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Chapter Nineteen: The Mystery of the Wand
Final exams proceeded as usual, and then—summer holiday arrived.
For students, summer meant rest and freedom. But for Lockhart, the moment the term ended, an important letter awaited him.
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To:
Member Gilderoy Lockhart
Mr Garrick Ollivander is preparing to craft a new batch of wands. He has recently applied for—
and received—permission to hunt a dragon. Due to a shortage of manpower, we request that you accompany him and supervise the process.
The Anti–Dark Magic League
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As a League member, he had obligations. Which meant his long-planned summer travels were now… completely ruined.
A letter from Sirius Black arrived as well—full of gratitude, thanking Lockhart for exonerating him, and earnestly asking him to take good care of Harry.
And then there was the private note from the Minister for Magic: a ticket to the Quidditch World Cup. In truth, although Lockhart held an Auror's certificate, he had achieved nothing remarkable during his service, and he had no close personal relationship with Fudge.
Is this meant to buy my silence? To stop me talking about Sirius Black? Lockhart wondered.
Still, he had no time to dwell on it. Ollivander would be leaving for Atlantis in a few days, and Lockhart was required to oversee the dragon hunt—and the crafting of a new batch of wands from its materials.
Wandmaking was one of the most heavily regulated crafts in the entire wizarding world.
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A Brief History of the Wand
In the earliest days, when wizards first appeared among humans, they had no wands at all. Many magical creatures—elves, fair folk, and others—possessed natural magical affinity far beyond human capability. They held a superior status over humans.
Then, a great wizard invented the wand. It dramatically increased human affinity for magic, and, crucially, moved the point of casting away from the caster's body. This allowed humans to safely perform destructive spells—even the darkest curses. (A wizard attempting to cast something like Avada Kedavra through their own body would simply die.)
Humans refused to share wandcraft with other races. War followed.
Elves and several other ancient races were exterminated. Their few surviving descendants were enslaved into what are now house-elves. The fair folk, to avoid annihilation, capitulated and agreed to serve human wizards. Other magical species were driven into remote, desolate corners of the world.
Nearly every fairy uprising in history stemmed from their demand for wand secrets—demands humans always refused. Even though fair folk magic was formidable, they could never overcome humans wielding wands.
Because of this bloody history, every wand today is subject to strict control.
1. Rare magical materials must be gathered under Anti–Dark Magic League supervision.
2. The wand must be rendered unusable by non-human races.
3. After completion, each wand is sent to the Ministry of Magic for required enchantments:
Location tracking
Memory logging
Trace spells
These enchantments allow the Ministry to detect Unforgivable Curses, monitor underage sorcery, and identify spells cast by the wand. Only then is the wand returned to its maker for sale.
Of course, ancient wands exist without these enchantments, and the charms can be removed—but doing so is extremely difficult, heavily illegal, and immediately detectable by the Ministry. Only someone preparing to flee society—or wage war—would dare attempt it.
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When Lockhart arrived at the appointed port, most of the group had already gathered.
Among the crowd, he recognised two people immediately: the wandmaker Garrick Ollivander, and the young Auror apprentice Nymphadora Tonks.
"Ah, Mr Gilderoy," Ollivander said warmly. "I still remember the day you walked into my shop for your first wand. And now you've become quite the distinguished figure."
"Hello, Senior Lockhart. It's an honour to be on a mission with you."
Tonks smiled nervously—her hair turning jet-black with the emotion.
After greeting the others, Lockhart leaned in and murmured to Ollivander:
"Master Ollivander, I think my wand isn't responding quite right anymore. If possible, I'd like to ask you for a replacement."
Ollivander blinked in mild surprise.
"But of course. Most wizards replace their wands upon coming of age—their casting habits shift. You've used yours for nearly twenty years. I assumed you had exchanged it long ago."
Lockhart flushed. No one had ever told him that.
"Thank you. Once this is over, I'll visit your shop for a new one."
"Anytime, my boy. Just let me know what you need."
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On the journey, Tonks and Lockhart chatted often. He soon learned she was technically his junior—though he had already graduated when she arrived at Hogwarts.
Tonks was lively, charming, and naturally beautiful. As the only Metamorphmagus in the original canon, she intrigued Lockhart deeply. Her bright personality suited his own, and she, in turn, greatly admired her handsome, legendary senior and former Auror.
Every day she asked for his adventure stories; in exchange, she would cheerfully morph into whatever appearance he requested. In a matter of days, the boastful Lockhart and the equally boastful Tonks were getting along like old comrades, able to talk about nearly anything.
After days at sea, the party reached the Atlantis Archipelago. The islands were enchanted with powerful Muggle-Repelling and Confundus spells, making them appear barren and unremarkable to ordinary humans. Wardens were stationed there as well; any Muggle who accidentally landed would have their memory altered and be escorted away.
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