The first time we saw Harry Potter feel that sudden warmth in his fingers when he discovered his wand at Mr Ollivander’s shop is a moment we’ll remember forever – and on Pottermore, you can experience that feeling for yourself by discovering your own personal wand.
Take the test! Discover your wand!
If you simply can’t wait to finish reading this article – discover your wand right now, in our test created by J.K. Rowling.
The importance of a wand in the wizarding world
These wizarding world accessories aren’t just ordinary wooden sticks – they’re much, much more. They channel and focus magic, enabling the spell-caster to perform all sorts of fantastical feats – from the familiar ‘swish and flick’ of Wingardium Leviosa to a sneaky Confundus Charm to stop a certain chap named Cormac McLaggen stealing Ron Weasley’s position in Quidditch.
Magic can be performed without a wand, but it’s difficult. Basically, having a wand helps – and they also end up being a really personal item to the carrier. Remember Harry’s devastation when his broke in Deathly Hallows? It’s not just about the magic they carry, but the connection a witch or wizard has to it.
How a wand chooses its witch or wizard
Now, as Mr Ollivander has pointed out a few times, ‘The wand chooses the wizard.’ And they really do: if you try to use a wand belonging to another wizard, it might have the tendency to get the hump with you, or at the very least, just won’t feel quite right.
Which is why it’s important to have your very own wand, whether its core is made from a phoenix feather (like Harry Potter’s… and Voldemort’s) or a dragon heartstring (Hermione Granger).
You can read a great deal into the kind of wood it’s made from, too, which can help decipher a lot about the wizard or witch who owns the wand, and the specialist skills the wand is good for. For example, aspen wands are known for their outstanding charmwork. J.K. Rowling has written two great guides about wand woods and wand cores - so you can find our what your wand truly means.
To determine which wand will choose you, discover your wand here and earn yourself a life-long wooden friend.
