Greer was most excited for this moment. Since the first time she heard she was a witch, this is what she wanted more than anything. It was a strange and often scary world out there, and all of the odd little things she's been able to do for her whole life suddenly made sense with the arrival of her letter. Oh how her brothers were jealous, but then again the entire family knew that was was different than them since the beginning.

But here she was, Greer entered the wand shop and waited her turn. Once it was her turn, a magical measure tape - she stood with her mouth gaping, since everything about magic still amazed her. It flew around her measuring her arm length, hand, shoulder to shoulder, leg lenght. It was super cool, that's when Greer noticed the tape measure take a measurement from her open mouth .. corner to corner of her lips.. that snapped it shut rather quickly. And with that it was finished ... and she waited for a shop keeper, bouncing on her feet, unable to sit still.

Zeke was just finishing up a little record-keeping when he heard the familiar sounds of customers entering his shop. He peered out from the back room and soon deduced that the group had come in together. Inclined though he occasionally was to see to small groups at the same time (particularly in the case of twins or siblings who seemed reluctant to be divided) he made up his mind to see to these particular customers one at a time. Full and undivided attention, and all that.

So when he emerged from the back room with a smile on his face, it was to this child that Zeke first turned his attention, the one the measuring tape had finished with first.

"Hello there," he greeted the boy - and the others gathered, possibly the family - before scooping up the parchment with his measurements to see what was what, and 'hmm'ing over them for a moment. "Excellent. Now, let's see what we can do for you..." With that, Zeke turned to his shelves and scanned them for a moment, before climbing a handy ladder to pluck out a box just beyond his reach. He returned to the boy and opened up the box, offering the wand inside with a smile. "You know what to do? Just give the wand a wave, and tell me if it feels right." And they would likely see, too, what the wand itself thought.


One down, two to go. Zeke turned now to the next in line, holding his hand out for his parchment to zoom into as he did so. "To answer your question-" Whether or not it had been for his ears. "-your wand will choose you regardless of hair or clothes. Never fear." He said it kindly, because there were really no stupid questions where wands were concerned.

... Well, actually, no. There were some of those. But still. This question had been perfectly valid.

Zeke ran his finger down these new measurements, nodding to himself and making the necessary deductions and calculations. Then he looked up and smiled. "Just a moment..."

After scanning the shelves for that moment, Zeke found the wand he was looking for, and brought it down. As he returned to the girl, he opened up the box and held it out so that she might take the wand from inside. "Give this a wave, and we'll see how you two get on. Let me know if it feels right... or wrong." Most customers, they tended to know when they'd found their match.


And now the third. Zeke greeted her with a smile just the same as he had done with the other two, and for a third time consulted this next batch of measurements. "Mhm, mhm," he mhm'ed to himself, nodding slightly, before looking up at the girl. "Very good. And... not to worry, I've never yet had a customer leave without being chosen by a wand." Not to brag, or anything, but it had been a concern of hers. Another valid question.

Excusing himself for a moment, Zeke ducked into the back room and returned in less than a minute with another wand box. He popped the lid off, set it aside, and offered the wand inside to the girl.

"Here we are; give this a wave, and tell me what you think."


They were in that stage of the summer when his shop was at its busiest, and Zeke had just finished up with another customer. He ducked very briefly into the back room, returned some untried wands to their rightful places, and was handed a cup of coffee, which he sipped as he went once more unto the breach back onto the shop floor. Plenty more customers still in need of wands, and he had no intentions of making them wait any longer than was necessary.

Zeke set his coffee down, safe and out of sight behind the counter, and turned to find his next customer. As he did, the parchment bearing its measurements zoomed up to him, and he quickly plucked it out of the air before the thing slapped him in the face.

"Ah, let me see," he said, scanning the measurements and then looking up at this girl, his next customer, with a smile. "Hello there. If you'll give me just a moment..." And just a moment it was, for Zeke only had to turn and scan his shelves for the candidate he was looking for, before plucking the wand box from the stacks. He lifted the lid from the box and turned back to his young customer, offering the wand that was inside. "Here we are. Give this a wave, and we'll see what's what."


Busy was certainly correct, but Zeke thrived in the hustle and bustle of this shop. Lived for these summers when they business started to boom, and not merely because business was, in fact, so good. Seeing wands choose their new owners was one of the more rewarding parts of the job.

"Hello," he greeted this next customer genially, as he looked through the measurements that had been collected. "Hmm, yes, good. Well! Let's see what we can do for you, shall we?" They shall. With a smile, Zeke went perusing his shelves, and soon plucked out one of the wand boxes that had been tucked neatly into place, before returning to the boy.

He lifted the lid from the box, and held it out to offer up the wand inside. "Quick wave should do it, and we'll see what happens. Tell me what you think."


Well. It sounded like his tape measure had certainly met its match. Not that it ever seemed too concerned by the challenges from Zeke's various customers. He glanced over that way when he heard the outburst, in case the delightful measuring tape decided to respond with its characteristic 'tude, but was pleased to see the tape finish its job and move onto the next customer. Zeke, meanwhile, had noticed the girl's... show-boating did seem too strong a phrase. Her performance. He noted it, and continued finishing up with his last customer, chuckling lightly.

Once he had finished up there, however, Zeke moved across to see to this customer, the one with the moves. "Hello, hello," he greeted as he approached and scooped up the list of measurements. "Let's see what we can do for you, shall we?"

Indeed, indeed. Zeke ran through the numbers, making calculations and deductions galore, before setting the parchment down again. "One moment please."

And he bustled off, but only for a few moments, intent as he was on taking down a particular wand for this particular customer. Once he had retrieved it from his shelves, Zeke returned, opened up the box, and offered up the wand inside. "Give this a wave, and we'll see how you two get on, yes?"


