The Wandmaker

After the final defeat of You-Know-Who, Rita Skeeter set out to chronicle the events of the second war. The following is an excerpt of her interview notes with Mr. Ollivander, wandmaker since 1912.

RS: Tell me, what happened the night you disappeared?

MO: A group of Death Eaters came into my shop and told me that You-Know-Who wanted to see me. ‘It’s about wands’, I remember Mrs. Lestrange telling me as they disapparated us to the mansion.

RS: You knew your captors then?

MO: I remember every wand I’ve ever sold, Ms. Skeeter. 12¾ inches, walnut with a dragon heartstring core. Unyielding, strong, particularly useful for curses, hexes and powerful spells.

RS: I see. So upon arrival, were you worried? Distraught? Angry? Afraid for your life?

MO: Of course I was worried. I was also a bit curious as to why You-Know-Who wanted to know wandlore. I was taken into a room and You-Know-Who was sitting at the head of the table twirling his wand through his fingers. He wanted to know about Priori Incantatem. I remember selling him his wand. Yew, 13”, and the phoenix that gave the tail feather that resided in that wand gave but one other feather. That feather resides in the wand that was sold to Mr. Harry Potter.

RS: What is Priori Incantatem?

MO: Nobody knows, exactly. When two wands that share a core from the same creature, they can not duel each other. Theoretically, the wands perform Prior Incantato on each other, the stronger wizard’s wand forcing it upon the weaker’s. What happens if they meet up again, nobody knows. After You-Know-Who attempted to kill Mr. Potter back last year, Mr. Potter’s wand must have reacted to You-Know-Who’s presence. But I do not know how or why. Many things are still unknown in the art of wandlore. And two wand brothers meeting is so rare of an occurrence, little is known about Priori Incantatem. I had advised You-Know-Who to use another’s wand, but that would mean a lesser result over all.

RS: The-Boy-Who-Won said it acted a bit like a ‘point me‘ spell.

MO: Interesting.

RS: What was it like as a prisoner of You-Know-Who’s?

MO: It wasn’t as bad as most would think. I was fed and kept alive, because he needed information. It was lonely though. All alone in the dark basement of Malfoy Mansion. Miss Lovegood was a nice change, some company when she was brought in. And all that grilling about the Elder wand.

RS: The elder wand?

MO: Yes. He apparently thought that having that mythical wand would help him defeat Mr. Potter. You know the story of The Tale of the Three Brothers. Although a wand not having a magical core is as possible as You-Know-Who settling down and having children. The core is what makes the wand. Without a core, a wand could not choose it’s master. Only when it is paired with the wood does the strength and potential become apparent. [soft chuckle The core chooses the wood, you know. That’s what made it so interesting about You-Know-Who and Mr. Potter’s wands. Their cores chose complete opposite woods, and see what fate has done?

RS: Indeed.