In the Eyes of the Beholder

Summer had flown by in a relatively short period of time. The Burrow had been home for the last two weeks as Hermione, Harry, and Ron prepared for their last year at Hogwarts. They were in Diagon Ally, more precisely the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes when chaos ensued.

“ FRED WEASLEY!” yelled Mrs. Weasley, “ If I notice you or your brother selling illegal things to little children, I will drag you through the street by your ears! You mark my words! George! GEORGE! Where are you! Just you wait till your father gets back!”

She marched up to the counter, dragging a five year old boy who had turned remarkably green and was on the verge of massive waterworks.

Fred grinned sheepishly, turning to look at the boy who was slowly inflating. “I told you not to eat that,” he lied unconvincingly.

“I want – my – MOMMA!” the little boy yelled.

“Wait! Wait! I know I have the antidote here somewhere!” Fred yelled above the wailing child, fumbling around the counter.

Harry noticed the other unfortunate twin attempting to sneak into the back room. He gave Hermione and Ron a nudge and pointed towards where George was attempting his escape. All three attempted to hide their amusement behind their hands, unsuccessfully, as a renegade Wildfire Whiz-bang made contact with George’s head.

“Ow! Bugger” yelled George, causing a very angry Molly Weasley to turn on her heels dragging along a very inflated, green boy.

“I wan-my-Momma!” yelled the little boy as he approached a very Dudley-like appearance.

“GEORGE WEASLEY! How DARE you ignore your mother!” she yelled at her miscreant son, and then attempted to calm the little boy, “Shh dear, we will get you fixed in no time. Don’t worry! Fred, do something!”

“Here, little boy. Try this.” He said, popping an orange gummy into the boy’s mouth, which he then proceeded to choke on.

George entered behind the boy, still clutching his head, and lifted the inflating boy upside-down by his leg.

“George! What in the devil’s name are you doing? Put that boy down at once!”

George put the boy down, backing away sheepishly. The boy swallowed and was quiet.

“See, Mum? Problem solved!”

“Good going, George. I always thought you had the brains in the family. Bet Prefect Percy couldn’t do that!” Fred grinned.

Both Fred and George high-fived.

“What do you mean ‘Problem solved’? The boy is still green and almost the size of a cauldron!” Which, in fact, was true, seeing how the little boy was larger than Uncle Vernon.

“Well, at least he isn’t yelling now.” The boy attempted to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he decided to silently yell. A young woman dashed between the aisles, and started yelling “my baby, my poor baby,” only causing the little boy to become more hysterical.

“Wow, I think that is the fattest we have ever gotten one of them!”

“FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY! TURN THAT POOR BOY BACK BEFORE I GROUND YOU UNTIL YOU BOTH ARE THIRTY AND FEED YOU THROUGH A HOLE IN THE WALL!”

“Alright, Alright, keep your hair on woman!” said George, handing the little boy the proper antidote, “there now, it’s okay, you should only be green for another half an hour, but at least you can get through the door! There is a good lad. That’s right, chew it all.”

“George,” his mother prodded, “give the boy back his voice.”

“Aww. Are you sure? He sounds so much better this way!”

“George!”

“Okay, Okay!” He handed the little boy a small vile, which the mother tipped into the boy’s mouth. Sure enough, the wailing returned.

“Madam! You will do well to keep your children under control,” huffed the boy’s mother, giving each twin a hard look before walking out the door, the small, wailing, green boy in tow.

The three had kept silent this entire time, but they now howled with laughter. Most of the customers who saw the episode joined in as well. Fred and George both chimed in, and even Mrs. Weasley gave her little bell-like laugh.

“Well, you three have had your fun, and you should finish shopping now. I will meet you all at The Leaky Cauldron in a half hour. I am going to help Ginny with her new robes. Who would have guessed girls grew that fast.” She scurried out of the shop.

“Wait, Harry and Hermione,” called George.

“We have presents for you,” continued Fred.

“Just as long as you don’t tell Mum, mind you” finished Fred.

“Oi! Don’t I get anything?” complained Ron.

“No,” replied the twins together.

“Here, Hermione,” said George, pulling out a small heart-shaped bottle. “Love potion, newest one we have. I saw you eying it before. Pretty little thing right? Don’t worry, I don’t think you’ll need to use it. Just be careful if you do, eh?”

