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Felixir · 12-25-2024, 03:08 AM

SPOILER!!: Charely Potter

Zeke beamed at the boy, his warmest and friendliest smile (which really was saying something, actually). All the signs seemed to be there, and unless Zeke was very much mistaken, it looked like they had found the right wand. They had it all: stars, flashy colours, gusts of wind, and a kind of verbal approval.

"You did it perfectly," Zeke told him, nodding. "In fact, I believe you've been chosen by this wand. Congratulations!"

Also, brace yourself, because Zeke was about to deliver the deets. The specs. The vital - or simply interesting - information.

"This wand is thirteen and a half inches of flexible juniper, with a core of griffin claw," he informed the young man, holding out the box so that it might be placed and the wand - plus any other purchases - rung up. "This wood tends to like honest and compassionate individuals, and is well suited to healing spells, defensive magic, and protection spells. Juniper also has an excellent little feature, because it can rarely be obtained by thievery or unsavoury means; generally it will find its way back to you if it does happen to be stolen or otherwise misappropriated." Though the key point there was that this happened when it had been intentionally taken. Alas, Zeke had not yet met a wand that would return itself when it was unintentionally misplaced. Then again, he also liked to believe that everyone he met treated the instrument with a little more reverence than that in the first place. "Juniper wands are able to purify water sources and free them from poison, and those who own them tend to be very good at apparition and flying." Not a given necessarily, but an observable pattern. "Now, the griffin claw core pairs well with dextrous users who can cast spells with finesse, so you'll find delicate wand movements will feel more natural. You'll also find protection spells and shields to be some of the easier spells for you to master. It's a core that's ill-suited to dark magic or nefarious endeavours, and this is also not an easy wand to pass on to another. Griffin claw wands bond very closely to their original owners." Which, in Zeke's learned opinion, was a highly desirable trait for a wand.

He smiled at the boy again. "And that's that. The wand itself will be 10 galleons, and we also have some other products too, if you're interested."

_________

[13½ inch flexible juniper with griffin claw]

SPOILER!!: NiallNIP

Curious little thing, this one, wasn't he. Zeke allowed a vaguely amused smile to play across his features, but he answered the boy's question all the same. "I find it interesting, exploring the various interactions between woods and cores, and the way a particular combination favours a person based not only on their ability, but on their character as well. The 'personalities' of the wands themselves are intriguing too, and how much they seem to 'know'. There's plenty of fascinating aspects to the field," he said. Of course, it went much deeper than all that. Zeke's husband could testify to the many, many things that first drew Zeke to the profession and ultimately kept him there, kept him creating, kept him researching and publishing, because he'd been victim to his nerding out for many ~~many~~ years now. But... "And, of course, I enjoy the process of crafting the wands." Would be a bit of an issue if he didn't, after all.

But anyway. The wand fitting. Zeke watched as the boy tried out the wand, observing the proceedings with a shrewd eye. He was not at all surprised when, rather than a 'yea' or a 'nay', he found himself faced with another question.

"Well," he said, "it's always possible. Observation can only take us so far. That's why I always ask a customer how it feels, if it feels right. Usually it's perfectly obvious; there are many different signs. Sometimes, though, there can be what seems like an appropriate magical display, but then I'm told the wand feels wrong, in which case it's likely not the right fit. Sometimes there's no obvious sign of magic at all, but instead a strong sense of having found the right wand. The way it feels carries a lot of weight when determining a match." Most of the weight, in fact, though many times Zeke could clock a match on sight, and this information served mostly as confirmation. He didn't like to belabour the point of just how important that feedback was, however, because if a particularly sensitive customer was listening in, they might start stressing themselves out. Putting pressure on themselves to be sure, and thus clouding and doubting their own judgement. Zeke, of course, had his way of handling these situations and walking the customers through it, but it was better not to let them work themselves up into that state in the first place.

"So," he said now, tapping his finger on the side of the wand box, and nodding towards the wand in the boy's hand. "How does it feel? Does it feel right, or would you like to try another?"

SPOILER!!: sweetpinkpixie - Calliope

Hmm. Zeke seemed to be getting his fair share of... well... challenging customers this summer. Then again, he got his fair share of them every summer. More than, given the majority of new students came to this shop for their wands.

"Understood," he said, giving a nod of appreciation in response to the respectful curtsey. "But it's still worth giving it a try, just so we can rule it out for sure," said Zeke. He was a fairly understanding chap who always took the opinions of his young customers on board, but he was also a methodical man who did not cut corners, especially where his profession was concerned. Not liking the colour of the wand was, unfortunately, not compelling enough for him to discount a wand without it having even been held.

"Humour me?" said Zeke, and though he smiled his usual friendly smile, it was pretty clear he wasn't going to budge.

SPOILER!!: sweetpinkpixie - Briallen

... Possibly that assurance came from a perfectly genuine, honest place, but Zeke found that it immediately invited a concern that had not been there prior to it being spoken. Zeke had faced off with his fair share of bowtruckles - par for the course, particularly when harvesting wood for the actual crafting of the wands, naturally - but in those cases it was because they were being territorial about a specific tree. That a bowtruckle might bring its instinctive dislike of a wandmaker into his shop was... only very slightly unnerving. Though it wouldn't really surprise him to know that the creatures could detect the presence of material from a wand wood tree, especially at this magnitude.

"That's very reassuring to hear," said Zeke, smiling at the bowtruckle and then at his customer, ready to become fully invested in the process of this fitting.

Tickles? Hmmm... based on that alone, a match and a mismatch seemed equally likely. Zeke watched the girl's fingers jitter, and then his heart just about dropped as UP went the wand. It was the CRACK that really did it, made him feel just slightly faint, but the sight of the bowtruckle had Zeke jumping directly into action. He wasn't sure if he ought to be concerned, but preferred not to find out.

"Accio wand!" he said, drawing his own wand in a flash and pointing it at the one embedded in the ceiling. It took a moment to wriggle itself loose (Zeke winced ever so slightly) then flew back into his own hand. Sorry, little bowtruckle.

"Ah, well..." Zeke said, his eyes on the creature even as he placed the wand back into its box. "I think we ought to try another, and... if you could recall your friend, there, I'd be much obliged."

And, even as he went to pick out another wand box and return to the girl with it, Zeke kept glancing towards the bowtruckle, just to be sure of where it was. To be sure it was not likely to make a mad dash for another wand.

"So... maybe this one?"

SPOILER!!: littledhampir

As soon as the wandmaker suddenly appeared - and answering his question, no less, though it hadn't actually been addressed to him - Alexei slammed his mouth shut. He stayed quiet and rubbed at his arms a moment longer as the man went off to find a couple of wands, though it was less because he still felt the unpleasant tingle of the tape, and more because it felt kind of soothing.

Alexei waited until Elena had picked up the wand offered to her before he reached for the wand in front of him, though there was only a couple of seconds in it. However, while Elena's acted in a way that she seemed to approve of (though it had sent her right to the ground), Alexei was met instead with what felt like the most aggressive static shock he'd ever experienced, when he'd barely even touched it. He withdrew his hand as though the thing had tried to bite him - which probably, in a sense, it had - and shook his head. Nope.

The wandmaker apparently understood. Off he went and back he came - in the meantime, Alexei offered a hand to his twin to help her up off the floor - and again he offered Alexei a wand. Alexei was slightly more hesitant in reaching for this one, but, once he knew it wasn't going to shock him, picked it up quite confidently. Even before he waved it, he felt a sort of rush that went from his fingers, up his arm, and through his body. Not a tingle or anything, which would have been awful, probably, but a kind of certainty. A solidity. Something he couldn't adequately find the words for.

He gave the wand a wave, and it produced a sort of light trail, bright white, which lingered in the air after the wand had moved on. Entranced, he quickly traced ALEXEI in the air, and followed it up with a tiny air doodle of a star.

