Problems that can be solved with money aren't real problems—but the key issue here was that they had no money. The twins had earned some money at the beginning of the school year by selling maps, but their research was also a considerable expense, and they hadn't seen any returns yet.
So, they weren't exactly flush with cash and couldn't afford such a big expense.
Wanting to buy a wand for their little brother but lacking the money, the twins naturally thought of the "little rich lady" Eda. This was something they could only bring up with her.
"We can scrape together six Galleons between the two of us, but that's not enough to buy a wand from Ollivanders," Fred said, holding four Galleons in his hand, while George had a handful of Sickles and Knuts.
"So, you want me to chip in and help cover the cost of the wand, right?" Eda asked as she looked at them.
"No need to chip in, just lend us the money," George said. "You work hard for your money, after all."
The twins knew that every Knut Eda earned didn't come easy.
Snape might have paid her for her work, but everyone knew about his sharp tongue. They couldn't imagine him treating Eda kindly—her pay must have been earned under suffocating conditions.
Even during the summer holidays, Eda hadn't chosen to rest. She worked at the Leaky Cauldron every day and still studied late into the night. Watching her repeat this exhausting routine day after day made Fred and George feel sorry for her.
"If you had enough money, were you planning to not tell me at all that you wanted to buy Ron a wand?" Eda asked, pulling Fred close with one arm and George with the other as she interrogated them.
The twins were a bit taller than Eda, but to accommodate her, they both bent down slightly. This way, Eda didn't need to stand on her tiptoes to drape her arms over their shoulders.
At first, Fred and George hadn't planned to tell Eda about this. Their intention was to buy the wand first and then inform her afterward. But after rummaging through all their pockets, they still couldn't come up with enough money. Now, their pockets were emptier than their faces.
"Ok, you two go get Ron, and we'll head to Ollivanders to pick out a wand for him," Eda said. "As for the money you have, just keep it. Boys your age shouldn't walk around with empty pockets."
"But—"
"No buts. Just do as I say. I am, after all, your older sister by a few months. Or do you want me to write to Charlie?" Eda threatened.
She was no longer the girl who had to calculate every single Knut. Being a little generous wasn't a big deal, especially since Ron wasn't just anyone. She genuinely wanted to help Mrs. Weasley as well.
The twins walked into the shop, spoke to Mrs. Weasley for a moment, and then walked out with a very confused Ron. He kept questioning his brothers, "Where are we going? If it's for ice cream, why didn't we invite Ginny?"
Last year, Eda had treated everyone to ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, so Ron assumed the twins were taking him there again.
"Ronny, you know our family is poor, and most of your stuff has to be secondhand. Plus, you eat way too much..." Fred said with a solemn tone, placing both hands on Ron's shoulders, looking as if he was about to deliver some serious news.
"Mom and Dad can't afford to raise you anymore. In a bit, we're going to take you to Knockturn Alley and sell you to an old witch there. That way, you'll never have to go hungry again," George said, covering his face as if he were wiping away reluctant tears from his eyes.
Ron didn't really believe the twins' nonsense, but he still felt a little scared. His freckled face paled slightly as he turned to Eda and asked, "E-Eda, that's not true, right?"
Eda hadn't intended to laugh, but the way Ron asked made it impossible for her to hold back. She burst into laughter and said, "Of course not! Though you do eat… uh… quite a lot, your mother would never do something like that. George, hold me up a bit, my stomach hurts from laughing…"
And so, poor Ron was led away from the bookstore by his two mischievous older brothers. Eda walked ahead to lead the way, while Fred and George flanked Ron on either side, making it look as if they really were escorting him to Knockturn Alley for a shady transaction.
As they weaved through the crowded street, they happened to see Mr. Weasley and Percy coming out of Eeylops Owl Emporium. Just as Ron was about to call out to his father, Fred and George quickly clamped their hands over his mouth. If they put a black hood over his head at that moment, the whole scene would have looked even more convincing.
For the first time in two years, Eda stepped into the historic Ollivanders wand shop. Meanwhile, Ron finally realized what the three of them were actually up to, and his face turned as red as his hair.
