|
Post by Asher Sideris on Apr 14, 2024 10:30:01 GMT -8
Sunday, April 14 | Early Afternoon | Ollivanders Asher understood the law. It wasn't a passion, it was a necessity. His job, a cover and an opportunity to collect spending money. His real work happened in the dark corners of the wizarding world. Ensuring deals were done as promised and without the scrutiny of magical law enforcement. Tensions were growing within The Family. Established customers were switching their business to another source or simply going with the lowest bidder. He could handle honest competition. So could Rayna. The goods and services she offered were the best. And they came with certain guarantees. What he feared was that the new comer in their territory wouldn't be as subtle. Wouldn't be as careful. And this could bring the might of the ministry down on everyone. There was a real possibility that magical duels were in their future. That meant everyone needed to cover their tracks. They needed spare wands. Not just for the added security of a back up wand if disarmed, but if the aurors started investigating these encounters, they wouldn't find the wand that produced the spells. If was smart business. But if there was a sudden run on new wands by adults in the middle of April, there were be serious questions. Everyone was encouraged to coordinate where and when they were purchasing their wands. Not everyone was going to get an Ollivander wand. Gregorvitch's were honestly just as good. Asher wouldn't mind going to Carkritt Market, but he was already in Hogsmeade on another errand, and this was the day he was assigned to get a new wand.
Checking first that his main wand was truly hidden from view, he crossed the path from the Hog's Head to the satellite wand shop. The Ollivander family was rested by many for a reason. Asher respected their magical legacy more than their wandmaking ability. Their family line dated back as far as his. They founders were contemporaries with each other. They were clearly a strong bloodline to still be thriving. There were muggleborns woven into their family tree recently. A hyper reaction to the times. They didn't need to be as inbred as the Blacks but they could be more selective. The most recent addition, Hermione Granger, carried a gravitas Asher was willing to overlook. He couldn't deny the witch was talented and powerful. If one was going to marry a muggleborn, that was the way. Make the family stronger. Perhaps an Ollivander wand was better for that reason. He was supporting their choices for magical advancement.
As he pulled the door open, a small bell chimed, announcing his arrival.
|
|
Year/Job
Apprentice Wandmaker
rouch
|
Post by Shiloh Ollivander on Apr 14, 2024 17:29:04 GMT -8
Shiloh preferred her shifts in Hogsmeade over Diagon Alley. Especially in the middle of the school year. The summer was exciting. First year students experiencing their own magic with a wand for the first time. Parents remembering getting their first wands in the very spot. It was a constant flow of excitement and joy. When Hogwarts was in session, there was inventory to do. Deep cleaning was needed. A random witch or wizard would come through for service or a replacement wand. It was never like that here. The whole shop was hers in the small building. Students would visit on the town weekends. Some would be requesting responsible cleaning and polishing. Others were looking for miracles to fix broken wands. The other benefit to the slower place was that she had stocked materials of wand woods she wanted to experiment with. She didn't have as much time in London to try such things.
When the bell to door announced a customer, Shiloh peered around the corner next to her work bench. She had her micro-goggles on, making the wizard looks distorted and gigantic. Even through the magnification, she could tell he was handsome and carried himself with confidence. "I'll be right there. Feel free to look around if you'd like," she said, pulling her head back. She must look ridiculous. But she needed the goggles to inspect the wood she was planning to merge with a new core. With a small flick of her wand, she was satisfied the carved Elm was ready and put it in a stasis field before removing the eye pieces. Hanging them on a hook next to a mirror, she smoothed out her hair and felt silly. The wizard was a customer. A good looking customer but certain there for her wand making skills, not how she looked. Rounding the corner again, she was surprised to see him standing patiently at the counter. "Hello. What can I do for you today?" she asked, appreciating him even more without the distorted view. Then she admonished herself again.
|
|
|
Post by Asher Sideris on Apr 15, 2024 18:50:28 GMT -8
It wasn't often that Asher was uncertain about a situation. When the blonde looked around the corner with those glasses on, all he could see was her rich brown eyes. He thought it was possible he could get lost in them. It also occurred to him that she wasn't self conscious to be seen with such a ridiculous apparatus on. He like that. His plan had been to go to the section of inventory with the most pine wands and find one that suited him. He hadn't anticipated meeting the curious girl behind the counter. Asher decided he'd very much like to have her help him find his wand. Instead of perusing the long rectangular boxes, he stood by the counter and waited.
