Latest Site Notices

sweetpinkpixie · 01-08-2021, 02:31 AM

Just as you enter the shop, in between all the chaos that may or may not have been going on, is a rather open area with a measuring tape that seems to be hovering in mid air. It wiggles and flies around, ready to measure the next customer to walk into it's range. The measuring tape will eagerly measure your height, the reach of your arm, and maybe even other strange measurements to help the wandmakers find the best wand for you.

In front of the counter there is the empty space that is designated as the fitting area. Here is where wands are fitted. After being measured by the magical measuring tape, you will be assisted by a worker who will then endeavor to fit you with your perfect wand and start pulling boxes from the shelves, which stretch back impossibly far and up so high that even the tallest people have to tip their head back to see the tops.

Long sliding ladders are attached to every stretch of shelves, and the wandmakers make great use of these to reach those wands which are tucked away high up. There seems to be a filing system of sorts, some kind of method to the madness, though most of the boxes are unmarked. Is it a colour code? Or is it shape? size? smell? Something else? Well you'll never know unless you get a job here. Luckily, and out of sheer necessity, these shelves have been bespelled so that wandboxes are not in danger of flying everywhere due to errant spells cast by children wielding their new wands.

Text Cut: wand fitting instructions

⌦ In order to receive a wand, please take the WAND QUIZ ONCE for the character who is here for a wand. Then, post your character being measured by the "magical measuring tape" ONCE in this thread. This thread is not one where you should interact with others, one post here please! It serves as our queue!

See the example post below, or look at other posts in this thread from previous terms.

Text Cut: example post

Jessica went into Ollivanders with more than her share of nerves, it was time for her first wand! The eleven year old made her way over to the measuring area and waited for her turn. Soon enough the measuring tape reached her and began zipping about, straightening with a snap and measuring out her height and, when she held her arms out, she watched it take a measurement of how long they were too. Fun! Did that mean her wand would be as big as her whole arm?

The girl stepped away from the measuring area and she eagerly waited for the shopkeeper to find her wand.

⌦ Please take the SORTING QUIZ first and wait to be placed in your house before taking the wand quiz! Your house effects your final wand in our quiz! This goes for current members who are re-sorting too, though you may take the quiz in advance if you know what your new house will be.

⌦ You may role play the magical measuring tape, but you may not role play for the shopkeepers. Ollivander does not work here!

⌦ After submitting the wand quiz and posting in this thread, please wait for a shop worker to assist you and your character in finding their perfect wand match. You do not have to RP to get your wand, but it is highly encouraged as a part of enriching your RP experience.

⌦ Please do not stretch the wand fitting experience out too long, it should not take more than three tries at an absolute maximum to find your character's match.

⌦ If we run out of time to complete the RP with you by the end of the RP summer, we will PM or VM your wand result to you, provided you have posted in this thread and responded to our efforts to interact with you.

⌦ If you have any questions, feel free to PM Felixir or one of the Diagon Alley Proprietors and they'll try to answer your questions as quickly and efficiently as they can.

⌦ Have fun!

sweetpinkpixie · 08-26-2024, 06:09 AM

Text Cut: I see that well placed Mrs. Doubtfire reference!

Best to ask than assume! Or so he thought when it came to an attempt to pay it forward to someone who was doing such a great deed for you. A deed that, granted, they were also being paid for so it wasn't exactly a totally selfless act but still. Wouldn't be wand fittings without wandmakers and you could just imagine the chaos of underaged magic and even grown magic if everyone was tasked with finding or making their own. Probably, unless on that path society had evolved in such a way that wandlore was as common sense as one plus one equating two. Regardless, Nyle offered an appreciative couple of nods before his fitting resumed and...well...now here he was on the floor being tickled by leaves and flowers. Well, at least for a little bit because the wandmaker had done something to make the flora stop and now he was wiggle worming his way out of them and scrambling to his feet.

"I'm fine," he assured the man with some rapid nodding of the head. "Wonderful...even...I think? As wonderful as someone can be after being tackled by a plant and then tickled by it anyway...." And really, it could have been a whole lot worse if had managed to conjure a flesh-eating plant so, really, it had been a very pleasant experience overall! "Most...people probably stay on their feet while being matched with their wand though, right?" Nyle wasn't embarrassed, it would take a lot for him to be so while trying something new when the probability of failing was typically at its highest, but perhaps feeling just a tad sheepish as was indicated by the flush to his cheeks - or maybe that was because he had been laughing so much he could barely breathe a few moments ago. "That was some impressive nonverbal magic, sir. Thank you."

His hand empty, because he had lost his grip on the handle during the whole ticklefest, Nyle quickly crouched down to pick the wand back up ... Nyle-size floral arrangement and all. To his surprise, the morning glory vines began to slowly creep back in to the tip of the wand like someone slowly retracting their fishing line. "So...does this mean that...this wand has a playful personality?" he inquired as he peeked over at the wandmaker. "And...it wants to play with me?"

SilverTiger · 08-26-2024, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

"Any kind of wave you want," Zeke confirmed, giving a little nod, but by that time the girl already had the wand in hand and was giving it a wave. Fair enough! He appreciated the enthusiasm.

When that noise came, his customer wasn't the only one who turned to look. He did it automatically, perhaps because it rang out so clearly, and glanced towards the shop window even though they it sounded much closer. Then he looked back to his customer, and understood.

Considering the wand for a moment, Zeke drummed his fingers idly on the side of the empty wand box. He'd noticed the skateboard being looked after over on the other side of his shop, so it seemed to him that it was certainly an effect which reflected the girl's personality. Still, it was a subtle enough sign that he didn't like to assume a match based on that alone. So... "What do you think?" he asked the girl. "Does it feel like the right wand, or would you like to try another?"

Yes, she had gone ahead and taken his suggestion without waiting for the verification, but Tea had generally assumed that it had been her go-ahead to try out said wand. Even with her concerns over what had happened with the kids who had come before her, she hadn’t figured her wave would have created exactly that reaction. Nor was she entirely certain what an audio response meant, or how it was even possible. Given the fact others had gotten physical reactions to their waves. Maybe it was just her?