What a day. What a day. The last of the Grimaldi gang to get a wand. It had seemed a long time in coming, perhaps due to how awful it had seemed, leaving Astrid behind while Cyp and the others went off to school these past two years. But she'd got through it, and they'd always come back; two things Cyprien had tried to remind Astrid of as much as possible. And, of course, there was the fact that it was a definite Normal Person Thing; normal families had siblings split up over the Hogwarts school year, unless they were all at the right age to go. This, Cyprien had opted not to point out to Astrid, and it was a line of thinking he'd largely kept to himself.

Anyway. Whatever. Point was, Astrid Grimaldi's Wand Day was here. Cyp had given her hand a quick squeeze just before she went off to go get measured up, and then stood by watching and waiting with the others (near the window, so they were all technically still grouped together, no matter what side of the glass they were on). Briefly, he considered hooting and hollering and cheering, just for the atmosphere of the thing, but obviously was not about to actually do that in this little shop. No matter how busy it got in here, it always gave him the sense that he was in a library. All hushed and almost foreboding, but pleasantly so. Probably all the magical potential around him in one place. Libraries had that too, of course, because books.

When Astrid looked around at him, Cyp grinned back, and gave her the double thumbs up. Look at that. Look at her go. Ugh. They grow up so fast. Wouldn't be long now; Cyp was eager to see how this wand-matching process would go for the youngest of his sisters.

_____

As Zeke moved onto his next customer, he was struck with a sudden sense of... well, some combination of vague recognition along with a kind of déjà-vu-but-not-quite. Interesting.

Well, whatever the reason, Zeke had a job to do. And, fortunately for all concerned, it was a job he was very good at. He swept over to this next customer, a broad smile on his face. "Hello, hello!" he greeted her, as he picked up the parchment where all those measurements were safely recorded. "Ready to meet your new wand?"

He consulted the measurements, nodding to himself and considering this wood, that core, before he came up with a likely candidate. "If you'll excuse me just one moment..."

And then he was off, though not for long. Zeke disappeared into the back shelves, where many more wands were stored, and came back bearing one of the boxes. He lifted the lid and offered the wand inside to the girl. "Here we are. Just give this a wave, and we'll see what's what."


"You next!" Zeke's voice preceded him to his next customer, whom he now approached with a bright smile on his face. "Let's see what we can do for you, hm?"

Zeke looked over this girl's measurements, all recorded by his trusty enchanted parchment and quill, which lived on the counter close to the work zone of the measuring tape. "Mhm, mhm... yes, I see." He looked up at the girl again, and added, "Excuse me just a moment."

And then Zeke was off, seeking out a particular wand on a particular shelf. Given his filing system, it was the work of only a few moments. He came back soon enough, bearing a wand box, of which he soon relieved of its lid. "Here we are. Now, take this wand, give it a wave, and tell me what you think," Zeke said, holding out the box so that his customer could take and test out the wand that lived inside it. As with all his customers, he was ready and braced for whatever potential magic the wand might choose to discharge.

Greer stared at the box. What if no wand picked her .. what if they were wrong and she wasn't really a witch. There was a million what if's running through her head .. all the while she was competely unsure what she was suppose to do. "Do I just pick it up?" She asked gingerly.

Taking a deep breath, Greer picked up the wand. She didn't feel anything in particular. Not great sense of being, but then again, who knew what one was suppose to feel picking up a magical wand when one didn't know that magic even existed a fortnight ago. "Now what?" Greer asked, and as if out of instict she gave the want a wave and started the quill near the register on fire. "OH NO!!! I'M SO SORRY" Greer sreeched, mortified by what she had done. "FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed again dancing around trying to figure out what to do.

With her arms reaching over her head, Laini bent backwards to land into a bridge. But??? Where??? Where was the tape measure???? (It had naturally moved on to take the next customer's measurements). Her ponytail whipped from side to side as she turned her head every which way. How could this BE? This was HER moment!!!

How rude!

She huffed as she lowered herself to the ground, sparing a moment to glare at the measuring tape before making her way over to the counter where she'd wait so so so patiently for the wandmaker's undivided attention. "Hi!" She greeted him enthusiastically, nodding because yes, let's see what they could do for her! This was sooooooooooo awesome!!!!

Again, Laini found herself buzzing with pent up energy. She was all but frothing at the mouth when the wandmaker came back with a wand just for-- "But it's so ugly," she looked up horrified. But was she horrified because she hadn't meant to say those words out loud or because of how ugly the wand was? "I mean-" What did she mean? "Are you sure you have enough measurements? Maybe you should take more so you can match me to a better wand?" She wasn't telling him how to do his job. No, no. Never. She was only suggesting that maybe he didn't have enough information to match her perfectly. Surely there had to be a better wand for her here. This simply could not be the one she walked away with.

"Hi," JT greeted back as he looked up at the shopkeeper. He didn't know the man, but he was enthusiastic and friendly with helping him. Some shopkeepers were on the grumpy side, so nothing to complain to his parents about here. It made him feel even more comfortable. Eventually, he came back with a box. He looked curiously at it as he was told what to do with it.

"O..kay," Just a quick wave. Did he wave it horizontally, vertically, in a swoop? JT didn't hear any other specifics so, he picked it up tentatively. What if it shocked him or didn't react and the man had to tell him that he wasn't good enough for a wand? Luckily, it didn't shock him. But there was a bit of an anticlimatic feeling as he didn't feel anything different holding.

Now a wave. He gave it a small twirl and a swoop, but nothing else seemed to happen. JT frowned. "Is this broken or.. am I doing it wrong?" Or worse, maybe he wasn't magical after all?? But then he'd have to get that Hogwarts letter of his burned if so.

