Mister Garrick Ollivander

> Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr Potter... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great.
>
> Ollivander's interest in what powerful wizards can do with wands, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

**Garrick Ollivander** (b. ***25 September*** pre-***1909***) was a half-blood wizard who was the proprietor of Ollivanders in Diagon Alley during most of the ***20th century***. Ollivander was widely considered the best wandmaker in the world, and many wizards and witches bought their wands from him.

## Biographical information

### Date of birth

25 September pre-***1909***
Great Britain

## Physical description

### Eye color

Silvery

In ***1996***, Ollivander was captured and tortured by Lord Voldemort. He was ***rescued*** in ***1998*** by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Dobby. After he was rescued, he imparted important information regarding wandlore to Harry, helping Harry in his understanding of the Deathly Hallows.

## Biography

### Early life

Garrick Ollivander was born to ***Gervaise Ollivander***, a wizard, and his ***wife***, a Muggle-born witch, on the ***25 September***, in or before the year ***1909***.
The ***Ollivander family*** had long been associated with the profession of wandcraft. The surname means 'he who owns the olive wand' which is of ***Mediterranean*** origin, suggesting that the family emigrated to Britain from elsewhere, probably arriving in Britain with the Romans and set up a shop, to sell wands that were superior to the unreliable, poorly constructed ones fashioned by British wizards at the time.

Garrick Ollivander attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in his youth, where he was Sorted into Ravenclaw House. He became a fan of the ***opera diva*** ***Zenith Xeep*** and followed her career ever since he was "a lad".

### Career as a wandmaker

> Renowned wandmaker Mr Ollivander owns the wand shop Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 BC in Diagon Alley. His shop is widely considered the best place to purchase a wand.
>
> Description, Pottermore

 File:Harry-potter1-ollivander.jpg
Ollivander grew up in the family business and showed precocious talent in wandmaking. Soon, he developed an ambition to improve upon the cores and wand woods he made and developed a determination to pursue the ideal wand.

Before Garrick Ollivander's proprietorship of Ollivanders, wizards used a wide variety of wand cores; the customer would often present their wandmaker with a magical substance to which they were attached, and he would turn it into their wand core. Mr Ollivander believed that doing so altered the wand's temperament, and he revolutionised the way wands were crafted by having cores of immensely powerful magical substances expertly enclosed in specially selected and complementary wand woods, with the result being that the wand would be matched to an owner that the wand itself felt an affinity for.

 File:Sorcerers-stone-ollivander.jpg
While there was initially substantial resistance to this new way wands were made, it soon became clear that wands made by Ollivander were far superior to any others. His methods of locating wand woods and core substances, marrying them together, and matching them to ideal owners were all jealously guarded secrets that were coveted by rival wandmakers.

As with other wandmakers, Ollivander made it his business to study the mystifying Elder Wand in depth, such as its history and distinctive characteristics. Unlike Hermione Granger, he believed that the Elder Wand was not a myth or tale, and showed great enthusiasm with the powerful object despite the fact that it was dangerous and has had a bloody history. When held captive by Lord Voldemort, he was forced to relate all information he had known about the powerful wand. He also revealed that the last person rumoured to own the wand was ***Gregorovitch***, a foreign wandmaker, though he did not believe the rumour and thought that Gregorovitch spread it to boost his business.

Sometime into his career, in the summer of ***1938***, Ollivander sold Tom Riddle his wand.

#### 1984–1985 school year

Shortly before the ***1984–1985 school year***, Ollivander sold a ***wand*** to ***Jacob's sibling***, just as he did with ***Jacob*** before them.

#### 1986–1987 school year

During the ***1986–1987 school year***, ***Minister for Magic*** ***Millicent Bagnold*** visited Ollivander in his shop to have her wand repaired. However, as she was busy, she did not want him to take time testing her wand, as she trusted his judgement.

#### 1988–1989 school year

During the 1988–1989 school year, Mundungus Fletcher visited Ollivander and asked about the wand of an opponent whom he had lost a duel to. Ollivander couldn't tell much because of the lack of the real wand, and advised him to go see Madam Villanelle for his questions of the way his opponent had shouted incantations. Shortly afterwards, Jacob's sibling and a friend visited him to find out about Fletcher, and he told them about the previous encounter with him.

After Patricia Rakepick broke Jacob's sibling's wand, they went to Ollivanders to purchase a second wand.

