Ollivanders and Our First Wands

Isn't the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about wizardry a wand? That wooden stick that is in the middle of all the action, that CAUSES the action in fact. It's funny what a piece of wood can do. To me all the wand-waving in Harry Potter is really impressive. On our previous trips to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida I found myself standing near the wands for sale and drooling over them. They were (in my opinion) an expensive investment. But oh my God wand!?!? Each year Abbie and I decided we wouldn't buy wands for ourselves, instead we'd buy other cool stuff that would be functional or at least displayable. Our most recent trip was special though. We were celebrating our graduations (me with a BS is Business Management and Abbie with a Masters in Human Resources .. yes, we graduated at the same time!) so this was the Great Grad Trip 2014-15! It was time when Abbie and I finally gave in to our wand cravings and decided we would totally buy our wands!  

This entry belongs to the Bestie Times and the Potterhead labels

I remember three years back when we had first visited the magical place in Florida. Abbie and I had stood in a pretty long line outside Ollivander's Wand Shop. The line was for the people who wanted to see the wand-choosing ritual. If you weren't interested in that, you could simply enter from the other door (the shop connects to Dervish and Banges .. more on that in another entry). Umm, of course we want to experience everything! The line had opened into a dim-lit shop. Oh cool, my camera is in night mode now. A man stood in front of us behind his desk and the more I looked around, the wider my eyes and jaw opened up.

Seriously?! How do they do those details so perfectly? The place was like walking into the Harry Potter movie, as if the Hogsmeade Village and the gorgeous Hogwarts Castle outside weren't already more than perfection. The man in front of us was clearly dressed up as Mr. Ollivander and was very seriously in his role-playing mode too.

Everywhere I looked there wands stacked one on top of the other, rather untidily, up till the ceilings! There were so many wands in their boxes around me I was going gaagaa. No matter how much I tried I couldn't crane my neck enough to see the very last wand near the ceiling, the shelves just went on and on and on. I wasn't alone (though clearly the most excited one in that shop because no body was jumping up and down) because they let you enter in groups of about a dozen people to view the wand-choosing. The wand-choosing is super cool. The man in front of us who was substituting for Mr. Ollivander introduced and welcomed us to the shop and then announced he would be picking one lucky person for the wand-choosing ceremony. Me! Please. Please, please, please. If I jump enough, if I play super excited, if I act all crazy will he notice? Of course he will. ME! Hello. No, that kid isn't even excited you kid-biased man. LOOK AT ME. Noooooooooooooo. Crap. Fine. I'll take pictures instead, boohoo! He picked a kid who seemed to be least interested in what was going on around him for the wand-choosing. First he measured his arm from various angles, then handed him random wands asking him to cast spells at something on the ceiling that I couldn't see from where I standing (now sulking at the kid-biased stupidity that had just happened). The first few wands went totally wrong as spells that were cast did not work fine. Then he handed him another wand and there was wind and lights. Why wasn't I chosen again, for this extremely awesome experience? That kid isn't even smiling, what is wrong with him. Is he even a fan or did his parents drag him here? Clearly he had found his wand, or rather the wand had chosen the wizard (or the stupid kid who is showing zero signs of happiness .. dude, at least pretend you're doing something extra ordinary!) and we were being directed to the shop's door; this one opened up to a shop that extended into Dervish and Banges. We were told we could purchase wands and other awesome stuff in the next shop, and the chosen wizard could buy his chosen wand with his name on the box if he liked. Yeah right you unexcited kid, I bet you'll buy your wand.

That's me near a wands display, holding up the Elder Wand to my forehead. Check my Gryffindor muffler out with the Potter badges (detailed pictures in another entry soon!)

 A random mention of Ollivander's Wand Shop at the newly opened Diagon Alley in Universal Studios, Orlando Florida.

BEHOLD ... Mine and Abbie's wands!

Our very first personal wands that are now a gorgeous part of our very gorgeous bookshelves!

Abbie and I lay ensconced in the comfort of our Cabana Bay Beach Resort's bed, thinking of which character's wand to buy. We wanted to buy somebody's who was a lead character. I was thinking Harry, Ron, or Hermione. Then Abbie thought Bellatrix and I continued to ponder over Dumbledore's Elder Wand. I had a mini replica (a pen version) of the Elder Wand back home so I thought whether a bigger an actual version was necessary or not. On New Year's Eve mama, Abbie, and I finally made our way to the shop to pick out our wands. We opened box after box of wands: Sirius Black, Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Bellatrix ..... none of them were doing the 'Aaaa ahhhhhhhh' starburst effect in our minds. At last we left the shop without wands, hoping we'd come back the next day with some discussion overnight leading to a decision and a mind make up. We didn't return home though, we proceeded towards Filch's Emporium and on our way we spotted a stall selling wands. They were the same wands obviously but they had displayed them. That is when Abbie and I saw them. Abbie, the lover of black, spotted Mrs. Malfoy's black and silver gorgeous wand. I spotted the unique boney looking pale wand and was delighted to see that it belonged to Voldemort! Aaaaah aaaaaaaaah! Starburst effect happening people.

Abbie's beautiful black and silver wand. This one was Narcissa Malfoy's.

My pale boney-looking wand. This belongs to the one and only He Must Not Be Named (who am I kidding, fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself! Super power mode!) Voldemort!

We wanted to buy somebody's wand who was the main character. What we didn't know was that we'd go and end up buying the main villains' wands! Uber cool sisters. Uber cool besties. Uber cool fans. Uber cool wands!