+ mentions of Jon's family <3
 

"That's right," Zeke said, with an encouraging nod. And so the child did.

Watching for any of those initial signs that a wand had chosen its owner, Zeke was just on the verge of another prompt when the girl herself asked what to do next. Though it seemed he didn't need to answer; she'd found her next steps by herself. Instinct, probably.

Except, ah... that was... unfortunate. Zeke was, perhaps understandably, not a big fan of flames in his shop, what with decades', or in some instances centuries' worth of wooden instruments housed here. But also, given his line of work, he was not unprepared for the possibility of fire. His young customer was panicking quite enough for the both of them.

Quickly drawing his own wand, Zeke sent a jet of water at the quill to extinguish it; the quill, in turn, shivered and shook itself off, slightly charred and now really rather damp. So. No real harm done.

"Not to worry," Zeke said soothingly, turning to the girl and smiling in what he hoped was a reassuring way. "Not to worry at all. You're certainly not the first to do something like that in this shop. But, ah, I suspect that this is not the wand for you." Well. It might yet be, but Zeke was inclined to believe otherwise. "Here, pop it back into its box, and we'll try another one, alright?"

He had just the wand in mind, too. One with a little less kick, maybe. In a few moments, Zeke had located it on his shelves, and returned to the young girl, opening up this box now too, and again offering up the wand inside. "Here we are, give this one a whirl." And hopefully she would be reassured that Zeke was on hand to see to any minor disasters.


Well. If ever there was a moment to clutch one's pearls.

Ugly? If wands had ears, Zeke would be covering up this one's right about now. Not... that they had feelings in quite the way a person might. No, it fell to Zeke to do the emoting on their behalf, usually. Though he wasn't actually offended, or hurt, only taken slightly off guard.

After a pause, he allowed a smile, but didn't put the wand away again, despite the look of horror on the girl's face. "I'm sure," Zeke said, not unkindly. "And, you know, trying out the wands is another way to of collecting information. If this one doesn't choose you, it helps point us to the right one."

Of course, if it did, then she would admittedly be stuck with what she had deemed to be an ugly wand. Then again, if it was to be hers, then the ugliness ought not to matter (though, Zeke reflected to himself, he could say this with the kind of experience and maturities that an eleven-year-old was more likely to lack).

He offered up the wand again. "Sure you won't try it out?" If push came to shove, Zeke would, of course, summon the measuring tape back over. He couldn't promise, however, that it would take kindly to being asked to redo its job, but he'd just have to try and soothe its ego later, if necessary.


Tentative as the boy was in handling the wand at first, Zeke was patient and watchful. These kids, they usually got the hang of it even if they had a few anxieties or misgivings at first. It was easy, he supposed, to be a little dubious at the outset.

He kept an eye out for any early signs of a match, but none were forthcoming. Same again when the wand had been waved.

But Zeke only smiled, and held out the box for the wand to be placed back inside. "Not at all, not at all. Not broken, and you're not doing it wrong. It simply means that this is not a match. We'll try another." He considered their options, and what this little test had shown them, before making for a different shelf this time, and pulled out another wand box. "Let's see how you get on with this one," Zeke said, opening up the second box and offering the wand inside to the boy.


Today was just one of those days. Non-stop. A never-ending stream of customers from almost as soon as they'd opened until (he was predicting) closing time. Not that he was complaining; it was rewarding, enjoyable, entertaining work. The shop was quiet enough during the year; the summers made up for it.

"Hello there," Zeke greeted this next customer brightly, strolling over after finishing up with the last. "Let's see if we can't find you a wand, hm?" As he spoke, he looked over the measurements collected by measuring tape, recorded by his enchanted parchment. Mhm, mhm, yes, good. Right! "One moment, if you please."

And it would only be a moment, because Zeke knew exactly what he was looking for. He moved across to the side of his shop, slid a ladder a few feet over, climbed up a few steps, and took out one of the wand boxes. He returned to his customer a moment later, smiling broadly and opening up the wand box so that he could offer up the wand inside. "You know what to do? Just take this and give it a wave, and we'll see what's what." Easy as anything.


"Why, thank you very much. I'm rather fond of them too." And those stacks? His pride and joy. Not only because they were wands he himself had made - though a great many of them were, by this point - but because the organisation of said stacks was very much his own system. Yes. Pride and joy. The spinning was quite understandable.

Soon enough, though, they were getting on with the wand fitting, and... ah.

"Goodness. Are you alright there, my lad?" These wands could be troublesome if put into hands they did not agree with, but Zeke was pleased to see that no physical damage had been done. Still, pain was pain.

He set the rejected wand aside. "I think you're right. So, let's try..." He turned and scanned the shelves directly behind him, looking for... aha. Zeke took down another box, stretching up onto his tiptoes to reach it. He turned back around, opened up this box up too, and again offered up the wand inside. "This one. You know what to do." And hopefully this time there would be no burning.

Don't mind this emotional one .. we are working on it lol!
 

Greer stopped her screeching at least - long enough watch more magic from the wand keeper/seller what ever you'd like to call him. It seemed he set things right rather quickly, but she was still mortitifed. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know it would do that." She added as he seemed to walk away for a new wand.

When a wand was presented to her again .. she stalled. "Maybe, I shouldn't .. maybe they were wrong, maybe I'm not really a witch." Greer was defeated - the first bit of anything she did and she set a WAND shop on fire - good gravy they were made of wood, image the damnage she could have caused .... she didn't belong here. "I'll just go ..." She had tears in her eyes and was trying to locate her father between them so they could leave before she caused even more damange. "Sorry to waste your time Sir." She turned to leave - she was to embarassed to even wait for her dad at this point.

