whatsawizardwithoutawand

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

What a gorgeous, gorgeous day :) 

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

You know what I can’t believe???

Why more people don’t want to be wandmakers. I mean, hello? 

I get to work with all these most beautiful, ancient woods AND meet these incredible magical animals that most wizarding folk never see (nevermind the people that look after them) AND I get to make pretty wands AND THEN I get to meet every witch and wizard of Hogwarts and play matchmaker for their best friend. Like, these kids are going to do amazing things, and to think I get to be even just a small part of that?? Man. I love my job :)

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

Hehehe :)

How did you know??

Ollivander’s Weekend Wandwood Hunt -  a spring break art warm up ^^

When he’s not in the shop, Ollivander must spend his time seeking out wood and cores for his selection of wands, the best in the world! So I always just think of him taking trips to random woods during the year… a.k.a. Ollivanders: Treehuggers since 382 B.C.

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

Opening up store today --- and guess what??? The newest Firebolt X has been released!!!! 

(Also... who are your bets on for the Quidditch six nations?)

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

Helllo Etta !! I have a question? Do you (and other wandmakers) actually kill dragons to get dragon heartstrings fro your wands?

That’s actually a really good question!!

Short answer. No, we don’t :)

Long answer??? Time for a history lesson:

Years ago (before pre-made wands were the norm) wizards would bring their own materials for the wandmaker to use. This might be a certain wood, a handle, a family heirloom, and most especially the core. It was the customers themselves who would kill a dragon and bring in a tooth, or a claw, or an eyeball or a scale or whatever…. and this practice was widely accepted for centuries.

Some wandmakers (not Ollivanders thankfully) made a name for themselves by hunting down all manner of creatures and displaying the materials in Curiosity Shells, which customers could pay a hefty price for. It used to be quite a status thing, to say what mighty beast your core was from, and whether you yourself had killed it. This wasn’t just dragons, but mermaid’s, griffons, banshees, fairies, pixies, salamanders, and the list goes on and on.

However, our own Ollivander was convinced of dragon’s pure magical properties and experimented using different parts, rather illicitly (I asked his permission to say this and he said that he will not pretend to be perfect and that in his glamour-driven youth he made some terrible mistakes. He is also incredibly sorry and still can’t forgive himself). This sordid experimenting wasn’t particularly ethical but it did lead to his discovery of the excellency of dragon heartstrings. By this time, however, he had become an acquaintance of a wonderful witch called Clytemnestra Floros who was a pro-dragon advocate, and protested for the end of dragon slaying. She convinced the young Ollivander to give up his experimenting, which he did, and began to help her smuggle (illegally brought) dragons out of the UK and to new, protective dragon sanctuaries.  

In turn, Ollivander shared his discovery of the potency of dragon heartstrings and how they could usher in a new era of safety of wandmaking and spell casting (because other cores, allowed only for weak magic or had the tendancy to combust and/or misfire spells). It was Clytemnestra who provided the suggestion. Instead of killing the dragons, why not Ollivander partner with the reserve and upon the natural death of the dragon, the heartstrings will be given to him.

This proved to be the best solution, and together they worked out the best way to extract and bottle the heartstrings so they arrive in a fresh and still magical condition. Although dragon’s have a long life span, their hearts are so big, and each heartstring can provide enough material for 8 wands, so it doesn’t matter that death’s are infrequent.

Although dragon parts had been used for near millennium, no wizard had thought to use heartstrings in their wands (and least, not a recorded instance) and much of the population were skeptical of this ‘unmagical’ ‘mundane’ tendon being used in their wand, which coupled with his new method of wand making (pre-made wands were certainly an innovation many were against) so on returning to England the young Ollivander found it hard to sell his new wands.

In fact, it was Clytemnestra who became the first heart-string owner. After her favourite, closest dragon died (A Romanian Longhorn named Pollux) Ollivander encased the heartstring in a wand which he gifted to his friend.

Slowly over time, as Ollivander’s wands grew in fame, dragon heartstring became an accepted core and many wandmakers all over the world use it as a core; all of them however are bound by the Floros Law which forbids the killing of dragons, even and most especially for magical purposes.

I’m so sorry that was long, but I hope that it assuages any fears any of my followers have :)

Also, I love answering questions! So please, let me know by owl post if there’s anything else you want to know!

Etta

OOC: Clytemnestra and Ollivander’s backstory are purely my invention so don’t take everything said as pure canon :P

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

Hahahahahahahaha.

YES :/

request

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

The man...... the legend.... the myth himself........

Garrrriiicccckkk  Olllivvanndeerrr!!!!!!!!!

Garrick Ollivander *⋆✩｡⋆ \⸜( ˘◡˘ )

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

Absolutely!! But it’s not just that Newt’s a magizoologist, but that  having an appreication for the uncontrolled has given him an understanding of how ALL magic works. 

Magic is not a supernatural force. It’s not scientific either. It’s - as the Rwandan (and Congolese) wizards put it “uchawi ni hai”  which roughly means that the magic is alive. (terribly sorry if this translation is incorrect)

I think one of the saddest things about modern education is that everyone’s taught by the book - and creativity, innovation and personnalisation is frowned upon, especially (though I may not want to admit it) in old institutions like Hogwarts. I think that students would be better advantaged by having a wand class, or an introduction to spells -- or something, rather than just being taught by their parents.

