Neville Longbottom's Second Wand

• Type: Wand
• Owners: Neville Longbottom
• Maker: Garrick Ollivander

Neville Longbottom's second wand is thirteen inches long, made of Cherry wood, and contains a single Unicorn hair for its core. This was one of the very last wands sold by Garrick Ollivander from his shop in Diagon Alley before his abduction by Death Eaters in the summer of 1996.

As the first wand that properly chose Neville Longbottom, it represented a significant turning point in his magical development. His first wand was a hand-me-down from his father, Frank Longbottom, and according to Garrick Ollivander, a wizard will never get the best results using another wizard's wand. The acquisition of this new, properly matched wand led to a marked and immediate improvement in Neville's spell-casting ability and overall confidence. Throughout his sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts, he demonstrated a much higher level of magical proficiency, particularly in practical magic like Defence Against the Dark Arts. This newfound competence was instrumental in his ability to co-lead the reformed Dumbledore's Army and resist the Carrows' regime during his final year.

Neville was forced to acquire a new wand after his first one was broken by the Death Eater Antonin Dolohov during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries at the end of his fifth year. His grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, purchased this new wand for him from Ollivanders in the summer of 1996, just prior to the start of Neville's sixth year. Neville used this wand for the remainder of his time at Hogwarts. It was his primary magical tool during the rise of Lord Voldemort's power, his leadership of the student resistance at Hogwarts, and the final Battle of Hogwarts. He wielded it when he bravely defied Lord Voldemort to his face in the school courtyard and subsequently used the Sword of Gryffindor to destroy Voldemort's final Horcrux, Nagini.

This wand is a powerful symbol of Neville's character arc and his journey from a clumsy, insecure boy to a confident and heroic wizard. While his father's wand connected him to his family's tragic past, his new wand represented his own identity and potential. The immediate improvement in his magic after receiving it proved that much of his previous magical ineptitude was due to using a wand that was not truly his. The wand enabled him to step out of his parents' shadow and become a hero in his own right, fulfilling his potential as a true Gryffindor and a key member of the resistance against Lord Voldemort.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Neville is seen with a new wand, but the moment of its purchase and the details of its composition are omitted from the storyline.
• According to wandlore information released on Pottermore, cherry wood often makes a wand with lethal power, but if paired with a core like unicorn hair, it can be tempered. It is said to belong to a wizard of “tremendous self-control and strength of mind,” which aligns perfectly with Neville's development (Pottermore).
• Unicorn hair is noted for producing the most consistent magic and being the most difficult core substance to turn to the Dark Arts (Pottermore).