Chapter 14: The Early Bird
[September, 1987]
It was a grim year for the muggles of Great Britain. The cold war had devoid them of most of the resources, their average employment rate fell and the mortality rate skyrocketed. However, for the wizarding world, the scenario was entirely different.
Due to the war, wizards managed to increase their sales of potions and firearms by a significant amount. And while it was illegal for the wizarding world to interfere with the muggles, there were countless businesses running in the shadows that alone made profits worth a city. And thanks to their veil, they managed to stay safe and away from the destruction of the war.
Yet amidst the chaos of the war, there was a serene and happy environment surrounding the Ancestral Home of the Ollivanders. Today was a special day, with the organization of a massive celebration for the heir of the family.
"Ian, are you ready yet?" Garrick called for his nephew, wondering if the youngster was ready for the day.
But the boy had been busy with something else.
Inside his newly painted room, Ian had been grinding for his progress. He had stayed up the entire night to quickly breeze through the remainder of the quest. And after a few hours of hard work, he had succeeded.
<Behaviour of a Royal: Completed>
He dropped onto his bed, tired from all the information that he had to cram.
<Reward: Warlock's Charm Potion Recipe (Obtained)>
<Chapter Two: Etiquette and Mannerism (Completed)>
After the quest completion, he wanted nothing but a bit of sleep, which unfortunately for him wasn't possible.
"Ian?"
He sighed as he heard his uncle calling him.
"Just a minute, uncle."
He took a deep breath, being fully aware that today was an important day and a single slip-up could cost him a lot.
It was his birthday.
18th September.
And it was a day when his social connections would be built.
'Alright… I am going to do this.'
…
…
Today was a sad day for Garrick. He was anxious as the feeling of guilt started to well up inside his heart. The day he should have been joyful was the day he felt pain.
He was using his nephew's birthday as an excuse for increasing their family's reach. And while Ian didn't seem to mind it, Garrick did.
'But there is no other choice.'
He knew how bad of a situation their family was in. And today was the perfect opportunity to regain what they once had —connections.
Despite the guilt, a smile grew on his face as he saw the neatly dressed Ian struggling to fix his hair. The boy had recently gotten a haircut, trimming off all the long hair which left him with medium yet clean-looking hair.
He was dressed in a french tailored coat which the boy said was unnecessary but Garrick thought it was best to go all out for the day.
"It looks like a few heiresses would be falling for a certain someone today." He joked, getting Ian's attention.
"Not funny." The heir frowned, still annoyed at being unable to fix his hair.
Chuckling at the scenario, Garrick went inside. "So, are you ready for the event?"
"Ummm… I think so."
Ian was nervous and Garrick knew that. It was a big event, the entire mansion was cleaned and decorated making the place shine and shimmer.
"Don't be too stressed, you just focus on enjoying your day." Garrick assured. "I will handle the rest."
The boy wasn't convinced but he nodded nonetheless. "Alright, I will try."
But just as they were talking, a maid came to inform Garrick about a guest's arrival.
"Lord Ollivander…" She said a bit anxiously. "A certain someone wants to see you."
"This early?" He was curious, there were still hours before the start of the event and for someone to be this early, they must have had a good reason. "Did you happen to get their name?"
The maid looked a bit anxious as she nodded. "I-I- Yes." She said, making Garrick curious as to who got her so tensed. She went close to him, leaning towards his ear as she told him the person's name.
"What?" Garrick was stunned, someone unexpected had made their appearance.
"I will be there in a minute." He said. "Keep her entertained till then."
"Is it someone I should be looking out for, uncle?"
Garrick looked at Ian for a second and smiled. "You know… just come with me."
…
…
And he did come with him, but he wasn't sure if he was liking the environment.
Ian was both amazed and nervous to see the person that was waiting.
"I wish you a happy birthday, Ian."
Ian nodded as he heard the person wish, "Thank you, Hannah."
It surprised him a little that the first to arrive would be Hannah Abbott. But that was not what made him nervous, instead seeing her made him a bit happy.
What had him nervous was the woman sitting beside Hannah.
"You have grown a lot, Ian."
It was a mature voice, feminine but a bit hoarse as if the person was used to yelling.
"The last time I saw you, you were still wetting your bed."
Ian blushed a little but before he could say anything, his uncle intervened.
