What’s Voldemort’s Wand Made Out Of?
Voldemort’s wand was 13 and a half inches long, made out of yew and had a phoenix feather core. It was originally purchased from Ollivander’s Wand Shop by Tom Riddle, who later changed his name to Lord Voldemort.
The core of his wand came from Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes. Fawkes also gave one other feather for a wand. Because the wands shared a core they were brothers. The brother to Voldemort’s wand was later sold to Harry Potter.
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Who Made Voldemort’s Wand?
“It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother, gave you that scar. Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew.”
–Garrick Ollivander, “Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone”
Voldemort’s wand was made by Garrick Ollivander. Ollivander called this particular wand very powerful. This was most likely due to the combination of the wood and the core. Ollivander put great effort and stock into wandlore, which says that yew wands give their owners the power of life and death.
Technically this is probably true of all wands to a degree, but yew is typically more feared in the wizarding world. Because of this, yew is known to be quite powerful especially in duels and curses. Not all wizards or witches destined for yew wands are drawn to the dark side of magic, however. Ginny Weasley also ended up with a yew wand.
Because of this, it’s more likely that the power of the yew wand lies in the ability to be both fiercely protective of life, or equally reckless with the taking of another’s life. Ginny was in many ways the opposite of Lord Voldemort and still equally as capable of using a yew wand for great and powerful things.
Why Did Voldemort’s Wand Look Like A Bone?
This was a difference brought about by the movie version of Voldemort’s wand. It has made many people wonder if Voldemort’s wand was actually made from bone. In the books, it’s very clear that Voldemort’s wand was made of wood just like all other wands in the wizarding world.
In the movies, his wand looks like a bone, and we’re never told why there was a difference. Presumably, this was done just to add special intrigue and to distinguish Voldemort’s wand from other wands in the movies giving it a more ominous feel.
How Did Wormtail Get Voldemort’s Wand?
This isn’t directly addressed in the books or the movies, but it’s still a very common question fans of Harry Potter have. After he attempts to kill Harry Potter, Voldemort is exiled and no one is sure where his wand was during that time.
The next time his wand makes a reappearance is in “Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire” when Wormtail returns the wand to Voldemort. Many fans have been left wondering if Wormtail had somehow hidden or stored the wand for the years of Voldemort’s exile.
In a web chat in 2007, the book series’ author JK Rowling stated that Wormtail retrieved the wand from the wreckage (of the Potters’ house) in a desperate attempt to regain favor with Lord Voldemort. The way she phrases her answer to the question still leaves some fans debating if Wormtail retrieved the wand right after Voldemort’s fall or not.
“Wormtail, desperate to curry favour, salvaged it from the place it had fallen and carried it to him. I admit that would have been a bit of a feat for a rat, but they are highly intelligent creatures!”
JK Rowling, “JK Rowling And The Live Chat”
It seems more commonly believed that Wormtail returned to the Potter house when he realized Voldemort had returned, instead of right after his defeat while trying to kill Harry. Because he lived as a rat for so many years most fans agree it was impossible that he would’ve been able to hide the wand without being detected.
Who Came Out Of Voldemort’s Wand?
In “Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire” Voldemort and Harry meet and duel for the first time. During this encounter, we see what happens when two twin wands are forced to battle each other. The wands connected and performed a spell called “Priori Incantatem.”
Because the wands are brothers they will not fatally injure the wizard holding its twin. In the graveyard, Harry’s wand overpowers Voldemort’s and forces the wand to regurgitate the spells it had performed from most recent and then going backward from there.
Because Voldemort had used his wand to kill people, his wand spits out “echoes” of the people it had been used to kill. The wand showed the echoes of Cedric Diggory, Frank Bryce ( a muggle man Voldemort had killed early on in “Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire”), Bertha Jorkins, and then James and Lily Potter.
The echoes formed a barrier between Harry and Voldemort. During this time Harry was able to take Cedric’s body and get to the portkey to return back to Hogwarts. After Harry’s return, Dumbledore explained the reason behind the way Harry And Voldemort’s wands interacted in this manner.
After this first encounter, both Harry And Voldemort were now fully aware of the power of the dual core protections their wands held. This eventually led Voldemort to try using Lucius Malfoy’s wand to kill Harry before seeking out The Elder Wand.
Why Can’t Voldemort’s Wand Kill Harry Potter?
Harry Potter’s wand and Voldemort’s wand shared the same core. A feather from Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes. The wands are said to be twins or brothers. Because of this, they can wound, but not fatally injure the other wizard.
Why Did Voldemort’s Wand Backfire?
There are two instances fans of the Harry Potter series point to when asking if Voldemort’s wand backfired. Voldemort’s first demise was after attempting to kill Harry Potter when he was just a baby. This first attempt to kill Harry backfired because of the protective power of Lily’s sacrifice of dying trying to keep her son safe.
The second instance happens when Voldemort attempts to kill Harry in The Forbidden Forest. Even with The Elder Wand in hand, Voldemort is unable to kill Harry. Instead, it’s believed that the curse once again backfired and killed only the unintentional Horcrux living inside of Harry himself.
