It had taken a lot of convincing to get Stephanie and Gerald to believe that Julian really was a wizard. They were still skeptical, but they agreed to him going to Hogwarts in September and they were allowing him to go with Professor Sprout to Diagon Alley.

In fact, Professor Sprout was to arrive soon. Any minute. She was already late, as it was, though she had said that she wasn't exactly sure on her timing due to 'unfit means of travel'.

Julian really wasn't expecting her to show up in just a regular car. He was expecting something more exciting. He had no idea how wizards and witches usually travelled, but imagined that it had to be something other than just a regular car.

There was a knock on the door and Julian raced down the stairs to get it. He practically flew, and maybe it was the magic in him that stopped him from falling. At least, that's what he liked to tell himself.

"Professor Sprout!" Julian exclaimed as he opened the door, a bright smile on his face. She looked equally as excited to see him, though was glancing around for his parents that were nowhere to be found.

"Oh, they're off at a friends," he explained. "So, are we gonna go?"

"Of course. Have you got everything you need?"

"What do I need?"

"Just yourself, I suppose."

So they were off. Well, they were off somewhere, soon to be off the road, that is. After struggling to start the car, Professor Sprout proceeded to swerve all over the road, causing a whole slew of cars driving in the other direction to honk their horns.

"Oh!" Sprout cried. "They are quite rude, aren't they?"

"Umm." He didn't know what to say. She really was a terrible driver.

"I'm not really used to this." He could tell. "I didn't want to travel by broom or apparate when I knew you had only just found out about the wizarding world yesterday. It's a lot to take in all at once."

Julian had no idea what apparating was, but He'd have been glad to fly above everyone else on a broomstick, looking down at them instead of up for once in his life. It was one of the disadvantages of being short.

The entire ride there he watched out the window as if he was seeing everything for the first time. There was now this rift dividing his life — what he had before he knew that he was a wizard his life now, after having this knowing. Now, there only seemed to be the after part, painting everything in his life in a new light.

The trees seemed to be greener than before, and the cloudy weather excited him rather than depressed him. He almost had this urge to find his bullies and apologize to them, though he had no idea why.

It wasn't before long before they arrived. Being from London himself, he recognized the bustling street filled with small dumpy looking shops. He didn't see how he could get anything he needed here.

Julian checked his list again, just to be sure. Looking around, there seemed to be nowhere that would sell a wand, and he couldn't imagine any bookstore selling spell-books. And that was only part of the list.

"Is this like the movies?" Julian asked Professor Sprout. "Will the bookcases open up and reveal hidden rooms? Are there secret passages?"

Pomona grinned slyly. "I guess you could say so."

He followed her to the shabby, tiny pub. It seemed hardly noticeable even to him, and the passing muggles didn't even spare it a glance. He had to wonder if they even saw it there at all.

He really didn't see Professor Sprout as the drinking type, but he'd have to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe this was the secret passage. Perhaps through these doors was the wand shop, the part that Julian was the most excited for.

The inside looked just as bad as the outside, if not even worse. Though the place was dark, dingy, and smelled bad, he was distracted by all the strange looking people. They were dressed similar to Professor Sprout, with robes and pointy hats and the likes. Most looked a little less friendly, but he could see that these were her, or as he should now say, their people.

Other than saying a few quick hellos, they went straight through the bar and out into a small courtyard. Professor Sprout took out her wand, and again Julian watched in awe as she tapped a brick with the end of it three times.

At first, nothing happened, but then a hole appeared that expanded until it was big enough for them to walk through.

Julian's mouth hung open as he took in the scene. He didn't know where to look first because there was just so much to see.

Everything, even from the shapes of the buildings to the strange creatures kept in cages was otherworldly. It was one thing to accept that this world existed, but another thing entirely once he actually saw it.

It was almost like he had stepped into someone else's life, or rather an actual fairytale. Nothing about this felt real to him, and he was sure that if he just pinched himself hard enough he'd probably wake up.

