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May 24, 2023 · Wandlore is a profound and magical art, interwoven with ancient wisdom and mystical practices. The understanding of wand history, the components that shape its essence, the art of wand selection, and the enchanting ways to wield its power are integral to the mastery of wandlore.
A wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood, but may also be made of other materials, such as metal, plastic or stone. Long versions of wands are often styled in forms of staves or sceptres, which could have large ornamentation on the top.
- Overview
- History
- Magic and wands
- Wandlore
- Damage
- Acquiring a wand
- Makers
- Behind the scenes
"A wand is the object through which a witch or wizard channels his or her magic. It is made from wood and has a magical substance at its core. Wands made by Ollivander have cores of phoenix feather, unicorn hair or dragon heartstring, and are of varying woods, lengths, and flexibilities."
— Description of a wand
A wand was a quasi-sentient magical instrument through which a witch or wizard channelled their magical powers to centralise the effects for more complex results. Most spells were cast with the aid of wands, but spells could be cast without the use of wands. Although wandless magic was more common in other countries, such as some in Africa, European wizards were generally used to using the tool and found wandless magic more difficult, requiring much more concentration and skill to perform these spells.
Some magical creatures such as house-elves and goblins were known to perform magic similar to that used by wizards and, in fact, were forbidden to carry wands. This had been a point of contention between wizards and goblins for centuries.
Wands were developed in Europe at an unknown point, though it was known that it was in the B.C. era. The Ollivander family started manufacturing wands in 382 B.C. Over time, they earned a worldwide reputation. In the 13th century, the Elder Wand, which would become known as the most powerful wand in existence, was created.
The first witch who was a wandmaker in North America was Irish witch Isolt Sayre, who came to North America and started making wands for her adoptive sons and the students of her school Ilvermorny with her husband James Steward. With the passage of Rappaport's Law, no child was allowed a wand until they arrived at Ilvermorny, and they had to leave them there during the holidays until they reached the age of seventeen. By the 1920s, the use of wands had become common in North America although every witch and wizard, including tourists, needed a Wand permit.
At an unknown point in history, wands were introduced to Asia. Cherry wand masters received special prestige at Mahoutokoro school in Japan.
In the 20th century, wands were introduced to Africa, where they were less commonly used compared to other parts of the world.
Ollivanders in Diagon Alley had changed the way that wands were created. Before Garrick Ollivander's practice of using only the three "Supreme Cores", it was common for witches and wizards to present a wandmaker with a magical substance to which they had a particular attachment for use as a wand core. After Garrick watched his father, Gervaise Ollivander, struggle with substandard wand cores (Kneazle whiskers, Dittany stalks, and kelpie manes), he decided to devote his time to studying the properties of wand cores so that he could utilise only the finest.
There was at least one known business that specialised in tuning wands to improve their performance. Repair services were also available.
Wand properties
"Wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them..." — Hermione Granger explaining wand properties to Harry Potter Wands were referred to as "quasi-sentient" because their being imbued with a great deal of magic made them as animate as an inanimate object could be. Although they could not think or communicate like a human, they could perform certain actions through their own will. This ability may have been how they chose their wizard or witch and also explains Harry's wand autonomously acting against Voldemort. They could perform actions such as picking their owners, changing allegiances, and, in certain circumstances, perform magic on their own. Every single wand was unique and its character would depend on the particular tree and magical creature which its materials were derived from. Moreover, each wand, from the moment it found its ideal owner, would begin to learn from and teach its human partner. Salazar Slytherin taught his wand to sleep unless a command in Parseltongue was given. Magic with a wand was usually performed with an incantation, but more experienced wizards could cast nonverbal spells, which concealed the spell until cast and could thereby prevent an opponent from adequately protecting themself in time. In addition, wands possessed the capability to function underwater, although the appearance of spells would change, as was demonstrated when Harry Potter attempted to use a Revulsion Jinx to free himself from the grip of several Grindylows. Harry noted that instead of "sending sparks at the Grindylows", it "pelted them with what seemed to be a jet of boiling water". Interestingly, Ominis Gaunt seemed to use his wand as a means to navigate his surroundings despite his blindness. He could be seen walking around the Castle with his wand held in the air, with it occasionally blinking a red light at the tip. Notably, some witches and wizards were able to sense their own wand if it was close by, even if they themselves were not holding it. Wands had an unfortunate tendency of rebelling and backfiring when handled by Muggles.