#### 1989–1990 school year

At some point near the end of the 1989–1990 school year, Ollivander told Jacob's sibling and Jae Kim information of a dark witch who had been gathering information about Jacob's sibling and their wand (who turned out to be Verucca Buckthorn-Snyde).

#### 1990–1991 school year

During the 1990–1991 school year, Ollivander had a misfiring wand in his store. Jacob's sibling and Ben Copper came to investigate it as a part of the Ministry of Magic student programme, but Ollivander couldn't wait to meet Zenith Xeep in the Leaky Cauldron, where she was holding a Meet-and-Greet for her beauty-and-lifestyle company, Xeep. He had been using Xeep's Luscious Locks Solution for a week, and sometimes couldn't remember the existence of the misfiring wand at all, due to the memory-erasing properties of the solution.

After the Meet-and-Greet, they returned to Ollivanders, and Jacob's sibling and Ben reached the conclusion that the misfiring wand was fake, and that the ***real wand*** had been stolen. After Jacob's sibling, ***Penny Haywood*** and Professor Snape successfully brewed a ***counter-serum for Xeep's Luscious Locks Solution***, Jacob's sibling offered it to Ollivander, who drank it and said he felt marvellous.

Ollivander was in the Leaky Cauldron one day when Jacob's sibling met their father Peregrine there.

#### Harry Potter's wand

> Ah yes. Yes, yes. I thought I’d be seeing you soon. Harry Potter. You have your mother’s eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work.
>
> Ollivander greeting Harry Potter for the first time in his shop, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

 File:Harry-potter1-ollivander harry.jpg
Before the 1991–1992 school year, Ollivander supplied Harry Potter with a wand, and as he did so, he told Harry a few facts about wands. He explained that a wand has a core, in Harry's case a phoenix feather. He told Harry that the body of the wand is made from a choice of different woods with different magical properties.

Ollivander said he made a similar wand using another feather from the same phoenix, but using a different wood. Harry's wand is holly, which symbolises protection, rather than Voldemort's yew, which is symbolic of death. He also explained that the wand chooses the wizard, rather than the other way around. Immediately after Harry left the shop, Ollivander sent a ***letter*** to Albus Dumbledore informing him of the wand's sale.

#### 1994–1995 Triwizard Tournament

 File:Harry-potter1-ollivander2.jpg
On ***13 November***, ***1994*** Ollivander presided over the Wand weighing ceremony during the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As a very recognised wandmaker, Ollivander was asked to inspect the wands of the champions in the ***1994–1995*** ***Triwizard Tournament*** before the competition started, to make sure they were all working properly. While he found no problems with any of the wands' performance, he expressed doubts of ***Mykew Gregorovitch***'s styling of ***Viktor Krum***'s ***wand*** and the use of ***Veela hair*** as a core in ***Fleur Delacour***'s ***wand***.

### Second Wizarding War

#### Attempted robbery of his shop

In ***1996***, ***Alexandra Walker*** attempted to rob Ollivanders. She could not, however, and she was arrested. This event made *Daily Prophet* headlines.

#### Kidnapped by Death Eaters

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 File:Fenrir greyback.jpg
In ***July*** ***1996***, Ollivander was kidnapped by Voldemort's ***Death Eaters***, leaving behind an empty, locked up shop and no signs of a struggle. It is believed that ***one of the last wands*** he sold was to Neville Longbottom, as he disappeared the next day.

Ollivander was captured by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters and was held prisoner at Malfoy Manor, where he was forced to make a new wand for Peter Pettigrew. He was tortured by Lord Voldemort for information regarding the twin cores of Harry Potter's wand and his own. Ollivander told him that he merely needed to use a wand other than his own to face Harry Potter.

After using Lucius Malfoy's wand and seeing its destruction when faced with Harry Potter and his Phoenix wand, Voldemort rounded on Ollivander for an explanation of why Harry's wand acted as it had. Although he had no answer to give since no wandmaker had ever witnessed such an event, Ollivander was tortured again by Lord Voldemort and questioned about the most powerful wand in existence, the Elder Wand.

