Mahogany, phoenix feather, dud. Ebony, Dragon heartstring, dud. Acacia, unicorn hair, dud.
On and on the selection went as Olivander slowly lost his excitement and became severe in his expression. Solemn really, like he was witnessing a rare phenomenon that stumped him.
"In all my years matching witches and wizards to wands I have never encountered a situation quite like this. Normally there's a connection immediately between a wand and witch or wizard, good or bad. But every wand you touch refuses to even try, as if they are all equally terrified and feeling unworthy." he eventually said really looking Salem over this time as if trying to understand what made her so special.
"You haven't tried elder wood yet." I point out fairly certain I understood the issue.
Wand woods create distinct "personalities" in the wands themselves. This is why the matching process is even needed and you couldn't just grab any old wand. The issue right now is that even if some of these wands would normally accept someone of Salems disposition they all in some mystical sort of way recognize how monstrously old and powerful she is and refuse.-
According to the books on wandlore I'd read the only wood that MIGHT not have this issue is elder. Elder wood was particular according to lore in that it actually wouldn't accept anyone but those of exceptional talent and power. Even worse these wands will absolutely reject an owner who starts to fail to uphold this image. Salem definitely wouldn't have this problem. I knew this because after she integrated this worlds magic ability into herself her power took a cosmic leap forward. The mind, body and soul were the foundation for this worlds magic.-
The stronger they were the stronger the magic within the witch or wizard. And Salems soul and mind were millions of years old. Her body was not some weak thing either as before she became immortal she was clearly rather athletic and even without effort her body maintained that fitness. All together she was an absolute monster now. Once she learned how to actually cast magic from this world she'd be very similar to a goddess made flesh. She could rearrange geography on a global scale. If I compared her to something like Sin that had a similar level of power the biggest difference would be control.-
Sin was all about overwhelming, unstoppable power. It's actual precision was basically point and shoot and that was it. Salem as a trained witch however will have all that same power but channeled into a needles point. Frankly speaking at this exact moment even before I started her learning the way of this worlds magic she was infinitely more powerful than Dumbledore. Once she's properly trained I can drop all pretenses with the old goat and flat out ruin the statute of secrecy. Nothing the muggles had could stop her including their sheer numbers. She was literally immortal, not the slow regenerative sort either but the "you erase her and she'll be perfectly fine before you blink" kind.-
"Elder? Yes, that may just be our best chance." Olivander muttered before moving over to a heavily dust covered shelf and taking off all of the boxes, all twelve of them.
"Only twelve?" I asked curiously.
"Indeed. I have not matched an elder wood wand in almost six years. The sheer gap between matchings mean I have very little reason to stock more than this. A true match for elder wood is just as rare as a phoenix or unicorn. In my entire career as a wandmaker I can count the number I have seen walk through that door with the fingers of a single hand." he said solemnly.
"What makes this wood so different from the others?" Salem asked intrigued.
"Elder wands have the distinct property of not accepting the mediocre. Whether that chosen willingly or the innate. Any hint of it and the wands made of it reject their owners with a ferocity not unlike a brooding dragon discovering someone near it's nest. They don't just cease functioning but will even intentionally sabotage spells to harm the unworthy hand holding them." he said gravely.
"If no other wand will do that leaves only those." I pointed out.
"Quite so i'm afraid." he said with a nod as he started opening the boxes to reveal the pale wands within.
At first glance they didn't seem very impressive at all. Just more wands with a pale almost white yellowed wood with hints of light brown from where the bark was stripped but not entirely removed. The old man gently removed the first of the wands and placed it in Salems outstretched hand.
And then had his jaw drop.
The wand popped excitedly in her grip instantly as though celebrating.
He cautiously took the wand from her and tried another and another after that but the results were nearly identical save a single wand. This wand contained a burl section on it, right at the tip. This gave it a strange swirl on it's pointed tip. Unlike the other elder wands this one did not seem to come alive with excitement in Salems hand but produced a fine dark mist that curled around her hand holding it.
Tender and loving almost.
"I believe we have found your wand. Elder wood, burled tip, phoenix feather, nine inches, supple but firm with a powerful charms affinity." Olivander said with a reverent smile.