Wand

"Ah, welcome back, Mr. Hagrid, Mr. Harry, and a young wizard I don't recognize." Ollivander poked his head out from the narrow passage between the cabinets.

After leaving Eeylops Owl Emporium, Hagrid, Harry, and Tierra headed straight for Ollivander's Wand Shop.

Although Harry had already bought his own wand, he was more than willing to watch the fascinating wand-selection process again.

And he was very curious about which wand Tierra would choose.

Hopefully one with a Phoenix Feather core too. Harry silently muttered to himself. Having the same wand core as Voldemort's is just... just... too unpleasant.

"Mr. Wu, please step forward." Ollivander took a roll of measuring tape marked with silver scales from his pocket.

"I'm right-handed," Tierra said obediently.

"Raise your arm. Mm, good, good."

Ollivander unrolled the measuring tape and took Tierra's measurements: first from shoulder to fingertip, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and finally the circumference of his head.

As he measured, Ollivander recited the same old speech:

"Every Ollivander wand possesses a powerful magical substance. That is its essence, Mr. Wu. We make wands with unicorn hair, Phoenix Feather, and dragon nerve. Every wand made by Ollivander is unique, because no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are exactly alike... Of course, if you use a wand that was meant for another wizard, you will never achieve such excellent results."

When it came time to measure the distance between his nostrils, Tierra noticed that the tape measure was operating on its own.

Mr. Ollivander had already turned and returned to the shelves, busily bringing down several long boxes.

To be honest, Tierra couldn't understand the point of these measurements at all.

According to the alchemy section of the Necronomicon, wizards themselves were three-dimensional magical beings, and the best wand was a wizard's own body.

If one absolutely had to have a wand, it only needed to be taken from a living three-dimensional magical creature.

A wizard's arm bone, a Basilisk's horn, or a Phoenix Feather would all do.

It did not even have to be wand-shaped. It could be a ring, a bracelet, a necklace—anything that came into contact with the body.

But he didn't dare say anything or ask anything.

"Good." Ollivander summoned the tape measure back and tucked it into his breast pocket. "Then, Mr. Wu, try this one. Walnut, Dragon Heart Wand, twelve inches. It is a sensitive and suspicious wand, but undoubtedly a powerful one. Give it a wave."

Tierra took the wand. The moment his hand closed around its handle, a pleasant, releasing sensation coursed through his body like an electric current.

Like finally relieving himself after holding it in for far too long.

Tierra felt as if the magic inside him had suddenly found an outlet.

"Whoosh—" Tierra swung the wand, and a pillar of fire suddenly burst from its tip.

It was about to strike the wand rack across from him.

Ollivander reacted swiftly, pulling his wand from his waist and giving it a gentle flick.

The flames vanished instantly, turning into red confetti that fluttered through the air.

"Mm... not bad... not bad, but..." Ollivander snatched the wand from Tierra's hand in confusion, gave Tierra a long, deep look, and placed the wand back in its box. Yet he did not put the box away, leaving it open on the counter.

Then Ollivander picked up another wand and handed it to Tierra.

Tierra gave it a light wave.

This time, Tierra used the Flash Spell. A blinding ball of pure white light appeared at the wand's tip.

Tierra was so startled that he immediately dispersed his magic.

"Wonderful, truly wonderful." Ollivander leaned closer and closer to Tierra, until his nose nearly touched Tierra's face. His cloudy eyes scrutinized Tierra carefully, as though he wanted to see straight through him.

"I have never seen such a young wizard with such powerful innate magic."

After saying that, Ollivander had Tierra try five more wands. Every one reacted just like the previous ones. Tierra used each without the slightest obstruction, producing spell effects far beyond anything he had expected.

With the same amount of magic, when Tierra practiced on his own, the Flash Spell could only produce a tiny grain-of-rice-sized glow at his fingertip.

But with a wand, the Flash Spell was as dazzling as a high-wattage lightbulb.

After putting away the last wand and returning it to its box, Ollivander looked silently at Tierra.

Harry and Hagrid exchanged glances, neither knowing what had happened. Only after Tierra began to feel creeped out by Ollivander's stare did Ollivander slowly speak.

"Every wand chooses its wizard, Mr. Wu," Ollivander said. "And every wand makes its choice differently."

"The first wand I gave you—walnut, Dragon Heart Wand, twelve inches—tends to favor wizards of ordinary birth who work hard to rise above it. It is a typical hero's wand. I thought it would be an excellent match for you."

"But when you used magic with it, I could not hear its voice."

"When it returned to my hand, its answer was extremely ambiguous. It neither approved nor objected. That is very rare."

"Then I gave you a yew wand, Ukrainian Ironbelly brain nerve, eleven inches. It is a wand designed specifically for Aurors. It likes combat and wizards with a strong sense of justice."

"The result was the same. This fierce wand, like the previous one, neither approved nor objected."

"The third was elm, unicorn hair, thirteen inches. It is the most troublesome and proudest wand in our shop. It is only willing to be used by female wizards of noble blood."

"But once again, its answer was ambiguous."

"The wands I gave you afterward all differed from one another, yet without exception, every one of their answers was ambiguous."

"I believe your magic is special—special in a very powerful way," Ollivander said. "Though I cannot understand why, it is clear that your magic is special enough to use any wand."

"So, Mr. Wu, please tell me what kind of wand you want. Since the wand cannot choose the wizard, then the wizard will have to choose the wand." Ollivander asked Tierra with some disappointment, as though he were disheartened that his profound knowledge of wandlore had failed to yield an answer.

"Anything is fine..." This was far too difficult for him.

Faced with thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of wands, Tierra had no idea where to begin.

"Do you have... the kind of wand no one can use, but legend says that once a wizard manages to use it, it will immediately release a pillar of white light into the sky, illuminate all of England, and spray nine silver phantom sacred beasts from its tip to circle around their master?" Tierra asked expectantly.

"What you are describing is the Sword in the Stone," Ollivander said expressionlessly. "If you are interested, you can try pulling it out when you return to school! It lies at the bottom of the Black Lake behind your school."

"The Sword in the Stone is in the Black Lake?" Tierra asked in surprise.

"No, you may not go there." Hagrid cut in sternly. "The Black Lake is off-limits to students below fourth year. You are not allowed anywhere near it without a teacher or at least two adult upperclassmen to lead you."

"But since you mentioned a wand that no one can use..." Ollivander turned and walked deep into the wand shelves. From a pile of old boxes nearly rotten with age, he dug out a slender box made of dark brown wood.

After gently brushing away the dust on its surface, Ollivander carefully placed the box on the counter.

"This is a replica of a legendary holy artifact," Ollivander said. "It was made by my uncle, and it is the finest replica among them all."

"But not long after he finished it, my uncle met with a terrible misfortune. Since then, countless wizards have come to my family offering enormous sums to buy this wand, yet not one of them has managed to cast even the simplest Levitation Charm with it."

As he explained, Ollivander slowly opened the box.

"Fifteen inches, elder wood, Thestral tail hair..."