#### Skirmish at Malfoy Manor and escape

 File:06 Dobby rescuing Mr. Ollivander and Luna Lovegood.jpg
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Dean Thomas and Griphook, were later captured and taken to Malfoy Manor, where they were reunited with Mr Ollivander and ***Luna Lovegood***. While in the cellar Harry noted that Ollivander was not looking well, due to being repeatedly tortured for a long period of time. Ollivander and the others were subsequently rescued by Dobby the House-Elf in the ***Skirmish***.

Ollivander seemed to have bonded with Luna during their captivity together, and thanked her for being "*an inexpressible comfort* [to him] *in that terrible place*".

#### Stay at Shell Cottage

> The wandmaker was lying on the twin bed farthest from the window. He had been held in the cellar for more than a year, and tortured, Harry knew, on at least one occasion. He was emaciated, the bones of his face sticking out sharply against the yellowish skin. His great silver eyes seemed vast in their sunken sockets. The hands that lay upon the blanket could have belonged to a skeleton
>
> Description of Ollivander's appearance after his mistreatment in Malfoy Manor, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 File:Mr Ollivander inside the Shell Cottage.JPG
Ollivander was taken to ***Shell Cottage***, where he recovered from months of imprisonment and torture. While at Shell Cottage he was interrogated by Harry Potter who wanted to know information about the Elder Wand that Voldemort was so obsessively searching for and to have a better understanding of the unique connection that existed between his wand and Voldemort's.

He later departed to ***Muriel***'s house, where he remained in hiding for the rest of the war. He later crafted and sent a ***new wand*** to Luna Lovegood.

### 21st century

Ollivander returned to his shop and business some time after the Second Wizarding War ended. Before ***September*** ***2008***, he sold a wand to ***a new student*** at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.Template:MATimeRef

During the ***2010s***, Ollivander appeared as a ***Foundable*** during the ***Calamity***. Volunteer members of the ***Statute of Secrecy Task Force*** were able to free him, allowing Ollivander to return to his original time.

## Physical appearance

> An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
>
> Harry Potter meeting Ollivander, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

 File:Ollivander ProfileClearer.gif
When first meeting him, Harry Potter described Garrick Ollivander as an old man with pale silvery eyes and white skin. However, after he was kidnapped by Voldemort's Death Eaters, Ollivander's appearance changed for the worse as a result of the torture and maltreatment he suffered at the hands of Voldemort along with his two-year imprisonment in Malfoy Manor. By the time he was rescued, he became emaciated, with yellow skin, his facial bones sticking out, skeleton-like hands, and vast, sunken eyes.

## Personality and traits

> I remember every wand I’ve ever sold, Mr Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar.
>
> Ollivander's excellent memory and deep knowledge of wands, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

 File:Olivander.png
Ollivander was an intelligent man, with a perfect memory when it came to his work; he remembered the details of every wand he ever sold. He seemed to become happier the more difficult the challenge to find exactly the right wand for a difficult customer was. He used a magical ***tape measure*** to help assess customers for their wand.

Ollivander had a professorial enthusiasm for wandlore and was immensely learned in it. A less savoury aspect of his personality was that his fascination with wandlore sometimes eclipsed his sense of right and wrong; he was so fascinated with what a powerful wizard could do when matched with the right wand that he became detached from the good or evil nature of their actions.

A prime example of this would be Tom Riddle, who became Lord Voldemort. Even after the First Wizarding War, Ollivander remembered him as having done "great things" with his wand — "*terrible, yes, but great*". An even more extreme example was during the Second Wizarding War, when Ollivander, having just been rescued from a year of imprisonment and torture at Voldemort's hands, was briefly enthralled by the thought of what Voldemort might do when matched with the Elder Wand.

However, Ollivander still valued his own life and well-being, and divulged information to Voldemort whenever threatened with death and tortured by the Cruciatus Curse. The wandmaker feared the Dark Lord's wrath and begged for mercy when informed that his (Ollivander's) advice about using another wand was incorrect.

