Seeing Fred

A Stick

"Good morning, Mr. Ollivander. This is Leah."

"Good morning miss."

"Morning." She said a bit nervously as she glanced around the shop.

"There is no need to be nervous. Albeit it is the first time that a girl your age comes to my shop for her first wand."

"A first time for everything, right? Will you have a wand for me? I mean I am indeed not eleven."

"Yes, like I tell all the young ones, the wand chooses the wizard or witch. Your perfect wand will still be here between my heaps of wands." He said as he walked closer to his counter, Minerva and Leah followed.

"Alright, how do we go about this?"

"I will hand you a few wands and see how they react to you; we can go from there." Mr. Ollivander smiled as he started pulling out boxes and inspected them before pushing them back.

"Leah," Leah looked up to the headmistress. "I'll leave you two alone for a while. This is something you need to do for yourself. I'll be back when you're done." She squeezed her shoulder before she stepped out the shop. She turned back and watched as the older man hobbled between the stacks.

"Mr. Weasley." Professor McGonagall smiled as she sat down next to a grey aura on a bench across the wand shop. Fred jumped at her voice as she sat down next to him. He was so focussed on the Leah as he saw her through the window, waiting patiently for Ollivander to come back with a couple of wands, he didn't see Minnie come out of the shop.

"I figured you would be here. I don't know what's going on between the two of you or what happened, but it seems you've really hurt her. She's... she is an exceptional witch. Tell her the truth and give her some time, what she has been through for the last few weeks... I think any other person would've crumbled to pieces, but not her." She said as she watched the young woman glance around the shop curiously.

"And I honestly believe you two are meant to be more than strangers or friends. I know she doesn't want to talk to you right now but don't let her push you away, like I assume you did to her. To protect her, maybe?" She quirked an eyebrow as the aura next to her changed colours. Fred looked down at his lap, fumbling his fingers. "Hm, well. She deserves the truth, honesty. She found out her life was a lie, that one of her favourite people in the world, lied to her for 21 years. And even after everything, she still wants to help you. If that doesn't tell you what kind of person she is, I don't know what will." Minerva looked back at the shop as Leah picked up her first wand suspiciously as she pursed her lips before it turned into a smile and laughed at something Mr. Ollivander said.

After about fifteen minutes Mr. Ollivander came back with six dust covered boxes. He blew of the dust before he opened each lid and placed it next to the box. He handed the first one over, an even black, long wand, it's end in the shape of an arrow. She twirled the wand between her fingers with a frown.

"You grew up as a muggle, didn't you?" The older man asked, she nodded her head. "Well, if the wand doesn't produce the required magic, you could always stab him with the other end."

Her lips turned into a smile before a laugh exited her, the older man chuckled with her from behind the counter. She gave the wand a wave, like George explained, but nothing happened. She put it back in the box and Mr. Ollivander already pushed the next one forward as he watched her curiously. The next one was a Hawthrone wand, the moment she held in in her hand she felt uneasy.

"This doesn't feel right." She said as she placed the wand back in the box with a frown.

"The next one perhaps." He said as he simply waved his wand and the two first boxes flew back to their place. She went through the next four boxes, but nothing felt right, she dropped down on an armchair as she rubbed her hand over her face.

"Maybe this won't be the first time you'll sell a woman my age her first wand."

"Don't get discouraged, I have at least thousands of other boxes." He said as a cup of tea flew in her hand. "Drink your tea, we have time. After you finished, we'll continue." He said as he sat down in the other armchair next to her with his own cup. "Mrs. McGonagall explained me a bit about your situation... it's very curious."

"Curious is one word for it." She grimaced before she took a sip of her tea, the chamomile tea instantly relaxed her.

"Maybe because of your history, your peculiar situation, we should try another way."

"Another way?" She asked as she sipped the last of her tea and sat down her cup on the small table between the two armchairs.

"Yes, miss Leah." He said standing up, placing his cup next to her. "If you will follow me."

She stood up and followed him, followed him until they were both standing behind the counter. She looked down at him curiously.

"I want you to walk between the stacks, to see if you could feel a wand that fits you best. My storage goes back far, so take your time."

"Are- Are you sure?"

"Yes, so please if you will." He gestured his hand to the hallway to her right. She bit the side of her lip before she headed in the dark lit hall.

She let her fingers graze over the dust covered boxes, hundreds and hundreds were stacked against the walls to her left and right. Occasionally she took out a box and peered in before she pushed it back in its original place. A few times when her fingers touched a box and sting went through her fingers and she pulled her hand back as it was burned. She didn't know how long she searched between the stacks or how long Mr. Ollivander was softly humming a tune she didn't know, when her heart started to beat fast in her chest as she walked closer to one particular box. Just like the others it was covered in dust, hasn't been touched in years, maybe even since it was made. It was tucked in the darkest storage space, at the bottom right, like it fell down from a stack years ago and nobody took a moment to pick it up and place it back. With a racing heart she picked up the box and blew of the large amount of dust. She carried it, still closed, back to the front of the shop, where Mr. Ollivander was still humming as he carved a piece wood. She stopped as she reached the older man and placed the box on the counter in front of them. The older wizard looked up from Leah to the box and smiled.

"Well, try it out."

"Oh, yeah. Alright." She said shaking her head and opened the box.

"Ah, a yew." Mr. Ollivander said as he looked at the grey, almost silver like wand inside. "And the core, a horned serpent horn. I made this when I went to America for an apprenticeship. I forgot I had this." He said as he looked at the wand curiously. "This is the one?" He asked looked up at her.

"This is the only one I felt drawn to." When the wandmaker gave her a nod, she picked up the wand and studied it close. The silver wand was sleek and thin, the handle was engraved with a crescent moon surrounded by several stars. On the bottom was the Celtic knot, a triquetra. When she held the wand in her left hand, a warm feeling coursed through her body, and she gave it a wave and nearly fainted at what she saw. Her breath got caught in her throat as she looked around the room. Her Nan, Addie, her grandfather, Cassandra, even a few unfamiliar ghosts she didn't know, like a young woman with piercing green eyes and red hair appeared in front of her, all smiling at her.

"Leah." All the voices said before they disappeared again. Her knees buckled before she crashed to the ground, breathing heavily. The door of the shop opened with a clang as footsteps hurried over to her, a worried Mr. Ollivander already by her side.

"Leah!" Two voices yelled.