The magical world of Harry Potter is filled with wonders, but none have fascinated avid readers & moviegoers alike as much as the powerful wands. In fact, they’re the most wonderful part of the franchise. It’s how the magic happens – both on- & off-screen. Fans who visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, for example, get to walk away from the exciting experience with their own wand.
If they’re lucky, Mr. Ollivander personally chooses them for a wand selection process identical to that of Harry Potter in Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone. However, as much as fans love wands, there’s still some intrigue about them. How do they work? What are they made of? Why are they different for each magical person who uses them? To the pleasure of the fans, author J.K. Rowling created an elaborate explanation of what makes wands – and those wielding them – so special.
Choosing a wand is kind of like a personality quiz, only way more interactive and with features beyond one’s wildest imagination. Even Rowling herself has to be a little surprised that they caught on for fans as a vital part of how they bring the magic of the books into the real world. As fans flock to the stores both virtual and in-person, they’re avidly learning about these objects of desire and fascination.
Almost every witch & wizard in Harry Potter earns a wand before starting their magical education which teaches them how to use the wand for channeling their otherworldly abilities. What makes wands so different from one another is how they’re made up of “different types of cores, woods, lengths, and flexibilities.” Within the series, wandmaker extraordinaire Mr. Ollivander emphasizes the importance of cores (elements of magical creatures) & wood (elements of specific trees) in explaining how each wand determines its owner. For example, the wand of Ron Weasley – brought to life on screen by actor Rupert Grint – is made up of willow & unicorn hair which pairs well with his depth of emotion & steadfast loyalty.
On the one hand, Ollivander’s Wand Shop only specialized in three cores. Unicorn hair is most compatible with loyal friends like Remus Lupin (played by David Thewlis) because they are consistent & difficult to use in dark magicks. It can be easily mishandled and prone to needing replacement, but it’s as difficult to shake off as a spell gone wrong.
Dragon heartstring is only as loyal as its wielder is powerful which is why it’s perfect for someone like Minerva McGonagall (played by Dame Maggie Smith). It’s temperamental and prone to accidents, but its magic is astounding. Phoenix feathers, unlike their counterparts, are the rarest for any wand. Harry Potter himself (played by Daniel Radcliffe) had this wand core in common with the villainous Lord Voldemort. If fans are confused by wand cores, details such as length, flexibility, and wood type might leave them in need of a long study session. The most important takeaway is that the wand doesn’t make the wielder, but it very chooses if they’re worthy.
The business of wands in the world of Harry Potter can sometimes take a turn for the hilarious. Not even having a 10-inch wand made of hawthorn wood and unicorn hair could protect Draco Malfoy (played by Tom Felton) from Mad-Eye Moody (played by Brendan Gleeson). The grouchy professor used his own wand to turn the young man into a ferret and bounce him around to the amusement of the other Hogwarts students in Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban. Ironically, Mr. Ollivander had previously described Malfoy’s wand as “reasonably spring.” Then there’s the topic of those powerful enough to perform wandless magic.
At the end of the day, though, wands are at their best between dueling witches or wizards with a score to settle between them. Sometimes that’s Lord Voldemort (played by Ralph Fiennes) making his final move against The Boy Who Lived by trying to use the Elder Wand to kill him. Other times, it’s an angry Molly Weasley (played by Julie Walters) infusing her 10 ¾ applewood wand with a Phoenix feather core with so much motherly rage, she takes out Bellatrix Lestrange (played by Helena Bonham Carter) herself. Whatever its function, a wand is a witch’s or wizard’s best tool regardless of its wood type, core, or length. For Harry Potter fans, wands are made up of the friends they make along the way, the experiences they cultivate, and the belief in one’s own power – magical & otherwise.