- Richie, are you coming?
"Yes, Harry, Richard, let's go," said the detective.
Jimmy Kiddell's wand shop was located a little further down the street. The interior was charming and clean, with wand boxes lined up on shelves wherever the eye could see.
A young wizard of average height, round-faced, with thick brown hair, forced a smile onto his face upon seeing the visitors and ran his brown eyes carefully over each of the boys.
- I'm glad to welcome you to my store. Are you going to Hogwarts this year?
"Yes, sir," Harry answered.
"You," Mr. Kiddell looked at the young Lord, "are Richard Rich. You've already been to me. Now I can sell you a wand. And you, young man?" He turned his questioning gaze to Harry.
- Harry Potter, sir.
Mr. Kiddell's eyes widened in surprise.
- Harry Potter?! What an honor, sir! And why did you choose my shop and not...
"It's my fault, sir," said Richard. "You, unlike Mr. Ollivander, have been kind to me. That's why I've recommended your shop to my wizarding acquaintances. Has Mr. Finch-Fletchley visited you yet?"
"He bought a wand from me a couple of days ago," Mr. Kiddell confirmed with a nod. "Thank you for the recommendation, young man."
"Please, contact me," Richard replied without irony.
"Justin is a wizard?!" Harry exclaimed in amazement after digesting what he had heard.
"I found out myself at the birthday party," Richie replied. "Justin had no idea until the Hogwarts Deputy Headmaster visited."
"Now that's news!" Harry drawled.
Potter Jr. looked amazed, even stunned, but a little happy that he would be going to the same school with his friends.
"Well, let's find you some wands," Mr. Kiddell said. "Would you mind if I cast a special charm on you? It's safe and will speed up the process considerably.
"Yes, sir, please," Harry nodded.
"I don't mind, sir," Richard replied.
The wizard waved his wand. He first pointed it at Richard, then cast the same spell on Harry. Afterwards, he stood there for a moment, looking thoughtful.
"Mr. Potter, I believe a holly wand with a thunderbird feather would suit you," the shop assistant waved his hand and a box flew down from the shelf, from which he took the wand and handed it to Harry. "Wave it away from people."
Harry held his breath as he waved his wand. A shower of red sparks erupted from it.
"Warm..." Harry whispered with joy on his face.
"Excellent! A very powerful wand. It certainly suits you, Mr. Potter," Mr. Kiddell said, summoning another wand and handing it to Richard. "Mr. Rich, try it."
The wood in Richard's hand grew warm. This wand, unlike the previous one, which the young wizard had barely felt, brought him peace and seemed to cuddle like a loyal and devoted puppy.
Richie waved his wand. A rainbow erupted from the tip of the wand, quickly dissolving.
"Excellent!" Mr. Kiddell was even more delighted. "The wand suits you perfectly, Mr. Rich. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. A rare combination. A well-suited beech wand is capable of a level of finesse and artistry rarely seen in other wands. And dragon heartstring is a very powerful core. I'm sure you'll be a natural at charms, young man."
Richard merely nodded silently, taking the information into account. He'd only studied charms, and the wandmaker's words rested on the ground he'd already prepared with his tutor. Richard knew from Griselda Marchbanks that certain types of magical arts were easier or more difficult with a given wand-it all depended on the wizard's predisposition.
"What about my wand, sir?" Harry asked.
"Holly is best suited for defensive spells, and when paired with a thunderbird or phoenix feather, it becomes a formidable weapon. It's best not to get in the way of anyone or anything that possesses such a wand-it will sweep them away without even noticing."
"He'll keep charging at the new gates like a ram until he knocks them down," flashed through Richard's mind. "Harry Potter's a stubborn fellow; it wasn't for nothing that he was supposed to deal with the main villain in the series. Only in the first episode, I think he bought his wand from a different shop, Ollivander's. But I don't think that matters. What difference does it make where you buy a magical instrument?"
"That will be seven galleons each," the wandmaker announced the price.
"Mr. Kiddell," Richard said to the man, "we need something else to store the wands in: a sheath or something similar, preferably reinforced. This instrument looks very fragile."
A keen interest appeared in the wizard's eyes.
- There are standard belt holsters, arm and leg mounts, and I can also offer chopstick care kits.
"Nice belt clips, sir," Richard began listing, "a couple of them. Two wand care kits, and instructions on how to use them wouldn't hurt." After a moment's thought, he added, "Why skimp? Give me wrist and foot clips, too. The best of everything!"