Writing Description Notes:

Take my Hand's Wands

Hi, hello, I'm lady_angst, author of Underneath a Sea of Stars and the Take My Hand (Take My Whole World, Too) series. In this post I wanted to rant a little about the symbolism behind the wands Hermione and Bellatrix were offered in chapter 5 of Never Forget What You Are, the first entry of TMH which corresponds to the Philosopher's Stone, as there is more to them than meets the eye. Enjoy!

Hermione's wands:

1st: Sycamore wood & unicorn hair. According to the wandlore found on the HP wiki, sycamore made a questioning wand eager for new experience and losing brilliance if engaged in mundane activities. Thus, the sycamore's ideal owner was curious, vital and adventurous, and when paired with such an owner, it demonstrated a capacity to learn and adapt that earned it a rightful place among the world's most highly-prized wand woods.

Ollivander offered Hermione this wand after realising she had a curious, inquisitive mind. The wand failed to form a bond with her because of how adventurous it was, which Hermione ultimately is not.

2nd: Hazel & phoenix feather. Again, according to the wandlore, hazel wands were sensitive and often reflected their owners emotional state. They worked best for a master who understood and could manage their own feelings.

Ollivander offered Hermione this wand in case she was emotionally intelligent on top of inquisitive. The wand failed to form a bond with her because, as we all know, Hermione is very temperamental and gets often lost in her own feelings and pride (especially Book!Hermione).

3rd: Vine & dragon heartstring: Vine wands were among the less common types; they seemed strongly attracted by personalities with hidden depths, and their ideal owners were nearly always those witches or wizards who sought a greater purpose, who had a vision beyond the ordinary and who frequently astounded those who thought they knew them best. 

Hermione's canonical wand! It suits her beautifully, as there is more to Hermione than meets the eye. She's more than just a bushy-haired, know-it-all Muggle-born. She seeks a greater purpose: rising above others' expectations of her, fighting for what's right, keeping her friends and loved ones alive. And she has a vision beyond the ordinary: seeing Bella for who and what she truly is (after messing up big time every once in a while, but hey, we all love us some drama).

Bellatrix's wands:

1st: Walnut & dragon heartstring. Walnut wands were often found in the hands of magical innovators and inventors; this was a handsome wood possessed of unusual versatility and adaptability. Highly intelligent witches and wizards ought to be offered a walnut wand for trial first, because in nine cases out of ten, the two will find in each other their ideal mate. Once subjugated, perform any task its owner desired, provided that the user was of sufficient brilliance.

Bellatrix's canonical wand! Ollivander offers it to her after analysing her: "Left-handed... Creative... Clearly intelligent... There's something else, though... Something to those eyes..." He sees her intelligence and the sharpness (and perhaps the darkness) that dwells within her, so he offers her her canonical wand. However, it doesn't form a bond with her despite sharing a connection because this Bellatrix and the canonical one are not entirely the same—her upbringing was radically different, which affects her personality and way of viewing the world.

2nd: Cedar & dragon heartstring. The cedar wand found its perfect home where there were perspicacity and perception. Garrick Ollivander believed that whenever he met one who carried a cedar wand, he found strength of character and unusual loyalty. The witch or wizard who was well-matched with cedar carried the potential to be a frightening adversary, especially if harm was done to those they were fond of, which often came as a shock to those who had thoughtlessly challenged them.

Originally, this was going to be her wand. It suits her (and her canon self) just fine. Perceptive, strong of character, and unusually loyal? A frightening adversary, all the more so when those she's fond of? Now that's just Bellatrix 100%. But! I decided against it in favour of the one she gets in the end.

Moreover, Ollivander offered this wand to her because it follows the "clearly intelligent, but perhaps a bit jagged" assessment he made of her at first.

3rd: Dogwood & unicorn hair. Dogwood wands were quirky and mischievous; they had playful natures and insisted upon partners who could provide them with scope for excitement and fun. It would be quite wrong, however, to deduce from this that dogwood wands were not capable of serious magic when called upon to do so; they had been known to perform outstanding spells under difficult conditions, and when paired with a suitably clever and ingenious witch or wizard, could produce dazzling enchantments.

Again, this wand follows the "clearly intelligent" assessment, only without the jagged bit. This wand suits her, too, since Bellatrix grows out of her shell throughout PS-PoA until she becomes self-assured and rather playful in GoF-OotP. It also goes on beautifully well with her Patronus in this story. That said, it'll take her years to get to that point, and even then she'll have a fair bit of trauma and life lessons weighing her down, which skews that playful nature and prevents a bond from forming.

4th: Blackthorn & dragon heartstring. Blackthorn wands, which was a very unusual wand wood, had the reputation, in Garrick Ollivander's well-merited opinion, of being best suited to a warrior. These wands appeared to need to pass through danger or hardship with their owners to become truly bonded. Given this condition, the blackthorn wand would become as loyal and faithful a servant as one could wish.

In Ollivander's own words: “How about a wand best suited to a warrior for a young witch with a warrior’s name?”. He wanted to see if perhaps the "jagged" bit was more important than the "clearly intelligent" one with this wand. It also suits her beautifully, and it comes close to the Bellatrix we see in canon, but Bellatrix is more than this, she is more than just a warrior, as we will learn through the series.

5th, 6th, 7th...14th: Unknown.

