Tom was used to seeing young wizards from Muggle families come into his shop. Usually, they were accompanied by a "guide"—a teacher from the school—who would lead them into Diagon Alley.
To put it bluntly, the Leaky Cauldron was the outpost between the magical and non-magical worlds. And Tom? He was basically a glorified receptionist for Hogwarts.
"Where is your guide, my boy?" Tom asked, looking at the eleven-year-old with genuine curiosity.
"Guide?"
Rey was instantly confused. He hadn't met anyone who looked like a guide.
"The teacher who takes you into Diagon Alley. Don't you have one?" Tom noticed Rey's bewildered expression. Because the confusion was so genuine, Tom's voice pitched up a little in surprise. "You don't?"
"I'm an orphan," Rey sighed, forcing a bitter smile.
"No, no, child, you misunderstand. Every Muggle-born wizard is assigned a teacher as a guide. And since you are an orphan, you should be eligible for the Student Assistance Fund as well."
Tom explained patiently while pouring Rey a glass of sweet-and-sour fruit juice.
Assistance Fund? A guide? Rey looked at Tom, his emotions a mix of confusion and hope.
He was definitely an orphan; there was no doubt about that. But he hadn't seen a guide, and more importantly, he hadn't seen a penny of this "Assistance Fund."
"Sir, can you just let me into Diagon Alley?"
Rey felt a twinge of disappointment, but he didn't dwell on it. Compared to a guide, what Rey really wanted was that financial aid.
"Alright. Finish your juice, and I'll take you through."
Tom didn't press the issue. A young wizard arriving without a guide was rare, but it wasn't the end of the world.
---
Rey had already sorted out his living situation. He could stay at the Leaky Cauldron until September 1st. Of course, that cost money.
Fortunately, he had enough British pounds on him, and old Tom had been kind enough to exchange them for Galleons.
Twenty-five Galleons, thirteen Sickles, and twenty Knuts. That was the wizarding currency Rey had left after the exchange.
Tom was a nice guy, but he was a stickler for business—he had even charged Rey for the juice.
Rey could only smile helplessly at that. He didn't have a fortune, but thinking about the potential orphan assistance fund waiting for him at Hogwarts, he stopped worrying about the cost.
When the brick wall began to rotate and fold away, Rey clenched his fists, his heart racing with excitement.
Magic. It was truly miraculous. The bricks moving aside seemed to have a life of their own.
Tom smiled and gestured for Rey to enter. He warned him that Knockturn Alley was to the right and advised him not to stay out too late.
Thanking Tom for his kindness, Rey stepped into Diagon Alley.
It was bustling with life, especially since it was the back-to-school season.
The street was packed with all sorts of people—wizards in robes, witches in pointed hats, and children clamoring to buy their school supplies.
Rey merged into the crowd and began searching for Ollivanders.
He decided to buy his wand first. Everything else could wait.
Barring any accidents, a wand would stay with a wizard for life. As someone who had read Harry Potter in his past life, the first thing he wanted to know upon entering this world was exactly what kind of wand would choose him.
Ollivanders was small and shabby. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.
The gold lettering over the door was peeling, reading: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
It was easy to find; after all, it was the only wand shop in Diagon Alley.
Just as Rey arrived, a little girl walked out, led by her parents. She looked ecstatic, presumably having just found her match.
With a pounding heart, Rey stepped inside.
The vague image in his mind overlapped with reality. Garrick Ollivander had messy silver hair, no beard, and a face lined with wrinkles. He was old, but his face glowed with a frantic, youthful energy.
To be honest, Rey's first impression was that he looked like a magical version of Albert Einstein.
"Hi there, young man. Here for a wand?"
Before Rey could speak, the enthusiastic Ollivander asked the question himself.
"Yes, sir."
Rey felt a bit stiff. The Einstein-looking old man gave off a slightly unhinged vibe.
"Don't be nervous, my boy. You will find your wand here. Or rather... the wand will find you."
Ollivander was chatty, trying to put Rey at ease with his words while simultaneously whipping out a tape measure. He began measuring Rey to narrow down the search.
