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Everything Wands, - including the Elder Wand |
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 Apr 12 2005, 10:19 AM
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Director of Nicholas Flamel Laboratories
Posts: 11,039
Joined: 11:06am January 28, 2005
Location: Lighting the mountain path for Llewellyn ap Gryffudd
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Wands are created from wood with some magical substance at its heart. Wands are classified by means of four characteristics: length, type of wood, quality of motion when waved, and type of magical ingredient. The woods come from Celtic lore, just as ramsey said. As for how wands are chosen, as Mr. Ollivander says, the wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around.
It seems to me (and I could be wrong), but wand size is based on height. Hagrid's is 16". After him, Ron's got the longest (14"), then LV (13 1/4") and Cedric (12 1/4").
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"Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you're being had."--Michael Crichton
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Apr 12 2005, 09:30 PM
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Expert Wand-Waver at Ollivander's
Posts: 2,106
Joined: 9:13pm February 18, 2005
Location: Snubbing the mortals
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Is there a place to find this sort Celtic chart? Book, website, whatever doesn't really matter. Just curious.
I seen the information on JKR's website, and was hoping to go a little further. 
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Apr 15 2005, 09:22 AM
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Mrs. A. W. Riddle
Posts: 10,925
Joined: 12:26pm January 28, 2005
Location: The Chamber of Secrets
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I think that it could well be the focal point of the wand - and that is why it is encased and protected by the wood.
Think of the core as being a conductive material and magic like energy. There are only certain number of conductive materials, all others would work. The wood is like a wire - protects the inner conductive wires as well as give them direction.
As for the wand choosing the wizard, I think that this takes wands to a level above my previous analogy. Different combinations reflect, in some way, who or what a person is, what their potential is and where it lies. I don't buy the idea that magic is on different frequencies, depending on the person (a RedHen idea, I think) because, IMO, it doesn't make sense. Magic is magic, but it is used and appears differently in different people as would intelligence or talent. For instance, unless there is a medical reason or tone deafness (or something that I have not mentioned, I wish not to offend), most people can be taught to sing to some level. Some are excellent at it, others are average - but they can sing. Take wizards - DD would be the equivalent of a professional opera singer, and Neville would be like me.
Anyway, a wand has several variables: wood length, wood type, core type and flexibility.
Here's some maths, but I'll highlight the relevant points:- There are three types of core used at Ollivanders.
- There are at least seven types of wood used.
- There are, from what we have been given, at least twenty-eight possible lengths used.
- And there are at least five forms of flexibility.
This gives a total number of 2940 wands.
However, there could be as many as:- Twenty types of wood.
- Thirty possible lengths.
- Ten forms of flexibility.
This gives a total number of 18,000 wands.
This seems far more plausible, because I have estimated the wizarding population of Britain to be about 19,000 to 25,000.
So there could easily be a different wand for each person.
Where am I going with this? Every person has their own wand, and so it is plausible that only one wand will suit a person.
However, if say, three out of the four variables are the same or nearly the same, then the wand will work very well, just not to the optimum, but if only one or two of the four variables are used, the performance would be poorer.
[And if the maths is wrong, it isn’t my fault. Blame my physicist friend. :wink: ]
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We Slytherins are brave, yes, but not stupid -- Phineas Nigellus.
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