The thing was, he didn't want to.

He took a deep breath and followed Professor Sprout onward, stepping into the unknown. He didn't want my dreamlike state to end, and for whatever reason, it appeared that it wasn't going to be over just yet.

"We'll have to go to Gringotts first," she said. "Then I suppose you'll probably want to get a wand."

"Gringotts?"

"The bank! Sometimes I forget that there's some who know nothing..."

Julian knew that she hadn't meant for it to sound rude, but it still caused him to feel a pang in his chest. Truth be told, it was hard not to feel like an outsider when all around
him everyone went on about their business, as if this were just a regular day — and he supposed it was — while he really had no clue what was going on.

The trip to Gringotts passed by in a blur for Julian. It was one part of the trip that he certainly wouldn't remember hardly at all as the years went by. He was so distracted that he didn't even notice the goblins that ran the place until they were standing before the desk, the stern-looking greyish guy staring down at him as if he were gum on the bottom of his shoe. Sure, he had startled Julian, but more so because of the contempt he seemed to be displaying. But Julian could have been wrong. Maybe he just hated his job.

Professor Sprout had given him an enormous stack of books about the wizarding world before she left after her first visit. Having nothing else to do, he skimmed through most of the pile, trying his best to immerse himself into the world before being thrown headfirst into it. It proved to be slightly successful. The goblins were an easier sight to take in, especially with the thought of getting a wand on the forefront of his mind.

"So where am I getting all this money from, again?" he had asked, just before they had taken that stomach-dropping journey through the underground of Gringotts.

"Why, your parents, of course," she had explained. "They were quite well off. Even with two of you, you needn't have to worry for a long while."

Harry. It was weird to hear him brought up again and again, and yet Julian really had no idea who he was. They were brothers, but those were just words. Somehow, it was much harder to accept that he had a brother than to accept he was a wizard.

And that was another thing. His family. No one seemed able to sit him down and tell him the bloody truth about who he was. They must've thought a simple, 'here, you have a brother, oh and your parents died to protect him' sufficed. He wanted to know who they really were.

Wondering about his birth parents hadn't been something he did much, assuming that whoever they were hadn't wanted him anyhow. He wouldn't allow himself to worry about the people that gave him away. However, now he knew differently and he found that he wanted to know all about who his parents were. If no one could tell him anything about them, at the very least he wanted to know about Harry, who was still alive and well. Why they were keeping Julian from his brother, he had no idea, but it frustrated him to no end.

He really was hoping to get to meet him before he started at Hogwarts, but it hardly seemed likely. His parents weren't inclined to let him out of their sight, and every time he asked Professor Sprout about it she just waved him off. There seemed to be something much bigger that he wasn't understanding, but whatever it was, he couldn't understand how it could prevent him from seeing his own brother.

They had already been separated all these years, all the while there were clearly people out there who knew who Julian was, and the fact that he was Harry's brother. He thought, just because of that, he deserved an entire lifetime to spend with his brother.

They left Gringotts shortly afterward, Julian all the more richer. His pockets were filled with these strange coins — galleons, sickles, and knuts. Sprout explained what each was worth, but he was hardly paying attention anymore as soon as he saw the sign for Ollivander's, the wand shop.

Julian shoved through the bustling crowd, his excitement trumping any sense of civility. This was it, what solidified him being a wizard once and for all. Of course, he couldn't exactly do anything with it yet, Professor Sprout had told him as much, but September really wasn't so far away.

Inside, there were shelves filled and stacked with boxes upon boxes presumably containing wands, just waiting to find their master. It seemed as though the shop contained more wands than the owner could ever hope to possibly sell.

Professor Sprout took a seat on a chair of splitting upholstery, but Julian could hardly keep still. The shopkeeper was nowhere to be seen, and slowly he stepped forward to take one of the long, skinny boxes but a voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't touch that," said the soft voice, but yet with such authority that it startled him and he took a cautious step back.

