Life+Loyalty: A Voldemort/Dumbledore Connection

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 44209

Risti wrote:

> Ok, let me first of all start off by saying I'm new here, 

Welcome aboard, Risti!

>Why is Voldemort scared of Dumbledore?  

<snip very creative theory>

> Fact: Voldemort's wand contains one of those feathers that 
>belonged to Fawkes, a Pheonix who is loyal to Dumbledore.
> 
> Does this mean then, that Voldemort's wand core, the core of his 
> magical ability, is loyal to Dumbledore?  How would a wand made up 
>of a feather from a bird loyal to Dumbledore react if asked to 
>perform a killing curse upon its master?

Oooh, how interesting!

Can wands be loyal to the masters of the magical creatures that 
donated their cores?  Boy, I'm not sure.  It is certainly the case 
that there is some sort of bond between wizard and wand, and there 
can be a bond between wands that share the same core.  Given that 
the core of a wand influences the, er, personality of the wand, this 
theory does make a lot of sense, I think.

The one thing I can't sort out, though, is why the connection 
between Dumbledore/Fawkes and Voldemort's wand would cause Voldemort 
to fear Dumbledore.  I'm not sure we can say that Voldemort knew the 
origin of the phoenix feather in his own wand (can we?).  Even post-
GoF, I don't think there's any canon to suggest that Voldemort knows 
why the duel with Harry went so very badly.  Presumably, Voldemort 
would know that his wand has a Phoenix feather, and he could assume 
that Harry's wand must have the same core, but Voldemort would have 
to take quite a leap to conclude that the phoenix feathers came from 
Fawkes and that Dumbledore owns Fawkes.

We do know that Dumbledore knew about the origin of the phoenix 
feather in Voldemort's wand, though.  Dumbledore didn't seem at all 
surprised that the duel generated the priori incantantem effect, 
after all.  If it is true that Voldemort's wand really can't defeat 
Dumbledore, then one has to wonder if Dumbledore has some obligation 
to attempt to dispatch Voldemort.  

So (and now I am climbing *way* out on a limb), maybe Risti has 
cracked the mystery of what "Order of the Phoenix" might mean.  I've 
always thought "Order" would mean a group of wizards who band 
together to fight Voldemort.  Perhaps instead "Order" means 
heirarchy -- pecking order, if you will.  Dumbledore, being the 
owner of Fawkes is at the top of the Order of the Phoenix.  
Voldemort, having only a single one of Fawkes' feathers, is lower in 
the pecking order, as is Harry.

Yeah.  I'm sure that's it.  ;-)

Cindy