The second failed attempt is often attributed to Voldemort not being the true owner of The Elder Wand. Fans believe The Elder Wand recognized its rightful master and would not fatally wound him. Both times it’s unclear if Voldemort’s wand actually backfired, or if the curses failed due to the already mentioned extenuating circumstances.
Because we know that broken wands behave differently than regular wands (Ron had to replace his wand entirely after it broke and backfired often on him), it seems unlikely that Voldemort’s wand did indeed backfire.
We do not have a concrete answer but because Voldemort’s wand and The Elder Wand did not shatter or break, it’s more likely that the curses themselves rebounded than that the wand backfired in any manner.
Why Did Voldemort’s Wand Break?
In “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows” Voldemort borrows Lucius Malfoy’s wand in an attempt to overcome the limitations of sharing a core with Harry Potter’s wand. During the fight at the beginning of the book (and movie), Voldemort’s borrowed wand is shattered by a mysterious spell performed by Harry’s wand.
Harry’s wand shoots golden flames at Voldemort, and we later learn that Harry’s continued insistence his wand acted of its own accord is true. The wand recognized part of Voldemort was both “Brother” and “mortal enemy.” This caused Harry’s wand to act and protect its owner, breaking Voldemort’s borrowed wand in the process.
What Happened To Voldemort’s Wand?
We don’t actually have a final answer to this question. In “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows” Voldemort uses his wand until it commits what he regards as its “last act.” The last time we know of Voldemort using the wand is to break into Dumbledore’s tomb to steal The Elder Wand.
After this, he no longer uses his original wand. There is no final determination of what happened to the wand. Fans seem to agree the wand was discarded or destroyed by Voldemort himself, as he viewed it as a weakness due to the shared core with Harry Potter’s wand.
How Did Voldemort Get The Elder Wand?
After realizing that even a borrowed wand would not be enough to kill Harry Potter Voldemort sets out to find the elusive Elder Wand. He traces the lineage of the wand, eventually learning that the wand had most recently belonged to Dumbledore.
Voldemort then returns to Hogwarts where Dumbledore was buried. He breaks into Dumbledore’s tomb and steals The Elder Wand. From this point on he only uses The Elder Wand to perform magic, believing that with it he is undefeatable. If you would like the Elder Wand for yourself, check it out here on Amazon.
Why Did Voldemort Use Nagini Instead Of His Wand To Kill Professor Snape?
When Voldemort killed Professor Snape he believed that Snape was the true master of The Elder Wand. He had learned a lot about wands and how they work from Ollivander by this point and believed that the Killing Curse would not work on Snape because Snape was the wand’s master.
Although Snape was not the true master of The Elder Wand, Voldemort was unaware of this and believed he needed to use another method to kill him. Knowing he had limited time to act he chose what was closest and most effective in his mind; Nagini.
What Wand Did Voldemort Use To Kill Harry Potter?
Voldemort’s final attempt to kill Harry Potter is done with The Elder Wand. He believes he will be successful as he does not realize he is not the wand’s true master. The curse does work to kill part of Harry’s being in a way. Harry survives the killing curse because the curse instead kills the part of Voldemort living within Harry.
Voldemort was not the true master of The Elder Wand, however, and eventually, that was revealed. Harry explains that Draco Malfoy had disarmed Dumbledore prior to Snape killing him. Because of this, Draco was the true master of The Elder Wand, and not Professor Snape, as Voldemort had believed when he had Nagini kill Snape.
Because Harry had won Draco’s wand weeks prior he was the true master of The Elder Wand and thus could not be killed by it. Voldemort’s belief that The Elder Wand would solve all of his problems eventually led to his ultimate demise.
Voldemort refuses to believe Harry’s explanation. He casts a Killing Curse which is rebounded by Harry’s Disarming Charm. Once again the wand Voldemort is using refuses to kill Harry. The rebounded curse kills Voldemort, leaving Harry alive and victorious.
Conclusion:
The story of Voldemort and Harry’s wands is a core part of the series. The wands together do magic that is unique, and may never be performed again. The ways in which Voldemort uses his wand are unparalleled and undoubtedly contribute to the wandlore of yew wands being more powerful than other types of wands.
However, since we also have examples of Voldemort’s wand and The Elder Wand being overcome, it’s clear there’s more to the magic a wand does than what type of wood it’s made from. While wandlore is important, it’s clear that Ollivander’s assertion that the wand chooses the wizard is more indicative of what a wand will actually do.
When wands change allegiance everything about what they are capable of changes as well. The Elder Wand would not kill Harry because Harry was the wand’s owner. Voldemort never had a true chance to kill Harry. His wands constantly presented limitations he didn’t fully understand before attempting to kill Harry.
Voldemort’s wand is an intriguing part of Voldemort’s use of magic and rise to power. His dependence and value on his wands over truly understanding wandlore and other types of magic, however, is what killed him in the end.