Every witch and wizard purchases a wand before their first year at Hogwarts, and
spends their entire life using that wand, unless they break it or win another wand in combat. The conduit through which their magic flows, a wand is a deeply personal and valuable possession to wizards.
Those knowledgable in wandlore will often describe a wand as if it can think and feel. Every single wand is unique and its character will depend on the particular tree and magical creature from which it derives its materials. Moreover, each wand, from the moment it finds its ideal owner, will begin to learn from and teach its human partner.
Wand Features
Length
Many wandmakers simply match the wand length to the size of the witch or wizard who will use it, but this is a crude measure, and fails to take into account many other, important considerations. Longer wands might suit taller wizards, but they tend to be drawn to bigger personalities, and those of a more spacious and dramatic style of magic. Neater wands favour more elegant and refined spell-casting. However, no single aspect of wand composition should be considered in isolation of all the others, and the type of wood, the core and the flexibility may either counterbalance or enhance the attributes of the wand’s length.
Most wands will be in the range of nine and fourteen inches. Extremely short wands (eight inches and under) and very long wands (over fifteen inches) are exceptionally rare. In the latter case, a physical peculiarity demanded the excessive wand length. However, abnormally short wands usually select those in whose character something is lacking, rather than because they are physically undersized.
Flexibility
Wand flexibility or rigidity denotes the degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the wand-and-owner pair. Although, again, this factor ought not to be considered separately from the wand wood, core and length, nor of the owner’s life experience and style of magic, all of which will combine to make the wand in question unique.
Wand Components
Cores
Unicorn Hair
Unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. Wands with unicorn cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. They are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner, irrespective of whether he or she was an accomplished witch or wizard. Minor disadvantages of unicorn hair are that they do not make the most powerful wands (although the wand wood may compensate) and that they are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may ‘die’ and need replacing.
Dragon Heartstring
As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental.
Phoenix Feather
Phoenix feather is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike. Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalize, and their allegiance is usually hard won.
Uncommon Wand Cores
Those three wand cores are the only kinds of wands crafted by Garrick Ollivander, but many other wand cores exist. Around the world and in the shops of other wand makers, you might find wands with cores of Kelpie hair, Dittany stalk, Kneazle whisker, Veela hair, coral, or even troll whisker. These unusual cores have a reputation for being less reliable, but sometimes an uncommon core produces a wand that's the perfect match for a one-of-a-kind wizard.
Wood
Only a minority of trees produce wand quality wood (just as a minority of humans can produce magic), so it takes years of experience to tell which trees have the gift. A wand’s wood determines the core personality of the wand. As Garrick Ollivander said, the wand chooses the wizard, and so the wood of a wand tells you about the wizard who wields it.
Character Backgrounds
Wand woods are grouped into backgrounds based on their general traits. Prior to Session Zero you can select your background, which will determine the 'appropriate' wood types for your wand. During session zero we will roll up your remaining wand components: wood, core, length, and flexibility.
Whilst using random rolls to determine your first year personality is encouraged, you are free to create any combination of Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws if you feel they better match the personality of your first year witch or wizard.