As the wandmaker finally approach her, Astrid turned away from her sibcousins, who were by the window, so she can properly look at the man and offer him her signature press-ready The Darling™ smile. "Hi! Yes, I am." He did recognise her, right? Cyppy was there too, and then so were the other sibcousins. It was quite obvious. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to tell that she was a Grimgang baby either, given all anyone in some tabloids and the wizternet has talked about was her potential Hogwarts house ever since she turned eleven. Not that she was at all exaggerating, either! (She was totally exaggerating, but don't ever tell her that on Striddy Wand Day aka one of her special days).

The only other reason behind the man's calm and collected persona was that he was very professional. And you know what? Astrid Grimaldi can respect that.

And she was about to make a request with the wandmaker, but he'd went off. Oh. Well. No worries, he will come back! And see, he did! Polite as ever, Astrid took a nice peek into the box that held the first wand. "Thank you, sir. Actually, may I ask? What's the best and prettiest and most powerful wand you have here? May I try it out, please?" Not that this wand that he was currently offering her was ugly, but Astrid liked getting the best of things, so it's only correct that she got the best wand, too. But for now, she supposed she should give this wand a wave. "I think it'd be fitting for me to—AH!" Unable to finish her sentence, the littlest Grimaldi dropped the wand back into the box and hissed, lifting her hand to her face. The wand had felt hot to the touch when she'd taken it, the temperature rising so quickly that she hadn't anticipated such a sudden change.

The stories of wands warming in the hands of certain witches and wizards were true — that much had been confirmed by Astrid herself just now — but NOBODY told her that it could HURT. "No. Sorry, not this one." Astrid said firmly, shaking her head. She had to look up with wide eyes at the wandmaker so that she wouldn't scowl down at that rejected wand instead.

Did the sibcousins see that? They probably did, which was why Astrid put on a casual ~brave~ face, but any of them who had observed attentively would see her lower lip slightly jutting out. That had hurt, okay? This process was not going as smoothly as she had hoped.

That wand had been ugly, anyway.

After what felt like ages, but in reality wasn't considering how busy the popular shop was, the wandmaker's attention turned towards her. Brie paused for a moment while she considered whether or not she could gain anything by being friendly - when she decided that considering he held her future wand in his hands (or... would at some point), there was plenty of gain. Ignoring the burning desire to roll her eyes, Brie pasted on the smile she usually reserved for Grandpa Elon and chirped a greeting. "Hi, sir! Take your time." The words were nearly painful to say.

Truly. Did anyone else notice her choke on them a little?

When the box was presented towards her, Brie took an eager step forward and peered inside. The contents... were nothing to be impressed with it, it seemed. But she'd give the professional the benefit of the doubt for this go around. The small blond reached out and picked up the wand, giving it a small wave and....

Nothing. No response. The wand didn't even heat up in her hand or anything. Placing it back down, she glanced back up at him with a look slightly more suspicious than before. "I think that one's defective."

Well, that was reassuring. It wasn't broken, just him.. Nah, JT understood perfectly that it was all about matching. "Oh, okay cool," He put the wand back into the open box before waiting on the next wand.

"So, do I just do another swish an-" JT stopped as something warm encompassed his fingertips. Blinking as he held the wand in hand. "Woah. Is it... supposed to feel like this? Warm?" It wasn't unpleasant, but different. The other wand felt like nothing. Well, better than nothing. He gave it a swish and the warmth seemed to flow through his fingers as something resembling a trail of sparks escaped. He paused to take in the outline before uttering, "What was that?"

Sorry about this little terror! xD
 

+ family mentions....
 

Johnny burned himself!! What? Ariadne made big eyes, and screamed out "Johnny, are you all right?" as she rushed to her brothers side with worry, and anxiousness in her tone to look over his hands and arms for injuries. A wand wasn't supposed to lash out at its user, yes? Luckily it seemed that her brother didn't get any burn marks on his hand, and was okay. Ariadne was reassured, and took a reluctant step back, but of course it was then that Tiffany, and only Tiff had to ask a totally weird question to the wandman that made everything go back to normal. Would her wand care how she wore her hair or what clothes she had on? Ariadne just shook her head, and exhanged an eyeroll with Johnny. Tiff knew just what to say to ease tension. Apparently a wand like Ariadne had thought didn't care about things like if you had your hair in pig tails or had a flimsy skirt on.

Back to her wand trying. After some humming from the wandman he left and then came back with a box and fished out a wand that he held out to her. Ariadne accepted it with trembling fingers worried that she'd get burned like Johnny had before give the wand a nice flicky wave. Something blue bursted out of the tip of her wand that Ariadne soon recognized as water, and within seconds she stood with water over her sneakers in quite a water pool. Looking up at the wandman she blabbered out and apology "I'm so sorry Mr wandman..I didn't mean to cause such a flood....Does this mean this wand isn't right for me?"

Tiffany frowned at her brother when he had to comment about her morning messy hair. She was about to retort back but the wandkeeper was addressing her question - at least he didn't think it was stupid - and said hairstyle didn't matter. This was actually quite fascinating in how the wand chooses them.

And her sister was professing fears about a wand not choosing her. She looked over to gave Ari a sympathetic smile. They were already selected to go to wizarding school, so a wand choosing them should be an automatic given?

Johnny burned himself with his first. Ari caused a flood. So what would her wand do? She gingerly stood there looking at nervously for a moment, as it seemed Johnny tried another and was asking about a velvet holster.... Picking it up finally, she waved it and strong gusts of wind emitted from it to dislodge some his wand boxes from the shelves. Tiffany set it down just as quickly as she waved it, shaking her head. "I don't think so."





Aaron was feeling all the emotions in that moment as the triplets were getting measured and trying their first wands. In all the commotion with the fire and water and wind, he barely heard his wife's whispers. Well he had heard it, but his focus was on the eleven year olds in that moment, but finally he turned to Laurel, "I suppose ... the sooner the better. Maybe Florean's. Breaking some news over ice cream one can't be upset." He whispered back.

