Friday, August 13th, 1990
Diagon Alley
The street was bustling with life and hustle as always when four figures, together with two House Elves, popped right out of nowhere in front of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Their arrival caught the attention of every passerby due to the way they were dressed and how they carried themselves.
If the two uniformed House Elves were not enough to signify their social status, then nothing else ever would.
And the lady who was with the three kids was well known for whose wife she was and also for her heritage.
She was none other than Narcissa Malfoy née Black.
Two of the kids who shared the same hair and eyes as her were undoubtedly her kids, Aurelia and Draco Malfoy, but the raven-haired boy with sterling grey eyes was different.
He was quite tall for his age, wore a refined suit, and his slightly wild hair, a little long, was neatly set.
There was just something about his presence that commanded respect, and when his eyes scanned all the onlookers and a small smile formed on his lips, some of them fell into a trance.
It was only after the group entered the shop that the activity on the street resumed.
"He's from the Black Family," someone whispered, having recognised the crest on Altair's coat and also on Fruska's uniform.
Soon, whispers travelled far into the Alley, but the Malfoys and the Blacks did not care in the least about them.
"Lady Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again..." Madam Malkin was a kind woman, very professional, and she personally assisted them.
Once she learned about who Altair was, she was even more honoured to have them in her shop today.
"Three sets of plain black work robes each. Of the highest quality, of course... two pairs of pointed hats each... two black winter cloaks each, highest quality, with silver fastenings... two sets of dragon hide protective gloves each... six pairs of boys' trousers, six pearl white boys' shirts, Acromilis Silk... six pairs of girls' trousers, six golden white boys' shirts, Acromilis Silk... twenty pairs of socks, ten black, ten grey... four sets of scarves each: black, grey, blue, and brown... four sets of dragon hide belts, all black... two for boys and two for girls... Names on all clothing items..." Fruska marked the list of things they had purchased, all uniforms for Altair and Aurelia.
"Your total bill is 99 Galleons and 14 Sickles, Lady Malfoy." Madam Malkin approached them, and Fruska, who was holding only the coin pouch, clicked her fingers and the sum flew out of it, neatly lining up in front of the shop owner. "Thank you. If you need anything else, please visit us again."
"We will," Narcissa nodded to her with a smile, and then offered Dobby, Malfoy House Elf, to send everything they had purchased to Grimmauld Hall, inside Aurelia's room.
After they exited the shop, they headed to a nearby stationery shop, the finest in Diagon Alley, and also the most expensive.
A. Morquills & Sons – Artisanal Stationers to the Nobles.
The shop inside was almost dream-like, and it reminded Altair of the time he had visited Vulcan's Workshop.
There were so many things here that intrigued them, and his aunt was kind enough to let him shop all he wanted as she silently took Draco away, leaving Aurelia and the two House Elves with him.
In the end, after hours of exploring, the two ended up spending 147 Galleons and 13 Sickles at the shop, purchasing stationery of the highest quality and some other items, including two enchanted diaries.
Draco had purchased a few things too, but he was in a slightly grumpy mood since Narcissa told them that he could not purchase the things that Altair and Aurelia were purchasing this year.
The boy tried to convince her to purchase these things in advance for next year, but she refused.
"You will get yours next year, darling."
To his immense glee, Altair gifted him an enchanted compass that worked as a pocket watch as well as a Danger Compass. He instantly fell in love with it, and his smile threatened to never leave his face.
Dobby again sent everything to Aurelia's room in Grimmauld Hall before they exited the shop, and their next destination was a bookstore.
They purchased a total of twelve books each, one of which was essential reading, not part of the courses or electives, but recommended:
1. The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) - Miranda Goshawk
2. A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration - Emeric Switch
3. Magical Drafts and Potions - Arsenius Jigger
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Newt Scamander
5. The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection - Quentin Trimble
6. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi - Phyllida Spore
7. Hogwarts: A History - Bathilda Bagshot
8. Foundations of Magical Theory - Adalbert Waffling
9. Introduction to Wizarding Law and Economics (Year 1 Edition) - Ignatius Fairwind
10. Basic Ethics and Magical Conduct - Honoria Prewett
11. Health & Healing: First Aid for Young Witches and Wizards - Medea Pruett
12. Modern Magical History - Everard Fawley
For Muggle-born and others who were not familiar with the Wizarding World, another essential read was now recommended. It was the book on the Great Houses of Britain and about their history and influence, written by Seraphina Blackbourne. Additionally, there was also The Magical Society: Structure, Honour, and Etiquette by Lady Rosalind Burke for the Year 1 Elective, but neither Altair nor Aurelia needed to take it.
These twelve books, leather-bound and crested with their names, cost them 232 Galleons, but if they had gone for the standard books, they would have probably only needed to spend half of that amount.
