Harry & Lord Voldemort's Wands

[Tom Wall]

No: HPFGUIDX 56104


Jean wrote:
My son says that since Harry 
and LV's wands share the core 
from the same phoenix that their 
wands are the same. Now I come 
back with "No two Ollivander wands 
are the same, just as no two 
unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes 
are quite the same." PS/SS pg 84 
US edition. But Billy says that 
the phoenix is the same and I 
said yes but the wood is different. 
LV's wand is made of yew and is 
13.5" long. Harry's wand is made of 
holly and is 11" long. Billy said 
that didn't matter it is the magical 
core that matters.

I write:
I'm with you - the wands are similar, and related as a result of the 
shared origin of their cores, but are not the same. First off, you've 
covered the canon - the wands are not identical, both by Ollivander's 
admission and because the materials are not the same.

Some more canon to boost your case. :-)

"It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, 
gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that 
you should be destined for this wand when its brother - why, its 
brother gave you that scar." (PS/SS, US paperback, Ch.5, 85)

I'm guessing that the "brother" analogy is supposed to be accurate, 
otherwise, why use it, right? Just because you're someone's brother 
doesn't make you identical to that person.

As Darrin pointed out:

"So what happens when a wand meets its brother?" - Sirius
(GoF, US paperback, Ch.36, 697)

I've wondered about Priori Incantantem before, as well. Dumbledore 
describes it as "a very rare effect," (ibid) which I don't get at 
all. I mean, there are about a thousand kids at Hogwarts, right? 

Just how many unicorns, dragons, and phoenixes is Ollivander going 
around plucking stuff from, anyways? It seems (to me) more than 
likely to me that a lot of the wands he sells are 'brothers,' which 
makes me skeptical about how 'rare' this effect actually is. 

My best guess is that people don't force their wands to do battle too 
often.

Anyways, good luck with the debate.

-Tom