Kelpie Hair

• Type: Wand Core, Potion Ingredient
• Source: Kelpie
• Users: Wandmakers, Potion-makers

Kelpie hair is a magical substance harvested from a Kelpie, a shape-shifting water demon native to Britain and Ireland. The Kelpie most often takes the form of a horse with a mane made of bulrushes, as described in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. While the exact appearance of the harvested hair is not detailed in the original novels, it is presumably derived from this distinctive mane.

Kelpie hair has been utilized in at least two distinct magical disciplines: wandlore and Potion-making.

• As a Wand Core: Historically, Kelpie hair was used by some British Wandmakers. The wands it produced were noted for their power, possessing a strength not commonly matched by other cores. However, the renowned Wandmaker Garrick Ollivander considered the material to be inferior and ceased using it, stating that the wands were temperamental and difficult to handle (Pottermore). His father, Gerbold Ollivander, was known to have worked with this core (Pottermore).
• As a Potion Ingredient: Kelpie hair is known to be an ingredient in certain magical concoctions, such as the Girding Potion (video game).

The history of Kelpie hair is primarily linked to British wandlore. It was used as a wand core by certain makers, including Gerbold Ollivander, prior to the modern era of wandmaking led by his son, Garrick Ollivander (Pottermore). Due to its fickle nature and the difficulty in handling it, its use fell out of favour and was supplanted by the three “Supreme Cores” exclusively used by Ollivander: dragon heartstring, unicorn hair, and phoenix feather.

Kelpie hair is not mentioned directly within the seven original novels. However, the creature it comes from, the Kelpie, is part of the established magical world. A Kelpie is listed in the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Gilderoy Lockhart claims to have dealt with the Bandon Banshee by luring it into a well that happened to contain a Kelpie in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The world's largest Kelpie, the Loch Ness Monster, is also a known entity in the wizarding world.

• The primary source of information regarding Kelpie hair's use as a wand core comes from supplementary writings by J.K. Rowling on the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website.
• The Kelpie itself is drawn directly from Scottish folklore, where it is a mythical shape-shifting water spirit said to haunt lochs and rivers, often appearing as a horse to lure victims to their deaths.