International Love | Fred Weasley

Chapter 58

A couple of weeks go by before I start working at Ollivanders. When I arrive at Diagon Alley on Monday morning, I head to the shop with over the front written: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. I enter the small and dusty shop and look at the thousands of boxes containing wands.

"Good morning, Ms Dubos," a voice sounds which makes me turn around. Ollivander smiles at me, "I shall give you a small tour. Did you finish the books I gave you?"

Out of my shoulder bag, I produce the books Ollivander gave me the other day and I hand them back. Ollivander nods pleased and gestures for me to follow him. He gives me a tour of the shop, the storage room, and the workroom where he makes his wands. One of the workbenches in the room has been cleared out for me. It's opposite a workbench where several unfinished wands are on display.

I spend the first few days cleaning the shop and assisting Ollivanders as he helps customers. Bit by bit, Ollivander teaches me a few basic facts about wands. Once a week, I work at Flourish and Blotts and Madame Malkin's.

On Thursday, a week since I started, I finish up the purchase of a wand by a young woman and her son. The boy eyes the wand box on the counter with wide eyes while his mother tells me proudly about how he will be starting Hogwarts in September. Ollivander had left the store to bring in some of the newer wands. I bid the woman goodbye after she has paid and wave at the little boy when he leaves the store with his mother.

From the back of the shop, I hear Ollivander call for me: "Elena, could you grab a few unicorn hair wands from the back?"

I lock the register and head towards the back of the store. Ollivander and I pass each other in the small hallway and I quickly enchant the stack of boxes he is carrying to prevent them from falling. Ollivander told me he has made many wands, even more than he believes he will ever sell, so everywhere are boxes with wands. Lately, there has been a slight increase in the purchase of wands with unicorn hair so we're taking them out of storage.

The storage room is an unorganized mess. I'm sure it used to be neat and organized, but I haven't yet found the logic in the chaos. Ollivander's handwriting isn't always readable and I have been struggling to decipher what the contents of some boxes are.

Deep in concentration to decipher, I suddenly hear the sound of breaking glass and a loud explosion. Shocked, I press myself again the wall of the room, afraid the building might collapse. I hear the voice of an unfamiliar man scream: "Here! Grab his hands, we don't want him to escape!"

Ollivander screams something and I can hear people fighting. I take my wand from its holster and take a step towards the door. Carefully, I scan the hallway that leads from the front of the building to the back and see three men in black cloaks walking around in the shop. Smoke is filling the hallway, but I can't see the immediate source. Two of the men are wearing masks, but the third one doesn't. When he turns his head, I freeze on the spot.

Fenrir Greyback.

The smoke is getting thicker but I can see Greyback roughly placing a bag over Ollivander's head. He pushes the old wizard in the direction of the two masked men. Ollivander stumbles something and lands on the ground with a scream. I let out a gasp before quickly pressing my hand over my mouth to avoid making a sound.

As if he heard me, Greyback turns his head and looks in my direction. Quickly, I press myself against the wall beside the door.

"Let's go, Greyback! The Dark Lord doesn't like to wait." I hear a voice call out. It takes a few moments before I hear Greyback respond: "Yes, a moment. I thought I saw someone else."

"Everyone knows the old man runs this shop on his own," A man laughs, "Not many people in line to become a wandmaker, right, old man?"

"Maybe we need to take a look. Just to be sure," another voice suggests.