Kieran Wagtail clutched a fistful of green powder and stepped into the fireplace. "Diagon Alley!" he announced, throwing the powder down. The flames turned a brilliant green and he vanished from where he stood.

His son, Myron, watched from the distance with his mother Lesley. He was used to traveling by Floo Powder, and stepped forward, grabbing another fistful of the powder. He announced his destination and came out the other end where Kieran waited for him.

This wasn't any ordinary visit to Diagon Alley. He often traveled here with his mother or grandmother when they needed supplies at home, but this trip was for him. Just on Friday, the 10th of April, he'd finally received his letter of admission to Hogwarts and his list of supplies.

As Lesley stepped out of the fireplace, the flames died down and she rejoined with her family.

"Alright, darling. Do you have your list with you?" she asked.

"Yeah... it's right here," Myron replied, digging in the pocket of his trousers before handing the folded parchment to his mother.

"Excellent," she replied, reading over. "We already have some of these things at home. I think we just need to stop for your school robes, books, and of course your wand. We have the scales, phials, telescope, and cauldron already. It's always best to save money by using what you already have. Those things can always be replaced, if broken."

"I suppose you're right..." Myron agreed.

"Now, you're allowed an owl, a cat, or a toad," Kieran pointed out. "Which do you want most?"

"An owl, please." Myron decided, taking no time to answer. "We can get a cat or a toad at any old place. A toad would probably get lost and cats... well. They're cats. And they can't deliver anything to me but dead birds or mice. I don't want dead things on my pillow when I wake up. At least our kneazle at home doesn't do that."

"That's fair," Kieran laughed. "Owl it is. Do you want to get your owl or your wand last?"

"I don't care, whatever you want to do." He'd taken more time to answer that question but couldn't pick, in the end. They were both exciting in their way. He'd seen Diagon Alley a thousand times before, and it wasn't going anywhere. After they had everything they'd be going straight home, but he'd see Diagon Alley thousands of times more as he got older.

"Very well then. We'll get your robes, first," Lesley announced. The Wagtail family walked down the street to Madam Malkin's, where Malkin herself greeted them.

"Lesley! Kieran! Lovely to see you lot," she smiled, hugging the both of them, before turning to Myron. "Hogwarts, I take it? We'll get you measured right up and on your way, dear. Up on that stool, please."

He was guided to a stool nearby and stepped up. Madame Malkin took his measurements while she chattered with him and his parents. He wasn't sure where she got the energy to talk so much and with such vigor, but she was friendly as they came, so he wasn't really bothered. Kieran left to go get some basic supplies such as parchment and quills but returned just as Madame Malkin was finished. She set a pile on her counter and Kieran handed over the Galleons needed to pay for it all.

"Alright, loves. Now for the books. How about this - I'll get your books, Myron dear, and you and your father can go to the Eeylops Owl Emporium. That'll give you both time to look around and see what you like, and then we'll all go to Ollivander's shop."

"Excellent plan, Les," Kieran replied, kissing his wife on the cheek. "We'll see you shortly. Come on, Myron."

He was a little grossed out when his parents got all affectionate in public, but the moment was over soon and he trailed off after his father. Inside the door, he immediately noticed a brown owl with ear tufts. Screeches and hooting came from every direction in the little shop, and boxes of owl treats were stacked on a table against the wall. Cages and perches hung from the ceiling everywhere he looked.

"Look around. You can have one of the ten-Galleon owls," Kieran said, patting Myron on the shoulder.

Myron took off in another direction of the store, back to the first owl he'd seen. It was staring at him with wide, yellow eyes. Someone approached Myron, one of the workers from the Emporium. "You like her?" she asked. "She's quite the owl. Very smart, and very proud of it."

"She's the first one I saw when I came in. How much is she?" Myron replied.

"She's 10 Galleons," the girl smiled. "I overheard your father saying that was your limit. Is she the one you want? Her name's Cinna."

"I think she is, actually..." Myron replied. "Can I pet her? I want to see if she likes me."

"Not a bad idea, actually," she said, slipping on a leather glove. Calling Cinna down, the owl swooped and perched onto the gloved arm. The worker lowered the massive bird down to him and he reached out to pet at the feathers on her chest. His fingers sunk into a bed of fluff, and Cinna hooted, nibbling at his arm with her beak. He laughed and rubbed his arm.

"Be right back," he told her, wandering off to see where his father went. Poking his dad in the arm, Kieran turned to see him. "I found the one I want. 10 Galleons. Her name's Cinna."

Kieran followed after him to see the bird and gave her a scratch on the head. "Ooh, this is a good one, 'Ron. Nicely done." He turned to the worker and nodded. "We'll take her."

"Brilliant! I'll get her cage down. And, Eeylops Owl Emporium has a deal for new Hogwarts students- one free box of owl treats with the purchase of your new companion," she smiled, pulling a box off the table and offering it to Myron. "Here you go, love. Enjoy her, she's been itching to stretch her wings."

