Wands and spells

[Pat]

No: HPFGUIDX 109601

Mandypandy <mandyallen286 at f...> wrote:
> [snip]
> > Correct me if I've missed something, but having just 
> > read GoF for the eighth time I realised that Harry,
> > when he is in the alleyway with Dudley, casts a 
> > spell without his wand in his hand.  Is this right? 
> > He says 'lumos' and the wand tip lights up.  I have 
> > always assumed the wand has to be held my the person
> > casting the spell, otherwise why have a wand in the first place?
> 
> Pam ponders:
> 
> Wands may be a tool that focuses and directs magical power, but I 
> don't think that they are always necessary for spells, etc.  After 
> all, we see DD doing quite well without a wand, as (I think) do 
some 
> other professors. And wizarding children "do odd things" without 
> wands all the time (think Harry on the roof of the school when 
> chased by bullies, and of course Aunt Marge).
> 
Pat here:

Yes, wandless magic does seem to run throughout the books.  The 
first time we see it is when Harry sets the snake on Dudley at the 
zoo, without knowing what he is doing.  Then Hagrid asks him if he 
hasn't ever done anything that he couldn't explain--his hair growing 
back after the bad haircut from Petunia, ending up on the roof to 
escape Dudley at school, etc.

Dumbledore does wandless magic quite a lot.  And Harry seems to be 
showing some aptitude for it as well--as you point out, when he says 
lumos and the wand tip lights but isn't in his hand.  So it does 
look like the wand is mainly for focusing energy or whatever to do 
the magic.

The other part in OotP, is when Snape is giving Harry occlumnency 
lessons.  He tells him to concentrate and he won't have to waste his 
energy yelling, and can repell Snape's mind without using his wand.  
That's probably the most direct thing we have that says wandless 
magic is possible.  We don't know, though, whether it's possible for 
all wizards or just for those with some extraordinary powers--such 
as DD and apparently, Harry.

Then there is the whole issue of the house elves who can't have 
wands but do a fair amount of magic anyway--Dobby with the dessert, 
sealing the barrier at the train, apparating and disapparating (even 
inside Hogwarts), and also blasting Lucius in COS when he threatens 
Harry after he (Dobby) has been freed.

It has always seemed odd that some people seem to do magic outside 
of school and don't get in trouble for it--Lily, for one, but also 
the Weasleys, who go off practicing flying on brooms.  Perhaps it 
has to do with the type of magic they are doing, or how close they 
live to muggles--and Harry seems to be very close, so anything he 
does might be noticed.

Pat