Their next destination was Quality Quidditch Supplies.
Both Altair and Aurelia loved flying, and both intended to become part of the Quidditch team of House Slytherin. Besides, those who wished to learn how to play Quidditch were allowed to bring their own brooms to school, even if they belonged to Year 1.
They had their brooms at home, but the reason they were here was because of the broom that was on display.
Nimbus 2000.
The broom was considered the game changer, pushing speeds up, and also improving comfort, balance, and manoeuvrability.
Draco was even more sad when he watched them both buy this thing of beauty and have their names crested on them. They also purchased the care kits, added enchantments on weather resistance, and asked for slight customisations.
Only professionals were usually allowed to have customisations done to their brooms, but since they belonged to two Ancient and Noble Houses, the shop catered to their needs.
The old shopkeeper saw all his worries go away when he heard Aurelia and Altair speak about the customisations they needed.
He quickly realised that both of them were very skilled flyers and knew what they needed to maximise performance and comfort.
The two brooms cost them 300 Galleons, and again, they were sent directly to Aurelia's room by Dobby.
"Familiars first or wands?"
"They are here?!" Aurelia excitedly jumped up at her mother's question, and Narcissa smiled at her.
"Yes."
"Familiars!" She decided for both herself and Altair.
"Of course." Lady Malfoy glanced at Dobby, who then quickly brought them in front of Thorne & Feather: Rare Familiars & Arcane Bonds.
It was a very large shop, situated at the far end of the Alley, right next to Slug & Jiggers Apothecary, and a little away from Flourish and Blotts Bookstore.
Only seconds later, Fruska brought Draco and Altair over, and Aurelia dragged them all inside the shop.
The ground floor was all about ordinary Familiars, but she was not interested in them. She wanted to see the rare Familiars who had been brought in today.
When they arrived on the first floor, she rushed away, looking all around the place in excitement, checking every enclosure and cage.
Draco was again forced by Narcissa to stay by her side, much to his sadness, but Altair wanted a rare Familiar too, so he calmly looked around the place.
The snakes instantly caught his attention, but he was a little disappointed when he saw that they were rare, but not magical. They did, however, greet him in reverence, and he chatted with them a little.
Eventually, he found himself in front of a cage where a very majestic bird was being kept captive.
It was a Harpy Eagle with a beautiful and majestic crest. White, grey, and hints of blue, its eyes were sterling grey, just like his. The feet were golden, with dark claws, and it was young, only a year old, and not even half its adult size yet.
The information displayed on the cage listed it as partly magical, but Altair could sense that it had plenty of magic. It was a smart bird, very smart. Perhaps, smarter than even the owls. Its flight was silent, deadly, and fast, the very last. Those eyes were incredibly sharp, capable of seeing through even walls, and clearly even in the dark. Its cry had the power to break people out of mind manipulations, and even though he had not seen it in flight, he knew it was astonishingly fast.
A smile formed on Altair's lips as he put his hand inside the cage and the bird bowed to him before it bit his finger, taking a drop of his blood.
The bond was formed, and the young Black happily picked up the cage with magic and walked towards Aurelia, who had found her Familiar as well.
He was not in the least surprised that she had chosen a legal and very beautiful cat. She loved cats.
It was an offspring of Maine-Coon with Kneazle Blood and a Felidrax, a wild and dangerous Magical Creature that was twice the size of a Maine-Coon, looked exactly the same except for the antler-like two horns on its head. This one had long, dense, black smoke fur with silver streaks, and amber-gold eyes, true to the appearance of a wild Felidrax.
"He's a beauty." Altair honestly said as he looked into its eyes, and then gently reached forward to scratch it under its chin, making it purr in Aurelia's arms.
The attendant was dismayed when he saw the cat behaving so well in the girl's arms and even allowed another stranger to touch it. But when he glanced at the Harpy Eagle, he felt dizzy.
These were rare Familiars, yes, but only for adults who knew how to handle dangerous creatures such as them, but seeing how docile the cat was, he did not voice his worries.
In the end, business was business, and he sold the Harpy Eagle for 66 Galleons, and the cat for 180 Galleons.
Aurelia refused to send away her cat, whom she had named Sidious, but Altair did ask Fruska to send his Harpy Eagle, now called Strix, to his room.
Once his House Elf returned to his side, they headed to Ollivander's to get their wands.
Even though he had his wand, he remembered Vulcan's words, and he was just as excited as he was for his first wand.
When they arrived at the shabby-looking shop, Draco was doubtful if this was a good place.
Narcissa, however, informed him that Ollivander's was the best of the best, and then led them inside.
The old man at the counter was entertaining a customer right now, who was testing the wands, and having recognised her, Aurelia happily walked over to her.
