Three methods of Wand Creation

The Wandmaker waved his wand and created a clearing among the mess within the workshop.

A neat table appeared in the middle, with two stools on the opposite side. With another wave of the wand, as Mr. Ollivander's lips moved, several tools appeared on the table.

"Come," he said. "I will brief you on the processes first."

Darcie followed the old wizard, her eyes darting around. She sat down on one stool and waited for Mr. Ollivander, who had gone to the shelves.

When he returned, the old wizard was holding a rather large box and a small, but long one. He put both the boxes between him and her. "Now," he said, opening the large box, "the choice of wand wood has remained a hot topic of debate among us Wandmakers, Darcie. But there are some things which we agree upon unanimously.

"First, all wand woods are unique, with their own personalities, perception, and preference. Just like us."

Darcie nodded. She had learned of these things from the books.

"Second," Mr. Ollivander continued, "and of utmost importance, is that no wand wood, even if taken from the same tree, are same; no more similar than the children born of the same mother are the same. Because of this, wandmaking, and thus, — Wandlore, is a never-ending practice. With each wand that you create, you will learn something new. I still do. Ain't that something, eh?"

Mr. Ollivander looked down, and Darcie followed his gaze. In the large box, there were dozens of pieces of wood separated by cardboard compartments.

"I have never limited myself to any wand wood," he said, looking thoughtful. "However, I have come to understand that some wand woods are better suited for specification; the formation of the Channel itself. We Specify by giving the wand a shape, length, and flexibility, or the lack thereof. But do not mistake my words, Darcie.

"We, as the Wandmakers, only guide the wand wood in taking a shape, not govern it. Forcing the springiness of a wand wood to become rigid, or straightening the turns and knots to make it look more presentable, is not only a waste but also a taboo. It is almost like beating certain personality traits into children, against their innate nature. A very dangerous thing."

Mr. Ollivander observed Darcie and nodded at her, making sure she understood the implications of his lecture and the warnings. He opened the long box then.

Three glass tubes were lined in the box, surrounded by a cushion of straws.

Mr. Ollivander picked the first tube and held it between his thumb and forefinger to show Darcie. In the corked tube, a red string, with a fleshy appearance, bobbed up and down, twirling and turning.

"This is Dragon Heartstring," Mr. Ollivander said, his old eyes sparkling. "One of three Wand Cores I consider supreme among all."

Darcie found it terrifically fascinating. She had always heard of them, read of them, but had never seen one. She looked down at the second test tube. It had a fiery red feather, almost burning. The third test tube had a strand of silvery-white hair, moving in the same fashion as that of the Dragon Heartstring.

Phoenix feather and Unicorn hair, Darcie concluded. "But why?" she asked. "If there are so many varieties of wand wood, then why three of the wand cores are supreme?"

"Excellent question," Mr. Ollivander commented, smiling and putting the tube back in the box. "Remember what I told you about the three parts of a wand? Formation, Bond, and Cultivation, right?

"A wand wood is related to Formation and Bond. But Cultivation, growth, and the journey depend on wand core. Theoretically, you can create a wand by choosing many wand cores and pairing them with wand woods. Still, from Ollivander's family's centuries' worth of research, and my own experiments, I have found that these three wand cores are subjected to the least variations."

"Variations?"

Mr. Ollivander nodded. "Wandlore is half-part magic and half-part science, Darcie," he said, taking a deep breath. "You must invest hours upon hours to derive conclusions and then try them out. Yet, the only part that is not in our hands is Cultivation.

"That's why, Wandmakers of the ancient times had taken extra measures to record the lives of wizards and witches, documenting their lives, and how they grew along with their wands. Even in those times, Ollivanders were ahead of all by miles. I will not sweeten my words, dear. There is no standalone magical reason behind my choosing these three wand cores, other than hard, but proven experimental results."

"I understand, Ollivander," Darcie nodded. A hidden, scientific part of her mind nodded again in understanding, knowing the value of thousands of experiments and results concluded from them.

