The Wand Shop in Diagon Alley

If you were fortunate enough to live in the magical world, what would be the first thing you wanted to buy?

For Harry Potter, it might have been a new Broomstick; for Hermione Granger, perhaps an obscure book of spells; for Tom Riddle, a powerful Wand. But for Nelson, he would rather have acquired a history book about the magical world. He understood well that human strength was finite while time was infinite. Sometimes, the answers people desperately sought might lie hidden in some story that had happened long ago. Spells could not accomplish many things, or else so many great Wizards remembered by history would not have died with regrets.

Nelson stood before the bookshelf at the very back of Flourish and Blotts. The enormous shelf, spanning an entire wall, was crammed full of books. He had more or less chosen the first-year textbooks he and Tom needed, and now stood there pondering. This innermost shelf was covered in dust. Unlike the other shelves, where books overflowed onto the floor and rose all the way to the ceiling, it held history books that no one cared about, books that were not even updated once in years. They possessed no magic, and the stories they recorded had long become the past. To most Wizards, even the most expensive book here was worth less than the latest copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Er, Important Magical Events of the Nineteenth Century, this looks good... Great Wizards of the Nineteenth Century, worth a look. When they come asking me to write Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, I can give myself a cool persona... Hogwarts, A History, hmm, I'll get a copy of that too... History of Magic? Why was this compiled by the History of Magic Editorial Committee? Shouldn't it be Bathilda Bagshot's work? Never mind, I'll buy one."

Nelson was able to splurge on expensive new books thanks to a box Aunt Bella had taken from the basement as Dumbledore was leaving yesterday. She took out a key and said, "Professor Dumbledore, this key was left behind by my sister and brother-in-law. It may be connected to their inheritance. Do you know what it opens? I hope it can help these two poor children make their way in Wizarding society." Bella was a sensitive, delicate, yet strong woman. Now that her nephews had been settled, she looked at her sister's belongings and finally could not stop herself from secretly wiping away tears.

"Let me see," Dumbledore said, taking the key. "Oh... this is a vault key. Judging by the address, it should be for Gringotts in France. Gringotts is a magical bank run by Goblins, with branches all over the world." He explained it to them. "It is not very convenient to get there from London, but you can withdraw some money from Gringotts in Diagon Alley first." Dumbledore handed the key to Nelson.

"Sorry, but I wanted to ask... after so much time has passed, wouldn't this bank—" Since the birth of the financial industry, generations of the Williams family had worked in finance. Having seen all sorts of tricks pulled by London banks, Bella could not help worrying about her nephews' wealth.

"Don't worry!" Dumbledore patted Nelson on the shoulder. "The Goblins may be greedy, but once they see this key, they'll know better." He did not explain further. He only said that he still had things to do in London, reminded Tom and Nelson of the route to Diagon Alley once more, then bid them farewell.

"Mr. Williams!" A Flourish and Blotts clerk spotted Nelson and hurried over. "The books you ordered have already been packed, and we'll deliver them shortly. But we're still missing two copies of Adalbert Waffling's Magical Theory. There have been quite a lot of new Hogwarts students recently, and we're running low on stock. Would it be all right if we sent them directly to Hogwarts after term starts, once we've restocked?" He rattled it all off in one breath. He had no choice but to take this seriously. The powerful magic books were hidden away in the studies of pure-blood families, so their usual business consisted only of school textbooks, everyday spellbooks, and entertainment books. Customers this lavish were rare. "I noticed the address you left seems to be in a Muggle neighborhood in London. Would you prefer owl post, or—"

"Use the London way," Nelson said with a frown. "But we planned to study ahead during the holidays. Missing a textbook like this..."

The clerk looked at the pile of books Nelson had selected, terrified of losing the sale. Inspiration struck him, and he hurriedly said, "Sir, we also take in secondhand books. How about we give you two used copies for now? You can make do with them first. The editions are old and the pages are worn, but the contents are the same..." Seeing Nelson's disgusted expression, he hastily added, "They're free! No charge! As soon as we restock, I'll immediately send you the latest new copies."

When Nelson's brow relaxed, he added, "Our bookstore will also give you two sets of self-inking, leakproof Quills as compensation for a customer like you who loves books and knowledge..."

Nelson was pleased by the flattery. Pointing at the stack of history books he had just chosen, he told the clerk, "Pack these books too—"

"Nal! Are you in there?" A call came from the bookstore entrance. It was not quiet, but it had been deliberately controlled so as not to disturb the customers browsing the shop. It was Tom's voice.

