It was probably first used by Antioch Peverell
In the wizard fable ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers', the eldest brother was gifted a powerful wand created by Death himself. In the end, he was murdered for his seemingly unbeatable wand.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it became apparent that the Elder Wand, along with the Resurrection Stone and Invisibility Cloak, were very real objects in the wizarding world. Xenophilius Lovegood's claim that the Peverell brothers – Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus – were their original owners was supported by Albus Dumbledore’s theory that they were also the inventors. As the oldest Peverell brother, Antioch was the one associated with the Elder Wand.
It goes by many names
The Elder Wand has also been known as the ‘Wand of Destiny’, a title evocative of the grandeur and power that has enticed so many wizards. Other names have been bestowed upon it through the years. Some were derived from simple translations, such as the ‘Eldrun Wand’, which was the name given by Barnabas Deverill (‘eldrun’ and ‘ellhorn’ both being archaic terms for ‘elder’). It was also dubbed the ‘Deathstick’ by Loxias, who ensured that the instrument lived up to its title, and the Dark wizard Godelot called it ‘My most wicked and subtle friend, with body of Ellhorn, who knowes ways of magick moste evile.’ It didn’t catch on.
Its design is unusual in almost every respect
Virtually every detail of the Elder Wand hints at something unique or exceptional by a wandmaker’s standards.
Elder wood is not a favoured material in wand-making. However, it is still included in Garrick Ollivander’s notes:
Only a highly unusual person will find their perfect match in elder, and on the rare occasion when such a pairing occurs, I take it as certain that the witch or wizard in question is marked out for a special destiny.
Wand Woods: Writing by J.K. Rowling
Stranger still, the Elder Wand’s core substance is Thestral hair. There are no Ollivander notes to go by – it wasn’t a material he chose to work with – but we do know that Thestrals have a strong connection with death, plus the magical properties of invisibility, flight and an uncanny ability to find their destination. How this affects the wand is uncertain, but it does hint towards some seriously powerful magic.
It has a long and bloody history
Unlike the Resurrection Stone and Invisibility Cloak, which were handed down through the Gaunt and Potter family lines respectively, the Elder Wand was repeatedly seized by power-hungry wizards. In the words of Xenophilius Lovegood: ‘The bloody trail of the Elder Wand is splattered across the pages of wizarding history.’
Egbert the Egregious was said to have slaughtered Emeric the Evil to win ownership. Over a century later, Godelot, who had the wand in his possession while writing Magick Moste Evile, perished after being locked in the cellar by his own son Hereward. Loxias ended the reign of the fearsome warlock Barnabas Deverill, only to be defeated himself by an unknown person (two possible contenders were Arcus and Livius) who presumably took the wand for their own. In the twentieth century, the wizards Gregorovitch, Gellert Grindelwald and Severus Snape were all slaughtered in Lord Voldemort’s pursuit of the Elder Wand.
As Dumbledore stated in Tales of Beedle the Bard, ‘Those who are knowledgeable about wandlore will agree that wands do indeed absorb the expertise of those who use them.’ With the volume of dark deeds attributed to the Elder Wand, that is a terrifying thought.
Only men have claimed ownership, as far as we know
All wizards who boasted of winning the Elder Wand had something in common – they were, quite specifically, wizards. However, this may not tell us the full story. Tempting as it may be, one can own the Elder Wand without bragging about it. Indeed, it would be prudent to resist, given the wand’s tendency to attract would-be murderers. It is also possible to acquire the Elder Wand without even realising, as in the case of Draco Malfoy.
Could a witch have owned the Elder Wand at some point? It’s possible, especially if she did so stealthily, unknowingly or if it simply went undocumented for whatever reason. After all, entire centuries of the wand’s history remain unaccounted for. One witch even claimed to have killed the wand’s then-master (namely Loxias; the claim was made by his own mother). And what about Tina Goldstein in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? We saw her disarming Grindelwald. If Grindelwald had the Elder Wand at this point – did this make her the master?
Dumbledore’s words on the subject are open to interpretation: ‘No witch has ever claimed to own the Elder Wand. Make of that what you will.’
There have been several misconceptions surrounding its ownership
Perhaps the most famous fallacy surrounding the Elder Wand is the supposition that the prospective owner must kill the current one. This came at a cost for Lord Voldemort, who falsely assumed that murdering Severus Snape was the key to the wand’s control. Though killing has been a popular method of claiming the wand (see the ‘long and bloody history’ section for examples), it is by no means the only way.