Smiling to himself, Alexei glanced for a split second into the wandmaker's face, and then abruptly away again. He still said nothing, but this time, he nodded.

_______________

Well! Two fairly different reactions, though the wands themselves seemed equally outspoken.

"Whoops!" Zeke exclaimed as the girl went down, though the exclamation might have been applied to the displays of both wands. "Are you alright, my dear? We certainly seem to have found your wand, so congratulations on that score!" Unless he was very much mistaken, that was. The girl herself had declared the wand perfect, and did not seem at all put off by the exuberance of the magic. That was a very good sign. "Give me just a moment to find another wand for this young man, and then we'll get to the details."

So off he had gone, and back he had come, and then the boy had gone for attempt number two. This time, they had more success, though of a more subdued nature, as seemed rather appropriate. Zeke smiled at the boy through the now fading letters; presumably his name, though in reverse from the wandmaker's perspective. The nod gave him his confirmation.

"Wonderful! So then, these wands," Zeke said. He cleared his wand, and turned his attention to the girl first, though he held out both wand boxes so that they might be temporarily returned. "Your wand is eleven inches and two thirds of strong mahogany, with a hippogriff feather core. A very handsome wood, plus very well suited to transfiguration magic. You may be pleased to hear that mahogany is also attracted to those with a strong will and leadership abilities. You'll find this wand is excellent for protective spells and fire spells, but is generally a very good all-purpose wand. Also, it's useful to know that your loved ones will have no trouble borrowing and using this wand, as the wand shares the same affections as the owner." Which, in Zeke's opinion, could be either an advantage or a disadvantage of mahogany. Only ever an advantage, however, when a person counted only trustworthy people in their affections, though one could never be certain. Or perhaps Zeke was just becoming cynical in his old age. "Hippogriff feather cores make for very adaptable wands, provided it is well cared for. You must treat this wand with respect, or you might fight it backfiring at inopportune moments." Then again, there were few opportune moments for backfiring wands. "It will not perform dishonourably, and if you try to use it in a way it doesn't like, any magic produced after that point may be sub-par or even non-existent. Nothing to worry about if you two are in tune with each other, however."

He took a breath, then turned to the boy. Instinct told him not to try and look him in the eyes for too long, so Zeke largely seemed to address the wand itself, though his words were clearly directed at his customer. "Your wand is twelve and a quarter inches of pliant maple, with a core of unicorn hair. Maple tends to choose those with the soul of an explorer, be it literal exploration or the exploration of knowledge and such. Maple owners are generally dedicated and determined to be the best at what they do, but be aware that this wood requires challenges and new experiences to fuel its magical energy, or it may refuse to cooperate. This wood is excellent for cleansing and purification spells and is intuitive and versatile in its spellwork." All good news? Maybe. Hopefully. It was no doubt slightly daunting to hear that a wand had certain conditions, or would otherwise stop cooperating with the owner. Come to think of it, it was very interesting that these two - whom Zeke had taken to be twins or at least siblings, though he didn't like to assume - had both matched with wands with such conditions. "Unicorn hair wands are very faithful to their owner, and very consistent too. Well suited to charms and transfigurations, excellent for healing spells. This core is difficult to turn to the dark arts and is more attuned to subtle and delicate magic. This core is not necessarily one of the more powerful - it depends on the unicorn itself, really - but they are consistent and reliable." Which, if Zeke did say so himself, really was crucial. Then again, perhaps he was slightly biased, being the owner of a unicorn-core wand himself.

"So, that's that," said Zeke, giving both children his usual friendly smile, with half a glance at the adults that had accompanied into the shop. "Both wands together will be 23 galleons - that's 11 for the mahogany, 12 for the maple, if you're paying separately. We also have other products available, if you're interested."