"Cho!"
Her call surprised the girl, who ended up sending out a burst of magic with the wand in her hand by accident, which threw the old man back.
"Aurelia!" The girl beamed a smile when she turned around and quickly placed the wand on the table.
The next moment, she was cooing to Sidious, who was a little wary of her, but allowed her to touch him as well.
"Did you get your Familiar?" Draco happily asked as he came over, and little Miss Chang nodded her head. "What is it?"
"An Eagle Owl. He's cute."
The three excitedly started chatting with each other, but Cho finally glanced at Altair and froze.
"Altair." She curtsied to him when he walked over to her, and then placed her hand in his when he asked for it.
"Cho." He planted a kiss on her knuckles, making her blush, but did not tease her as they were not alone right now.
"Miss Chang."
The call was a little impatient, and Cho panicked before she quickly excused herself and rushed back to the counter to purchase her wand.
"Sorry, Mister Ollivander. They are my best friends."
"Well, of course, if it isn't the young Black, little Miss Malfoy, her brother, and the respected Lady Malfoy." He gave them a polite bow, and then curiously looked at Altair, who was scanning his shop.
"Lord Garrick Ollivander," Narcissa politely nodded to him.
"I remember your first day here, My Lady. I remember the wand that chose you. Cherry, 12 and a half inches, slightly pliant, and the Heartstring of the Chinese Fireball as its core."
"Yes." She smiled and then stepped forward to show her wand to him.
The old man broke into an even bigger smile when he saw how much she had kept it with care, and bowed to her as he returned it.
"Show Cho a wand with Dragon Heartstring of Antipodean Opaleye."
The old man turned to look at Altair in surprise, and even others looked at him in curiosity too.
"Perhaps..." Garrick's eyes suddenly widened and he quickly rushed over to climb a ladder and take out a wand box.
When he returned to them with hurried steps and took out a wand with polished pale wood with a glossy finish. It featured a rounded pommel, two subtle rings where the handle started, and another ring, close to the top of the slightly twisted grip, good for handling. Its shaft was slim and straight, tapering gracefully to a fine point. Overall, it looked elegantly beautiful and balanced.
Cho's eyes shone in brilliance as she stared at it, and Garrick smiled as he offered it to her.
"12 inches and three-quarters, Silver Lime, slightly yielding, and Dragon Heartstring of the Antipodean Opaleye."
The moment she grabbed it, her magic oozed out of her, ruffling her hair and clothes, and there was a mysterious hum as the wand chose her.
Garrick's smile widened, and when Cho used the Lumos, he nodded in approval.
"Perfect! You are quite a witch, Miss Chang, powerful, elegant, and mysterious..." He clapped his hands, and Cho happily giggled as she curtsied to him and then turned around to hug Altair, giving him a kiss on his cheek.
"Congratulations, Cho."
She curtsied to Narcissa and then turned to watch Aurelia as she stepped forward.
"My turn," the Malfoy confidently said, and then smiled a little. "Tell me, dear Altair. How well do you know your Aurelia?"
Her words held a slight hint of cold, and she was clearly a little jealous that her fiancé knew what wand core would suit Cho the best.
Narcissa smirked at her daughter's words, and she wanted to see what Altair would say.
Garrick too looked at him with curiosity, and when he remained silent, Aurelia turned around and sweetly smiled.
"You don't know?"
Altair chuckled at her words and then sighed.
"Lord Ollivander, do you, perhaps, have a wand with the heartstring of Abyssinian Dreadback and ebony, but preferably yew?"
His words caused the man to look at him in surprise, but then in hesitation. However, when Aurelia looked at him in hope, he nodded his head.
"I happen to have only created two wands with this core, fifty years ago, and as it turns out, they are Ebony and Yew and still waiting for their destined Masters..." Ollivander curiously looked at him and then at Aurelia, "but we will try the ebony first."
He walked away to climb another ladder and then retrieved two boxes that were gathering dust.
Aurelia stared at the black wand that he offered her, and when she grabbed it, she felt a connection, a noticeable movement of magic that rattled everything around, but a faint hum, which made Garrick frown.
He sighed and took back the wand from her hand, already knowing the answer.
This time, he handed her the one that was made out of yew. It was polished and elegant with a spiralling twist in its body, just like the other want, same design. The handle was smooth with a rounded base, meant for an easier grip, and the top one-third, leading to the tip, was smooth and tapered in grace. It was a beautiful wand.
The moment it entered her hand, her magic flared up, sending her hair and clothes ruffling, and the mysterious hum sounded out indicating that she had been chosen as its Master.
