Disclaimer: All characters from the first six books in the Harry Potter series by Joanne K. Rowling, to whom I am deeply indebted, belong to her exclusively; © 2007,. I am simply playing with them for my amusement, and to see what kind of reaction I can get.
Author's Note: I may from this point onward borrow a few places and names from the fabled 7th book by J.K. Rowling, including but not limited to the given name of Luna's Father. I do this for convenience and not as a Spoiler or an indication that I agree in any way with that book's outcome.
Not Another Author's Note: Many thanks to the_scribbler for his kind assistance with this chapter. You the reader get to enjoy an extra 700 or so words and well as other corrections and enhancements.
39 - Ravenclaw's Wand
The discussions that evening twisted and turned through the realms of magic and an average muggle's understanding of it, until the sun began to set. Harry had mentioned during supper that he and Hermione needed to leave around this time to meet some friends in Diagon Alley. After begging everyones' forgiveness, the pair apparated to the Entrance Hall of Myrddin Castle where they expected to meet with Mr. Ollivander. Twitchie appeared within seconds to advise that Mr. Ollivander would be with them shortly.
Within five minutes Frisel had arrived, some questions and explanations were exchanged and Harry summoned Fawkes to take them to W³ in Diagon Alley.
Fred, George, Remus, Arthur and old Mad-eye Moody were waiting for them when they arrived. The idea of collecting Rowena Ravenclaw's old wand out of the shop window sounds easy when you say it fast, however there were several things that couldn't be allowed to happen, the most important was that Frisel ... Mr. Ollivander was not to be seen, not even to explain to the authorities why they were there. Harry made him a portkey to return him to Myrddin Castle in case there were any problems and it was in the pocket of his robes. Once the moon had slipped beyond the horizon, and it was as dark outside as it was going to get, they slipped out the back door of W³; behind a couple of recently emptied buildings, and to the back of Mr. Ollivander's Wand Shoppe. Once there, Frisel noticed his security charms had been activated at least once, which meant that it was likely that there was someone inside; held in a petrified state. Whoever it was could have been there for almost a year, if they tried to force entry right after Frisel went into hiding. Frisel turned to the others and told them about the forced entry and there was a quick discussion on what to do with whoever they found. Since they were in a petrified state, they could be left there indefinitely, in which case they need do nothing, it would therefore depend on who they found. It would be safer to leave a Death Eater petrified until the end of the war, and then turn him over to the Aurors unless it was someone that could give them useful information.
Frisel then showed Hermione how to enter his Shoppe safely; as she was likely the only one of the group that could gain entrance by herself. Once inside, Hermione knew that the first order of business was to retrieve the duplicate wand. Frisel's great grandfather had made a duplicate wand over two hundred years ago specifically for the purpose of confusion. Only Rowena would be able to tell the pair apart because the copy would not be able to do some rare spells as well as her original.
Frisel and Hermione carefully made their way to the front window. They saw that there was a considerable dust accumulation on the counter top as well as all the horizontal surfaces. With a practiced hand, the old man showed Hermione the various traps and jinxes to get across the shoppe, and made her disable them. Harry was able to follow along in Hermione's mind and explain to Remus and Mad-eye what the jinxes were and what Hermione was doing to disable them. It didn't take long for Frisel to realize that for all practical purposes, Harry might just as well be there with him and Hermione. He was obviously there in her mind, if not in his body. The wandmaker thought to himself that this young couple could be fantastic wand makers, even better than he, if they didn't mind stepping away from the limelight of magical politics. Her brains and his influence could make them a powerful team - a force with which to be reckoned.
Seeing Hermione disarm or bypass all his traps and jinxes that they encountered without her wand; Frisel wondered how well Harry would have done. At the front window, there was enough light from the street lights in Diagon Alley to allow them to see quite well. Frisel scanned the old and discoloured pillow that was royal blue and the wand most carefully.
