| Banshee
Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 50,290
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Abraham Orlando Botros-Giordano
Gryffindor Fourth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Ivor Balfour Spurling Stemp
Slytherin First Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Alexei Dragomirov Petrov
Slytherin Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
TBC
Slytherin
Hogwarts RPG Name:
August Arthur Orpington
Ravenclaw Second Year  x12  x12
|  Lovely™ | Captain Hurted | Ariana's Bane | Resident Antagonist | Unparalleled Delight
SPOILER!!: Lissy Longbottom Quote:
Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom  Sammy nodded and of course took that to mean 'drop what you're doing and tie them right now' and honestly, it was for the best. He would have definitely forgotten if he waited. So, he paused and bent down to tie his shoelaces quickly before popping back up with a grin. He eagerly grabbed the next wand and took a deep breath. Third times the charm? He sure hoped so...
He cleared his throat, waved his wand, and watched as colorful rainbow sparks erupted from the end of it. He grinned, realizing that he knew the second he'd picked it up that this WAS his wand. He just...felt it. WOWWWW! How cool!
"I think this is the one!" he said excitedly to the shopkeeper. Zeke opened his mouth to speak, but the boy was already going right ahead and dealing with those laces, so he just... left him to it. Probably better than forgetting and tripping right over them once they were done here. He was not thinking primarily of the wand's safety in that instance, but it was certainly up there.
And, speaking of the wand...
Zeke really did have to suppress a smile every time the young man cleared his throat prior to testing the wands, but he did not suppress the smile that came from seeing the clear signs of a match. Especially the rainbow sparks. Man loved a rainbow.
"You know, I think you're absolutely right," Zeke agreed, with a nod for good measure. "Congratulations!" Big moment and all.
And now it was Zeke's turn for a little throat clearing, because he had some information to impart. Uh... quite an important piece of information, come to think of it. "This wand is thirteen inches of springy sycamore, with a fwooper feather core. Now, sycamore is a wand that thrives on spontaneous use; while you're in school, learning exciting new things, it will be content, but it's important to remember for later on that if it's allowed to become 'bored', sycamore wands have been known - on occasion - to spontaneously burst into flame. So. Keep it entertained." Some wizards and witches might find that more difficult than others, of course... but then again, the sycamore wand tended to choose well. Still, they weren't prophetic. Anything could happen in the future. "It makes for a brilliant wand - versatile, suited to the intelligent and motivated individual, and creative uses - but its brilliance will face if its life gets too mundane." Adventure! Unexpected pursuits! Anything but being limited to being solely used as a house key, et cetera! "Those with fwooper feather wands will have a knack for spells with an effect on the mind - cheering, memory, and confundus charms, things like that. It also has an affinity with Care of Magical Creatures and Charms in general, but doesn't much like to cooperate much with spells like Quietus or Silencio." Unfortunate, but we all have our vices.
"The wand is priced at 9 galleons," Zeke said, holding out the box again so that the wand might be placed back inside it, so that he could ring it up and complete the transaction. "And he have other products you may be interested in, too."
_________ [13 inch springy sycamore with fwooper feather] SPOILER!!: Nordic Witch Quote:
Originally Posted by Nordic Witch The wand chooses the witch or wizard. Emmie sort of understood what mister shopkeeper man meant maybe, but she still hoped that she'd get a wand that didn't have a dragon core. When the wand backclashed on her, and hit her nose super hard Emmie had given off a cry of pain that probably wasn't very lady-like, and loud enough to be heard all the way to the potions shop where her brother was buying a new potions kit. "Thank you Sir!" she mumbled to the kind man as she accepted the clean handkerchief with a weak smile as she turned to auntie Laurel that now had hurried over. In a jiffy auntie Laurel had fixed her nose up, and gotten all the blood away with a few flicks of her wand.
After auntie Laurel had given her a long hug, and made sure that she was all right, and that her nose didn't hurt Emmie turned back to mister wandman again. Taking a step back to the counter she fired off a weak, but bright smile and affirmed to him. "Now I'm ready to try a new wand! I bet this wand will be my match!" Silently she wished that this wand was kind, and cooperative and not a meanie. Now, that was a relief. Once the girl was all fixed up and blood-free again, Zeke's look of concern relaxed into a smile, which he directed at the woman and then to his young customer. "There we are, good, good."
