Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and the Deathstick

[rlevatter]

No: HPFGUIDX 181672

An issue or three:

1. Dumbledore makes clear that he and Grindelwald were both
very powerful mages--perhaps Dumbledore slightly better,
but largely equal. And then Grindelwald gets ahold of the
Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny. The wand that, per legend,
allows it's owner to never be defeated in battle (though
over the centuries, it clearly allowed them to get killed
via treachery, killed in their sleep, etc.).

And yet, of course, Dumbledore beat Grindelwald in equal
face-to-face battle. Isn't this surprising? What good is
the wand of destiny if it doesn't give you the edge against
a magician who, even without the wand, you're largely the
equal of?

2. Dumbledore didn't kill Grindelwald, he merely defeated
him. Voldemort, in researching the wand, knew Grindelwald
once had it, knew it was taken from him by Dumbledore, knew
Dumbledore didn't kill Grindelwald to get it. Yet Voldemort,
who sincerely seemed to believe Snape was a true follower
and very helpful to him, who claims to regret the necessity
of the deed, kills Snape when he knew he really had only to
"beat" him, not kill him, to acquire the wand's power
(assuming he had been correct that Snape was the true
owner of the Elder Wand). Is that reasonable?

3. Voldemort, back in the day when he was Tom Riddle, was
widely recognized, even by those like Dumbledore who was
very early on leery of him, as very bright, a quick study.
And yet Harry believes, and we are supposed to believe with
him, that on entering--and this is as an adult, having
traveled the world and become very powerful--the Room of
Requirement to hide the diadem, that Voldemort believes
he's the only one in the many centuries history of Hogwarts
who has figured out how to enter the Room. That is to say,
on viewing a huge room filled with odds and ends, nicknacks,
voluminous materials, Voldemort is supposed to have thought,
"This stuff was always here; no one else put any of this
stuff here. I am the only one who figured out how to get
in here over the last thousand years." Is that really
reasonable?

Ross