Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Four*

"What are we doing in here?" Kefira questioned, but Severus continued walking doing his best to drown out all her questions.

She learned soon enough that Ollivanders, was a wand shop and she was there to find her first wand. Scooting closer to the professor's side to avoid hitting anything in the narrow shop, Kefira brushed up against Severus instantly making the man uncomfortable. She either ignored it or didn't care as he made a face before her eyes landed on a whimsical looking man.

"Hello there." the older man greeted her, his white hair all over the place making Kefira smile.

"Hi! I like your hair."

The man chuckled. "Thank you! I like yours too." he looked up to the professor. "Severus."

"We're here to get Miss Walsh here her wand."

"Your first wand, I presume?" the man said giving her his attention again.

"Yes!" 

"Good, I like your enthusiasm, Miss Walsh."

"You can just call me Kefira." she said.

"Nice to meet you, Kefira," he replied holding out his hand for her to shake. " Your name is quite lovely. I am Mr. Ollivander."

"I like your name too." she said grabbing his hand and giving it a serious shake.

Severus stood in the corner, impatiently waiting while the wand maker went back and forth trying to find the wand for the girl.

Kefira wandered around the shabby shop.

"Did you make all these wands?" Kefira asked.

"A lot of them, but I cannot take credit for all of them."Mr. Ollivander answered.

"May I ask how they work?"

"Of course you can."

Severus huffed under his breath, the wand maker loved to discuss how he made his wands, and Kefira had just opened up the discussion. They would be there all day.

Kefira learned how the magical energy in witches and wizards was channeled into their wands that they wielded.

She tried out several wands, the thin rods of wood felt odd in her hand and each time, Mr. Ollivander shook his head and nearly snatched it out of her hand.

The sounds of rummaging and mumbling could be heard coming from the back, Kefira turned Severus, skipping over to him.

"What's your wand made of?"

Peering down at her before looking away, Severus began to speak.

"Why do you care?" he asked her.

"Well, I don't really care, I was just curious," she said. "You know, you're really bad at keeping conversation."

"I hardly call this a conversation."

"Why? Does the topic not interest you?"

"No, quite frankly, it does not."

"Alright, fine, why don't you choose the topic then?" she challenged.

"What?"

"What topics interest you? What do you want to talk about?"

Severus just stared at her for a moment as she became distracted by several wands scattered on a table. Completely dumbfounded by the girl's nature and all her randomness, Severus shifted from side to side slightly, only to be relieved when Ollivander returned.

"I think I found the wand, just for you, Kefira."

"Really?"

"Give it a go!" Ollivander encouraged her.

Reaching towards it eagerly, Kefira lifted the wand into her hands. 

"It's really long," she noted first, as her fingers trailed over the smooth wood.

"Yes, it is," Ollivander said, " normally a wand matches a witch's or a wizard's height, but I think you of all people will be able to handle this one. Longer wands are drawn to bigger personalities."

Kefira turned to Severus with a grin before turning back to Ollivander.

"Does that mean Professor Snape has a short wand?" she whispered to the man before giggling.

Ollivander didn't comment but the smirk on his face said it all.

"This one is made of English oak, it's rather bendy as you can tell and the core is dragon heartstring."

"You mean from an actual dragon?!" Kefira's eyes widened at the wand in her hand.

"Yes, it's one of the three common cores I use here. Unicorn hair and phoenix feathers being the others. Dragon heartstring combined with the oak wood, I think will be a perfect match for you and from what I see, the wand agrees."

"The wand agrees?"

"A wand is not chosen by a witch or wizard, a wand always chooses it's owner. And this one has chosen you."

Exiting the wand shop, Kefira hadn't taken her eyes off her new wand, her eyes lit up and bounce in every step walking next to Severus.

"What are you doing?"

She looked at him. "Walking..."

"Why are you walking like that?"

"Because I'm happy! I got new books, I got a wand, not too thrilled by the whole uniform idea but I can get pass that because...I HAVE A WAND!" she said waving it around.

Severus placed his hand out and lowered her arm. "Don't do that."

Kefira went to say something to him when she was caught off guard by a toad crossing their path out of nowhere.

"Is that..." she pointed.

"Let's keep walking."

"Check it out, I have a wand!" Kefira yelled as she burst through the first door of her home.

Cardel and Alana walked into the kitchen to greet their daughter but she ran past them to go show off to her sisters.

Severus appeared in the doorway, looking tired.

"I hope she wasn't too much trouble," Alana said with an apologetic look. "I know she can be a handful."

"She.." Severus began, " she was fine. Now, before I am to leave, I must go over certain protocols that Miss Walsh must follow as are all of you. You are being sworn to secrecy. No one outside of this family will know that she is a witch. For your protection and....hers."

Cardel walked into his youngest's room to find her lying on her bed, a book opened in her lap, and her eyes glued to every word.

"Already studying up your subjects?" he asked plopping down beside her.

"Look at all this stuff, Dad. Is it real?"

"Well, if it isn't, this is the most elaborate prank ever."

A/N: Dedicated to the lovely Alan Rickman, no one could have performed better as Severus Snape. Not to mention all your work was fantastic. May you find peace, good sir.