Albus Potter, Friends and Foes

Ch 8 Problems with Professors

More suggestions than corrections, for a change, from my excellent Beta readers.

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The first Charms class of the new year was taught by Professor Sam Zauberstabhersteller, and Albus could sense trouble right away. The Professor wanted everyone to introduce themselves, and then tell them something about their wand. He started at the back, pushing and prying to see what he could find out about how comfortable the students were using their wand.

When he came to Scorpius the young wizard explained, "This was originally my father's wand. Harry Potter used it at the Battle of Hogwarts, and then kept it. Albus Potter used it when we started at Hogwarts, but we eventually traded wands, and I have used this ever since. It is a good wand, and I feel comfortable using it."

"That is a very unusual way to acquire a wand, Mr. Malfoy," the professor noted.

Scorpius raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to get into a discussion about the history of his wand.

The professor turned to Albus, who put his hand on his wand, but did not show it. "I am not really supposed to talk about this wand, although everyone seems to know about it anyway." Albus sighed. The professor would see it often enough when he used it, but he did not want to have the professor stare at his wand. "This is The Elder Wand, one of the oldest wands in the world. It came to me when I summoned 'Albus's wand.' Even though it seemed to be fully my wand right away, my father had defeated its previous owner, and he did confirm that it is my wand by giving it to me.

"It is a good wand. I feel very comfortable using it.

"I have been ordered not to let anyone examine it."

The professor glared at Albus, obviously upset, and then then turned to Cleo.

Cleo reached down to the wand pocket on her skirt, pulled out her wand, and briefly showed it, holding it close to her body. She too did not want the professor to come too close, or to touch her wand.

"I think this wand came from India or China, although we purchased it at Ollivander's. The wand is mostly Bamboo, but the Bamboo is attached to a Sandalwood handle, and the tip is the tip of a dragon tooth. It has a woven core of Unicorn, Thestral and Centaur hair. I understand that most Magi have a hard time controlling it, but you just have to show her who is the boss. Albus and I don't have any problems controlling it, but that is because it is MY wand and I can control it, and Albus is ... well because we are ... well, we can. Just like I can control his masculine wand, he can control my feminine wand."

"There are very few wands with gender, Miss Smith," the professor noted.

"Very few," Cleo agreed with a shrug. "Albus and mine do. My wand is very good at gender and, you know, wandmaking is a creative process just like having a baby, and that is why it takes a couple, a married couple, to become wandmakers. Well, it is more complicated than that, most things are really, more complicated than you think they are at first.

"Do you want to marry and become a wandmaker? I know you trained to be one."

"You think I should marry and become a wandmaker, Miss Smith?" the professor grinned, amused at how forward this young lady was.

Cleo looked around the room, her plaits flying, noticing the couples in the room. "I can examine you, and make soap and shampoo, but I'm not the one to find you a wandmaking wife. My wand does seem to be tied into procreation, the creative process, those sorts of things, though."

"May I see your wand?" The professor asked, holding out his hand.

"NO!" Cleo shouted, pulling the wand to her chest. Then, in a small and rather embarrassed voice, "Mr. Head Auror Potter and the prophets and other people in Switzerland told both Albus and me that we should not let anyone examine our wands. So we don't."