Ron's Wand

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 39006

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "ellaenchanted87" <ellaenchanted87 at y...> 
wrote:
> As I'm fairly new here I'm not sure if this is a topic you've 
covered 
> here before, but it suddenly occured to me that, according to the 
> "rules" Ms. Rowling has set up about the world of wizards, Ron 
should 
> not have been able to inherit his wand from one of his older 
siblings 
> (from which one, I'm not sure as I haven't got the book here in 
front 
> of me). When Harry was buying his wand at Ollivander's, Mr.
> Ollivander 
> himself told him that "the wand chooses the wizard," and not the
> other 
> way around. How, then, was Ron able to manage with that old hand-me-
> down wand of his? > 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Well, Ollivander does say that 'the wand chooses the wizard.' 
However, he *also* says that ' you will never get such good results 
with another wizard's wand'. Which implies IMO that a wizard can use 
someone else's wand.

Secondary support for this theory is in GoF - when little Kevin at 
the Quidditch World Cup uses his Daddy's wand to engorge a slug.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> Another theory I considered for a short time was that since Ron is 
a 
> blood relative of whomever he inherited the wand from, that's why 
he 
> could get it to work. Has anyone got any other ideas?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It may explain why the Weasley's were willing to send him off with a 
second hand wand - it would be 'close enough for him to learn the 
basics with'. Or it might be like musical instruments - you don't 
*need* a top-of-the-range wand to practice with. Ollivander also 
talks about Lily Evans Potter's 'first' wand - which implies she 
bought a second.

Perhaps the time spent finding the wand that matches Harry is another 
signal that this boy is going to need all the help he can get...

Pip
(who wants to know if Dumbledore is an animagi, and if so, which 
animal?)