Obsession || Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Chapter 23

POV Penelope

I must say that waking up an hour early isn't quite pleasant experience. Sebastian seems to agree – he stumbles a lot, constantly closes his eyes and has a problem with understanding my words, not that I say much. The only thing that keeps us from falling asleep is a cold morning breeze that pierces every cell of our bodies like a needle.

Hogsmeade seems peaceful enough. Olivander's wand shop is open, so we go in.

The owner sits in a chair, reading the newspaper and drinking tea. He doesn't seem surprised when he sees us.

"Miss Parker, Mister Sallow...what can I do for you today?"

"Mister Olivander..." I start, feeling ashamed for breaking his creation, "...I...my wand is broken. Is there any way you can fix it?"

"Well, why don't I take a look?"

He picks up the remains of the wand, wrapped in a cloth. He frowns when he sees what has happened to it, but says nothing. Taking out some tools, the shopkeeper begins to examine everything in great detail – right down to the splinters Sebastian picked up while I was asleep. As we watch him patiently, I try to convince myself that it's fixable.

"Pear wood, phoenix feather, unyielding?" He asks when he finishes.

"That's right."

"Mhm...You see Miss Parker, I indeed can fix it, but that won't do you good. The wand started rejecting you, so even if I do what you ask me to do, it won't follow your commands."

"What do you mean by 'rejecting'" Sebastian asks.

"Wands pick their wizards based on the character. Consequently, if there was a change of heart the wand is no longer a fit. It refuses to do simple spells, can start sparkling, or even explode. And I assume that Miss Parker was the one to break her wand. Am I right?"

"You are...But how did you know?" I answer.

"Experience, dear. Could you please share what caused it?"

"I was practicing for my exams, and there was a spell, an easy one, that I just couldn't do. I snapped and before I could stop myself...well...you see."

"And could there be something that you did, let's say, less than a week ago that would be highly untypical for the person who came here in September."

I immediately recall Ardbrek. Green lightings, corpses lying around, a dying goblin...Penelope Parker, the orphanage girl, could have never done it. She was able to hurt, but never to kill – too afraid to.

That girl now? Gone long ago. I don't know when she left. Was it when she defeated a troll? Was it when she casted her first Unforgiveable curse? Was it when she saw a wizard turned to an inferi? Was it when she saw that house elf that was loyal to his awful and cruel master until the very end? I don't have the slightest idea.

I understand what Olivander is talking about – I've changed. I've never realized that before, but now I see that the feeling of power and superiority made me more cruel, more brave, more determined. There is no turning back.

Not that I want to though.

"Yes." I answer, "I see your point, Mister Olivander. What would you suggest?"

"A new wand. I've heard a lot about your adventures, and that made me question wand's choice. I was hoping that I was wrong, but still took some time to put away some wands in case I was right."

"My wand served me great, I don't think it didn't choose well then." I say while he climbs the ladder to get a few boxes, "She just doesn't fit me now."