Harry Potter Universe: Origin of Wandcraft
What We Know
Concerning the timing of the invention of the wand, we know that the Olivander family has been selling wands since 382 BC. Yet there is no clear source that states whether the Olivander family were the first to discover wands or if wandcraft was discovered independent of the family.
I have seen suggestions that Andros the Invincible is another clue to the timing of the discovery. The most important fact about Andros the Invincible is that he created the largest Patronus ever registered. The argument I have seen then states that according to Rowling herself one needs a wand to create complex spells and thus would require Andros having a wand. This, however, does no longer match-up with what has been established about wandless magic. On top of that can it be argued that we do have no information on the ways magic was practiced before there was any centralized schooling system for wizards. It is very well possible that different wizards practiced different ways of spell casting, of which rituals and incantations for spells could be common. As such we could easily assume that the possibility of success-curves for spells with rituals vs. wands look like this:
Blue curve: possibility of success distribution for wandless magic;
Green curve: possibility of success distribution for wand magic.
If such a distribution of the possibility of successful spell casting is indeed true, it would allow for wandless spell casting to have a low, but existent chance of creating more powerful spells than wand magic. One can of course assume that these outliers are unstable forms of magic, but nonetheless powerful. This scenario, if it applies to the singular case of Andros the Invincible, would explain why the large patronus of Andros was so unique. As such, it would make more sense to assume Andros did not possess a wand. Given that Andros supposedly lived during the classical period of Greece (5th - 4th Century BC), it pushes the discovery of the wand towards the foundation of the Olivander family.
A clue that might help in determining the origin of wandcraft is the place of discovery. This is easier to pin down since there is a clear reference on Pottermore that states that the wand is a European invention. This is of course not specified enough, but it narrows down the possibilities.
Since there are no further sources that could narrow down the true origin of the wand, I will now continue presenting my reasoning for a certain possible scenario. I wish to emphasize that the following is based on my own assumptions and that only J.K. Rowling herself can know for certain how wandcraft was invented in the HPU.
Suppositions
First of all I will take the points stated above as my starting point. As such it is interesting to review the events in Europe during the 4th Century. The main events relate to three civilizations: the Celts, the Roman Republic and the Greeks. Of these three, the Roman Republic is the youngest and at this point does not yet show the greatness it will achieve later on. The Celts, from their part, are no unified people and are spread out all over Europe. Still, during the 4th century BC they start an invasion of the Italian peninsula, which might suggest a shift in the balance of power. Lastly there is the Greek civilization, of which we know it reached the height of its influence during this century.
There are a few things to note here. Firstly there is the Olivander family. The name Olivander supposedly refers to an Olive tree, suggesting they originate from a Mediterranean region. It is also established that the family set up shop in Britain when they joined the Romans after their invasion of the island. The first attempts at invasion by Julius Caesar in 55 BC and 54 BC failed and the successful invasion was in 43 AD. In any case, the establishing of the Olivander family in Britain happened three to four centuries after they had started crafting wands. This means it is likely that the family does not even originate from Rome, but rather Greece.
A second point to consider about Greece is the development of its relations with Persia in the 4th century BC and its internal politics. Sparta had sided with Persia to defeat the other city states and maintain hegemony over Greece (Corinthian War 395 BC - 387 BC). This created a feeling of resentment in the other city states and eventually led to the city state of Thebes to attack and succeed in defeating Sparta. The victory of Thebes over Sparta can be seen as laying the groundwork for the victory of Alexander the Great over Persia and the start of the Hellenistic period. It is possible to rethink the battle between Sparta and Thebes, in which Sparta was supposedly the stronger opponent, where Thebes makes use of a new invention: the wand. In such a case it would not be difficult for Thebes to claim victory over a larger force than its own.
Following these points I will construct a possible chain of events. A greek man, possibly by a name resembling Olivanos, discovers between 400 BC and 382 BC how to fuse wood with other magical components to create a reliable source for channeling magic. After the wars he settles in Thebes, close enough to Athens, but far enough from Sparta. There he starts selling his wands which spurs the magic community of Thebes. Due to restrictions from Sparta, the magic community must keep their strength hidden, but the leaders from Thebes are willing to put this new weapon to the test. In their defiance of Sparta they do indeed trigger a war, which they eventually win. Though their victory means that the secret of the wand spreads out over all of Greece and eventually even to Rome.
A Possible Origin of Wandcraft
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I have arrived in the city state of Massalias. The ship made for the docks this morning with ease. The captain suggested an inn near the Agora where I could stay. I paid him the amount I still owed him for the journey and a bonus for his help. After saying my well wishes to the crew I took my leave. I soon found the inn as suggested and got a room for a few nights. Hopefully I will have found the information I need by that time and will be able to set out on my journey to the barbarians in the North.
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The information from the innkeeper proved valuable. Hodophobix, the emissary from the barbarians in the North here in Massalia, was very willing to arrange a guide for me. It saddened me he was not joining me to his homeland, since his status as emissary might have allowed me to learn things that otherwise will remain out of my grasp. He was also not very willing to share information on the magical practices of his people with me and warned me that their magical community, which he called the circle of druids, would not be either.
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Hodophobix has arranged a guide who will take me north. In the meantime I have been able to gather sufficient supplies for the journey. Here in Massalias they sell some strange substances to enhance spells, substances I had never heard of back in Thebes, so it will be interesting to experiment with them. Still, I am glad I brought some Unicorn hairs with me and my flask with the dragonheartstring is still safe.
On a side note, I must remember that the house-elves here are less rigorous in keeping themselves hidden while doing their work than they are in Greece. I have also noticed that they are allowed to use magic in the presence of humans.
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The country that we have reached is so strange to me. It is dark and cold, the wind dominates all while the sun is kept from view by the endless stream of clouds. The landscape itself is harsh, but the forests that we pass through are so spectacular, unlike anything in Greece. They are alive and full of magic. I can sense it, although it seems to resist my touch. I wonder if it is part of the strange methods of these barbarians that I have heard of.
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We have reached a village at the coast. It is a rough village, like the rough cliffs and the rough sea, the rough winds and the rough people. I suppose that is the best description of this country: rough. Except for their magic. I have not seen it in use yet but ever since we have entered the domain of these barbarians I have felt it. A faint and soft presence that rests over everything. It is a gentle kind of magic. Yes, against the roughness of the land and its inhabitants their magic feels gentle.
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I have met with the druids of the village. Apparently it is rare for a village to have more than one druid, but since this village is the center of a clan it houses the druid council. There are five of them, all of them old. They know much, that is clear to me, but they have no scrolls or volumes that contain their knowledge. They claim to have learned all of their knowledge by heart. I have asked them whether they can share this knowledge with me, but they have refused even though I explained that I am a researcher of magic like them. They told me I am not one of them.
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This past week was a celebration of sorts. Representatives of the other villages of the clan came to join the festivities. Other druids came with them. Some apparently permanent members of the other villages, others traveling through the country. All of these druids were old, like the council here. I did notice a few of them in the company of younger men, but it was explained to me that these were only apprentices. Bards, they called them.
On one of my morning walks through the fields I did notice one of these bards perform a strange sort of magic. While gesturing with a small stick he made a flower bloom. In fall, with Persephone retreating to Hades, he made a flower bloom without any apparent magical substance to spend on his spell. When I approached him to ask how he had done such a feat, he quickly put away the stick and told me he had to go.
As he walked away I took the Veela hair I carried with me and tried to reproduce his result. I failed miserably. The Veela hair is not a very powerful substance for spell casting, but I felt that the problem was more with myself than the substance. I was not really able to formulate what my spell was supposed to do. So how did this apprentice know how to formulate exactly how this beautiful flower had to grow while the rest of nature withered?
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Since I have seen a bard use a twig to cast a spell, I have noticed what I could not see before. The magic of the druids requires wood. It is in their staffs. What I used to see as walking sticks for old men, I now see as magical tools. Where the bard carried a small stick, the older druids carry a staff. Whenever they light a fire, whenever they bind the body of a criminal, they use their staff.
It is unclear to me how this is supposed to work. Wood in and of itself cannot be used for spell casting. Trees are full of magical structure, we know this, but it is not possibly to spend it on spells. Otherwise Greeks would have cut down all their olive trees to destroy the Persians. No, there must be more to this.
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The wood is not capable of different spells! Today they set off a ship with emissaries to an island across the sea. Apparently there is a larger kingdom out there. To grant them safe passage, the head Druid of the council, Metalix, pushed a strong wind in their sails. When he cast the spell, I noticed he was using a different staff then when he lights a fire. Could it truly be that the bard with his twig could always create beautiful flowers, but only flowers?
