~ 5th June, 1991 ~

It had been mine and Draco's birthday for almost twelve hours. So far, I'd spent the whole time in my room, doing the sort of things I would do on any other day. I didn't particularly like my birthday; mostly because, like all 'special occasions', it meant walking on eggshells around Father for far longer than I usually had to.

Without warning, the door to my room flew open, and I quickly turned to face in that direction, my heart pounding.

"Dora! Father says you've got to come downstairs now so we can go to get our wands!"

I relaxed slightly as I realised it was only Draco. He had a large badge pinned to his clothes, which showed cartoonish bits of confetti constantly falling down in front of the words '11 today'.

"Alright. I'll be downstairs soon," I said, a spark of excitement lighting inside me despite my neutrality about my birthday. A wand. I'd wanted one of those for as long as I could remember.

"I'd suggest hurrying."

With those words, Draco turned and left, closing the door again behind him. I went to the hook next to my dressing table and took down the clothes Father had picked out for me to wear — a green dress, a white cardigan, a pair of white shoes with a small high heel, and a ring that I loathed with all of my being.

The ring had been passed down from mother to daughter for more generations than anyone could remember, going from family to family as each daughter married a 'respectable Pureblood husband' and changed her surname to match his. Because of my hatred of the life Father had got planned for me, I only wore the ring when I absolutely had to.

After getting dressed and slipping the ring onto my finger, I hurried downstairs. Draco's words had let me know that Father wasn't in a very good mood, so I didn't want to do anything to anger him.

"Pandora, finally," Father said impatiently when I walked into the living room.

I curtseyed, as he expected me to, and gave a quiet apology for taking so long. He acknowledged this with a curt nod.

"Narcissa, get the Floo powder."

Mother did so, and we all took a handful of it. The glittering powder felt soft but itchy in my hand, and I started moving my hand around a bit, trying to find a way that it felt comfortable.

Father went through the Floo first, then Draco. Both of them threw their powder down and said clearly, "Diagon Alley," before stepping into the fireplace and disappearing in a roaring tower of harmless green flames. I did the same a few seconds after Draco had vanished from view.

"Diagon Alley!"

It was a horrible feeling, like being sucked down a giant plughole. I was spinning very fast, making sure to keep my elbows tucked in and my eyes closed tight until I felt the rush of cold air that told me I had arrived. Thankful that I'd finally stopped spinning, I opened my eyes and stepped out of the fireplace, allowing a small smile to appear as I saw the familiar interior of the Leaky Cauldron.

"I'm never going to get used to that," I mumbled to Draco.

Mother appeared next to us a moment later, the charms on this particular Floo fireplace vanishing the soot from her as soon as she stepped out of it.

"Right," Father said, as we walked out to the small area that contained the hidden entrance to Diagon Alley. "I have some business to attend to. Narcissa, I need those items brought up from the Gringotts vault. Draco, Pandora, go to Ollivander's and purchase your wands. After that, you are free to go to other shops and purchase anything else you want for your birthday presents."

He handed Draco a satchel, which I knew had a direct link to the family vault — anyone who legally had access to the vault was able to take Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts out (or put them in) via the satchel. It meant we only ever had to go into Gringotts itself if, like today, something other than money needed to be taken out.

"You are not to spend ridiculous sums of money on things," Father added, though all four of us knew he was solely talking to me, not to Draco. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father," I said softly.

With my reply, Father took out his wand and tapped the brick that would open up the entranceway to Diagon Alley. I watched it happen, feeling as awed as I had the very first time I'd seen it.

When we entered Diagon Alley, Father immediately walked away in the direction of Knocturn Alley, the place full of shady shops full of Dark artefacts and other illegal goods. Mother walked with Draco and I until we reached Gringotts. She entered, and Draco and I turned right to go down to Ollivander's.

"I can't believe we're finally getting wands!" Draco said excitedly as we walked.

"I know! I thought we might have to wait until we got our Hogwarts letters," I said, just as excited as he was. "Imagine — that would've been two whole months longer to wait!"

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of Ollivander's wand shop as we entered. It was a small shop, made even smaller by the thousands of narrow wand boxes piled neatly all the way up to the ceiling. The magic in the air made the back of my neck prickle.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice.

I flinched and took a slight step backwards as an old man appeared seemingly from nowhere, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop. I guessed this was Mr Ollivander himself.

"Draco and Pandora Malfoy," he said, seeming to size us both up. "You have come to buy your wands?"

"No, we wanted new robes, that's why we came to the wand shop," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"Dray, seriously..." I muttered, elbowing him in the ribs.

Ollivander shook his head. "Not to worry, Miss Malfoy — I dare say such an obvious question deserves such a sarcastic answer."

He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket, turning to Draco.

"Well, now — Mr Malfoy, we shall start with you. Which is your wand arm?"

"My right," Draco said confidently.

"Hold out your arm. That's it."

Ollivander unravelled the tape measure, and it started to measure Draco on its own — from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and around his head. As it did this, Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are the same. And, of course, you will never get such good results with another witch or wizard's wand."

The tape measure was now measuring between Draco's nostrils. I stifled a giggle.

"That will do," Ollivander said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr Malfoy. Try this one."

***
Word count: 1215