We know the Elder Wand allied with Draco Malfoy, who disarmed rather than killed Albus Dumbledore. It later switched its loyalty to Harry Potter during his escape from Malfoy Manor. While deaths did occur in both situations (Dumbledore and Dobby respectively), neither Draco nor Harry committed the act. Similarly, Albus Dumbledore managed to control the Elder Wand without killing its previous master who, in fact, outlived him.
However, the belief that the Elder Wand will automatically switch allegiance whenever the owner is disarmed is also false, for one very important reason...
The Elder Wand decides its own destiny
Mr Ollivander’s famous statement ‘the wand chooses the wizard’ rings just as true for the Elder Wand as any other. However, according to J.K. Rowling, there are some distinct tendencies in its manner of choosing: ‘The Elder Wand knows no loyalty except to strength. So it’s completely unsentimental. It will only go where the power is.’
Though any wand can potentially switch allegiance, most hold some degree of loyalty and attachment to their masters. By contrast, the Elder Wand is ‘dispassionate and ruthless’ in its need for power, forming no true bond with the wielder.
We know the Elder Wand is drawn to power. But what does this ‘power’ actually entail?
‘The emotional state of wizards where a lot hangs on a duel, that’s something different. That’s about real power and that’s about transference that will have far-reaching effects in some cases.’
J.K. Rowling, Pottercast interview, 2007
With that in mind, consider the Elder Wand’s decisions in the final two books. The stand-off between Draco and Dumbledore was fraught with emotion – Dumbledore knew he was about to die while Draco raged an internal war with his own morality. At Malfoy Manor, Draco was once again conflicted while Harry was determined to escape and finish his quest. In both scenes, emotions ran high and everything was at stake. It was enough to affect the Elder Wand, even when it was not present at the scene.
But what caused the Elder Wand to turn from Grindelwald to Dumbledore? That’s something we’d all like to know.
To find out more about the life of Gellert Grindelwald, click here.
FAQs
Who did the Elder Wand really answer to? ›
Voldemort thinks that he becomes the true owner of the Elder Wand by stealing it from Dumbledore's grave, but in the end we learn that the true owner was really Draco Malfoy, that is until Harry defeated him and allegiance transferred to Harry.
Did the Elder Wand answer to Draco? ›We know the Elder Wand allied with Draco Malfoy, who disarmed rather than killed Albus Dumbledore. It later switched its loyalty to Harry Potter during his escape from Malfoy Manor.
Why did the Elder Wand answer to Draco? ›“Dumbledore didn't want to lose his wand at that point and Draco disarmed him. So that meant that the wand gave Draco its allegiance, even though Draco never knew it, even though Draco never touched it. “From that moment on, that wand gave its allegiance to Draco, and it wouldn't work as well for anyone but Draco.”
What does it say on the Elder Wand? ›As for the Elder Wand's markings, it's generally agreed that they are Anglo-Saxon runes and translate to “cheat only once”.
Why did Draco's mom save Harry? ›Narcissa Malfoy's Very Dangerous Lie
But she was also a mother, which meant she was willing to risk everything to make sure her son was safe. When Harry survived Voldemort's Killing Curse for the second time, Narcissa pretended he was dead so she could get to Draco.
No. Albus Dumbledore did not intend for Draco Malfoy to disarm him. The door burst open and somebody erupted through it and shouted, “Expelliarmus!”
What did Narcissa whisper to Draco? ›“Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?” The whisper was barely audible; her lips were an inch from his ear, her head bent so low that her long hair shielded his face from the onlookers.
Was Narcissa asking Harry if Draco was alive? ›When Voldemort asked her to check if Harry was dead and she realised he was, in fact, still breathing, Narcissa seized her opportunity. Harry revealed that Draco was still very much alive, and she lied to her master in order to get closer to him.
How long is Draco Malfoy's PP? ›"Draco Malfoy has main character energy," said one fan. "He lives in mine and Harry Potter's head rent free the whole series." "Truly wild that Draco Malfoy only had 31 minutes of physical screen time yet had the entire series run time of the golden trio just THINKING about him," said another Twitter user.
Why did Narcissa ask Draco if Harry was alive? ›She asked him because if Draco was still alive, she had something to fight for. She had a reason to lie to Voldemort. If Draco is alive, she needs to get into the school to see him and protect him, and helping Harry feign death was the easiest way to do that.
Is Snape Harry's Father? ›
Was Draco supposed to help Harry? ›It turns out that instead of rejoining the Death Eaters, Draco was supposed to help Harry at the very last second by throwing him his wand to help him defeat Lord Voldemort.