Either way, between the fact she’d verified Eilonwy hadn’t gone off on a joy ride inside the shop and the simple lack of any real reaction from the wandmaker, she had been left rather confused. Both with her questions as to if auditory results were common and what exactly it all meant for her case. The idle drumming from the wandmaker only proved her point. Even he was thinking and since he’d merely asked for her opinion, she blinked.

“I think…it doesn’t feel wrong, exactly? But does the sound mean the wand likes me, like it knows what I like?”, or at least what her goal for her future was...“Can wands see into our heads?” Okay, it wasn’t really an answer, but she was curious about what he thought. Since it was sort of his job to know if results meant a good fit or not. Plus, she did kind of like this one, evidenced by her not having immediately returned it to the box.

Felixir · 08-29-2024, 02:27 AM

SPOILER!!: the opportunity was just too good

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Best to ask than assume! Or so he thought when it came to an attempt to pay it forward to someone who was doing such a great deed for you. A deed that, granted, they were also being paid for so it wasn't exactly a totally selfless act but still. Wouldn't be wand fittings without wandmakers and you could just imagine the chaos of underaged magic and even grown magic if everyone was tasked with finding or making their own. Probably, unless on that path society had evolved in such a way that wandlore was as common sense as one plus one equating two. Regardless, Nyle offered an appreciative couple of nods before his fitting resumed and...well...now here he was on the floor being tickled by leaves and flowers. Well, at least for a little bit because the wandmaker had done something to make the flora stop and now he was wiggle worming his way out of them and scrambling to his feet.

"I'm fine," he assured the man with some rapid nodding of the head. "Wonderful...even...I think? As wonderful as someone can be after being tackled by a plant and then tickled by it anyway...." And really, it could have been a whole lot worse if had managed to conjure a flesh-eating plant so, really, it had been a very pleasant experience overall! "Most...people probably stay on their feet while being matched with their wand though, right?" Nyle wasn't embarrassed, it would take a lot for him to be so while trying something new when the probability of failing was typically at its highest, but perhaps feeling just a tad sheepish as was indicated by the flush to his cheeks - or maybe that was because he had been laughing so much he could barely breathe a few moments ago. "That was some impressive nonverbal magic, sir. Thank you."

His hand empty, because he had lost his grip on the handle during the whole ticklefest, Nyle quickly crouched down to pick the wand back up ... Nyle-size floral arrangement and all. To his surprise, the morning glory vines began to slowly creep back in to the tip of the wand like someone slowly retracting their fishing line. "So...does this mean that...this wand has a playful personality?" he inquired as he peeked over at the wandmaker. "And...it wants to play with me?"

Good, good. Satisfied that he wasn't about to have some kind of Devil's Snare situation on his hands, Zeke nodded straightened up too (with more than a little complaining from his knees, Merlin).

He gave a small chuckle. "Well, I'm glad you're alright, at any rate." And, uh, well. "Most people do stay upright, yes. But sometimes these wands do get a little enthusiastic." He stowed his own wand away again. "Thank you. It comes from years of practice," he added, before smiling again, and clasping his hands together. Because it was time.

"Well, I think it's perfectly clear that this wand has chosen you, and, yes, it does seem that that's the case. You'll discover more about each other over time, with every spell you cast together." But details? More details? More details.

"This wand is twelve and a half inches of solid hickory, with a snidget feather core. Hickory is excellent for those who wish to develop their leadership skills." Here, Zeke paused, but not because he disbelieved that that could possibly be the case; more because the next part was just so apt, considering what had just transpired. "This wood is very in touch with nature, and has an affinity with Herbology, plant magic, and the elements of earth and air. It's also excellent for divination and any spells that require creation, or that work with giving an object a semblance of life, or encouraging new growth." See? Apt. In that regard, Zeke was fairly confident they'd matched up well together, even just based on that little magical display alone. "Snidget feather cores are fairly rare. Donated by sanctuaries and reservations, for ethical wandmaking. These wands are very responsive and consistent in their spell-casting; perfect for a learner. It will be well suited to Charms, and defensive spells should come naturally, especially spells that cater to evasion. It also makes for an excellent duelling wand, should you feel so inclined to explore that area of magic."

Now, where was that box... aha. Zeke scooped it back up and held it out. "If you pop that back in here, I'll ring it up for you. The wand by itself will be 10 galleons. Are you interested in anything else to go with it?"

_________

[12½ inch solid hickory with snidget feather]

SPOILER!!: SilverTiger

Zeke considered that question for a moment. "It's not so much that the wand sees into your head, more that the different components that make up the wand can sense when a person is a good fit for it." It was all pretty complex, but that about summed it up for their purposes. "The wand may channel the magic, but it's you who's producing it. That's likely why it reflects something you like."

He gave a little smile, and addressed her other question. "Sounds and noises are just as likely to be signs of a match as sparks and lights, and what have you. But the biggest indicator, in my experience, is really whether or not it feels right." Hence why he often told his customers to tell him exactly that, though he had a knack for spotting the signs. Usually.

And the fact that the wand simply didn't feel wrong still had him squarely on the fence, though he had noted that she'd not given the wand up yet. Hmmm...

Making up his mind, Zeke considered his shelves for a moment, then pulled out another wand box down and opened it up. "Here's an idea. You can try out this one, if you like, but if you feel like you don't want to give up that one, then I'd say we've already found your match." Or perhaps she'd try it and decide the first was the right one after all. However things transpired, once they found the right one, he'd give her all the details in his usual spiel, but there was no need to rush it. He'd rather be sure that she was sure.

SilverTiger · 08-29-2024, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Zeke considered that question for a moment. "It's not so much that the wand sees into your head, more that the different components that make up the wand can sense when a person is a good fit for it." It was all pretty complex, but that about summed it up for their purposes. "The wand may channel the magic, but it's you who's producing it. That's likely why it reflects something you like."

He gave a little smile, and addressed her other question. "Sounds and noises are just as likely to be signs of a match as sparks and lights, and what have you. But the biggest indicator, in my experience, is really whether or not it feels right." Hence why he often told his customers to tell him exactly that, though he had a knack for spotting the signs. Usually.

And the fact that the wand simply didn't feel wrong still had him squarely on the fence, though he had noted that she'd not given the wand up yet. Hmmm...

