Draco and his Hawthorn Wand (Long)

[ivogun]

No: HPFGUIDX 168630

Rowling in a new FAQ writes "Interestingly (to me) I decided that Draco had a hawthorn 
wand
Spooky, but for various reasons hawthorn seems to suit Draco as holly suits Harry."

Why hawthorn? 

I did a little research. Probably something obvious to British readers (but not to me), is 
that hawthorn is used in hedgerows. And hedgerows were not originally meant as a 
picturesque hedge, but rather they were erected as a (often thorny) barrier to keep locals 
off the land of wealthy landowners. The Enclosures Acts in the nineteenth century allowed 
landowners to enclose land, preventing locals from entering lands that previously had 
been open to them. http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/info/herbs/hawthorne.asp 

Hmm
yes hawthorn suits Draco. It's just the material for wand for a pureblood wizard 
who wishes to keep the muggleborn out of Hogwarts and the wizard world. I think though 
that this is the obvious answer, but what are the other reasons?

Hawthorn has *a lot* mythology associated with it.  Sometimes the ideas are contradictory. 
I am wondering what tidbit might apply to Draco. I think something does, so I pulled some 
possible associations from the following two sites:

http://www.paghat.com/hawthornmyths.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus 

(My notes are in parenthesis.) 

In Celtic mythology, hawthorn is one of the Three Sacred Trees, along with Oak & Ash 
(Would a wand from a sacred wood have special properties useful to Draco?)

Keeping a hawthorn thorn while fishing will guarantee a good catch. (Will Draco's wand 
catch something important in the next book?)

Hawthorn was sacred to Hymenaeus, the Greek god of the marriage chamber. He was the 
son of Apollo & a Muse; or in other accounts, he is the son of Dionysius and Aphrodite; or 
in even other accounts he is the son of a Naiad. (Could any of this possibly apply to 
Draco's parents?) 

In a myth Zeus became so jealous of Hymenaeus that he killed him, but Dionysius 
resurrected him with a tonic. (Draco's death? Or faked death?)

Another myth has it that Hymeanaeus was hatched from an egg laid by the Naiads (Does 
Draco have a connection to the merpeople? (Slytherins do have an affinity with water.  In 
GoF, Harry's second task involved an egg and the merpeople.)

The Naiads had swans as steeds. (Perhaps a little farfetched but could Cho with her swan 
patronus become friends with Draco?)

Hymenaeus is associated wars that began over matters of desire. He bore a "hawthorne-
hafted" weapon into battle. (Will Draco's wand become an important weapon?) 

Hawthorn boughs were used for luck & for protection in Greek And Roman households. It 
became symbolic of hope in the Christian era. A hawthorn sprig in the rafters of a home 
helped to keep bogarts, ghosts, & evil spirits at bay.  (Interesting properties for a wand.)

In German legend the smoke from hawthorn boughs bore souls into the afterlife. (Any 
connection with this legend sounds a little scary.)

On the witches' holiday of Beltane (May Day), witches were supposed to be able turn 
themselves into Hawthorns. The greatest of all goddess-witches, Nimue, had her great 
victory over Merlin when she snared him eternally in the thorny branches of a hawthorn. 
(Another scary plot.)

Due to its association with the death of Jesus & with witchcraft, it was also commonly 
believed that if a hawthorn were hurt, there would be bad luck or death within the family.  
(Wouldn't be good for the Malfoys.)

In medieval England the tree was believed to be a dwelling place for the Fair Folk, who 
could cause good or bad luck. If their hawthorn were cut down, this person's life would be 
forfeit. (Also not good for Draco)

In Celtic legends, hawthorn was used commonly for rune inscriptions along with Yew and 
Apple. It was once said to heal the broken heart. (Voldemort's wand was Yew. And runes

hmm)