# How important is Harry Potter's wand? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-harry-potters-wand/249396 "2004-06-09T02:48:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-harry-potters-wand/249396/41 "2004-06-10T17:54:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Of course, he wouldn’t do anything like put the pieces in something innocuous… like an umbrella or something… then use that umbrella to occasionally perform a bit of magic… like giving an annoying Muggle a curly pig’s tail… Because that would be wrong! Very wrong! I was wondering about this. Supposedly, Hagrid isn’t supposed to use magic. But he has. Since we know the Ministry of Magic has the ability to keep tabs on people who aren’t supposed to be using magic, how come no one’s ever bothered to bust Hagrid? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-harry-potters-wand/249396/42 "2004-06-10T19:59:55Z")
> [@shy guy](#): > > I was wondering about this. Supposedly, Hagrid isn’t supposed to use magic. But he has. Since we know the Ministry of Magic has the ability to keep tabs on people who aren’t supposed to be using magic, how come no one’s ever bothered to bust Hagrid? Because Hagrid is under Dumbeldore’s protection and seems to use small amounts of magic to carry out his duties. The ministry is probably far more concerned about keeping a talented youngster like Harry under their thumb. Hagrid isn’t a squib like Flitch, but he’d not as talented as Harry or Herminone (sp?). ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-harry-potters-wand/249396/43 "2004-06-10T20:25:36Z")
I’m trying to remember the phrase they used in the book, but weren’t they specifically watching for magic performed by “underage wizards”? Hagrid might be past the age where they watch him as closely. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-harry-potters-wand/249396/44 "2004-06-10T21:45:49Z")
> [@Delly](#): > > [spoiler] Well its extremely important at the end of book four. > > Without it Rowling would probably have had to call HP & the OotP, would have had to have been called … & the OotP [/spoiler] Could you refresh my memory? I thought Voldy gave Harry his wand back in order to duel him and prove his worth. **BrotherCadfael** , that link was hilarous! ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-harry-potters-wand/249396/45 "2004-06-10T22:47:33Z")
Yes, but The reason Harry was able to defend himself with that wand was because it shares a core with Voldemort’s. Dumbledore explains it all - I can’t sum it up really well, but the fact that they couldn’t duel properly with the wands is what saves Harry’s life. Otherwise, he’d have been entirely outmatched. I think that’s what **Delly** meant. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-harry-potters-wand/249396/46 "2004-06-10T22:49:28Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Not sure where you’re going with this, but I think the idea in the books is that magic is involved in there somewhere… I was responding to AzRaek’s mindless speculations that one could use the 90% of their brain that is unused to do magic. So I pointed out that most of us, at least, use all of our brains. And energy and matter are not easily converted one to another. Sorry if I was unclear, and seemed like I was saying something random about the books. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-harry-potters-wand/249396.md?page=2)