Wands (Was: Inconsistencies)

[Tim]

No: HPFGUIDX 174802

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Lee Kaiwen <leekaiwen at ...> 
wrote:
>
> jlnbtr blessed us with this gem On 04/08/2007 07:22:
> 
> Katie:
> > If disarming someone was enough to gain control of their wand...
> 
> Juli:
> > I think wand ownership only changes in a real duel. 
> 
> No, Juli, I think Katie's on the right track. How many times in 
seven 
> books have we seen Expelliarmus used for real, and there was never 
any 
> hint of a change of ownership.
> 
> In CoS, Harry disarms both Malfoy and Lockhart, yet never claims 
their 
> wands.
> 
> In PA Sirius disarms Ron and Hermione, then hands their wands 
back. A 
> couple of pages later Lupin disarms Harry and Hermione (who must 
be 
> getting tired of it by now), followed shortly thereafter by the 
Trio all 
> simultaneously flattening Snape with yet another Expelliarmus (who 
gets 
> Snape's wand?). Then Harry disarms Pettigrew of Lupin's wand (does 
Harry 
> get Lupin's wand?).
> 
> In a flashback in OotP, we see James disarming Snape. During the 
> climatic battle Neville simultaneously disarms a DE and Harry, who 
both 
> retrieve their own wands.
> 
> And, of course, let's not forget the Biggie - Harry used 
successfully 
> used Expelliarmus against Voldemort and won. Clearly, this whole 
change 
> of ownership stuff didn't exist yet, since I think we can all 
agree 
> Harry winning Voldy's wand at that point in the story would've 
been Big.
> 
> No, I'm afraid we're looking at another inconsistency, JKR tossing 
in 
> another ill-conceived plot device that simply cannot be reconciled 
with 
> previous canon.
> 
> Lee Kaiwen, Taiwan
>

I think you're trying to read too much into this.  NONE of the 
people you've mentioned would have known Wand Lore to know that the 
wand's allegiance had changed... thus handing back the wand to the 
original owner, the wand would still function properly, but would 
recognize the winner as it's superior.  Voldy's wand recognized 
Harry's as it's superior after that battle... hence Voldy's search 
for THE wand that could beat Harry's -- the Elder Wand.  The Elder 
Wand would have defeated Harry's, but Harry wasn't using his, as it 
was broken.  He was using Malfoy's, which he won from him.  Malfoy's 
wand, having disarmed DD, was recognized by the Elder Wand as it's 
superior, thus the rebounding AK that finally did Voldy in.

If someone has the time, they can go through all the canon and find 
who's wand was superior to whose at any given moment.  I'm sure JKR 
thought all this out before putting it into DH.

Tim