Thoughts about wand cores.

[ScottieBears MiaKitty]

So, I got this idea in the thread for putting what your wand would be. Most everyone who's posted there has picked their wand core as something that wasn't a core in the original books. So, I was thinking, what can and cannot be used as a wand core?

The three main wand cores mentioned in the first book are unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix tailfeathers. However, Fleur Delacour's wand has a core of veela hair.

So what can and cannot be used as a wand core? I think that the main prerequisite that is set in the books is that it must be from a magical creature. The ones that are mentioned are dragon, unicorn, veela and phoenix. So, can a wand core be anything from any magical creature? Or are there specific ones which can be used? Do you have to get a wand specially made unless you want it to have heartring, a feather or hair? Does it have to be a specific part of the creature?

Also, if any creature can be used, and the core has an effect both on what wizard it works with and what kind of magic it's best at, what are some cores, what kind of personality would they attract, and what kind of spells would they be best for working?

Thoughts?

 

[Matelia legwll]

I think it depends on the Wandmaker.

Ollivander only used those three cores of unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix feather. He could match any wizard or witch eventually with a wand made from those three cores and the right combination of wood and length. And he focused more on the woods and lengths.

Alivan's I know is much more liberal in his choice of cores. Dragon scales, basilisk scales, and a silver thistle turned up as cores in my quick browsing of his website.

Gregorovich is mentioned as another Wandmaker. Although, I don't know any cores that he uses aside from dragon heartstring which he used in Krum's wand.

And Fleur's wand was certainly not made by Ollivander, as he immediately said that he's never used veela hair himself. And so, another wandmaker, perhaps a French one, was persuaded to use Fleur's grandmother's hair.


A point that I feel I must point out though, is that Veelas are NOT mentioned in Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander (and thereby, by Jo): the entries go straight from "Unicorn" to "Werewolf". And so, if she had never included the wand ceremony in GoF, we would never have known that Veela hair could be included in the various wand cores.
Take that as you will.

There may be other reasons, but I feel it was mainly the preference of the Wandmaker in which cores are used.  

[Lune the Looney]

I think the core must be magic of some sort. I think some wands may have no core, but maybe soaked in a potion or something of the sort. I think that it may also be STRONG magical substance, Unicorns are pure, Dragons are practically invincible and fierce, Phoenix tears can heal almost anything, and Veela can entrance men to do anything. So, maybe a hippogriff may not work, but something from a thestral may.  

[steeler_fan_7]

I agree with Matelia I think it depends on the Wandmaker.  

[ScottieBears MiaKitty]

I know that Veela aren't in MB, but they are Magical Creatures. They are referred to thus by Arthur in GoF, he says that for the half time show that the teams bring creatures from their native country. Also, keep in mind that Vampires are not in MB as well, but we know that they are magical creatures and that they do exist in HP, so it can be said that not every magical creatures is mentioned. Some people say that they are not creatures, since they are semi-human, but werewolves are in MB, and they are not only semi-human, they aren't even born what they are, they become that. I think Veela's not being included might have been an oversight or something like that. Either way, they are magical creatures, and so it is still in keeping with the idea that the core should be from a magical creature.

So, if it depends on the wandmaker, does it differ by region or just by preference?

And I would like to know how a Veela came to be the grandmother of a french girl since Veela are Bulgarian.

And again, what are some other cores and what would their affects on the power of the wand be?

 

[Jedi Knight26]

I agree with what people are saying about the wandmaker's preference for wand cores. But I also think that maybe what they use for wand cores could be what they often find in that region. So perhaps in England, it is easier to find unicorn hair and dragon heartstring than other cores. It could also be that unicorn hair, phoenix tailfeathers, and dragon heartstrings produce the best results as a wand core, and are therefore used often by Ollivander, and possibley by Gregorovitch. We know that veela hair can be used, but that Ollivander doesn't use it because he thinks that veela hair makes the wand tempermental. Then there is probably a French wandmaker, or a wandmaker from the southern Europe region that is willing to use veela hair for wand cores.

