Jack Smith and the Theory of Charms: Chapter 2: Diagon Alley: Part 6

Jackson found his parents sitting on a bench near the store. His mom had her eyes closed, and his dad was talking to her, trying to get her to relax. I think I'm going to come by myself next year.

Once he'd retrieved them they went to the robe shop, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. It was essentially a clothes store, so his mom was okay while they were there. Then Jackson had to leave his parents on a bench again while he bought his cauldron and went to the Apothecary for potion supplies. After that they bought parchment, ink, and quills. Jackson felt odd looking at the quill pens he bought. He'd never used one before.

Finally, all that was left on his list of supplies were the books. Jackson asked someone on the street and was directed to Flourish and Blotts.

As they approached the bookstore his mother was talking about how she thought she could handle going into the bookstore. "After all," she said, "they're just books."

The front window was filled with books on display. Janus stopped to look at the books and noticed a newspaper on display next to them. The front page read, "Pond Potions prepares to unveil newest product." Underneath the headline was a picture of a man in a red robe, wearing a smug smile as he gestured to something hidden under a red cloth. As Jackson watched the man turned to look out at Jackson, and waved before gesturing to whatever was under the cloth again.

"Um, mom," Jackson said, reaching out and grabbing his mother's arm before she could enter the store. "Maybe it would be better if you stayed out here." He moved to block her sight of the newspaper. "I know they're just books, but it looks busy in there, and people will be talking, and who knows what they'll be talking about."

Jackson's mom looked into the store, grimaced a moment, and finally she said, "Perhaps you're right." She turned away from the store and started toward another bench, Jackson's dad following her.

Jackson breathed a sigh of relief, looked at the newspaper again, shook his head, and entered the store.

Jack Smith

Hey everyone. I'm just thinking about what I've been doing with the names of my posts. I was originally thinking I would give each chapter its own name, but then the chapters were too long to be acceptable blog posts so I did Parts 1, 2, etc to separate them. Now I'm thinking this will be confusing to the readers because when you see the latest post is "Jack Smith and the Theory of Charms Part 4" then you think you've only missed parts 1, 2, and 3, but in actuality you missed Jack Smith and the Tawny Owl as well. So, I'm going to be renaming them all to include a chapter number. I hope this makes it easier to follow.

M

Jack Smith and the Theory of Charms: Chapter 2: Diagon Alley: Part 5

"As I was saying, the wand chooses the wizard, and it will let us know when you hold it for the first time."


Jackson stood there, briefly holding wand after wand as Ollivander pulled them from boxes and gave them to him. "So," Jackson said, trying to get his attention between wands, "there's only one wand for each wizard?"


"Oh, no, of course not," Ollivander replied, yanking a long whitish wand from Jackson's hand and replacing it with a short black one. "No, then what would you do if your wand broke? Oh, no, no. More than one wand can choose the same witch or wizard, and the reverse is also true. A wand can pass from one owner to another, and it may accept the new owner. However, if you are ever forced to use a wand that doesn't recognize you as its master it will not perform nearly as well as your own wand."


"So, does it really matter what wand I get, other than that it chooses me?"


"Yes, and no," Lucy said. "Different wands can be better at different spells, but I've never heard of a wand that could do anything unique, or that couldn't do what others could."


"You'd be surprised," Ollivander said, putting a thick dark brown wand into Jackson's hand. "Among wandmakers, that kind of thing is well known. I prefer to make more standard wands however. Making specialized wands takes a lot of time, most witches and wizards prefer to have a good wand they can use for anything they need over a wand that is very good for a special set of spells and less trustworthy for others." He looked at Lucy, "Don't expect to be learning that kind of thing from me next summer."


Lucy nodded, and Ollivander went back to giving Jackson wands and yanking them away again.


"So," Jackson looked at Lucy, "what is your wand?"


Lucy reached into her coat and pulled out a good sized blueish wand. "Eight inches, blue spruce with a phoenix feather," she said grinning. "Uncle says it's a good wand for a wandmaker. His first wand was blue spruce as well."


Jackson smiled at her. Then he suddenly felt a cold rush as Ollivander placed another wand in his hand. Jackson looked at it and saw a blue glow surrounding the wand. The glow spread around Jackson and he felt invigorated as he clutched the wand tightly.


After a few seconds the glow faded and Jackson could see the pure black of the long skinny wand. Ollivander took the wand back and placed it in the box it had come from before handing the box to Jackson. "Ten inches, ebony, with a heartstring from the oldest dragon I've ever come across."


"Dragon heartstring?" Jackson asked.


"Uncle makes wands with three different types of cores," Lucy explained. "Phoenix feathers like mine, unicorn hairs, and dragon heartstrings."


Ollivander nodded. "Yes, and of the three, only one requires the death of the animal that it comes from." He shook his head sadly. "I only take heartstrings from dragons who have died from... natural means."


"What do you mean natural means?"