Making up his mind, Zeke considered his shelves for a moment, then pulled out another wand box down and opened it up. "Here's an idea. You can try out this one, if you like, but if you feel like you don't want to give up that one, then I'd say we've already found your match." Or perhaps she'd try it and decide the first was the right one after all. However things transpired, once they found the right one, he'd give her all the details in his usual spiel, but there was no need to rush it. He'd rather be sure that she was sure.

She appreciated the answers to the questions that had spilled out, even though Teagan knew they’d been more to guarantee that there wasn’t anything wrong with her or her wand sorting. Not that she’d admit that to the wandmaker. No, that was information she’d keep to herself, and besides, it seemed as if her experience wasn’t entirely abnormal anyway. At least, according to the wandmaker, even if he still seemed just as on the fence about if this wand was perfect for her as she was.

It still felt nearly right, but that wasn’t what he’d asked. Plus, her eyes had widened a little as he had reached for another box, setting the first wand next to its box carefully more out of curiosity than anything else. Especially as he’d spoken again. “I can try it”, she agreed, reaching just as carefully to pick up the second wand, giving a small apologetic look toward the first wand lying there as she did so. It wasn’t its fault, after all.

Plus, he didn’t seem confident that the first one was wrong either, and she gently swished the second wand in a less squiggly wave as she had the first. Just in case it had been her motion that had caused the first to be loud. Only to feel a cool breeze wrap around her, lifting her dark hair off her neck just a little bit as the wand itself warmed up in her hand. Not hot, not like some of the other kids’ tries, but like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold day. “This one feels nice”, she said after a moment. “…too.”

That last bit had been for the first wand, in case it would feel disappointed. She wasn’t sure if he wands had feelings or not.

sweetpinkpixie · 08-30-2024, 11:52 AM

Text Cut: I still need to introduce the boys to that one...tis on my to-do list

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Good, good. Satisfied that he wasn't about to have some kind of Devil's Snare situation on his hands, Zeke nodded straightened up too (with more than a little complaining from his knees, Merlin).

He gave a small chuckle. "Well, I'm glad you're alright, at any rate." And, uh, well. "Most people do stay upright, yes. But sometimes these wands do get a little enthusiastic." He stowed his own wand away again. "Thank you. It comes from years of practice," he added, before smiling again, and clasping his hands together. Because it was time.

"Well, I think it's perfectly clear that this wand has chosen you, and, yes, it does seem that that's the case. You'll discover more about each other over time, with every spell you cast together." But details? More details? More details.

"This wand is twelve and a half inches of solid hickory, with a snidget feather core. Hickory is excellent for those who wish to develop their leadership skills." Here, Zeke paused, but not because he disbelieved that that could possibly be the case; more because the next part was just so apt, considering what had just transpired. "This wood is very in touch with nature, and has an affinity with Herbology, plant magic, and the elements of earth and air. It's also excellent for divination and any spells that require creation, or that work with giving an object a semblance of life, or encouraging new growth." See? Apt. In that regard, Zeke was fairly confident they'd matched up well together, even just based on that little magical display alone. "Snidget feather cores are fairly rare. Donated by sanctuaries and reservations, for ethical wandmaking. These wands are very responsive and consistent in their spell-casting; perfect for a learner. It will be well suited to Charms, and defensive spells should come naturally, especially spells that cater to evasion. It also makes for an excellent duelling wand, should you feel so inclined to explore that area of magic."

Now, where was that box... aha. Zeke scooped it back up and held it out. "If you pop that back in here, I'll ring it up for you. The wand by itself will be 10 galleons. Are you interested in anything else to go with it?"

_________

[12½ inch solid hickory with snidget feather]

Nyle smiled warmly at the wandmaker, not quite showing his teeth for a toothy grin but still wide enough that his cheeks stretched and eyes twinkled like the sun reflecting off the water of the lake near his home. "I suppose it is best to think about this wand...my wand being enthusiastic about me and less about not being able to stand on my feet," he chuckled nervously with a rub to the back of his neck. And just maybe the detail about falling over was something he didn't share with Iris. Mum had undoubtedly seen it when peeking in through the window and that was okay...she could even tell dad just as long as it didn't get back to his sister. Holding the wand with both his hands now, the blond listened and nodded along as the wandmaker explained all the cool details about his wand. He hadn't guessed hickory on appearance alone and the description raised the rosy color in his cheeks considerably. "It's...perfect," he nodded, his head lifting and hands gingerly returning the wand to its box for the time being. "Mum tried this wand...it almost matched with her," he whispered more to himself than the man standing in front of him as his fingers tapped the lid in place.

"Oh, yeah! Dad said I ought to get a Chinese Fireball hide wrist holster and some wand polish too...and mum recommended I get one of those Magical Resonance Protection Salve..." he explained while fishing the coin pouch from his pocket and then an even smaller coin pouch from in that coin pouch and began adding some coins from the bigger to the smaller as necessary. "Um...yes...just...add another couple of sickles and a galleon and...I think this covers it all," Nyle chirped as he handed the smaller pouch over to the man. "Thank you, sir. This was all...very enlightening and pretty fun too."

Felixir · 09-01-2024, 01:41 AM

SPOILER!!: SilverTiger

As the girl picked up the second wand to try, Zeke picked up the one she'd set down back inside its own box for safe-keeping, but didn't replace its lid right away. Could still be that that was the one, after all.

But his attention was on his customer and the second wand, and... ah, that did seem more like it. All they'd needed, in the end, was to look at a different core. And he did just about pick up on that last word too, and allowed a smile, almost imperceptible smile. "Wonderful. Really wonderful. Yes, we definitely have a match. And, ah, not to worry. This other wand will find its match soon." In fact, the wand the girl was now holding had been waiting its turn much longer. This Zeke could say for certain, given it's core.

Well. He had a fairly encyclopaedic knowledge on every wand in here, actually, but that wasn't the point.

Anyway, speaking of the core, it was time for the details.

"This wand is eleven inches and one third of robust ash, with a core of graphorn horn. It's said that witches and wizards best suited to ash are not often lightly swayed from their purposes or believes." Zeke offered the girl a small smile, then. It was clear that this was a trait of which he approved, and therefore hoped would be received well. "Healing spells and protection spells are well suited to ash. However, this is not a wand that ought to be passed on to a new owner, that goes for willingly passing it along or having it won away from you. If either were to happen, it would lose power and skill. This is what partly what gives an ash wand its prestige; only those who have matched with ash will be able to master it." More good news. Except... well, no one wanted to think about their wand being won away, did they? Moving on, then. "Wands made with graphorn horn are excellent for defensive magic and duelling spells. It also has a surprisingly delicate touch; you'll likely find it a wonderful tool for working with potions."

And that was that. Zeke smiled again, and held out the box of the second wand so that it might be placed inside. Just to ring it up. "The wand by itself will be 9 galleons. Is there anything else you're interested in today?"

_________

[11⅓ inch robust ash with graphorn horn]

SPOILER!!: a classic. need to watch it again one day

Zeke did catch those whispered words, just about, though they were curious enough to confuse him for a moment. He was just on the point of a 'hmm?' or something similar, when it occurred to him that those words were not entirely for his benefit. Hence the whisper.

Curious though, if it were true. And the boy whispered it with enough conviction that...

Well, anyway. Not his business.

"Excellent," was what Zeke did say, and moved away to collect the requested holster, and then to grab a pot of salve and one of polish. He rang it all up and bundled it together. "That will be 25 galleons, 6 sickles, and 2... ah, wonderful," he said, taking the pouch and doing a quick count to ensure it had all been totted up correctly.

At that last remark, he looked up and smiled. "You are very welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it." And that it was enlightening. Both were always good to hear, especially given this was such a big moment in the life of one embarking on their Hogwarts (or otherwise) adventure. "Good luck to you and that wand of yours. I wish you both the best journey together."

AlwaysSnapesGirl · 12-14-2024, 10:41 PM

Today was the day!

Zephyr burst into the wand shop ahead of his mom and nana and the rest of his family. He DID hold the door open just long enough for his mom to grab it - see, he was very thoughtful and he wasn't so eager that he'd let the door slam in anyone's face! - and then he hurried to jump into the queue for the measuring tape.

He fidgeted while he waited, glancing back at his family every so often, brightening at their smiles and thumbs-up despite his restlessness. Waiting for something he was so excited for was agonizing, somehow worse than when he had been counting down the days and weeks beforehand.

It was just so exciting! His first wand! It was almost here!!!

Like the measuring tape! Here it was!

Okay. Okayokayokay BREATHE.

Zeph cooperated with every measurement the tape took, and soon enough it was already floating away to the next person.

"I guess that means I measure up?" Not that the tape measure stuck around long enough to hear his amazing joke. (Could magical measuring tape hear?) But he himself appreciated it, and that was what mattered, right? Hehe.

Charely Potter · 12-15-2024, 01:27 AM

Diego couldn't believe the day had finally arrived. He could have his very first wand now! He turned eleven back in December, but rules were rules. There's no point holding a wand without being able to do magic for many months. He wasn't alone though as he had his best friend Vi by his side and Papa! Daddy Dash was too busy at work, but Papa Rafa wouldn't miss it for the world.

"Wow.." His eyes marveled at the sight. Lots of wands and only one would be his. How exciting! "You were right, this doesn't look scary at all." He waited until it was his turn before he went over to the measuring area and stood at attention.

The tape tickled, as he fought the many giggles. Eventually, the measuring tape disappeared. Now what?

NiallNIP · 12-15-2024, 02:24 AM

Maddox entered Ollivanders with his mother. He was fairly excited to get his new wand, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the flat look on his face. But that was always the look on his face, to be fair.

He looked around the shop and took it all in, the rows and rows of wands that stretched back for seemingly eternity. The fact that the one wand made specifically for him was in here somewhere was comforting in a strange way.

He shuffled in line behind some other children. Every once in a while he would catch a stray thought—he was doing his best to block them out, like Jane had taught him to do, but some still slipped through the cracks.

And then it was his turn to be measured. He lifted his arms to give access to measure him all over. His wide eyes watched very carefully as it wrapped around different parts of his body—his head, at one point, for some reason?—and then flew off to the next person in line.

All that was left for him to do was wait some more.

Felixir · 12-16-2024, 09:41 PM

SPOILER!!: AlwaysSnapesGirl

It was quite possible that this young man and his family might have heard a slight chuckle from amongst the stacks, where Zeke had been when he'd heard that little joke. Quite possible.

The man himself emerged a moment later, with a broad smile on his face as he approached his customer.

"Hello there," he greeted the boy, picking up his list of measurements so that he might consultant. "Ready to find your wand? Let's see here..." He ran a finger down the list of numbers, 'hmm'ing and nodding to himself as he did so. "Excellent. Give me just one moment."

And then he had stepped away again, but only briefly, taking down one of the wand boxes from a high up shelf and bringing it over. Zeke lifted off the lid, and offered the wand inside to the boy.

"You know what to do?" he asked. "Just give it a wave, and tell me what you think."

SPOILER!!: Charely Potter

'Now what' was the fun part. As soon as Zeke was done with one customer, it was immediately on to the next. He straightened his waistcoat and tie before moving along to this next boy, giving him a bright smile, and scooping up the list of measurements.

"Hello, hello," he greeted him, then consulted the measurements his tape and parchment had collected. "Let's see what we have here. Mhm, mhm, okay... wonderful. I'll be back in just a moment, and we'll see if we can't find you your wand."

With another smile, he set down the measurements and strode off purposefully, taking down a wand box from one of the shelves before returning. "Now, all you need to do is give this wand a wave," he said to the boy, removing the box's lid and offering the wand inside to him. "And we'll see what happens. Let me know what you think of it, if it feels right."

SPOILER!!: NiallNIP

Between customers, Zeke stopped for only a moment to sip at a mug of coffee he kept just under the counter. Magic was a wonderful thing; the coffee never got any cooler than the perfect temperature when it was in his special enchanted mug.

But back to business! Zeke now strode up to his next customer, beckoning him forwards as he picked up the list of measurements. "Hello there," he greeted him, with a smile, before consulting the list of numbers. "All set for the big moment?" The big moment being the moment when he matched with his first - and, more than likely, lifelong - wand. He clicked his tongue as he considered the measurements, then looked up and smiled again. "That's all in order. Just give me one moment."

