds of people passing by outside.

He moved toward the counter, trying not to look as nervous as he felt. Up close, the place looked older than he expected, with wand boxes stacked in towers.

“Hello?” he called out, but no one answered him.

Did they come at the wrong time? He didn’t remember seeing any opening hours outside. After waiting a minute more and calling out a second time, he frowned somewhat, and turned back around to leave the shop.

“Where might you be going?” a voice spoke out from beyond the piles of stacked wands “You’ll be wanting a wand before you go to Hogwarts, won’t you?”

It belonged to an old feeble man who walked down the centre aisle. He was pale in complexion, and had round eyes with bags beneath them.

“Hel…Hi, Sir.” Edward replied nervously, turning his heel from the exit and returning to the counter “Are you Mr. Ollivander?”

“That I am, dear boy, and you must be Mr. Hawks.” the old man replied as he grabbed a small box from the shelf to the far left, and walked back over to him.

Edward was stunned, wondering how the old man possibly knew his name. He raised a brow, perhaps there was some magic that made him know everyone who stepped through the door.

“How did you know?”

“Your father stood where you now stand, decades ago. I never forget a face, Mr. Hawks.” the old man leaned forward till he was only inches away “Are you ready to receive your wand, sir?”

“Absolutely.”

Mr. Ollivander opened up the case and gently retrieved the wand and began twisting it with hand.

“This here is a 32.5cm wand made from cherry wood, and a phoenix feather.” he passed over the wand to Edward, who looked confused at first of what to do with it “Well, give it a flick..”

Edward flicked the wand and accidentally caused a pile of the boxes on the shelves to explode onto the ground, which made him instantly jump and drop the wand back onto the counter.

“Well, perhaps not that one…” Mr Ollivander replied.

He returned the wand to its box and began looking at the stacked boxes in the middle aisle, how they hadn’t collapsed at all was a mystery. He eventually grabbed another case and returned to the counter.

“Let us give this one a try.” he said, removing the wand from the box “This is a 31.1cm wand made from rowan wood, and a single hair from a unicorn.”

“Are you sure?” Edward replied, as he took the wand from the man “What if it blows up in my face?”

“It won’t… probably.” Mr. Ollivander replied.

He gave the wand the same flick, and light shined from it’s tip.

“It looks like we have found the one for you, Mr. Hawks.” he said “This wand is pliable, very resistant, and efficient most for transfiguration spells. Remember, the wand chooses the wizard. See that you take great care of it!”

Edward smiled as he looked at his new wand, and nodded his head to the old man.
“I promise.”

He slid the wand back into its box, brushed away the thin layer of dust with a quick breath, then passed the old man the coins for the purchase. With the box tucked securely in hand, he stepped out of the shop.

Word count: 959