Mr. Ollivander smiled. "I will not limit you to these wand cores, child," he said, getting up. "Try as much as you want, with as many pairings of wand woods and cores as you want. I will teach you Ollivander's Wandlore, but I will not stop you from coming up with your own. Better?"

Darcie smiled back at him.

"Every wandmaking begins with a log of wand wood, Darcie," Mr. Ollivander said, bringing a log of wand wood. He put it on the table and let Darcie eye it for a moment. "Go wherever or to whomever. This step will not change. Now, there are three methods to create a wand. I will briefly tell you about them in the order of their appearance."

"You mean from the modern to the old?"

Mr. Ollivander nodded. "The first method is the Core Switching Method," he said. "In this, you take a log of wand wood and the wand core in the beginning. Then, a switching spell is used to swap the core for a small piece of wood inside the log. What remains is carving the log of wand wood in a definitive shape."

"That's it?" Darice asked, shocked. How could it be that simple?

The corners of Mr. Ollivander's mouth twitched ruefully. "Yes, this is the quickest method to create a wand," he said. "Of course, all carvings are paired with the most intricate kinds of spells and magic, which differ with each Wandmaker. No one… absolutely no Wandmaker will reveal these carving spells, for these are the roots of one's Wandlore. But that's not the point.

"Quickest method it may be, but all old Wandmaker families hate it. Not only it results in weak-willed wands, but it also results in shaky Cultivation. Most Wands created by this method either outpace the wielder or fell behind. No case can get worse than these two."

"Then why use it all?"

Mr. Ollivander rubbed his fingers, and Darcie instantly understood. Money, of course. A quick method of wand creation would mean greater production and low cost, appealing to most poor wizarding families.

"The second method is more traditional," Mr. Ollivander said, splitting the log in two using his wand. "It is called the Core Aging Method. Many Wandmaker families, including myself, prefer this method mostly. In this, we first split the log of wand wood in two, and then create an elongated hollow within it."

The old wizard swished his wand, cutting a perfect cylindrical hollow portion in the two split blocks of wood, half on each side. "Then we place the wand core within the hollowed portion and use magic to seal the split halves of the wood back, trapping the core within it."

Darcie's brows furrowed.

Mr. Ollivander caught the frown and beamed. "You realized, didn't you?"

Darcie cocked her head left and right. "Switching spell switches two objects, but their places won't reverse later," she said, observing. "But sealing magic, no matter how powerful will eventually run out. Repairing charm will not work, either, as it will repair the hollowed part as well."

"Excellent!" Mr. Ollivander praised, laughing. "The second part of this method is to dip the log of wand wood in a Sealing potion, which differs slightly with each wandmaker. Sealing potion not only seals the entire thing, but it also helps in aging the wand wood and wand core, letting them interact with each other on a more innate level. Aging takes anywhere from half a month to a month, depending upon potion, wood, and core."

"Then you carve this aged log of wood and core?" Darcie asked.

"Hmm," Mr. Ollivander grunted. "The spells used in carving such an aged product are much more complicated and dangerous. One minuscule mistake can cause disastrous results, and nothing is as disastrous as the waste of wood and core. That's why the modern Wandmakers prefer the Core Switching method."

Darcie found it reasonable from a purely economic standpoint. So, she thought, one is Core Switching, and the other is Core Aging. What's the third?

"The third method is the oldest method in the wizarding world," Mr. Ollivander said, his face flushed with excitement. "And by the oldest, I mean that the very first wands were created using this method. Today, I will show you how to create a wand using this method. I have been waiting for this moment for a long, long time, Darcie. A very long time, indeed."

Darcie felt a touch scared from the gleam in Mr. Ollivander's eyes. "What is this method called?"

Mr. Ollivander smiled. "Core Resurrecting Method."

************

AN: You can access up to 21 Chapters ahead of WN on Patre0n and Ko-Fi. Links are available in synopsis.

Note: This Wandlore is an original plot of mine, but it may have some aspects similar to many Wandlores out there because of the research done behind it, especially the first method. You may like it and you may not. Nonethless, along with my original characters, this Wandlore will remain heavy plot-directive content.

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