Harry Potter Wands – How A Magic Wand Works

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“Wandlore is a complex and mysterious branch of magic.”
Mr. Ollivander

There’s no denying that finding a wand that works is very important. Especially in the lives of witches and wizards in the world of Harry Potter wands.

Witches and wizards use their wands to cast focused spells and channel their magic powers. Contrary to popular belief a wand does not increase your magical ability. It actually focuses your magic. Just as sunlight through a magnifying glass can create fire, a wand actually focuses magic and can create very powerful spells.

One might think that finding the right wand is easy but in fact there are many things to consider and the process is trial and error for the most part. Elements used to make a wand for a specific witch or wizard often reflect the owner’s character. Even so, witches and wizards have the best results with the wands that choose them.

In the world of Harry Potter wands, Mr. Ollivander has four criteria to classify wands. Length, type of wood and core material describes the physical components of the wand. The fourth component is more subjective and describes the quality of how the wand moves.

Wands are made from a single piece of wood and have a magical substance at their center. The type of wood used to make Harry Potter wands often corresponds with the date of birth according to the Celtic calendar. The three magical cores used by Mr. Ollivander are phoenix feather, dragon heartstring, and tail of unicorn.

In the Celtic year a tree represents every month, and every tree is associated with specific powers and qualities. To use Harry Potter’s wand as an example, it is made of Holly, which coincides with his birthday on July 31st. Holly is a symbol for protection and is said to ward off evil. Because it is perennially green and it has bright red berries during the winter it is seen as a sign of hope. At the core of Harry’s wand is phoenix feather.

A wand is thought of as indispensable to witches and wizards in the universe of Harry Potter wands. Because they acquire them at a young age, many witches and wizards become very attached to their wand. They would feel lost and unable to do most magic without it.

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