[ William POV ]
Everything before my eyes twisted as I suddenly felt myself being squeezed from all directions. The sensation was horrible, making my stomach churn, and by the time my vision finally returned to normal, I nearly lost my balance and stumbled forward.
A hand quickly steadied me.
"Apparition is never pleasant the first time, Mr. Cross, but you'll get used to it," Professor McGonagall said.
I nodded slowly, still feeling nauseous. "Have we arrived at Diagon Alley?"
She gave a small nod before studying me for a moment. "How about we get you some ice cream before we head to the wizarding bank to claim your Hogwarts allowance?"
I simply nodded and followed after her, still trying to recover from whatever torture Apparition was supposed to be.
We stopped at a small ice cream parlour where I got chocolate ice cream. The cold sweetness helped settle my stomach a little, and once we were done, Professor McGonagall led me toward a massive white building that towered over the others around it.
Above the entrance stood a large warning engraved into the stone:
"Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there."
"This is Gringotts," she said before stopping near the entrance. "And one more thing, Mr. Cross. Goblins don't particularly like wizards, so let me handle things. They may look unusual, but try not to stare."
"Okay," I said.
The moment we stepped inside, I found myself staring anyway, though not exactly at the goblins. The place itself looked grand, with polished marble floors, towering pillars, and rows of goblins sitting behind long counters while scribbling in huge ledgers.
Professor McGonagall approached the reception desk.
"I am here to open a Gringotts account for a muggle orphan and register him for the Hogwarts allowance program."
The goblin looked up at me briefly, and for some reason, I instantly felt like his face was very punchable.
"Counter number four," he said flatly before jotting something down in a large book. "You can open the account and claim the funds there."
He didn't spare us another glance.
"Let's go, Mr. Cross," Professor McGonagall said.
We soon arrived at counter four, where Professor McGonagall handed the goblin a letter that I assumed contained my details. The goblin adjusted his glasses, read through it, and nodded.
"Let's get this over with."
He pulled out a key and looked toward Professor McGonagall, who gave a small nod. She then conjured a stool beside me.
"Get on it, Mr. Cross. To finalize the account opening, they'll need a drop of blood to register the account to your name."
I nodded and climbed onto the stool while the goblin pulled out a silver needle. He gestured toward my hand, and understanding immediately, I raised my arm.
He poked my index finger before placing the needle against the key. For a brief moment, the key glowed red.
"This account is only valid during your years at Hogwarts," the goblin explained while handing it to me. "Once you graduate, you'll need to open a proper vault if you wish to continue using Gringotts' services. This key is the only way to access the account, and no one else but you will be able to use it."
He then placed a pouch on the counter.
"One hundred galleons. It covers your school materials and necessary expenses for the year. After each completed year at Hogwarts, you'll need to return to claim the next allowance."
I took the pouch and key. "Thank you."
Once we stepped outside, Professor McGonagall glanced toward me. "That went rather smoothly. Now then, shall we get you your very own wand?"
I immediately perked up and followed her.
We eventually stopped in front of a narrow old-looking shop squeezed between two larger buildings. Hanging above the entrance was a faded wooden sign:
Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C.
The display window looked oddly empty except for a single wand resting on a faded purple cushion, while the shop itself looked old enough to collapse if someone sneezed too hard.
I took a deep breath.
Finally.
As we stepped inside, my excitement immediately rose. Shelves stacked from floor to ceiling filled the shop, all lined with long narrow boxes. The entire place smelled old and dusty, yet strangely comforting.
An elderly man arranging boxes suddenly turned toward us.
"Ah, good to see you, Minerva," he said pleasantly. "I assume this young man is here for his wand?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Indeed, Garrick," Professor McGonagall said. "Mr. Cross is here for his wand."
She turned toward me.
"Mr. Cross, Mr. Ollivander will help you find a wand that suits you. While you are here, I'll go purchase your books."
I nodded, and after giving me a small smile, she headed out.
Turning toward Ollivander, I asked, "How will we find a wand that suits me, Mr. Ollivander?"
He smiled faintly.
"Remember this, Mr. Cross. It is the wand that chooses the wizard, not the other way around."
He slowly walked past the shelves as he spoke.
"Wands are made from magical woods and possess magical cores, usually taken from magical creatures. Different combinations react differently with different wizards. We simply need to find the composition best suited to you."
I nodded. "Just call me William."