And good that she was willing to try again! He nodded, and turned at once to the selection of wands he'd picked out. Hmm, now... how about... ah! Yes, this one seemed much more fitting - or at least more likely to be a bit kinder in its protestations, if it came to that. Zeke turned to the girl again, smiling brightly, and lifted the lid from the box.
"That's the spirit," he said, and offered the wand inside to the girl. "Let's see how you go with this one..." SPOILER!!: kayquilz Quote:
Originally Posted by kayquilz Roman was glad the wand-man seemed nonplussed by the noise; he would have been so embarrassed to have caused the man any sort of discomfort. Afterall, this was the man's job, and Roman didn't envy him. Over summers, he had to deal with school-aged kids needing their first wands, and it just seemed like suuuuuuch a hassle. He eyed some of the other first years milling about waiting to be fitted....some of them were obnoxious.
Poor guy.
"Oh...er....thank you, sir," he said quietly as he took the next wand. He liked the way this one felt in his hand, and he twirled it around his fingers again. Then, he brandished it and gasped.
HE HAD DONE REAL MAGIC.
A flurry of the most beautiful snowflakes he had ever seen were seeping out of the end of his wand in almost a dance, and one of them even drifted over to Roman and landed right on his nose. Roman smirked and looked pleased with himself. "D-did I do it?" he asked the man nervously. "Is that good, sir?" Always interesting to see what magical effects these kids produced with their wands - although, not to be a sap or anything, but seeing the wand choose an owner was the best sight all around (at least in a wand shop) no matter how it came about. The snow was really quite charming, and a welcome sight mid-summer... at least as long as it remained a brief novelty. Zeke did not actually want to wake up to real snow tomorrow morning.
"You did, absolutely you did it," he said, nodding enthusiastically. "That's very good. I think it's clear we have a match!" Zeke held out the wand box again, so that it might be replaced - though only for the sake of completing the transaction. In the meantime, the specifications.
"This wand is ten and a half inches of acacia, rather firm, with unicorn hair. Notoriously difficult to make a match with acacia; they are very particular about who they choose, and will often refuse to perform magic for anyone but their owner, yet withhold their full power from all but the most talented." If that sounded like a challenge, Zeke didn't think it was a bad one. He liked to think it was motivating - inspiring - to be matched with such a wand. "Best for those with a subtlety to their magic - which makes it ideal with this core - and excellent for those sensitive to the nuances of magic. Acacia can take some time to master, but those who do can perform very complex magic. As a wand wood, it's well-suited to personal protection." Ideal, really, no matter what kind of thing one embarked on in the future. "Unicorn hair makes for a very faithful wand, consistent and reliable. Well suited to charms, transfigurations, and healing spells, and difficult to turn toward the dark arts. As is the case with this wood, it's more in tune with subtle, delicate magic. These cores don't always make the most powerful wands, but when combined with acacia, it's quite capable of great things." A charming combination, quite charming.
Visibly pleased with a wand well matched, Zeke gave it an approving look. "The wand by itself will be 12 galleons. We also have some other products and services available, if you're interested." As always, he gestured towards the price board, placed nearby for easy reference.
_________ [10½ inch rather firm acacia with unicorn hair] SPOILER!!: SilverTiger Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverTiger She was nothing if not resilient, for sure. Arienne tried to not let her family down by any means necessary, even if generally she was really bright and welcoming. She wasn’t going to let a mean wand get her down, anyway. Especially when the second was so much nicer. Having seen the events from the others who had been before her in the shop queue, it was obvious it could’ve gone way worse, and her tears had dried rather quickly anyhow. Had they actually betrayed her, because she honestly wasn’t sure from the wandmaker man’s reaction. Maybe she’d cried, maybe not.
