Magic Wand Harry Potter Views

General Goods

It is possible to do some magic without the aid of a wand, but that magic is usually spontaneous and found only in untrained children. This is how Harry regrew his hair after the Dursleys cut it off, how he ended up on the roof of the school when Dudley and his gang were chasing him, and how he released the python in the zoo. It is suspected that accidental magic appears in moments of great stress or emotion.

Very few spells are shown that can be performed in a controlled manner without a wand. These include the Animagus transformation and Floo transport. (Note that while this last does not require a wand, it does require other equipment, notably Floo Powder.) It is uncertain whether Apparation and Disapparation require the use of a wand, as no wand gestures are indicated; we never see any wizards or witches apparating themselves without a wand. (Side-along apparation, as when Hermione carries Harry, with his broken wand, does not count, as Harry is not then Apparating, but rather riding on someone else's spell.) House-elves, among others, do not have wands and yet can apparate, however their magic has been shown to be of a different class than human magic.

As we learned in Book 1, Voldemort's wand is yew and contains a tail feather from the same Phoenix that donated the one in Harry's wand. In European cultures, yew wood, which is toxic, is generally associated with long life, death and resurrection, transformation, as well as evil; this certainly seems to fit Voldemort. This wood being combined with a Phoenix feather core is curious, however. While a Phoenix can represent resurrection, its fiery demise also symbolizes purification. This hardly seems to apply to Voldemort, who, if he is resurrected, will probably be as evil, if not more so, as when he died. It is curious why Mr. Ollivander would craft a wand from wood having such a dark connotation, though its particular magical properties would naturally be a consideration.

Dumbledore's wand, known as the Elder Wand, should also be mentioned. It is made from elder, a wood that was believed to intermingle both good and evil and whose flowers, which produce a strong odor, suggested death. The author has stated that a Thestral hair lies within the Elder Wand's core. Thestrals, gentle magical creatures often associated with death, appear first in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix