Harry Potter: The Major Types Of Wand Wood & Core (& What They Mean)

Wands are very important to witches and wizards, and their composition can be quite meaningful in the magical world of Harry Potter.

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The purpose of a Harry Potter wand lies in the streamlining of physiological magic, which might otherwise explode from the body in an uncontrollable manner. Not all cultures (nor other species like House-elves) require this device, though it is quite prevalent across Europe, North America and parts of Asia and Africa.

Wands are assumed to be at least partially sentient, explaining why the choice of ownership lies with the instrument rather than with its user. As is already known, they are constructed with various varieties of wood which wrap around an intensely magical center. Here are some of the most important woods and cores used by wandmakers in the Wizarding World.

15 Wood: Yew

One of the most uncommon types of tree is the Yew, with just two known characters possessing this wand (Voldemort and Ginny Weasley.) It is claimed to imbue the user with incredible power, especially in the realms of dark magic, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that the respective witch or wizard will be drawn to evil.

Yew wands almost never embrace an owner who lacks courage or skill, that much has been clearly established. Interestingly, they are known to grow into adult trees when buried along with their partners.

14 Core: Unicorn Tail Hair

Hair obtained from a Unicorn’s tail is packed to the brim with magical energy, explaining why it costs an arm and a leg for a single unit. This core is purported to be “clean”, in the sense that wands containing it are usually dependable, not to mention the challenges faced by anyone trying to use it for evil.

As a popular option in wandmaking, Unicorn tail hair wands have been employed by Ron Weasley, Remus Lupin, Cedric Diggory, Neville Longbottom, Sybill Trelawney, and Draco Malfoy.

13 Wood: Fir

The Ollivander family believed fir to be among the most stubborn, in that their masters would be likely to survive extreme duels without much damage. This is proven when Professor McGonagall, who employs a fir wand, tolerates no less than four Stunning charms before she is knocked unconscious.

These wands prefer users who are decisive and strong-willed, and often fail when used by those who are unsure in themselves. In terms of magic type, transfiguration is greatly enhanced.

12 Core: Phoenix Feather

Although the story places an unwarranted focus on Phoenix feather wands (because this core binds the protagonist and antagonist together), they are actually incredibly scarce. Unfortunately, their dynamic nature brings them in conflict with their owners, because they sometimes tend to act up without any human input.

Wands possessing a Phoenix feather core are not easy to “domesticate”, and getting one to switch loyalties is all but impossible. An interesting side-note: Fawkes is not the only bird to have given its feathers to Ollivander.

11 Wood: Elm

Elm provides the best accuracy, preventing easily avoidable mistakes by correcting for any imbalance in its usage. It is supremely refined, and permits the generation of complex spells (assuming the witch is skilled enough.)

Regardless, due to the wood’s inclination for distinguished masters, it has obtained an unfair reputation of being elitist. Lucius Malfoy utilizes one; however, it seems to have been “inherited” from his father, Abraxas — further reinforcing the notion of pure-bloodedness.

10 Core: Dragon Heartstring

Dragon Heartstring is taken from obviously deceased dragons (although whether they are poached for this purpose is unclear.) These wands are both strong and dazzling, generating some shockingly bombastic charms and spells. They form a robust attachment with their masters, and can be utilized for dark magic rather effortlessly.

Witches and wizards with Dragon Heartstring wands include Hermione Granger, Dolores Umbridge, Minerva McGonagall, Lucius Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Ollivander himself.

9 Wood: Vine

Vine is a rare wand wood, one of the few derived from a non-tree source. It has been used for its magical properties since ancient times, starting with the age of the druids.

Wands made of vine are vehemently confident of whom they want to be owned by, so much so that they might activate in the presence of an ideal candidate (without even being touched.) Hermione’s wand is made of vine, which supposedly implies that she is destined for greatness, and she becomes Minister for Magic, so there isn’t little doubt regarding this statement.