Why is the Elder Wand so important? ›The Elder Wand - An undefeatable wand given to the "combative brother", it will defeat any wizard in a duel so long as it has accepted the wizard holding it as its master. It can also do magic at amazing levels outside of battle, for example fixing Harry's wand when even the wandmaker Mr.
Is the Elder Wand the most powerful? ›The Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever created, is one of three objects that make up the Deathly Hallows, including the Cloak of Invisibility and the Resurrection Stone. The Elder Wand was 15 inches long, formed by Death himself, made of elder wood, and contained the center of the tail-hair of Thestral.
Why did the Elder Wand not answer to Voldemort? ›The elder wand belongs to the wizard who conquered its last owner, meaning if I'm the owner of the wand and you attack/kill me, the wand is loyal to you now. The wand doesn't harm its owner. So I could take the wand and try to use the killing spell on you, but it won't kill you because THE WAND IS LOYAL TO YOU.
Why did Narcissa divorce Lucius? ›In fact, Lucius' own support to Voldemort is revealed to come only under some form of duress, which is likely Narcissa's Veela Allure. When Lucius turns on Voldemort due to the reveal of his Horcruxes, Narcissa divorces him, taking 75% of Malfoy's wealth with her.
Why didn t Malfoy tell Bellatrix it was Harry? ›His father's life stories, accomplishments, and failures influenced him to make bad choices, such as joining the Death Eaters. Draco did not reveal Harry's identity to Bellatrix because, at that moment, he no longer went by his father's desires.
Why is the Malfoy family rich? ›Having rendered unknown, shady (and almost certainly magical) services to King William I, Malfoy was given a prime piece of land in Wiltshire, seized from local landowners, upon which his descendants have lived for ten consecutive centuries.
Did Harry get in trouble for using Sectumsempra on Draco? ›Although Harry was justifiably defending himself against Malfoy, who was about to cast the Cruciatus Curse, using an unknown spell was dangerous and reckless. However, despite this grievous action that could have permanently expelled him from Hogwarts, Snape only assigns Harry detention.
Why did Dumbledore keep ignoring Harry? ›He has grown afraid of Harry's connection to Voldemort. Perhaps Voldemort, knowing Dumbledore's love for Harry, would possess Harry and provoke Dumbledore to kill him. So, Dumbledore attempted to avoid Harry throughout Book 5 for Harry's own good.
Who was Draco with at the end of Deathly Hallows? ›
Malfoy married pureblood Astoria Greengrass, who did not raise their son to believe Muggles or others were less than purebloods.
What spell killed Bellatrix? ›Avada Kedavra has only one purpose: to kill. However, it's not the only curse that can be lethal. Stunners can be lethal, for instance — particularly if someone takes multiple stunners or one is a direct hit over the heart.
What did it mean when Draco's mom whisper to Harry? ›She didn't know if he was alive or dead. Being the mother she is, first and foremost, she no longer cared if Voldemort won or lost. All she cared about was knowing if her son was alive or not. So she bent down and when she felt a pulse, she whispered to Harry to ask him if Malfoy was alive.
What does Narcissa call Bellatrix? ›Narcissa the devoted mother
If Bellatrix managed to muster affection for anyone other than Voldemort, it was her younger sister (even at the height of the Second Wizarding War, Bellatrix and Narcissa called each other Cissy and Bella, no doubt childhood nicknames they'd given each other).
And after she had escaped Bellatrix was rather deranged. But she certainly loved her sister Narcissa. The two sisters even still call each other “Bella” and “Cissy” which are nicknames they had probably given each other as children.
Did Lucius Malfoy really love Narcissa? ›Narcissa and her husband, Lucius Malfoy, were shown to have an affectionate and loving relationship. He gave in to her wishes when she wanted their son to attend Hogwarts, rather than Durmstrang.
How did Narcissa know Harry wasn't dead? ›Narcissa, on the order of Voldemort, went near Harry, and touched his chest. She understood, in an instant, that Harry was alive, because the heart of Harry was beating frantically, and she felt it.
Did Harry had a crush on Draco? ›Even while he was with Ginny, Harry was always in love with Draco.” To which Tom said, “I think it was clearly a fact. Harry was constantly crushing on Draco. He just couldn't hide it.” Grint added, “I think he made quite an impression on Ron, as well”.
Who has the least screentime in Harry Potter? ›- 1 Sirius Black - 20 Minutes & 45 Seconds.
- 2 Dolores Umbridge - 16 Minutes. ...
- 3 Dobby - 11 Minutes & 15 Seconds. ...
- 4 Minerva McGonagall - 28 Minutes & 45 Seconds. ...
- 5 Fred And George Weasley - 19 Minutes 45 Seconds & 20 Minutes 15 Seconds, Respectively. ...
Weaknesses: Draco is extremely susceptible to cracking under pressure, which normally puts him in bad situations.
Did Harry ever use Avada Kedavra? ›
Throughout the Harry Potter series, one of the Unforgivable Curses Harry Potter never used the Killing Curse for several reasons. Avada Kedavra was Lord Voldemort's signature spell. In fact, the Dark Lord directly killed multiple notable figures, including Harry's parents Lily and James Potter, with the Killing Curse.
How did Harry survive Avada Kedavra in the forest? ›Voldemort intentionally made six Horcruxes, but when he used Avada Kedavra on Harry, he unintentionally created a seventh Horcrux. Instead of dying, Lily's love for Harry created a counter 'curse' known as Sacrificial Protection and saved Harry.
Why does Narcissa ask Snape for help? ›In the film Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, Narcissa Malfoy went to Severus Snape with her sister Bellatrix Lestrange. Narcissa asked Snape to make the Unbreakable Vow with her to protect her son Draco Malfoy as he attempts to perform the task asked by the Dark Lord, killing Albus Dumbledore.
Is Snape related to Slytherin? ›As Albus is about to enter his first year at Hogwarts, he expresses concern that he will be sorted into Slytherin. Harry tells his son, "you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them [Snape] was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."
Who is Snape's daughter? ›Arabella Lily Snape (born 12 June 1981) was a half-blood witch and was the only daughter of Professor Severus Snape and an unknown descendant of Slytherin. She attended Hogwarts from 1992 until her death in 1998.
Why Harry named his son after Snape? ›Harry Potter named his son after the character Professor Severus Snape in tribute to him dying for “for Harry out of love for Lily [Potter],”JK Rowling revealed on Friday.
Why did they cut Draco's scene? ›The theory among Potterheads is that the scene was scrapped because, in the original novel, the Slytherin students were never locked up in dungeons for the Battle of Hogwarts. Rather, when none of the Slytherin students wanted to stay and fight for their school, they were evacuated from the premises.
Did the Malfoys turn good? ›Finally, Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco never fled Hogwarts with the other antagonists and losers. In The Deathly Hallows novel, the Malfoys defect from Voldemort's army, betraying the other Death Eaters.
What would happen if Draco was in Gryffindor? ›If Draco had been a Gryffindor, he still would have had parents strongly affiliated with Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange as an aunt. Malfoy Manor would've still been a good base for Voldemort. Dumbledore would remain a major threat and Malfoy would have been in a good position to get close to him at school.
Who was the true owner of the Elder Wand? ›Voldemort thinks that he becomes the true owner of the Elder Wand by stealing it from Dumbledore's grave, but in the end we learn that the true owner was really Draco Malfoy, that is until Harry defeated him and allegiance transferred to Harry.
Is there a wand stronger than the Elder Wand? ›
Of course, while Professor Dumbledore's original wand beat the Elder Wand, there's no denying the latter wand is still the most powerful ever made. Only a couple of wizards ever lost when they had the wand in their possession and the wand is known as being unbeatable for a reason.
What is the strongest wand core? ›Dragon. As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells.
What is the rarest wand in Harry Potter? ›Elder. The rarest wand wood of all, and reputed to be deeply unlucky, the elder wand is trickier to master than any other. It contains powerful magic, but scorns to remain with any owner who is not the superior of his or her company; it takes a remarkable wizard to keep the elder wand for any length of time.
Who is the strongest wizard in Harry Potter? ›Formerly known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Voldemort was the most formidable evil wizard in the entire universe. Until Harry Potter, Voldemort's magical prowess was practically unmatched, and no one could stand a chance against him.
Who has the weakest wand in Harry Potter? ›Overall, Neville owns one of the weakest wands in Harry Potter.
How did Ollivander lie to Voldemort? ›Ollivander confesses that he told Voldemort to look to Gregorovitch for the wand, because Gregorovitch was rumored to possess it. However, though Ollivander knows about the history of the Elder Wand and its powers, he doesn't know about the Deathly Hallows or the wand's connection to the other artifacts.
