SORCERER’S STONE – HARRY RECEIVES HIS FIRST WAND

Preliminary Cover Artwork for the School Market Edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2007)
Mary GrandPré (American, b. 1954)
Pencil on parchment tracing paper
Signed lower right: Mary GrandPré
Dated lower left: 2007
26 cm x 17 cm
£17,500 (excl. VAT)

This original pencil sketch by Mary GrandPré was created in 2007 as a preliminary design for the School Market edition cover of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The scene captures the pivotal moment in Ollivanders Wand Shop when Harry is chosen by his wand—a moment rich with magical symbolism and narrative foreshadowing.

As Mr. Ollivander explains, “the wand chooses the wizard,” and after several unsuccessful attempts, Harry is at last matched with a wand of holly and phoenix feather. The moment becomes all the more “curious,” as Mr. Ollivander notes, when he reveals that the only other wand containing a feather from the same phoenix is the one that gave Harry his lightning-shaped scar. Standing behind Harry in the composition is a beaming Hagrid, a figure of both comfort and awe during Harry’s first steps into the wizarding world.

This artwork marks the first time GrandPré has fully illustrated this foundational scene, capturing its emotional and narrative weight with clarity and tenderness.

Provenance & Condition
The artwork is in excellent condition, with minor wear and faint creasing characteristic of the artist’s working process. It has been professionally preserved and archivally mounted on museum-quality board with protective mats and cover.

Note
As one of the earliest moments of destiny in the series, the wand selection scene signals the beginning of Harry’s journey—not just into magic, but into the legacy that connects him to both Lord Voldemort and the fate of the wizarding world. GrandPré’s depiction of this scene embodies that quiet turning point with rare intimacy and significance.

Catalogue Ref: Houston & GrandPré B(4)