My Father's Only Rule

Chapter Three: The Wand Chooses The Wizard

August 1994 - Diagon Alley

Draco and I had exchanged letters like crazy over the weeks leading up to school, and I was now 95% won over by him. But given the one rule that I was expected to follow, I insisted that I should be 100% won over by him before deciding to take it farther behind Dad's back. Dad was starting to get suspicious. I kept telling him we were just good friends. He didn't know we were planning on meeting up in Diagon Alley to go back-to-school shopping. 

Walking into Diagon Alley for the first time took my breath away, and not just because I saw Draco waiting for me by Flourish and Blotts. Every wizarding world location I had seen had overwhelmed me with its wonder. I could only wait in brooding anticipation to see Hogwarts. When I saw Draco, I ran to him in the middle of the road and hugged him. His body said he wasn't excited to see me with the way he stood still. But his face said otherwise with the massive smile. Truthfully, I think I would have kissed him if my dad wasn't there. He quickly jumped off of me when he saw my dad.

"Professor," he said.

"Malfoy," he said back. "Grace, give me your list, and I'll go buy your supplies. Malfoy, would you take her to Olivander's?" Malfoy nodded eagerly and we ran off.

"Ready to get your first wand?" he said, taking my hand. 96%.

"I'm nervous," I said. When we walked into Olivander's, a cold chill ran down my spine. It was dark and quiet. Olivander himself came out of the back and stared at me.

"Something tells me this is long overdue," he said. I smiled. "Snape?" I nodded. Then he noticed Draco in the back. "And hello Mr. Malfoy," he added. He dug around in the corner before returning with a wand. It was rather short, and no had minimal detail.

"Nine inches," he said, placing it in my hand. "Acacia wood, phoenix core." I didn't even wave it, all I did was lift it up, and then a window cracked. Draco snickered as Olivander took it out of my hand quickly.

"Shut up, Draco," I said. Olivander gave me another one.

"10 inches. Beechwood. Unicorn core." I gave it a wave and the crack in the window got even deeper. Draco flinched. Once again Olivander took it quickly out of my hand. He sighed and looked at me.

"It's much more difficult finding a wand for a witch who's years behind her class," he said.

"But I'm not," I said. "Father spent the summer homeschooling me and getting me caught up."

"I mean years behind in experience, not in knowledge," he clarified.

"Well it's not her fault," Draco said. "She'd have been here with the rest of us if her filthy muggle mum hadn't hidden her letter."

"I didn't say it was her fault," Olivander said. "I only said it's difficult. But maybe..." he said, trailing off.

"Maybe?" I repeated.

"Around the time when you should have started school, a young girl with black hair tried out this wand. Parkinson, I believe."

"Pansy?" Draco said.

"Yes. It was abysmal. All my shelves broke. And I told her the wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around. But she insisted on buying it after I had told that the owner of this wand should have a certain charm." He laid the wand out in front of me.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that this wand is not meant for someone who doesn't stop until they get what they want. Nor is it meant for someone who sits back and lets things come to them. This wand is intended for someone who knows exactly what to do at exactly the right time and exactly what not to do at exactly the right time to get exactly what they want." He placed the wand in my hand.

"Miss Parkinson returned this to me less than a week after she bought it. It's been sitting in the back ever since. Eleven inches. Ash wood. Dragon core." The wand balanced perfectly in my hand. It was a deep brown with a spiral handle. It was just the right amount of classic and unique. As soon as I held it, Draco drew closer to me. The lights flickered out and there was only light coming from the wand itself. Suddenly Olivander snatched it up, put it in its box, gave me a bag, and sent me on my way.

Draco and I were walking hand in hand when something dawned on me.

"Who's Pansy?" I asked.

"Pansy?" he said. "Just a friend."

"Is this friend...." I said, hoping he would catch on.

"Pansy?" he said again. "Dear god, no. I mean I've thought about it, but-" I raised my eyebrow. "Listen," he said. "Pansy is great. But-"

"Great?" I interrupted. "She's great?"

"I mean- not great," Draco said. "She's alright. But she's not you." He tucked my hair behind my ear. 97%.