The last stop was a small dilapidated store whose sign read 'Ollivander: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC'.

John couldn't help but be in awe inside. If what the sign said was true, he was looking at a place of immeasurable historical value, for this had not only existed since before the Age of Annihilation came but had survived it.

Professor McGonagall smiled at their astonished expressions, inviting them inside while she stood outside, waiting for them.

The three children entered curiously, hearing a bell at the back of the store, which they began to explore as they waited for the manager to arrive.

Despite being a fairly small place, it didn't feel stuffy, and in a sense, it had a unique charm.

Except for the counter and a few chairs, this place contained only shelves, shelves so high they reached all the way to the ceiling, all filled with neatly stacked little boxes.

"Amazing, isn't it?" said an aging voice behind them.

The children turned and saw an old man whose eyes were sparkling with excitement, gleeful at the arrival of new customers.

"Hello," said Harry.

"Hello, nice to meet you," said John.

Lily merely nodded.

"Potter, Harry Potter, it seems to me that it was only yesterday that your mother and father bought their first wands," she said nostalgically to Harry.

"You knew my parents?"

"Yes, and no, I sell wands, not friendships, little one, take that into account."

Harry smiled sadly as he listened to him.

The old man tore his gaze away from Harry, focusing on John, instantly amazed, as well as horrified.

"Interesting, very interesting. I never thought I would see with my own eyes an atypical case of existence such as yours. I can assume your name is John Carter, right?"

"That's right, I am John Carter, may I ask how you know that?" he asked somewhat curiously, as he pulled a spear from his trench coat.

"No need to show such hostility, I knew your mother many years ago, a saint of the DiviSture, let me remember," he paused as he rubbed his sparse remaining hair, "yes, I remember, a saint of the Order of St. Lucia."

"I suppose you will repeat the same answer to me as you did to Harry."

"No, she was my friend, a wonderful woman; she nearly killed me when I tried to snatch an eye out of the basilisk she wanted to give to his wife as a pet." As he said that, he couldn't stop laughing. "True, true, a couple of rather nice women, but very temperamental; seeing you makes me understand that they both managed to complete their greatest dream, but at what cost, how are they currently?"

"My mother passed away years ago," he replied coldly, the old man's words bothered him a little, but seeing his advanced age, he understood that perhaps dementia was already attacking this poor man.

"Really? It's a pity; she borrowed a few items from me. I suppose I would have to charge you for them since you are her son, but if I do and your other mother finds out, I have no doubt she would kill me without hesitation."

John put away his spear, as he thought maybe this poor man should take a vacation straight to the hospital.

The old man passed John and stood in front of Lily.

"Oh, child, welcome. You look very much like a client from years ago; only her eyes didn't show the sparkle that yours have. I hope your experience here will be as pleasant as everything you have experienced today," he said with a gentle smile.

Lily removed her mask and returned the smile.

"Well, let's get started, who will go first?"

"Me first," said Harry.

"Me after Harry," said Lily.

John knew he would pass last, so he pulled one of the chairs, sitting down and pulling out a thermos of latte, watching with interest, the wand selection process.

From what he noticed, the process could be summed up as a game of chance, where you could easily find the wand that was yours on the first try, or never find it, like Harry, who had been going for half an hour without any results.

"Is it so important to choose a wand, can't you use any?" asked John.

"Interesting questions for an insider in this world, John Carter: 'The wand chooses the wizard', this is the motto of our family business; unlike other manufacturers, our family focuses on spirituality and compatibility between the wizard and the wand."

"I understand, so I gather that the wands you sell will make the wearer able to use magic, empower it and and prevent other wizards from using it, right?"

"More or less, my wands only recognize one owner in their lifetime; this kind of bond, between wizard and wand will grow over time, facilitating and empowering the incantations the wizard performs. Using an incompatible wand, or someone else's, will only limit the wizard's growth and even weaken their incantations."