The wait wasn't long. He was disappointed to see the witch had removed the goggles. He quite wanted another look at her eyes. Offering a small smile, he held his empty hands out, "I'm afraid I need a new wand. My old wand was lost. I set it down on the deck of my sail boat and it rolled off into the sea," he explained, wishing he had come up with a better story. He had thought to tell her it was broken in a duel, but worried she might want to see it so she might repair it. It was better to not have it. And his stupid brother had lost his first want in that exact way. It wasn't impossible. Still, he worried it made him sound like a clumsy, aristocratic dolt. Tell her he had a sail boat. Was he trying to impress her? He didn't even know her. But the more he looked at her, she was familiar. Something in his memory tickled at him. If they had met before, he might need to abort his mission and get his wand somewhere else. "You look familiar. Should I apologize for not knowing your name?" he asked, trying to look contrite.
|
|
Year/Job
Apprentice Wandmaker
rouch
|
Post by Shiloh Ollivander on Apr 17, 2024 18:22:58 GMT -8
Shiloh listened to the wizard explain how he lost his wand. She tried to imagine how it played out and how terrible it would have been to watch his wand slip off the side of the boat and disappear into the depths below. It was only after she got past the trauma of the thought that she thought about what it must be like to have the freedom to get on a sail boat and set out into the unknown. She was craving an adventure. Some freedom and distance from her responsibilities and pain over Danny's actions. She didn't know the first thing about sailing.
When he mentioned recognizing, Shiloh pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She hear variations of the sentiment many times through the years. Smiling graciously, she shook her head. This was part of being the daughter of her mother and she accepted it years ago, "We haven't meant. No need to think you should know my name. You likely know my mother's name, Hermione Granger," she explained kindly. "Would you like me to find a wand similar to your old wand or did you want to try something different?" she asked, knowing many adults liked to see how they've changed through the years and how that might influence the wand that chose them.
|
|
|
Post by Asher Sideris on Apr 22, 2024 18:00:04 GMT -8
Of course. This was the Ollivander heir. He hadn't expected her to be at the small satellite shop. She'd be better suited at the flag ship he thought. Studying her, there was a confidence she carried. Asher was intrigued. He wanted to know what it was like to have so many expectations on one so young. Merlin knew his parents expected nothing from him. He had planned to just get another pine wand. Now he was curious what wands she would choose for him. What that would say about her and about him. It would give him an opportunity to learn more about her without being too obvious. "If you don't mind. I'd like to see if perhaps I've changed. Maybe my skills demand a different type of wand. That happens, right? That's what I've read anyway. You're the expert though and would like to know what you think," he said, dangerously close to rambling.
|
|
Year/Job
Apprentice Wandmaker
rouch
|
Post by Shiloh Ollivander on May 4, 2024 10:18:11 GMT -8
Shiloh smiled at the request. She was always glad to help a witch or wizard find a new wand. She put her wand behind her ear. There was always a need to have it handy in case a mismatch went seriously wrong. "I'd be happy to. Between you and me, it's better to help a grown witch than the incoming first years," she started, came out from behind the counter to check on her inventory. Not knowing what his old wand was made of was kind of exciting for her. He seemed confident, open minded. "The wands really act up in the summer. It might be because so many people come into the shop without a wand that the wands sense that." She couldn't deny that she found the wizard attractive, but she still doubted her ability to judge someone after Danny proved her really wrong. Wanted to see if he was inclined to dark magic, she pulled out an apple wood wand. Maybe a wand is a better judge of character.
"Or maybe it's just that so many Hogwarts student come through in the summer that I spend most of my time straightening up the wand shop," she finished, turned toward the wizard and opened the box. "Apple wood, unicorn hair core, eleven and one half inches. Pliant," she recited the description. She made this wand herself and wasn't sure what to expect. That apple wood and unicorn hair wouldn't respond well if he was inclined to practice the dark arts, the length and flexibility were average... she didn't think he was average, but thought there were a neutral components.
|
|