So to answer your questions Mia, I think the wand cores do differ by region and the wandmakers personal preference. Fleur's grandma might have been visiting France, or a Frenchman could have been visiting Bulgaria, they met, fell in love and got married, then moved to France, had kids, then Fleur was born.
Maybe some other cores could come from thestrals or centaurs, or possibly even owls since owls are very intelligent and can always deliver the mail to the right person (Hedwig was always able to find Sirius no matter where he was), so maybe owls have some sort of magical powers that tell them who the recipient is and where to find them, so if they're magical then maybe owl feathers could be used as wand cores. But that's just a possibility.  

[Matelia legwll]

ScottieBears MiaKitty

I know that Veela aren't in MB, but they are Magical Creatures. They are referred to thus by Arthur in GoF, he says that for the half time show that the teams bring creatures from their native country. Also, keep in mind that Vampires are not in MB as well, but we know that they are magical creatures and that they do exist in HP, so it can be said that not every magical creatures is mentioned. Some people say that they are not creatures, since they are semi-human, but werewolves are in MB, and they are not only semi-human, they aren't even born what they are, they become that. I think Veela's not being included might have been an oversight or something like that. Either way, they are magical creatures, and so it is still in keeping with the idea that the core should be from a magical creature.

I cannot believe it was oversight. Jo wrote these books (FB and QttA) directly after finishing GoF. And even though Arthur called Veela creatures, perhaps he was not being entirely politically correct. Or maybe "creature" is a broader term than "Beast".

I know not everyone has read FB, but vampires are mentioned in the Introduction's second section, What Is A Beast?. They just are mentioned to have Being status rather than Beast. There are three divisions in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. The Spirit Division which deals with ghosts, the Beast Division which deals with the creatures listed in FB, and the Being Division.

A Being is "anyone that has sufficient intelligence to understand the making of laws in the magical community and to bear part of the responsibility in shaping those laws." Technically, Hags and Vampires (and Veela, I propose, though they are not mentioned anywhere) have that sufficient intelligence and responsibility, therefore they are classified as Beings. Merfolk and Centaurs were originally classified as Beings, but they asked to remain as Beasts. Werewolves have been shunted between the Being and Beast divisions and "currently" there are services relating to them in both the Beast and the Being departments. And since the Werewolf Registry and the Werewolf Capture Unit is in the Beast Division, they were included in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

I don't deny that it should be a magical creature. However, one may need to broaden his/her perspective on the term "creature" to include both "Beings" and "Beasts."


And as for how a Bulgarian Veela ended up producing a French granddaughter, I ask you exactly how far away is Bulgaria from France? And since Fleur is French, I would rather assume that the Veela came to France and stayed, so forgive me if you think Fleur's grandfather was the one that pursued the relationship to Bulgaria. Do a lot of people in Europe want to make the trip to Paris? I know it's definitely a prevalent idea in the States about the romantic nature of Paris and France, so I was wondering if that is true on the other side of the Atlantic.

And besides that, it was probably a wizard that married the Veela. A wizard who watched or even played in the World Tournament? The Veela came all the way to the UK to attend a Quidditch World Cup. What if one of the lesser games where the teams could still bring their mascot creatures with them was in France? Or what if, since this was in their grandparents time, the World Cup was actually hosted by France and Bulgaria played France? Surely there is opportunities enough for Fleur's grandparents to meet and fall in love.


As to the other question of does it differ by region or by preference: I think it's a bit of both, actually. If you're supplying a wand shop that caters to a whole community like Ollivander does, wouldn't you prefer the magical things that are closer to home than to spend loads of time Apparating or flying from one place to another just to restock after September first? It would be hard enough finding the magical creatures that inhabited the UK. And you'd have to stay close to your shop in order to keep it open for emergencies. Or enough so that when you do get captured by Death Eaters, someone can tell the difference.


As to what types of cores should be used, I think there should be a magical property in the part of the magical creature. Like dragon blood has 12 uses and magical properties that Dumbledore documented, it should be something that has magical qualities that one can use to funnel the magic from the wizard through the wand and into the spell. One should not rely on the magical qualities of the wand wood alone, nor do I think that wands would be able to channel the magic through a simple or even complex potion, given the fact that the wand is the stirring utensil used for all potions.

Speaking of, most of the ingredients one can use in a potion could probably help core a wand, if they had enough durability to survive being in a wand and they didn't make a wand too temperamental.