And off he went, scanning his shelves for the one he wanted. It didn't take long, as Zeke made a point of being extremely organised, and had a near encyclopaedic knowledge and memory of the contents of his shop. He returned to his customer, already lifting the lid from the wand box. "Ready? Just give this a wave, and tell me how it feels." They would also likely see a very obvious sign, of course, but the feeling was also important. He offered the wand inside the box to the boy.

NiallNIP · 12-16-2024, 10:54 PM

SPOILER!!: Mr. Wandmaker Man

As the shop owner made his way over to Maddox, he simply watched. He took in the man's outfit—fairly sharp and nice, which Maddox respected. He wondered if this was how he dressed on a regular day or if it was because he knew he would have more business this time of year. "Mhm." Maddox confirmed with a slight smile and nod. That was as close to excited as he was going to show.

Maddox's eyes followed the man like a creepy portrait as he went around the shelves. Despite the amount of wands in here he seemed to know where he was going, which made sense for the shopkeeper, but it was still an impressive feat to Maddox. He decided this was an interesting person and was intrigued by him. Might be time to prod.

"Why this one?" he asked absently as he picked up the wand. As soon as it was in his hand the wand was warm, almost vibrating. Like it was itching and eager. Maddox frowned. "Mm. No," he mumbled, but decided to test it out anyway. He wasn't a brat after all. Maddox gave the wand a little swish, and before he was even done it started setting off mini sparks and whizzes of color. It was like his own little fireworks show—a little bit too many fireworks, even. Maddox had to squint until it was over. Once it was, he gingerly and silently set the wand back in the box and looked back at the wandmaker expectantly.

Charely Potter · 12-17-2024, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

'Now what' was the fun part. As soon as Zeke was done with one customer, it was immediately on to the next. He straightened his waistcoat and tie before moving along to this next boy, giving him a bright smile, and scooping up the list of measurements.

"Hello, hello," he greeted him, then consulted the measurements his tape and parchment had collected. "Let's see what we have here. Mhm, mhm, okay... wonderful. I'll be back in just a moment, and we'll see if we can't find you your wand."

With another smile, he set down the measurements and strode off purposefully, taking down a wand box from one of the shelves before returning. "Now, all you need to do is give this wand a wave," he said to the boy, removing the box's lid and offering the wand inside to him. "And we'll see what happens. Let me know what you think of it, if it feels right."

Diego looked up at the man who had a nice hat. Papa had one just like that at home which made him smile back. He couldn't help the anticipation building, he looked over to where Vi and Papa were waiting by the shelves. But Papa looked like something was bothering him. But what? He didn't know. Vi seemed to be trying to talk with him, so Diego could find out what's happening later.

The Wandmaker returned with a wand just for him. "Just a wave.." Diego repeated before his hand reached into the box to hold it. It felt... not that much different from a stick. He blinked curiously, before giving it a wave.... Nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. He couldn't help but feel nervous. Was he not a wizard anymore because-

BOOOM

Diego dropped the wand like it was on fire, clattering on the floor before he bent to pick it back up and set it down.... right next to the black mark left on the desk. "Erm... I'm sorry." He was shaken, but at least relieved that he could do magic. But maybe not the kind of reaction he was expecting to have. "Do I need to pay for that damage? This can't be my wand right?" Or was he stuck with it as punishment? He couldn't help feeling bad now.

littledhampir · 12-17-2024, 01:52 AM

The day was finally here. The day that Elena had been waiting for for ages. The day that she would get her very own wand!! She had been begging her dads to take her to get a wand for ages now. First it had been No, Elena, you're not even eleven yet. Then it was No, Elena, you have to wait until the summer. And then No, Elena, it's five in the morning. And now it was time! This was better than Christmas morning. She was going to get a wand and be able to cast spells and be a proper witch.

Elena eagerly led her family into Ollivanders. There were so many wands. She looked up and up and up, having to lean back so far that she nearly fell over just to see the top of the shelves. She couldn't imagine how everyone could find the right one when there were so many to choose from. Before she could pose her question aloud, she felt a bit of a tickle along her arm. Elena looked down and giggled as some measuring tape zipped itself around her body, taking her measurements. She tried to stay very still to let it do its job, but she was just too excited to stay still for long. After a moment it apparently got the measurements it needed before moving on to Alexei. She bounced up and down next to her twin. "Can you believe it? We're finally getting wands!"

sweetpinkpixie · 12-17-2024, 02:19 AM

It wasn't that Calliope didn't want to be here but she also didn't not want to be here either. Rite of passage, essential tool, extension of her witchdom, blah blah blah...she had listen to mamma gush and oooh and aaah about the ins and outs of wands and wandlore, but none of it had been all that inspiring to the 11-year-old. Now the percussion in Led Zeppelin's Fool In The Rain or The Black Page #1 by Frank Zappa, people who were somehow older than dad and his musical mates and that was wild because they were anciiiiiiiiiiiiient, now those were inspiring sounds to hear! Mostly Calliope was hoping to be in and out of here so she could scamper back over to Atticus' before lunch...and maybe Quidditch Quality Supplies if she was quick.

While she was impatient, the drumming of her palms on her thighs and ticks of the tongue were entirely unrelated and performed for pure enjoyment.

"Took you long enough," she mumbled as the tape measure finally zipped off towards the back. Sure, she could have stood still for the whole minute or two that the enchanted object required but that would be denying herself the music that just went against the Barrington way! "Bmmm tssssh da da da bmmmm tsssh," she hummed to herself, her palms rounding out a spirited solo upon her knees.

―――――*☼*―――――

"Remember, you promised papa you wouldn't cause any trouble," the blonde whispered to the bowtruckled nestled in the messy bun atop her head. It hadn't been all that difficult convincing mum and papa to let her bring Picketta with her, papa even seemed to be a little relieved, but Bria did know of her companion's protective nature and how the creatures felt towards wandmakers. It would be fine though! There was no way Picketta would ruin this once in a lifetime opportunity for her!

