[Note: Read up to Chapter - 73 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Of course! Who'd want to be hit with some weird spell like that?"
Hermione Granger still looked a bit on edge as she answered Aris's question, but she didn't hesitate for a second.
"Right then..." Aris kept that same calm smile.
"Could I trouble you to forget everything that happened today?"
"No worries — I promise!" Hermione nodded earnestly, her voice steady with determination.
Aris turned back to Henry with a raised eyebrow.
"You see? Miss Granger's given her word."
"Besides," he added casually, "she'll be my classmate at Hogwarts soon. I suppose I will have to trust her on this one. So let's not bring up any more of that Obliviate nonsense, alright?"
Aris knew full well that after what happened at Gringotts, keeping his identity a secret wasn't really possible anymore.
The reason he didn't want to head to the Shafiq manor just yet had nothing to do with secrecy — it was because he needed time to prepare properly.
"Oh — and don't forget to give Miss Granger her reward for completing the challenge!"
Just as he was stepping out of the storeroom, Aris turned and gave Henry one last reminder.
Everyone's eyes naturally followed him, and for a brief moment, a strange feeling settled in the air.
The boy walking ahead of them — he didn't seem like an ordinary eleven-year-old at all.
The way he spoke, the way he carried himself… It had a quiet maturity, almost like he was far older than he appeared.
Hermione couldn't help but wonder — was this what they meant by the power of an ancient bloodline?
Then something else struck her.
Wait a second… I never told him I was going to Hogwarts. How did he know?
A sense of mystery clung to him — and it only made her more curious.
After everything that had happened today, Miss Granger came to one firm conclusion:
She absolutely must not provoke this mysterious lad.
Otherwise, there was a very real chance he'd hit her with a Memory Charm out of nowhere — and she might even forget who she was!
Before they realised it, they were stepping out of Flourish and Blotts.
Miss Granger bid the others farewell — she had other errands to run and meet up with her parents, so she couldn't tag along any longer.
Across the street, Ollivanders Wand Shop finally came into view.
The place looked small and a bit run-down. In the window sat a single wand resting on a faded purple cushion.
The gold lettering above the door was worn and chipped, but still legible:
"Ollivanders — Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 BC."
"Perhaps you'll always remember this day, Aris," said Xeno with a touch of sentiment. "Today, you get your first wand!"
"If it's a custom job, you might not be taking it home today," Luna chimed in with her usual dreamy tone.
Aris grinned and nodded. "I agree with Luna. How about we make a little wager, Uncle Xeno?"
"Er…" Xeno's face stiffened, and he shook his head with a wry smile.
"Forget it. Most folk don't get the chance to customise a wand."
"That sort of thing costs a fortune!"
"When Luna starts at Hogwarts, I'll make sure she gets one tailored just for her," Aris said, gently ruffling the girl's golden hair. His tone was calm, but sincere.
Luna turned to him, smiling. A gentle warmth stirred in her chest.
It had been so long. Ever since her mum passed, it felt like only her father truly cared for her.
But now… it seemed there was someone else.
Luna liked that feeling — a quiet happiness rising from somewhere deep inside.
"Right then — let's get inside," said Xeno, stepping through the door of Ollivanders.
Aris and Luna followed close behind.
The shop was empty at the moment.
Towering shelves covered every wall, filled with long, narrow boxes.
Each one coated in a layer of dust, just waiting for the right witch or wizard to come along and claim the wand nestled inside.
"Anyone in? Is Mr Ollivander about?"
Xeno called out into the shop. A moment later, the soft sound of a sliding ladder echoed through the still air, followed by a slow, slightly mysterious voice drifting from the back.
"Ohh… who's come to visit?"
"Hornbeam, unicorn hair, fourteen and a half inches — a wand with rare talent and a flair for adapting quickly to its master's magic…"
"The same one…" nodded Xeno.
"Ah… Mr. Lovegood. It's been quite a while."
"It certainly has, Mr Ollivander," Xeno replied with a smile.
"What brings you in today?" Ollivander asked, appearing mildly puzzled. "As I recall, your daughter's not quite old enough for Hogwarts yet, is she?"
He glanced over and caught sight of Aris standing beside Luna.
"Oh? So you've brought someone else along…"
His eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to Xeno, clearly fishing for more information.
"I'm Aris. Aris Shafiq," the boy said confidently, stepping forward and giving his name.
"Shafiq?" Ollivander repeated, visibly taken aback. His eyes lit up with recognition.
"Could it be… that Shafiq family?" he muttered, mostly to himself.
He quickly descended from the ladder. "Yes… yes, I heard some whispers recently. The heir of that family's reappeared — just a boy, eleven years old. I should've realised…"
Still muttering under his breath, Ollivander strode over to a towering shelf on the left side of the shop. On the way, he asked without looking back, "Tell me, Mr. Shafiq — right-handed or left?"
"Right," Aris answered instinctively.
"Yes, yes… most are," Ollivander murmured absently, fingers gliding across neatly stacked wand boxes.
Meanwhile, a measuring tape on the counter stirred to life, hovering in the air and beginning to measure Aris's arm length, shoulder width, and even the distance between his nostrils — all entirely on its own.
Although Aris couldn't quite figure out what measuring his height or hand length had to do with picking a wand, he went along with it.
A moment later, Ollivander returned holding a wand box.
"Right then, Mr. Shafiq," he said, opening it up. "Let's give this one a go, shall we?"
He pulled out a sleek, dark wand and handed it to Aris.
"Ebony wood, core made from the last few White River monsters' spines. Fourteen point two inches. A rare piece — steadfast, powerful, elegant when casting."
Aris eyed the wand, intrigued by its deep black sheen and the subtle markings along the grip. Even though he had plans to have a wand custom-made, there was no harm in giving this one a whirl.
Taking a steadying breath, he reached out and grasped the wand.
As soon as his fingers closed around the handle, a strange surge pulsed through him — a feeling almost like the wand itself was thrilled to be held.
He gave it a gentle flick.
Instantly, a soft, verdant glow rippled through the shop, casting green light across every surface. Shelves quivered. Dust danced in the air. And then… every wand in the shop began to rattle.
All of them.
Ollivander stared, dumbstruck.
"Well, I'll be…!"
He turned slowly, eyes wide as he took in the shop — the shelves now sprouting tiny shoots of grass and budding leaves from the lingering green magic.
"That magic…" he whispered. "It's bursting with life. The vitality in it… it's caused resonance with the other wands!"
Then his gaze snapped back to Aris.
"That kind of raw magical force — it doesn't just turn up in your average child. This… this is something else entirely."
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[Note: Read up to Chapter - 73 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]