STICK WAR BATTLE
A magic wand. this was what Harry had been really looking forward to. The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic. Good afternoon, said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair. An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop. Hello, said Harry awkwardly. Ah yes, said the man. Yes, yes. I thought Id be seeing you soon. Harry Potter. It wasnt a question. You have your mothers eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy. Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it - its really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes. And thats where. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harrys forehead with a long, white finger. Im sorry to say I sold the wand that did it, he said softly. Thirteen-anda-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands. well, if Id known what that wand was going out into the world to do. He shook what steam hogwarts legacy that head and then, to Harrys relief, spotted Hagrid. Rubeus. Rubeus Hagrid. How nice to see you again. Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasnt it. It was, sir, yes, said Hagrid. Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled. said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern. Er - yes, they did, yes, said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. Ive still got the pieces, though, he added brightly. But you dont use them. said Mr. Ollivander sharply. Oh, no, sir, said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke. Hmmm, said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. Well, now - Mr. Potter. Let me see. He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. Which is your wand arm. Er - well, Im right-handed, said Harry. Hold out your arm. Thats it. He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizards wand. Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes. That will do, he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this click. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave. Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, Igi game download for pc Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once. Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try - Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander. No, no - here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out. Harry Igi game download for pc. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become. Tricky customer, eh. Not to worry, well find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, Igi game download for pc, bravo. Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well. how curious. how very curious. He put Harrys wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, Curious. curious. Sorry, said Harry, but whats curious. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare. I remember every wand Ive ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother - why, its brother gave you that scar. Harry swallowed. Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember. I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great. Harry shivered. He wasnt sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop. The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didnt speak at all as they walked down the road; he didnt even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harrys lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder. Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves, he said. He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow. You all right, Harry. Yer very quiet, said Hagrid. Harry wasnt sure he could explain. Hed just had the best birthday of his life - and yet - he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words. Everyone thinks Im special, he said at last. All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander. but I dont know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things. Im famous and I cant even remember what Im famous for. I dont know what happened when Vol- sorry - I mean, the night my parents died. Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile. Don you worry, Harry. Youll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, youll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know its hard. Yehve been singled out, an thats always hard. But yehll have a great time at Hogwarts - I did - still do, smatter of fact. Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope. Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, he said. First o September - Kings Cross - its all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, shell know where to find me. See yeh soon, Harry. The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone. H CHAPTER SIX THE JOURNEY FROM PLATFORM NINE AND THREE-QUARTERS arrys last month with the Dursleys wasnt fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldnt stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didnt shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him - in fact, they didnt speak to him at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while. Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didnt come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first. On the last day of August he thought hed better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to Kings Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living batman steam where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room. Er - Uncle Vernon. Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening. Er - I need to be at Kings Cross tomorrow to - to go to Hogwarts. Uncle Vernon grunted again. Would it be all right if you gave me a lift. Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes. Thank you. He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke. Funny way to get to a wizards school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they. Harry didnt say anything. Where is this school, anyway. I dont know, said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket. I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven oclock, he read. His aunt and uncle stared. Platform what. Nine and three-quarters. Dont talk rubbish, said Uncle Vernon. There is no platform nine and three-quarters. Its on my ticket. Barking, said Uncle Vernon, howling mad, the lot of them. Youll see. You just wait. All right, well take you to Kings Cross. Were going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldnt bother. Why are you going to London. Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly. Taking Dudley to the hospital, growled Uncle Vernon. Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings. Harry woke at five oclock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didnt want to walk into the station in his wizards robes - hed change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harrys huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off. They reached Kings Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harrys trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face. Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they dont seem to have built it yet, do they. He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next Igi game download for pc it, and in the middle, nothing at all. Have a good term, said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were cry blood dragon far. Harrys mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do. He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. Hed have to ask someone. He stopped a passing guard, but didnt dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldnt even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven oclock, but the guard said there wasnt one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl. Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspectors stand between platforms nine and ten. At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying. - packed with Muggles, of course - Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harrys in front of him - and they had an owl. Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying. Now, whats the platform number. said the boys mother. Nine and three-quarters. piped a small girl, also more info, who was holding her hand. Mum, cant I go. Youre not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first. What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten.
At the bottom of the Hill on its western side they came to the gate opening cruhs to a narrow lane. There they halted and adjusted the gamme of their packs. Presently Sam appeared, trotting quickly and breathing hard; his heavy pack was hoisted high on his shoulders, and he had put on his head a tall shapeless felt bag, which he called a hat. In the gloom he looked very Candh like a dwarf. I am sure you have given me all the heaviest stuff, said Frodo. I pity snails, and all that carry their homes on their backs. I cgush take a lot more yet, sir. My packet is quite light, said Sam stoutly and untruthfully. No you dont, Sam. said Pippin. It is good for him. Hes got nothing except what he ordered us to pack. Hes been slack lately, and hell feel the weight less when hes walked off some of his own. Be kind to a poor hame hobbit. laughed Frodo. I shall be as thin as a willow-wand, Im sure, before I get to Buckland. But I was talking nonsense. I suspect you have taken more than your share, Sam, pc c c games I shall look into it at our next packing. He picked up his stick again. Well, we all like walking in the dark, he said, so lets put some miles behind us before bed. For a short way they followed the lane westwards. Then leaving it they turned left and took quietly to the fields again. They went in T HR EE IS C OMPAN Y downlod single file along hedgerows and the borders of coppices, and night fell dark about them. In their dark cloaks they were as ofr as if they all had magic rings. Cruzh they were all hobbits, and were trying to be silent, Candy crush game download for pc made no noise that even hobbits would hear. Even Cabdy wild things in the fields and woods hardly noticed their passing. After some time they crossed the Water, west of Hobbiton, by a narrow plank-bridge. The stream was there no more than a winding black ribbon, bordered with leaning alder-trees. A mile or two further south they hastily crossed the great road from the Brandywine Bridge; they were now in the Tookland and bending south-eastwards they made for the Green Hill Country. As they began to climb its first slopes they looked back and saw the lamps in Hobbiton far off twinkling with coc th3 consider the gentle valley of the Water. Soon it disappeared in the folds of the darkened land, and was followed by Bywater beside its grey pool. When the light of the last farm was far behind, peeping among the trees, Frodo turned and waved a hand in farewell. I wonder if I shall ever look down into that valley again, he said quietly. When they had walked for about three hours they rested. The night was clear, cool, and starry, but smoke-like wisps of mist were creeping up Candu hill-sides Cnady the streams and deep meadows. Thinclad birches, swaying in a light wind above their heads, made a black Candy crush game download for pc against the pale sky. They ate a very frugal supper (for hobbits), and then went on again. Soon they struck a narrow road, that went rolling up and down, fading grey into the darkness ahead: the road to Woodhall, and Stock, and the Bucklebury Ferry. It climbed away Candy crush game download for pc the main road in the Water-valley, and wound over the skirts of the Green Hills towards Woody End, a wild corner of the Eastfarthing. After a while they plunged into a deeply cloven track between tall trees that rustled their dry leaves in the foe. It was very dark. At first they talked, or hummed a tune softly together, being now far away from inquisitive ears. Then they marched on cfush silence, and Pippin began to lag behind. At last, as they began to climb a steep slope, he stopped cruah yawned. I am so sleepy, he said, that soon I shall fall down on the road. Are you going to sleep on your legs. It is Candy crush game download for pc midnight. I thought you liked walking in the dark, said Frodo. But there is no great hurry. Merry expects us some time the read more after tomorrow; but that leaves us nearly two days more.
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