Yes, there's a difference between shopping and fighting--but that's the point. The first version of wandlore was used in the shopping section, but when it came down to it what matters is fighting and that trumps all. If you steal someone's wand or win it, all that stuff about wands choosing Wizards over personality goes out the window. Harry can work find with a Hawthorne wand that didn't choose him and isn't his correct core or wood, because he took it through force. As BD said above, the romance imagery gives way completely to rape imagery. 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.
It's not "Er...?" It's perfectly clear. Draco became the Master of the Elder Wand when he disarmed Dumbledore--maybe it doesn't seem like that's the way it should work to a reader, but that's the way it worked. It didn't matter that Draco never picked it up, just as Harry said. Then Harry became the master of it. It doesn't matter when Voldemort believes--Voldemort believed himself truly to be the Master of the Wand when he got it himself, yet it didn't work. Harry didn't psych Voldemort out of the power, he took away his power literally by the magic of almost-dying and then being the true master of the wand through stealing Draco's wand. Harry won the wand the minute he took Draco's wand from his hand--no, the wand didn't jump into his hand, but that's not what wands do when they choose a new master. They just work for him once he picks it up. Harry's original wand didn't jump into his hand at Ollivander's either.
Harry getting the Elder wand through the way you're describing would have been a fine story to me. It would certainly make sense and most importantly it would be about something unique to the Elder Wand. But imo it's still a complete re-write to get rid of what's really there. What I read was a very clear throughline saying that Wands--all Wands--switch masters when their first masters give them up either willfully or through force. Harry can use Hermione's because her giving it to him is relinquishing it, just as Draco can use Narcissa's and Voldemort can use Lucius'. Wizards have more trouble with wands that have not been relinquished by their master, whether willfully or not. If you win the wand through force it's yours best of all--like Harry with the Elder Wand, and the Hawthorne Wand.
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.
I agree. But power tends to get shown while love is talked about. In the case of wands, power simply was the thing that saved the day. Wands didn't have to love the wizard, they had to be mastered by them.
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Re: Late again (part 2)
Date: 2008-02-27 03:57 pm (UTC)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.
It's not "Er...?" It's perfectly clear. Draco became the Master of the Elder Wand when he disarmed Dumbledore--maybe it doesn't seem like that's the way it should work to a reader, but that's the way it worked. It didn't matter that Draco never picked it up, just as Harry said. Then Harry became the master of it. It doesn't matter when Voldemort believes--Voldemort believed himself truly to be the Master of the Wand when he got it himself, yet it didn't work. Harry didn't psych Voldemort out of the power, he took away his power literally by the magic of almost-dying and then being the true master of the wand through stealing Draco's wand. Harry won the wand the minute he took Draco's wand from his hand--no, the wand didn't jump into his hand, but that's not what wands do when they choose a new master. They just work for him once he picks it up. Harry's original wand didn't jump into his hand at Ollivander's either.
Harry getting the Elder wand through the way you're describing would have been a fine story to me. It would certainly make sense and most importantly it would be about something unique to the Elder Wand. But imo it's still a complete re-write to get rid of what's really there. What I read was a very clear throughline saying that Wands--all Wands--switch masters when their first masters give them up either willfully or through force. Harry can use Hermione's because her giving it to him is relinquishing it, just as Draco can use Narcissa's and Voldemort can use Lucius'. Wizards have more trouble with wands that have not been relinquished by their master, whether willfully or not. If you win the wand through force it's yours best of all--like Harry with the Elder Wand, and the Hawthorne Wand.
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.
I agree. But power tends to get shown while love is talked about. In the case of wands, power simply was the thing that saved the day. Wands didn't have to love the wizard, they had to be mastered by them.