Katie's Wand-Fitting (Waldraga)
Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2024 3:38 am
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!
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!