Why refuse the Elder Wand? (was: Harry as Auror)

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 173242

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eggplant107" <eggplant107 at ...>
wrote:
>
> Ken Wrote:
> 
> > Harry is the master of the Elder Wand.
> > If Harry really meant to end its power 
> > by dying a natural death, undefeated by
> > another wizard, then he simply cannot
> > become an auror. The risk of losing his
> > wand in a confrontation is just too great. 
> 
> You know, that is the one and part of JKR's wonderful story that just
> doesn't make sense to me. If you don't like the Elder Wand then just
> snap it in two; but why would you even want to destroy it? That wand
> served Dumbledore well for half a century, I am certain that wand did
> a lot of good in that time, and I see no reason it would be a less
> faithful servant to Harry. Call me the reincarnation of Voldemort if
> you want to but it would only take me about one heartbeat to decide to
> keep it!  Power is not always a bad thing; as a matter of fact I
> rather like power.
> 
> Eggplant
>

Ken:

I have no answer as to why Harry just didn't destroy it. Sometimes
authors get so focused on their story that they fail to see trivial
solutions to problems. And then later on they have to dance around in
interviews and invent a lame reason why the illogical is logical. This
is a good observation though, if Harry really does want to become an
auror then all he has to do is to destroy the elder wand. The only
reason I can see to keep it intact is that it is an important
historical artifact. A broken, useless elder wand would have as much
value as a museum exhibit as a whole one though. A whole but powerless
elder wand buried in a tomb has no value as an artifact even.

The elder wand was a good tool in Dumbledore's hand because he was a
good man. Harry is as good if not "gooder" but for Harry to use it is
to place it at even more risk of passing at full power to an evil
successor since the possession of an "unbeatable" wand tempts the
owner to seek confrontations, not avoid them. You are Boromir,
Dumbledore is Gandalf, Harry is Frodo, I will play Sam and just say
that Mr. Frodo is right, the wand's power needs to be destroyed, not used.

In reality the solution for the elder wand is the same as for the one
ring: it must be physically destroyed. Harry's intentions are noble
but he will end up "pulling an Isildur" if he isn't extremely careful
-- and lucky. Destroying the wand would lift a lifelong burden from
Harry and allow him to pursue the career he wants.

Ken