The elder wand is a lot of fun the way that Rowling has written it. The elder wand does not contain power itself or make the wizard who carries it most powerful. That’s obvious, isn’t it? Otherwise how would Dumbledore have defeated Grindelwald? How would any of the previous owners have been robbed of it? Voldemort thought that the elder wand would make him more powerful, but he was wrong. The elder wand might be real (in the wizarding world) but its power is a fiction. The elder wand belongs to whoever’s got it until someone else comes along and takes it off him. So in a fight for it, it will be won by the most powerful wizard, and whichever of the wizards wins it will be the most powerful. It’s about the wizard and the relationship between the wizards fighting for it, not about the wand. But having the wand no doubt does a lot for a wizard's confidence.
I’m sure that wandmakers the wizarding world over will enjoy debating Harry’s story about Draco and his wand(s)! Draco knocked the elder wand from Dumbledore’s hand. He didn’t pick it up, he didn’t use it, he didn’t even know it was the elder wand. Months later Harry takes Draco’s hawthorn wand. Not the elder wand, which is safely tucked up with Dumbledore in his tomb, but Draco’s wand. Er…? The important thing about Harry’s story is that Voldemort believed it, and Harry knew he would - Harry was talking to Voldemort about what impressed him: power. But the elder wand didn’t fling itself into Harry’s arms the moment he took off the invisibility cloak. Harry had to win it.
Harry may have won the elder wand from Draco, or Voldemort may have won it from Dumbledore, it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that Voldemort had it and he and Harry were contesting for it and the most powerful of the two would win it. Harry was the most powerful. Voldemort was afraid of Harry, which was why he’d spent the last six months trying to find the elder wand. Harry had already vanquished Voldemort in the forest when he’d put himself in Voldemort’s hands to protect his friends. Voldemort’s spells no longer had any power against others. Harry was the most powerful, so he won the elder wand.
whatever hints we've gotten about love or learning, it's about power It’s interesting that you should say this because (I seem always to be saying this these days!) the whole series is about the conflict between love and power.
If you've managed to plough through all this, then thanks!
Late again (part 2)
I’m sure that wandmakers the wizarding world over will enjoy debating Harry’s story about Draco and his wand(s)! Draco knocked the elder wand from Dumbledore’s hand. He didn’t pick it up, he didn’t use it, he didn’t even know it was the elder wand. Months later Harry takes Draco’s hawthorn wand. Not the elder wand, which is safely tucked up with Dumbledore in his tomb, but Draco’s wand. Er…? The important thing about Harry’s story is that Voldemort believed it, and Harry knew he would - Harry was talking to Voldemort about what impressed him: power. But the elder wand didn’t fling itself into Harry’s arms the moment he took off the invisibility cloak. Harry had to win it.
Harry may have won the elder wand from Draco, or Voldemort may have won it from Dumbledore, it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that Voldemort had it and he and Harry were contesting for it and the most powerful of the two would win it. Harry was the most powerful. Voldemort was afraid of Harry, which was why he’d spent the last six months trying to find the elder wand. Harry had already vanquished Voldemort in the forest when he’d put himself in Voldemort’s hands to protect his friends. Voldemort’s spells no longer had any power against others. Harry was the most powerful, so he won the elder wand.
whatever hints we've gotten about love or learning, it's about power
It’s interesting that you should say this because (I seem always to be saying this these days!) the whole series is about the conflict between love and power.
If you've managed to plough through all this, then thanks!