## Magical abilities and skills

* **Wandmaking/Wandlore**: Garrick Ollivander, just as other Ollivander family members, was considered as the best British wand-maker, and arguably the finest wandmaker in the world, with an immense knowledge of wandlore. He was very knowledgeable of the different magical properties possessed by different wands, in particular relation to their woods and cores.
* **Non-verbal magic**: Ollivander had the ability to perform non-verbal spells, as no incantation was spoken by him when he produced ***silver smoke rings*** in 1994. Given the high level of difficulty required in the casting of spells non-verbally, this shows he was a wizard of very impressive magical skills.
* **Apparition**: Like most accomplished adult wizards, he could Apparate, but failed in 1998 at Malfoy Manor due to enchantments placed on the cellar.
* **Transfiguration**: He was highly skilled with conjuration, a highly difficult and complex branch of transfiguration, as he was able to successfully conjure ***flowers***, ***birds***, and ***wine*** in 1994.
* **Charms**: Ollivander was able to produce a non-corporeal Patronus Charm, a mark of superior magical ability given the immense difficulty required in the casting of the spell. He was also proficient with the Knockback Jinx.
* **Wand versatility**: In ***1994***, Ollivander used Cedric's, Fleur's, Viktor's and Harry's wands, each with successful effect.
* **Eidetic memory**: Ollivander was able to recite the precise details of every wand he ever crafted or sold. This eidetic — or photographic — memory of these details borders on perfect recall, a very rare ability.
* **Business**: Ollivander also possessed excellent business skills, being highly able to successfully operate and manage his own wand shop for at least sixty years.

## Possessions

 File:Ollivander wand.jpeg
* **Wand**: Mr Ollivander's own wand was made of ***hornbeam*** wood with a dragon heartstring core.
* **Wand shop**: Mr Ollivander took over the family wandmaking business, and thus was the successful owner of this shop for at least sixty years.
* **Magical tape measure**: He owned a magical tape measure which he used to measure wands before selling them to his customers.
* **Peacock**: He kept a ***peacock*** as a pet.
* **Flipendo spellbook**: He owned this spellbook which contained information on and how to cast the Knockback Jinx, which he kept in his shop.

## Relationships

### Harry Potter

> I think we must expect great things from you, Mr Potter...
>
> Garrick Ollivander's belief in Harry Potter's great potential and power as a wizard, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

 File:Profile - Harry Potter-COS Promo.jpg  Like most of the wizarding world, Ollivander heard of Harry Potter and his defeat of Lord Voldemort in 1981. He first met Harry in 1991 and sold him his wand. The phoenix feather in Harry's and Riddle's wands came from the same phoenix, Fawkes, something that Ollivander considered "curious". However, Harry was unsure whether he liked Ollivander due to the wandmaker's fascination by what Voldemort did with his wand, despite the terrible things he did with it.

Ollivander's relationship with Harry Potter grew after the ***Skirmish at Malfoy Manor*** when Harry rescued him from imprisonment and during their subsequent stay at the ***Shell Cottage***. Harry would go on to obtain vital information about the Elder Wand from Ollivander, which would later prove instrumental for bringing about the final defeat of Lord Voldemort.

### Luna Lovegood

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Ollivander also developed a close relationship with Luna Lovegood, for she was a comfort to him during their imprisonment in Malfoy Manor. Ollivander later repaid her kindness to him by creating a new wand for her.

### Lord Voldemort

 File:Voldemort Headshot DHP1.png

> He tortured me, you must understand that! The Cruciatus Curse, I — I had no choice but to tell him what I knew, what I guessed —
>
> Ollivander regarding how Voldemort tortured him to procure information about the Elder Wand, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Ollivander was very much afraid of Lord Voldemort, and referred to him as "You-Know-Who" like almost all other wizards. He was kidnapped by ***Death Eaters*** and tortured by Voldemort for information about Voldemort's wand's relationship with Harry's wand, which further developed his fear of the Dark Lord. However, despite his intense fear and hatred of Voldemort, Ollivander was nevertheless fascinated by what Voldemort did both with his phoenix wand and the Elder Wand.

### Mykew Gregorovitch

 File:Mykew Gregorovitch.jpg
Not much is known about the relationship between Ollivander and his colleague ***Mykew Gregorovitch***, however he explicitly stated that he found him a good wandmaker, even if he did not like the design of Gregorovich's creations. The two agreed on the properties of hawthorn wood although they disagreed on many other fronts. This implied that Ollivander was comparing his theories with Gregorovich or at least reading what his colleague published.

Under torture Ollivander revealed to Voldemort that there was once a rumour that Gregorovich possessed the Elder Wand, which resulted in Gregorovich's death at the hands of Voldemort. It is not known if Ollivander knew of his colleague's death, but if he found out it is likely that he would have felt guilty.
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## Etymology

Garrick is an Old English name meaning "one who governs with a spear". Ollivander is of Mediterranean origin meaning "he who owns an olive wand".