Harry, Remus and Mad-eye had been allowed enter the shop once all the traps had been disabled - but, being cautious, he asked that they stand back a few meters in case of any unexpected curses that Tom may have added. Other than magically dusting the wand and pillow over the years, Frisel could not remember actually picking it up since about the time Tom Riddle was there to get his first and only wand. However, he distinctly remembered Tom asking about the wand in the window several years later, and he had told Tom the wand's history and who it had originally belonged to. In hindsight, he knew that had been a big mistake.
To his consternation, Ollivander had found all of his usual jinxes in place, with another two to boot, the wand was now a portkey as well as a Horcrux.
Carefully as he was able, Hermiones' impromptu teacher again showed her how to find all his jinxes and how to see the lines and layers of magic which formed the two new ones. Mr. Ollivander opened the wand box and Hermione levitated the duplicate wand out of the box while Frisel levitated the ancient wand into the box and closed it. Hermione levitated the copy wand onto the pillow; then stepped back with the Wand Maker. Mad-eye was asked to make the wand now in the window a portkey to a jail cell in the Ministry. Once that was done, Hermione was asked to recreate the jinxes that safeguarded the wand in the window while Frisel explained to Harry, Mad-eye and Remus that the wand now in the box was a portkey as well as a Horcrux. They had all had nasty experiences with portkeys and weren't about to touch the wand itself. It should be safe enough as long as it is in the box.
On their way out, Hermione was asked to replace all the traps and jinxes they had disabled and she was free to add a few more if she wished. The last bit about adding more confused her until Frisel explained that he was hoping she and perhaps Harry would be interested in taking over the business one day. She added Harry's door sealing transfiguration to the front door while he explained that he and his ancestors as far back and even before Rowena had made pensieve memories explaining all that was known about wand making. There were over a thousand years of memories stored in a hidden niche in the north wall of the Shoppe's basement. The storage cell for intruders was in the south east corner of the same basement.
Harry now had the box with Ravenclaw's wand in it, and Hermione had replaced all of Mr. Ollivander's traps and Jinxes. When they entered the back room, Hermione sealed that doorway too. Frisel took a moment to examine her handy work and was duly impressed. When he told her so, she responded that she had picked up that trick from Harry who had managed to stump Professor McGonagall with it. Frisel could see what Hermione had done, Remus had seen it before and Mad-eye stepped closed to the door to examine it. After a minute of old Mad-eye poking his wand at the door, he too turned and nodded his approval. Frisel turned and they followed him through an archway that led to the basement staircase. There was no door, but Frisel halted and asked Harry and Hermione to examine the path ahead. The entrance to the basement did not appear to be guarded but they found several charms and jinxes that they would be faced with on their return from the basement. Mr. Ollivander confirmed their findings and explained what they would have to do to return to the main floor.
In the basement cell, they found Alecto and Amycus Carrow, a brother and sister Death Eater team. Alecto was the bright one of the pair and may have competed evenly with the intelligence of Gregory Goyle. They were both petrified in a kneeling position as if they were looking through a keyhole when they were frozen in place and transported to the cell. Mad-eye didn't expect to get any useful information out of that pair and considering the dust accumulation on them they had been there a while. There was no advantage to reviving them or sending them to the Ministry, they were safe and secure where they were.
Hermione led the group out of the basement, disabling the traps on the stairs and replacing them after everyone was back on the main floor. Ollivander had selected two very old-looking wand boxes from a small stash in the basement and put them in his pocket. As they left the Shoppe, Hermione replaced the traps and jinxes on the back door and made it look as if nothing had been disturbed other than the security traces had been reset to not show the previous attempted break-in.
When they arrived back at W³, Mr. Ollivander handed one wand box each to the teenagers. After a brief explanation that the contents were actually staffs or walking sticks, the teenagers were allowed to remove them from the box. Harry's, when distanced from the box, expanded to the full size of two meters long and looked identical in most respects to the one Salazar Slytherin carried in his portrait. It was twisted and gnarled like briar and looked much like a snake. Harry was initially put off by the snake like appearance and the eyeball in the socket at the top. The staff was nearly white in color - like the holly from which his wand was made and the yellow eye in the top of the staff was that of a Basilisk, that pointed straight up when the staff was held upright.