Why did Voldemort think Snape had the Elder Wand? ›This nuance was lost on Lord Voldemort, who wrongly assumed Severus Snape held the Elder Wand because he was Dumbledore's killer, when in reality Draco had disarmed Dumbledore before Snape arrived on the scene, making Malfoy the wand's true new owner.
Why did Narcissa lie? ›Not knowing whether Draco was alive or dead, Narcissa chose to lie to the Dark Lord rather than risk losing her son. When Voldemort asked her to check if Harry was dead and she realised he was, in fact, still breathing, Narcissa seized her opportunity.
Who did the Elder Wand belong to if not Snape? ›This nuance was lost on Lord Voldemort, who wrongly assumed Severus Snape held the Elder Wand because he was Dumbledore's killer, when in reality Draco had disarmed Dumbledore before Snape arrived on the scene, making Malfoy the wand's true new owner.
Who was the person who stole the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch? ›Grindelwald was still determined to enact his vision for the wizarding world. He had also managed to steal the Elder Wand from the wandmaker Gregorovitch – so was now in possession of one of the Deathly Hallows.
Did Snape know the Elder Wand belonged to Harry? ›
Probably, Snape knew ownership of the elder wand had passed to Draco because he disarmed Dumbledore the night he was killed. The books never indicated Snape was aware the ownership had passed to Harry.
Why is Harry not affected by Avada Kedavra? ›However, when Voldemort cast the Avada Kedavra spell, it only hit the horcrux because Voldemort was connected to it. Harry was left unscathed. When Voldemort cast the Avada Kedavra he hit the horcrux within Harry and killed a part of his soul and that was the reason why Harry was left undamaged and didn't die.
How did Harry stop Avada Kedavra with expelliarmus? ›Because Harry was the true master of the Elder Wand that Voldemort was using at the time, the wand refused to do Voldemort's bidding to kill Harry. Therefore, when Harry cast Expelliarmus, the wand was pulled over to Harry's waiting hand, effectively disarming Voldemort.
What spell killed Voldemort? ›During his final confrontation with Voldemort, Harry knew that he (Harry) was the Elder Wand's true master. He again cast Expelliarmus, ejecting the wand from Voldemort's hand into his own as the Killing Curse rebounded off his body, fatally striking Voldemort.
What did Ollivander lie to Voldemort? ›Ollivander confesses that he told Voldemort to look to Gregorovitch for the wand, because Gregorovitch was rumored to possess it. However, though Ollivander knows about the history of the Elder Wand and its powers, he doesn't know about the Deathly Hallows or the wand's connection to the other artifacts.
How did James Potter get the Invisibility Cloak? ›James Potter inherited the Cloak of Invisibility from his father Fleamont Potter. Fleamont was a descendant of Hardwin Potter who married Iolanthe Peverell, the only daughter of one of the descendants of Ignotus Peverell, the original owner of the Cloak of Invisibility.
How did nagini turn into bathilda? ›The more reliable yet gruesome explanation is that Voldemort killed Bathilda, reanimated her corpse through magic and then hid the snake inside. But the snake is quite big, so some other kind of magic would've had to be used for her to be hidden inside the body.
Why can't Dumbledore fight Grindelwald? ›Dumbledore and Grindelwald took a blood oath to not fight each other. "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," the second film in the series, reveals that as teenagers Dumbledore and Grindelwald undertook a blood pact that wouldn't allow them to move against each other.
How did Dumbledore beat Grindelwald with the Elder Wand? ›As far as we knew, Dumbledore and Grindelwald didn't meet until 1945, when Dumbledore famously defeated Grindelwald in a duel and took the Elder Wand. The previous movies revealed that this was because the men struck a magical blood pact that prevented one from moving against the other.
Did Snape send his Patronus to help Harry find the sword? ›Yet despite the danger of his mission, and despite being hated by most of the wizarding world, Snape held on to the one thing that kept him going: the safety of Lily's son. He even sent his Patronus to guide Harry Potter to the sword of Gryffindor (a known Horcrux-killer) in a nearby lake.
Why is the Elder Wand so powerful? ›
The author has indicated that the core of the Elder Wand is a hair from a Thestral, "a powerful and tricky substance that can be mastered only by a witch or wizard capable of facing death." This seems entirely appropriate given the association with death of the Elder Wand, and of the Thestral.
What is the strongest wand in Harry Potter? ›The Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever created, is one of three objects that make up the Deathly Hallows, including the Cloak of Invisibility and the Resurrection Stone. The Elder Wand was 15 inches long, formed by Death himself, made of elder wood, and contained the center of the tail-hair of Thestral.