Choosing a Wand

At any rate, he still had to buy a wand. Kyle cautiously pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Diana and Chris didn't come with him. They probably thought buying a wand would take a long time, so once they heard Kyle wanted to visit Ollivander's first, they headed over to Gringotts instead.

The shop was much nicer inside than it looked from the street. It was still old and the items were rather cluttered, but at least it was much cleaner.

With a crisp jingle from the bell, a head of white hair appeared behind the counter, though Kyle hadn't noticed when it got there.

"Good afternoon, young man."

Ollivander looked at Kyle and asked, seemingly out of nowhere, "Did you come alone?"

"Yes." Kyle was puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

Ollivander shook his head. "No, of course not."

As he spoke, Kyle caught a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

Strange. Why would he be disappointed to have a customer?

I must have imagined it. Kyle shook his head and thought no more of it.

"All right, young wizard."

Ollivander came out from behind the counter and asked, "Now, young man, could you tell me your name?"

"Kyle Chopper," Kyle replied quickly.

"Chopper..." Ollivander paused. "Then Mr. Chris is..."

"My father," Kyle said.

"Oh, of course..." Ollivander glanced unconsciously toward the shop door, then quickly looked away and explained, "I only meant that the surname Chopper is rather uncommon in the British Wizarding World."

That settled it. The old man really was disappointed!

Kyle had seen it clearly. The moment he said Chris was his father, the disappointment in Ollivander's eyes had nearly spilled over.

Not only that, he'd started muttering to himself about willow, or perhaps ash. His voice was too quiet for Kyle to make out, but he didn't care.

Kyle's mind was full of thoughts about getting his own wand. He had no time to worry about any of that.

After giving his name, Kyle volunteered, "Mr. Ollivander, I'm right-handed."

He stretched out his arms, making it easier for Ollivander to measure his height and arm length.

He knew the process like the back of his hand.

Once the measurements were done, it would be time to choose a wand, the part that took the longest.

There were at least eight or ten thousand wands here. Kyle figured that even Ollivander couldn't spot the perfect match for a young wizard at a glance. He would probably narrow it down to a general range, then have him try them one by one.

Kyle was ready.

Besides, trying out wands was one of the things he'd been looking forward to, along with moving the trash cans.

But Ollivander's next words left Kyle completely baffled.

"Oh, young man, you don't need to, not if it's you."

There was no measuring his height or asking for details. Kyle watched as Ollivander ducked behind the counter, swiftly pulled a box from the most prominent spot, opened it, and slid it in front of him.

The whole sequence flowed seamlessly, without a moment's hesitation.

"What are you waiting for? Go on, give it a try!"

When Kyle didn't move, Ollivander urged him on.

"Huh? Oh, all right." Kyle came to his senses and picked up the wand inside the box.

It was grayish-black and smooth, with no unnecessary patterns or decorations beyond the handle.

It looked thoroughly ordinary.

Kyle held the wand. Before he could even move, a beam of white light burst from its tip, filling the room in the blink of an eye. The shop, previously dim and cramped, suddenly brightened, as if a skylight had opened in the ceiling.

"Good, excellent!"

Ollivander looked thrilled. Before Kyle could ask anything, he launched into an explanation. "Thirteen and a half inches, cedar, Phoenix Feather. I must say, that's a very unusual combination."

"An unusual combination?" Kyle asked, confused.

"Yes, unusual."

Ollivander watched Kyle and explained patiently. "Cedar wands usually choose wizards who are wise and perceptive. Such wizards are naturally calm, and every choice they make is the result of careful consideration. As my father used to say, you can never fool someone holding a cedar wand. I wholeheartedly agree."

"So people with cedar wands tend to prefer the steady loyalty of Unicorn Tail Hair, while Phoenix Feather is a little too assertive.

"In fact, I've made and sold thirty-six cedar wands. Thirty had Unicorn Tail Hair cores, five had dragon heartstring, and the last one..."

Ollivander said nothing. He simply smiled and pointed at Kyle.

Kyle asked, puzzled, "But sir, didn't you say those two materials weren't a good match? Why make the wand, then?"

"The materials aren't a good match, so I shouldn't make it? No, no, that's wrong. The wand chooses the wizard, young man. From the moment each wand is made, it chooses the master it is destined for, just like these..."

Ollivander pointed to the small mountain of wand boxes behind him and smiled. "They're still here not because they're no good, but because the time hasn't come. Their owners are simply waiting for their Hogwarts letters."

Ollivander paused, then continued, "Besides, the fact that a wand with a body and core that completely oppose each other can still let both work perfectly in the hands of one wizard is what makes Wandlore so fascinating.

"Take the wand in your hand. Your father, Chris, tried it once, and your mother, Diana, did too. But neither of them was quite the right fit. They were only a little short, just a little.

"So when I heard you'd been born, I began waiting for this day. It's a perfect match, isn't it?"

Uh... yeah.

Kyle nodded without thinking.

The wand felt like an extension of his arm, and he found the sensation rather intoxicating. He couldn't help but fall in love with it.

The process had gone a little differently from what he'd expected, but the result was good. Kyle was very pleased with his wand.

"Now then, young man. Seven Galleons."

Ollivander was clearly smiling even more broadly.

"All right." Kyle took out the seven Galleons he'd prepared and placed them on the counter.

A first wand for a new student usually cost seven Galleons, already a very reasonable price in the Wizarding World. This discount, however, was only available to young wizards just starting school.

After Kyle paid, Ollivander bowed slightly and watched him leave. Only then did he turn to the young wizard who had just entered the shop, along with the adult behind him.

"Oh, Mr. Thomas, good to see you again. Eleven inches, hawthorn..."