Wandlore

Wandlore is the ancient and complex branch of magic that deals with the history, abilities, and properties of wands. It is described by the famed wandmaker Garrick Ollivander as a mysterious and intricate field of study, the subtleties of which are not fully understood even by its most dedicated practitioners. The principles of wandlore govern how a wand chooses a wizard or witch, how its allegiance can be won or lost, and how the specific combination of its wand wood and wand core determines its unique character and capabilities.

Wandlore is built upon several fundamental principles that dictate the relationship between a witch or wizard and their wand.

• The Wand Chooses the Wizard: This is the most central tenet of wandlore. A witch or wizard can use almost any wand, but a truly powerful connection is only formed when a wand chooses its owner. This process is mysterious, but a wand seems to sense a compatibility with the user's character and magic. Harry Potter's experience at Ollivanders, where he tried numerous wands before finding the one meant for him—holly and Phoenix feather—is a classic example of this principle in action.
• Wand Allegiance: A wand's loyalty is not necessarily permanent and can be transferred from one master to another. Allegiance is typically won by defeating the previous owner, though this does not require killing them; disarming or otherwise overpowering them is sufficient. This principle is most famously demonstrated through the history of the Elder Wand. Albus Dumbledore won its allegiance by defeating Gellert Grindelwald. Later, Draco Malfoy became its master by disarming Dumbledore, and Harry Potter subsequently won its allegiance by forcefully taking Draco's own wand at Malfoy Manor.
• Wand Components and Characteristics: The materials used to create a wand are crucial to its identity. Each combination of a specific wand wood and a magical wand core produces a wand with a unique temperament. Garrick Ollivander favored three primary cores, which he called the “Supreme Cores”:
  1. ` - Unicorn hair:` Produces the most consistent magic and is the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts.
  2. ` - Dragon heartstring:` Produces the most powerful wands, capable of the most flamboyant spells. They tend to bond strongly with their current owner.
  3. ` - Phoenix feather:` The rarest core type, capable of the greatest range of magic, though they can be picky about their owners and act of their own accord.
• Twin Cores: When two wands share cores from the exact same magical creature, they are considered “brothers” or “twins.” Such wands cannot be forced to fight each other successfully. When they are, a rare magical effect known as Priori Incantatem occurs, forcing one of the wands to regurgitate the spells it has recently performed. This was the case with the wands of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, which both contained a tail feather from Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix.
• Wand Experience and Memory: Wands are quasi-sentient and learn from their owners, absorbing their experiences and character. A wand that has been used to perform powerful or Dark Arts will become more adept at that type of magic. Likewise, a wand will grow in power and skill along with its master.

• Garrick Ollivander: Widely regarded as the finest wandmaker in Great Britain. He possessed an unparalleled understanding of wandlore, which he considered a lifelong, unending study. He was kidnapped and tortured by Lord Voldemort for his knowledge of the twin cores and the Elder Wand.
• Mykew Gregorovitch: A skilled and famous European wandmaker who was a rival of Ollivander. He once possessed the Elder Wand and foolishly bragged about it, leading to its theft by a young Gellert Grindelwald. He was later murdered by Lord Voldemort in his quest for the wand.
• Albus Dumbledore: While not a wandmaker, Dumbledore had a profound and subtle understanding of wandlore, particularly concerning the Deathly Hallows. His knowledge of wand allegiance was crucial to his plans for the defeat of Lord Voldemort.
• Gellert Grindelwald: A powerful Dark Wizard who was deeply knowledgeable about wandlore. His search for the Elder Wand and his subsequent mastery of it, however brief, demonstrate his expertise in this field.

The principles of wandlore are woven throughout the entire series, growing in significance as the story progresses. Initially introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with the concept of “the wand chooses the wizard,” its importance becomes critical in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with the revelation of the twin cores and the effect of Priori Incantatem. Wandlore becomes a central plot device in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The breaking of Harry's holly wand forces him to use other wands, including Hermione's and Draco's, teaching him firsthand about wand allegiance. The global search for the Elder Wand by Lord Voldemort drives much of the narrative. Ultimately, the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort is decided by a crucial point of wandlore: Harry, not Voldemort, is the true master of the Elder Wand. This causes Voldemort's Killing Curse to rebound upon himself, as the wand would not murder its rightful master.

• J.K. Rowling has significantly expanded upon the principles of wandlore through her writings on the Pottermore and Wizarding World websites. These writings detail the properties of numerous wand woods and additional wand cores not mentioned in the books. (Pottermore)
• The core of the Elder Wand is revealed to be a Thestral tail hair, a substance that only a witch or wizard who has accepted death can master. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• In the film adaptations, the physical designs of wands are often unique and symbolic of their owners' personalities, such as Voldemort's bone-like wand or the elegant simplicity of Hermione's vine wood wand. (film)