Chapter 16: Of Wine and Anger
The reception they had was much bigger than the one at the Parkinsons' and remembering the Parkinsons, Ian was surprised to not find any of them within the party. He wondered if they were skipping the event or they were simply running late. However, he didn't have much time to worry about any of that as the moment he made his entry, the crowd exploded into applause.
"Be at ease." His uncle placed a hand over his shoulder, not wanting Ian to be worried about anything. "Smile and talk with the kids, you don't have to be worried about the adults."
His words were reassuring and if things went to hay, he had another way to stay safe -which he hoped he wouldn't have to use.
He squeezed the pendant tightly before taking a deep breath.
'I can do this.'
The uncle-nephew pair got on the stage, immediately enticing cheers and applause from the crowd.
"It's the Ollivanders!"
Ian cracked a tiny smile, noticing the enthusiasm of some of the businessmen.
"Good evening, dear guests." Garrick greeted. "I am honoured that you could all make it to this small event." He gave the audience a warm smile. "I cannot remember when was the last time I hosted such an event… Decades probably, so pardon me for the lack of sophistication in this event."
Ian didn't exactly have an event that he could compare his birthday with, there were only a few parties that he had visited.
"The cake cutting ceremony will be held in around an hour but before that, Ian would like to express his gratitude for gracing him with your presence." He smiled warmly at Ian. "The stage is yours, son."
Giving his uncle a nod, Ian walked forward -taking the magically enhanced microphone in front of him while getting rid of every last bit of his stage fright by using the mind clearance technique. But even before he spoke, he gave the guests a slight bow -more resembling a nod, extending his gratitude as well as respect.
"Good evening to everyone that has been able to grace this event with your presence. It is an honour to be able to stand in front of so many established witches, wizards, merchants, councilmen and countless reputed figures alike. It's…" He paused on purpose, appearing a bit flustered. "Nerve-wracking yet equally fulfilling to see people of such high accomplishments gracing me with their presence."
He stopped for a while, "And pardon me for not making an introduction." Walking back a tiny bit, he placed his right hand over his chest and made his introduction. "I am Ian Ollivander, heir to the most ancient and most noble house of the Ollivanders." He spoke with pride, his head held high. "Son of Gerald Ollivander and Celia Ollivander, two great individuals that gave life to me and sacrificed theirs to protect the wizarding world from one of the cruellest dark lords." He looked at the audience. "And I believe every single one of you here had members of your family or friends close to you that must have done the same for you." He smiled. "And many of you have fought for the sake of others in the war, losing much in turn still not abandoning others." He looked pained. "A feat that a very few are capable of. So, I am honoured to have you all here."
He then looked at his uncle. "And the person that I am thankful the most to, is none other than the person standing next to me." He showed a smile that was proud yet pained. "The person that sacrificed so much for my sake, the person that lost his brother, his sister-in-law, his friends and family yet never broke down and never made me feel alone. The person that took care of me like a parent and never made me feel the sadness of not having my mother or father… and the person that provided me with everything that I could have ever wished for." He stared into his uncle's eyes. "And the person that means the world to me. Garrick Ollivander, the greatest wandmaker in all of Britain."
The guests present applauded for the young heir as he appreciated his uncle's sacrifices. They were happy to see a youngster respecting their elder, especially being well versed at such a young age.
"He is good." Lucius commented and even Alaric agreed.
"It's most likely scripted by Garrick. Even so, he is an asset." He said, looking at his son.
Theodore gave his father a nod, knowing fully what the lord of Nott wanted him to do -unlike the Malfoy heir who seemed entirely clueless.
"What was so good about the speech… he most likely read what his uncle taught…" He mumbled begrudgingly but a frown from his father made him quiet.
"Scripted or not, he is someone with a great deal of power and a bright future. It is better to have him as an ally than as an enemy." Alaric said.
"After the Blacks, Ollivanders are the best allies a person can get. Their massive contacts through the business world cannot be matched by any other -this is something that not even the Blacks were able to best them at." Lucius sighed, realising how much financial backing the Ollivanders had.
"And you wouldn't want the old man as an enemy." Surprising the two men was the Lady of Abbott, Andrea. "Garrick is not someone to make an enemy out of."
This was a fact that everyone agreed on. Even if they could win against him in a duel, they would be screwed over by the old lord in ways that they could never recover from financially.
This was a fact that they couldn't refute. They knew that for wizards of their level, politics was more dangerous than duels.
…
…
The speech went rather smoothly and his uncle couldn't be any more proud. The man said that it was all he was required to do and while he knew there was not much he could do about the lords and ladies, there was still a lot to do.
"It's an honour to meet the heir of the Ollivanders."
Especially with the kids of the Sacred Twenty Eight.
Ian gave a polite smile. "Likewise Miss-"
"Greengrass." The blonde smiled. "Daphne Greengrass."
Amongst the families of the Sacred Twenty Eight, age was irrelevant. Children were taught to make lasting impressions from their childhood.
Ian noticed that the girl had a more calm and mature talking style compared to the kids that he previously met.
"Hello Ian." Ian felt relieved after hearing the familiar voice.
"I hope that the party is to your liking, Hannah." Unlike the Parkinson's event, Ian and Garrick made sure to pay equal attention to all the guests, without making anyone feel inferior.
Hannah nodded, "I like it, the food is especially delicious." As she talked, Daphne felt a bit left out and Ian noticed that.
"I didn't know you two were friends, Daphne." He didn't bother with the formalities which surprised the young Greengrass a little. But she was sharp and remembered that they had the same amount of authority and maybe Ian had a bit more than her, considering he was an heir and she was not.
'And he is older than me.' She reminded herself.
"We became friends after Pansy's birthday and I am surprised she isn't here yet." Hannah answered.
"It's very shameful to be late for an important event, especially one hosted by a member of the Sacred Twenty Eight."
Ian turned to see who the new addition to their little talk was and it didn't surprise him to see the person.
"Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy family." He proudly declared as he gave a smile to Ian.
The girls looked at each other and smiled.
"What Pansy wouldn't give to have him talk like that with her." Daphne whispered which made Hannah giggle and the boys confused.
Neither Ian nor Draco heard what she said, which ended up leaving them confused.
"It might also mean that they were held up by something urgent." Ian heard a sigh, one that expressed the owner's lack of interest or energy.,. "Don't be so quick to come to conclusions, Draco."
"You just assume everything to be unintentional, Theo…"
'Theo?' Ian looked at the brown-haired boy, remembering his uncle telling him about the name of the Nott heir.
Theodore nodded at Ian. "It's a very well organised event." Theo praised. "Not to mention it is an honour to be invited to the house of the best wandmaker within Britain." He showed a rare smile. "I am Theodore Nott, heir to the house of Nott. It's a pleasure to meet you, heir Ollivander."
Ian immediately noticed two things about the boy. One, he was eerily calm and second… he was far more of a composed speaker than Draco.
"Ian Ollivander." He reintroduced himself. "And I am glad you are enjoying the party."
He talked a little with the kids but realised they had been standing for far too long.
"Well, there are a lot of free seats. We should talk comfortably." He suggested and while everyone agreed, none were able to make a move because of a loud yell.
"What the hell!!!" It was the yell of a girl, one that was very familiar to Daphne and Hannah.
Ian immediately turned his head to find a girl drenched in liquid, her blue dress ruined by a strong-smelling red liquid and a boy standing there with a nervous expression and a bottle of wine.
But Ian didn't have to bother figuring out the boy's identity, as Draco solved the mystery even without him having to ask.
"That damned Weasley…"
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