15th: Walnut & dragon heartstring. Identical to the first in components, length and flexibility, but radically different in shape and demeanour. The main differences between the original one and this one are: the date of creation (mirroring Bellatrix's own conception) and the state of the wood (mirroring Bellatrix's own personality and morality). The walnut tree from which Ollivander got the wood for these wands turned out to be rotten. It is up to interpretation whether the first wand was affected by the affected rot or not. The same goes for the second one, even if Ollivander claims that he managed to salvage some of the wood that was untouched by it.

This ends up being Bellatrix's wand in this series; one that is so similar yet so different to the original where it matters. Like Bellatrix herself. The foundation is the same, but the end result? That's yet to be seen. Here is a reference of the original one vs the tmh one:

(I'll be honest with you, though. I just wanted to give Bellatrix a normal-esque wand so that she doesn't get arthritis from holding her canonical one. Yes, I know that UaSoS's Bella has her canonical one, but she'll put its claw-like shape to good use at one point, shhh.)

If you made it all the way down here, hello again and thank you so much for reading this post! Have a cookie🍪.

Love, Lilith xx

reblog if you’re a writer who feels guilt whenever they’re not writing and being productive, so I know I’m not the only one lol

reblog if you’re a writer who feels guilt whenever they’re not writing and being productive, so I know I’m not the only one lol

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

— Winston S. Churchill

I need you to understand that when I say "comments are appreciated!" I mean that I will reply to every one of them. I mean that an email with an ao3 notification has a higher priority than a message from my mother. I mean that I will have entire discussions in the comment section if you're up for it. Message me on tumblr and I will have the same discussions on an even more unhinged level. I will dissect entire personalities and ships and fictional political structures and worldbuilding with you. I will become your new best friend. You already ARE my new best friend. At the last battle, I would raise Anduril and say "For my ao3 readers" while a single tears rolls down my cheek, and dive into the fray. I would upload from beyond the grave if someone asked about the next chapter

this might be a weirdly specific request, but do you have anything with similar vibes as "i'll love enough for the both of us (even if you can't bring yourself to love yourself)"?

haiiiii omg this is soooo late but I really hope these are what you're looking for. I love this prompt so much though, I can really vibe with that phrase ;_; it's so poetic and definitely romantic!! hope these helped, and thank you for your ask ♡

'I'll love enough for the both of us, even when you can't love yourself' — and other similar phrases

"And I'll always be the keeper of your heart, even when you're ready to hold it yourself,"

"Through every shadow of doubt, until you see the light within yourself — that's how much love I have for you,"

"A safe haven, your rock, your home — that's who I want to be for you,"

"You know that my love for you is unshakable, unwavering... but even more so in the depths of your self-doubt,"

"And till you can see the raw beauty that lies within you, I'll be the reflection of your soul,"

"Let me be the foundation, the bedrock; let me be your anchor, and even when you stand tall on your own two feet, I'll be there,"

— will definitely add more to this list if something comes to mind! feel free to drop any other requests here!

Other Words for "Look" + With meanings | List for writers

Many people create lists of synonyms for the word 'said,' but what about the word 'look'? Here are some synonyms that I enjoy using in my writing, along with their meanings for your reference. While all these words relate to 'look,' they each carry distinct meanings and nuances, so I thought it would be helpful to provide meanings for each one.

Gaze - To look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought.

Glance - A brief or hurried look.

Peek - A quick and typically secretive look.

Peer - To look with difficulty or concentration.

Scan - To look over quickly but thoroughly.

Observe - To watch carefully and attentively.

Inspect - To look at closely in order to assess condition or quality.

Stare - To look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something.

Glimpse - To see or perceive briefly or partially.

Eye - To look or stare at intently.

Peruse - To read or examine something with great care.

Scrutinize - To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

Behold - To see or observe a thing or person, especially a remarkable one.

Witness - To see something happen, typically a significant event.

Spot - To see, notice, or recognize someone or something.

Contemplate - To look thoughtfully for a long time at.

Sight - To suddenly or unexpectedly see something or someone.

Ogle - To stare at in a lecherous manner.

Leer - To look or gaze in an unpleasant, malicious way.

Gawk - To stare openly and stupidly.

Gape - To stare with one's mouth open wide, in amazement.

Squint - To look with eyes partially closed.

Regard - To consider or think of in a specified way.

Admire - To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval.

Skim - To look through quickly to gain superficial knowledge.

Reconnoiter - To make a military observation of a region.

Flick - To look or move the eyes quickly.

Rake - To look through something rapidly and unsystematically.

Glare - To look angrily or fiercely.

Peep - To look quickly and secretly through an opening.

Focus - To concentrate one's visual effort on.

Discover - To find or realize something not clear before.

Spot-check - To examine something briefly or at random.

Devour - To look over with eager enthusiasm.

Examine - To inspect in detail to determine condition.

Feast one's eyes - To look at something with great enjoyment.

Catch sight of - To suddenly or unexpectedly see.

Clap eyes on - To suddenly see someone or something.

Set eyes on - To look at, especially for the first time.

Take a dekko - Colloquial for taking a look.

Leer at - To look or gaze in a suggestive manner.

Rubberneck - To stare at something in a foolish way.

Make out - To manage to see or read with difficulty.

Lay eyes on - To see or look at.

Pore over - To look at or read something intently.

Ogle at - To look at in a lecherous or predatory way.

Pry - To look or inquire into something in a determined manner.

Dart - To look quickly or furtively.

Drink in - To look at with great enjoyment or fascination.

Bask in - To look at or enjoy something for a period of time.

Gumroad

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