“ Thank you, George. It’s wonderful!” she said taking the little bottle in her hands.

“And now for you, Harry,” said Fred, pulling out a pair of glasses that looked exactly like
Harry’s did. He handed Harry the pair.

“Thanks, Fred. Uh, what exactly do they do?”

“We aren’t sure yet”

“But we’ll tell you when we know!” finished George.

“Thanks, I think”

“No problem, mate”

The three left the store, Ron still sulking at his bothers’ treatment. The streets were still bustling, like they had been every year, but it seemed happier. A heavy weight had been lifted off the entire world, but the new freedom was so unexpected, people were unsure of what to do with it. But, like always, there were boys surrounding the Quality Quidditch Supplies, wistfully wishing for the new Firebolt 3000, and a scurry of first years going into Madam
Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and of course Hermione heading, once again, into Flourish and Blotts. The other two groaned inwardly.

“What does she need more books for? Hasn’t she read the entire library by now?” said Ron to Harry as they ran after their friend.

“Hush up Ron, I just want the new edition of Advanced Potions. They say it has the Albartrez potion.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a potion that prevents you from being tired. I think it might be useful since the N.E.W.T.s are coming up. We need at least five ‘Exceeds Expectations’ to qualify for Auror, remember? And with Head duties, who knows how much time I will have!”

She ran into the bookstore before seeing either one of them roll their eyes, and emerged after five minutes with three packages under her arm.

“I have to head to Ollivanders now, since Bellatrix snapped my wand. Where are you two off to?” she asked.

They both look at each other and informed her slyly that they were going to meet her at The Leaky Cauldron with the rest of the Weasleys once she was done.

---
Hermione saw the gold letters twinkling in the afternoon sun. Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Her own wand had so many memories, good ones like showing her parents what she had learned or transfiguring the match into a needle well before any student even learned the incantation. But it also had bad memories, like Bellatrix torturing her with her own wand, and fighting off the dementors. It breaking had felt as if she had lost an appendage, like she was standing naked at the edge of her death. And, she refused to continue using that evil woman’s wand.

A little bell trilled above her head when she entered the store. It was dark, like it had been the first time she had been there, but it was less daunting than before. She knew how capable a witch she was, even though she was unsure of how capable a person she was. The war had left her feeling empty, with the blood of many on her hands. She felt unsure of how she would handle normalcy when all of her life had been about battles. She could still laugh, but she felt that it rang in an empty hole in her chest.

Her friendship with Ron had held her steady through all those years, but in her hollow heart she knew that it wouldn’t ever be more than friendship. Ron and Harry were the only two people in the world whose friendship she cherished so much that she refused to endanger it with the possibility of anything more. She loved them. Just as much as she loved her family.

“Ahh, Ms. Granger. I thought I would be seeing you here,” Mr. Ollivander said in his raspy tone, as the infamous tape measure jumped off the front desk and started measuring the length of Hermione’s hair.

“Hello, Mr. Ollivander. My wand snapped during the battle. I also thought I should return this to you.” Hermione pulled out Bellatrix’s wand and handed it to him.

“Ahh, 12¾" walnut wood, with a dragon heartstring core. Powerful wand. Didn’t it belong to Mrs. Lestrange? Yes, I do believe it did. Ahh, terrible things it did in the hands of that woman, but it was her perfect match. After all, it is the wand that chooses the wizard.” He placed the wand on his desk. “And haven’t you changed yourself, Ms. Granger? Your own, 10¾" vine wood, with a dragon heartstring core wouldn’t work as well for you now, would it? Oh, what a fine woman you have become. The most intelligent of your generation, so I hear. And to think, I sold you your first wand.”

He looked at Hermione, who was now being measured between her eyeballs. Hermione tried to swat the tape measure off, but it soon returned, now trying to measure the width of her fingernails.

“Ah, well, I think that is enough for now.” He said, causing the tape measure to fall to the floor. He disappeared between the shelves, returning with only one box. “Try this one, 11” rosewood, with a unicorn hair core. I daresay you will find it to your pleasing.”

Immediately after she touched the wand, Hermione felt warmth suffuse throughout her body, making her feel calm and confident. Hermione cast a silent spell and the tip of the wand burst into light.

“How did you know?” she asked the mysterious old man as she paid for the wand.

“Well my dear, it’s an age old principle. Opposites attract. And if I may say so, you have a very interesting year ahead of you.”