Half-Blood Prince | The Ultimate Canon Severus Snape Site

Severus Snape's Wand

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This essay was inspired by the following information provided by JKR, in regard to wands:

Harry, Carrie & Garp: first night

Question: Can Muggles brew potions if they follow the exact instructions and have all the ingredients?

JKR: Well, I'd have to say no. Because there is always a magical component in the potion. Not just the ingredients so at some point they will have touse a wand. I've been asked what would happen if a Muggle picked up a wand in my world and the answer would probably be something accidental and probably quite violent because the wand in my world is mearly a vehicle or vessel of sorts and there is a very close relationship as you know between the wand that each wizard uses and themselves. and you'll find out more abuot that in book 7. For a Muggle you need the ability, in other words, to make these things work properly but you're right and I think that's an interesting point. As Potions seems on the face of it to be the most Muggle-friendly subject. But there's normally a point ni which you need to use magic. Thank you, good question.

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Wands. Ollivander uses only three cores: Phoenix feather, dragon heartstring, and unicorn tail hair.

On Core

I think, where Snape's wand core is concerned, we can scratch unicorn tail hair off the list right away (Cedric's wand core was unicorn tail hair, and he snuffed it. So is Ron's *insert frightening Jaws music*). Although its symbolic meanings are interesting (see below) it just seems too pure for Severus Snape.

Unicorn:

To many New Agers, it means power, purification, healing, wisdom, self-knowledge, renewal and eternal life. Origin: In the 4th century BC, Greek historian Ctesias told about a wild animal with healing powers and a spiral horn on its forehead. Medieval myths suggested it could only be caught with help from a virgin who would befriend it.

I am going to ignore this, for the most part, simply because Cedric snuffed it, and there are hints that Ron might snuff it too ("Die, Ron, die!"), and we already have the phoenix for all the immortality stuff.

Therefore, that leaves us with the phoenix and the dragon for Snape's wand. Which is it?

Phoenix:

A universal symbol of the sun, rebirth, resurrection and immortality, this legendary red "fire bird" was believed to die in its self-made flames periodically (each hundred years, according to some sources) then rise again out of its own ashes (some say after three days) -- as in this picture from a 5th century Turkish mosaic. Linked to the worship of the fiery sun and sun gods such as Mexico's Quetzalcoatl, it was named "a god of Phoenecia" by the Phoenician. To alchemists, it symbolized the the destruction and creation of new forms of matter along the way to the ultimate goal: the philosopher's stone.

Albus Dumbledore's wand core was probably phoenix feather - he had a pet phoenix, and he was Nicholas Flamel's partner in crime (they worked together on the Philosopher's Stone).

The Dark Lord's wand is phoenix feather (Fawkes's, blah blah, you all know the rest), and this also makes sense because his main quest is immortality at any cost. Therefore, if the Dark Lord can have phoenix feather as a wand core, without worrying too much about what the consequences of having such a core may be for his soul, so can Severus Snape.

Dragon:

A mythical monster made up of many animals: serpent, lizard, bird, lion... It may have many heads and breath fire. To mediaeval Europe, it was dangerous and evil, but people in Eastern Asia believe it has power to help them against more hostile spiritual forces. In the Bible it represents Satan, the devil.

JKR's above filched quote suggests to me that when Ollivander said 'the wand chooses the wizard' what he really meant was that the wand wood, and more importantly core, chooses the wizard that resembles itself. Therefore, a Dark wizard interested in immortality at any cost automatically attracts a wand made from yew and phoenix feather (the Dark Lord's wand) because yew symbolises death, and the phoenix immortality.

Wand wood + core = wizard's personality/soul.

Where Severus's wand core is concerned, I'm still torn between phoenix feather and dragon heartstring, simply because we still know so little about him/his secret desires. So I decided to dig a little deeper, and put my Spider!Snape theory to good use:

Linked to treachery and death in many cultures, it was seen as a "trickster" in ancient Africa, a "spinner of fate" in ancient goddess cultures and -- in ancient Greek myths -- the goddess Arachne turned into a spider by her jealous rival Athena. "Christian" cultures have linked it both to an evil force that sucked blood from its victims and to "good luck" because of the cross on the back of some species. The Chinese have welcomed the spider descending on its thread as a bringer of joys from heaven.

