What Is Hermione’s Wand Made Of?

Every favorite wizard and witch in Harry Potter has their unique quirks about them. Their Patronus charm, their wand, their power, a favorite broom… in this article we discuss wands, in particular – Hermione Granger’s wand. We all know it was made by Olivander, as most wands were, but let us not forget that the wand chooses the wizard. Or in this case, the witch. So what was Hermione Granger’s wand made of?

Hermione’s wand was made of vine wood and on top of it, had a dragon heartstring core. She bought it when she was eleven years old, just before she began her education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hermione’s wand helped her produce a corporeal Patronus, an otter. While she was a powerful witch, her wand was no less powerful.  How did it choose her and why, and what is the meaning behind the material it is made of? What is the best wand you can get? Find out below!

What are wands and how do they work?

A wand is party sentient, but it is mostly just a tool that aids in channeling magic. Most spells require wands in order to be executed properly. Wandless magic is very difficult and advanced – it requires skill and focuses that not every wizard or witch can maintain. However, house elves are able to produce wandless magic, like Dobby – one snap, and he is gone.

They are manufactured by wandmakers and then sold by them in their workshops. Olivander is one of the most famous wandmakers in Great Britain, as well as Gregorovitch in Eastern Europe.

Every single wand is special. Each has a certain type of wood, a specific core of magical substance that usually came from a magical creature such as a phoenix or dragon.

The core of a wand is extracted from this magical creature. Olivander, for example, uses mostly phoenix feathers, unicorn hair, or dragon heartstring. His father, however, often used Kelpie hair or whiskers of a Kneazle.

The core type is important, as it plays the role in determining the temperament and character of a wand. Veela hair is seldom used since it would make a wand very unsteady due to the creatures having an unpredictable temperament.  Sometimes two cores are used, making the wand more powerful. 

Many known wizards and witches have their wand core made of dragon heartstring. Other than Hermione, Viktor Krum and Bellatrix Lestrange also had dragon heartstrings in their wands. The list includes Horace Slughorn, Dolores Umbridge, Lucius Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew, Minerva McGonagall, and even Olivander himself.

But why dragon heartstring? Dragons are usually described as mystical beings with great power. The meaning behind the dragon is raw power and courage. They represent magic and balance of the universe, which is easily connected to Hermione’s life of balance – Muggle and magical blood, knowledge, and uncertainty, fear and bravery, the mind and the heart.

Hermione’s wand is a totem of change, wisdom, and protection, as well as leadership and fulfillment of potential. 

This is how Olivander described wands: Every single wand is unique and will depend for its character 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. Therefore, the following must be seen as general notes on each of the wood types I like to work with best, and ought not to be taken to describe any individual wand.

What kind of wood is used to make a wand?

Not every wood type can produce a powerful wand, just like not every human can produce magic. Here are some woods that could be used for wand making.

Acacia wood often produces wands that can be a bit tricky. They sometimes refuse to listen to their master, and just like cats that only do things when they feel like it, they decide when to act. However, they are very powerful wands although risky.

Alder wood is said to be suitable only for the most advanced. Their masters must be considerate instead of stubborn in order to be chosen by these wands. Alder wands need masters who are different from alder’s temperament. Those wands are beyond loyal and help of great help for non-verbal magic. The most similar to this is the ash wand, since it is incredibly powerful but only when used by its original master.

Cedar masters are not the ones you would like to cheat or harm. They are incredibly loyal wizards and witches who cannot be fooled. 

Elder wands are the rarest ones. It is no wonder since they are difficult to master. It takes a powerful and superior master to keep this wand and use it successfully. It is considered that the users of this wand are destined to do great things.

The Vinewood that Hermione has in her wand has a very special nature. They are not very common and tend to choose wizards and witches who are looking for a higher purpose, are visionaries, and always positively surprise those around them. 

They display great magic when finding the wizard or witch they would like to choose. And of course, they like people with depth to them – and Hermione has such a diverse set of qualities that it is no wonder it chose her.

The Celtic tradition involved using vine wood in their knotwork, carvings, writings, and tapestries. The symbolic meaning connected to the vine wood is regeneration, connection, and bounty. 

The vine grows in a certain pattern that suits it best, it is opportunistic so to speak. It will always try to make sure there is more place to grow. It is a metaphor for both seeking the best option, or going with the flow and surrendering yourself to the opportunities that already exist.

They also symbolize growth and protection, which is why Hermione could be so good at charms, especially protection charms as seen in the scene where Hermione was the first one to cast protective charms in the forest.