Wands are commonly used by Witches and Wizards when casting spells. Similar to a Wizards Staff it is believed that they are able to focus and enhance the owners magical potency. The effectiveness of a Wand is dependent upon the power and ability of the sorcerer, sorceress, shugenja, witch, wizard, warlock, diviner or conjurer to whom it belongs.
Usually a magic wand is made from wood but it is not uncommon to find ones made from metal or crystal as well.
According to JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books every wand is unique. Every fresh student at Hogwarts is taken to Mr Ollivander’s Store to acquire a wand that is best suited to their personality. According to Mr Ollivander it is the wand that picks the owner and not the other way round, he explains that …
“Every Ollivander wand has a core of powerful magical substance, Mr Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are the same. And of course you will never get such good results with another wizards wand.”
Harry Potter ended up with a wand that was made of holly wood and a single phoenix feather.
Although in recent times Harry Potter and his Hogwarts colleagues have become the most well known wizards there have been plenty more of them in the past. Usually they are depicted as knowledgeable old men who offer advice and guidance. Characters that fall into this category include Merlin (To King Arthur) and Gandalf (From Lord Of The Rings).