Eda pushed open the door and led the way inside. Since there were already customers in the shop, they took a seat on the bench to wait. Still blushing, Ron whispered to Eda, "Thank you."
A young boy in the store was currently trying out wands, making a complete mess of the place. Compared to the commotion, Ron's quiet words of gratitude sounded as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Eda ruffled Ron's hair and said, "Thank Fred and George instead—it was their idea." As expected, ruffling someone else's hair was quite a satisfying thing to do.
Hearing this, Ron looked at his two brothers in shock, hardly able to believe it. Fred and George stared back at him, but their expressions seemed to say: What are you looking at? Keep staring, and we really will sell you to Knockturn Alley!
The noisy little boy finally left with his parents, and Eda led Ron up to the counter.
"Ah, Miss Twist, it feels as if I last saw you just yesterday," Ollivander greeted her, extending his hand. "How has your wand been treating you? Is it a good fit?"
Eda took out her wand and carefully placed it in Ollivander's hands. "It's excellent—it feels like an extension of my own arm. Thank you for your craftsmanship."
"Yew, phoenix feather core, fourteen and three-quarter inches—this is one of my finest works," Ollivander murmured as he examined the wand. Eda had maintained it in pristine condition—no scratches, no scuffs, not even a single fingerprint.
"Orchideous," Ollivander softly incanted, and a cluster of orchids bloomed from the tip of the wand. "You've taken very good care of it. It likes you a great deal—it's resisting my spellwork."
A wand is an extension of a wizard's arm, the conduit through which magic flows, the very foundation of a wizard's strength. Such an important partner deserved the utmost care, and Eda made sure to treat hers with respect.
Without a wand, most wizards were only marginally stronger than Muggles. Even Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Gryffindor's ghost, had been subjected to 45 blows from a blunt axe because his wand was confiscated—leaving him as Nearly Headless Nick.
Eda accepted her wand back from Ollivander with both hands before promptly shoving Ron forward. "This is my little brother, Ron Weasley. He's about to start at Hogwarts and needs a wand. We'll leave it in your capable hands!"
Ollivander studied Ron with his pale-colored eyes before saying, "Of course, Miss Twist. It is my honor to provide wands for new students. Now then, Mr. Weasley, which hand do you prefer to use?"
"My right hand," Ron answered stiffly.
What followed was a process that Eda and the twins were all too familiar with—the enchanted measuring tape taking Ron's measurements on its own, and Ollivander's well-rehearsed speech about how the wand chooses the wizard, and so on.
Honestly, couldn't Ollivander change up his sales pitch?
Every time a customer came in for a wand, he repeated the same lines over and over.
Did he really never get tired of saying the same thing?
Ron began trying out wands one by one—applewood, beech, alder—he went through quite a few, causing just as much destruction as the boy before him.
It wasn't until he picked up a wand made of willow that Ollivander finally put an end to the red-haired boy's trail of destruction.
"Willow wood, unicorn hair core, fourteen inches," Ollivander announced. "Every wand is unique, and this one has chosen you, Mr. Weasley."
The wand had a beautifully intricate grain, long and slender, which actually suited Ron's frame quite well—he was a bit taller than most kids his age.
"A willow wand's ideal owner often possesses deep-seated insecurities…"
Ollivander launched into another long-winded speech. Eda and the twins sat on the bench without making a sound, while Ron was the only one listening attentively.
Ollivander's words had a rather persuasive, almost brainwashing effect.
By the time he finished speaking, you couldn't help but feel as if you were brimming with power, as if you were the Chosen One, destined for greatness.
"…It chooses wizards with immense potential, those with a long journey ahead. A willow wand allows its owner to progress more swiftly. That will be ten Galleons."
At last, Ollivander finished his inspirational speech. Ron, having completely soaked it in, finally snapped back to reality.
Standing at the counter, his face flushed red, Ron looked nervous and uncertain. He was afraid that this was all just another one of Fred and George's pranks and they wouldn't buy it.
Fortunately, it wasn't. The twins really did want to buy Ron his wand—of course, it was Eda who was actually paying for it.
Eda pulled out her small coin pouch, took out ten Galleons, and placed them on the counter one by one.
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