Mr Olivander's Opinion

[feliciarickmann]

No: HPFGUIDX 42757

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "grey_wolf_c" <greywolf1 at j...> wrote:
> Marc wrote:
> > on a side note of wands:
> > 
> > If the wand chooses the witch/wizard, why is Draco's mom picking 
out
> > his wand for him when Harry meets him for the first time at the 
robe 
> > shop?
> >
> > Marc
> 
> Thanks for finding that little canon! I've always tried to held the 
> theory that Olivander's idea of the "wand choosing the wizard" is 
just 
> the private theory of a strange old man who has spent his whole 
life 
> selling wands, but up till now there was nothing in which to base 
the 
> gut feeling. Now, I've got that to back me up.
> 
> My theory goes that, although it *is* possible that some wands are 
> better suited to a person than others, it is nowhere as strong as 
> Olivanders thinks it is. This explains why any wand will serve any 
> wizard, even hand-me-downs like Ron gets (that is, until he breaks 
it). 
> And even if what Olivander thinks is correct (he's the expert, and 
all 
> that), most of the WW *do not* believe that, but think that any 
wand 
> will work, and buy according to other principles: how pretty it is, 
> what is good for (as in "good for charms") or, in the case of the 
> Malfoys, probably basing in the cost ("the most expensive one, 
please. 
> Oh, and throw in a gold box to keep it in so it doesn't loose the 
> shine").
> 
> Hope that helps,
> 
> Grey Wolf, who probably didn't give you the answer you were looking 
for


May we assume therefore that it was just the luck of the draw that 
Harry got the wand that was Voldemort's twin then, and that it is a 
coincidence that both are made out of wood associated in some form 
with death i.e. *Holly and Yew*, and that Lily Potter's wand was good 
for charm work and James's wand better for transfiguration by more 
arbitrary selection?

Surely it would be better to suggest that all wands will work to a  
greater or lesser extent with all wizards BUT that the right wand in 
the right hands would perform over and above a wizard's expectations. 

An example *might* be Harry's Patronus in PoA.  Harry, an exceptional 
wizard, is taught sophisticated magic supposedly beyond his years by 
Remus Lupin, and could perhaps have conjured up a Patronus with any 
old wand but, with his own wand, as selected by Mr Olivander, 
produces a spectacular Patronus that also brings him closer to his 
father, albeit briefly, and comprehensively vanquishes the Dementors.

I think Mr Olivander has a point.

Felicia