Seven Impossible Combinations
In Ollivander's Wand Shop, Ollivander began to say a long speech that he would not normally tell ordinary customers, "Every Ollivander wand is made of wood from a small number of trees that can produce wand material (just as only a small number of humans possess magic) and extremely powerful magical substances."
"Every wand is unique, and its characteristics depend on the tree from which the wood for making the wand comes from and the characteristics of the Care of Magical Creatures whose core it is made from."
"Once each wand finds its ideal master, it begins to impart its own characteristics and learn the wielder's traits."
"Therefore, if you want to find a wand that works as well as before, I'm afraid you won't find it here, unless Hornbeam Wand is suitable for you."
"You need to work things out like a beginner, helping it grow," Ollivander said. He stared intently into Riddle's eyes, seemingly implying something.
The reason he suddenly became so courageous was because, in his profession, he would not allow himself to back down due to fear; this was the pride of Britain's first master of the rod.
"I've never used a wand. Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm only 11 years old. I'm just a bit tall," Riddle said earnestly.
Strangely enough, what was clearly a ridiculous statement, when uttered by Riddle, carried a rare sense of conviction.
"But what's so special about the Hornbeam Wand?" Riddle asked.
"The Hornbeam Wand chooses wizards who possess talent and have a single, pure passion for things."
"It's like a blank sheet of paper, requiring the same simple thoughts. As a result, it takes the shortest time of all wands to adapt to its owner's magical style. They become extremely personalized in a very short time, to the point that it is very difficult for anyone other than the wand's owner to cast even the simplest spells with it."
"Similarly, the hornbeam wand absorbs the moral code of its wielder, and regardless of the wand's owner's moral standards, the hornbeam wand will refuse to cast any spell—good or bad—that violates the owner's principles. It is a wand that is particularly adept at assimilating and highly perceptive."
"You may try this; it's made of hornbeam and Phoenix feathers, thirteen inches long." As Ollivander finished speaking, the wand was handed to Riddle.
But it remained unresponsive, like a chopstick.
Ollivander, with an expression of utter certainty, carefully sought Riddle's permission before taking it away and searching for other wands in a cardboard box in the room.
"Try this one, Blackthorn Wood and Dragon Heartstring, nine inches long."
"And this one? Cherry Wood and Phoenix feathers, twelve inches long."
"What a discerning guest, Cherry Wood and Dragon Heartstring, eleven and a half inches."
I've tried almost a hundred wands, but none of them have responded to it at all.
The wands that had been tried were piled up on the bench, growing higher and higher.
Ollivander, however, was not as excited as he usually was when dealing with demanding clients. Instead, as he searched for the wand he had exchanged, he kept muttering to himself, "How could this be... this should be the most suitable for him."
"Why not try pairing Yew Wood with Phoenix Feather?" Riddle asked curiously. Did Ollivander think he was no longer suitable and needed a change?
"Yew Wood are extremely rare. Because they contain toxic sap, yew is often associated with magic and death. After the outer old yew tree dies, a new tree will continue to grow from the center, so it is regarded as an immortal tree and also symbolizes the reincarnation of the soul. Celtic priests regard yew as a symbol of immortality and eternal life."
"Phoenix Feather are the rarest type of cane core material. They are the most proactive type of cane core, sometimes even acting according to their own will, and are the most selective in choosing potential owners."
"The combination of these two materials, the immortal wood and the Phoenix feathers resurrected in the flames, sounds like a good match, but since my generation, when we have only used Phoenix, Unicorn, and dragon as the core, only one wand of this perfect quality has been made. Thirteen and a half inches, yew wood, Phoenix Feather."
"It's one of the Seven Impossible Combinations in my shop," Ollivander said nostalgically.
His pale eyes were fixed on Riddle, as if he had forgotten his fear.
"The Seven Impossible Combinations?" Dumbledore finally couldn't help but speak up.
"Of these seven wands, three are made of materials and cores that I no longer use, so I won't go into detail. Their cores are White River Monster spine, Snallygaster heartstring, and Thestral tail hair," Ollivander said.
"The White River Monster spine? Its spells, cast with the wand's core, are powerful and elegant."
"But as far as I know, only the America wand maker Thiago Quitana uses this material. It's not that it's not good enough, but that Thiago Quitana has always kept the method of luring the White River Monster a secret."
"After his death, no wandmaker should have used it as the core anymore," Dumbledore said.
"As expected of you. I once used some of the techniques I had developed to trade with Thiago for the White River Monster spine," Ollivander said.
He looked on with admiration, never expecting that Dumbledore would even have some knowledge of Wandlore, a subject that was only passed down among wand makers.
"What about the other four wands of the Seven Impossible Combinations?" Riddle asked impatiently, still unable to tolerate others praising Dumbledore.
Given that his original wand was one of the seven wands, he was very curious about it.
"One of them I already mentioned, it's the wand of the You-Know-Who, and he did some amazing things following him," Ollivander said, which made Riddle suddenly realize something, "Could the other one be Harry Potter's?"
"You guessed right, eleven inches, Holly Wood, Phoenix Feather, soft and flexible."
"The Holly Wood, symbolizing death and rebirth, and the Phoenix, which also dies and is reborn in flames, are equally extraordinary combinations. Two tail feathers from the same Phoenix were used to make this wand; one was used to make the Yew Wood one." Ollivander paused, and after Riddle calmed down, continued, "The other two are a combination of Oak Wood and Dragon Heartstring, Elder Wood and Unicorn Tail Hair."
"Oh, and where is their master?" Riddle and Dumbledore said almost simultaneously.
One of these wands belongs to Voldemort, and the other to the Chosen One. So, what kind of extraordinary beings wield these wands?
"One of them doesn't have an owner yet," Ollivander said, then looked at Dumbledore with a very peculiar gaze. "And the other one belongs to Rubeus Hagrid, the keeper of the Hogwarts hunting grounds."