54
votes
How did Harry know that wand allegiance can be won by proxy?
The text suggests that even Harry didn’t know for sure that he’s right.
“So it all comes down to this, doesn’t it?” whispered Harry. “Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? ...
- 40k
49
votes
Why are wands so cheap compared to their materials in Harry Potter?
You've fundamentally over-estimated the potential cost of the materials required to make a wand.
In terms of the cores that Ollivander prefers, dragon heartstrings are likely to be relatively ...
- 718k
47
votes
Accepted
Why would broken wands have any value?
Broken wands can be used to perform magic
Hagrid's wand was snapped by the Ministry of Magic. Yet, that didn't stop him from giving Dudley a pig's tail.
Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over ...
- 3,933
46
votes
Accepted
What is the distribution of wand lengths?
Based on the known wands in the Wizarding World we can come up with the following information:
Max Length: 18"
Min Length: 7"
Average Length: 10.92" (not an actual wand length because ...
- 61.3k
43
votes
Accepted
Whose wand did Bellatrix use at the Battle of Hogwarts?
She has a wand, but it's unclear how she got it.
Bellatrix did get a wand after hers was stolen. It's unclear how exactly she got it, but it isn't mentioned as being anyone else's wand, like Narcissa'...
- 106k
42
votes
Accepted
The core of Voldemort's wand came from Fawkes, so how could he successfully use a Killing Curse against Fawkes?
That effect only happens with twin core wands forced to duel.
Fawkes himself, as a living phoenix, would be inherently different than either the Dark Lord’s or Harry’s wand with one of Fawkes’s ...
- 106k
38
votes
Accepted
How much do wands cost?
We know the cost of Harry's wand.
He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand and Mr Ollivander bowed them from his shop.
Pottermore
- 1,203
36
votes
Is the breaking of a wand functional or merely ceremonial?
Both
Wands work by channeling magic. When the wand is broken, it ceases to be an effective channel.
When Harry's wand breaks in Deathly Hallows, it becomes more or less unusable until the Elder Wand ...
- 32.7k
36
votes
Accepted
What is actually happening when Harry Potter is trying out wands?
In the book the 'wand choosing' is simply accompanied by a lack of action until he finds the correct wand.
Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr Ollivander ...
- 718k
36
votes
Would a completely good Muggle be able to use a wand?
No, you've misunderstood the quote.
JKR isn't saying that the result would be violent because violence is what lies inside a Muggle (though it does sound like something the Malfoys might come up with)...
- 17.9k
32
votes
Can a wand ever run out of power?
No.
The magic comes from the wizard, not the wand.
As Ollivander says:
Oh yes, if you are any wizard at all you will be able to channel your magic through almost any instrument.
Harry Potter and the ...
- 39.1k
31
votes
Accepted
Why do wands work for a wizard when disarmed/borrowed, but not while purchasing?
When a witch or wizard first buys their first wand, they have no real experience with their magic. They do not know how to use their magical ability, nor do they know how to use the wand as a focus ...
- 106k
31
votes
Accepted
Did Ollivander actually use his measurements?
Since we are dealing with magic, the tape measure may have been gathering something more than physical measurements.
Many wandmakers simply match the wand length to the size of the witch or wizard ...
- 61.3k
28
votes
What happens if a wand chooses a wizard who cannot afford it?
They’d likely get a secondhand wand.
Though it’s not what most wizards would consider optimal, and it wouldn’t be quite as good to cast spells with as a new wand that chose them, wizards who can’t ...
- 106k
27
votes
Would a completely good Muggle be able to use a wand?
No, Muggles can’t use wands.
Muggles can’t use wands, whatever their moral alignment or personal feelings towards violence. As Dumbledore explains in his notes on “Babbitty Rabbitty and the Cackling ...
- 106k
23
votes
Accepted
Can the Elder Wand be duplicated?
The Elder Wand was unique, especially due to its long history.