"Wait, so the wand has life too, or some kind of spirituality?" he asked in amazement.

"That's a secret each wizard has to discover for himself, John Carter," he replied with an enigmatic smile, "though of course, there is one wand in particular that meets your criteria, and that is the legendary elder wand, which chooses as its bearers the most powerful wizards."

John was silent; the mention of the elder wand got him thinking, if he remembered correctly, the name of that wand was in Luna's favorite book.

If Luna were a witch, would he still treat her as he always did? John felt conflicted at the thought; he still wasn't completely over his hatred of magic or wizards.

He could hide those feelings from people like Professor McGonagall or the wizards he had met today, but that was because they had no familiarity with him. Luna was different.

Although the time he had known Luna was quite short, it was more than enough time for someone extremely perceptive like her to know him almost perfectly. From his lies, his low moods, and his desires and feelings, Luna seemed to have known him all his life.

That's why he was terrified inside; if Luna was a witch, and he unconsciously manifested a single ripple of contempt, disdain or hatred towards her, he would end up hurting her and, probably, driving her away from him.

With trembling hands, he drank some coffee with milk. He could only pray that among all the books that Mundungus would get him, that book would not be there.

His worries were interrupted by a shout of joy, looking up, he noticed that Harry had finally gotten his own wand. From what he heard, it was a holly wood wand with a phoenix feather core.

The next thing that aroused his vigilance, was that the old man began to tell Harry that this wand and Voldemort's wand shared a close relationship, being sister wands.

Listening to him, he couldn't help but remember the stories Grímhildr told at night, when they were deployed.

If he followed the narrative pattern she managed, then Harry and Voldemort would fight to the death in the near future.

Looking at the boy, who had gone from happiness to sadness, he couldn't help but squeeze his thermos tightly. They could both be considered the same type of people, so after regaining his ability to control his aura, he would seriously consider the option of training Harry. Whether he chose the path of revenge or the path of a normal life, it was all Harry's choice.

The selection of Lily's wand took much longer, so much so that even Harry fell asleep from boredom. John, for his part, was still watching the whole process, alert for any eventuality.

At that moment, the kitten entered the store, looking inside curiously, in search of his mistress, whom he saw on the verge of crying while holding a wooden stick in her hand, he didn't understand what she was trying to do, so curious, he approached the nearest shelf and threw all the boxes it had.

"Devourer of Darkness! No!" she shouted in fright as she saw the rain of wands falling to the floor.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ollivander, I'll pay for all the damage that cat does," said Harry, half asleep, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up faster.

"I doubt that will be necessary; that little cat has taught me something rather interesting," he replied with a smile, looking at Lily, who, in a panic, picked up the wands with both hands, and then, placed them as best she could in their respective boxes. "Miss Lily, let me show you a first glimpse of how wonderful magic is."

Before Lily's astonished eyes, the old man waved his wand and immediately the whole mess seemed to turn back time, and within seconds, the bookshelf was back to its original appearance.

"Amazing!" said Lily, clapping her hands in utter excitement.

"More amazing your case, if my hypothesis ever succeeds, Miss Lily."

Before the astonished eyes of the three children, Ollivander pulled out two wands and placed them in both of Lily's hands.

"Try it now," he said with an excited expression.

Lily nodded, noting with happiness, a subtle resonance with them.

"I feel like I'm becoming much closer to these wands, Mr. Ollivander."

"Interesting, it seems that hypothesis was true, but it still needs some fine tuning."

Thereupon, the wand selection unfolded again, and a couple of hours later, they finally finished.

Lily happily held a fir wand with a thunderbird tail feather core in her right hand, and a blackthorn wand with a thestral heartstring core in her left hand.

"Miss Lily, take both wands as a gift from me for pioneering something never before seen. I look forward to hearing of your exploits; now, if I may, I have a few things to discuss alone with John Carter."

The two boys looked at John, who motioned for them to leave.