Wand Theory

What exactly was a wand?

This question had troubled Kano for a long time back when he was still a reader of the Harry Potter books.

They seemed incredibly important. British wizards wielding wands could crush African witch doctors who cast spells with their fingers.

Yet they also seemed not so important. Powerful wizards could cast wandlessly and still dominate everyone else.

They seemed alive, capable of refusing to serve certain people, a manifestation of some aspect of their owner's talent.

But that was all. The only truly wondrous things were Harry and Voldemort's twin wand cores, as well as the utterly indiscriminate Elder Wand.

Could one hold a wand in each hand and cast with both? Could one carry a whole bundle of spare wands in one's robes? Could one hold one in one's mouth...

Kano felt that everyone had probably wondered about such things; they simply never had the chance to verify them.

Now, the opportunity to do so lay right before him.

Ollivander's head was full of silver hair, and his large silver eyes shone like two lamps in the dim, cramped room.

He stared steadily at Kano, only moving his large eyes after a long while.

"Fair skin, pride hidden beneath the surface. Forgive my presumption, young sir, but are you of Black Family blood?"

Kano nodded naturally. "My father was Regulus Black."

Understanding dawned on Ollivander's face. "I remember. Your grandmother brought him here to buy a wand that day. In the end, he bought a twelve-inch laurel wand with a dragon heartstring core."

"It feels as though it happened yesterday. Laurel wand owners always pursue glory. I had assumed he died quietly after joining the Death Eaters, but seeing you today, I suspect there is another story behind it."

Kano met Ollivander's pale eyes and nodded. "When the time is right, I will make his story known to the world."

Ollivander nodded, half turning to retrieve a magical tape measure.

"Let us begin."

Dumbledore had stood silently behind Kano the entire time, listening to their conversation. Only when he heard Regulus's name did his blue eyes shift slightly.

"Mr. Kano, which hand do you favor?"

"My right."

The silver tape measure moved on its own, measuring all manner of dimensions back and forth.

Ollivander wrote and calculated on parchment, nodding one moment and shaking his head the next.

Muttering beneath his breath, he hurried to the towering shelves and took down a great many tightly bound boxes.

"The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Kano. You may hold a different view, but here, please respect my philosophy."

As he spoke, Ollivander swiftly untied every box with a dexterity that did not match his appearance.

"Try fir first. They favor survivors. These three have unicorn hair, phoenix feather, and dragon heartstring cores respectively. Of course, those are the only three superior materials I use for wand cores."

Kano raised them one by one. Every wand was willing to serve him, their tips spraying brilliant sparks of fire.

"Tsk. Very good, but not enough."

Ollivander stuffed the three wands back into their boxes and climbed the shelves again.

Next, they tried willow, which lacked a sense of security. Not enough.

Vine, possessed of great foresight. Not enough.

Maple, which loved adventure. Not enough.

They tried nearly every type of wand. Kano felt that he could use every one of them well enough, but he still had not found that "one."

Ollivander tapped his forehead lightly in confusion, and Kano could not help asking.

"Mr. Ollivander, could you satisfy my curiosity?"

"Ask away, young sir. It will serve as a brief rest."

Ollivander looked at Kano again, and Kano pointed at the huge pile of boxes on the floor.

"What exactly is a wand?"

Ollivander seemed stumped by the abrupt question. Only after a moment did he understand Kano's intent.

"Oh, Mr. Kano." He smiled and raised his own wand. "It is our companion, a part of our body."

"We are not trying to fit you with an extra arm. The most suitable wand feels like a reunion after a long separation."

"Only after obtaining it will you become whole."

Kano rubbed his chin, seeming to understand something.

He stretched his arms wide as though embracing someone and released himself without reservation.

The aura of Fairyland surged forth. Both Ollivander and Dumbledore narrowed their eyes.

Nearly every wand in its box awakened and lit up. A few even impatiently spewed colored smoke.

But Kano could no longer sense them. He pointed in a certain direction, and one wand flew cleanly into his hand together with its box.

"Incredible. Only a wand and its master, after years of adjustment, can occasionally accomplish something like this."

Ollivander accepted the box from Kano's hand, clicking his tongue in amazement.

When he opened the box, inside lay a fourteen-inch wand made of yew with a dragon heartstring core.

Ollivander had never considered this possibility. In his view, this kind of wand wood had nothing to do with Kano.

After all, in Druidic culture, yew represented rebirth, eternity, and immortality.

Kano curled his lip, privately grumbling that the wand was even more perceptive than a person. No wonder they said the wand chose the wizard.

Ollivander gave the wand a long, searching look, then glanced at Kano before placing it back in his hand.

"I believe you'll accomplish great things with it."

"I believe so too. Thank you."

Kano answered softly. The yew wand emitted a gentle, dim yellow glow, sending a warm current flowing into his body.

In that instant, he understood that all his previous ideas had been impossible.

To a wizard, a wand was not a tool, but part of their body. Powerful wizards could indeed cast spells without wands, but it was neither natural nor comfortable.

As for holding several wands at once, that was even more of a fantasy. The moment you picked up the wand that belonged to you, the two began influencing and adapting to each other.

Using two wands at the same time was like trying to board two trains heading in opposite directions. It was simply impossible.

After leaving Ollivanders, Kano eagerly spun his wand around his fingers, while it excitedly scattered sparks of every color.

The passersby who saw him were reminded of the joy they had felt on the first day they received their own wands as children.

Dumbledore watched the scene and could not help smiling.

The two then went to Flourish and Blotts to order a set of reference books, and bought a set of school supplies such as cauldrons, crystal flasks, and other laboratory equipment.

Finally, they returned to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to collect the several sets of clothes that had already been made.

At the end of the day, Dumbledore opened the door to Kano's room for him.

An ugly little creature with a round head, a small body, long pointed ears, and ragged clothes suddenly rushed toward him, accompanied by a wailing cry.

"Young master!"