Chestnut Wand Wood

• Type: Wand Wood
• Known Owners: Peter Pettigrew; three unnamed heads of the Wizengamot (Pottermore); Silvanus Kettleburn (Pottermore)
• Source of Information: Garrick Ollivander's Notes (Pottermore)

Chestnut is a highly multifaceted and curious wand wood, whose character varies greatly depending on its wand core and the personality of its owner. It is not a wood that reveals its secrets easily. According to the notes of Garrick Ollivander, chestnut wands are drawn to witches and wizards with specific talents (Pottermore):

• Skilled tamers of Magical Creatures.
• Those possessing great gifts in Herbology.
• Natural talent in Flying.

The nature of the witch or wizard chosen by a chestnut wand is further refined by the wand's core:

• With Dragon Heartstring: This combination is best matched with individuals who are overly fond of luxury and material possessions, and who may be less scrupulous than they should be about how they obtain them. This aligns perfectly with the known character of Peter Pettigrew.
• With Unicorn Hair: Conversely, this pairing shows a predilection for those deeply concerned with justice. According to J.K. Rowling, three successive heads of the Wizengamot possessed wands of chestnut and unicorn hair (Pottermore).
• With Phoenix Feather: The specific personality type for this combination is not explicitly stated, but the wand of former Care of Magical Creatures professor Silvanus Kettleburn was chestnut and phoenix feather, aligning with the wood's affinity for beast-tamers (Pottermore).

The only wand explicitly identified as being made of chestnut in the novels belongs to Peter Pettigrew. This was his second wand, which Garrick Ollivander was forced to make for him while held captive by Lord Voldemort (DH24).

• Description: Ollivander identifies the wand as being nine and a quarter inches, made of chestnut and dragon heartstring, and describes it as brittle (DH25). The combination of its wood and core perfectly reflects Pettigrew's treacherous nature and his attraction to the power offered by Voldemort.
• Role at Malfoy Manor: During the skirmish at Malfoy Manor, Ron Weasley disarmed Pettigrew and took this wand (DH23). He used it briefly as a replacement for his own broken wand. The wand was in Pettigrew's possession when he hesitated to obey Voldemort's order to kill Harry Potter. This moment of mercy led to the silver hand, a gift from Voldemort, turning on Pettigrew and strangling him to death (DH23). While the wand did not directly cause his death, the event underscored the fatal conflict within its owner.

• The vast majority of detailed information regarding the properties of chestnut wood comes from an essay written by J.K. Rowling for the Pottermore website. This is where the connection to beast-tamers, Herbologists, fliers, and the influence of the core is explained.
• The Pottermore entry provides the only known examples of chestnut wand owners besides Peter Pettigrew: the Care of Magical Creatures professor Silvanus Kettleburn and three unnamed heads of the Wizengamot.
• The specific combination of Pettigrew's wand (chestnut and dragon heartstring) and its described affinity for the “less scrupulous” is a prime example of Rowling using wandlore to reveal deeper character traits.