Wand Core

• Type: Magical Substance, Essential Wand Component
• Source: Typically sourced from a powerful magical creature or, more rarely, a magical plant.
• Function: Serves as the primary channel for a witch or wizard's magic through a wand.
• Notable Wandmakers: Garrick Ollivander, Mykew Gregorovitch

A wand core is a magical substance placed within the wooden casing of a wand. According to the renowned wandmaker Garrick Ollivander, the core is the element that truly produces the magic, though the wood type significantly modifies its expression. The combination of wood and core, along with the wand's length and flexibility, determines its overall characteristics. The core is a key factor in the principle that “the wand chooses the wizard”, as its nature must be compatible with the user's own personality and magical potential. Mr. Ollivander's practice revolutionized British wandmaking by insisting on using only one of three powerful and high-quality substances, which he dubbed the “Supreme Cores.”

• Dragon heartstring: The most powerful of the three Supreme Cores, these wands tend to produce the most flamboyant spells. They learn more quickly than other types but can be temperamental and are the easiest to turn to the Dark Arts. They form strong bonds with their current owner but are not necessarily the most loyal. Witches and wizards with dragon heartstring wands include Hermione Granger, Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Viktor Krum, and Peter Pettigrew.
• Unicorn hair: Produces the most consistent and reliable magic, being the least subject to blockages or fluctuations. Wands with this core are the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts and are the most faithful to their first owner. A significant disadvantage is that they may “die” if mishandled, requiring the hair to be replaced. Notable owners include Ron Weasley (his second wand), Cedric Diggory, Neville Longbottom (his second wand), and Draco Malfoy.
• Phoenix feather: The rarest core type. Phoenix feather wands are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than other types to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality many witches and wizards dislike. They are the most selective in choosing an owner and are notoriously hard to tame and personalize. Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort both possessed wands with a phoenix feather core.

Other cores are known to exist, though Ollivander considered them inferior or difficult to work with.

• Veela hair: A substance known to be temperamental, resulting in wands that are powerful but difficult to master. Fleur Delacour's wand contained a hair from the head of her Veela grandmother.
• Thestral tail hair: An extremely potent but unstable substance. It is considered a difficult core to master and can only be handled by a witch or wizard capable of facing death. The only known wand to contain this core is the legendary Elder Wand.

The use of magical cores in wandmaking is an ancient practice. The Ollivander family, established in 382 B.C., has a long history of studying and implementing various core materials. Before Garrick Ollivander, it was common for customers to provide their own magical substance, which the wandmaker would then encase in a chosen wood. Ollivander's father, for instance, worked with what Garrick considered substandard cores, such as Kneazle whiskers or Dittany stalks. Garrick Ollivander's great ambition was to perfect the art by sourcing the finest cores himself—the “Supreme Cores”—and matching them intricately with the ideal wood. His methods proved so superior that they became the standard for quality wands in Britain.

The concept of the wand core is central to the entire saga, most notably through the “twin cores” of Harry Potter's and Lord Voldemort's wands.

• Twin Cores and Priori Incantatem: Harry's and Voldemort's wands both contain a single tail feather from the same phoenix, Fawkes. This unique connection means the wands cannot properly fight each other. When forced to do so in the Little Hangleton graveyard, they trigger the rare magical effect of Priori Incantatem, revealing echoes of the last spells one of the wands performed. This connection saves Harry's life.
• The Battle of the Seven Potters: During the flight from Number Four, Privet Drive, Harry's wand acts of its own accord, recognizing Lord Voldemort and unleashing a golden fire spell against him. This is explained as a result of the deep magical bond and shared core, which was “drenched” in the power of their previous encounter.
• The Elder Wand: The nature of the Elder Wand is partly defined by its unique and powerful Thestral tail hair core. This esoteric substance reinforces the wand's connection to death and its status as one of the Deathly Hallows.

• J.K. Rowling has written extensively about Wandlore, wand woods, and wand cores on the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website.
• According to Pottermore, American wandmaking at Ilvermorny traditionally used cores from native magical creatures: Thunderbird tail feather, Wampus cat hair, Horned Serpent horn, and Rougarou hair. (Pottermore)
• In the video game Hogwarts Legacy, one of the three wand core options the player can choose is Dragon heartstring, Unicorn hair, or Phoenix feather. (video game)
• J.K. Rowling revealed in an interview that if she were a student at Hogwarts, her wand would contain a phoenix feather core. (J.K. Rowling interview)