Harry walked into the Room of Requirement and found Silan waiting for him in the lounge.
"Good evening, Harry."
Silan was carefully polishing his wand with a velvet cloth. He greeted Harry when he saw him.
"Good evening." Harry sat across from him. "Are you taking care of your wand?"
"That's right. Our wands are important companions, so they deserve a little special treatment." Silan lifted the cloth to show him his wand.
The Ebony wand was sleek and understated, its deep-black shaft gleaming after the polish.
"It's beautiful," Harry said sincerely. Then he felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't cared for his own wand in ages.
Silan put his wand away. Seeming to read Harry's mind, he offered, "The wand-care kit's right here. Want me to do yours while I'm at it?"
"Would you?"
"Of course."
Harry happily handed over his wand, thinking Silan was a really good friend.
Silan took the wand and examined it closely.
Harry's wand was made of Holly, with a phoenix feather core. It was eleven inches long and remarkably supple. Voldemort's wand had the same kind of core—tail feathers from the very same phoenix.
That was why the magic cast by the two wands couldn't harm one another.
"Nice wand." Silan's eyes flickered as he took out his tools and began working.
Harry watched his wand and suddenly said, "I just remembered. We bought our wands on the same day."
"In Diagon Alley, right before our first year. Hagrid took me," Harry recalled. "Professor McGonagall took you."
"That's right." Silan nodded as he wiped the wand with a soft cloth.
"Back then, I thought you had an awful aunt like mine," Harry said, a little enviously. "But yours is much better. Mrs. Weasley's a good person, and she doesn't treat you like