Cedric & the other wand problem

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 11226

Dai:" Cedrics death is not extraneous to the plot. It may not have 
many  consequences as to how the plot continues to unfold, or if Harry 
is blamed in the future, or any other issues with regards to the good 
guys, but it does establish an important point about the characters 
of and relationship between V and wormtail. The killing is a totally 
callous act, not regarded as an event by Wormtail or V; Voldemort 
tells Wormtail to kill Cedric, Cedric dies."

Exactly: "Kill the spare!" That's all Cedric is, the spare.  But, 
since Voldemort ordered Wormtail to do it, did Cedric's shadow come 
out of Voldemort's wand? Maybe Wormtail doesn't have one, having 
escaped as a rat, so he uses his master's. Surprised Voldemort trusts 
him with it; and how did Voldemort carry his away when he lost his 
body thirteen years ago?

Dai:" This also highlights an important character flaw of Voldemorts. 
The reason he does not kill Harry in the graveyard is because he 
decides to play. If he had just murdered Harry while he was still tied 
to the  gravestone, that would have been it, the end. The differences 
between the ways V deals with Cedric and Harry expose a big weakness 
in his plans. If he just murders outright with the element of surprise 
as he did with Cedric, then there would be no stopping him. But he 
doesn't, he enjoys toying with victims which mean something to him and 
this  will lead to his downfall, as it led to the failure of his plans 
to dispose of Harry in the graveyard."

If you looked in Roger Ebert's Movie Glossary, you'd find this under 
"Fallacy of the Talking Killer."  But JKR made this otherwise cliche 
believable and consistent with Voldemort's character.  He wanted a 
public triumph over Harry in front of his supporters. Tyrants seem to 
think that's necessary.