Wand Theory

[Haggridd]

No: HPFGUIDX 23343

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Allyse at m... wrote:

> 
>
> 
> Now, there have been many speculations in the past regarding wand 
> lengths and the question as to whether or not they correlate to the 
> owner's height; after all, Hagrid's wand is 16 inches (IIRC), much 
> longer than anyone else's mentioned in canon. There's no 
> confirmation, of course, but since my theory is built on that 
concept 
> (length of wand is related to height of owner), I'm accepting that 
as 
> a given. ;)
> 
> So. It may be possible that the same wand that "chooses the wizard" 
> at the age of 11 would not be right for that same wizard at the age 
> of 19 or so. To use the Charlie/Ron wand as an example, Charlie's 
> unicorn hair wand, chosen at the age of 11, was no longer the best 
> wand for him by the time he was six feet tall at the age of 
> seventeen. So he got a new one (financed by his future employers, 
> perhaps, who needed their dragon keepers at optimum magic levels in 
> order to control the dragons?) and left the old one in a bureau 
> drawer back home. By the time it was Ron's turn to go off to 
> Hogwarts, the Weasleys could no longer afford to buy a new wand for 
> each child, and dug up Charlie's old wand instead.
> 
> I would imagine that every extra inch of wand would correlate to 
> several inches of height. I'm not trying to suggest exact 
comparisons 
> here, but rather a general similarity between height of owner and 
> length of wand. If the owner grows too tall, then perhaps the wand 
> simply won't do the job quite so well any longer. If this theory 
> holds true (and I make no claims that it does <g>), then Ron's PoA 
> wand might last him all his life; he's gotten so tall already that 
> he's probably close to his final height.
> 

! But I do think the theory is worth 
> considering, if only because it suggests a reasonable explanation 
for 
> why wizards would choose to have more than one wand in the first 
> place.
> 
> On a complete tangent, I am suddenly struck by the phrase "the wand 
> chooses the wizard." Does that mean that wands have some kind of 
> SENTIENCE? Whoa! Maybe that's why Harry could win the Priori 
> Incantatum struggle: Fawkes' feather, somehow sentient in the wand, 
> was rebelling against the wickedness of Voldemort's abuse of it! 
> Okay, that may be so far out in left field as to be out of sight, 
but 
> I couldn't resist adding it to my post. :)
> 
> Allyse, who comes out of lurkdom only rarely

I think you have it almost right there, Allyse.  Wizards and witches 
do grow, but not merely physically.  They grow in knowledge, in 
ability, and in character.  The wands may sense this and choose 
differently for even the same wizard.  Of course, it is also possible 
that a wizard may have multiple wands just like a pipe smoker would 
have a selection of pipes.

Haggridd