Judging by Snape's actions in HBP, at the moment I am leaning more towards dragon heartstring (but also because the symbolism relating to the dragon reminds me a little of Snape's infamous DADA speech).

Therefore, my vote is for dragon heartstring, because Snape's soul is too damaged to even attempt anything alechemical relating to the Philosopher's Stone; he is "dangerous" and, like the dragon, has "many heads"; and if anyone knows how to keep a grudge, "spin fate" and be a "trickster" - it's him. Then again, it could still go either way, as Sigune (on lj) pointed out:

The rebirth aspect of the Phoenix makes great sense to me in relation to Snape because I see him as an escape artist and the champion of second (and third, and fourth, and fifth...) chances. He reinvents himself all the time: from milltown boy to Half-Blood Prince, on to fake pure-blood socialising with the upper classes, from Death Eater to Dumbledore's right hand man, from Dumbledore's spy to his killer... To me they are all rebirths.

I was torn between the phoenix and the dragon for this very reason, but then decided on the dragon due to the following reasons:

1. the dragon is capable of symbolising Snape's many transformations because, like the Dark Arts in his DADA speech, it has many heads (and is made up of many different animals); Snape has been compared to a snake, bat and spider (and also has a naturally prowling walk).
2. It can be seen as good or evil, and like Snape, has the ability to aid against more hostile forces (or be a dangerous/hostile force).
3. I think that Snape has a core, and while he may wear many masks and have many faces/transformatons, this core remains the same, and it is what governs his actions. So, like the dragon, he is made up of many things, but in the end, he is still a dragon.

Then again, if the Dark Lord can have a phoenix tail feather wand core, and seven Horcruxes, it is possible for Snape to have one as well (even though this ignores the 'purity of soul' required to create the Philosopher's Stone).

On Wood

Birch: Protection, Exorcism and Purification.

"The Birch was very noble,
Armed herself but late,
A sign not of cowardice,
But of high estate."

This reminds me very much of two infamous Half-Blood Prince quotes:

'It was I who invented them - I, the Half-Blood Prince!'

'DON'T CALL ME COWARD!'

Ebony: Ebony: Protection and Power.

Concerning wood... It's either ebony (like movie!Snape's wand, which is not to be sneered at because JKR made sure that the dream team's movie!wands were canon), or birch (because, once again, the dream team's canon wands match their celtic tree zodiac birthdates). I think it's ebony because it matches his personality/soul more, and JKR did say that she only bothered matching Ron, Hermione and Harry's wands to the tree zodiac (which also explains why Snape and the Dark Lord don't have the same wand wood, even though they share the same starsign). JKR's statement alone automatically disproves the Celtic Tree Zodiac theory; and since ebony symbolises protection and power (two very Snape-like qualities) and was used in the films (where JKR had input - especially in POA where they made all the film wands canon) - I think it is ebony. It even dresses like him.

There was some debate as to whether or not Ollivander would use ebony at all (since it is not a local wood, but is of African origins), but Harry Potter tried out a few ebony wands ("ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy..." PS) before he found the right one for himself, so Ollivander obviously does not stick to woods that can be found only in Britain, or Europe for that matter, as ebony is of African origins.

Therefore, I think that the Half-Blood Prince's wand might be ebony and dragon heartstring. If the old 'all Order members have phoenix tail feather wand cores' theory is proven correct (which I highly doubt), then phoenix feather and ebony is also a possibility, but I am leaning more towards dragon heartstring at this stage.

Credits:

Symbolism info from: http://www.radioliberty.com/Symbolsandtheirmeaning.html
Celtic Tree Zodiac info from: http://www.novareinna.com/constellation/celtic.html
Symbolism of Plants (info on both ebony and birch): http://www.photovault.com/Link/Food/PlantsHerbsSymbolism.html

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