Myron smiled in response. "Thank you!"

Kieran also thanked her and pulled ten shiny, gold Galleons out of his robe pocket before offering them to the bubbly employee. "Come on, Myron. It's time to get your wand."

Kieran and Myron met Lesley at the entrance of Ollivander's wand shop, and Lesley beamed at the sight of the beautiful brown owl they came with. "Look at her! That's a gorgeous owl. Good choice, darling. Now, let's go inside."

The inside of Ollivander's was a bit dark, but illuminated with candles around and on the desk. A wiry old man with frizzy hair stepped out from the stock room and clapped his hands together. "Ah, the Wagtails! Who are we fitting today?"

"Myron, Mr. Ollivander. He's just gotten his letter so we brought him in for his supplies, and most important - his wand," Kieran explained, nudging his son forward. "Let's get started, shall we?"

"Of course! My, this is probably the earliest in a year I've seen a new Hogwarts student come in for a fitting!" Ollivander greeted, pulling Myron in. He began to take Myron's measurements. "I don't know if your parents told you this, boy, but I remember every single wand I've sold to any witch or wizard."

"You do?" Myron asked, looking at his parents before he looked at Ollivander.

"Ah yes. Your father's was nine and a half inches, aspen with a dragon heartstring core, quite sturdy. Excellent for transfiguration spells." Ollivander recounted. "And as for your mother. Ten and a half inches, black walnut with a phoenix feather core. Stiff, good for protective charms."

"Wicked..." he said with a laugh.

"Quite so, my boy. Now - let's get you set up proper. And don't worry about breaking anything, there are spells to right all that," Ollivander reassured. He disappeared into the back room again and came back out with an armful of slim boxes, which he set on top of his counter. "First one's first... This is a blackthorn wand. Phoenix feather core, eleven and one-quarter inch, fairly heavy. Give it a wave."

Ollivander presented the wand to Myron, and as soon as he waved it, a spark erupted and shot forth, shattering the glass of a nearby vase.

"Oh! No, no, no. That's not the one for you." He took the wand back and handed Myron another. "Here. This one is... oh, this is quite funny. This is aspen, with a phoenix feather core. Would you look at that! This one is stiff, nine and a half inches. Let's see what that one does."

Myron was almost certain this one would pick him, given it was basically a combination of his mother and father's wands. Another wave, and chaos. Again, Ollivander took the wand back. "Doesn't always work that way, I'm afraid. No matter. We'll find your wand. When is your birthday, Myron? I'm curious."

"It was just last Friday, actually... on the tenth," Myron told him, twiddling his fingers.

"I'll keep that in mind. And happy belated birthday to you, Mr. Wagtail," he smiled. "I'm sure this is quite the treat, getting your wand this early before the school year."

"I've been waiting for this moment for eleven years," Myron replied as Ollivander handed him another wand. "I can't wait to be able to actually do real magic, not the accidental kind."

Ollivander laughed, then cycled him through several more wands before he took the ones he brought out initially and came back out with two more boxes.

"Alright, Myron. Let's see if these won't do something nice for you," he said, pulling another wand out. "Sometimes the woods we work best with are tied to our birthday. Are you familiar with the Celtic tree zodiac?"

"No..." Myron said, wondering what Ollivander was getting at. "What's going on?"

"These wands are both made of alder wood. That tree coincides with your birthday, just like you are an Aries because you were born under that star sign," Ollivander explained. "This one is with a phoenix feather core. Heavy, and an even ten inches."

Myron took the wand in his hand and gave it a wave. It didn't wreak as much havoc as its predecessors, but Ollivander could tell it still wasn't the one.

"Don't be discouraged, we still have this one," said Ollivander, swapping wands with Myron. "Alder wands go to some of the most likeable people, you know. This one has a dragon heartstring core. Twelve inches, unyielding. Go on."

Myron reached forward to take the wand, and as soon as his finger touched the handle, he got a warm rush that surged down to his toes and up his back.

"Congratulations! You've found it! That wand will serve you well in your coming days, Myron. It's very powerful because of its core, and because it is unyielding, it will only answer to you as its master. I reckon once you're older, that wand will answer to you without you even having to speak a word."

"Thank you, Ollivander. Now how much will that be?" asked Kieran, digging into his pocket again, watching as

"Seven Galleons," Ollivander said, tucking the wand back into its box before handing it to Kieran. "I trust you'll want to keep this safe until it's time for your dear boy here can go to school."

Handing over the coin, Kieran tipped his head to Ollivander. "Of course. Thank you, Garrick. It's been a pleasure, as always."

"The pleasure is all mine, Kieran. You all take care, and if you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

Myron waved good-bye to Ollivander as he followed his parents out of the wand shop. His mother held the cage containing Cinna, and they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron where they used the Floo pit to travel back home.