Each witch and wizard has the potential to be able to wield great magic with just a flick of a wand. Each wand is unique to each wizard and enables them to accomplish astonishing bouts of magic if selected correctly.
This makes the wand selection such a crucial first step in the journey of budding young wizards. Now, this surely is such an important decision to make for such young witches and wizards. How are they to find their way? Who will be there to guide them? Why, the wandmakers, of course!
Mykew Gregorovitch and Garrick Ollivander — the two most notable wandmakers known to the Wizarding World. These two hold small but crucial roles in the adventures of Harry Potter but the question does linger: Who is the better wandmaker?
While Ollivander may be the popular choice from the start, Gregorovitch’s lesser-known history does hold a candle to Ollivander’s fame. Here, we dive deeper into the history of each wandmaker in an attempt to possibly settle, once for all, who the greatest wandmaker is.
Contents
Are Gregorovitch and Olivander the Same Person?
No, Olivander and Gregorovitch are not the same person.
Olivander is a British wandmaker, and Gregorovitch comes from continental Europe. Both wizards knew about each other and could recognize each other’s work, which Olivander confirms during wand check before the First Task of Triwizard Tournament, checking Viktor Krum’s wand made by Gregorovitch.
Mykew Gregorovitch
MARVELS:
Not much is really known about the mysterious European wandmaker. But one thing is for sure: this wandmaker was considered to be among the best, if not the best, in the craft.
He possessed wand-making skills that rivaled and sometimes even overpowered those of the famed Ollivander. He may not be as popular as his rival, but he is known to have supplied the wands of famous wizards such as Victor Krum.
Gregorovitch is also one of the few known masters of the Elder Wand and the only known master who was not unarmed or murdered by the wand’s succeeding master.
This speaks volumes of the wandmaker’s magical prowess as the Elder Wand only obeys the most powerful wizards known to history. It is also assumed that Gregorovitch possessed great dueling powers and possibly even dabbled in Dark Magic due to the unclear nature as to how he came into possession of the powerful wand of the Deathly Hallows.
FOLLIES:
Despite being known to be incredibly powerful and intelligent, he made the foolish mistake of making it known that he was in possession of a powerful wand leading to its eventual theft by Gellert Grindelwald and his demise at the hands of Lord Voldemort.
Garrick Ollivander
MARVELS:
A first-year’s trip to Diagon Alley would not be complete without a stop by Ollivanders for their first wand. Ollivander is known to have revolutionized the wand making game by having the wand choose the wizard instead of the other way around.
People soon took notice of this and his methods in combining strong wand cores with the right wood as it became apparent that wands purchased from Ollivanders greatly surpassed those made by other wandmakers. He is known to have supplied wands to many great wizards including Harry Potter, and Tom Riddle.
Ollivander is also known to have incredible magical abilities with the capability to perform nonverbal magic — a skill that can only be mastered by high-level wizards.
Despite not even wielding it himself, he also holds great knowledge and has spent a considerable amount of time studying the Elder Wand in an attempt to learn more about its powers. He is also known to have an incredible memory as he is able to recall all details about all the wands he ever sold.
FOLLIES:
Ollivander took great fascination in wand making and all the aspects attached to it. His fascination was so deep that it often clouded his ability to determine good from the bad. This is shown in his description of Voldemort’s achievements as “terrible, but great”.
Each of our wandmakers certainly boasts of his own expertise and style in the field of wand making with each one having extremely different methods from the other.
Both wandmakers also have their own unique story to tell with each being just as interesting and enchanting as the others. So the question remains: Which wandmaker reigns supreme?
Having survived Voldemort’s reign of terror and the Second Wizarding War, Ollivander gets the last laugh here. However, Gregorovitch’s mysterious tales of strength and strong reputation as an excellent wandmaker still echo throughout history.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of which wandmaker you believe is the best, each of them has their own story and lesson to impart. Gregorovitch was a wizard worthy enough to wield the Elder Wand but was so boastful and foolish that it led to the loss of his most prized possession.
Ollivander was skilled and incredibly fascinated with the potential of great magic between wands and wizards but often allowed it to cloud his judgement.
Let us learn from the stories of these great wizards and strive to become better people. Witch, wizard, or muggle; wand or no wand, we all have our own little magic to unleash into the world.