_________

[Elena: 11⅔ inch strong mahogany with hippogriff feather]

[Alexei: 12¼ inch pliant maple with unicorn hair]

SPOILER!!: AlwaysSnapesGirl

Maybe Zeke was biased (he kind of definitely was biased) but he couldn't help but appreciate whenever his customers looked at the wands with something like reverence. For them it was probably because of how big a moment this was - he could still remember his own wand fitting, after all, and all he'd thought and felt that day in this very shop - but he liked to think they also appreciated the instrument itself for what it was. The artistry. The lore. Maybe. Probably not usually. That might be too much to expect of most eleven year olds.

"Hmm," Zeke replied, then gave a little nod, and held out the box so that the wand right be returned. "I think you're absolutely right. Let's see if we can't find another that suits you better."

He smiled again, then went off to peruse his shelves, returning a few moments later with a second wand box. He lifted off the lid, and offered the wand to the boy instead. "Here we go; you know what to do!"

12-25-2024, 03:08 AM	#246 (permalink)
Felixir Book Club Mod Alley Proprietor Banshee Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posts: 50,140 Hogwarts RPG Name: Charlie Upstead Gryffindor Fifth Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Aurelio Kaiser Slytherin Third Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Alexei Petrov Slytherin First Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Yves Flamel Slytherin Sixth Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Achilles Zacharias Ravenclaw Third Year Diagon Alley Proprietor: Ezekiel Ransom-Kruus Ollivanders x12 x12	sorry for the delay(s), holidays and all yk Lovely™ \| Captain Hurted \| Ariana's Bane \| Resident Antagonist \| Unparalleled Delight SPOILER!!: Charely Potter Quote: Originally Posted by Charely Potter Diego felt himself go red, he was certain Vi and his papa witnessed it. But he didn't glance back at them as his concerns were addressed and relieved by the Wandmaker. "Oh.. good, thank you." Mentally wiping his brow at the effort. The second wand, he tentatively opened the box, still shaking somewhat from the incident. His fingers grasped the wand. This.. was definitely not a stick. It felt kind of nice, actually. What did he need to do again? Oh right. Diego gave it a nice wave. A soft swoosh could be felt like a gust of wind against his face. But it wasn't unpleasant. It was kind of cool, actually. Another wave, and he could just make out a red streak with stars appear. "Cool.." He uttered. "Did I do it right, sir?" He certainly hoped so. Zeke beamed at the boy, his warmest and friendliest smile (which really was saying something, actually). All the signs seemed to be there, and unless Zeke was very much mistaken, it looked like they had found the right wand. They had it all: stars, flashy colours, gusts of wind, and a kind of verbal approval. "You did it perfectly," Zeke told him, nodding. "In fact, I believe you've been chosen by this wand. Congratulations!" Also, brace yourself, because Zeke was about to deliver the deets. The specs. The vital - or simply interesting - information. "This wand is thirteen and a half inches of flexible juniper, with a core of griffin claw," he informed the young man, holding out the box so that it might be placed and the wand - plus any other purchases - rung up. "This wood tends to like honest and compassionate individuals, and is well suited to healing spells, defensive magic, and protection spells. Juniper also has an excellent little feature, because it can rarely be obtained by thievery or unsavoury means; generally it will find its way back to you if it does happen to be stolen or otherwise misappropriated." Though the key point there was that this happened when it had been intentionally taken. Alas, Zeke had not yet met a wand that would return itself when it was unintentionally misplaced. Then again, he also liked to believe that everyone he met treated the instrument with a little more reverence than that in the first place. "Juniper wands are able to purify water sources and free them from poison, and those who own them tend to be very good at apparition and flying." Not a given necessarily, but an observable pattern. "Now, the griffin claw core pairs well with dextrous users who can cast spells with finesse, so you'll find delicate wand movements will feel more natural. You'll also find protection spells and shields to be some of the easier spells for you to master. It's a core that's ill-suited to dark magic or nefarious endeavours, and this is also not an easy wand to pass on to another. Griffin claw wands bond very closely to their original owners." Which, in Zeke's learned opinion, was a highly desirable trait for a wand. He smiled at the boy again. "And that's that. The wand itself will be 10 galleons, and we also have some other products too, if you're interested." _________ [13½ inch flexible juniper with griffin claw] SPOILER!!: NiallNIP Quote: Originally Posted by NiallNIP "Hm." A sufficient answer but not detailed enough. Maddox wasn't pleased. He wanted to know what specifically about him and the wand lined up in some way. He narrowed his eyes a tad. "Alright." As the wandmaker went to bring back another wand, Maddox wanted to hear something else. "Why do you like wands?" He must like them to devote so much time to them. And then he was back and holding out another box. Maddox picked up the new wand, and it felt icy, smooth, almost glassy. Like the surface of an untouched lake. But there was a certain energy there, like something dark gliding around underneath the surface. He liked it. He gave the wand a little flick, and immediately a black snake curled out from the tip, whipping around to face him while still sticking out of the wand. He and the snake stared at each other, unflinchingly, for a moment, the snake's tongue flicking out of its mouth. "Hello," Maddox said, and the snake nodded, then puffed into smoke. Maddox had wanted to test the shopkeeper, to give back the wand he knew was the one and see if he would be challenged, but that was too obvious of a sign for anyone to be unsure. So, instead of giving any sort of confirmation or denial, he held onto the wand and simply asked, "Is there ever a time that a wand is a perfect fit, but you can't tell?" Curious little thing, this one, wasn't he. Zeke allowed a vaguely amused smile to play across his features, but he answered the boy's question all the same. "I find it interesting, exploring the various interactions between woods and cores, and the way a particular combination favours a person based not only on their ability, but on their character as well. The 'personalities' of the wands themselves are intriguing too, and how much they seem to 'know'. There's plenty of fascinating aspects to the field," he said. Of course, it went much deeper than all that. Zeke's husband could testify to the many, many things that first drew Zeke to the profession and ultimately kept him there, kept him creating, kept him researching and publishing, because he'd been victim to his nerding out for many ~~many~~ years now. But... "And, of course, I enjoy the process of crafting the wands." Would be a bit of an issue if he didn't, after all. But anyway. The wand fitting. Zeke watched as the boy tried out the wand, observing the proceedings with a shrewd eye. He was not at all surprised when, rather than a 'yea' or a 'nay', he found himself faced with another question. "Well," he said, "it's always possible. Observation can only take us so far. That's why I always ask a customer how it feels, if it feels right. Usually it's perfectly obvious; there are many different signs. Sometimes, though, there can be what seems like an appropriate magical display, but then I'm told the wand feels wrong, in which case it's likely not the right fit. Sometimes there's no obvious sign of magic at all, but instead a strong sense of having found the right wand. The way it feels carries a lot of weight when determining a match." Most of the weight, in fact, though many times Zeke could clock a match on sight, and this information served mostly as confirmation. He didn't like to belabour the point of just how important that feedback was, however, because if a particularly sensitive customer was listening in, they might start stressing themselves out. Putting pressure on themselves to be sure, and thus clouding and doubting their own judgement. Zeke, of course, had his way of handling these situations and walking the customers through it, but it was better not to let them work themselves up into that state in the first place. "So," he said now, tapping his finger on the side of the wand box, and nodding towards the wand in the boy's hand. "How does it feel? Does it feel right, or would you like to try another?" SPOILER!!: sweetpinkpixie - Calliope Quote: Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie "Yes, let's." It wasn't the wandmaker's fault that her patience was wavering even more than usual, hence the curt nod and roll of the eyes in response to his hospitality, but it also totally was his fault. Calliope had readied herself to accept the first wand offered to her and just make it work regardless, but when the wand in question was revealed to her she found herself immediately back tracking on the ambition to be in and out of her ASAP. "I think...I'll tell you what I think before I give it a wave," she winced as she peered over the box. "I don't like the color of the wood...so I don't think this is the wand for me." She had a vibe, an aesthetic, and this just wasn't it. But then a certain voice nagged the back of her thoughts and she signed heavily before flattening her feet to the floor and offered a hurried sort of curtsey - which looked utterly ridiculous without the frill and volume to fill out the gesture. Way easier to jam in jeans. "Respectfully, I mean." Yeah, sure, there was that whole don't knock something until you try it but then there was the whole thing about following your gut. "Another?" Hmm. Zeke seemed to be getting his fair share of... well... challenging customers this summer. Then again, he got his fair share of them every summer. More than, given the majority of new students came to this shop for their wands. "Understood," he said, giving a nod of appreciation in response to the respectful curtsey. "But it's still worth giving it a try, just so we can rule it out for sure," said Zeke. He was a fairly understanding chap who always took the opinions of his young customers on board, but he was also a methodical man who did not cut corners, especially where his profession was concerned. Not liking the colour of the wand was, unfortunately, not compelling enough for him to discount a wand without it having even been held. "Humour me?" said Zeke, and though he smiled his usual friendly smile, it was pretty clear he wasn't going to budge. SPOILER!!: sweetpinkpixie - Briallen Quote: Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie It wasn't Bria but Picketta that offered those two ticks, which meant the blonde was pressing her finger to her lips and pushing up against her nose to SHUSH the little protector. Relax, she mouthed to the bowtruckle just as the wandmaker returned. "I promise she won't attack you," she blurted out, wide eyed and head nodding rapidly up and down worse than a bobble head doll inside Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. A polite greeting or thanking the man for his time would have been more appropriate buuuuuuuut a stern reminder for Picketta felt a little more pressing. "She knows to keep her prejudices against wandmakers in the freezer and dad tried explaining to her how both she and people like you play important entwined parts and paths in the circle of magic." Riiiiiiiiiight, Picketta?? And now it was her turn to take a step forward along that path! Which she did, literally, to pick up the wand and immediately began to giggle. "It...tickles..." she noted, her fingers almost dancing along the handle while she held it. She couldn't quite get her fingers to still over the wood, in fact, and the more she tried the more they bounced until she couldn't hold on to the wand at all. SCHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP, up went the wand into the air followed by a loud CRACK as the tip of the wand lodged itself in the wood of the ceiling. "...oh...well...that...that wasn't quite good..." Right on cue, the bowtruckle untangled herself from the mass of blonde hair and leapt onto a nearby shelf, scaling the walls and charging ahead towards the embedded wand. ... Possibly that assurance came from a perfectly genuine, honest place, but Zeke found that it immediately invited a concern that had not been there prior to it being spoken. Zeke had faced off with his fair share of bowtruckles - par for the course, particularly when harvesting wood for the actual crafting of the wands, naturally - but in those cases it was because they were being territorial about a specific tree. That a bowtruckle might bring its instinctive dislike of a wandmaker into his shop was... only very slightly unnerving. Though it wouldn't really surprise him to know that the creatures could detect the presence of material from a wand wood tree, especially at this magnitude. "That's very reassuring to hear," said Zeke, smiling at the bowtruckle and then at his customer, ready to become fully invested in the process of this fitting. Tickles? Hmmm... based on that alone, a match and a mismatch seemed equally likely. Zeke watched the girl's fingers jitter, and then his heart just about dropped as UP went the wand. It was the CRACK that really did it, made him feel just slightly faint, but the sight of the bowtruckle had Zeke jumping directly into action. He wasn't sure if he ought to be concerned, but preferred not to find out. "Accio wand!" he said, drawing his own wand in a flash and pointing it at the one embedded in the ceiling. It took a moment to wriggle itself loose (Zeke winced ever so slightly) then flew back into his own hand. Sorry, little bowtruckle. "Ah, well..." Zeke said, his eyes on the creature even as he placed the wand back into its box. "I think we ought to try another, and... if you could recall your friend, there, I'd be much obliged." And, even as he went to pick out another wand box and return to the girl with it, Zeke kept glancing towards the bowtruckle, just to be sure of where it was. To be sure it was not likely to make a mad dash for another wand. "So... maybe this one?" SPOILER!!: littledhampir Quote: Originally Posted by littledhampir "I don't know," Elena started to say, before the wandmaker appeared and answered the question himself. She straightened, wanting to appear professional and responsible in front of him. She was pleased that they were going to get their wands at the same time. It was only fitting. And luckily Elena was in too good a mood to worry right now about if and when they wouldn't be able to do everything together. Because for now they were, and when the wandmaker left to go find wands for them she found herself wondering if their wands would match. She knew that they probably wouldn't, because she knew that her dad's didn't match auntie Ellery and uncle Colin. And she didn't really think it mattered, she just thought it would be kinda cool if they did. When the wandmaker returned with the two boxes, Elena leaned forward with interest, looking closely at each one. She reverently lifted the one held out to her and held it in her hand. As instructed, she gave it a wave. As soon as she did, a red spark shot out of the end and ricocheted around the room, smacking into a few things before hitting the ground near her feet, causing her to fall backward onto her bottom. Elena looked up, eyes wide. "Whoa," she breathed. "That was awesome. It's perfect." As soon as the wandmaker suddenly appeared - and answering his question, no less, though it hadn't actually been addressed to him - Alexei slammed his mouth shut. He stayed quiet and rubbed at his arms a moment longer as the man went off to find a couple of wands, though it was less because he still felt the unpleasant tingle of the tape, and more because it felt kind of soothing. Alexei waited until Elena had picked up the wand offered to her before he reached for the wand in front of him, though there was only a couple of seconds in it. However, while Elena's acted in a way that she seemed to approve of (though it had sent her right to the ground), Alexei was met instead with what felt like the most aggressive static shock he'd ever experienced, when he'd barely even touched it. He withdrew his hand as though the thing had tried to bite him - which probably, in a sense, it had - and shook his head. Nope. The wandmaker apparently understood. Off he went and back he came - in the meantime, Alexei offered a hand to his twin to help her up off the floor - and again he offered Alexei a wand. Alexei was slightly more hesitant in reaching for this one, but, once he knew it wasn't going to shock him, picked it up quite confidently. Even before he waved it, he felt a sort of rush that went from his fingers, up his arm, and through his body. Not a tingle or anything, which would have been awful, probably, but a kind of certainty. A solidity. Something he couldn't adequately find the words for. He gave the wand a wave, and it produced a sort of light trail, bright white, which lingered in the air after the wand had moved on. Entranced, he quickly traced ALEXEI in the air, and followed it up with a tiny air doodle of a star. Smiling to himself, Alexei glanced for a split second into the wandmaker's face, and then abruptly away again. He still said nothing, but this time, he nodded. _______________ Well! Two fairly different reactions, though the wands themselves seemed equally outspoken. "Whoops!" Zeke exclaimed as the girl went down, though the exclamation might have been applied to the displays of both wands. "Are you alright, my dear? We certainly seem to have found your wand, so congratulations on that score!" Unless he was very much mistaken, that was. The girl herself had declared the wand perfect, and did not seem at all put off by the exuberance of the magic. That was a very good sign. "Give me just a moment to find another wand for this young man, and then we'll get to the details." So off he had gone, and back he had come, and then the boy had gone for attempt number two. This time, they had more success, though of a more subdued nature, as seemed rather appropriate. Zeke smiled at the boy through the now fading letters; presumably his name, though in reverse from the wandmaker's perspective. The nod gave him his confirmation. "Wonderful! So then, these wands," Zeke said. He cleared his wand, and turned his attention to the girl first, though he held out both wand boxes so that they might be temporarily returned. "Your wand is eleven inches and two thirds of strong mahogany, with a hippogriff feather core. A very handsome wood, plus very well suited to transfiguration magic. You may be pleased to hear that mahogany is also attracted to those with a strong will and leadership abilities. You'll find this wand is excellent for protective spells and fire spells, but is generally a very good all-purpose wand. Also, it's useful to know that your loved ones will have no trouble borrowing and using this wand, as the wand shares the same affections as the owner." Which, in Zeke's opinion, could be either an advantage