Rougarou Hair

• Type: Wand Core, Magical Ingredient
• Owners: Seraphina Picquery (wand core)
• Maker: Sourced from the Rougarou beast; notably used by the wandmaker Violetta Beauvais (Pottermore)

Rougarou hair is a powerful and dangerous substance used as a wand core in North America. The hair is sourced from the Rougarou, a fearsome, dog-headed magical beast that is said to prowl the swamps of Louisiana (Pottermore). The specific appearance of the hair itself is not described, but it is considered a highly potent magical component due to the nature of the creature it comes from.

The primary use of Rougarou hair is as a core material for wands. Wands containing this core are known to be particularly suited for Dark Magic (Pottermore). This is a reflection of the temperament of the Rougarou beast from which the hair is harvested. The wandmaker Violetta Beauvais of New Orleans famously used Rougarou hair, creating wands that were highly sought after by some but viewed with suspicion by many. It was believed that the core had an affinity for the Dark Arts and could sense Dark wizards (Pottermore). The danger associated with acquiring the hair made its use controversial among American wandmakers; for example, wandmaker Thiago Quintana abandoned the practice after his attempts to lure a Rougarou nearly destroyed his workshop (Pottermore).

The use of Rougarou hair as a wand core is primarily associated with the history of North American wandmaking. Violetta Beauvais was a prominent, though notorious, user of the core, and her practice drew both customers and criticism for decades (Pottermore). Despite its dark reputation, a wand with a Rougarou hair core was owned by one of the most powerful and respected figures in American wizarding history: Seraphina Picquery, the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) during the 1920s. Her wand was made of swamp mayhaw wood with a Rougarou hair core (Pottermore). This demonstrates that, like other powerful cores, its allegiance is ultimately tied to the character of the witch or wizard who wields it.

Rougarou hair is not mentioned in the original seven Harry Potter novels. Its existence and properties serve to expand the magical world's lore, particularly concerning international wandmaking traditions as detailed in supplementary materials for the Fantastic Beasts series. It introduces a type of wand core fundamentally different from the three “Supreme Cores” used by Garrick Ollivander (unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix feather), highlighting regional variations in wandlore. It also demonstrates that powerful, respected wizards like Seraphina Picquery could wield wands with cores considered dangerous or dark by some, adding complexity to the understanding of magic.

All canonical information about Rougarou hair as a wand core originates from J.K. Rowling's writings on the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website, published in the lead-up to the release of the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The Rougarou itself is based on the legend of the “loup-garou” (French for werewolf) from Cajun folklore in Louisiana, a creature often described as having a human body and a wolf or dog's head.