WAND - A STICK OR SOMETHING MORE?

A question asked in our page The Wisdom of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore 

“What is the symbolic meaning of wand, or is it just a stick to cast spell upon?”

The entire Harry Potter series is abundantly symbolic; each element and its use are subtle in its meaning and profound in implication.

Let me begin with a short detail about wands. We first encounter with “wand” at Olivanders in the Diagon Alley, where Mr Olivander makes a remarkably unforgettable statement about wands “The wand chooses the wizard Mr. Potter, though it is not always clear why”.  

The wand is one of the instruments through which a witch or a wizard channels his/her power to localize an effect for the desired results, which are, by no means, explicable to a muggle society. The other instruments used to conjure the magic, but less popular because of their bulk, are staff (Used by Merlinus, Professor Moody, Gandalf, etc), Umbrella (used by Rubeus Hagrid by using the wand core), etc. Almost all the spells are done by the wands and, to conjure one without a wand needs employment of impressive concentration. G Norman Lippert, in his James Potter series, has defined sorcerers as those magical folks who can cast spells without using wands. The famous sorcerers, that I can recall, are Albus PWB Dumbledore, Tom Marvolo Riddle (Lord Voldemort), Merlinus Ambrosius (James Potter series), Petra Morgenstern (James Potter series), Nicholas Flammel and Salazar Slytherin.

Wands require spells to perform magic, spells being verbal incantation. However, non verbal magic is also not uncommon. Students of Hogwarts at their sixth year learn to cast the non verbal spells. Wands are referred to as “quasi sentient”, and the reason of latter being called so is seemingly obvious.

I personally think that wand is comparable to what we call destiny but this is not all (we shall discuss others later). A destiny chooses a person which is why it is sometimes referred to as luck or fate. A destiny chooses a hero and destiny chooses a villain. However, I do not imply that destiny makes us good and destiny makes us bad. That, fortunately, is entirely left to us. We have that choice and perhaps it is the only choice we have and that, irrespective to all the forces of nature. “It is not our abilities that make us who we are, it is our choices.” So our choices determine our destiny; in other words, we, and only we are responsible for our destiny. Moreover, when we choose differently, our destiny assumes a different shape in a manner consistent with our choice. Our destiny is as powerful as our abilities and the only thing that makes all the difference in the world is our choice, which is why Hermione Jean Granger explains to Harry James Potter “Wands are as powerful as their owners”.

A wand is an accolade of our choice. The fineness is consistent to the quality of choice we make or the ability we possess to make the choice. There is a reason why Voldemort’s and Harry’s wands shared same core and by now, I believe, you know the reason.

One of the reasons why I find wand to be the objects of remarkable significance is when Rowling introduces The Elder Wand as one of the trios of the Deathly Hallows. Deathly Hallows are believed to be a reward given to the three brothers by Death himself, which, if united by a wizard, makes him the master of Death, in other words, a wizard can defeat the death. However, the process finds its way itself; that is to say, when fate knows that a wizard shall unite the Hallows, it manages “somehow” to save the wizard from death. Though, Harry was saved by the blood of his mother running in the veins of Lord Voldemort, it was because of Harry’s fate of uniting Hallows that made it possible. And crucial fact is that, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the greatest of the great, “knew” it and what more, he knew it more than what it was meant to be known. I daresay, Albus Dumbledore was the one who defeated the death. He is, in some ways, equivalent to the same unknown whom we pray as the formless almighty.    

  

Elder Wand, being a part of Deathly Hallows, gives us idea as how crucial it can be, when necessary. When you choose good, the good fortune chooses you and when you choose (or have ability to choose) too good, you can be invincible. Dumbledore did not choose himself as the master of Hallows because he knew power tempted him, it drove him insane to such a great extent that, he dared to careless about his sister which led to her death. So, wise as he was – the wisest of the wise, he chose Harry as the master of the death, for he knew power did not tempt Harry. It was the same reason why Harry was the chosen one. Oh Albus, thou deserveth all the reverence in the world.  

So wand is the token of the “choice” granted to a wizard by fate and only fate. When you choose something, the choice chooses you. So choose well and you shall be chosen well.