The girl did not sound too enthusiastic, but Zeke had not expected a total turnaround there. He simply smiled, glad at least that she was willing to try ... but admittedly half hoping that this wand would not choose her, for the sake of keeping the peace out here on the shop floor.

It was a struggle not to laugh at the girl's expression, though Zeke never laughed openly at his customers. With them, maybe, but something told him this particular customer would not appreciate his laughter in this moment.

But then... ah. Well. Right.

Zeke watched those silvery flakes and considered them still even as the young lady returned the allegedly ugly wand to him. Then he fixed the girl with a shrewd sort of look.

"Are you sure it didn't feel right?" he said, nudging the box back to the middle of the counter. "We can try another, but I want us both to be certain that this wand is not the one. It did seem to react positively to you." The flakes, see? But Zeke always put a lot of consideration on what his customers felt towards the wand... though that was slightly complicated now by the issue of aesthetics. "See, if we try another, but this wand has already chosen you, I can't guarantee that another will bond as closely to you as this first one might. And, of course, this wand will have no one to wield it, it can't be rematched." Not without changing its allegiance in the usual manner, and possibly not even then. A wand remaining unused by the person it had chosen, gathering dust in the shop forever. It was a sad thought. "So, ignoring looks for a moment - there's always the option to engrave it if you wish - are we definitely saying it didn't feel like this wand chose you?"

Because Zeke? Not convinced. His motto: No wand left behind.

Or, well, not actually his motto. He didn't have a motto, but maybe now was a good time to start.


"That's quite alright. I didn't know it would either." See? They were working this out together, in a manner of speaking.

But... ah. This was always a concern with some of his customers. From the way the girl spoke, it sounded like she could be muggleborn, or at least raised as a muggle, though Zeke had also met one or two children from magical backgrounds who also doubted their ability to produce magic and wield a wand. Being muggleborn himself, though, he understood first hand this doubt in a child so new to the magical world.

"It's alright," he said, before the girl could move too far away. "Many witches and wizards don't find their match on the first try. If you weren't a witch, that wand wouldn't have worked for you at all." There was some precedent for wands working when muggles used them, of course, but that was more when the wands had been already in use and then stolen, and ended up discharging their residual magic. Certainly nothing so tame as the fire this girl's first attempt had caused. Zeke firmly believed this was a magical child; aside from anything else, she'd found her way to Diagon Alley. "If the wand wasn't right for you, that's more on me than it is on you. Here, try this one," he offered up the wand inside the box again, and smiled in a reassuring manner. "You aren't wasting my time. Not at all."


Perhaps it was for the best that Zeke did not follow any kind of tabloid news or celebrity gossip closely, if it meant he could retain his professional attitude (though, he'd probably maintain he would do the same even if the celebrity he most admired walked into his shop, and maybe he would, but he was unlikely to ever find out). Still, he followed enough news to absorb some of these things by osmosis, enough to recognise, if not to place a name to a face right away. Perhaps later.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly name a best and prettiest and most powerful. They might get an attitude with me." Was he being serious? Sort of. The wands couldn't actually hear him, but some did have attitude problems, depending on what they were made of. And he couldn't possibly name a wand with all those attributes, as it was fairly subjective and it often depended also on the wielder. "I can tell you that whatever wand you match with, it will be the best and most powerful for you in particular." Maybe not the prettiest. Zeke had already been through that whole debacle once this summer.

And maybe that wasn't what the girl wanted to hear, but alas, it was his answer.

Goodness. See? Wands with attitudes; this one was firmly against being tried, and it made its feelings known. "I'm terribly sorry about that. Are you alright?" Zeke asked, placing the lid back on the box and setting it aside. He considered the options for a moment, factoring in that last rejection, then disappeared briefly into the shelves behind the counter, and coming back with another wand box. "Let's see if you fare better with this one," he said, opening this box now, and offering the wand inside.

_____

Uh oh. Cyp recognised that look on Astrid's face, though he had to lean and crane his neck slightly to get a proper look at her expression. He'd been back here, facepalming at Astrid's request for the best wand in the shop, but remaining quiet. He'd even kept his silence when the first wand rejected her in the way it did.

But, when the wandmaker disappeared briefly to get another wand, Cyp cupped his hands around his mouth and called across the shop to her, not too loud, but definitely loud enough to be heard. "You got this, Boss Baby. Show that wand who's in charge." See? No teasing. He knew now was not the time.

That would come later, after the disappointment and injured feelings had been forgotten.


Having little reason to suspect that this girl's chirpiness was put on not even for his benefit, but for the benefit of the wand, Zeke simply smiled in response. Had he noticed that the words were delivered with any sort of reluctance? Impossible to say. In any case, his mind was on finding the perfect wand for this customer.

And so he watched her carefully as she picked it up to try, braced as ever for the magic that might come of it, but... nothing. No magic. No notable reaction. No match.

He definitely caught the look that time, but again it was hard to tell that he had. He got all kinds through here. Suspicious, sulky, excitable, entitled, angry, etc., and more than a few who doubted his credentials and ability to match them with a wand. As they all left with a wand that had chosen them, Zeke found it easy to bear whatever looks they shot at him through the process.

"Just not the wand for you, I think," he said bracingly, setting it aside ready to be cleaned and returned to the shelves later. After a moment's consideration, he went over to another set of shelves and scanned the wand boxes there for the one he was looking for. Within a few moments he found the wand in question, slid it out from the shelves, and returned to the girl. "Perhaps this?" Zeke said, again lifting the lid of the box and holding it out for her to take the wand inside.


