Déjà Vu [Harry Potter]

Chapter Two : Flourish and Blotts

Diagon Alley was the greatest thing Elias had ever seen after Hogwarts itself. The large street was full of magical shops of all kinds. He'd heard stories about the stores in Diagon Alley, but he had never been there. His father had always refused, telling him that only wizards belonged in such a place. But now, as he was about to become some kind of wizard as he was to work at Hogwarts, he could finally go to Diagon Alley.

Elias was smiling so hard it was starting to hurt his cheeks. He had the same expression as the eleven years old children that were passing by him to buy their first year supplies. Argus let him wander around the colorful shops, keeping a discreet eye out for him. It had only been half an hour since they'd arrived, but Elias still hadn't decided which shop he wanted to start with.

Elias put a hand on the quidditch store's window, admiring the new broom on display and the tiny golden snitch flying around. They had come early, so the shops weren't very full. Still, there were enough people so that Elias' excitement went unremarked.

"Do you think that I'd be able to ride a broom?" the young man asked his father excitedly. Argus frowned.

"Some sorcerers can't even lift a broom from the ground. Don't think you'd be a great flier," he replied. Elias nodded, disappointed but happy that his father was honest with him. He contemplated the shop another moment, wondering how exactly they kept the golden snitch flying in the air randomly on the other side of the window.

"I'm gonna go get some more money at the bank for your books, alright?" said Argus grumpily. "Go to Flourish and Blotts. I'll meet you there. Don't get lost."

"No, no..." Elias let the words trail off. He'd just noticed the wand shop.

He walked slowly to the dark blue building. "Ollivander's wand shop" was written on the façade in pretty cursive letters. A few wands were on display, others in their dark rectangular boxes. Elias gulped down. He'd never had a wand. When the normal kids got theirs at eleven, Elias had never received one, like his Hogwarts letter. But now... would things be different?

He sent a look inside the shop. There were two families waiting in line. If he went in, he wouldn't be noticed or on the spot. He just wanted to see a wand choose its sorcerer. Everyone always told such cool stories about it at Hogwarts! He was never sure if they were joking about it or if it was as amazing as they told it.

He hesitantly went inside. Elias had expected low lights, but the store was strangely warm and full of light. It was almost cozy. As he had expected, no one gave him a weird look. The young man smiled to himself and went to the nearest display. There were three wands: one was of a white as pure as snow. The other wand was weirdly large, as if an extremely tall person would wield it. The third one was of dark wood and looked quite ordinary.

Elias' finger itched, but he knew better than to touch a wand that wasn't his. Instead of his fingers, he let his eyes trail on the third wand, which was quite to his taste: dark, not too large, and elegant.

"Elias?" a voice asked behind him.

The young man jumped. He was relieved to see Marcus Flint, a Slytherin student which he had talked a few times at Hogwarts, in front of him. Well, relieved was a big word, as Marcus was not always nice to him, but at least it was not the Weasley twins.

"Hey," Elias replied with a small smile.

Marcus had a slight frown. He was no particularly good-looking, and his large stature was not to his advantage. It always frightened Elias a bit, but rarely did things get physical. Except that one time.

"What are you doing here?" Marcus asked with no malice in his voice, just honest surprise.

"What about you?" quickly replied Elias. He had no idea what to answer to his question. Tell him that he was going to Hogwarts? But Marcus already knew that he was a squib... he wouldn't take his words for granted.