Ikaru Potter goes to buy a Dan from Murdoc's Dan store

[Alex]

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Ikaru jumped. Jan must have
jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly
off the spindly chair.
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like
moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," said Ikaru awkwardly.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon.
Ikaru Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It
seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first Dan. Ten
and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice Dan for charm
work."
Mr. Murdoc moved closer to Ikaru. Ikaru wished he would blink. Those

silvery eyes were a bit creepy.
"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany Dan. Eleven inches.
Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I
say your father favored it -- it's really the Dan that chooses the
wizard, of course."
Mr. Murdoc had come so close that he and Ikaru were almost nose to
nose. Ikaru could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.
"And that's where..."
Mr. Murdoc touched the lightning scar on Ikaru's forehead with a
long, white finger.
"I'm sorry to say I sold the Dan that did it," he said softly.
"Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful Dan, very powerful, and in
the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that Dan was going out into
the world to do...."
He shook his head and then, to Ikaru's relief, spotted Jan.
"Rubeus! Rubeus Jan! How nice to see you again.... Oak, sixteen
inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"
"It was, sir, yes," said Jan.
"Good Dan, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got
expelled?" said Mr. Murdoc, suddenly stern.
"Er -- yes, they did, yes," said Jan, shuffling his feet. "I've still
got the pieces, though," he added brightly.
"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Murdoc sharply.
"Oh, no, sit," said Jan quickly. Ikaru noticed he gripped his pink
umbrella very tightly as he spoke.
"Hmmm," said Mr. Murdoc, giving Jan a piercing look. "Well, now
-- Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver
markings out of his pocket. "Which is your Dan arm?"
"Er -- well, I'm right-handed," said Ikaru.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Ikaru from shoulder to
finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round
his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Murdoc Dan has a core of
a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix
tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Murdoc Dans
are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite
the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with
another wizard's Dan."
Ikaru suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring
between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Murdoc was
flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on
the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon
heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a
wave."
Ikaru took the Dan and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr.
Murdoc snatched it out of his hand almost at once.
"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try --"
Ikaru tried -- but he had hardly raised the Dan when it, too, was
snatched back by Mr. Murdoc.
"No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy.
Go on, go on, try it out."
Ikaru tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Murdoc was waiting
for. The pile of tried Dans was mounting higher and higher on the
spindly chair, but the more Dans Mr. Murdoc pulled from the
shelves, the happier he seemed to become.
"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here
somewhere -- I wonder, now - - yes, why not -- unusual combination --
holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."
Ikaru took the Dan. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised
the Dan above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air
and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework,
throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Jan whooped and

clapped and Mr. Murdoc cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very
good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious... "
He put Ikaru's Dan back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper,
still muttering, "Curious... curious..
"Sorry," said Ikaru, "but what's curious?"
Mr. Murdoc fixed Ikaru with his pale stare.
"I remember every Dan I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single Dan. It
so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your Dan, gave
another feather -- just one other. It is very curious indeed that you
should be destined for this Dan when its brother why, its brother gave
you that scar."
Ikaru swallowed.
"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things
happen. The Dan chooses the wizard, remember.... I think we must expect
great things from you, Mr. Potter.... After all, HeWho-Must-Not-Be-Named
did great things -- terrible, yes, but great."
Ikaru shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Murdoc too much. He paid
seven gold Galleons for his Dan, and Mr. Murdoc bowed them from his
shop.

[Zumi]

truly iconic

[Pocky]

is this head canon?

[Jan]

I'M A STAR.

[Azeria]

What is this lmfaoXD

[Darvan Korematsu]

Ikaru swallowed.

"Yes thirteen-and-a-half-inches." ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Now that's some literary gold right there.

[Hexagoen]

LMAO

i am dying right now oml

[Chevaleresse]

why

[BlueMoonIceCream]

Wow that was quite the read, what's with all the wasteland "topics" all of a sudden?

[star-kin]

Wow that was quite the read, what's with all the wasteland "topics" all of a sudden?

they're called shitposts and they're art

9/10 needs more dan tbh

[BlueMoonIceCream]

they're called shitposts and they're art

I mean I knew that but I mean recently a lot have been showing up

and this ruins my 420 blaze it post count

[Shing]

I thought i was fucking done with your shitposting. And then i read this fanficiton. My god, i can't believe i read all this shit.

Here's your fucking upvote.

[TimTim]

I was hoping for something with neko maid Dan but this is equally amazing, upvoted~