CHAPDISC: DH36, THE FLAW IN THE PLAN

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 185280

 
> Carol:
> I disagree. The wand performed perfectly well, killing a lot of
people and creating at least one piece of spectacular magic, Nagini's
bubble. LV has no complaints about it--doesn't even think about it's
not performing for him--until that conversation with Snape. You may
find it convincing. I don't. 

Pippin:
We do learn that a new wand can take some breaking in. That accounts
for  Voldemort not expecting the wand to adapt to him immediately. 

Carol
> I don't think we're going to convince each other here. I find no
> grounds--none--for Voldemort's statement that the Elder Wand isn't
> working as well as he expected. It does everything he asks of it.

Pippin:
We don't know that, because we don't know everything that he's asked
of it.  He can only do his usual magic, extraordinary as that is
compared to what other wizards can do. He expects something more
spectacular than that, not only because he's insane (although of
course he is) but because that is what the Elder Wand is supposed to
be able to provide and because he *needs* that power, or did when he
went in search of it. 

 Voldemort knew that Harry's wand had imbibed the power of his, and
now contained all of his own deadly skill. To top that, he'd need to
acquire additional skills himself, and Ollivander told him the Elder
Wand would provide them. 

Carol:
 Nothing but an excuse for LV to kill Snape
> using Nagini rather than a Killing Curse (which would have worked,
but LV doesn't know it, but would have made snape's last spectacular
feat impossible).

Pippin:
It establishes that Voldemort knows Elder Wand won't work properly
against its true master, and ensures that Harry (and the reader) know
this also, which is essential for the denouement. 

Using Nagini also allows Snape to die like a hero, literally :

"He rushed upon the hero * where his chance was fit,
Hot and battle-ugly* All the neck he bit
With his bitter fang-teeth* To death the Geat was hurt,
Bloodied o'er with his own gore,* in welling wave and spurt..."
--Beowulf XXXVI

And then, like Beowulf, Snape can survive just long enough to impart a
last message to a  young man who wasn't supposed to be there.

 
Pippin