Magical Objects - Wands

A wand is a part of a wizard's everyday accessory, used to perform magical feats, and without which only limited magic is possible. They are used as both tools and weapons in the Wizarding World. Wands are generally carried inside the wizard's robes in the books; however, they can also be placed into other objects. For instance, Hagrid hid the broken halves of his wand inside his umbrella. In the Harry Potter universe, when a wizard has committed a serious crime, their wands are snapped in half.

The only named wand shop is Ollivander's. This is where Hagrid takes Harry to buy his first wand. In the "Weighing of the Wands" chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ollivander is seen to evaluate two foreign wands: Krum's wand: a Gregorovitch creation, unusually thick; and Fleur's wand, whose core (a hair from her Veela grandmother) he felt created "temperamental" wands, which is why he did not use it himself.

Creation

A wand is made by a wandmaker learned in wandlore, the study of wands. Wands are handcrafted from "wandwood", which is a wood capable of sustaining magic (e.g. Holly, Yew, ebony, vinewood, etc.). Then a core is inserted into the middle of the wand from top to bottom. Such cores have been mentioned to include phoenix tail feathers, unicorn tail hairs, dragon heartstrings and Veela hair. The books mention that Ollivander only uses phoenix feathers, dragon heartstrings and unicorn hair as the cores of his wands. In the Deathly Hallows, the Elder Wand is described as having a core made from the tail hair of a Thestral.[22]

Effects

A wand is generally considered personal for a wizard. However, wands belonging to other wizards can be used to a comparatively less potent effect. In Philosopher's Stone, Harry had to try out many wands before he found one that "chose him". It was an 11-inch (280 mm), holly and phoenix feather wand.

Wands with cores from the same source give strange effects (Priori Incantatem) when forced to fight each other, as is the case with Harry and Voldemort's wands. In Goblet of Fire, it is revealed that each of their wands contains a tail feather from Fawkes, the phoenix belonging to Dumbledore. After Priori Incantatem, the wands get to know the opposites' master - this is explained in Deathly Hallows.

Wands are capable of changing masters. This is revealed in Deathly Hallows. When a wizard or witch is defeated, or if their wand is forcibly taken from them in a fight (a form of defeat), the wand will change its allegiance to the one who defeated its previous master and work perfectly well with its new master. It is unclear if the wand will continue to work properly for its original master if it is returned (not taken back in a fight). However, any wands removed from the owners using Expelliarmus (other than Dumbledore when disarmed by Draco in Half Blood Prince), seem to not change allegiance. If they have, they work perfectly well for their original masters when they retrieve them.