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In Order of the Phoenix when Hermione and Harry go with Umbridge into the forest and come across the centaurs, Umbridge's wand breaks in two before getting carried off by the centaurs. the next time we see her is in the hospital wing, then again at Dumbledore's funeral and again in the hearing at the Ministry where she has cast a patronus to keep the dementors at bay. How then has she been able to do this without a wand? Had Olivander not been taken by Voldemort by the time she had come out of the hospital wing, where then would she have got another wand?

Is there anything in canon about this as I think its a fairly important point. Wands play a big part in the story, vital in fact, so to me it seems important to know where or how she had replaced her wand to produce a complex bit of magic like a patronus?

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    Olivander is not the only wand maker you know? It's one of the most famous ones, but not the only one.
    – Deleteman
    Sep 8, 2013 at 21:47
  • true, I was wondering more if there was anything in canon about this as I think its a fairly important point. Wands play a big part in the story, vital in fact, so to me it seems important to know where or how she had replaced her wand to produce a complex bit of magic like a patronus?
    – BP_Phoenix
    Sep 9, 2013 at 8:47

3 Answers 3

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There aren't exact dates for either, but Ollivander was kidnapped during the summer between OotP and HBP, and it can be assumed that Umbridge got out of the hospital during the summer between OotP and HBP. Therefore, it is possible that she had an opportunity to obtain a new wand before he was kidnapped.

Also, it's worth noting that when Ginny asks, "But what'll people do for wands?" Lupin replies, "They'll make do with other makers," so Umbridge could have obtained another wand elsewhere.

I highly doubt that she was performing wandless magic, because she does not appear to be a particularly skilled witch, and the Patronus charm is a fairly difficult spell.

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Umbridge left the Hospital wing and Hogwarts before the end of the school year in Order of the Phoenix:

Professor Umbridge left Hogwarts the day before the end of term. It seemed that she had crept out of the hospital wing during dinnertime, evidently hoping to depart undetected ...

The HP Lexicon says that the Hogwarts Express returns to London in the third week of June, so at the latest probably somewhere around the 21st.

Harry learns about Ollivander's disappearance on his sixteenth birthday (31st of July):

To Mrs. Weasley’s displeasure, Harry’s sixteenth birthday celebrations were marred by grisly tidings brought to the party by Remus Lupin

...

“Talking of Diagon Alley,” said Mr. Weasley, “looks like Ollivander’s gone too.”

Given the nature of the exchange I'd guess that's very recent, sometime in the last few days (the 29th to 31st July). However, even if Ollivander's departure had happened a week before Harry's birthday - and he simply hadn't been told about it for that time - there's still about a month between Umbridge departing Hogwarts and Ollivander being taken; that's more than enough time to purchase a new wand since that would almost certainly be top of her list of things to do (a witch as concerned with status as Umbridge isn't going to remain without a wand a second longer than necessary).

There's another point that, despite not actually being relevant due to the above, I'll touch on anyway:

From the description of Ollivander's shop when Harry buys his wand at the beginning of Philosopher's Stone there are stacks of boxes reaching to the ceiling; even if Ollivander is no longer around to make new wands there are still plenty of Ollivander made wands to be chosen by. Personally I can't see Umbridge having any qualms about essentially stealing a new wand from somebody who appears to have vanished.

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    Also, Neville purchased a new wand from Ollivander sometime during that summer to replace the one broken during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and they believed that was the last wand Ollivander sold before disappearing, so we know there were purchases made during that time.
    – Compro01
    Sep 9, 2013 at 15:04
  • She'd most likely subsequently claim it's an heirloom from yet another pureblood family she's related to, as well.
    – Shadur
    Jul 1, 2015 at 11:18
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There are more places than just Ollivander's, although Ollivander's was the best place to go. I assume that Umbridge went to Knockturn Alley or some place like that to get a new wand, or one was given to her by the Ministry of Magic.

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    There are only two wandmakers mentioned by name in the entire seven books: Ollivander and Gregorovitch. Wandlore is also mentioned as being a very obscure branch of magic. I don't think it's a case of "Ollivander's is closed, let's go down the street to buy a wand instead." Sep 10, 2013 at 22:54

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