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 Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:50 pm
G L O S S A R Y
An index of wand woods, cores, classes, etc.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:54 pm
Wand Woods: A-H
Alder – Alder is extremely rare, as many wandmakers will refuse to take wood from an alder. The ‘bleeding’, turning from white to red, is considered to be inauspicious.
Apple – Apple is a gentle, outdoorsy wood that would find favor with a student skilled in Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures. It tends to get overwhelmed easily, and is thus rarely used with powerful cores (multiple dragon heartstrings or phoenix feathers, for example).
Ash – Ash is slightly associated with the Dark Arts, as the ash tree is said to ‘strangle’ the plants around it. It does excel at Dark magic, but is also good for Transfiguration.
Aspen (cottonwood) – those with aspen wands tend to be defiant and talkative. This wand boosts power in Charms, but detracts from Healing magic.
Beech – beech is a strong, neutral wood that has no particular strengths or weaknesses, with the exception of one small quirk- it tends to function less effectively underwater.
Birch – although it has a reputation for weakness, in actuality birch is one of the finest Light wandwoods in existence. It is associated with both driving out evil spirits (and thus will produce a strong Patronus) and with healing magic.
Black ironwood - an African import, remarkable in that it will sink rather than float in water. Although its strength might imply a powerful wandwood, it is rarely used, even in African wandcraft- its weight, particularly in longer wands, impedes spellcasting, and it is next-to-useless underwater.
Black walnut – a beautiful dark wood, this wand is more decorative than Dark, and is actually a strong Light wood- black walnuts produce a chemical that kills poisonous plants of the Nightshade family.
Blue spruce – Like spruce, a strong wood that excels in everything except the Dark Arts. However, a witch or wizard with a strong personality can coax more out of a blue spruce wand than a spruce one.
Cedar – Cedar is a rather docile wandwood with particular skill in protective spells. Cedar wand wielders often become potent Occlumens.
Cherry – A “happy”, willing wandwood, which will give consistent results at all magic save the Dark Arts. Cherry with phoenix feather is a particularly agreeable combination for a Light wizard without particularly prodigious magical talents.
Chestnut – Chestnut is quite good at Transfiguration, although it tends to sputter at Charms and DADA.
Cypress – Cypresses have long been associated with the Greek god of the underworld, Hades. This wand has subtle power, and is good at Transfiguration and Dark Arts.
Dogwood - Dogwood is extremely hard and strong, and the wands made from it will have this resilience. It was once used for making daggers, and hence has a slight violent streak.
Ebony – Ebony is the most famous of the Dark woods, although not the most powerful. However, for visual impact and power, it is amongst the best.
Eucalyptus – Eucalyptus trees grow quickly, so these wands channel that liveliness to be both willing and powerful. However, they are rather rare, and are most commonly Australian imports.
Fir – Fir is not a common wandwood because of its undesirable physical properties, but is occasionally seen in outdoorsy wands.
Hawthorn – There is a unique ritual associated with the harvesting of hawthorn for wandwood- they are only cut in symbolic prunings at Beltane. It is an excellent DADA wand, as it symbolizes protection.
Hazel – Hazel is quiet and versatile, giving subtle boosts to Charms and Transfiguration. It is another wand that denotes skill in Divination.
Hemlock – Hemlock is a ‘quick’ wandwood and allows for fast reactions, and makes an excellent potion stirrer besides.
Holly - the archetypal Light wandwood, Holly is renowned for its ability to repel dark spirits and demons. It may reduce your power in hexes, but the boost you get to DADA may just balance it out.
Hornbeam – Hornbeam, or ironwood, is considered to be the most stubborn of wandwoods. Those who have the necessary will to master it will be rewarded with an extremely powerful wand.
I-YIvy – an uncommon wandwood due to the difficulty of harvesting thick enough pieces, it is often worth the trouble, as it is deceptively strong.
Kaya - A lovely yellow wandwood of Japanese origin, it is extremely rare in British wandmaking. However, those bonded to Kaya wands will find their abilities in logical arts, such as Potions, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy, boosted.
Linden – Linden, or lime, has not been widely used in British wandmaking. However, German wizards have long favored it for its association with Freya, and most powerful German DADA wands are made of linden.
Madrona – A beautiful evergreen from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, it is rare in British wandmaking. However, its distinctive peeling bark denotes its magical powers of change- hence, a powerful wood for Transfiguration.
Mahogany – Mahogany is a good all-around wood, not particularly powerful in any one situation, but a good solid overall wood.
Maple – Maple is a good, sturdy wood, and a bit more magical than oak. It’s rather versatile.
Oak – Oak is a strong, reliable wandwood that helps with DADA and Transfiguration. However, its sturdiness means that it may take longer to learn new spells.
