Jack Smith and the Theory of Charms: Chapter 2: Diagon Alley: Part 4

When they left Gringotts, Jackson immediately pointed himself toward the wand shop he'd seen earlier, Ollivander's. He smiled excitedly as they approached the shop. I'm going to get a wand, he thought. I'm going to get a wand.


"I... I think I'll wait out here," Jackson's mom said when they reached the door. "You go on without me. I'm going to stay here."


"Are you sure?" his dad asked.


"Yeah, I'm sure."


Jackson looked at his mother, her eyes pressed tightly closed and her hands shaking. He could tell his dad was doing great, but his mom couldn't handle it. "Dad, how about you stay here with mom. I'll be fine."


"Uh, okay," his dad said. "You've got that money bag from the goblin." Jackson's mom cringed at the word.


"Yeah, I can pay for it, I'll be fine."


"Okay, we'll be here when you finish."


"Kay," Jackson gave a reassuring smile before entering the shop.


Inside he had a moment to look around at the stacks and stacks of boxes, each box about two inches wide, but varying in length. He smiled as he realized his wand was waiting for him in one of the boxes.


"Good afternoon," said a soft cheerful voice. Quickly a girl his age came out from behind one of the piles, her brown hair grey with dust and bits of cobweb. She smiled at him and said, "From the look of you, I'm guessing you're not here for maintenance. You need a wand."


Jackson nodded.


"I'll get my uncle," she said before heading to the back of the shop. A moment later she returned with a white haired old man.


"Welcome young man," he said, "Here for I wand, of course. Well, let's find you one then."


The old man went to the piles and began grabbing boxes, seemingly at random. The girl walked over to Jackson and smiled at him.


"How old is your uncle?" Jackson whispered to her.


She tilted her head to the side and scratched her head. "I'm not sure," she said. "But he is one of the oldest wizards in the world. That's actually why he took me as his apprentice. I'm Lucy by the way."


"Jackson," he replied, shaking hands with her. "Apprentice? You mean you make wands?"


"Not yet," she replied. "So far all I've been allowed to do is clean the shop and learn about proper wand care, but Uncle said that when I get back from Hogwarts next summer he'll begin teaching me how to make them."


"That's IF you get high marks in school, and you take good care of your wand," Ollivander said, returning with a stack of boxes. He placed them all on the table and said, "Now let's see if any of these wands like you." He opened the first box, and pulled out a short reddish wand. "Five inch, cherry, dragon heart string." He handed it to Jackson.


Jackson carefully took the little wand. "Like me?"


Ollivander immediately took the wand away and put it back in the box. "Yes, you see, it's the wand that chooses the wizard, Mr.... I just realized I forgot to ask your name."


"Smith," Jackson said as Ollivander handed him another wand, this one long thin and black. "Jackson Smith."


"Jackson Smith," Ollivander said, pulling the black wand away and quickly handing him another one.