The Elder Wand wasn’t simply a wand made from elder wood and thestral hair - it was a wand that “learned” from many masters since the ...
- 106k
22
votes
Accepted
Is there any possibility that Harry's wand was a Horcrux?
No, Harry’s wand didn’t have a piece of the Dark Lord’s soul in it.
Harry’s wand absorbed something of the Dark Lord when their wands connected, but not a piece of the Dark Lord’s soul. Dumbledore ...
- 106k
22
votes
Accepted
Is there any reference to which wand Ron uses after the Battle of Hogwarts?
It’s likely Ron got a new wand afterward.
Though Ron used Wormtail’s wand while there was a war going on, it’s likely he’d have wanted his own when things settled down. In general, wizards tend to ...
- 106k
22
votes
Why are wands so cheap compared to their materials in Harry Potter?
The upfront cost is large, but economies of scale prevail. Along with good networking.
A Dragon heart is probably huge and will supply many many wands (100 cores? 1000? It's hard to know). This is ...
- 82.3k
21
votes
Accepted
What wand was used by Mr Graves at the time of Fantastic Beasts?
Read at your own risk; this is full of spoilers.
He should have the Elder Wand.
As you said, Grindelwald seems to be middle-aged when Fantastic Beasts is set. Grindelwald was born in 1883 (wiki) and ...
- 18.7k
21
votes
Accepted
How long does it take Ollivander to make a wand?
Not very long at all.
Ollivander makes Luna Lovegood a new wand in a matter of weeks in Deathly Hallows.
Mr Ollivander had sent Luna a new wand that morning. She was out on the back lawn at that ...
- 62.1k
21
votes
Why would broken wands have any value?
Broken wands can be upcycled into art or building material.
Broken wands can be used for kindling.
Broken wands can serve as decorative Tchotchkes.
Relatedly, broken wands may carry historical ...
- 22.6k
21
votes
How much do wands cost?
Actually, we do know how much Harry paid for his first wand, from the first book (excerpt):
He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand and Mr Ollivander bowed them from his shop.
That's all that's ...
- 24.1k
21
votes
What happens if a wand chooses a wizard who cannot afford it?
Hogwarts covers the cost for those who can't afford the necessary school supplies.
From Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter 12 Silver and Opals Dumbledore's first meeting with Tom Riddle.
...
- 6,282
19
votes
Accepted
Who is the first wizard/witch that used a wand?
Wands were invented in Europe, but we don't know who first used one.
The only real mention of the origin of wands is in the Pottermore writing on Uagadou, which is the African wizarding school.
The ...
- 106k
18
votes
Accepted
Can a wizard or a witch use two wands at the same time?
Yes, it seems
Harry does it in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Emphasis mine)
As Ron ran to pull Hermione out of the wreckage, Harry took his
chance: He leapt over an armchair and wrested ...
- 1,607
18
votes
Accepted
Is selling a used wand the same as winning it in a duel?
I'd hazard a guess at no, it wouldn't count.
Ollivander states that a conquered wand will usually bend.
"I took this wand from Draco Malfoy by force," said Harry. "Can I use it safely?"
"I think ...
- 39.1k
18
votes
Why would broken wands have any value?
For parts. The wand cores are often made of valuable materials.
These materials may be able to be salvaged. Even if they are damaged they could be used in potions.
If the used wands are cheap they ...
- 281
17
votes
Accepted
How does a wand choose its new owner if the wand was created for the owner?
Wandmakers can guess, to an extent
While the wand may choose the witch or wizard, this is not purely random. It would seem that there are characteristics that the wandmaker may select in order to make ...
- 119k
16
votes
Whose wand did Bellatrix use at the Battle of Hogwarts?
We don't know.
The only time we see her use the wand is during the Battle when she fights Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, then Molly Weasley.
Bellatrix was still fighting too, fifty yards away from ...
- 32.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible