Who: Olive Hornby, Kenneth Ellerby (With Cameos by Mary Ellerby and Mr. Ollivander)
What: Backstory - Olive and Kenneth's first meeting coincides with their wands choosing them.
Where: Ollivander's Wand Shop, Diagon Alley
When: August 1937
Rating/Status: G/Logged-Complete

Olive was very pleased to be going to Hogwarts this year. She had been waiting for it for ages it seemed, this change of the state of things that would allow her to meet new friends and learn magic but also get her out of the house and away from her aunt's thumb. It chafed even more than usual today, as she had gone shopping for her school things with her aunt, her brother Bartlett in tow. Her aunt had bought only the best of course, as much as her father's money could afford, because, as Clementine Higgs had made very clear to the eleven year old, she was not nearly as good as most of the people she would be in daily contact with, and therefore she must try all the harder. Her books were all new, her cauldron shiny bright, her potions ingredients in crystal vials. She'd been stocked up on school uniform skirts and shirts and ties, and a new pair of shoes, and bows for her hair, and school robes. The packages trailed behind her aunt in a neat and obedient line as they made a few more stops, until finally only Olive's wand was left. As they approached Ollivander's, Bartlett spotted the patio of Fortesucue's and began to agitate for an ice cream, and Olive, sensing an opportunity offered to make the wand stop by herself. "Very well," her aunt said, already distracted between the parcels and the young boy tugging at her hand. "But do not let the old man take advantage of you, a good wand should be no more than this much," she filled Olive's hand with several coins. "And do not get your hopes up, dear, I do not imagine you will do anything too terribly outstanding when he tests you out. But we cannot hope for as much from you as we can from your brother. It is why you will have to try all the harder. Oh do be still Bartlett." They went off with parcels reluctantly dragging behind, leaving Olive to step outside the glass of Ollivander's windows and peer inside. It was dusty and difficult to see, and she told herself there was no point in waiting outside when there were things to be done. Instead she lifted her pointy chin and pushed the door open, ringing the bell in the process. "Oh another customer, do come in young lady," a wizard behind the counter said. A measuring tape flew over to her and began to measure all sorts of things as she came inside, just as it was doing, she noted, to a boy standing further inside the shop. "I was just setting up this young man, and better two at once." Kenneth was in the shop with his mother, who'd sent his brothers off together to the bookshop to get their new texts for the year. She noticed the girl and smiled, putting her hands on her son's shoulders. "Oh, you must be starting Hogwarts too! How lovely! Stand up straight, young man, and introduce yourself," she insisted, pushing him toward the girl, much to his embarrassment. Why did his mother always have to embarrass him? " 'm Kenneth," he mumbled, offering a handshake to the girl. " 's nice to meet you." Olive's eyes looked from the woman, who was well dressed and very proper, to the boy. He wasn't anyone she knew but he didn't look as if he didn't know what was going on here, so he couldn't be a Muggleborn. Althoguh he did need to mumble less. "I'm Olive," she said, taking his hand and shaking with unusual firmness for a girl her age. Her voice was crisp and even, but not terribly warm. "Olive Hornby. It's nice to meet you." Her gaze went up to Kenneth's mother, and she gave the woman a bright smile. "And yes, I am. I'm terribly excited for it." "It's nice to meet you, Olive Hornby," Mrs. Ellerby said warmly and Kenneth could immediately tell she was striking the name to memory--surnames were always so important to her. Kenneth tried not to show his annoyance. "And since my son did not give a full introduction, this is Kenneth Ellerby, and I am Mrs. Ellerby." He squirmed a bit. "Can I get my wand now?" he asked, glancing at the girl and trying to change the subject. Mary Ellerby nodded and Kenneth stepped up to the counter and looked at Olive expectantly, waiting for her to join him so they could just get this over already. Olive noted the name, knowing it wasn't a Pureblood name. Her aunt had long ago given her a list of all the pureblood families and taught her who was who and who she would likely be going to school with and who she should befriend. She remembered the name from somewhere though, and resolved to ask her aunt about it. "It's nice to meet you as well, Ma'am," she said politely as she took her place beside Kenneth at the counter. She looked over at him curiously. Other than her brother and cousin Antony she didn't know too many boys. The narrow world of Olive's upbringing had been mostly grownups and family members with the occasional child here and there. She almost didn't know how to get along with other children. He seemed pleasant though, although there wasn't much about him that stood out. She looked back at the man behind the counter, her long black curls sliding over her shoulder as she turned her head. "My aunt told me this could take some time," she said, low enough for just Kenneth to hear. "Apparently the wand chooses the wizard, and they're awfully picky." She had long ago romanticized her wand, like the heroines in the books she liked to read, who had wands that were true to them, that turned on their enemies or could never be lost. She liked to think she'd have a pretty one, rosewood or ebony, long and elegant like her aunt's, but she knew better than to expect it. It would likely be like her, small and scrawny and too dark. Untrustworthy and unattractive, as her aunt would say. "Haven't you ever seen anybody get theirs?" Kenneth asked, curious. He'd been present for Max, Russ, and finally Felix getting their wands and the process didn't hold much interest for him, besides the fact that he actually got one for his own this time. "My brother Max got his on the second wand he tried. It took Felix forever, though, I thought we were never going to leave." Ollivander brought out a few boxes of wands for the kids to try. "I remember Felix," he commented airily. "And it did not take forever, young man; in fact relative to some it took him no time at all. Ah, here we are. Willow, seven inches, phoenix feather core. Give it a try, young lady." At the boy's words, Olive had looked over at him a bit crossly, she didn't like it when other people knew more than she did. "No," she said. "I'm the oldest, so this is the first time." She frowned at the wand and took it in her hand, examining it dubiously. It was short, very short, and rather unattractive wood in her opinion. She was unsure what to do with it, so she gave it a flick, and just as quickly Ollivander took it away. "No. No. That will not do. Perhaps..." He trailed off as he handed Kenneth a wand. "Here, try this one, young man, Oak, ten inches, Dragon Heartstring, quite sturdy and good for Transfiguration." He reached behind him meanwhile for another box that he plucked off the shelf and then one higher up. Kenneth gave the wand a flick but saw no response. It felt stiff, unmoving. He didn't like it. "Russ's moves better," he commented petulantly, staring at the wand. Rather than handing it back to Ollivander, he gave the wand to Olive. "Maybe it'll work for you?" Olive took the wand from him but it was likewise unremarkable in her hand. "I would think it would be easier..." she started to say, only to be interrupted as Ollivander snatched the wand form her with a look at Kenneth. "Here try this one, young man," he said. "And please do not give the young lady the oak; it does not suit her at all." He then handed a second wand to olive, taking it carefully out of its box. "Here. How is this. Rowan, which is protective, with Dragon Heartstring in the core, unusual but not unheard of at all. A rowan wand is one to bring peace." The wand was longer than the first, and Olive was busy looking at it, thinking that Peace didn't sound terribly romantic and neither did Dragon Heartstring, perhaps she would like the Unicorn hair one back after all. Still, she flicked the wand, finding it light and supple in her hand, and to her surprise, she felt a tingle and a swirl of silvery sparks circled in the air above her and dissipated into stars. "I thought as much," said Ollivander. "Now yours, young man." Kenneth looked at the wand in Olive's hand, mildly dismayed that he hadn't found his first. He didn't want to be beaten by a stranger, or a girl. He took the wand Ollivander offered, giving Olive another annoyed look, and flicked his wrist. Nothing. Ollivander raised an eyebrow and retrieved another wand for him to try; it was another Oak wand, this one featuring a phoenix feather. Kenneth took it and was pleased to notice it had a bit of give. The wand reacted nearly immediately, with small gold sparks flying out of the end. "Excellent," Ollivander commented, and Kenneth smiled. He finally had a wand of his own. "Very nice," Olive said, pleased with her wand and smiling down at it a little. It was pretty, and there was a little scroll work at the handle that was nice. Her eyes went back up to the boy's, a genuine smile lighting up her face for a moment. "So it was the oak then. For you." Kenneth looked at Olive, a little confused. "Yeah, guess so," he said, not sure where this conversation was going. He kept staring at his wand and moving it around a bit in his hand as his mum prepared to pay for it. "Whatever it is, it's pretty brilliant." Olive took out her own money and waited her turn to pay, looking over at the boy as she did so and then back at her wand. "It is, isn't it? Are you excited about school? I'm interested to see the sorting and where I end up. My parents were in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but I'm not sure I'd fit either of those." "My mum was in Ravenclaw," he said, indicating Mary. "And my dad was in Gryffindor, so was Phillip, he's my oldest brother. Actually we've got people in all the houses except Slytherin. Well, even there, Mum's brothers were Slytherins, right Mum?" She nodded and carried on with Ollivander. "I think I'll be a Gryffindor." "My aunt was in Slytherin," Olive said. "She said it's one of the best houses, but she doesn't think I'd be likely to make it there, although I'd really like to." She remembered what was said about Gryffindor and Slytherin and regarded him carefully. "I suppose we'll have to see won't we?" "Guess so," he answered, still more interested in his new toy than the conversation. His mother indicated it was time to go, and Kenneth muttered a quick "bye" before Mary nudged him to be more polite. "Er, and it was nice to meet you. I'll see you on the train, maybe," he added. "Perhaps." Olive gave him a cool smile as he didn't seem to really want to talk to her, and turned back to pay Mr. Ollivander, "It was nice to meet you too, Kenneth." She counted the money into the old man's hand as the door closed behind the mother and son. He definitely wasn't going to be in Slytherin, and with luck she would.