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I spent a unicorn hair today. Now I only have two left, but I did save the village with it. A forest troll attacked at night, but the men of the village were too drunk from the celebration to stand against it. The druids tried to handle it on their own, but it truly revealed the weakness of their staffs: they were limited to the single elemental spell that each staff could cast. Of course the skin of a troll protects it against elemental magic so they did not get very far with that.
Before the monstrosity could enter the village and wreak havoc among the buildings I put a strong protective barrier in place. I am glad I knew my incantation well enough because once the troll bounced into it I was afraid it would shatter. Unicorn hair is a stable source, but it is a risk to test its strength against a troll.
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Metalix requested my presence at the council hut. I had never been allowed in there before, so it was exciting and unnerving at the same time. Apparently they were grateful for my actions with the troll and were curious for how I had done it. The use of magical substances as source for spells is not known to them. They told me they had contacted elders of their circle and in return for me explaining how I created my spells they would show me how they used theirs. Naturally I did. I showed them how I could light a flame in my hand using a troll whisker. My hunch for their wood magic got confirmed when they showed me the different staffs they can use.
I told them I had noticed a bard creating a flower with a twig. They seemed surprised I had noticed such act but they gave me a similar stick as the bard had and told met to point it at the ground, picture the flower I want and simply speak the word for flower. I was doubtful of this, for it seemed too easy for such a complicated structure. But it worked. As I spoke the word it felt like the stick connected to the thought I held in my head and it channeled the magic into a beautiful daffodil.
They too were surprised at the beautiful result at my first try. For some time they turned away from me and discussed something. When they finished they proposed an incredible idea. They suggested that I would travel to the island across the sea and learn from the elders. I would not become a druid, they said, but it might be allowed that I learn the secret of crafting staffs. Now I can start looking forward to a next step on my journey, but I am also excited to have learnt that this staffs are crafted. I knew there was more to them then just wood!
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We have reached our destination. It was an incredible journey. Crossing the sea was harder than sailing on the Mediterranean. But after a few days spent as a toy on the waves we reached another land, whether or not it is an island. This new land has the same roughness as the land we had left, often covered under a layer of clouds and rain. Passing through some villages on our way to our destination, I learned that these people are similar to those we have left behind with similar customs and habits but there is something different about them.
After a week of travel over land we reached the town of the druids. It is incredible here. This whole town bursts with magic. It is full of young people being thought the ways and the magic of the druid, bards who are not traveling with their mentors and the oldest druids, older than the council of the village, I have met.
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This is truly wonderful. The staff-druids have shown me the crafting process last night. Apparently they work at night under a full moon. The staffs and sticks we have been carving for the past weeks are boiled at midnight in a potion containing mixtures I have never considered before. As the staffs were boiling in large cauldrons, I could see the runes we had crafted light up. The druids told me these potions react with the magic inside the wood and change its structure according to the formation of the runes. The new structure of the wood magic gives it the property to limitless cast the spell that was engraved in it. They also told me that the new structure gives the wood the property to connect with the human soul to focus the spell. It sounds like some religious myth, if I had not experienced the sensation when I cast the flower spell. To strengthen this bond between the caster and the staff they give each druid a staff made of his birthwood.
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Working with the druids on new staffs with new spell casting abilities is very interesting, but I keep thinking that their limit of one spell is crippling. I have wondered if I cannot combine the flexibility of magic spell substances with the reliability of staffs.
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We have made progress. When adding a troll whisker to the potion, we now only have to carve the runes of an element on the staff and it will be able to cast an array of spells with that element. Carving out multiple elements on the staff did not work though. Still I have hope we will find a way to make a truly versatile magical tool.
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Tonight I dreamt of a solution! Maybe rather than dissolving the magical substance in the potion, I can force the staff to fuse with it. That way it would quite literally use the properties of both the wood and the substance. I must be careful though.
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I have succeeded. As a first step I have treated the stick in a potion to give it absorption properties. Next I have carved runes on it that would change the magical structure to take up the properties of another substance, rather than fixing the structure with only one ability. Under the full moon, I did not join the druids for once and prepared the potion in my own hut. I boiled the pre-treated stick in it. Once the runes started glowing I took it out and held a troll whisker against its tip. And it worked! The whisker disappeared in the stick.
The result is not very overwhelming. I feel like the stick connects with my thoughts, but it also resists. As a result I am capable of producing different spells, but they are not very powerful.