"That's understandable considering you visited over nine years ago…" Garrick sounded bitter, but he showed no emotions. "Yet I do appreciate your visit, Andrea."
The woman sat calmly with a small smile on her face. "It's already been over nine years, huh?" She chuckled a little as she looked at Garrick. "But I am glad to see that you are doing well, Garrick."
Ian patiently listened to their conversation but Hannah didn't seem that interested, noticing which, Andrea laughed.
"Well, it seems like I have yet to wish you, Ian." She said as she took out a small box and gave it to him. "Happy birthday. It's something that Hannah prepared herself."
This made the Abbott heiress blush. "Auntie!"
'Auntie…' Ian had a hunch who the person was but Hannah's little outburst confirmed the person's identity for him.
He looked at Garrick who nodded in return.
'Andrea Abbott… of the ministry.' Ian understood why his uncle was so stressed.
'If I remember correctly, she holds quite a lot of power in the ministry of magic and it seems like she knows my uncle.'
But that didn't surprise him much. It was understandable as both of them were part of the Sacred Twenty Eight, which meant they had met each other in the past.
Ian made sure not to offend the woman, so he gave her a little bow as he took the gift.
"It's an honour to meet you, Lady Abbott."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Well mannered, you have been training your nephew well, Garrick."
"Well mannered he is." Garrick said proudly. "But it is all his work, not mine."
Ian noticed that Hannah was a bit displeased at not being given enough attention and this was something that her aunt noticed as well.
"Why don't you two kids go and play?" She said, smiling at them both. "I hope you wouldn't mind showing my niece around, Ian?"
Ian immediately shook his head. "I won't. I would love to show her around." He smiled. "Let's go, Hannah. There is a lot to look around in the Ollivander's mansion."
"Sure."
Leaving the adults on their own, Ian decided to take Hannah with him. He heard his uncle and Hannah's aunt whispering something about the Black family but he didn't pay much attention to it.
"You have a beautiful house." Hannah complimented. "It might be even bigger than ours."
To Ian, this was no surprise. The Ollivanders were a house of business which meant they racked in money more than any of the other Sacred Twenty Eight. And while a lot would say that the Blacks were the richest, Ian knew that it just wasn't true. The Ollivanders' fortune was far greater than anyone could even fathom, but it was their habit of spending only the required amount that made others think of them as one of the less wealthier families.
However, Ian didn't comment on that. Instead all he said was a —"Thank You."
As they walked through the corridor, Ian said to Hannah. "I am glad for the letters you send."
Hannah halted her steps at the random display of gratitude. However, she couldn't say that she didn't like it.
"You too." She said as she continued to walk next to him.
They passed through many rooms as Ian explained to her about them as well as the history of most of the stuff in them. Hannah was impressed by the stories and the fact that Garrick had gathered all those valuables through his trades.
They both figured that their likes were quite similar as the two seemed to prefer solace in solitary rather than loud company. Both were interested in history as well as ancient magic however Ian soon discovered the point where their views diverged.
"I plan to be a well-established witch capable of helping the muggles and magical beings alike." She said proudly. "With the help of my family fortune and name, I can do a lot of good deeds."
Ian raised an eyebrow. "What if you had to sacrifice your family's wealth for it?"
"I don't plan to harm my family in any way… however, if a bit of sacrifice can help the unfortunate… Then I don't mind." She said which made Ian frown a little.
A year ago, Ian would have said the same, his goals were still the same —to become someone established and to do good for the wizarding world. However, as he learnt about the world and about politics from his uncle… he understood one thing.
'Family always comes first. It is only possible to change the world in the current time if you have enough political and economical backing. One person can do a lot however if that person has a good family that is above the rest, he can do a lot more.'
Ian had absolutely no intention of causing any disadvantage to his family. His goal was to become a wizard that could change the world, revolutionise it, however his goal was also to make the house of Ollivander the greatest house in wizarding history.
And he was going to make sure that it happened.
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[[A/N: Pardon my tardiness, but I had a rough day. A bit exhausted both mentally and physically, so the latter part of the chapter is a bit rushed. I will fix it later on, when I get back to fixing the old chapters. Till then, hope you enjoy the chapter.
Discord Link: https://discord.gg/jFAjqKhXna ]]
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