Reverse Spell
A record of all the spells a wand had used could be checked using the Reverse Spell (Prior Incantato). This was a prime reason why criminals who wished to act discreetly would not use their own wands to perform illegal spells, fearing this record would betray them; instead, they could borrow someone else's wand to act with impunity, letting the other owner take the fall. The record seemed to be rather intricate, as Peter Pettigrew took Voldemort's wand in fear it might reveal his treason, suggesting the wand had such records (such as branding the Dark Mark onto Pettigrew himself).
Priori Incantatem
If two wands had twin cores — meaning that their cores came from the same magical creature, two feathers from the same Phoenix for example - then those wands were referred to as "brothers", and they could not be forced to duel against one another. Should two such wands ever come in the way of one another, a rare connection was formed called Priori Incantatem. When the connection was formed, the wands battled to merge a golden orb into the other's shaft; the one that succeeded to force the orb into the other was the winning wand. The losing wand would then produce "echoes" of the most recent spells it had been used to perform in reverse order. Because of its rarity, most wizards never learned that such a connection was possible - this was the first law of Priori Incantatem. After two brother wands connected through means of Priori Incantatem, both wands came to know one another and might react towards each other without the consent of their owners, or the winning wand only reacted towards the losing wand - this was the second law of Priori Incantatem. Also, under special conditions, it was possible for one wand to recognise its "brother's" master, even when its "brother's" master used different wand. For example, during the Battle of the Seven Potters, Harry's wand recognised Voldemort and spurted "golden flames" at him, even though Voldemort was using Lucius Malfoy's wand at the time. Furthermore, Lucius's wand was destroyed as result. Alternatively, if two wands with the same core were used alongside each other, their combined magical power would increase significantly to the benefit of their owners. When Chadwick and Webster Boot used their wands, which both had cores from the same Horned Serpent, as a team, it increased their power tenfold.
"The wand chooses the wizard... it's not always clear why."
— Ollivander discussing wandlore with Harry Potter
Wandlore was a specific class of magic that referred to the history and magical properties of wands. Mr Ollivander claimed that it was a "complex and mysterious branch of magic" and even the most skilled did not fully comprehend it.
The idea that a wand chose the wizard and could switch allegiance was a part of wandlore.
If a wand had suffered an immense degree of damage, either from an enemy spell or by a physical strike, it could not be fixed by any means most wandmakers knew of. Spellotape, among other methods, could have been used to put the pieces back together, but its magical capabilities would have still been damaged beyond repair. The wand would subsequently start to malfunction, resulting in spells going wrong or backfiring on the wizard. There was also a chance the wand might break again while performing magic
Notably, any student expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry prior to graduation, then their wand would have been broken and they would be prohibited from using magic anymore. Although, successfully completing the O.W.L. exams was taken a sign that the student in question was trustworthy enough to be a law-abiding citizen who could learn from their mistakes. Thus, any such students who were expelled would be permitted to keep their wands and continue to practise magic
Normally, a witch or wizard's first wand would be a newly created one that has never had an owner before, or "virgin" wand, obtained through purchase from an established wandmaker, such as Ollivanders. They would usually have to test a number of potential virgin wands before they found the one that would give its allegiance to (or "choose") them. The precise reasons for which particular wands chose which particular wizards was not entirely clear, but certain wands seemed to have a natural affinity for certain wizards or witches.
In some families, a wands might be inherited, either out of sentimentality or because of a tight financial situation, such as Neville Longbottom using his father's wand and Ron Weasley using his brother Charlie's old wand. While it was questionable as to whether or not wands could truly be fully mastered via this method of attainment, it is known that wands obtained in this way (e.g. ones with a familial connection) worked a little better than wands chosen at random and so this might indeed be the next best way to obtain a wand if initial selection was impossible. However, both Neville and Ron were more successful at using magic with store-bought wands that had actually chosen them.
Most witches and wizards got their first wand when they were eleven — just before starting their magical education. Most English wizards and witches bought their wands at Ollivanders in Diagon Alley, where they would try out multiple wands until they found the one that suited them, or rather, the wand found the wizard that suited it. When trying out different wands, a wand that was not suited to its wielder would usually not do anything at all. However, a warm feeling was an indication of having chosen the right wand, and the wand sometimes emitted a few sparks or did some similar, small sign of magic.
