Chapter 12: The Wand Shop Explodes

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Wand Shop Explodes

Chapter Twelve: The Wand Shop Explodes

After leaving Flourish and Blotts, Snape took Vesey to Tuofan Clothing Store.

He insisted on choosing a princess dress for her.

Vesey did everything she could to persuade him to replace the princess dress with ordinary clothes.

"I always feel like someone is staring at me whenever I wear a skirt..."

She finally managed to convince Snape to give up on buying her a princess dress.

But after buying several sets of clothes, Snape still bought her several ordinary skirts.

Vesey complained inwardly.

How much does he like skirts?

He’s more enthusiastic about them than the person who’s actually going to wear them!

Then they went to the apothecary.

Snape didn’t ask for her opinion here. He simply bought several of everything they needed.

Once they had almost everything on the shopping list, Snape took her to the wand shop.

When Ollivander saw Snape, he nodded.

"So you’re Lily Evans’s daughter, Vesey? When Dumbledore wrote to me, I couldn’t believe it. But now that I’ve seen you with my own eyes, I can only say that you look almost exactly like Lily!"

Snape proudly raised his chin.

Vesey had no idea what he was so proud of, so she could only smile awkwardly and politely.

Ollivander looked into her eyes and continued:

"Do you remember your mother’s first wand? Ten and a quarter inches, made of willow. It made a swishing sound when she waved it. It was an excellent wand for performing magic.

"And your father... He preferred a mahogany wand, which is particularly suited to Transfiguration. Of course, saying that he ’preferred’ it isn’t entirely accurate, because the wand chooses the wizard."

Snape, who was standing beside them, snorted.

"Mahogany. Just as frivolous as he is."

Even Vesey was stunned by the remark.

As expected of you.

You really are always looking for opportunities to slander James Potter.

James Potter having you as an enemy really was the worst thing that ever happened to him.

Ollivander was stunned as well.

However, he didn’t know much about James Potter’s school days, so he naturally had no idea how to refute Snape.

He simply changed the subject and asked Vesey to raise her arm so he could take her measurements.

"Miss Potter, which hand do you usually use?"

he asked.

"Right hand."

As Vesey answered, she watched curiously as Ollivander climbed up and down, searching through his shelves for a suitable wand.

By the time he finished measuring her with the wandmaker’s measuring tape, Ollivander had already brought over a thick stack of wand boxes.

He opened one of them and handed the wand inside to Vesey.

Vesey waved it and found it quite comfortable.

But Ollivander immediately snatched it back.

"No, no!"

he said.

Vesey asked curiously, "But I feel fine with it! At least this wand isn’t rejecting me."

Ollivander looked at her and laughed.

"Child, I just told you that the wand chooses the wizard. But there is another possibility—the wizard chooses the wand.

"The wand likes you, but your magic doesn’t like it. It won’t even let the wand properly display its abilities."

"Huh?"

Vesey was stunned.

It has feelings?

Why hadn’t she known that?

She felt as though Ollivander was teasing her, but his expression was completely serious.

He handed her another wand.

Vesey subconsciously took it and waved it.

It felt exactly the same as the previous one.

She could clearly feel that it was comfortable in her hand, but it didn’t produce any of the dramatic reactions described in the original story.

She could only hand it back to Ollivander.

"What a picky customer. Try this one!"

Ollivander handed Vesey another wand.

Vesey knew immediately that it wouldn’t work the moment she held it.

It was no different from the previous wand.

"Then try this one..."

"And this one?"

"..."

One after another, Vesey tried almost every wand in Ollivander’s shop.

The result was always the same.

The wands liked her, and she could use them if she forced them to cooperate, but it was somewhat difficult.

According to Ollivander, this was a sign that her magic simply didn’t like those wands.

Vesey was speechless.

"What should we do?"

A moment ago, she had thought she was the protagonist of some dramatic wand-selection scene.

Now she didn’t feel like the protagonist at all.

If I can’t even get a wand, can I still go to Hogwarts?

Vesey was worried, and even Snape frowned as he looked at Ollivander.

Ollivander found the situation somewhat amusing and said slowly:

"Don’t worry. If we really can’t find a wand suitable for Miss Potter, I could always make one from Miss Potter’s ribs and blood."

"Ribs and blood..."

Vesey felt embarrassed just thinking about it.

When everyone else takes out their wands in class, am I supposed to take out one of my own ribs?

"Look again."

Snape said with a dark expression.

Ollivander shook his head.

He had no intention of searching through the wands again.

"In that case, Miss Potter, you can try to sense for yourself whether there is a wand here that can respond to you."

Vesey looked at him in confusion.

"Sense it? How?"

Ollivander sighed.

"Close your eyes, calm yourself, and think about it. Think about wanting a wand that you can truly use. Believe me, child, every wizard possesses this ability—even a child who hasn’t yet entered school."

Vesey thought his explanation sounded rather mysterious.

Still, after thinking about it for a moment, she closed her eyes.

She tried to find the feeling Ollivander had described.

And then—

It actually worked.

When she closed her eyes and thought about finding a wand that could truly adapt to her, the energy within her mind suddenly began burning like crazy.

Before Vesey could shout, I don’t want it anymore!, a wand at the very bottom of the shop suddenly flew out.

It was a silver-white wand with traces of blood-red running through it.

"This wand..."

Ollivander’s eyes widened.

"This is truly remarkable."

He handed the wand to Vesey.

The moment she touched it, she knew it was a perfect fit.

How could it not be?

At that very moment, twenty points of her energy had been consumed.

Twenty points...

Just for this lousy wand?

I should’ve just let him use my ribs.

Vesey held the wand in despair.

Then warm, brilliant sparks suddenly erupted from it, surrounding the entire wand shop.

And then—

Bang!

Ollivander’s Wand Shop exploded.