8 Core: Basilisk Horn

The only person capable of using a wand with such a bizarre core is Salazar Slytherin — a piece of snakewood inlaid with a tiny sliver of Basilisk horn. One of its special abilities was the power to go into sleep-mode, so to speak, triggered by specific Parseltongue phrases devised by Slytherin.

This wand has traveled the world, going from Britain to North America in the 17th century before it is negated by Gormlaith Gaunt (an ancestor of Voldemort), and interred on the Ilvermorny school campus.

7 Wood: Holly

Holly wands are not always consistent: their efficacy depends on the variety of magical core embedded within them. The best known example belongs to Harry Potter himself; it is honestly a great choice in this case because this wood is helpful for wizards who are reckless more often than not.

Strange as it might sound, it is apparently a laborious task blending it with phoenix feathers, because this mix has a high probability of being explosive. Nonetheless, if there exists a user worthy of this combination, then heaven help anyone who decides to challenge them.

6 Core: Rougarou Hair

A North America-specific magical creature, the Rougarou is said to haunt the marshy locales of Louisiana. Appearing in Cajun legends, it resembles a werewolf, except it has a completely human body (but a canine head.)

Violetta Beauvais, a prominent wandmaker, employs the hair from this beast as a magical core; however, this fact had been unknown for a considerable period of time because of the dark nature of the Rougarou, which happened to distill itself into the wands produced. The MACUSA President, Seraphina Picquery, owns one made of swamp mayhaw wood and Rougarou hair.

5 Wood: Hawthorn

Hawthorn, according to Mykew Gregorovitch, “makes a strange, contradictory wand”, referring to it as “full of paradoxes” between life and death. Ollivander agrees, saying that this wood can help with “healing magic, but they are also adept at curses.”

Hawthorn wands are tricky to control, and are naturally attracted to those who are equally headstrong, such as Draco Malfoy (and, later, Harry Potter.) Unfortunately, if one does not care for it properly, the emitted magic can turn itself against the caster.

4 Core: Veela Hair

The Eastern European Veela are based on the Sirens of Greek mythology, seeing as they wield immense power over men (well, many of them, at least.) It is said that their “dance” is incredibly tempting, leading males into rather embarrassing, or even dangerous, situations.

Although Ollivander avoids Veela hair in his wandmaking, calling it too moody, Fleur Delacour’s wand is powered by a hair sourced from her maternal grandmother. How the schematics for such a personalized magical instrument were conceived has not been clarified.

3 Wood: Cypress

The Cypress tree wood contains a deep generosity of spirit, with many of its masters having sacrificed themselves for a heroic cause. They are often paired with courageous wizards, but only if they also happen to be pure of heart, for instance, Remus Lupin.

In line with the Cypress wood theory of martyrdom, Lupin perishes during the Battle of Hogwarts at the hands of the Death Eater, Antonin Dolohov.

2 Core: Thestral Hair

Since the only wand known to contain a Thestral hair is the Elder wand, there aren’t a lot of specifics available regarding the substance or its properties. It makes sense that mythology describes it as an invention of Death, because only people who have experienced the act would be able to visualize a Thestral.

In fact, it cannot be confirmed how this being’s hair is responsible for the most powerful wand in existence, because the only people shown to fully manipulate it are Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Voldemort, each of whom have been capable of magnificent magics without needing the Elder wand.

1 Wood: Elder

The power of this wood is such that the Elder wand is literally named after it. Only the greatest of wizards are able to wield this wand at full strength, and even then it would immediately shift allegiance to any opponent who displays a greater magical prowess compared with its owner.

It has had a bloody history, starting with Antioch Peverell and ending with his distant descendant, Harry Potter (who restores the wand in Dumbledore’s tomb in the books, and destroys it in the movies.) Interestingly, the Elder tree is claimed to either attract or repel witchcraft, depending on different versions of folklore.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-wand-wood-core-type-meaning/