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harry potter - Why did the limit of power change from wizard/witch to wand?


So in the first 5 or 6 books, it was very clear that the wand chooses the wizard and the power/level of the spells the wizard produces is based on the knowledge and skill of the wizard. This is referenced by people constantly being telling Harry that he wasn't skilled enough to perform certain spells, or Bellatrix telling Harry that he needed to mean the Cruciatus curse for it to be effective. However, in the 7th book, this entire idea is changed to the wand being the thing that's powerful and regardless of the wizard's/witch's skill or knowledge, he/she could still perform a very advanced spell if it's something the wand could handle. Goyle accidentally creating a fire serpent is something that instantly comes to mind from the movies(I don't remember if that happened in the book). So, my question is, what actually holds the power, the wizard/witch, or the wand?



Answer




There is a quote written by J.K Rowling, and it states,


“Wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them. Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and better than other people's.”


The quote can be found Here.


I do believe that the reason Harry could not cast "Crucio" was an exception due to the reason that Harry was not fond of the Unforgivable Curses. Harry had not cast crucio (to my knowledge) before, so he did not understand what the requirements were for the spell.


Wizards learn magic as the years progress at Hogwarts. There were classes in the books that were not shown due to the amount of wasteful space it would cause. In these classes, other spells and enchantments were taught, so the reader did not physically see them. So it is most likely that, "a very advanced spell", was already taught. The fact that Goyle "accidentally" creating a fire serpent, may not be accidentally.


A statement on Harry Potter Wiki states: "The Carrows were also there at the school, with Amycus Carrow teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, though in reality he taught the Dark Arts. There were many favoured students, such as Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who were encouraged to practice the Cruciatus Curse on rule-breakers."


During the time that the Carrows were teaching favoured students, they most likely taught other Dark Arts, and the fire serpent was probably one of them.


The wizard/witch is the one who is powerful, not the wand. Again, the quote backs this statement up.


Find the quote Here.


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