Ethan said with great certainty that, after trying so many wands, this one felt the best in his hand.
Its aptitude for combat and transfiguration was exceptional—its attributes were quite good.
This, he thought, was the wand for him.
"No, it's not this one," Ollivander shook his head, rejecting Ethan's conclusion.
Ollivander had spent his entire life surrounded by wands—from selecting the raw materials to crafting them, and ultimately matching them to the right wizard. Years of experience, combined with his magical senses, gave him an uncanny ability to sense the subtle reactions of both wand and wizard in the instant they connected.
The blackthorn Thunderbird wand had reacted intensely when Ethan held it—clearly eager to be chosen. In fact, it would've made a decent match. Both wizard and wand were satisfied with one another. But Ollivander knew—there was still a better fit out there for Ethan.
"All right," Ethan shrugged helplessly and returned the blackthorn wand to its box.
He wondered what kind of wand he'd ultimately end up with.
"Aspen, Horned Serpent horn, twelve and a half inches. A duelist's wand—powerful and attuned to Parselmouth detection."
Ollivander didn't explain more. This wand was the most expensive in his shop. He wouldn't agree to sell it under the Ministry of Magic's school-subsidized pricing unless the difference was within five thousand Galleons. The rare core and premium wood, paired with his expert craftsmanship, justified the price.
Ordinary wands, like those with unicorn hair cores, usually cost only ten or twenty extra Galleons—unicorn hair being ten Galleons a strand. Wand prices were primarily determined by the type of wood used.
Dragon heartstrings were pricier—dependent on the species. Phoenix feathers were even more costly, though fortunately, he had a few in stock. Phoenix feather wands were notoriously picky and rarely chosen. Otherwise, he'd have to beg Dumbledore to help the phoenix rebirth—those feathers were precious. (Twin wands like Harry and Voldemort's came from the same phoenix feather. It wasn't explicitly mentioned, but they were likely collected during a single rebirth. Other phoenix cores must have been taken from different life cycles. Since phoenixes are rare—only two are known—it's either that wandmakers stopped using their feathers, or every wand made from them would be a twin.)
Horned Serpents were extremely rare, especially in America. Their horns took over a decade to regenerate. And because the founder of Ilvermorny used a Horned Serpent wand, demand in America was incredibly high. It had taken Ollivander great effort to secure this core.
But none of that mattered to Ethan. Ollivander's Wand Shop had been in partnership with Hogwarts and the Ministry for centuries. Their longstanding agreement was meant to help regulate wand distribution. Yes, some private wandmakers still operated, but none could rival the craftsmanship of the Ollivander family. In Britain, nearly every wizard still chose his shop.
As Ethan picked up the aspen Horned Serpent wand, Ollivander's regretful voice interrupted his thoughts.
"This wand isn't the one either."
Ollivander scratched his head, uncertain of what to try next. The response from the aspen Horned Serpent wand was identical to that of the blackthorn Thunderbird—it reacted favorably, but not perfectly. No need to look further.
Ethan's talent, especially in combat and perhaps even in dark arts, was too exceptional. Any wand he touched turned overly eager to be selected.
"Garrick?"
Professor McGonagall looked over at Ollivander, who was frozen in thought after returning the wand to its box. Concern flickered in her eyes.
Though she didn't know the complexities of wandlore, she had never seen Ollivander behave this way. Normally, no matter how picky the young wizard, he could calmly find a match.
If Ethan couldn't find a wand, it would pose a real problem. Without a wand, how would he learn magic?
"No, it's nothing. Mr. Adryan's talent has simply amazed me."
Ollivander gathered the boxes from the counter and crouched to rummage beneath it.
"Try this one. Yew, Thestral tail hair, fifteen inches."
"This was once my most successful creation," he added.
To be precise, this wand had been a personal collectible. Ollivander never expected it to suit anyone, but now—he had to try.
He was already convinced of Ethan's exceptional talent. This wand, attuned more than any other to combat and dark magic, was possibly the best fit.
In his middle age, Ollivander believed his craft had reached its peak. He sought to make the strongest wand ever, to cement his place in the wandmaking world.
His inspiration, of course, was the Elder Wand—an artifact of legend. The Elder Wand was fifteen inches, made of elder wood, and had a Thestral tail hair core. Ollivander attempted to replicate it, experimenting with different combinations over many years. Despite endless energy and resources spent, he failed to recreate the Elder Wand's power.
Still, among his many finished works, the finest was this: yew with Thestral tail hair.
Under the watchful eyes of Ollivander and Professor McGonagall, Ethan took the wand.
