Voldemort's wand (was Re: Wormtail's Wand)

[Alex]

No: HPFGUIDX 54802

Gina:
> I wonder if wands "wear out."  Do the magical cores go "bad" after a while?
> Dragon heartstrings and unicorn tail hairs are organic matter.  They must be
> specially treated somehow.  In GoF, Ollivander tested the wands for
> functionality.  Of course, a wand may suffer a break, or maybe even a
> hairline fracture could make it slightly malfunction.  How sensitive are
> these wands?  Something tells me we won't find out.

Silver Stag/Betty:
> I think they do eventually wear out, but that it's more likely to be the
> wood than the core.  In SS, Charlie's old wand looks battered and the
> unicorn hair's poking out just a bit.  In second year, the wand becomes
> nearly useless after the tip's broken and spellotape isn't enough to fix it.
> Any additions or other ideas?  I'm not used to speculating.  I specialize in
> canon details.

Well, today I've specialized in trouble-making, but I'll be nice and speculate...

I imagine, if it were properly cared for, that a wand could last an eternity. The 
wands, as portrayed in the movie (I don't know if JKR had any input into the 
design) look as though they are turned on a lathe and look very durable. It's 
not a hollowed out stick with some magic stuff put in it, as I originally imagined 
from reading. In this case, the wood used would be from heartwood and all 
the woods mentioned in the books are hardwoods, so a carved, sanded, 
polished and laquered wand that was kept dry and safe could theoretically 
last forever. 

One thing that throws me, though are some of the words that JKR uses to 
describe the wands: rather bendy, flexible, etc...I don't think these words could 
be used to describe the wands portrayed in the movie, as they all seem 
inflexible.

As for the core, I think that that is what truly defines the wand's power, and that 
the wood is merely a vessel. The wood may act as a conductor between 
wizard and core, though so it could accentuate the wand's characteristics. 
Why not...different woods certainly do have different characteristics and uses. 
I would speculate that as long as the core is not compromised in any way, that 
it would still be usable. 

Can a wand's core go bad or get used up? I think not...Voldemort's wand must 
be at least fifty years old and Dumbledore's could be much older (provided he 
hasn't upgraded over the years). Rather than the car analogy, I imagine, like a 
Stradivarius, a wand would get finer with age, provided it was well cared for. 
Children can be rough on anything. A wand, like a pair of eyeglasses, if it gets 
sat upon or is thrown in a pocket or ends up on the floor at night, will take 
more abuse than if it is loved.

The core material on Charlie/Ron's wand is breached, which could turn it bad. 
Hair and feathers, though flexible could fray or fall apart. Sealed within a well 
made wand, however they could last a very long time even though they are 
organic. Think of the human hair they find in Egyptian mummies. I'm not sure 
what dragon heartstring would consist of, but this could be breakable and 
might need extra special care.

Doesn't Harry speculate that Hagrid has kept his core and put it in his 
umbrella? Even if his wand was snapped in two, if the core remained viable, it 
could still be used.

~~aesob