The core of the staff was the optic nerve connected to the eye. When Harry was shown how to grip the staff properly he felt a surge of magical energy; similar to when he first held his own wand, but much more intense. His hair stood on end and his skin felt like pins and needles were dancing over him. There seemed to be a rush of wind from somewhere, he heard it but couldn't feel it, the staff crackled with short lightning like bursts of electric blue arcs. Frisel nodded in approval.
Hermione's staff, once it was clear of the box, expanded too, it was a tad shorter than Harry's, but still about four inches taller that she was. It had what looked like a deep blue coloured crystal ball at the top held in place with a jewelled silver web - that looked like Faberge egg to her. Hermione copied Harry's grip and when she stood it upright and rested its base on the floor, both she and the staff glowed an iridescent blue. Her long tawny hair appeared to blow outwards in a non-existent breeze and she felt herself tingle all over with a surge of immense power.
Frisel was pleased with the results; he had picked the right staffs for these two. The one Hermione had, he thought, was a bit of an odd duck, The blue ball was a magically engorged Raven's eye with the optic nerve fused to a griffin's heart string, a unique combination that could only be effective in the hands of someone both brave and clever.
Both staffs were now joined to their new owners and could be wielded by no one else. Very few Wizards throughout history had such a staff because they were so rare. Each Wand Maker that assumed possession of Ollivander's since 382 BC had made one and only one staff as a rite of passage from Apprentice to Master. No Ollivander had ever sold a staff, they had been given to those few select individuals who deserved or needed them. There were still ten boxed staffs in the basement that indicated the enormity of giving two away. It was unusual to give away one in a lifetime let alone two in one evening.
Frisel had Harry and Hermione hold hands, then performed a wandless spell that would allow them both to handle each other's staff without the staff protecting itself and attacking back.
Remus and Mad-eye both knew well enough to not handle either staff. Neither one ever wondered why the kids were singled out for this honour. The staffs would never have reacted if they didn't belong to this young couple. Much like a wand, a staff picked its owner and had it not been the right time, place and person, the staff would never have expanded beyond the size of its box. A carrying case, like a holster for a gun, was also in the each box, the case could be attached to the owner, or his or her clothing with a simple sticking charm. The staff would shrink to fit in the case with a simple, silent command.
Fred and George watched in astonishment as their favourite couple brandished their staffs for the first time and the resultant mating of staff to owner, a rare sight in anyone's lifetime. Congratulations were exchanged and the group made ready to leave for Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione placed their staffs in their cases and then into the boxes before Hermione summoned Fawkes. The five of them departed Diagon Alley and flashed into the Headmistress office a moment later. Harry handed over Rowena's boxed wand to the Headmistress after explaining that it was not only a Horcrux but also a portkey. Hermione asked that it be taken to Rowena and that Rowena and Salazar should check it out most carefully to determine the correct course of action.
Moody and Remus departed by Floo from the Headmistress's office leaving Harry and Hermione to see that Mr. Ollivander returned home safely and then get themselves back to Oxford. It was now well after midnight and they were all tired.
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Friday, August 29th
After Jeannette's DADA lesson the five of them, Ginny and Neville were helping today, made their way to the Headmistresses office in hopes of trying the Sorting Hat on the still hopeful Second Year. Minerva was not there, but Hermione's Head Girl badge allowed them entrance to the office. They spoke with Dumbledore's portrait briefly and he had no objection to them trying the hat on Jeannette as long as the hat was agreeable. Hermione pulled out the three legged stool while Harry stretched to take the hat down from the top of the cabinet where it usually resided. During the brief time while the Heads were bringing together the required equipment Albus explained to Jeannette the qualities that the four Founders required of the students in their houses.
Harry initially placed the Sorting Hat on the stool as Albus directed him to do and they waited for it to say something. If it was agreeable it would make a speech of some sort and then they could proceed to put it on Jeannette's head. No sooner done than said, the hat began to speak. It proclaimed the qualities that the four Founders required in their students, though much more poetically than Albus had done a minute earlier. Harry lifted the hat, Jeannette sat on the stool, and Harry gently lowered the hat to her head. The old hat hummed and hawed for what seemed the longest time before it straightened up and proclaimed, "Ravenclaw!" The hat then slumped back down into its normal posture and remained quiet. They had all hoped for Jeannette to be in Gryffindor with them … alas it wasn't to be.
Minerva returned just as they were putting the things away, Jeannette saw the Headmistress's curious gaze first and explained what they had just done and that she was sorted into Ravenclaw.
"Do you have your parents' permission yet, or are you just trying to make a more convincing argument?" asked Professor McGonagall.
Jeannette looked skittish so Hermione spoke up, "Her father is close to giving in and her Mother is not too far behind. With persistence it may yet happen, though probably at the last minute."
Minerva made her way to her desk, picked up an envelope, and turned to face Jeannette. "I asked Madam Maxime to send me your grades just in case I needed them. In the note she sent back, she seemed quite disappointed that you might be transferring. You are one of the best in your year. I hope you will maintain that standard should you manage to convince your parents to allow the transfer. This envelope contains your Hogwarts acceptance letter, your book list, train ticket and the transfer documents for your parents to sign."
"Hermione, will you let me know if I am to expect Jeannette, just send a message on the ring." Asked Minerva, Jeannette looked thoroughly confused about the reference to the ring.
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Saturday, August 30th
Saturday's weather was miserable. Dark clouds, rain and strong winds pummelled the whole of Scotland and made walking the school grounds difficult and unpleasant. There were two meetings called for this day, both at Hogwarts. The morning meeting was for the Order of the Phoenix to go over security measures for the First of September's trip of The Hogwarts Express. The afternoon meeting was a mandatory meeting of Hogwarts Staff and to their consternation, Harry and Hermione were required to attend both.
Since the Carriages were already prepared for the students' arrival in a few days, Hagrid spent his afternoon hitching Thestrals to ten of them and leading them into Hogsmeade to pick up the Order members that would be travelling through the small Wizarding village. Some order members would be flying in while others would apparate directly to the gates and walk in from there. It was the first serious, mandatory meeting of the Order in over a year. Professor McGonagall had shown them the agenda and explained why the meeting had been moved to the Great Hall. The new leaders were to be introduced and everyone's vows reaffirmed. As a result, the house tables had been pushed aside and dozens of circular tables and hundreds of chairs were in place to seat the expected crowd.
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Sunday, August 31st
In the end, the three teenagers were able to shift the tide of opinion in the minds of Jeannette's parents without resorting to Obliviation or any other magical means of coercion. In a moment of complete frankness, Hermione might have been persuaded to admit that it was really just a case of wearing the parents down to the point of acceding to Jeannette's wishes. Minerva, honest woman that she was, had no part in that other than supplying information when required.
At the last minute, they all trekked back to Diagon Alley for Jeannette's school supplies. The Lamonde's met Ron and Luna along with Luna's father, Xenophilius Lovegood; the Lovegoods having had only just returned from Denmark, a few hours previous, by portkey. Mr. Lovegood and his daughter were scrambling somewhat to acquire new robes and school supplies for her before the shops closed.
Fortunately for Jeannette, because her mother was originally from England, she knew both languages almost equally well, though she often slipped into her French accent when she spoke English, it was an automatic reaction unless she was consciously trying not to.
Luna and her school trunk had come to The Burrow, and she stayed in Ginny's room, for the last night of the holidays. That was the cover story, at least. In reality, Luna spent most of the night in Ron's room and slipped back to Ginny's room just before dawn.
Ginny, of course, would never know the difference, because she was already packed for school and ready to go and her preparedness and foresight allowed her to spend the night with Neville at the Longbottom's Manor.
The evening with Nevilles' grandmother had started peacefully enough. At 6:30, they sat together in the informal dinning-room and shared a meal of roast lamb, spinach salad, and cinnamon-pecan rolls (which were a treat that Ginny had never experienced before and completely threatened to destroy her otherwise-careful diet).
At 8:30, after tea and dessert had been served, Nevilles' grandmother took her leave, to withdraw to the library, where she would pass the next hour reading in front of the fire. It was a routine with which Neville had become quite familiar and he was comforted by it.