Pine – A quiet wood, not powerful, not weak. It is a softwood, and thus has a bit more yield, making it more inclined to a quick-learning but less powerful wand. It is, however, excellent for Divination.
Plum – Plum wood is not common in English wandmaking, however, it is a traditional Chinese wandwood that has gained favor in Central Europe. It seems to be much like applewood, if slightly more inclined to Charms.
Poplar – Although poplar is a light wood, it is sometimes found in the wands of Dark Wizards, who find its properties of being extremely similar to human bone desirable.
Redwood – This wood excels at all wand-based magic, but it rarely bonds to witches and wizards who do well in the non-wand-based arts. Don’t expect this one to make a good potion stirrer!
Reed – Reed is always delicate, and a difficult wand to work with. However, its wisdom and intelligence make it sought-after by some. It is almost solely a Ravenclaw wandwood.
Rosewood – Rosewood is graceful and will complement phoenix feathers, unicorn hair, veela hair, and fairy wings nicely. However, other cores end up at odds with the wood.
Rowan – Rowan gives a definite boost to Charms and Transfiguration, but is one of the most willing and reliable all-around wandwoods. It was commonly used for a bow-making wood, and carries this significance into being a good dueling wood.
Sequoia – Another American wood, this is not commonly used in British wandmaking. However, the great age of the trees gives them plenty of time to absorb ambient magic, and hence this wood is ideal for those both strong-willed and in touch with nature.
Spruce – Spruce is a good, reliable, standard wandwood. You can’t go wrong with it.
Sycamore – A relatively new wandwood, many of sycamore’s properties are as yet unknown. However, it excels at divining, and would help with Divination, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes.
Vinewood – Vinewood is flexible, which one might think would denote a yielding wood. However, it tends to be extremely erratic, and it is a strong wizard or witch who overcomes the insecurities the wood holds to become successful with it.
Walnut – A beautiful, strong, and versatile wood. Unlike black walnut, it has no slant towards Light or Dark.
White pine - White pine is a unique wandwood, as it radiates serenity. It cannot be exhausted too much or it will strain and become quite fragile, but it is otherwise docile and easy to work with.
Willow – Willow is known as “the tree of enchantment”, and is hence quite favored for Charms. It also enhances healing magic, and is overall a willing, feminine wandwood.
Yew – Yew is a very powerful wandwood and due to its poisonous sap it has evil leanings and is particularly good at Transfiguration and curses. Because of the nature of the Yew tree, the merging of old wood with young, new shoots has led the yew to be associated with reincarnation, death, and immortality.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:56 pm
Wand Cores:
Dragon heartstring(s)
Dragon heartstring is a powerful wand with a lot of magical “heft”. It is not the core you want for subtlety, but for sheer power it is definitely the best. Dragon heartstrings are by far the most common wand core amongst Slytherins, but their power often bonds to Gryffindors and Ravenclaws as well. However, they tend to overwhelm the archetypal Hufflepuff personality.
Phoenix tail feather(s)
Phoenix tail feather is a popular wand core due to its versatility and power. Its main strength lies in Defense Against the Dark Arts, although its adaptability can wrench it to hexes and jinxes if need be. This core may specifically impede dark spells, so it is not common amongst Slytherins. However, it is by far the most common Gryffindor wand core, and is not unusual amongst Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.
Unicorn hair(s)
Unicorn hair is a more subtle wand, but it is quite compatible with Charms and Transfiguration. It is also hands-down the best core for healing, as it picks up some of the healing capabilities of unicorn blood. Unicorn hair has a reputation of picking gentler or more cerebral users, so it is common amongst Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. More laid-back Gryffindors and subtler Slytherins may find themselves with a Unicorn hair wand.
Augurey tail feather
Augureys, or Irish phoenixes, were once associated with powerful Dark wands, as their cries were thought to signify an upcoming death. However, they were in reality never a strong Dark core, and were more accurately a powerful core for Divinations. Misunderstood students may find themselves bonded to an augurey wand, although these wands are altogether quite rare.
Runespoor Fang
The Runespoor is a three-headed snake native to Burkina Faso in Africa. The animals are highly venomous and their eggs are very valuable in making potions to stimulate mental agility and have flourished on the black market for several centuries. This is probably best for those who deal with Dark Magic due to its power with hexes.
Chimaera Scale
Similar to the beautiful and rarely seen Chimera this core makes the wand. The Chimera is a mixture of a goat, snake, and lion and breathes fire. It requires a certain level of physical strength to tame the wand, but it is nonetheless very rare and powerful.
Ashwinder Ash
Ashwinders are serpents that are created from the remains of any magical fire that is allowed to burn unchecked. Casts the best protection charms, good at blocking unfriendly spells, and are great when working with potions. They are very common on Hufflepuffs despite being made from a snake.
