Olivander--Good or Bad?

[Caius Marcius]

No: HPFGUIDX 115717


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "songwriter42" <sbyl at w...> 
wrote:
> 
> 
> On my drive home I started thinking about some of the people who 
have not openly aligned themselves with one side or the other. 
> 
> We know that a lot of followers came clean and apologized--whether 
truthfuly or not, or claimed they were tricked/forced into following 
Voldemort--and many went into hiding or denied ties altogether. 
> 
> Olivander. Part of the Order of the Phoenix? Didn't say so in the 
book---told Harry Voldemort did terrible but GREAT things and 
that "we do not speak his name" but which name--Voldemort or Dark 
Lord? 

I think of Ollivander as like an arms merchant, maintaining friendly 
relations with both sides, but favoring neither, willing to do 
business with anyone who comes by his shop. He has an awe of 
Voldemort based on the sheer power the Dark Lord was able to effect, 
irregardless of the moral issues.

>but the character--at least as portrayed in the movie seems a little 
>dark--- 

Avoided the movie - but yes, the Canonic Olllivander is definitely 
dark...

> 
> Also told Harry that the wand chooses the wizard--but as we have 
seen time and again--one wizard can use the wand of another and still 
perform effective magic--- Gilderoy used Ron's (although broken) 
Barty junior used Harry's to conjur the Dark Mark, and Tom Riddle 
also used Harry's to write his name---and might have done worse--
Neville used his father's wand.... 
> 

Something I just thought of - the other examples you give are of 
wizards using other wands briefly, but the case of Neville is 
different - he's been using another person's wand for five years. 
Could this be one of things that's been holding him back? Using the 
wand of another person, even if a blood relative, may inhibit one's 
full magical development. Now that Frank's wand has been broken, will 
Neville return to Ollivander's and find the wand that is truly meant 
for him? And will his powers thereby be more greatly augmented?

    - CMC (who fervently believes that the Prophecy is about Neville)