He and Ginny, however, had other plans. They included a considerable amount of snogging, followed by more intense and intimate contact.
At nine-forty-five, they were well on their way to consummating their relationship and were lost in the joy that they were experiencing. Ginny had always thought that Harry would be the 'one for her', but once she had gotten to know Neville, she realized that he was just as kind and loving as Harry, only with much less emotional baggage.
They were just getting 'to the good parts' when an unexpected knock on Nevilles' door sent them into a panic. Had it not been for a quick dive off the side of Neville's bed; along with a wandless cushioning charm followed by a wandless disillusionment charm; when Augusta opened the door to check on Neville, they would have been caught bare handed or at least with their bare hands in places that Neville's Gran would have probably thought inappropriate. Ginny was shocked that her wandless magic worked so well. She was, however, under a great deal of emotional pressure at that moment. It had to work, she was very lucky that she had been practicing enough over the summer, to have the confidence to trust it to work. Neville was extremely impressed, Ginny left the bed, made no sound and when he looked over the edge of the bed after his Grandmother had closed the door, he could only just discern her outline because he knew where and what to look for.
When Neville looked down again, Ginny was smiling up at him. As he looked at her, his heart felt like it grew about three sizes as he contemplated the love of a girl who had been able to see past his shyness and insecurities and love him for who he was. He didn't even stop to consider that some might have thought him to be the 'second choice' or 'second best'. All he knew was that Ginny loved him and that he was willing to do anything to protect that love.
Whispering to her, as if his grandmother was still right outside the door, he said "coming back to bed?"
Ginny lifted herself up onto her elbows, so that she could look over the edge of the bed, towards the door which led out, into the hall. "Think it's still a good idea?"
Neville smiled - a wicked smile - which Ginny knew all too well. It was the secret smile he shared only with her and told her that he was thinking about something sneaky and/or funny that he wanted to do or had already done.
"That depends on how much you trust the simulacrum that you left in your bed, across the hall, and whether you think it will fool her."
Smirking, Ginny looked at him and then did a pretend-pout. "What? Don't you have any faith in the only sister of the famous Weasley twins? The inventors of Canary Creams and Fainting Fancies?"
"Merlin forbid, Ginny, that I should ever besmirch your talents!"
Laughing, Ginny nodded and then crawled back up into bed with him. As she did so, her red, silk chemise was bunched around her waist and his gaze took in the fact that her white, silk bikini knickers were more than a little damp from their earlier activities.
She followed his gaze and quickly realized where he was looking. "Are you going to finish what you started, Mr. Longbottom? It's not honourable to leave a woman wanting, you know."
As he fell back, with her in his arms, he whispered with all the love that he felt for her, "Merlin forefend, my lady, that I should ever leave you wanting."
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At the Granger residence, after the first few nights, the Lamonde's had all been apprised of Harry and Hermione's bonded status along with the implications of the shared feelings and minds. They left out the details of the room trashing abilities of a steamy snogging session as being 'too much information'. The sleeping arrangements stayed almost the same as the first night with the exception that Harry and Hermione were not questioned about sharing the red and gold, king size, four poster that appeared nightly in place of the sofa.
Dan and Emma had been more accepting of their bonded status, almost to the point of actually considering them to be married, after Minerva had more fully explained to them the ancient rite of passage with its moral and legal ramifications. Still, it was a magical status and not what their muggle upbringing was accustomed to. They knew, of course, that a lot of adults in their muggle world were living together … yet … it wasn't how they envisioned their daughter's future unfolding. She knew that life seldom works out the way you originally envisioned
Coming out of the kitchen, on her way to the front hall stairway, Emma walked past the four-poster bed that had taken up residence again in their living room. As she did so, she considered the sadness that so many other parents had experienced - death, terminal illness, severe mental or physical handicaps…the list went on and on. She thought to herself that she ought to practice more of the faith that she had grown up professing and be grateful for all the things that were right or joyous in her life. Hermione had already lived longer than she had expected - because of the terrible, unfathomable, and awful war in which she had become such a pivotal figure.
As Emma climbed the stairs, she prayed that Hermione would see her next birthday.