Horse Feathers

[suehpfan]

No: HPFGUIDX 93772

> One other piece of information that we are not privy to is whether 
> Voldemort's wand chose him or was chosen.  

Snip of discussion of power of phoenix feather wands
> 
> My theory is that Voldemort chose the phoenix feather wand knowing 
> that it came from Fawkes.  Fawkes then gave a second feather in an 
> effort to combat the first wand.  Since the second feather was 
given 
> for the express purpose of fighting Voldemort it was drawn to the 
> person who Voldemort had marked (chosen) as his enemy and his 
equal.  
> Not quite a coincidence at all if you think about it that way.
> 
> This thread also brings up another thought for discussion.  What do 
> you think happened with the third feather that we know Fawkes has 
> released?  
> 
>        "There was a flash of flame in the very middle of the office,
>     leaving behind a single golden feather that floated gently to 
the
>     floor.
>        "It is Fawkes's warning," said Dumbledore, catching the 
>     feather as it fell."   (OotP US edition, Chapter 22, page 474)
> 
> Is there now the possibility of a third Fawkes wand coming into 
play?
> 
> Audrey

My 2 knuts:

In CoS, Tom Riddle did not at first identify Fawkes as a Phoenix when 
he saw him, he even ridiculed his appearance as a "song bird".  And 
he did not remember all of the properties of a Pheonix, he even 
allowed Fawkes to repair Harry's arm, thus allowing Harry to destroy 
him.  If a Phoenix feather core is the most powerful, but the wand 
does not work for you, then it isn't powerful at all.  I think the 
whole point is that a wizard must allow the "fates" to dictate the 
wand they use and then they will fulfill their potential.  Fooling 
with the process can limit the wizard's potential as they are not 
using the "right" wand, Phoenix feather or not.

As far as Fawkes dropping feathers everywhere, I don't think they 
have any magical powers once they are dropped for a different purpose.
It seems to me that the language "gave" that Olivander used when 
describing how the feather was procured for the wands indicates that 
Fawkes relinquished his feathers for the purpose of wand making.  As 
another poster already indicated, there are more than one Phoenix 
around since there are other wands with Phoenix cores. 

IMHO, the wand chose Harry simply because it was the right wand for 
him.  He was the "chosen" child, the one "marked as an equal", the 
one the fates had assigned the task of bringing down Voldemort.  
Personally, I think when it is all over Harry will be chosing a new 
wand because that one will be destroyed.  Maybe the next book will be 
called Harry Potter and the Destruction of the Wand as Voldie works 
to break the thing in two and destroy Fawkes so that no others can be 
made....who knows? ;)

Sue