The commotion at Flourish and Blotts caused little stir. In the wizarding world, chaos was rarely permanent. What looked like a disaster could be restored with a flick of a wand. Broken shelves realigned, books returned to their places, and within minutes, the shop looked just as it had before.
Meanwhile, Hermione had already pulled Kai Adler and the still-shaken Granger couple away from the scene.
"Aren't you going to check on your friends?" Kai asked.
"Don't worry, Mr. Weasley's with them," Hermione replied briskly. "Today's about getting your supplies."
She held up a bulging bag of books. "Now that we've got your textbooks, it's time to get the most important thing a wizard can own—a wand!"
Kai hesitated. A few days ago, that strange old man had sent a letter promising to send him a wand soon—one that, apparently, only he could use.
But seeing the spark in Hermione's eyes, Kai wisely chose to keep that to himself.
After all, if she got annoyed… she really would start throwing books.
Still muttering to herself, Hermione took his hand and led him down the street. "You've been borrowing mine for days. I still have no idea what kind of wand would suit you…"
The Grangers watched the two teenagers walk off, arms tugging gently at one another.
"She's found quite a remarkable friend," Mr. Granger said quietly.
Mrs. Granger slipped her arm into his. "As long as she's happy, that's all that matters."
A few turns later, Hermione came to a stop in front of a narrow, worn-looking shop. Most of the gold lettering on the sign had peeled away, but enough remained to read:
Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
In the dusty shop window, a single wand lay on a faded purple cushion.
Ding-dong.
The bell above the door chimed as Hermione pushed it open and stepped inside with Kai.
The shop was small and dim, the walls stacked floor to ceiling with narrow, rectangular boxes. There was a subtle hum in the air—traces of magic lingered everywhere, not unlike the energy Kai had felt in Hermione's borrowed wand.
These are all wands? he thought.
From behind the counter, an old man with pale eyes and wild white hair stepped forward.
"Ah, welcome," he said, his silvery gaze settling on the girl. "Miss Hermione Granger. I remember you well—an excellent young witch. Vine wood, dragon heartstring core, fourteen inches, yes?"
"Yes, Mr. Ollivander," Hermione replied politely, nudging Kai forward. "We're here to get my friend his first wand."
"Of course, of course," Ollivander said gently. "A wizard's first wand is a sacred thing. It should come from Ollivander's, naturally."
He adjusted his glasses and leaned in to examine Kai's face. "Let's take a look at you…"
Kai stood still as the old man studied him. When their eyes met, Ollivander suddenly froze—then staggered backward as though he'd seen something alarming. He crashed into a teetering pile of wand boxes, sending them tumbling with a loud crash.
Startled, Kai and Hermione rushed to pull the old man to his feet.
Please don't break anything, or yourself, Kai thought, glancing at the avalanche of boxes.
Ollivander regained his balance with their help, ignoring the dust clinging to his robes. But his eyes remained fixed on Kai.
"As I thought," the wandmaker murmured. "I wasn't mistaken. You, young man… you're quite unusual."
Kai shifted uncomfortably, but Hermione only nodded as if that were obvious.
"Finding a wand for you," Ollivander continued slowly, "will be both easy and… very difficult."
Kai tried again. "Maybe we should come back another day—?"
But Hermione was already holding him in place. "Don't be ridiculous. This is important. Let him do it properly."
Seeing the girl's insistence, Kai resigned himself to staying put.
Ollivander observed the two of them for a moment, then nodded and turned to search among the shelves. Moments later, he returned holding a wand.
It was long, perfectly straight, and a rich crimson hue—like living wood woven into a single piece. The tip curled ever so slightly, as if the branches had grown together into a point.
"Fifteen inches, unicorn hair core," he said, before glancing at Hermione. "The wood is White Ash."
Kai reached for the wand—and the moment he touched it, something stirred.
Deep inside him, the Obscurus shifted. A thread of black mist, barely visible, drifted out from between his fingers and into the wand. The wand pulsed once, and a faint shroud of black mist briefly wrapped around it—before vanishing without a trace.
Ollivander's eyes flickered with recognition, as though he had expected this.
"Ordinarily," he said quietly, "the wand chooses the wizard. But in your case… it seems the wizard has chosen the wand."
Hermione, still focused on Kai's face, didn't seem to notice the wand's brief transformation.
She looked puzzled. "What does that mean?"
But Ollivander had already changed the subject. "White Ash isn't a typical wand wood. It's a shrub, not a tree, and its wood is soft. Normally, it wouldn't be suitable. But when paired with unicorn hair, it produces remarkable results—especially for channeling pure, uncorrupted magic."
He gave Kai a meaningful glance. "It strongly resists Dark Magic."
Kai raised an eyebrow. That sounded… inconvenient, to say the least.
"The wood amplifies the nature of its core. This wand is nearly immune to Dark Magic. But it will greatly enhance spells rooted in healing, protection, and light."
Kai didn't bother hiding his lack of enthusiasm.
Ollivander didn't comment on his expression. Instead, his voice took on a more curious tone.
"Interestingly enough, White Ash's fruit closely resembles grapes, which often leads people to mistake it for vine wood."
He glanced at Hermione again, almost smiling. "My research suggests that wands of these two woods tend to resonate with one another. Wizards who carry them often feel… drawn to each other."
Wait—Hermione's wand was vine wood, wasn't it?
Kai cleared his throat. "I'll take it. How much?"
"Seven Galleons."
He handed over the coins without a word and stepped back out into the street, Hermione trailing beside him with a faint blush on her cheeks.
Inside the shop, Ollivander watched them go, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.
Let this wand guide him well. The future may depend on it.
Just as they stepped off the curb, a soft pop echoed through the air. A tall figure appeared directly in front of them, robes swirling gently around his boots.
His half-moon spectacles caught the sunlight. Blue eyes twinkled behind them.
"Professor Dumbledore?!" Hermione exclaimed. "Again?"
"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," Dumbledore greeted her warmly. "I hope you'll forgive me, but I need a brief word with Mr. Adler."
"Oh! Of course!"
Kai froze under the Headmaster's penetrating gaze. There was something quietly knowing in his expression—like Dumbledore could see through every layer of him.
Is this about the wand? Or… something else?
Before he could ask, Dumbledore's hand came to rest gently on his shoulder.
With a sharp burst of flame and sound, the world twisted—
And the two of them vanished from sight.