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The first wand of Ron Weasley was 13" ash wood, with a unicorn hair core. It originally belonged to his older brother Charlie. The wand was old and part of the unicorn hair stuck out of the end.[2]

This wand was snapped in half in September of 1992 in a run-in with the Whomping Willow, barely held together by a strain of the wood. Ron attempted to hold it together using Spello-tape, but its magical capabilities were damaged beyond repair. It subsequently started malfunctioning. When Ron attempted to hex Draco Malfoy for calling Hermione Granger a "filthy little Mudblood," the spell backfired, causing him to vomit slugs. When he tried to transfigure beetles into buttons in class, he instead created smoke that smelled like rotten-eggs, and accidentally crushed his beetle. During the first meeting of the Duelling Club, the wand once again malfunctioned, injuring Seamus Finnigan.

Despite its negative effects it had all year against its master, its one positive deed was at the end of the school year. When Gilderoy Lockhart stole it and attempted to wipe the memories of Ron and Harry Potter, the charm backfired, causing Lockhart permanent and drastic memory loss, thus saving Harry and Ron from Lockhart's scheme.[3] Ron's father subsequently purchased a new wand for him.[4]

Behind the scenes

Backfire! (Harry Potter Trading Card)

Trading card.

  • J. K. Rowling used a Celtic calendar to assign Ron's first wand wood, ash, based on his date of birth. She did the same for Harry's wand and Hermione's wand, as "a hidden connection" between the three friends.[5]
  • In the film version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when Ron was supposed to transfigure Scabbers into a goblet, the wand's damaged power caused the transformation to be incomplete, which left the cup with fur and a tail.
  • It has also been speculated that had the wand not been broken, Lockhart's attempt to erase Harry and Ron's memories may have still backfired due to the concept of wand allegiance expanded upon in the final book's discussion of the Elder Wand. However, as Lockhart had stolen the wand from Ron by force, he might have won its allegiance.
  • In Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Ron's wand is shown to malfunction in an optional scene in Hagrid's garden.

Appearances


Notes and references

  1. Based on Charlie Weasley, the original owner of the wand, being born on 12 December, 1972, and thus beginning at Hogwarts in 1984.
  2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
  3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  5. "Extra Stuff: Wands" at J.K. Rowling's Official Site
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