"Dragons are immune to all but the worst magical diseases," he said. "And they can live for over a thousand years, but most of them don't live for more than twenty." He frowned as he said, "This is partially because of dragon hunters, but it's mostly due to fighting with their own kind." He shook his head sadly. "Usually all I need to do when I need more heartstrings is go to a sanctuary. They always have one or two that have recently been killed by the others." He ran his hand lovingly along the box containing Jackson's wand. "This dragon however wasn't in a sanctuary. If the word tame could ever be applied to dragon's it wouldn't apply to the ones in the Arctic. Their heartstrings are always particularly potent, so I went up to a den I knew of. I found dozens of dragons, their bodies torn to shreds. There were only three survivors that weren't at least wounded, and they looked young enough that they probably stayed out of the worst of the fight. Some of the dead were so bad there weren't any heartstrings I could use."


"What happened?" Jackson asked.


"The same thing that always happens," Ollivander replied. "Just on a larger scale. One of the younger dragons challenged the leader. Probably some of the other young ones tried to help the challenger, and there were also some who tried to defend the leader. Probably happened the day before I got there. In the end the leader won, but he was wounded so badly that he died minutes after I found him. He was ancient. His black scales had turned almost completely grey." He shook his head at the memory. "The look in his eyes though. He was still alert. And clever! Oh that was the smartest dragon I've ever heard of. That's how he lived so long. How he managed to survive all the challenges he must have faced over the centuries."


"When did that happen, uncle?" Lucy asked. "I don't remember dad telling me about you going to the arctic."


"This was years before you were born," he replied. "In fact, I think your dad was about your age."


Jackson was having trouble wrapping his head around the age difference between Mr. Ollivander and Lucy's dad. Mr. Ollivander saw this and said, "Lucy calls me Uncle, but actually I'm her father's uncle. Her grandfather was my brother.


"As I was saying," Mr. Ollivander went on, "This wand is the first wand I've ever given out with a heartstring from that dragon. The fact that it chose you likely means it recognizes similarities between you and the dragon it came from."


Jackson couldn't help but smile at being compared to an ancient, clever dragon. Lucy smiled too. Jackson then paid for the wand and went out to find his parents.

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.

Jack Smith and the Theory of Charms: Chapter 2: Diagon Alley: Part 3

"Name please," the goblin said in a bored voice when Jackson finally got his parents to the counter.

"Thomas Smith," Jackson's dad said.

"And your son?"

"Jackson."

"Will Jackson be opening an account with us, or will this just be an exchange?"

"Um, just an exchange, I guess."

"Very well," the goblin shifted his weight in his seat before saying, "Cash or check?"

Jackson looked at his dad, who already had his debit card in his hand. "Plastic?" his dad asked, holding up the card.

The goblin rolled his eyes before saying, "Credit and debit cards won't work in areas with so much magical energy. Magic tends to make any complicated muggle technology, particularly electronics and related things, stop working. We can only take cash or a written check. In fact, next time it might be a good idea for you to leave your cards, cell phones, and anything like them at home."

"I never carry checks," Jackson's dad said, looking uncertainly at his wife. "Dear, do you have your checkbook?"

Jackson's mom was staring at the goblin like she wanted to turn around and run.

"Mom... Mom... MOM!" Jackson shook her arm.

"What? What is it?" she asked, shaking herself and looking down at Jackson.

"Do you have your checkbook?"

"Oh, um, yes," she said, sounding relieved to have such a boring task as finding her checkbook. She opened her purse and rummaged through it until she found it. Handing it to her husband, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Jackson waited impatiently while his dad wrote the check. The goblin inspected the check then placed it in a teller. Then he began counting out gold, silver, and copper coins, placing them on a wooden board. Jackson felt his jaw drop as he watched the pile grow. When the goblin finished he pulled out a black cloth bag that shouldn't have been big enough to hold such a pile, but the goblin just dumped them into the bag, cinched it shut and handed it to Jackson.

"That's one hundred ninety three galleons, eight sickles, and twenty three knuts," the goblin said. Without any other explanation he looked at the family Jackson hadn't noticed get in line behind them and said, "Next."

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

Jackson thought Diagon Alley actually looked a lot like any other downtown shopping district. Of course the clothes on many of the people wouldn't fit in anywhere else. And then there was the storefront full of broomsticks that were clearly made for riding. And the posters with moving pictures, and the bookstore displaying books like "Magical Mayhem: The Life of Fred Weasley, by George Weasley".

And of course there was the storefront that drew his eye more than any other. The front window was empty but for a bright purple cushion that held a wand. Over the door there was beautiful, sparkling gold lettering that read "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." Jackson felt himself drawn toward the wand store as he remembered the bartender from the Leaky Cauldron tapping the brick wall and turning it into an archway. A wand... awesome, Jackson thought, excited at the prospect of getting his own wand by the end of the day.

"Excuse me," Jackson heard his dad's voice behind him. Turning around, he found his dad talking to a short man with a long white beard and wearing a green robe. "Can you direct us to Gringotts?"

The bearded man smiled and said, "Of course." He turned and pointed down the alley toward the largest building. It was a snowy white color with brass doors. "Watch out for the goblins. They can be a bit..." he searched for the right word before deciding on, "unsettling to muggles." He smiled at them before continuing on his way.

Oh yes, Jackson thought, We need to start at Gringotts to get some wizarding money.