Leprechaun Hair
This core seems to be good in duels because of a pinch of luck that the wielder has with their wands. They are rather average in spell-casting, but are great at potions. It is very temperamental to Non-Irish wielders.
Basilisk skin
Basilisk wands are incredibly rare, as the beasts are rare to begin with and hard to kill. Due to the rarity, they often are passed down from generation to generation, so basilisk-core wands are either the heirloom of Slytherin-type Pureblood families or reforged wands from family cores. The occasional new basilisk wand will almost always bond to a Parselmouth or budding dark Wizard. Very little good comes out of wielders of basilisk wands and it is great with curses.
Billywig stinger(s)
Billywig stingers are not common in Britain, but are occasionally imported from Australia, the native habitat of the Billywig. Billywig wands bond almost exclusively to light-hearted pranksters, and are extremely capricious- at one moment it will produce the strongest Cheering Charm in the school, but another time it will object to being used as a potion stirrer and siphon up hours of work without so much as a by-your-leave. When they do bond to a witch or wizard, they tend to be of Hufflepuff or Gryffindor.
Boomslang venom
Boomslang venom, whether crystallized or in a rarer liquid core, provides a small boost to jinxes and hexes thanks to its venomous qualities. However, when a wandmaker undertakes the dangerous task of working with the raw venom, it is generally with the aim of creating a powerful Transfiguration wand. Whether or not the advantages outweigh the risks is not generally agreed upon in wandmaking circles.
Demiguise hair(s)
Demiguise hairs were long considered to not have enough oomph to make a proper wand, but with the advent of multiple cores they have gained favor for their strength in Transfiguration and the subtle arts. hey make potent wands, however, on their own they can be rather one-dimensional and difficult to use for anything but Transfiguration. They have found favor in students of all Houses, although they may be slightly more popular among the open Hufflepuffs.
Doxy wing(s)
Doxy wings, like the creatures they come from, can be unmanageable and mean-spirited. They are second only to basilisk wands in their abilities with the Dark Arts, and as such these rare wands are most often found in the hands of stubborn Slytherins without the familial connection to obtain a basilisk core.
Erumpent hide
There is a very good reason this is an exotic- Erumpent hide wands are extremely dangerous, and don't take well to high levels of magic or sharp impacts. They may add a 'punch' to spells, but most wandmakers refuse to work with it completely due to the danger it poses to maker and wielder.
Fairy wing(s)
This core makes for a light, airy wand, and is the absolute best for Charms. They also signify a connection to the mystic, so these wands, despite their relative rarity, are used by nearly half of known witches and wizards with the Sight. Despite their astounding strength in Charms, they are merely average in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, and will often fail at hexes altogether. As such, they’re not commonly found in Slytherin House, but are common in Hufflepuff. Ravenclaws and Gryffindors may be drawn to this core.
Fwooper feather(s)
Fwooper feather wands are said to be a mark of ill omen for the wizards they bond to, as, like the birds they come from, they are rumored to slowly drive their wielder mad. Despite their poor reputation, they do well with Charms and Care of Magical Creatures. However, they have a near-inability to cast Quietus.
Hippogriff feather(s)
Hippogriffs are noble animals with a reputation for not taking a slight. These wands require constant respect, and if the wielder does not give it, they can watch its formerly stable and versatile magic backfire on it. It is not the strongest core, but it is one of the most adaptable. These wands are most common amongst Gryffindors, but they are rare overall.
Acromantula web
It was discovered that the wielder of an Acromantula web wand has particular ability with Dark magics, especially the Imperius curse. Therefore it is a core rarely used, and those who do manage to get a hold of one usually keep it quiet, as wielders of this core often have their wands confiscated. In some parts of britian its use is actually illegal.
Kelpie hair(s)
Kelpie hairs are incredibly temperamental cores, explaining their rarity. They were once common in Celtic wandmaking, however, the import of demiguise hairs has resulted in them falling out of favor. They have similar qualities to demiguise hair, and are powerful transfiguration cores when they don't backfire spectacularly.
Veela hair(s)
Veela wands are temperamental like the creatures they come from, and are considered too volatile for a decent wand core in many circles. However, some wizards, particularly those with Veela blood, enjoy the boost it gives to nature magic and divinations. The veela’s inherent intelligence makes finding these wands among the non-Veela blooded most common in Ravenclaw.
Occasionally a wand will be made with more than one of a particular core, or with a combination of two cores.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:58 pm
Wand Length & Flexibility: Length:Between 7 and 15 inches. Length is mostly a matter of preference, although you will rarely see a 7-inch wand bond to someone who will grow to a large stature.Flexibility:The flexibility of a wand is generally a measurement of its willingness to work for its chosen Witch or Wizard. A witch with a whippy wand might learn spells faster than a wizard with a rigid wand, but the wizard with a rigid wand will have more spell strength once he finally masters it. Rigid and inflexible wands are the hardest to master, but dependent on their core and wood, can be the most powerful. There is also an element of material inherent- it is rare to find a whippy mahogany wand or a stiff reed wand.