or a disadvantage of mahogany. Only ever an advantage, however, when a person counted only trustworthy people in their affections, though one could never be certain. Or perhaps Zeke was just becoming cynical in his old age. "Hippogriff feather cores make for very adaptable wands, provided it is well cared for. You must treat this wand with respect, or you might fight it backfiring at inopportune moments." Then again, there were few opportune moments for backfiring wands. "It will not perform dishonourably, and if you try to use it in a way it doesn't like, any magic produced after that point may be sub-par or even non-existent. Nothing to worry about if you two are in tune with each other, however." He took a breath, then turned to the boy. Instinct told him not to try and look him in the eyes for too long, so Zeke largely seemed to address the wand itself, though his words were clearly directed at his customer. "Your wand is twelve and a quarter inches of pliant maple, with a core of unicorn hair. Maple tends to choose those with the soul of an explorer, be it literal exploration or the exploration of knowledge and such. Maple owners are generally dedicated and determined to be the best at what they do, but be aware that this wood requires challenges and new experiences to fuel its magical energy, or it may refuse to cooperate. This wood is excellent for cleansing and purification spells and is intuitive and versatile in its spellwork." All good news? Maybe. Hopefully. It was no doubt slightly daunting to hear that a wand had certain conditions, or would otherwise stop cooperating with the owner. Come to think of it, it was very interesting that these two - whom Zeke had taken to be twins or at least siblings, though he didn't like to assume - had both matched with wands with such conditions. "Unicorn hair wands are very faithful to their owner, and very consistent too. Well suited to charms and transfigurations, excellent for healing spells. This core is difficult to turn to the dark arts and is more attuned to subtle and delicate magic. This core is not necessarily one of the more powerful - it depends on the unicorn itself, really - but they are consistent and reliable." Which, if Zeke did say so himself, really was crucial. Then again, perhaps he was slightly biased, being the owner of a unicorn-core wand himself. "So, that's that," said Zeke, giving both children his usual friendly smile, with half a glance at the adults that had accompanied into the shop. "Both wands together will be 23 galleons - that's 11 for the mahogany, 12 for the maple, if you're paying separately. We also have other products available, if you're interested." _________ [Elena: 11⅔ inch strong mahogany with hippogriff feather] [Alexei: 12¼ inch pliant maple with unicorn hair] SPOILER!!: AlwaysSnapesGirl Quote: Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl It was hard to be certain, but Zephyr liked to think he didn't imagine a chuckle besides his own resulting from his joke. And it WASN'T his mom this time, of that he WAS certain. So maybe there was someone else who appreciated his humor too!!! Oh, but then- then the wandmaker guy appeared!!! This was it!! Well, almost. Zeph nodded eagerly and tried to wait patiently as he was gone again, rocking back and forth on his feet, and it seemed like both an eternity and five seconds before the nice wandmaker guy returned. This was it? This was it! The moment was now! He looked at the wand with awe for a brief moment. Then he took it, and it felt oddly cold to his touch. And when he waved the wand, a pitiful little snowflake appeared and then vanished just as quickly. Hm.... "Um, I think...I think this one's not for me?" He set the wand back in the box. "I'm sure the next one will be good though!" He'd been hoping to get his wand on his first try, but alas, it was not to be. So second try was the charm! Maybe Zeke was biased (he kind of definitely was biased) but he couldn't help but appreciate whenever his customers looked at the wands with something like reverence. For them it was probably because of how big a moment this was - he could still remember his own wand fitting, after all, and all he'd thought and felt that day in this very shop - but he liked to think they also appreciated the instrument itself for what it was. The artistry. The lore. Maybe. Probably not usually. That might be too much to expect of most eleven year olds. "Hmm," Zeke replied, then gave a little nod, and held out the box so that the wand right be returned. "I think you're absolutely right. Let's see if we can't find another that suits you better." He smiled again, then went off to peruse his shelves, returning a few moments later with a second wand box. He lifted off the lid, and offered the wand to the boy instead. "Here we go; you know what to do!" __________________ Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!