Fawkes: His Age, His Name and the Timing of Ollivander's Wand Production

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 54253

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "erisedstraeh2002"
<erisedstraeh2002 at y...> wrote:
> Karen (karenoc1) wrote:
> 
> > I think at least two things are possible: Fawkes is not as old 
> > as we think, and Dumbledore named him himself, or Fawkes was not 
> > originally owned by Dumbledore, and he is only around 300-390 
> > years  old.  Phoenixes are not immortal; they just have an 
> > extra-long life- span, of say 500 years or so.  
> 
> Now me: (Phyllis)
> 
> In Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, JKR tells us that 
> the "phoenix lives to an immense age as it can regenerate, bursting 
> into flames when its body begins to fail and rising again from the 
> ashes as a chick" (p. 32). 
> 

bboy_mn:
The 300 to 500 year lifespan of a Phoenix is the lifespan of a single
lifecycle. That same Phoenix might go through dozens of lifecycles.

This current lifecycle was started in CoS (I think) making Fawkes
about three years old. So he will live for another 497 years before he
regenerates again.

If we assume that Fawkes was a baby when Godric Gryffindor got him,
and we also assume the Gryffindor was his owner, that would put Fawkes
on at least his third lifecycle. Although, it's possible that Fawkes
had gone through several lifecycles before Gryffindor found him.



> 
> Anne U wrote:
> 
> > ... Ollivander made these two wands at ... the same time, knowing 
> > that Tom Riddle and Harry Potter ... would ... be chosen by the 
> > wands? Or ... at the same time knowing that the two wands 
> > would  eventually choose two extremely powerful wizards? Or ...
> >  different times using tail feathers given at different times??
> 
> Me again: (Phyllis)
> 
> Given Ollivander's surprise at Harry's compatibility with his wand, 
> and given the number of wands Harry tried before he connected with 
> his wand, I don't believe that Ollivander made the wand with Harry
> in mind.  
> 
> ... when Riddle went bad, Ollivander asked Dumbledore for a second 
> feather so he could create a second wand for the wizard 
> who had the same potential for greatness as Voldemort 
> 
> ~Phyllis

bboy_mn:
When the wand chooses the wizard, I don't think that is an
intellectual or moral choice. I think is is based on a compatability
which I define as a common harmonic magical resonance (I'll skip the
details). 

So Ollivander made two wands from an available source of feathers.
Phoenix are native to Asian, so I don't think it is that easy to get
them. Ollivander would have certainly taken advantage of an the
availability of Fawkes. Also, given that Fawkes has just regenerated,
and he regenerated after Harry bought his want, it is safe to assume
that both feathers came from the same lifecycle. 

But I also don't think you can pull a phoenix feather the way you pull
a unicorn hair (only my opinion); I think the phoenix has to
voluntarily give up a feather. I also think wizard matches to Phoenix
feather are far more UNcommon than matches to dragon string or unicorn
hair; again just my opinion.

Now the tricky question of when Ollivander made the wands. It is
possible when he sold his one wand 60 years ago to 11 year old Tom
Riddle, then appealed to Dumbledore for another feather since a
feather from Hogwarts would be easier and probably cheaper than trying
to import one from China. But it is also possible that either on his
own or at Dumbledore's request, he decided to make a second wand when
he found out what an evil wizard Tom Riddle turned out to be.
Ollivander does seem to be one of the few people who have acknowledged
the link between Tom Riddle and Voldemort. That's hard to accept
though, why would he make a wand on the off chance that decades later
a wizard might come along who might match that wand and who also might
just happen to be the wizard who fought Voldemort. Seems like they are
working pretty thin odds there. 

If it was truly made specifically to fight Voldemort, then why didn't
Dumbledore have it. Any wizard could use the wand, and the 'brother'
effect would be the same, so why leave it at Ollivander's waiting for
some random wizard to buy it?

Just some thoughts.

bboy_mn