Thoughts on Wands (slightly long)

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52995

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Erica <cymru1ca at y...>"
<cymru1ca at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Calliope" <julia at t...> wrote:
> > Erica asked:
> > 
> > ...
> > > Did Ron get a new wand after CoS?
> > 
> > Yep - it's got unicorn tail hair in it.  ...
> > 
> > Julia

>
> ...edited...
> 
> Is not the *wood* used in a wand is also important?  When Ollivander 
> was describing the Potters' wands Lily's *willow* wand was good for 
> charms and James' *mahogany* was good for transfiguration was he 
> talking about the wood or the wood/core combinations (he never 
> mentions the cores).
> 
> Cheers,
> Erica


bboy_mm:

I think it's more complicated than that. There is also length. The
wands we have seen so far range from 8" (Fleur) to 16" (Hagrid). In
the 'Weighing of the Wands', Ollivander comments about Victor's wand,
first saying something like it is heavier or thicker than he likes,
then he starts to make a comment about the design, but stops himself
before he finishes the thought. Ollivander seems to favor supple bendy
wands whereas the maker of Victor's wand (Gregoravich sp?) seem to
prefer more ridged wands. Since Ollivander comments on the design,
which I take to mean the shape, we assume that shape and balance are
important.

I'm going to stray a bit here, and make references to the movie, and
while that is not cannon, it can serve to illustrate my points.
Somewhere on the internet on, a commercial site I think, is a large
picture archive which contains pictures of the wands of the major
characters. (Anybody know where that is?) First, take Snape's wand
(remember - movie wand). It's a two piece wand, handle attached to
shaft, made of what appears to be the same kind of naturally dark
wood. The handle is also carved. Harry's wand is a one piece wand
that, in both the movie and fictional life, we can assume is stained.
Holly is a very white fine grained wood that looks more like ivory
than wood, so I can only assume that it is stained. Other one piece
wands have slightly different shapes. 

Back to printed fictional reality. My analysis of wandmaking, and I
have analysed it because I'm using it in a story (for reference,
Harry's next wand, in my world, will be Holly handle, Yew shaft, and
Dragon Heart core with a dragon carved into the handle), is that every
aspect of a wand is carefully selected to match, to be in harmony
with, all the other aspects. Mr. Ollivander may have 4 pieces of
mahogany, and of these 4 nearly identical pieces, only one will match
a particular specific unicorn hair. Then after Mr. Ollivander matches
a core to a specific piece of wood, using that amazing intuitive
wandmakers 6th sense, he then further refines it by decide on what
length best harmonizes with the wood and core, then determines the
shape and balance that further enhance that harmony.

Now back to movie fictional reality, Snape's wand has a carved handle;
it's possible that those carvings are ancient magical symbols that
Ollivander added to the wand to fine tune it; to more accurately bring
the wand into harmony with itself. Also, remember that every wand is a
unique one of a kind; these are uniquely matched components that are
handcrafted.

My personal theory on 'the wand chooses the wizard' is that there is a
magical harmonic resonance between the wand and the wizard. Like the
opera singer breaking the glass, when things resonate in harmony, the
whole is greater than the sum of it's parts, and that harmonic
resonance is what makes a specific wand extra powerful when it is in
the hands of a well matched wizard.

So when Ollivander is creating a wand, it is almost like he is
creating a tuning fork made of many components. If one aspect of the
'tuning fork' is out of harmony, it is a contrary force that
diminishes by more than the measured value of it's individual force.
Once all the components are in harmony and resonating at the same
magical frequence, the wand becomes greater than it's part. Then when
place in the hands of a wizard with a sympathetic harmony, all
components cascade upon themselves and again, the whole is greater
than the sum of it's parts. 

The power of a wand is measured in how precisely tuned to each other
it's components are. Mr. Ollivander may go through hundreds of unicorn
hairs before he matches a piece of wood that he knows is sympathetic
to unicorn hair. Once matched, every other aspect; color, size, shape,
balance, etc..., must harmonize with the wood and core to create a
powerful and effective wand.

At least, that's how I see it.

bboy_mn