Harry Potter’s magic spells are attributed to elements of magical creatures. But these effects can be very different.
A young wizard or witch in the Harry Potter universe will be more defined by their first wand. It doesn’t matter if the wizard picks up the wand at Ollivanders’ or another wandmaker in America, this is often the beginning of their magical journey. The material that the wand is made from is important but it is its core that gives it magical properties and the ability to cast magic spells.
While these cores are made from several materials (there are at minimum 20 listed in the Harry Potter lore), you must source them from a magical creature or object. Some cores stand out among their immediate peers while others are especially effective at certain types of magic.
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Phoenix Feather Core Wads are hard to master
Phoenix feather cores appear to be capable of the most complex feats of magic. The core provided by the same phoenix for Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort’s wizard wands was also made famous. Many witches, both wizards, and witches find their independence to be challenging to manage. It is also the most selective core, often going through many partners before finding one.
Dragon Heartstrings can perform great feats of magic
The Harry Potter books include the Dragon Heartstring core. It is the foundation of the wands used by Minerva McGonagall and Lucius Malfoy. Heartstring cores can cast powerful spells and are easily persuaded by their owners to change their allegiances. It was also the kind of core most willing to do dark magic when times are difficult.
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Unicorn Hair Wands Often Lack the Authenticity They Need
Unicorn Hair Wands are unexpectedly the opposite of Dragon Heartstring. Although they may not be able to do more powerful magic than they were, they are known to be reliable and very pure. It is difficult for them to access the dark arts. Remus Lupin and Quirinus Quirrell have them in their wands. As they lack the potency to cast magic, they are most at risk of “wilting” or losing it altogether.
Thestral Tail Head Cores can only be mastered by a select few
Thestral Tail Hair Cores can be found in the world of Harry Potter. These cores are considered dangerous and unsuitable for creating wands. It can be found most prominently in Antioch Peverell’s Elder Wand. It is a formidable, but not-so-easy wand to master. Only witches and wizards who accepted the concept that death is possible were able it, reflecting the fact Thestrals can only be seen by those who have witnessed death.
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Basilisk Horn was used only once.
Basilisk Horn cores are unique to Harry Potter as they have been only used once in recorded historical history. The core is the core that powers Salazar Slytherin’s wand. Its properties remain unknown. Slytherin was able to put the wand to sleep by following instructions. Slytherin’s family passed the wand down to their descendants. The wand then ended up in the care of his relatives, the Gaunt family. This was in the 1600s. It was then stolen by them and found its way to Ilvermorny School in America at the time of its foundation. It eventually melted and was buried on school grounds. There, it became a Snakewood Tree — the same material from which it was first made.
Thunderbird Feather Cores Could Make Their Wands Sentient
Thunderbird Feathercores was invented by the American wizard Shikoba Wolf. Even though they were again hard to master, they were highly sentient and were often known to cast curses in advance against supernatural dangers as well as the enemies of their users. Additionally, they proved particularly effective in the casting of transfiguration-based magic. This core was used in the creation of wands. However, Holly Blackbird, who appeared as Holly Blackbird in the Harry Potter Mystery, knew that this type of wand was used and passed down to her family members as a valuable family heirloom.