Zeke was just on the cusp of answering the boy's question, but stopped even before he'd opened his mouth to do so. It occurred to him that he was witnessing the wand choosing the wizard. In any case, the boy seemed to know instinctively what to do next, possibly for that very reason.

He gave the boy a smile. "Unless I am much mistaken, that was your wand choosing you. Many do describe a kind of warmth when it happens." And, of course, there were the sparks. Yes. Zeke was not mistaken at all. They had a match.

Now, then, for the specifications.

"This wand is ten and a quarter inches of pliant alder, with a unicorn hair core. Alder makes for a loyal, steadfast companion. Always good attributes in a wand." It had also been noted by Zeke and many other wandmakers that this particular wand wood tended to attract the more friendly and likeable witches and wizards. "Of all the wand woods, alder is best suited to non-verbal magic, which should come in very handy once you're in your later years of school. It is well suited to all elemental magic - that is: fire, water, earth, and air - and you'll also find it provides a boost to shielding and protective magic. Alder also protects against drowning." Again, a good attribute. Naturally. "Unicorn hair wands are also very faithful to their owners; consistent and reliable. Well suited to charms, transfigurations, and especially to healing spells. This core is also more in tune with subtle and gentle magic as opposed to the flash-and-bangs type, though of course it can produce both if you take the time to master it."

And that was that. Zeke smiled again. "The wand by itself will be 9 galleons. Plus we have some other products and services you may be interested in."

_________

[10¼ inch pliant alder with unicorn hair]


Very polite, this one. Zeke smiled again, and didn't need to take too much time to consider the question, having just recently reached something of a milestone. "I've been a wandmaker for over twenty years now, but this year marks ten years since I took over this shop." Strange to think about sometimes, that the first wands he'd matched while stationed at Ollivanders were out in the world with their adult owners now. It didn't feel that long at all.

Zeke watched as the girl picked up the wand, quirking an eyebrow as she turned to look towards his window. What on earth was she doing? He thought he might have some idea, but gave no challenge, and it turned out not to matter either way.

"Hmm." Usually, Zeke might have thought that the pink light was a sign of a match. Had it not been for the fact that the first wave of the wand had produced no magic whatsoever, he might have questioned the declaration. And, he supposed... if she hated pink that much... "Well then, why don't we try another?"

He put the lid back on the wand box, then moved among his shelves again, eventually taking down another wand box. Yes, perhaps this. He returned to his young customer, and again offered the wand that was inside the box. "Same again, then, and we'll see how we go."


Ah, that was a relief. Not only because Zeke did not want children injured here in his shop, by his wands, but because he didn't much fancy dealing with angry parents either. "I'm glad to hear it," he said sincerely, before it was on to business.

More good news on that front too. Zeke beamed as the wand produced its magic, a sure sign of a match, swiftly confirmed by the boy's announcement. "Wonderful. Then it seems this wand has indeed chosen you." Absolutely undeniable.

"Now, then. This wand is nine and a half inches of sturdy juniper, with a unicorn hair at its core." Rather an attractive wand wood; certainly juniper wands varied in colour from milky white to a deep reddish-brown, with those attractive swirling patterns in the grain. Often when customers requested to try a 'pretty' wand, Zeke's mind would veer towards juniper (though he never strayed from his tried and true wand-fitting process). "It's said that juniper is attracted to honest and compassionate individuals, and one interesting characteristic is that juniper wands are rarely obtained by thievery. If someone were to try and steal a juniper wand, it will often find its way back to its owner. In terms of magic, it is well suited to healing spells - especially with this particular core, too - defensive magic, and protection spells. These wands are able to purify water sources and free them from poison." Just a fun little fact, who knew how often that might come in handy. "Unicorn hair makes for wands that are very faithful, very consistent, and very reliable. You'll find this wand is also well suited to charms and transfigurations, and especially to more subtle and delicate kinds of magic."

And there they had it. Worth the encounter with that tricksy first wand, Zeke hoped. "The wand itself is 10 galleons. And we have some other products and services available... though I'm sure you know that already." At least, if that comment about the velvet holster was anything to go by. But that reminded him; this boy had entered as part of a group. "Will you be paying separately, or are we waiting until everyone is matched?"

_________

[9½ inch sturdy juniper with unicorn hair]


Oh dear, that really was quite the flood, wasn't it? Zeke drew his own wand and did his best to clear up the puddle of water with a wordless flourish, then rocked back and forth on his heels a moment, considering.

"We-e-ell," he said, drawing the word out nice and long as he thought about it. "I should say that depends on you, and how the wand feels. Sometimes these wands can make a mess, but that doesn't always mean they're not a match." Yes, it generally came down to how his customers felt about the wand, whether it felt like theirs or not, and if they were unwilling to try another and give up the first. It was why he tended to get them to really consider and then tell him how it felt, rather than go by the magic the wand produced alone.

After a moment, Zeke set down the first wand box, scanned his shelves, and took down another box, before turning back to the girl. "It is completely up to you. Does that wand feel like your wand, or would you prefer to try out this one?" He held out the open box again, much the same as he had with the first.


Zeke was very good at keeping his expression schooled and refraining from reacting when his customers produced their various magical effects. He'd seen so many over the years that very little could surprise him.

That still held true right now, though he couldn't quite help from wincing ever so slightly. With some difficulty, Zeke turned away from the shelves, making a mental note to check over the wands that had fallen once he was done here.

"Yes, I think you are quite right," Zeke said, nodding in agreement and putting the lid back on the box. "Not to worry. That does narrow things down somewhat." After considering the shelves for a moment (and hoping the one he was thinking of wasn't in that pile on the floor) Zeke stooped down to pluck a wand box out from where it lived in a tucked away corner. He returned to the girl and smiled at her, offering the second wand that sat inside its box. "Let's see how you get along with this one."