He chuckled softly. "Very well, William."
With a wave of his hand, four wands floated toward me.
"Try each one and give them a gentle wave. We'll determine what core reacts best with your magic."
I grabbed the first wand and waved it gently.
Nothing happened.
Feeling slightly disappointed, I placed it down and picked up another.
The moment I waved it, red light burst from the tip, and suddenly my magic felt unstable. The shelves around me trembled for a brief moment.
[ User's magic is reacting volatilely to the wand and is unstable. ]
[ The experience has been recorded and can be used as a reference to further understand the nature of magic in the future. ]
Ignoring Cortana's message, I looked toward Ollivander.
"Remarkable," he muttered, eyes gleaming. "Highly remarkable, young William. Your magical potency is exceptionally strong for your age. However, I'm afraid this core does not suit you."
I nodded and picked up another wand.
The moment I waved it, I felt a gentle breeze pass through the shop, and several objects around us slowly started levitating.
Ollivander clapped his hands excitedly.
"I believe we may have found the core best suited for you, though let us test the final wand as well."
"I think so too," I said before picking up the last wand.
A warm light spread from its tip. It reacted well to my magic, but nowhere near as strongly as the previous one.
"It seems phoenix feather reacts best with your magic," Ollivander said before summoning four more wands. "Now try these. All of them possess phoenix feather cores."
I quickly noticed they were all different lengths.
Most of them reacted fairly well, except for the shortest one. But when I picked up the final wand, the reaction was immediate. A warm light spread across the shop while several nearby objects lightly trembled.
"Hm." Ollivander narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Regular wands may not be enough for you, young William. Your magic is unusually potent for someone your age."
He summoned three more wands.
"Try these."
The first one felt much better than the others, though something still felt off.
"Looks like holly won't work," Ollivander muttered before handing me another. "Try this one. Yew."
Unfortunately, that didn't feel right either.
I tested the remaining wands, and while all of them worked reasonably well, Ollivander eventually shook his head.
"They work," he admitted, "but none of them are quite right."
He walked toward a dusty shelf near the back of the store before pulling out an old-looking wand box.
"These are generally suited for adult wizards who go through drastic changes in life to the point where their previous wand no longer works properly," he explained. "Such wizards tend to align with rarer woods that most wandmakers do not commonly use."
He handed me the wand.
"Try this, young William."
I stared at it for a moment.
*That thing is way too long.*
It was easily over a foot long.
Still, I gave it a wave.
Immediately, shelves, chairs, and tables throughout the shop rose into the air as if gravity had simply stopped working. Strangely enough, I instinctively knew I could control them.
Looking toward Ollivander, I found him grinning with excitement.
"This," he said, "is the perfect wand for you."
I looked down at it.
"What is it made of?"
His expression became serious as he stared at me for a few moments.
"Elder wood," he finally said. "Phoenix feather core. Fourteen and one-fifth inches."
My eyes widened.
*Elder wood?*
"The standard rate for a first wand in Britain is fixed at seven galleons," Ollivander continued. "Professor McGonagall has already paid for it."
He looked at me carefully.
"Take good care of it, William. Elder wands are highly demanding and only submit to exceptionally capable wizards."
"I will."
Just then, a familiar voice spoke from behind me.
"I suppose Mr. Cross has gotten his wand, Garrick?"
Turning around, I saw Professor McGonagall standing by the entrance.
I showed her the wand, and though she raised a brow slightly, she simply nodded.
"Now then, let's get your Hogwarts robes and clothes."
I followed her to Madam Malkin's, where I got three sets of school robes and a few clothes. Once we were done, Professor McGonagall Apparated us back to the orphanage.
Before leaving, she handed me a letter.
"This contains the details for the Hogwarts Express. Make sure you don't lose it."
And with that, she left.
- To Be Continues -
Its the author, I'm sorry for ghosting the story but to be honest I haven't given up on this fanfiction and have re written it once again with the mc being a native of HP verse gaining the AI but then I dropped it halfway through because the later parts of the plot would have to be rewritten completely and it felt like a lord of work, and that is why I decided to continue with this version of the story.
And before any of you feel that the main characters wand is a cliche wand, hear me out... It's actually my wand according to the official Harry Potter's website.
[ Insert Screenshot ]
New update schedule is 2-4 chapters per week... Drop a comment and leave a review of you liked the story and have a great day ahead.