The Secrets Of The Gordian Knot Book 1: Book Of Secrets

Chapter 5 - Ebbingdale's Wonders For Wizards

James and Melissa got up early the next morning and walked across Broadway to Ebbingdale's, Celestia brought along her apartment's caretaker. It was a huge department store, with a large sign with neon lights. And the building was purple. Very purple.

"Have you ever had a bagel, twins?" Celestia asked.
"Yes," said James, "But not an authentic one from New York."
"Fair enough. I know a good place for breakfast. They make great bagels."
As they walked inside, the inside of the store was enormous. There were stores on every floor, in the shape of an arch. The entire store was full of children, walking here and there buying their supplies for school. James wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, twenty dragots an ounce, they're insane...". There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments the twins had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon, A Native American medicine shop with crystals, books, and dreamcatchers.

They first stopped at a bakery called "Kowalski's", stocking up on delicious baked goods. "All of the best stuff for school is up on the second, third, and top floors," said Celestia.

"Where do we get our wands?" said Melissa. "Is it like at Ollivander's?"

"Well, they have lots of great wand shops here in New York City. But, traditionally, most of the first years wait until they reach Ilvermorny. Before Rappaport's Law was repealed. Students were not allowed to take wands back with them until after they turned seventeen. I already have a wand." She reached into her purse and brought out a wand made from a gnarled white-colored wood. It looked to be very old. "I have what is called a 'Bristlecone Legacy Wand', made from a bristlecone pine, the oldest trees in the world. These wands are for those who are destined for long life, reserved only for some of the wealthiest pure-blood families in America. They mistakenly thought that the wands gave their master long life, but once the wand accepts its master's loyalty, they accept only the witches and wizards of the same bloodline much faster. This led to the tradition of Bristlecone Legacy Wands. This wand is made from a 4,800-year-old bristlecone and has a Thunderbird tail feather core. It's supposed to be very powerful. But if it rejects me, I'll send it back home to Alexandria."

"Wow. So, what do you wanna do?" said Melissa.

"I say we look around, get what the things we need on our list and then meet up back at Kowalski's at around noon?"

"Sounds good to me." James opened up the list, checking it twice:

ILVERMORNY SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
SUPPLIES LIST

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black or blue)

2. One plain pointed hat (for day wear)

3. One pair of protective work gloves

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Official uniforms will be provided at school.

COURSEBOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

Chadwick's Charms: Volume 1 by Chadwick Boot

A History Of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

A History Of Magic in North America by JK Rowling