Chapter 244: First Meeting with Ollivander!
Darcie felt like she had stepped into the past when she entered the Ollivanders.
Except for the evening light letting itself in through the open entrance, no other lamp or brazier was flaming inside the shop. It was cold, dark, and dusty. Something which Darcie both liked and disliked.
Dobby kept himself closed to her, and both of their heads kept bobbing around, their eyes landing on the thousands of narrow boxes piled right up to the ceiling on shelves and covered under a thin blanket of gray dust. Except for a single, spindly chair in the far corner, the shop was all empty.
Darcie took a few more steps in, her breath white and misty. Clung to her frock, she could feel the house-elf shivering, and for once, Darcie thought it was too cold even for her.
"Hello?" the voice came from behind.
Both Darcie and Dobby spun on their feet and looked up. The same old man, whom Darcie had seen in the morning at Brews and Stews' parlor, was now standing at the entrance, closing off their means of escape.
But this wasn't a children's tale. Nor did Darcie need a pat on her back to calm herself down. "Good evening, Mr. Ollivander," she greeted, taking in a freezing breath. "It's an honor to make an acquaintance with the greatest wandmaker alive."
Garrick Ollivander was an elderly man with pale silver eyes shining like two blurry stars on a cloudy night, and his skin was paler still. His head was full of bushy, white hair, and now, his face was having a hard time holding back the broad smile trying to arch his lips up.
"I know you, young lady," he said, nearing her. "I recognized you in the morning, yes. What can I do for you, Ms. Darcie Malfoy, and her friend, eh?"
The house-elf swelled his chest. "Dobby is my name, sir," he declared. "Dobby is Ms. Darcie's knight."
Darcie shook her head and patted Dobby's head.