Although Ollivander said little, Ethan knew the significance of yew—Voldemort's wand was made of it. It suited dark magic. The Thestral tail hair? Infamous. The Elder Wand had that core, too.
The moment he touched it, Ethan felt his magic stir like never before. Previous wands, though functional, didn't offer this level of amplification.
It was like there had been a barrier before—magic had to squeeze through a narrow vent to be channeled. Now, there was no barrier. He could control it completely.
To Ollivander and McGonagall, wisps of dark, deep light unfurled from the wand's tip, coiling around Ethan's arm.
"This is the one, Mr. Adryan."
Ollivander was deeply satisfied. He had finally found a worthy wizard for his treasure, and a worthy wand for a gifted wizard.
As for Ethan's apparent talent in dark magic, Ollivander wasn't too concerned. If trouble arose, the Ministry of Magic would handle it. He was just a wand seller, after all.
Seven gold Galleons later, Ethan and Professor McGonagall exited Ollivander's Wand Shop.
They continued their errands in Diagon Alley—Flourish and Blotts, Madam Malkin's Robes, and Potage's Cauldron Shop. The total cost came to sixty-eight Galleons and nine Sickles—textbooks were the bulk of it.
New students could also bring a pet: owl, toad, or rat.
Ethan declined. He wasn't fond of rats or toads, and Hogwarts already had owls. If needed, he could just use owl pellets and borrow one for free.
Chapter 7: Experimenting with Magic
"Lemon Sherbet!"
Back at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall visited the Headmaster's office after finishing her duties.
The first thing she saw was an elderly man with long, silver-white hair, blue eyes, and a crooked nose. On the table were black tea and an assortment of sweets.
Clearly, it was his afternoon tea time.
"Minerva, your timing is perfect," Dumbledore said cheerfully.
He poured her a cup of tea and brought out more snacks from beneath the desk.
As a solitary man over a hundred years old, Dumbledore rarely had company for tea. Today's visitor improved his mood greatly.
"Albus, I have something to tell you."
Ignoring the treats, McGonagall sat down and began recounting Ethan's story—his life at home, the wand shop visit, and everything in between.
"This year, our school will welcome a particularly talented young wizard."
Dumbledore listened patiently, sipping his tea.
Aside from rare exceptions like Harry, Dumbledore treated all students equally—regardless of bloodline or magical aptitude. They were all his students.
Ethan's talent might earn him a bit more attention—but nothing beyond that.
"Good that you told me," he said simply.
With the message delivered, McGonagall finally began enjoying the tea and desserts.
Though Ethan's talent was noteworthy, neither of them had any particular plans for him. Hogwarts had seen all kinds of students before—even future Azkaban inmates. A child with dark magic talent wasn't cause for panic.
Meanwhile, Ethan returned home and told his parents all about Diagon Alley and the magical world. After lunch, he headed to his room.
He had just completed several achievements and hadn't checked the rewards yet.
[Wizard's First Stop]
Stepping into the wizarding world—it's narrow, dirty, backward, but still, it's magic.
Goal: Visit a wizarding area (1/1)
Reward: Wizard talent improvement
[First Pot of Gold]
Golden Galleons, mine, mine, all mine!
Goal: Obtain 100 Galleons (1/1)
Reward: 100 Galleons
[Wooden Stick × Wand √]
This wooden stick will accompany you your entire magical life.
Goal: Obtain a wand (1/1)
Reward: One random spell
[Knowledge is Power]
Books are the ladder to progress and the source of power.
Goal: Acquire wizarding knowledge books (1/1)
Reward: Talent: "Focus" (Greatly improves learning efficiency)
[Get Your Pot Ready]
Step one in potion-making: own a cauldron.
Goal: Own a cauldron (1/1)
Reward: Potion talent improvement
He was surprised—just one trip to Diagon Alley and five achievements completed.
Improved wizard and potion talents. Add "Focus" to his already strong "Thick Soul" learning boost—was this even fair?
There was also the 100 Galleons and the new spell.
Ethan didn't believe in saving rewards for a ten-draw. He used them immediately.
A surge of information filled his mind.
Disillusionment Charm: Makes the caster invisible.
It wasn't a high-level spell—likely included in a textbook. Still, perfect for sneaking around Hogwarts. Stronger wizards could see through it, but someone like Filch? Not a chance.
"Disillusion!"
With the spell cast, Ethan began to vanish from the feet upward until he was fully invisible.
It felt natural, though a bit slow.
He ended the spell by disrupting the magic, then practiced several more times. Each attempt was faster and smoother, until he could even go invisible while moving.
Next up—the Petrification Charm.
Time to summon the little white mouse again.