"Sir, can I ask a question?" Rey asked while the tape measure did its work.
"Of course. I'd be honored to answer, my boy," Ollivander replied kindly, his hands never stopping.
"Why do you need to measure my body parts to choose a wand?" Rey had been curious about this ever since watching the movies in his past life. Now, driven by curiosity, he finally asked.
Ollivander paused for a moment, surprised. Then he laughed. "You are the first child to ever ask me that."
Rey didn't reply; he just waited for the answer.
"Well, how should I put it? The wands in this shop were made by me and my ancestors. They are like children of my family. I have a subtle connection with them. Measuring the customer... it transmits your data through me to the wands. It gives them a general idea of who you are. The more precise the measurement, the better the match."
Arm length, forearm length, height, head circumference... Ollivander measured everything meticulously. Then, muttering to himself, he disappeared into the rows of shelves. After rummaging around, he pulled out a box and presented a wand to Rey.
"Hawthorn, 11 inches, unicorn hair core. A very special wand. I think it should suit you."
Ollivander narrated as he handed the wand over, urging Rey to give it a wave.
The wand felt cool in his hand. Looking at Ollivander's encouraging face, Rey gave it a wave.
---
Rey waved the wand, but he didn't feel any flow of magic. Nothing in the shop moved.
"Hmm..."
Ollivander hummed in thought for a moment, then went back to the shelves and retrieved another box.
"Hawthorn wands can be temperamental. It's normal for there to be no reaction. Try this one. Holly, 12 inches, Thestral hair core. It excels at defensive magic."
Rey placed the hawthorn wand on the desk and took the holly wand.
Holding a wand of a different material felt different—aside from the weight, the temperature varied too. This one felt even colder than the last.
Encouraged by Ollivander, Rey waved his right hand again.
And again... nothing happened.
When Harry Potter waved his first wand, drawers flew open. The second time, he exploded a vase.
Rey didn't know what happened when other people chose wands, but surely it wasn't this anticlimactic? Absolute silence.
He felt like a Squib.
It was incredibly awkward.
Ollivander's face fell slightly. Two wands in a row with zero reaction from a young wizard? That was... hard to explain.
"Child, what is your name?"
Ollivander wanted to know more about the boy to better gauge the selection.
"Rey. I'm Rey Faest, sir."
"Oh, Mr. Faest. Your surname reminds me of an ancient wizarding family: the MacFustys."
"MacFusty?"
"Yes. Legend has it that the clan lives in the Hebrides Islands. They are a family that serves the Hebridean Black dragons."
"A family that serves dragons?"
Rey was puzzled. In the Harry Potter universe, dragons didn't exactly have high status.
In The Goblet of Fire, they were used as obstacles. There were miniature dragons used to roast chestnuts. In Gringotts, a dragon was chained up and used as a guard dog.
You could eat dragon meat; you could make gloves out of dragon hide. Dragons had a rough deal in this world. So, hearing about an ancient family that "served" dragons was surprising.
---
Ollivander didn't dwell on the dragon lore. He returned to the depths of the shop. He waited a long time before finally emerging with a specific box.
"I think... this might be the one."
"Eleven inches, holly, phoenix feather. This wand is a twin. The other one is owned by a wizard who did great things... terrible, but great things. We call him You-Know-Who."
Ollivander talked a lot, but the details clicked in Rey's mind immediately. He knew the history of this wand.
It was Harry Potter's wand.
"Try it. Let's see if the destiny waiting for this wand will change..." Ollivander handed the wand to Rey.
He said this because this wand was supposed to be for Harry Potter. But now, for some inexplicable reason, he felt a strong intuition that the boy in front of him might be a match.
Rey took the wand.
Immediately, he felt a warmth spreading from the wood. It wasn't cold like the others. As soon as it touched his skin, it felt like shaking hands with an old friend.
taking a deep breath to steady himself, Rey finally raised his hand and waved the wand.
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(Author's Note: I'm working hard on the chapters! Even though there aren't many yet, I'm shamelessly asking for review and vote. They are super important for the story's ranking! Thank you for your support!)
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