Holding as still as she could in spite of the way Picketta was rustling in her hair, tugging on it and tickling Bria's scalp, she waiting for the measuring tape to finish up its task and quickly smashed her bun to ensure no hasty escaping from the bowtruckle who was clearly growing anxious and ornery due to all the sounds a bright lights from the various underage wizard spellwork going on.

Felixir · 12-20-2024, 12:39 AM

SPOILER!!: NiallNIP

Exactly why he had offered the boy that particular wand seemed a reasonable enough question to Zeke. "By using your measurements, I can identify the most likely woods and combinations for you," he said. "I believe this wood, or one similar to it, is likely to be a good fit. If it's not a match, then we look at how the wand responds to you, and that will narrow down the candidates quite considerably." What it was specifically about the combination he had offered up, Zeke did not reveal. He had his ways, of course, but a healthy dose of mystery could be very beneficial at one time or another.

As far as this first wand was concerned, Zeke was satisfied that it was not a match almost from the moment the boy picked it up. The usual signs just weren't there, and of course the mumbled 'no', was all the confirmation they needed. Still, he appreciated the attempt, if for no other reason than what he himself had just outlined. He waited patiently through the miniature fireworks display.

"No?" he said, when the boy turned the wand to the box, but he was already replacing its lid and very clearly understood that that was not the one. "Let's see, then..."

Zeke set the first wand to one side to be cleaned and returned to its shelf later, and ducked briefly out of sight, in amongst the shelves in the back of the shop. Then, back he came, opening up the second wand box, and again offering its contents to his stoic young customer. "Give this one a try."

SPOILER!!: Charely Potter

Zeke gave an encouraging nod - yep, that's it, just a wave - and watched the boy as he picked up the wand. Already he suspected that they had not found a match, though he couldn't be absolutely sure until they had some confirmation, either from the magical effects (or lack thereof) or a verbal indication. So far, it seemed like magical effects would be a little thin on the-

BOOM.

Usually, Zeke was prepared for the big effects. Braced for them. This time, probably because the delayed reaction had lulled him into a false sense of security, he gave an almighty start when the wand became suddenly, ah... vocal.

"Not to worry," Zeke assured the boy - though he was fighting the urge to rub his thumb over that mark on the counter, to see if he could easily shift it. Instead he picked up the wand and placed it back inside the box. "Oh, no, you don't need to worry about that. It's par for the course, in this shop. But I think we ought to try another wand."

He smiled again and set the first wand aside, then moved down his shelves and, after a moment's consideration, picked out a second wand box.

"Now," he said. "Let's see if you fare any better with this one." And he opened up the box and, once again, offered the wand inside to his young customer.

SPOILER!!: littledhampir

At first, Alexei hung back. Not because he was afraid, though there was definitely an element of nerves, because this whole situation was new and unfamiliar, even though his dad had talked him through the whole process and what to expect. No, it wasn't fear, it was because that was what he did. Let Elena go first, take point position while he watched and listened, and then he would follow.

Maybe the nerves did play a bigger part than he realised, or perhaps it was just that this environment was so new that he took a while to get his bearings and adjust to it, because his та́тко had to nudge him forwards with an encouraging 'Go ahead, Lyosha,' before he joined his sister at the measuring tape.

Alexei eyed the thing as it turned its attention from Elena to him. "I know," he said, because it wasn't really accurate to say that he couldn't believe it, when it was happening right now. He started to say something else, but the measuring tape distracted him.

He didn't like the way it brushed against him, apart from instances where it wrapped itself around his head with a firmer grip. It took a little longer for Alexei to be measured up because, although he tried to stay still in order to let the measuring tape do its job, he kept reflexively pulling back or flicking the tape away when it lingered just close enough for him to feel it lightly touching him.

Finally, though, it was over, and the tape went whizzing away to find its next ~~victim~~ ~~target~~ client. "Do you think he'll fit them at the same time?" Alexei asked Elena, rubbing the lingering tickle out of his arms as he looked around to see if the wandmaker was free yet.

_______________

The moment he rang up one customer, it was immediately on to the next, such was the life of the wandmaker in the busiest weeks of the summer season. Hearing the boy's words, Zeke slid the drawer of the cash register shut, turned, and strode over to his next customers, one of whom was much bouncier than the other.

"I certainly could," he said, glancing over to the couple who might have been the parents and/or guardians, upon which the dark-haired one gave him the slightest nod. "Absolutely I can," he continued, and picked up the parchment to look over their measurements. "So, ready for your big moment? Let's see here..." Zeke ran his first two fingers down the adjacent lists of measurements at the same time, eyes flicking back and forth between the two, then nodded to himself. "Perfect. Give me just a moment."

Or perhaps two moments, as he took the time now to pick out two wands, one each for his customers, the most likely candidates or at least the ones he thought might point them in the right direction. After those two moments, Zeke returned to the children and removed the lid of each wand box. He held one in each hand, and held out the boxes, offering one wand to the girl, and the other to the boy, smiling encouragingly.

"Just give them a wave, and tell me if it feels right."

SPOILER!!: sweetpinkpixie, part the first (*shuns*)

Aaaand on to the next customer!

Zeke rubbed his hands together as he strode from the register back to the wand fitting area, ready for the next challenge - the next adventure, even - of finding a customer their wand.

"Hello there," he greeted the girl with great enthusiasm, noting as he did - really, it was impossible not to - the case of musical fidgets she seemed to have. "Let's find you your wand, shall we?" And he consulted the measurements, 'hmm'ing to himself as he mentally calculated, going through the usual mental flowchart that would lead them to their most likely candidates. "Excellent. Just a moment, please."

He strode away to the side of the shop, where wands spanned the wall in an unbroken series of shelves, and brought one down from a shelf that was just within his reach before returning to his customer. "All you need to do," he said, lifting off the lid of the wand box and presenting its contents to her, "is give it a wave, and tell me what you think."

SPOILER!!: sweetpinkpixie, part the second (*shuns again*)

Zeke made his way over to his next customer, giving her his usual smile as he scooped up the list of measurements and not immediately noticing anything out of the ordinary, specifically anything nestled in the girl's hair.

"Hello, hello," he greeted her, then consulted the measurements his trusty parchment had collected in tandem with the measuring tape. "Let's see what we have here, and then we can get to business and find you your wand." Zele clicked his tongue habitually as he considered the numbers, reached the bottom of the list, and nodded to himself. "If you'll just give me two ticks..."

