- "Chestnut and dragon heartstring. Nine-and-a-quarter inches. Brittle. I was forced to make this shortly after my kidnapping, for Peter Pettigrew."
- — Garrick Ollivander
Peter Pettigrew's wand was 9¼" long, made of chestnut wood, and had a dragon heartstring core. The wand was constructed by Garrick Ollivander shortly after his abduction in 1996; the wandmaker later described the wand as "brittle".[1]
History
The wand was forcefully taken from Pettigrew in Malfoy Manor in 1998 by Ron Weasley during the course of his and Harry Potter's escape from the dungeons.[2] Ron won its allegiance when he wrested it from Pettigrew's hand and because Ron's own wand had been taken by Snatchers, he subsequently used Pettigrew's.
It is possible that this became Ron's third wand. This was the first wand that was stated specifically to be made for one particular person in mind.
Behind the Scenes
- His wand is one of the few major characters' wands not to be sold on the Noble Collection. The reason for this is unknown. It could be due to the unpopularity of Pettigrew's character among both fans and characters.
- J.K. Rowling based Harry's, Ron's, and Hermione's wands off of the wand woods correlating to their date of birth and the Celtic tree calendar. However, as Pettigrew's wand is made of chestnut, J. K. Rowling did not choose this wand based on Pettigrew's birthdate. Like Hagrid's wand wood, it could be based on a symbolic reference to Pettrigrew's personality and character.
- Indeed, Pettigrew's wand seems to be a very fitting match for its owner; chestnut and dragon heartstring is a combination that seeks out the materialistic and morally grey. It is also described as brittle, which is appropriate considering how weak Wormtail was. It also has a very warped, bent, zig-zag shape; this suggests Wormtail preferred less refined, crueller and more primitive forms of magic, referring to his magical mastery (or lack thereof) and his villainy. Finally, it is also shorter than average, denoting that his character is lacking in some area (most likely his courage and loyalty). [3]
- In the seventh book, during the Skirmish at the Malfoy Manor, Ron disarms Pettigrew and subsequently uses this wand. It is later revealed by Garrick Ollivander that he won the wand's allegiance from Pettigrew, so it serves him properly. However, in the film, Ron's disarment (as well as the killing) of Pettigrew is omitted. He is simply Stunned by Dobby, and when he falls, his wand flies backwards to the top of the stairs where Ron picks it up. This means Ron never won the allegiance of the wand in the film, and as such, should not have served him properly. However, it is shown to work for him without any apparent issues. It is unknown why this is the case.
Appearances
Ron Weasley with the wand.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Harry Potter: The Character Vault
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ch. 24
- ↑ Deathly Hallows, Ch. 23
- ↑ New wand wood info from Pottermore