Ollivander: Watch Your Wand!

"Ding-ding-dang-dang..."

The bell chimed as Voldemort entered a small, shabby shop. What met his eyes were thousands of narrow cardboard boxes stacked nearly to the ceiling.

"Whoosh..."

A sliding ladder appeared from one side, and the old man standing on it was none other than the shopkeeper, Mr. Ollivander.

"Quirrell?"

He jumped down the ladder in some surprise and walked toward Voldemort. "It's wonderful to see you again. You shouldn't have gone to the Forbidden Forest—it's far too dangerous there."

Voldemort nodded in deep agreement and said, "If you had advised me sooner, I might very well have given up, especially after what happened."

"What happened?"

Ollivander asked in confusion, then saw the Alder wand Voldemort pulled out. His pale eyes instantly filled with horror. "Good heavens, what happened to him?"

Snatching the wand, Ollivander pressed his eyes almost against it, muttering under his breath, "He's dead... Good heavens, what did he go through?... I can almost hear his despairing wails..."

"It was Dark Magic."

Voldemort said softly. "I was placed under a blood curse by a vampire. While she was chasing me, I had no choice but to..."

His face showed grief, thanks to Quirrell's acting lessons—he had picked up a trick or two.

"Oh, child, it will get better. You'll be fine..."

Ollivander's gaze finally lifted from the Alder wand to look at Voldemort.

"This is a kind elder," Voldemort thought to himself.

"You need a new wand. Trust me, a wizard skilled in Dark Magic will find it hard to earn the recognition of a Unicorn tail hair." Ollivander wiped the fingerprints off the Alder wand as he spoke.

"That's what I thought too, but it holds special meaning for me. You know, this was my first wand, accompanying me through my entire school years at Hogwarts, so..."

Voldemort's gaze fell on the Alder wand, filled with deep affection.

"You want to replace the core?"

Ollivander said, shaking his head vigorously. "That's very difficult. Every wand is unique. A wand with a replaced core may no longer suit you."

"I've considered that as well." Voldemort voiced his thoughts. "So, I want a new wand, and at the same time, have this old wand repaired. You understand—even if it's not as smooth, I still want to keep it by my side."

"Only someone with a soft heart would think that way."

Ollivander nodded, looking at Quirrell with even more kindness. "You're a good child."

Voldemort showed an appropriate embarrassed smile, keeping his lips tightly shut, refusing to answer.

"Then, let's first pick you a new wand. A wizard cannot be without one."

Ollivander said excitedly, carefully placing the Alder wand into a nearby box, and began selecting a new wand for him.

"Thirteen and a quarter inches long, made of Alder—a fine wand for casting spells. Try..."

The wand had just been handed to Voldemort when Ollivander snatched it back.

"Perhaps Alder no longer suits you. Try something else—Beech wood and Serpent nerve. Nine inches long, very flexible... No, not that either..."

"Maple wood, Phoenix feather. Seven inches long. Flexible... A picky customer, let me think..."

After many attempts, none proved suitable.

In truth, Voldemort wasn't surprised. Before coming, he had guessed as much—the mismatch between body and soul would inevitably cause trouble when choosing a wand.

The frequent attempts only stopped when a wand was placed before him.

"Holly wood, Phoenix feather, eleven inches, good flexibility..."

Voldemort hesitated...

Picking it up would likely suit him, after all, his Horcrux used this very wand.

But the core of this wand was very special. If the Old Bee noticed...

"Do you have any made of Yew wood?"

Refusing to take the wand, Voldemort spoke up. "Going to the Forbidden Forest and using Dark Magic felt like a rebirth to me. If it were Yew wood, I think..."

"An excellent idea."

Ollivander exclaimed. "The loyalty of Yew wood is also your trait—not giving up on the Alder wand has already shown that fine quality in you."

He said this, took the Holly wand back behind the counter, rummaged around, and pulled out a new wand.

"Ten and a half inches, paired with Phoenix feather. After long use, you can... Oh, she actively rejected you, though I don't know why..."

"Then let's try Unicorn tail hair once more. Perhaps... no good either..."

"If it's Dragon heartstring, I recall I had one attempt before, but the combination of a powerful wand and a powerful core isn't necessarily the best choice..."

Ollivander muttered to himself, rummaging through the boxes until he found a dusty one in an inconspicuous corner.

"Thirteen and a half inches long, Yew wood, Dragon heartstring core—very powerful, but with a strong personality. Taming it is difficult. Perhaps..."

Before Ollivander could finish, Voldemort took the wand and felt the magic within him surge.

At the same time, a Fire Dragon rose from the wand, spiraling around it.

"He chose you."

Ollivander said in surprise, but then he added a cautious warning, "Be careful with your wand. A union of two strong forces isn't always the best choice—at least, not when it comes to wands."

"What are its characteristics?"

Feeling the wand's smooth compliance in his hand, Voldemort asked, "I mean, what do you think would result from pairing Purple Sandalwood with Dragon heartstring?"

"Both materials are extremely powerful, but I must say, the claim that those who use a Yew Wand are more susceptible to Dark Magic is complete nonsense."

Ollivander said earnestly, "The greatest function of a Yew Wand is protection. Just look at the wizards buried with yew wands—the wand transforms into a yew tree to guard their master's grave until it dies."

Voldemort nodded thoughtfully, indicating his agreement with Ollivander's words.

"But Dragon heartstring is completely different. To speak without bias, it's a difficult core to handle. It can cast powerful magic, but it has a particular fondness for Dark Magic and the strong."

Having said this, Ollivander leaned closer to Voldemort and whispered, "Beware of its betrayal, especially when facing a powerful Dark Wizard. They have a habit of submitting to the stronger party."

Voldemort nodded, but in his mind, he was pondering which Dark Wizards could possibly be stronger than himself.

"Next, let's try different cores in Alder wands. You'll need to choose a core to repair your old wand."

Ollivander said, pulling out several more Alder wands, each with a different core.

Voldemort yielded control, and Quirrell took over the body. Before long, he had chosen the Phoenix feather—it seemed Quirrell had truly changed, at least Unicorn tail hair could no longer resonate with his soul.

By the time everything was finished, the sky had gone completely dark, but Voldemort's trip to Diagon Alley was still not over.

After bidding farewell to Ollivander, he walked along the winding street until he reached a spot where, across a single street, a pitch-black alley appeared. There, he stopped.

That place was his final destination for this trip—Knockturn Alley.