Surviving Times

"Why do I feel that our society is in a desperate need for civilization?" Draco said, after he sneaked away from his parents. They were extra concerned about him, and it made him feel weird. It felt like receiving affection from strangers and boy it freaked him out.

Daphne and Theo just rolled their eyes at him. Like they didn't know. Speaking of Diagon Alley, it had garnered worst impression from them.

Years ago, they had a plan of opening a shop on the Diagon Alley. They even selected a place with good Feng Shui. Everything was going fine. Until the Ministry didn't allow a shop to be completely anonymous – the owners, the works and the deals. And it hurt the pride of these four.

The four of them wanted to stay under the wraps for as long as possible. Because they knew, what they were about to present to the world might bring some changes… drastic ones. Thus, they sought anonymity, but they were flat out refused. They appealed to the authorities, but all that was returned was ruthless indifference, mockery and sarcasm. No believed their works to be real. The Minister even joked about them. No one wanted to let them be. Either they shared their details (which meant sharing profits) or, walk away.

And it did something to them. Mia's dark side was shown for the first time. The three of them were also darkened a bit. They faced the cruelties of the society they lived in first-hand. The humiliation caused by rejection.

Yes, the things would be a lot easier if they took their families' help. And it made them realise that without their family's name attached to them, they meant nothing. At least till they made a name of their own. Mia was not a stranger to this truth but it's not the same for the other three. Maybe this was her intension all along… to wake them.

They worked hard. Spent years in void to create it. And when they wanted to share their results with the world, they were rejected. They were seven years old and they were upset.

But they didn't give up yet. They secretly went to different countries, but none of them agreed. Even in the countries where dark arts flourished, required a chunk from their works.

They were rejected by the entire world. They were considered like clowns. Their hard work was seen as a lie. Faced through all of this, the four of them made a decision that would alter the world's fate.

But that would be a story for another time. It's just that the Diagon Alley made them a bit nostalgic. This place gave them the first ever setback they suffered, after all. It had some effect on them.

Mia was the first one to talk. "Alright. Let's just get our wands and quickly get out of this mayhem."

"Sure." The three had no problem with that.

They both went to the Ollivander's while their parents… were catching up. It was just Narcissa and Aurora talking. Mia didn't dare to imagine what these two might talk…

They entered the store. It was empty. Theo, Draco and Daphne were already regretting it. Yes, the shop was centuries old. Yes, the shop has a history of making excellent wands. Yes, the shop offered a thousand choices. They had nothing to worry about, but they just couldn't settle the feeling.

Because, the shop had an equivalent number of cobwebs and wands. And the quartet had a slight obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"There's no one here, how about we go back?" Theo suggested.

"You don't have to, dear customers." A voice which sounded clearly 'spirited away' said.

"Sorry, didn't see you there." Theo apologized to the wand maker. The boy was proud but not impolite.

"Hm… interesting. What might your wand hand be?"

"Left." He took measurements.

"Wonderful. Please wait for me." Ollivander went back and brought a wand. His eyes were shining eerily. It was rare for someone whose left handed. Though he was doubtful, Ollivander complied anyway.

"Here, give it a try."

Theo gave the wand a flick and… the wand was blasted into smithereens… and Mia shot it all in her mobile, like she was expecting it. And the other two just tried to restrain their laughter.

"Fascinating, wait for me." He looked happy. What a strange man... Not that anyone has the right to say it.

Theo just 'looked' at his friends. They were… more of traitors in certain situations. He now has to worry about how to delete his wand-explosion video. But before that, Ollivander was back yet again.

"Try this."

Theo once again gave the wand a flick. Thankfully, nothing happened. Except for a brilliant display of what they knew to be elementals.

"Excellent. That wand was passed down in my family through generations. It was traded for one our wands centuries ago."

"I don't recognize the wand wood or the core." Theo stated flatly, bringing the emotional Ollivander back to reality.

"Do you study wandlore?"

"A little."

"Mm. About the wand wood and core, I do not either. That would be a total of 21 galleons." Theo looked at the man speechlessly while the trio snickered. Ollivander looked at Draco, silently gesturing him to come forward.

"Your wand hand?"

"Left."

"Good." The man went back into the deeper section of the shop once again and presented yet another old case.

"Give it a try." Draco took the wand with much apprehension but fortunately, the wand didn't explode. Rather, it was the right one for him. The sparks came out like the sunshine.

"Excellent. It's pine wood, occamy heartstring and 14 inches. An excellent wand indeed. That would be seven galleons."

He motioned Daphne to come forward. She did.

"Left, I assume?" he asked.

"Yes." She said and waited for the man to come back. He brought another wand and it was also the right one for Daphne. Because it felt like stars just danced when she waved it.

"Fair enough. Laurel wood, meteorite ash, 13 and half-inches. And seven galleons."

At last, it was Mia's turn.

"Mm… wait for me, young lady. I have suitable wand for you." The man said and introduced one of the oldest wands, just like he did for other three.

"Please try this."

Mia took the wand. It was silvery, like her own wand but Mia suspected something akin to darkness present in it. She took a breath poured magic to it. And with that, the air around felt heavier and they felt a sense of dread. It was like a premonition…

"Finally, that's one of the oldest wands I have… It's 14 inches, silverlime and has a thestral bone in it. It was made before the elder wand was made… in hopes helping the one who fight the death itself."

***

The four friends walked out of the store. The three were downcast. They sat down in the ice cream shop. But didn't eat the ice cream they ordered. Finally, Mia talked.

"There's no need to be worried."

"No need? Huh, you are joking." Draco scoffed. "You got a thestral bone for a core. It could be anything but a thestral bone. And to make things worse, it's silverlime. I thought the bloody wood was extinct."

"Why only me? Theo's got an unknown wand. Let's worry about him."

Mia's friends looked at her. They really don't know what to do with their friend. She can be both reckless and cautious at the same time. Well, who asked them to be friends of a psycho? It all happened by their free will.

"Come on, I want to get out of this… whatever this is." Mia urged them.

On the way, they picked up Astoria and the Faye twins who wandered among the crowd.

"Hey, can we get a broomstick?" Josie asked as she looked at the brooms displayed.

"No, thank you. I'd decline but Draco and the rest would take you to purchase one." Mia just bailed on her friends.

And the three of them can only sigh and take the three young girls to but brooms.

…