He was an old man, one that hardly looked like he could stop Julian from grabbing one of those boxes if he tried. Though, Julian suppose he had one thing that he himself was lacking, or two, you could say, if you counted years of wizarding education.

"I know who you are," the man said, and it was safe to assume that he was the renowned Mr. Ollivander. "You're the Potter. Not the famous one. No — the other one."

"The other one". So it seemed that's all he was. Even in just the short amount of time since discovering this whole new world he had heard a great deal about this famous boy who lived. Though, it was the same thing repeated over and over again. As a baby he had defeated Voldemort, and had even survived. As for Julian. apparently no one really knew he existed. Well, one step at a time he supposed.

"Let's see what I can do for you."

And then Mr. Ollivander disappeared. Julian heard the faint sound of rummaging somewhere behind him, and had to wonder what he could possibly be looking for. It all seemed the same to him, whichever wand he grabbed.

He wondered — the whole thing about the wand choosing the wizard. He had heard that too, though had nearly forgotten. If all wands looked different he would much rather like to choose the coolest one. And how could a wand choose you? How would you know?

Well, he suppose this Mr. Ollivander did know. It was his job, after all.

"It was only just a few days ago..." Julian heard him mutter to himself. "I know I couldn't have misplaced it. Curious, very curious indeed."

Julian didn't dare to inquire what was curious. Ever since Professor Sprout had shown up on his doorstep his whole life had been rather curious.

Finally, Ollivander returned carrying one of those long, skinny boxes, looking rather unsure of himself. He lifted the lid off and his arm was hesitant as he held it out for Julian to take a look.

"Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Why don't you give it a wave?"

And so Julian took it, a little hesitant himself. Mr. Ollivander's attitude towards the whole thing was not leaving him in the least bit assured.

The wand seemed to glow, but maybe that was just his imagination. But he really didn't think he imagined the sensation of warmth that spread from his arm to the rest of his body. It just felt right. Was this what it meant for the wand to choose the wizard?

When it gave it a little wave a few sparks few, but it was nowhere near as disastrous as he imagined it would be.

Mr. Ollivander seemed to have a permanent frown and set to his jaw. "I suppose that's the one," he said.

"Why don't you seem happy?" Julian couldn't help but ask. "Isn't it your job to find the right wand for everyone?"

"Yes, but—" he hesitated. "Usually it doesn't happen on the first go. It's just a little odd, is all. Nothing to worry about."

Odd, maybe, but Julian thought pretty lucky. It saved him from all the anticipation, at any rate.

The rest of the day really was like walking in a dream. It was one that he wished he could hold onto forever, but surely in the morning it would already all be a blur.

Though there was one last thing that happened that day that rather excited him, at least, excited him almost as much as getting his wand did.

One of their stops was Flourish and Blotts, where he was to get all the books he needed for school. While Professor Sprout gathered everything that he would need, Julian found himself wandering around the store.

There were all sorts of strange titles, such as How to Train Your Crup Pup and The Tales of Beetle the Bard. It wasn't those that caught his eyes, though. It was when he saw his own name on the spine of one of the books that he froze in place, his heart rate increasing.

"The Impossible Tale of Julian Potter," he whispered to himself. "That's me!"

He didn't hesitate to take the book from the shelf. He stared at at for a long moment, at the midnight blue cover that featured a cat. He was confused, when he thought surely that he was unimportant – just another wizard in a whole world of them. One, he fancied, that people didn't even know about. He had seen Harry's name countless times in books about the wizarding world, but never once was his own name mentioned. It left him to assume much, but the fact that he was holding this book in his hand proved everything he thought before was wrong.

A story. All about him. Maybe, once and for all, he'd get all the answers that he was searching for.

**

A/n: I apologize if there's any use of personal pronouns. This was previously written in first person, so I may have missed something.