A wand is not a tool. It is a living, semi-sentient partner that many witches or wizards use to help their magic. As such, it can’t just be used as a stick! It’s -- it’s outrage! It’d be like forcing a human to behave in one set way. It wants to be handled personably, it wants to feed off its user!!!!!!

Our magic would all be better if we realised that using our wands in a more natural way, in a way instinctual to us, actually produces BETTER RESULTS!! And carefully controlled wand movements, treating our friends (yes, wands are friends) with over-awed cautiousness and coddling them, is actually hurting our performance!!

We could really learn something from the Rwandan wizards who rarely use wands at all, instead they are so immensely talented at wandless magic and are considered amongst the most powerful in the world. Why???? Not because they refuse to use wands (as some bigoted, ignorant wizardfolk say - that wands prevent ‘true’ magic) but because, as mentioned earlier, they recognise the personality in their magic. The fluid, natural, organic nature of it. They view magic as an extension of themselves. The way they ‘control’ it, or guide it with their fingers is merely a response to that, and students are encouraged to find the best method for them, themselves. 

Sorry for the long rant. Just had a lot to get off my chest.

One thing I noticed in the last two films is how Newt handles his wand compared to most other wizards.  He is obviously a very skilled wizard but he seems to handle his wand in much more organic way where other wizards are very proper, or at least more proper.  Then Newt uses his wand as a cat toy, holds it in his mouth, drops it, holds in a variety of ways that I can only assume are not proper.  I like this about Newt because he obviously is not of the same mind set as many of his fellow wizards– he can be a capable fighter and could focus his skills as a wizard in a variety of ways, but his interests lay with the natural world with beasts and such; I feel like his handling of his wand is a reflection of that.

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

Magic! 

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

From Ollivander’s notes:

“Holly is one of the rarer kinds of wand woods; traditionally considered protective, it works most happily for those who may need help overcoming a tendency to anger and impetuosity. At the same time, holly wands often choose owners who are engaged in some dangerous and often spiritual quest.

Holly is one of those woods that varies most dramatically in performance depending on the wand core, and it is a notoriously difficult wood to team with phoenix feather, as the wood’s volatility conflicts strangely with the phoenix’s detachment. In the unusual event of such a pairing finding its ideal match, however, nothing and nobody should stand in their way.”

Etta’s thoughts:

There’s this old wizarding tradition, right, that says ‘If hers is oak and his is folly then to marry would be folly,’ Buuttt..... what about same sex couples?? Would it work then??

Ollivander says it wouldn’t change.... because the mantra is, I quote, “Old, outdated, doddering that shows the uninspired ignorance of the main wizarding folk when it comes to the subtlety of this fine art...”

Famous Bearers:

Harry Potter himself

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

One of my all time favourite heroes!!!!

Did you know his wand is made of lime - like cool right?? It seems to suit him :) all woody and earthy.

↳ Newt & Pickett in Fantastic Beasts The Crimes Of Grindelwald | 2/2

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

Home sweet home :) 

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

YUS Yus yus!!!!!!

Journals

Ravenclaws are encouraged to keep journals during their time at Hogwarts. They can have as many as they need and put anything in them; experiments, new/improved spells and potions, secret rooms and passages they discovered, dream interpretations, sketches, stories and a dozen things besides. When they graduate students can leave their journals in the Common Room for students to read and learn from. There’s a gigantic bookshelf by the fireplace dedicated to them.

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

Oh :/ yeah. Too true.

Ravenclaw Headcanon

While it is a known fact that many Ravenclaws are chronically late, there are plenty who are anxiously early.

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

From Ollivander’s notes:

“This golden-toned wood produces wands of splendid magical powers, which give of their best in the hands of the warm-hearted, the generous and the wise. Possessor’s of pear wands are, in my experience, usually popular and well-respected. I do not know of a single instance where a pear wand has been discovered in the possession of a Dark witch or wizard. Pear wands are among the most resilient, and I have often observed that they may still present a remarkable appearance of newness, even after many years of hard work.”

No famous users

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

So Ollivander wanted me to dust?

[whatsawizardwithoutawand]

From Ollivander’s notes:

“Dogwood is one of my personal favourites, and I have found that matching a dogwood wand with its ideal owner is always entertaining. Dogwood wands are quirky and mischievous; they have playful natures and insist upon partners who can provide them with scope for excitement and fun. It would be quite wrong, although, to deduce from this that dogwood wands are not capable of serious magic when called upon to do so; they have been known to perform outstanding spells under difficult conditions, and when paired with a suitably clever and ingenious witch or wizard, can produce dazzling enchantments. An interesting foible of many dogwood wands is that they refuse to perform non-verbal spells and they are often rather noisy.

Etta’s thoughts:

So, I’ve done a bit of reading up on this wood... and there are some really interesting notes:

- It’s supposed to be the tree from which Christ’s crucifix was hewn - and that it originally stood much taller. But after his resurrection, he transformed and stunted it so that never again would it bear the most hideous form of death. This is is also why it’s berries resemble the cross - so that it forever symbolises His death.

- It played a really big part in Victorian courting, and men would often present their lady loves with a dogwood to show their affection. If the flower was returned then she’d declined him. If she kept it, then they’d begin courting!!!

Things to ask Ollivander:

Does that mean that dogwood’s are particularly romantic fellows?? 

Or what about if you’re born in Easter time? Could that play into whether you’re chosen?

also, why is it called dogwood???? 

Bearers of dogwood:

Hmm... well ‘officially’ no one that I know -- but I’m pretty sure a Mr Fred Weasley was probably chosen - I’ll have to check with Ollivander