"Hermione, Harvey, it was nice meeting you. I have to go with my mom now. See you at school!" Ron said.
"How nice exactly?" Harvey blurted out.
Ron froze, completely confused.
Hermione quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"He means we're also very happy to have met you! See you at Hogwarts, Ron!"
"Oh... right. See you then!" Ron scratched his head and followed his mother.
After saying goodbye to the Weasleys, the Grangers spent the next two hours wandering through Diagon Alley with the children.
First, they visited Potage's Cauldron Shop to buy two pewter cauldrons for Potions class.
Next, they went to a general store to buy two rolling trunks, sets of glass phials, telescopes, and brass scales.
At Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, they bought four sets of plain work robes, two black pointed hats for day wear, dragon-hide gloves, quills, ink, and winter cloaks.
They even stopped by the Magical Menagerie.
Hermione bought a red Persian cat with beautiful fur to be her school companion.
Harvey, on the other hand, had no interest in pets.
"Cats and toads require too much care. It's too much trouble. I'd rather spend that time studying magic."
Harvey's logic was ironclad, so the Grangers led the children to their final destination.
The shop was narrow and shabby, with peeling gold letters over the door that read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
As they entered, they saw thousands of narrow boxes piled right up to the ceiling.
Hearing them enter, a small, white-bearded old man behind the counter looked up and gave a professional smile.
"Welcome to Ollivanders..."
"We're here to buy wands for the children."
After shopping for so long, the Grangers were mostly used to the wonders of the magical world. They got straight to the point.
"I see two young wizards eager to find their wands. Who shall go first?"
Harvey politely stepped aside, signaling "ladies first."
Hermione handed her cat carrier to Harvey and stepped forward confidently.
"The Ollivander family has been crafting wands for over a thousand years. Almost every wizard finds their match here..."
The old man, Garrick Ollivander, proudly recited the shop's history while waving his own wand.
A tape measure flew out of his pocket and began zipping around Hermione.
"Tell me, dear, which is your wand arm?"
"I'm right-handed."
As the tape measure took various measurements, Hermione's face began to turn red.
Measuring her arm and height was one thing, but why was it measuring the distance between her nostrils??
She endured the discomfort in silence, unwilling to question a process she didn't yet understand.
However, she was already making a mental note to buy a book on wand-lore later.
Ollivander continued his monologue.
"Every wand is unique. A wand is like a living entity; it chooses the wizard."
"The wand chooses the wizard, remember... not the other way around."
The blushing Hermione just wanted it to be over; she wasn't really listening to the old man's rambling.
After a while, the tape measure flew back to the counter. Ollivander climbed a small ladder.
He pulled a box from the shelf and blew a cloud of dust off it.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
The old man choked on the dust, wobbling on the ladder as if he might fall at any second.
Harvey didn't know whether to laugh or worry.
The Grangers looked on with concern.
Regaining his balance, Ollivander opened the box and handed a greyish wand to Hermione.
"Try this one, dear. Holly and—"
Before he could finish, the moment Hermione gripped it, the tip of the wand shot out a red fireball.
It slammed into the shelves behind Ollivander.
BOOM!
Countless wand boxes tumbled to the floor in a heap.
A cloud of dust filled the cramped shop, accompanied by a faint flickering of flames.
"Good heavens!" the Grangers cried out in horror. They never expected their daughter to cause such a disaster.
Fortunately, Ollivander was well-practiced in these accidents. He snatched the wand from Hermione and drew his own.
"Finite!"
"Reparo!"
The flames vanished instantly, and the boxes flew back onto the shelves in perfect order.
The display left everyone stunned.
"Now that is magic..." Harvey whispered to himself, feeling even more excited for his journey to Hogwarts.
"Apparently, that was not the one. No matter, try this one, child."
Ollivander remained incredibly gentle, as if the explosion had been a mere hallucination. He handed over another wand.
Hermione was a bit shaken, but encouraged by his gaze, she summoned her courage and took it carefully.
This time, as soon as the wand touched her hand, the tip erupted in a soft, warm white light.
"Perfect! A perfect match!"
Ollivander practically squealed with delight.
"Vine wood, dragon heartstring, ten and three-quarter inches. A wand for a young witch with great ambition and extraordinary intellect."
"Really?" Hermione whispered, half-doubting.
After being subjected to Harvey's constant tall tales, she suspected this might just be a salesman's pitch.
Ollivander's eyes twinkled as his expression turned serious.
"Child, this wand has chosen you. It will be your companion for life. I hope you treat it well."
"Of course, if you are unsure how to care for it, for just two extra Galleons, you can have a wand maintenance kit!"
"It includes a sandalwood box, a unicorn-hair brush, and special wax..."
Hearing this, Hermione couldn't help but interrupt. "I'll take the kit."
She knew he was upselling her, but two Galleons was cheap enough, and she just wanted to buy it and go.
The air was still thick with dust, and with her slight obsession with cleanliness, Hermione didn't want to spend another second in this dusty shop.