Either way, he had agreed with her on the matter of the second wand having been so much nicer. That it had liked her, even though she was very aware that there hadn’t been a physical magical reaction. Just the really really good feeling, and she was unaware as well that she’d given anything out with her body language. (Actually, she was fully unaware that she could be awfully obvious with her body language in general)
She had listened intently as he had gone on to explain her new wand in detail, wanting to make sure she remembered it in case anyone asked her later. Dad, Grandpa Albert, the twins…it was possible. Plus, the idea that she could use her wand to animate things was fascinating. “So my wand could be good for making things seem alive?”, she asked, curious and already imagining using it to entertain her brothers or any number of other possibilities. There had been lots of kinda big words in what he’d said, too, but she thought she understood. Plus, Grandma Elizabeth had been in the Order and fought in the battle so her wand being difficult to turn dark seemed awfully good.
She had to check the little pouch of coins she had as the explanation had moved on to payment, but she thought she had enough for what she wanted. Because obviously she needed other stuff along with her wand. “Can I have bundle #1 too, with a pink holster? What kind of holster do you think would be best for me?”, she asked after she had finished checking to see if she had enough. Besides, mum and Grandma Elizabeth were right outside so she could always ask them for more if she had to. But she figured he would know better about what kind of holster would work best. "Precisely," Zeke said, nodding. "You'll find they teach you a fair number of spells like that at school. Charms, generally." Though don't quote him on that; it had been some time since his school days, long enough for him to forget specifics. Still. He felt fairly confident in that statement.
"You can indeed. That will come to 18 galleons." With that, Zeke set about collecting the polish and conditioning oil, setting it on the counter to bundle it together with the wand, and then paused before the holsters. "Personally, I think the wrist holsters are the most convenient, and most secure. Ideal for students and everyday situations." But he waited for confirmation before picking one out, so as not to presume. SPOILER!!: slythief2000 Quote:
Originally Posted by slythief2000 Almost like a magnet, something was pulling at his mind. Even though he had progressed through his list of school supplies, this shop seemed to be calling him. "what do you need next?" his father asked. "It says, I need a wand..." Mathius replied. It felt like standing on an event horizon, there was no choice, not entering this building wasn't in the stars. Those few steps into the shop crossed something, if only in his mind. The cat lounging about his neck and shoulders didn't seemed to pay the transition any mind. But like a recumbent queen, grace someone in the shop with the immeasurable honor of blinking at them for a second or two, before losing interest.
Mathius slowly approached the odd measuring implements, quite a few kids had already been calculated and given their wands. with an out stretched hand he began the process, the tapes and rulers even seeming to take his squashy cats stance into question. Zeke, having just finished up the most recent transaction, slid the cash register drawer shut and turned to begin the process of finding and fitting the next customer, only to be hit with a two-pronged attack. The enchanted parchment - not for the first time - got him with a direct hit in the face, and the tape measure - now finished with its measuring and waiting for its next task, collided a second later, giving his head a nice hug.
There was a moment of confused scuffling as Zeke freed himself again and peeled the parchment from his face, just in time to see the tape measure zipping off again in a manner he could only describe as 'gleefully troublesome'. Unprofessional. But it did do its job well, so...
Speaking of, the wandmaker gathered himself, and consulted the measurements, nodding to himself and ruling out options on the spot. He made a quick tour of the shelves, collecting potential wands, and stopped at last in front of his next customer.
"Hello there," he greeted the boy - and... cat? Cat. Sure, why not - with much enthusiasm. "Ready to find your wand?"
Still smiling broadly, he plucked three wand boxes from the options he had gathered - the most likely contenders, in his humble and yet expert opinion - and removed the lids from each. He liked doing it this way sometimes. "See which of these you feel drawn to, and maybe the feeling will be mutual. Pick a wand, give it a wave, and tell me if it feels right." And perhaps they would also see it in the way the wand performed. SPOILER!!: Waddles Quote:
Originally Posted by Waddles A wild unicorn from a forest?! Kenneth couldn't believe it. He had thought if he got the unicorn's name he might go find it and thank it, but if it was a wild unicorn...he assumed wild unicorns were like other wild animals, in that they shouldn't be bothered. Which correlated nicely with what the shopkeeper had said about names.
He looked to his uncle, to make sure there wasn't anything else in this shop to take care of. Seeing there wasn't, he turned back to the shopkeeper and shook his head. "No, just the wand, thank you, sir," he said politely. His thoughts immediately drifted back to the wild unicorn... he wondered if there were any tame unicorns, that he could meet. Zeke beamed at the boy. "You're very welcome, young man," he said, utterly genuine. Nodding to both him, and to the adult who had accompanied him, he added, "Best of luck to you and your new wand."
And he was definitely hoping to hear about whatever name the boy came up with for it. Naturally. SPOILER!!: Chelliephone Quote:
Originally Posted by Chelliephone The encouragement from everyone was truly very appreciated, and Drake gave smiles to all of his three companions - particularly his sister as he felt a bit braver with her wealth of knowledge on the wand cores. He knew she was probably just sharing the information because she liked to, but the familiarity of Gilly knowing a lot about everything helped calm him just the slightest bit.
At least, it had until he'd nearly dropped the wand on the ground (what if it BROKE?) And then he couldn't even TELL if the reaction his hand had had to his wand actually meant it was the ONE. He was feeling anxious all over again, but the wandmaker seemed to take it well in stride as he simply offered another for Drake to try to compare and contrast. Giving a nod of his head, the 11 year old determined this time he would NOT yeet the wand towards the ground - no matter the reaction. Which was much easier said than done, as he reached in and tentatively picked it up, only for the thing to then shoot a blast of red lights from the tip with a rather loud BOOM side. Once again, he wanted to let go but instead of doing it over open air, Drake did it over the open box - letting the wood drop back into place.
"The first one! I think the first one WAS the right one!" It felt much more natural in his hand than that had had. And a warmth sounded much better than a BANG. He was still a little nervous and his hand showed a small shake, which he promptly shoved into his pocket to hide, but overall... there was more excitement now that he'd found his match. As a rule of thumb, Zeke did try not to react too overtly to the effects produced during the fitting process, but sometimes reflexes did take over. Still, he thought his little sideways flinch at the lights and booming was remarkably restrained. (Also, composed as he would like to appear, it was also important to not ended... you know... blasted into the wall of the shop.)
Blinking to clear the aftereffects of the lights from his retinas, Zeke brought the wand box back into focus just as the second wand was placed back inside of it. And then, as was his natural inclination, he smiled. "I think so too. Always good to be sure, though, hm?" And, still smiling, he set the second wand aside. "And now we know for sure, the first wand chose you."
Excellent news, no? And now, Zeke could tell him all about it.
"The wand you've matched with is twelve and a half inches of balanced apple, with a core of unicorn hair. Apple wands aren't made in great numbers, and you may be interested in hearing that many apple wand owners have a knack for learning magical tongues." Mermish, Gobbledegook, Troll, that kind of thing. Not a given, of course, but certainly a trend observed by many wandmakers. "Apple has a strong association with healing magic, dispelling and reversal magic, divination and communication spells., and water spells will be easy to master as well." Oh yes, plenty of strengths for the apple wand. "Unicorn hair makes for a consistent, reliable wand, very faithful to their owner, and well suited to charms, transfigurations, and healing spells. Very smooth magic it produces too, few fluctuations or blockages, if you will. This core is very much in tune with subtle and delicate magic. It's also difficult to turn towards the dark arts - and, as a matter of fact, apple is not suited to that area of magic either. Unicorn hair wands are a little prone to melancholy if mishandled, so be sure to be mindful of that." Not to make assumptions, of course, but Zeke suspected that this boy was unlikely to have many issues in that regard.
"The wand is priced at 11 galleons," he said now, moving towards his cash register so he could start ringing it up. As always, he gestured towards the price board too, and smiled once again. "And we have these other products and accessories available too."
_________ [12½ inch balanced apple with unicorn hair] SPOILER!!: thestralyew19 Quote:
Originally Posted by thestralyew19 Alyx stood by the counter, holding the wand. Hesitantly, she waved it, and glitter misted through the air. Alyx wondered if this was the true essence of magic itself. And she was holding a tool that she could use to harness it. She looked at the shopkeeper.
"I believe this wand is right." She smiled and shifted a lock of hair behind her ear. She glanced up at Zeke and hoped he was pleased with the response the wand had given her.
"Do you think so too?" She asked but she didn't need to know anything else. This wand was what she had wanted for a very long time even before she received her letter from Hogwarts. As his customer took the wand, Zeke straightened and stood by, keeping an eye out for any unmistakeable signs of a match. And in no time at all... there it was! Quite a charming little effect there too, uh... literally and figuratively.
"Yes, I believe you're correct. Very much so," he said, giving a small nod and a big smile. "A sign of magic like this, plus your own perspective, tells us what we need to know." Yes, Zeke really was quite convinced himself.
And so he held out the wand box again, so that it might be returned in order for him to do all the necessary business at the cash register. "Now, this wand is 11 inches of solid pear, with a unicorn hair at the core." They were getting through a lot of unicorn hair wands this summer, but Zeke wasn't too surprised, it being such a dependable core. He could attest to that with his own wand. "Pear is a wand wood that does not easily produce harmful magics - curses, hexes, or what have you, or dark magic. To make up for this, however, charms, transfiguration magic, and protection spells seem to have a kind of boost. It's a wand that feels eager to please and be as helpful as it can be; it will work with you in your magical endeavours, and you should be able to master it fairly quickly for this reason." Other woods... well. Let's just say some required a firm hand up until the moment of being truly tamed. Not so with pear. "With the unicorn hair core, this is an extremely faithful, gentle wand. The magic you produce will be consistent and reliable. Unicorn is also well suited to charms, transfigurations, and healing spells too. It's really a very lovely combination, the wood and core complement each other very well."
And that was that! Unless there were any questions of course; Zeke was always willing to answer those, and to talk about wands at length. "The wand is priced at 9 galleons. We also have some other products you may be interested in, too," he added, gesturing towards the inventory listed on the price board.
_________ [11 inch solid pear with unicorn hair] SPOILER!!: Kolyander Quote:
Originally Posted by Kolyander Had anything bad come from the small flames that had emerged from the tip of the wand, Bryony would have been all sorts of disappointed. Imagine being the one to harm someone or things in the wand shop?! That would have been a terrible, horrible feeling. Thankfully that wasn't the case at all. Everything was safe and this wand was going to be hers.
"Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The smallest Paton child squealed in pure delight bouncing in a circle as she clutched the wand to her chest. "Did you hear that? I've found MY wand!" Bryony smiled bright at Ary, Drake and Gilly. It seemed only Gilly needed to find hers now. When the box was held out towards her, she very carefully laid her new wand back inside of it.
Rocking back and forth on her feet, she listened very intently to every single word that the wandmaker man was telling her. Bright blue eyes widened nearly instantly when she heard what the wand was made of and how 'loyal' it was. There was even a giggle from her when he had said that it was almost obsessive, it sounded a lot like her! "Isn't hornbeam wood very strong? Does that mean my wand is strong too? An-and did you get the griffin claw that's inside of it?! How did you get it?!" Already she had many questions but she couldn't help it, she wanted to know everything about her wand. "I really really like that it's only meant for me and others will find it very difficult to use." Protection spells and shield charms were going to be some of her easiest to learn, this very noted all too quickly.
As for what else she wanted or needed.. she already knew but she had some questions about this as well. "Does the holster for bundle one come in dragon colors? Like Antipodean Opaleye.. if not then pink would be great too. And umm.. I'm not sure which type of holster would be best for me. I'm extremely active and I want to make sure that there isn't any chance that my wand could fall out of the holster or break if I accidentally fall or anything." Training took a LOT of work and being constantly on the go meant she needed to keep her want safe. "Very strong," Zeke agreed. "Very sturdy, physically speaking. Regarding the power of the magic, I would say that depends on you, and what you ask of it, what with this being such an adaptable wand." Did that make sense? Zeke hoped so. Hornbeam was an interesting one; despite its absolute solidity, its rigidness and strength, it put him in mind of a material that moulded to the grip of whoever wielded it. Ideal, really. "Ah, but now we're getting into the trade itself. I can tell you that we use the shed claws of the griffin, but as to how we put it all together..." He smiled, and tapped the side of his nose. "Every wandmaker has their own little tricks."
That was to say, there were a few methods by which they tended to stick to, generally widely known in the community, but many little tricks were closely kept secrets.
Now then, bundle one, was it? Zeke set about collecting the oil and polish, before making for the holsters. "I believe we have some imitation Antipodean Opaleye, somewhere... yes," he scanned his wares, then pulled out a couple from the very back of the rack. "All these holsters are made so that the wand won't fall out or become easily damaged by knocks or falls, but I think wrist or ankle would be best for keeping it out of the way - less movement along the forearm and leg, too. I'd recommend a wrist holster, much more convenient for every day situations, especially as a student, and still keeps the wand safe and concealed." He held up the one in his right hand and waited for the young lady's decision.
Either way, the price would naturally remain the same. "That will come to 17 galleons for the wand, and bundle one." SPOILER!!: AlwaysSnapesGirl Quote:
Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl It seemed like AGES, and yet somehow, the moment she saw the shopkeeper carrying a few wand boxes and looking at HER, it felt like the waiting had taken no time at all.
It was time! HER time! Her wand was SO CLOSE now - she could practically FEEL it. But whether that was the magic at work or whether it was just her imagination, well, who could say?
"Yes, sir!" So polite, she was, yes? Florence wouldn't let her excitement get in the way of manners. She was certain her gran would approve...though it suddenly became more difficult to hold back as she watched the wandmaker uncover THREE of the boxes.
SHE would get to pick?
Oh, she liked this man very much.
"That sounds good." And without the slightest hesitation, she picked the first one, gave it a wave...
...
Nothing.
Hmph. No matter.
With a frown and a "no," Florence set it back in its box and selected the next one.
At first, nothing again- but then came a thin, wispy, pitiful little stream of smoke from the end, falling toward the floor instead of up toward the ceiling.
"Nope." Definitely not.
That one too was returned to the box, and the third was selected.
The moment she held it in her hand, the difference was immediate. Her hand grew warm, and the warmth quickly spread up her arm and through the rest of her body. A blue flame sparked to life at the wand's tip - not a wild burst of fire, but more contained like a candle. Soft, steady, strong.
Florence couldn't have held back the grin that lit her face even if she had wanted to. "It's gotta be this one." This was a girl who was clearly not only in command of her manners - always a delight - but one who knew her own mind - again, always a delight. Zeke had to give very little prompting or direction through the process, which meant he could simply enjoy the show, setting aside boxes when the first wand gave no reaction, and the second was deemed to be lacklustre.
He thought he sensed, as he sometimes did, a palpable change in the atmosphere, a shift in the girl's demeanour as she lifted the third wand. In fact, Zeke felt fairly confident that they had a match before he really knew why he thought it, by which time the young lady had produced a really lovely little flame. As a rule, he tended to get a little twitchy about fire in his shop (though it was inevitable, and he was very good at maintaining composure when it happened) but this... was different. It was really rather delightful.
"Yes, I think so," Zeke agreed, meeting the grin with a broad smile of his own. "In fact, I am absolutely certain of it." In part, because the girl herself also seemed to be.
He held the wand box out so that it might be placed back inside, in order for them to complete the transaction, but he gave the rundown of the wand's specifications, allowing her to take her time appreciating and making the most of this moment before doing so.
"This wand is eleven inches and two thirds of solid cedar, with a dragon heartstring core. Peruvian Vipertooth, to be exact." Sometimes Zeke wondered if it was for the best to name the breed, but many of his customers were curious, and Zeke was duty-bound to share all the details. "Cedar is generally attracted to perceptive individuals... you know, Gervaise Ollivander had a saying: you will never fool the cedar carrier. They can be truly passionate, even frightening adversaries, too, especially where defending the honour of others is concerned." Whether any of this would ring true for this particular customer, Zeke couldn't say for sure; sometimes it wasn't so obvious or straightforward. Personally, however, he thought it an admirable way to be. "This wand wood is well suited to fire spells and aids with confidence in its owner. The one who truly masters a cedar wand will be the kind of person who does not give up easily. Dragon heartstring wands cannot be beaten for raw power, and lend themselves to quick mastery of new spells. Very versatile, and they bond closely to their owners. You'll find powerful magic will naturally come much easier than subtle, delicate spellwork, which will simply take a little extra time and effort to perfect."
And there they had it, her new wand. Zeke offered another smile. "The wand by itself will be 10 galleons, and we also have some other products you might be interested in today." He gestured towards the price board, nearby.
_________ [11⅔ inch solid cedar with dragon heartstring [Peruvian Vipertooth]] |