Greer turned back when the shopkeeper starting speaking to her. She put on a small smile, okay ... maybe just maybe she was a witch. "Are you sure?" She asked questioningly - but she was already moving back him and the box that was being presented to her.

She looked at the wand, it was beautiful - but so was the last one and look at what happened. With a slightly wobbly hand she reached out and took the wand. Her fingers felt warm - like a tingle. "Oh no something is happening." She was almost afraid to wave the wand - but it was like the wand and her arm were connected with a mind of their own.

With a slight wave - at what could only be described as a glitter rainbow came out of her wand and then disappeared. "WAIT!!!!" She shouted after it. "I think this one might like me" She added turning back to Zeke.

"Wow," JT uttered. So they weren't exaggerating about the wand choosing the wizard. Ordinarily, the amount of information given to him would've gone over his head. But maybe it was knowing that now he was owning something that would be his lifetime companion of a wand. It also helped that he was being told all the good things about it. "So, you're saying I could almost be invincible, with the right training." He grinned, no other way to say it. Of course, no one can be invincible, but one could get close to it as possible.

Oh right, payment. "Oh, I'll take it!" JT took out his coin bag, thinking about the other services first as he counted out enough money for it. "I could do with the first bundle, with the wand, wand polish, wand conditioning oil, and... hip holster," His parents would totally understand his choice.

Ariadne's face felt all warm and blushingly hot as Mr wandman took care of the water flood that her wand waving had resulted in. Luckily he didn't seem too upset about the mess. It would have been another story if Ari had done that on Mum's newly cleaned kitchen floor. Right how the wand felt. She gave it a nice long thought like daddy said you should before she anwered thoughtfully with a head shake. "No this wasn't the wand for me. It didn't feel right in my hand you know? And I wasn't thinking about causing a flood honestly when the wand did that. I just wanted a few nice red sparks." Supplying as much information as possible was always good and especially when it was true.

Ari gave Jonny a quick appreciative glance back. He was okay. It made her feel better and she let out an inaudible sigh of relief. That Tiff also hadn't found her wand yet also made things feel better. Turning her eyes and attention to Mr wandman again she gave back the first wand and then accepted the other one. Placing it in her hand Ariadne immediatly felt a connection. This could be it. Taking a careful step back from the counter she gave the wand a quick wave and this time it felt nice and warm to the touch as a few butterflies flew out of the tip of her wand. Smiling brightly up at the wandman practically beaming from ear to ear. "I think this is my wand! It felt all warm and right to the touch...Butterflies are pretty too."

Laurel slipped her hand in her husbands as they watched with pride how Johnny first found his wand after a burn, and then Ariadne. Now they were waiting on Tiffany. Eyes locking with her husband Laurel whispered back. "Yes, let's do that. Icecream will be a nice treat, and Floreans is usually a good place to break the news since it isn't as loud there as the leaky."

"Completely sure," Zeke replied, nodding encouragingly, glad at least that the child seemed willing to entertain the idea. It could be difficult, he knew, coming in here and being rejected by a wand.

Still, Zeke could admit to being a little concerned that this next wand would also not be a match, because then it might be harder to convince the girl to keep trying. But... after an uncertain start, there they had it. Zeke beamed.

"I think so too," he said, and he really did. "Congratulations!" See? They always got there eventually.

And now, of course, he had some information for her.

"So, this wand is eleven and a half inches of flexible pine, with a griffin claw at its core. Pine makes for a very adaptable wand, it likes being used for all sorts of new and creative magical pursuits." Suitable not only for the creative but for the experimental, though there was often some overlap there. "It's also said that pine wands can detect and perform well for an owner who is destined to live a long life. It is particularly suited to non-verbal magic, which is something you'll find useful once you reach your sixth year or so. In terms of the magic itself, it's good for potions work, hexes, jinxes, and curses, and conjurations and transfigurations. Pine is, generally speaking, a very reliable wand." Reliability. Pretty important characteristic for a wand, naturally. "The core speaks to this too; griffin claw wands bond very closely to their original owner. You'll also find that delicate movements will feel more natural, with this core, and you'll have an easier time mastering protection spells and shields. It's a core ill-suited to dark magic or nefarious pursuits." Not that Zeke suspected she had this in mind, but it was useful to know the strengths and limitations of a wand.

"So, the wand by itself will be 9 galleons, and we also have a range of products and services you might be interested in, too."

_________

[11½ inch flexible pine with griffin claw]


"I am very glad to hear it," Zeke said, in response namely to the comment about taking very good care of the wand (naturally), but it was a statement that also applied to having confidence in his studies. See? These spiels about the wands had their uses.

And, of course, he had expected a few extra purchases. Zeke smiled, nodded, and retrieved the velvet holster and the tub of wand polish. "That's 18 galleons, 8 sickles, then - ah, excellent," he added, seeing the money already on offer. He bundled up the items, took the coins from the boy, and dropped them into his cash register, before looking up with another smile. "Thank you very much. The best of luck to you and your new wand."


"Thank you very much," Zeke replied. Yes, there weren't many who had congratulated him on that. In all fairness, there weren't many who asked, and his husband and children had already been keeping count of their Ollivander years alongside him.

With the second wand-trying underway, Zeke commenced his keeping an eye out for any early signs of a match... noting again how the girl aimed at his windows. Within a few moments, however, he couldn't take note of much at all, because suddenly... darkness. Or smokiness, to be a little more exact. Zeke coughed slightly, having inhaled some of the smoke in his surprise, and then drew his own wand.

