Now you see me

Severus Snape

As they exited the final shop, Snape glanced down at Harry with a rare hint of something resembling approval in his dark eyes. "You've done well, Potter," he acknowledged grudgingly. "All that is left now is to get your wand."

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they steppedinside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chairthat Snape sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he hadentered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions thathad just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrowboxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back ofhis neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tinglewith some secret magic. 

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. 

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining likemoons through the gloom of the shop. 

"Hello," said Harry awkwardly. 

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon.Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. 

"You have your mother's eyes. Itseems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Tenand a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charmwork."

"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches.Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, Isay your father favoured it -- it's really the wand that chooses thewizard, of course."

Snape sneered at the comment on Harrys father

"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, "Well, now-- Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silvermarkings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?" 

"Er -- well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.  

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder tofinger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and roundhis head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core ofa powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenixtail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wandsare the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quitethe same. And of course, you will never get such good results withanother wizard's wand."

One after the other wands were taken away from Harry as fast as they were given to him.

Harry stood in Ollivanders, the narrow wand shop feeling oddly oppressive. The dimly lit room was filled with shelves stacked high with boxes, each containing a wand waiting for its rightful owner.

Ollivander, the shop's eccentric owner, peered at Harry with keen eyes, as if trying to discern some hidden truth. "Ah, yes," he murmured to himself, "I wonder..."

As Ollivander disappeared into the depths of the shop to fetch another wand, Harry's attention was drawn to a figure standing silently in the shadows. Professor Snape loomed near the entrance, his dark eyes fixed intently on Harry.

Unnerved by Snape's presence, Harry shifted uncomfortably, wondering what the Potions Master was doing there. Snape's gaze remained inscrutable as he observed the proceedings with a detached interest, as though he were merely a silent observer.

Moments later, Ollivander returned with a new wand in hand. He handed it to Harry with a flourish, his gaze intense. "Try this one," he urged, his voice tinged with anticipation.

Harry took the wand and gave it a wave, but instead of the expected burst of magic, the wand emitted a series of sparks and smoke, causing Ollivander to shake his head in disappointment.

"Curious," Ollivander mused, his attention momentarily diverted from Harry to the wand in his hand. "Very curious indeed."

Snape remained silent throughout, his expression unreadable as he continued to observe Harry's wand selection process. Despite his presence in the background, his mere presence added an extra layer of tension to the already nerve-wracking experience.

After several more unsuccessful attempts, Ollivander finally handed Harry a wand that seemed to hum with a faint energy as soon as it touched his hand. A sense of rightness washed over Harry as he waved the wand, sending a shower of golden sparks into the air.

"Ah, yes," Ollivander exclaimed with a smile, his eyes twinkling. "That is the one. Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. A powerful combination indeed."

Relief flooded through Harry as he clutched the wand tightly, knowing that he had found his perfect match. As he turned to leave the shop after paying the asked amount, he caught Snape's gaze once more, but this time, there was a hint of something resembling approval in the Potions Master's eyes before he and Harry disappeared out of the door.

With that, Snape led Harry back through the hidden entrance to Diagon Alley, the bricks sealing themselves behind them as they disappeared into the bustling streets of London once more