The scale, from speed to strength:
whippy < easiest to learn and cast, least powerful
swishy
flexible
springy
sturdy
unyielding
inflexible
rigid < hardest to learn and cast, most powerful
delicate – a special case. They tend to choose witches and wizards with weak or frail personalities, and once a spell is learned, although it is not as strong, it is extremely reliable.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 3:00 pm
Class List: Transfiguration
Transfiguration is essentially the art of changing the properties of an object. Transfiguration is a theory-based subject, including topics such as "Switching Spells" (altering only a part of some object, such as giving a human rabbit's ears); Vanishing Spells (causing an object to completely disappear); and Conjuring Spells (creating objects out of thin air). It is possible to change inanimate objects into animate ones and vice versa. Taught by: Professor ?
Defence Against the Dark Arts
Commonly shortened to D.A.D.A., this class teaches defensive techniques to block spells, charms, curses, hexes and jinxes cast by other wizards, counteract the Dark Arts, and to be protected from Dark creatures. The subject has an extraordinarily high turnover of staff members — throughout the series no Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher has remained at Hogwarts for more than one school year. Taught by: Professor Eckhart
Charms
If Transfiguration involves changing the properties of an object then Charms is a type of magic spell concerned with giving an object new and unexpected properties. Charms classes are described as notoriously noisy and chaotic, as the lessons are largely practical. Taught by: Professor ?
Potions
Potions is described as the art of creating mixtures with magical effects. It requires the correct mixing and stirring of ingredients at the right times and temperatures. It is related to Chemistry, but with a more sinister twist. Taught by: Professor Vorobyov
Astronomy
Astronomy is the only field of study at Hogwarts which has a direct equivalent in the Muggle world. Astronomy classes take place in the Astronomy Tower, the tallest tower in Hogwarts. Lessons involve observations of the night skies with telescopes. No Astronomy lesson, or even a fragment of one, is ever depicted in the books or movies. Known student homework activities include learning the names of stars, constellations and planets, as well as their location and movements, and describing the environments of planets and moons. Taught by: Professor ?
History of Magic
The study of magical history. Cuthbert Binns' lessons are depicted as some of the most boring at Hogwarts. They only ever take the form of lectures, given without pause, about significant events in wizarding history. Topics have included goblin rebellions, giant wars, and the origins of wizarding secrecy. This is the only class at Hogwarts in which it is taught by a ghost. Taught by: Professor ?
Herbology
The study of magical plants and how to take care of, utilise and/or combat them. There are at least three greenhouses described in the books, holding a variety of magical plants of varying degrees of lethality. Taught by: Professor ?
Arithmancy
Arithmancy is a branch of magic concerned with the magical properties of numbers. Arithmancy is reportedly very difficult, as it requires memorizing or working with large number charts. Taught by: Professor ?
Ancient Runes
A mostly theoretical subject that studies the ancient runic scripts. Taught by: Professor ?
Divination
Divination is the art of predicting the future. Various methods are described, including tea leaves, fire omens, crystal balls, palmistry, cartomancy (including the reading of conventional playing cards and the tarot), astrology, and dream interpretations. Divination is described as "one of the most imprecise branches of magic". Supporters of the subject claim that it is an inexact science that requires innate gifts. Those opposed claim that the subject is irrelevant and fraudulent. Taught by: Professor ?
Care of Magical Creatures
This subject instructs students about and how to care for magical beasts. Classes are held outside the castle. Although very experienced and knowledgeable of magical creatures, Hagrid's lessons are usually depicted as chaotic if not outright dangerous as Hagrid is consistently unable to judge accurately the level of risk that the animals he uses in his lessons pose to his students. Taught by: Professor ?
Muggle Studies
This course involves the study of Muggles "from a wizarding point of view". There is apparently a need for witches and wizards to learn about Muggle ways and means, if only to ensure they are able to avoid them or blend in. Taught by: Professor Le Gaia
Flying
The use of enchanted broomsticks is taught to first years only in Hogwarts' only physical-education class. Their is also an advanced flying class (in this roleplay) that many Quidditich players take. Taught by: Professor ?
Apparition
Apparition, the art of magically disappearing from one place and reappearing in another, requires a license and may only be legally performed by people over seventeen years of age. The described reason for the restriction is that Apparition is dangerous if done improperly: body parts can be left behind in an unfortunate side-effect known as "splinching." Taught by: Professor ?
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