## See also

* Wand
* Wandlore
* ***Mykew Gregorovitch***

## Behind the scenes

 File:LEGOollivander.png
 File:Garrick Ollivander LEGO HP1-4.png
 File:Garrick Ollivander – Lego Potter.png
* Garrick Ollivander is played by the late ***John Hurt*** in Template:PS, Template:DH and Template:DH. He was originally set to appear in the Template:GOF, but the character's scenes were cut from the final film and have not been released.
* Ollivander is one of the only people before Template:PS who knew Voldemort's real name. He said in the first book he knows that Voldemort's wand caused Harry's scar. While this is not stated in any explicit way, the very fact that Voldemort has only ever had one wand (except for his use of the wand of Lucius Malfoy and the Elder Wand very late in life) would ensure that Ollivander would have sold him a wand at age 11, when he still used his former name. It is possible that he somehow deduced the secret sometime before July 1991, be it through mere deduction or that Dumbledore himself told him, since Dumbledore did say that Ollivander contacted him to tell him that Harry had bought the only other wand in existence crafted with one of Fawkes's feathers. He might simply have recognised the wand in the hands of Lord Voldemort.
* Ollivander's first name, Garrick, was revealed via his shop in Template:PM.
* In Template:DH, Ollivander has no knowledge of the term "Deathly Hallows", being only aware of the Elder Wand, but not of its status as one of these fabled objects. In the film adaptation, Template:DH, however, he is fully aware of the legend and even provides some information about it not provided by ***Xenophilius Lovegood***. He denies the tale having any truth, however, until Harry forces him to admit that he told Voldemort about the Elder Wand.
* Originally published on Template:PM and later transferred to Template:WW, there is a feature called "5 things we learned from wise Mr Ollivander" that highlights facts about wandlore.
* In Template:HBP, Ollivander being kidnapped by Death Eaters at the start of the film is shown (as opposed to just being mentioned in the ***novel***), with his face being obscured with a sack. In the novel, his shop was left with no signs of a struggle, but in the film the Death Eaters left it in shambles after attacking it.

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## Appearances

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* Template:PS Template:1st
* Template:GOF Template:C
* Template:HBP
* Template:DH
* Template:DH
* Template:DH
* Template:FB Template:C
* Template:PM Template:1st ID
* Template:WW
* Template:HPV Template:Mention
* Template:TCG
* Template:HPK
* Template:HM
* Template:WU
* Template:MA
* Template:PAS Template:Mention

Template:Entire Diagon Alley
Template:An Order-Of-The Phoenix

## Notes and references

Template:Reflist

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Explore the story: Garrick Ollivander from Template:PM (via Internet Archive) Template:See-image
2. ↑ Template:See-image - Garrick Ollivander was a known wandmaker by ***1926*** as seen on ***MACUSA***'s ***wand permit*** Application. In order to be of age by this time he would have to be born in ***1909*** at the latest.
3. ↑ Accio Quote
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `PSF`
5. ↑ Template:PS - "Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy."
6. ↑ Template:PS - "Mr Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry’s forehead with a long, white finger."
7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `DHF`
8. ↑ Template:WW
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Template:WW
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 Template:HM
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Template:GOF
12. ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 12.16 12.17 12.18 12.19 Template:DH
13. ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15 Template:PS
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Template:GOF
15. ↑ Template:GOF - "He had already struggled through one Friday’s worth, with Hermione sitting next to him intoning “ignore them, ignore them, ignore them” under her breath, and he couldn’t see why today should be any better."
The weighing of the wands was during Double Potions on the second Friday after Harry's name comes out the the Goblet of Fire on Hallowee'en, which was Saturday 31 October.
16. ↑ Template:OOTP - Template:See image
17. ↑ Template:HBP
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Template:HBP
19. ↑ Template:HBP
20. ↑ Template:MA
21. ↑ Template:WU
22. ↑ Template:DH
23. ↑ Template:POA
24. ↑ Template:Wikilink
25. ↑ Snitchseeker.com: Hurt to return as Ollivander in Goblet of Fire
26. ↑ *5 things we learned from wise Mr Ollivander* at Template:WW
27. ↑ Snitchseeker.com: Hurt to return as Ollivander in Goblet of Fire

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