"14 inches. Polished yew, and dragon heartstring of Abyssinian Dreadback. One of the most rare cores... I never thought it would find its master one day, Miss Malfoy. You are destined to great things regardless of the paths you would choose in your life..." Garrick mysteriously said, but Aurelia paid no heed to his ominous last line.
"Thank you, Lord Ollivander." She curtsied and then jumped into Altair's arms, hugging him with all her might. "Thank you, thank you!!!" She kissed him on the cheek and then excitedly hugged her mother and Cho.
"Your turn, Mister Black. I remember your mother's wand. One of my treasures. It was the finest wand I had created in my life. Definitely one of the rarest and finest in the world. 15 inches, Thunderbird Crown Feather, not the Tail Feather, the one I got my hands on by sheer luck, and only the third known wand to possess it. It is strange that the other two wands are in your family as well. They belong to your grandparents, and before them, they belonged to your Ancestors, another pair of twins around five centuries ago. 14 inches each and SilverLime. Wands for Twins..."
They all watched him fall into a deep thought, and it was almost as if he was visiting a memory he cherished.
"I had the honour of inspecting them when I was young. And I always wanted to create something more powerful than those two wands." He smiled. "Unlike those two wands, your mother's wand is made of Ebony, a perfect match for ambition, cunning, pride, raw magical power, talent, and will. She is undoubtedly a strong-willed witch, powerful, terrifyingly powerful, and focused. I wonder which wand will choose you..."
His words stunned Aurelia and Cho, who were not aware of these details, but Altair just smiled without a hint of the weight of the legacy that he bore on his shoulders.
"Surprise me, Lord Ollivander."
"Very well..."
And thus began Garrick's nightmare.
For the next two hours, they tried over a hundred different wands, without finding a match.
The only thing they determined was Yew, which suited him, but the cores always fell short of power.
Garrick was lost when nothing he wanted to work, worked, and then a deep frown marred his face.
"It's all right, Lord Ollivander. We can look elsewhere." Narcissa politely said, but the old man shook his head.
"Let's test one more wand." He whispered, though there was clear hesitation on his face.
Eventually, he dragged the ladder to the farthest corner of the shop, almost out of their eyes, and picked a black box from the topmost shelf, which was covered in dust.
"A few years ago I got my hands on something. Something very terrifying... and if it was not enough, the thing was laced in Naga Blood... I wanted to clean it, but I didn't. I was obsessed with the idea of creating something never created before... I put my life on the line to realise this dream... and I succeeded. My best work to date, and also the one I wish I never completed..."
His words were heavy, and they weighed on the hearts of Narcissa, Aurelia, Cho, and Draco. Even the two House Elves were very disturbed when they saw him bring over that black box.
When he opened it, they saw a long wand with a deep reddish-brown colour with dark wavy lines running through it, giving it a striped look. These lines were grey, pale green, sometimes white, and also black. The handle was rounded and covered with a scaly pattern, almost like the scales of a snake, perfect for grip. And its length gently tapered to a sharp point.
It was polished, solid, elegant, and dangerous without a shred of doubt.
Altair did not hesitate. He smiled instead, and then gently picked it up.
The next moment, his magic flared up, a resonant hum sounded out, and winds started billowing in the shop.
Shelves rattled, dust stirred, and the lamps hanging from the ceiling flickered violently. Even the boxes in the back began to tremble. It was as if the wand had not just accepted him, but awoken after a long slumber.
Things, however, soon calmed down, and a bright smile adorned his face.
"Perfect."
Garrick looked like he had seen a ghost. His hands trembled, and he took a moment to steady himself.
"Yew, harvested from a graveyard haunted by Dementors, sixteen inches, the heartstring of a Nundu, steeped in Naga Blood... Oh, you are destined for unimaginable things, Mister Black. Dangerous, but extraordinary... utterly unimaginable things..."
"We need the wand care kits, holsters, and wand sleeves," Narcissa cut him off from speaking nonsense.
"Of course..."
In the end, they paid the man 3,500 Galleons. Altair's wand alone had cost them 1729 Galleons, and both Cho and Aurelia's wands had cost 666 and 999 Galleons respectively.
Narcissa asked Garrick to keep very quiet about Altair's wand, and seeing the man hesitate, she sighed in her heart and hoped everything would work out fine.
"Goodbye, Lord Ollivander."
They exited the shop with mixed feelings, but some ice cream at the famous Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour instantly improved their mood a lot.
Their shopping continued with Cho now joining them, and their next destination was a very luxurious place.
Delven & Stride ‐Enchanted Footwear for the Discerning Witch or Wizard.
Even though they all had shoes, they decided to get some more, and finally, after spending another great sum of Galleons, their hearts were content.
Anything else that they needed had already been arranged a while back, and now they only waited to board the Hogwarts Express and head to the School.