"Pack these books too and send them over. Send the bill along with them, and I'll mail you the payment," Nelson said hurriedly as he headed for the door.

As he passed the first-year textbook shelves, he nearly tripped over a little girl crouching on the floor and reading books from the bottom shelf. He caught himself on the shelf and straightened up, then turned to look at the girl he had nearly stepped on. She wore glasses that covered half her face. A few small freckles dotted her pale skin, and her cheeks were still slightly chubby. She stared at Nelson in panic, trembling and too afraid to speak.

"Are you all right? Sorry, I nearly stepped on you just now." Nelson held out his hand, intending to help her up.

The girl did not seem to appreciate it. Shaking her head, she continued edging backward until she was pressed against the bookshelf. Nelson was a little confused. For the first time in years, he doubted his own appearance. He did not withdraw his outstretched hand, and the two remained frozen in place. The scene looked a little like Michelangelo's Genesis, except Adam, who ought to have reached out his hand, was cowering in the corner...

"Myrtle, where did you go?" A woman's voice called out. The girl suddenly pushed herself upright against the shelf, backed away two steps, then turned and ran off.

Nelson looked at his hand hanging in midair and found the situation a little funny. He turned and headed toward the bookstore entrance as well, going to find Tom.

"Why were you so slow?" Tom said impatiently the moment Nelson arrived. "The great Mr. Riddle has already bought our robes, cauldrons, protective gear, and every other necessity for school and daily life." His coldness lasted less than half a second before he began taking credit.

"So all we need now is to buy Wands?" Nelson ignored him and looked around. "Where is Ollivander's wand shop?"

"I asked around earlier. It's just around the corner up ahead," Tom said, continuing to take credit as the two walked forward. "Oh, right, pets. We still need a pet. I really don't understand why these people require students to bring pets to school. Are they afraid we'll get lonely? Let's see the list: toads, owls, cats! Slimy, squeaky, or furry little animals make me sick!"

"Toads have a high tolerance for all sorts of Potions, and they live a long time. They should be useful in studying Potions; owls can deliver letters; cats are the most common magical creatures, and petting cats often might help with Divination. I think the school chose these three animals for its own reasons. At the very least, they could be useful in school life." Nelson recalled the books he had just seen about living creatures and magic, as well as magical creatures.

"So that's how it is... Then I'll keep a toad. They're low-maintenance, and something long-lived suits me... I just hope it doesn't outlive me..." Tom reached a crossroads and pointed at an inconspicuous shop to their right. "That's where we buy Wands."

Nelson looked at the little shop. The gold lettering on its old, blackened sign had long since peeled away. Squinting, he made out the words:

"Ollivander, maker of fine Wands since 382 B.C."

"Am I going to have a Wand too?" Nelson gathered himself, steadied his breathing, and stepped toward the wand shop.

Tom had already gone inside. Nelson pushed open the door. The wand shop was very small, with only a bench in the middle of the room. Thousands of long, narrow Wand boxes were stacked against the walls, nearly reaching the ceiling and seeming ready to collapse at any moment. The unique setting made the shop appear both spacious and cramped. It was spacious because there were few people inside and nothing else on display; it was cramped because whenever a young Wizard newly entering the magical world stepped into this shop, they felt themselves surrounded by countless unique, magic-filled spirits.

Nelson greeted Ollivander with his eyes and quietly went to stand beside Tom. Ollivander's voice drifted into his ears, echoing through the empty room with a dreamy, ethereal quality.

"That's right. It is the Wands that choose their Wizards."

He suddenly turned his face toward Nelson. His large, silvery-white eyes seemed completely transparent, like those of a ghost given physical form.

"Every Wand forms a wondrous reaction with the Wizard it is destined for... This reaction is far more precise, far more splendid than crudely blasting out spells with a bang, bang, bang, or brewing a few leaves in a cauldron. Far more than those things."

Though Ollivander in 1938 was still young, his mysterious affectation was no weaker than it would be in old age. In truth, however, Ollivander was simply that kind of person. His devotion to Wands was utterly pure, a faith that surpassed everything else.

"Whenever new Hogwarts students begin school, I become tremendously excited—this excitement has existed ever since I apprenticed under my father, and it has never faded." Ollivander looked Nelson and Tom over from side to side. "Every young person in the United Kingdom takes away the Wand destined for them from this very shop and begins a brilliant journey through life. The feeling is intoxicating."

"So then, which of you two will be the first to accept—your destiny?"