"Yes, and the wand likes you too, I see. Well, in a manner of speaking," Zeke added, because actually, he could no longer see anything. He gave his own wand a twirl, and all too soon it began hoovering up the worst of the smoke, giving them some more visibility so that they might finish this transaction a little easier. He did prefer to see what was going on, especially as money was yet to change hands. "Now then! Congratulations are in order, and I have a little information for you."

Information about the wand, naturally. And useful information it would be.

"Your new wand is eleven and a half inches of strong walnut, and the core is dragon heartstring. Swedish Short-Snout, to be precise. A very handsome wood, known for its unusual versatility and adaptability. It tends to match with highly intelligent over-achievers." Did Zeke suspect that that applied to this customer? Hard to say in only a short meeting, but he did tend to trust the wands' judgement. "Good for cleansing and purification spells, and for reversal magic, known to amplify focus and intent, and will perform any task its owner desires, if the wielder is brilliant enough." Which, well, could be disastrous depending on the characteristics of the owner, but the wands would choose who they wanted to choose. "Dragon heartstring cores have a lot of oomph and raw power, and lend themselves to quick mastery of new spells. A very versatile core, much like the wood. You'll find that powerful spells, the ones which require a bit of oomph, will come easier than subtle, delicate spellwork, so more intricate spells may be more difficult. I'm happy to report also that dragon heartstring wands bond closely to their owners."

And that, as they said, was that. Plenty to be getting on with. "The wand by itself will be 10 galleons, and we also have a range of other products and services that might interest you today."

_________

[11½ inch strong walnut w/ dragon heartstring [Swedish Short-Snout]]


Sigh or no, Zeke had been committed to his little speech. Very important stuff, for the wands, and for this customer, though he knew that she was unlikely to really see it that way. The kids who came through his shop were generally eleven-year-olds, never younger, of course, and many at that age struggled to really listen to reason or recognise that the thing they didn't want to hear was actually in their best interests. So. He persevered. "No, it won't."

A sad thing. But it seemed, however, that that had done the trick. Zeke could tell the girl was still wavering, and, ultimately, she got herself there. He smiled at her, a smile of, he hoped, encouragement and understanding.

"I thought you might have been," he said. Kidding. Totally. Yes. Zeke would go along with that. "Now then, now that we're sure you've been chosen, I have some information for you." Maybe learning more about it would help in that acceptance still more. Zeke didn't know.

"This wand is eleven inches and two thirds of rigid ash, with a firecrab shell core." The words of that old superstition came to Zeke now: rowan gossips, chestnut drones, ash is stubborn, hazel moans. Most of the saying was poppycock, but ash owners did tend to be on the stubborn side. Ahem. "Healing and protection spells are well suited to this wand. It's important to note also that this is not a wand that ought to be passed on to a new owner, or it will lose power and skill. So, only one who has been truly matched with an ash wand will be able to master it." And that wasn't Zeke driving the point home, that was just a characteristic that he would share with anyone who matched with ash. "Firecrab shell cores are increasingly uncommon. Wands with this core do have a tendency to burst into flames if they overheat or appropriate protective measures aren't taken, but as long as you care for this wand properly, you need not worry. Otherwise, a very stable wand, which can be used for almost every type of magic, and, once it bonds with you, will burn the fingers of anyone who tries to steal it. Fire-related spells work well with this core, and usually it can take a lot more work to cast ice or water-related spells, but as the wood has a water affinity, you shouldn't find this to be a problem." Worth knowing, all the same.

So! Now they had all the details covered, onto business. "The wand itself will be 10 galleons, plus anything else you might want today."

_________

[11⅔ inch rigid ash with firecrab shell]


Zeke paused. He could not recall saying anything about invincibility, but could not blame the boy for getting just a touch carried away. Big moment, and everything. He smiled. "You could certainly do great things, with the right training," he said.

Great things. Surely that was plenty to be getting on with for now. Near invincibility? Well, the quaffle was certainly in the boy's court on that score.

And then onto business. "Absolutely," Zeke said, and set about collecting the polish and conditioning oil, before bundling it all up with a hip holster for the young man. "That will be 17 galleons, all together."


Zeke nodded. "Yes, I know exactly what you mean." Whether it felt right or not, it was a concept that came up a lot in the wand-fitting process, and he understood it very well. Plus, he had his own wand, and had experienced all this too, himself.

He could tell almost immediately that they were having better luck with the second wand, and once the wand was waved, this was more or less confirmed. When the girl made her declaration, Zeke became absolutely convinced. "I believe it is! Congratulations, you've found your wand." Charming butterflies they were too. Er... pardon the pun.

So then! Zeke was sure she was ready to hear all about the specifics of the wand. Regardless, he was going into them now.

"This wand is eleven inches and two thirds of bendy laurel, with a griffin claw core. Laurel wands are sometimes called fickle, but really it simply doesn't suffer unmotivated individuals, in which cases it can easily be won away. But, for the right match, the wand will remain tightly bonded. Laurel has an affinity for fire spells, and is attracted to those with inner strength and integrity, and it is also well protected from thieves, and will emit a spontaneous strike of lightening at anyone who attempts to steal it." Handy, no? And, Zeke thought, a detail that helped address the 'fickle' rumours. Truly it was a loyal wand to those it bonded well with. "It is often said that a laurel wand cannot perform a dishonourable act, which is interesting here, as a griffin claw core is also ill-suited to dark magic pursuits or nefarious endeavours. Protection spells and shield charms are likely to be some of the easiest spells you will master, and spells with delicate wand movements will feel most natural with this core. These wands bond very closely to their original owner too, and are not easy to pass on to another." Which, in Zeke's view, counteracted the 'fickle' allegations of the wood rather well, at least in the case of this particular wand.

"The wand by itself will be 11 galleons, plus anything else you might like today," Zeke said, gesturing to the list of products and services.

_________

[11⅔ inch bendy laurel with griffin claw]