Harry Potter: 12 Wands That Perfectly Reflect Their Owners

The wand of Bellatrix Lestrange takes on a key part of the final book as Hermione is forced to wield it when her own is lost. Its dark deeds disturb its new owner, who complains bitterly that she hates it. We are also told that it is made of walnut and Mr Ollivander makes a point of telling us that the wand is 'unyielding' just like its owner.

Again walnut was chosen with a reason: it has a particular history with witchcraft. Legends exist which forbid people from growing crops beneath a walnut tree as they would grow poisoned or tainted by evil, and that around this tree is the gathering place of witch covens.

For Bellatrix, the production team knew that they needed to design something that showed this wickedness visually, so they came up with a curved, talon-like shape. Much of the jewellery featured in Helena Bonham Carter's costume features the skulls of birds of prey.

Perhaps Carter was carried away by this predatory design, as she is said to have burst Matthew Lewis's eardrum with it when she decided to jab him with it in the scene in which she uses him as a hostage to barter with in The Order Of The Phoenix.

As well as the obviously dangerous overall look, the handle has been etched into. Another wand which features this sort of pattern, besides Xenophilius Lovegood's, is that of Sirius Black. Sirius is, of course, Bellatrix's cousin.