Wands that do their own spells

[Karina Aleksandrova]

No: HPFGUIDX 172907

casmir2012 wrote:
>
> Was it ever explained how Harry's wand started sending off spells on 
> it's own during his encounter with Voldemort at the beginning of the 
> book...as he was leaving the Dursleys?
>

Yes. The wands sort of "learn" magic with time, so that Voldemort's
wand knew some hardcore stuff ;) due to all the magic he experimented
with in his life. In the battle between Voldemort and Harry in book 4,
when the two wands connected with the Priori Incantatum effect,
Harry's wand sort of "imbibed" some of the power of Voldemort's wand.
At the start of Deathly Hallows Voldemort was not using his own wand
(rather he "borrowed" from Lucius), so his wand didn't have all the
experience of Voldemort's original wand. Harry's wand on the other
hand recognized Voldemort (even if he was using a different wand), and
did something unexpected. I think it's explained in the King's Cross
chapter by Dumbledore.