Katie's Wand-Fitting (Waldraga)

[Katie Cromwell]

Saturday, August 30, 2003

Katie had retained the bulk of her father's brewing equipment and potion supplies (after his death, she and her mum had only sold off the items that were potentially dangerous or in excess of Katie's needs), so there was almost nothing she needed from apothecaries in preparation for Hogwarts except for a few ingredients that had relatively short shelf-lives.

As their flat was within walking distance of Diagon Alley, it was easy for them to acquire the balance of Katie's school supplies without feeling at all rushed--they could make a few purchases at a time and carry them home. In fact, Katie had made many such purchases on her own, as her mum was spending a portion of her time at Hogwarts in preparation for the new term.

But her mum had wanted to be present for Katie's wand-fitting, and Katie understood why. The experience was considered a rite of passage in the wizarding world, not unlike the moment a teenage muggle acquired their driver's license or first car. And so, a day had been reserved just for this occasion. This would be the last item on Katie's shopping list. Delaying the purchase as much as possible minimized the time during which she might be tempted to use her wand prematurely, but it also meant that the wand shops would have fewer wands remaining to pick through.

"What if all the good wands have already been bought by other first-years?", Katie asked her mum when the day finally came.

These days, there were two wand-shops in Diagon Alley. Ollivanders had been a cornerstone of the Hogwarts experience for centuries. Swish & Flick, on the other hand, was a relatively new establishment that offered wands crafted from a greater variety of materials. Its proprietor claimed he'd be able to find a better match for any witch or wizard because of that fact.

Katie had spent hours staring into the windows of both shops in the weeks leading up to today, and watched with envy as other first-years had been fitted. But now the window-shopping was over!

[Waldrada Cromwell]

Waldrada remembered her own wand-fitting and could almost feel the excitement radiating off of Katie. For weeks, her daughter had talked nonstop about getting her wand. In all honesty, Waldrada was wildly curious to see what kind of wand her child ended up with. It was a welcome distraction from the grief she was battling on the inside. Duality was a strange thing -- she was happy and incredibly sad all at once. Christopher would've loved to see this.

"I promise you your perfect wand is waiting for you, love," Waldrada told her daughter as they made their way towards the wand crafters in Diagon Alley. "Which shop should we try first, hm?" she asked warmly, placing a loving hand on Katie's shoulder.

She appreciated her daughter indulging her maternal need to be present today. Waldrada knew it meant Katie had to wait a few more days, so she promised to take her for an extra treat as a 'thank you' for being patient. Especially now, Waldrada was all the more adamant about being present for all of Katie's special days and events. She wanted her to feel supported and, honestly, part of it was Waldrada's own anxiety. Any day could be their last -- that had been made clear, recently.

"I know waiting a few extra days so your old mum could be with you was annoying," she told Katie playfully. "I appreciate it."

[Katie Cromwell]

Katie wasn't entirely convinced by her mother's promise, but she admitted that she didn't know much about wand-lore or what made for a good match between a witch and her wand. "I hope you're right," she replied. "Let's try Swish & Flick," she proposed. "Mr. Woodward seems really nice."

It took all of Katie's self-control not to sprint ahead of her mother to the wand-shop. As they drew closer to it, a family with a pair of fraternal twins came out, and the kids were comparing their wands, which looked entirely different.

"It wasn't that bad," she said when her mother thanked her for her patience. "It's not like I would've been able to do anything with my wand had I gotten it sooner...I suppose it was kindof nice to have one more thing to look forward to."

[Waldrada Cromwell]

Waldrada nodded and agreed, Yes, he is a very nice man. Let's give it a try, yes?

She walked with Katie towards the newer wand shop and felt herself getting excited to watch Katie find her perfect match of a wand. It was a special day and marked the beginning of an incredible journey for her.

Waldrada laughed softly, You'll get to use it soon enough.

Opening the door to the shop, Waldrada held it for Katie and made friendly eye contact with the shop owner. She was somewhat familiar with the man simply from previous work engagements. Auror work had really taken her all over the place and had her interact with nearly everyone at some point. Now, however, this work as a mother felt much more daunting. She felt like part of her was going to have to let Katie go. Her daughter looked so excited to begin her adventure, too -- it was bittersweet.

Mr. Woodward, Waldrada greeted. This is my daughter, Katie. She's due for her first wand fitting.

[Rowan Woodward]

Swish & Flick's showroom was quite different from Ollivander's. There were no shelves full of wand-boxes. Instead, there were a number of display cabinets, each with angled shelves, and each shelf had semi-circular grooves spaced three inches apart. Each groove could hold one wand, with its handle end facing the customer, and each wand had a small tag listing its details tied to the handle.

Mr. Woodward stood up from behind the counter, where he had been carving some detail into the handle of a wand blank, and approached Katie. "Ah, Katie!" he greeted, recognizing the girl from a previous conversation, when she'd been 'window shopping'. "Considering the Hogwarts Express will depart in two days, I'd started to wonder if you'd gone to my competitor down the street. I'm glad you're here!"

He crouched down in front of her. "To be properly fitted, it would help if you could tell me a bit more about yourself. When is your birthday? Are you right-handed or left-handed? Would you prefer a wand that's really good for one category of spells, or would you prefer an adaptable wand? And do you mind if I take a few measurements?"

[Katie Cromwell]

"Hello, Mr. Woodward," Katie said. "No, I'd always intended to hit you up first. My mum wanted me to wait until my birthday, which is today," she explained.

"Ummm...I kind-of switch which hand I use without really thinking about it, but I use my right hand when writing, if only so I don't smear the ink." The next question made her think again. "I know there's very, very few spells specific to brewing, so I guess a general-purpose wand would suit me just fine. And sure, I don't mind being measured, if it helps..."