Shops that dealt in dark artefacts would sometimes have the wands of particularly famous or infamous witches and wizards in their stock. In the 1990s, Borgin and Burkes had the wand of Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald in their shop, which they sold to an magical artefacts collector.
The wand was originally a European invention, and although many makers of wands existed, Garrick Ollivander was the best known and most experienced in Britain in the 1990s. He came from a well known wandmaking family that had been making wands since 382 BC out of a shop located in Diagon Alley, London. Mr Ollivander went missing in the summer of 1996 until discovered by Harry, Ron and Hermione and rescued by the house-elf Dobby in 1998; he had been kidnapped by Death Eaters on Voldemort's orders. Ollivander thereafter told Harry about the Elder Wand and how a wand passed ownership. More British wandmakers existed, for example, Jimmy Kiddell, but their wands were stated to be not as good as Ollivander's, and several were known to have gone out of business trying to directly compete with Ollivander's.
Another notable wand maker was Mykew Gregorovitch, who had once obtained and studied the Elder Wand. Gregorovitch's reputation rivalled that of Ollivander's with some, like Viktor Krum, considering his wands the best in the world. Krum's statement also suggests this view was more common outside of Britain. By 1997 he had retired as a wand maker, with Krum purchasing one of his last wands. In 1997, Voldemort tracked him down, as part of his quest to find and obtain Elder Wand. However, by that time, the wand had long since it had left Gregorovitch's possession, having been stolen by a blond-haired young man that the wand maker had never identified. Once Voldemort finished questioning Gregorovitch, he murdered him as he was of no more use to the dark wizard.
Historical wandmakers in North America included Isolt Sayre, Violetta Beauvais, Johannes Jonker, Thiago Quintana, and Shikoba Wolfe, each of whom specialised in a single type of wand core.
After magical education, a person seeking to become a wandmaker must become the apprentice of a skilled wandmaker. From there, they might undergo the study of wandlore. There is also a possibility that there were gatherings where wandlore lessons were taught. Even so, it is clear that wandlore must be understood clearly in order to become a skilled wandmaker.[citation needed]
•In the films, the wands are shown a couple of inches longer than they are shown in the books. The films seem to include more gestures when using a wand, not just waving it and pointing it. The different styles were shown properly in the film version of the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. It may be explained that gestures and wand movements translate to incantations, even without words. This may allow one to speak the incantation without having to perform a specific gesture or wand movement.
•It is theorised that the wand's length is proportional to the wizard's height: the longer the wand, the taller the wizard, and the shorter the wand, the shorter the wizard. Although this pattern is generally supported (eg, Dolores Umbridge's short wand, Rubeus Hagrid's long wand) this may not always be the case. For example, Draco Malfoy, despite being tall, had a relatively short wand. However, J.K. Rowling stated that wands are generally shorter when witches or wizards are lacking in personality, rather than size.
•J. K. Rowling used a Celtic calendar to assign certain types of woods to Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter based on their birthdates. Draco Malfoy’s wand wood also matches his place on the Celtic calendar, though J. K. Rowling has stated that in his case, this was unintentional.
•Wands are Warwick Davis' favourite prop on the series.
•In the first and second films, wands look quite plain. The appearance of wands drastically change in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which the wands are given distinctive shapes and carvings, reflecting the owner's personality.
•Devon Murray, who plays Seamus Finnigan in the Harry Potter films, has the record for breaking the most prop wands. He broke eighty of them. Dan Radcliffe himself broke and damaged almost as many due to his habit of drumming with them.
Feb 25, 2024 · A magick wand is a ritual tool used in mystical and magical traditions like Wicca and witchcraft. Typically slender and pointed, it symbolizes the practitioner’s will and power. Wands are used to direct energy, cast circles, invoke energies, and draw symbols during rituals and spells.
The most important tool a witch or wizard can own, a wand is the physical object through which magic is channelled. Although magic can be performed without a wand, this tool can help the caster perfect a range of spells and charms.
Aug 10, 2015 · A very unusual wand wood, which I have found creates tricky wands that often refuse to produce magic for any but their owner, and also withhold their best effects from all but those most gifted. This sensitivity renders them difficult to place, and I keep only a small stock for those witches or wizards of sufficient subtlety, for acacia is not ...
Jul 5, 2024 · When choosing magic wands, consider the material, size, and shape, and make sure it has a personal connection to you. Basic and advanced wand techniques, such as directing energy, casting circles, spell casting, and energy manipulation, can be used with focus on visualization and intention.