And off he went, scanning his shelves before bending down - ignoring a certain creaking of the knees as he did so - and working out one of the wand boxes from a low down shelf. He returned to the girl, opening up the box.

Zeke was just about to deliver his usual line, at which point he did notice the girl's little ride-along. "Oh! Brought a friend, I see," he said, smiling, then did go ahead and offer the wand to his customer. "Here you are. Just give this a wave, and we'll see what's what."

Charely Potter · 12-20-2024, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Zeke gave an encouraging nod - yep, that's it, just a wave - and watched the boy as he picked up the wand. Already he suspected that they had not found a match, though he couldn't be absolutely sure until they had some confirmation, either from the magical effects (or lack thereof) or a verbal indication. So far, it seemed like magical effects would be a little thin on the-

BOOM.

Usually, Zeke was prepared for the big effects. Braced for them. This time, probably because the delayed reaction had lulled him into a false sense of security, he gave an almighty start when the wand became suddenly, ah... vocal.

"Not to worry," Zeke assured the boy - though he was fighting the urge to rub his thumb over that mark on the counter, to see if he could easily shift it. Instead he picked up the wand and placed it back inside the box. "Oh, no, you don't need to worry about that. It's par for the course, in this shop. But I think we ought to try another wand."

He smiled again and set the first wand aside, then moved down his shelves and, after a moment's consideration, picked out a second wand box.

"Now," he said. "Let's see if you fare any better with this one." And he opened up the box and, once again, offered the wand inside to his young customer.

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.

NiallNIP · 12-20-2024, 08:58 AM

SPOILER!!: Mr. Wandmaker Man

"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?"

sweetpinkpixie · 12-21-2024, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by le wandmaker dude

Aaaand on to the next customer!

Zeke rubbed his hands together as he strode from the register back to the wand fitting area, ready for the next challenge - the next adventure, even - of finding a customer their wand.

"Hello there," he greeted the girl with great enthusiasm, noting as he did - really, it was impossible not to - the case of musical fidgets she seemed to have. "Let's find you your wand, shall we?" And he consulted the measurements, 'hmm'ing to himself as he mentally calculated, going through the usual mental flowchart that would lead them to their most likely candidates. "Excellent. Just a moment, please."

He strode away to the side of the shop, where wands spanned the wall in an unbroken series of shelves, and brought one down from a shelf that was just within his reach before returning to his customer. "All you need to do," he said, lifting off the lid of the wand box and presenting its contents to her, "is give it a wave, and tell me what you think."

"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?"

―――――*☼*―――――

Quote:

Originally Posted by wandmaker!

Zeke made his way over to his next customer, giving her his usual smile as he scooped up the list of measurements and not immediately noticing anything out of the ordinary, specifically anything nestled in the girl's hair.

"Hello, hello," he greeted her, then consulted the measurements his trusty parchment had collected in tandem with the measuring tape. "Let's see what we have here, and then we can get to business and find you your wand." Zele clicked his tongue habitually as he considered the numbers, reached the bottom of the list, and nodded to himself. "If you'll just give me two ticks..."

And off he went, scanning his shelves before bending down - ignoring a certain creaking of the knees as he did so - and working out one of the wand boxes from a low down shelf. He returned to the girl, opening up the box.

Zeke was just about to deliver his usual line, at which point he did notice the girl's little ride-along. "Oh! Brought a friend, I see," he said, smiling, then did go ahead and offer the wand to his customer. "Here you are. Just give this a wave, and we'll see what's what."

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.

littledhampir · 12-22-2024, 02:30 AM

SPOILER!!: twinsie and wandmaker

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

At first, Alexei hung back. Not because he was afraid, though there was definitely an element of nerves, because this whole situation was new and unfamiliar, even though his dad had talked him through the whole process and what to expect. No, it wasn't fear, it was because that was what he did. Let Elena go first, take point position while he watched and listened, and then he would follow.

Maybe the nerves did play a bigger part than he realised, or perhaps it was just that this environment was so new that he took a while to get his bearings and adjust to it, because his та́тко had to nudge him forwards with an encouraging 'Go ahead, Lyosha,' before he joined his sister at the measuring tape.

Alexei eyed the thing as it turned its attention from Elena to him. "I know," he said, because it wasn't really accurate to say that he couldn't believe it, when it was happening right now. He started to say something else, but the measuring tape distracted him.

He didn't like the way it brushed against him, apart from instances where it wrapped itself around his head with a firmer grip. It took a little longer for Alexei to be measured up because, although he tried to stay still in order to let the measuring tape do its job, he kept reflexively pulling back or flicking the tape away when it lingered just close enough for him to feel it lightly touching him.

Finally, though, it was over, and the tape went whizzing away to find its next ~~victim~~ ~~target~~ client. "Do you think he'll fit them at the same time?" Alexei asked Elena, rubbing the lingering tickle out of his arms as he looked around to see if the wandmaker was free yet.

_______________

The moment he rang up one customer, it was immediately on to the next, such was the life of the wandmaker in the busiest weeks of the summer season. Hearing the boy's words, Zeke slid the drawer of the cash register shut, turned, and strode over to his next customers, one of whom was much bouncier than the other.

"I certainly could," he said, glancing over to the couple who might have been the parents and/or guardians, upon which the dark-haired one gave him the slightest nod. "Absolutely I can," he continued, and picked up the parchment to look over their measurements. "So, ready for your big moment? Let's see here..." Zeke ran his first two fingers down the adjacent lists of measurements at the same time, eyes flicking back and forth between the two, then nodded to himself. "Perfect. Give me just a moment."

Or perhaps two moments, as he took the time now to pick out two wands, one each for his customers, the most likely candidates or at least the ones he thought might point them in the right direction. After those two moments, Zeke returned to the children and removed the lid of each wand box. He held one in each hand, and held out the boxes, offering one wand to the girl, and the other to the boy, smiling encouragingly.

"Just give them a wave, and tell me if it feels right."

"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."

AlwaysSnapesGirl · 12-25-2024, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

It was quite possible that this young man and his family might have heard a slight chuckle from amongst the stacks, where Zeke had been when he'd heard that little joke. Quite possible.