A few moments later they reached the brass doors and saw their first goblin. He was shorter than Jackson and his eyes looked very clever on his ugly face. He gave them a not so friendly grin as they walked as far from him as they could to get into the door.

Once they were inside Jackson was amazed by the beauty of the marble hall. There were at least a hundred goblins sitting behind a long counter along one wall, and there were countless doors leading out of the hall with goblins leading people in and out of them. Luckily, there was a sign over the closest goblin at the counter that read "Muggle Currency Exchange". Jackson led his parents to the line behind that goblin.

The goblin was currently helping one family, and behind them was an older teenage boy with short reddish hair and blue eyes. When Jackson stepped up behind the boy he turned and looked at Jackson and his parents.

Seeing the expressions of wonder and fear on his parents' faces he smiled at Jackson and said, "First year, huh?" Jackson nodded, and the boy said, "Yeah, my parents stopped coming with me after my third year. I'm about to start my fifth year now. By the way, I'm Michael Rogers." He held his hand out to Jackson.

"Jackson Smith," he said as he shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Jackson," he said, moving up in line as the family in front of him moved up to talk to the goblin.

"Nice to meet you too," Jackson said. "So, you're parents never got used to magic?"

Michael shook his head, "No. Most of the time they just pretend I go to a regular school and that magic doesn't exist. They don't like me to talk about it with them."

"So, what do you talk about?"

"Well, I can talk about my friends, my teachers, any girls I go out with. I just have to be careful what I say with regards to what we do," Michael shrugged. "Like I can talk about us going to Hogsmeade, the town right next to school, but I can't talk about getting butterbeer there, or going to see the Shrieking Shack."

"Next," the goblin said in a deep, gravelly voice. Michael smiled encouragingly at Jackson before turning and walking up to the counter.

Jackson turned and looked at his parents. His dad was staring at the goblins, a curious smile on his face, but his mom looked terrified, clutching to Dad's arm like it was the only thing keeping her from being swept down a river.

"Mom, are you okay?"

She looked at him, and he saw her forcing her body to relax. Her eyes were still terrified, and Jackson could tell she was trying not to be afraid of him.

"Next," the goblin's deep voice behind him momentarily pulled Jackson's attention away from his mom. Jackson nodded to the goblin then reached back and grabbed his mom's hand to pull her to the counter. He didn't realize he was going to have to drag her though.

"Good luck," Michael said as he walked away. "See you at school."

"See you," Jackson replied, tugging harder on his mom's hand.

Jack Smith and the Theory of Charms: Chapter 2: Diagon Alley: Part 1

That Saturday Jackson's parents reluctantly took him downtown. They'd looked up the Leaky Cauldron online, but they couldn't find it on any website. His mom hadn't seen the owl and was suspicious that the two of them were playing a joke on her. Luckily she had some errands she wanted to do near where the instructions said to find the Leaky Cauldron, so she didn't take too much persuading.

So it was that Jackson found himself walking down the street with his parents looking for a pub for wizards. The instructions put it between two shops, and his mom had been to both of them. The whole way there she swore there was nothing between them.

"You see," she said as they rounded the corner to see the two shops. "There's Bailey's Books, and there's Johnson's Records," she said pointing to each in turn. "And there's nothing between them."

As Jackson looked however, he did see the front of a pub with a wooden sign hanging over it that looked like an old cauldron. Jackson smiled as he took his mom's hand as the letter had instructed and began walking toward it. "Just trust me, mom." He could hear her sigh behind him as she followed. "Dad, hold mom's hand."

"I'm holding it, Jackson."

When they reached the door, Jackson pushed it open and stepped inside, and stifled a laugh as he heard both his parents gasp, the pub suddenly appearing to their eyes as the letter had said it would.

The pub was old and in serious need of refurbishing, but Jackson was more interested in the people inside. Most of them, including the men, were wearing dress like things. They were usually in dark colors, and it looked similar to the kind of thing people wore to graduations. Robes, Jackson thought. So different from outside the pub.

The instructions in the letter said to show his letter to the bartender, and he would help them through the back entrance. Jackson walked over to the bar with the letter in his hand, but the bartender held up his hand toward him and said, "Muggleborn?" Jackson opened his mouth to reply, but the bartender, looking at Jackson's parents, smiled and said, "Of course you are. You're the fifth one today. Come on." He turned to his left and walked along the bar, waving them to follow. They soon reached a back door which led to a walled courtyard, empty except for a trash can and weeds growing through the cobblestones. The bartender pulled a ten inch stick from his jacket pocket and said, "Once you get your own wand you'll be able to do this on your own, but if you can't find the right brick you can come and ask me. But it's this one, right here." He pointed with the wand. "It's three above the top of the trash can, and two to the right. Then you just tap it three times with your wand." He did so, and the brick began to move, pushing into the wall. The bricks around it began moving as well, and an opening quickly formed, resolving itself into a massive archway. "There ya go. Welcome to Diagon Alley. You should be able to find everything you need inside, but you'll be wanting to start at Gringotts to exchange for some wizarding money."

Jackson thanked the bartender and dragged his parents behind him, both of whom were still gaping at the archway that had been a wall only moments before.