The man himself emerged a moment later, with a broad smile on his face as he approached his customer.

"Hello there," he greeted the boy, picking up his list of measurements so that he might consultant. "Ready to find your wand? Let's see here..." He ran a finger down the list of numbers, 'hmm'ing and nodding to himself as he did so. "Excellent. Give me just one moment."

And then he had stepped away again, but only briefly, taking down one of the wand boxes from a high up shelf and bringing it over. Zeke lifted off the lid, and offered the wand inside to the boy.

"You know what to do?" he asked. "Just give it a wave, and tell me what you think."

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!

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!"

Charely Potter · 12-25-2024, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

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."

Did Diego hear that right? He did it! "Yippe!" He gave a little hop in excitement at having his first wand! He couldn't wait to show it off to his Papa, Daddy, and friend Vi! Maybe he and Vi could compare each other's wands and see which is bigger and better?

But first, important stuff was being shared. Diego remembered wand qualities being discussed occasionally in his Year 6 Theory of Magic class. He felt like he should be taking notes, not because it was a lot of information but it was something he'd want to look back on years from now and not forget it. "Wow.. thank you! Erm, could I get all of that in writing, please?" He wondered if the Wandmaker was asked that often. He would hope so. So he could be potentially a great apparitioner and protective. He liked hearing that!

So that was that! Price was made to him. Diego looked at the price chart and thought a polish would be good to add as he took out his money bag. "That sounds great, sir. I can pay for that and Wand polish, please." Having his wand look nice and pristine every so often would be great. So he fished out 12 galleons and set it on the counter to pay in case that covered it. "Is this enough?"

NiallNIP · 12-26-2024, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

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?"

"I see," Maddox responded to the first answer. He knew that wands were a bit temperamental, what with there being one wand that matched with one person and so on, but it was interesting to hear the take of a wandmaker himself. It still seemed shrouded in a bit of mystery, even for the wandmaker, and Maddox was interested in that. Where the mystery of magic started to creep in was where Maddox found the most intrigue, so he was pleased with the answer. "Glad you like it."

And then he got his response to the second question, and Maddox's mind was tugged a bit. So there wasn't a surefire way to know, then, without the willing truthfulness of the wand tester. Just an intuition. Very interesting. And Maddox now wasn't sure if the shopkeeper knew that this was his wand. Time for a test, it seemed. He placed his perfect wand back in the box. "I'd like to see another," he said, eyeing the man. He purposefully didn't make any indication about how this wand felt, but thought that wouldn't be unexpected given how he'd conversed up until now. He wanted to see what the man thought about this decision.

sweetpinkpixie · Yesterday, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

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.

Was it though? Was it reaaaaaaally worth giving a try if she already knew that she was not down with the aesthetic? It was like cauliflower. Who wanted to eat such a bland and bleached out looking piece of broccoli - or who actually wanted to eat broccoli of their own free will for that matter. Calliope wanted to stick it to this wandmaker, double down on her 'nope' but that put her at the crossroads of a difficult decision between her pride and percussion.

"What a load of dragon dung," she muttered to herself as she begrudgingly snatched the wand with an accompanying eyeroll she did not even attempt to hide. "If you insist," she grimaced through her saccharine tone while adjusting her sloppy hold on the handle. It felt fine...for a wand...she supposed...and admittedly not too far off from her favorite set drumsticks. But she didn't want the wand to feel right and she rejected its warm first impression. And yet, as her fingers settled around it, a soft melody filled the air, sweet and lilting, like wind chimes on an ocean's breeze or a lullaby sung softly to her before she nodded off to sleep. The wand seeming hummed with her heartbeat and with a gentle flick of her wrist, a swirl of soft golden light erupted from the tip of the wand, swirling in the air like the melody becoming a visible aura that bounced off any nearbyreflective surface.

It was obvious that this wand, like a stubborn kneazle, had chosen her in spite of her frosty approach to the situation. "Still think I ought to try another. I prefer silver over gold and that light was totally golden."

―――――*☼*―――――

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

... 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?"

Well, at least someone was reassured!

Bria's brow furrowed as she looked down at her hand, befuddled by how pleasant the whole experience had been and yet the wand had rejected her. She had been rejected by many a thing before since, after all, not all creatures were instantly trusting of human hands when they arrived at the sanctuary, her hands and arms bearing evidence of this truth, but for rejection to come from tickling was certainly new. But before she could mull of this for tooooooo long, she had to make sure that Picketta wasn't going to make a mess of things or turn more testy since the wandmaker had recalled the wand himself. So the blonde clicked her tongue and tapped the top of her head to beckon the bowtruckle back - and she did come back, though was dragging her long limbs and chattering some unpleasantries along the way.

Accepting wand number two, Bria looked up at the ceiling while taking her next deeeeeeep breath before coiling her fingers around the handle properly. The moment she touched it, a gentle pulse of warmth spread from her fingers up to her shoulders. It felt comforting, like the soft brush of a niffler's fur against her skin or the nuzzle of an abraxan against her cheek, but as she waved it, the response is faint, almost as though the wand is hesitant, and instead of a grand flourish from the tip... the wand sort of coughed out some wilted down that fluttered to the floor in a sad pile.

"Well...closer...I think," she nodded with a timid confidence as she returned the wand to its box.

Kimothy · Today, 08:10 AM

Miles was no stranger to Ollivander's, nor the Alley as is. He'd been here plenty of times before with his family, when he accompanied his older siblings as they bought their school supplies. He'd just there as some NPC in their lives, which he didn't mind. There was something nice about just watching things happen, so he was already expecting to feel strange about this being his important summer.

But. Well. He wasn't going to lie. He was sort of excited to get his own wand. Felt like a big deal. He hoped he'd get a cool one.

Miles tried to stand still as the magical measuring tape took the necessary numbers from him, but it was hard. He didn't like how fast it was moving, and how it was taking weird (no offence) measurements of his... well, alright, if it needed to know the size of his hand, then so be it. But it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences, so he was glad once it was over.

Latest Site Notices

Latest Harry Potter News

Latest FanFics

Latest Forum Posts

Latest Games

Hogwarts RPG

Wizarding World RPG

Members