Wand allegiance.

[eggplant107]

No: HPFGUIDX 187320

 "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:

> But where's the evidence that it
> [Voldemort's wand] isn't working
> absolutely perfectly?

As powerful as Voldemort was he wanted to be even more powerful, that was his entire reason for perusing the Elder Wand, but when he finally got it he informs Snape that he's no more powerful than he was before. That is no more a plot hole than Malfoy possessing the Hand of Glory even though we don't actually see him purchase it.

> We don't even know if Ollivander talked to 
> him [Voldemort] about wand behavior 
> as he did to Harry. 

Oh I think we do. Ollivander was even apologetic to Harry about it; but I can cut him some slack, the poor man was tortured. 

> it couldn't possibly work better than it did 

Of course it could! Undoubtedly Voldemort wished he could just flick his wand and Hogwarts along with Harry Potter would just dissolve into dust and needed no help from Giants or Spiders or Werewolfs to do it. Even Voldemort wasn't powerful enough to do that, but if he was Master of the Elder Wand he might have been able to pull it off, or at least come close. It all makes logical sense, I just don't understand how you can say this is a plot hole.

> A few wands, such as the Snatcher's wand
> that Harry tries to use, don't work at all
> for those who aren't their masters

That is just untrue. And it's no more a mystery than that some shoe sizes are more comfortable to my feet than others. No plot hole
that I can see. 

> most of the time, whether or not a wand has
> been "won," wizards seem to have no great
> difficulty using other wizards' wands.
 
No plot hole here either, as Oleander says if you are any sort of Wizard at all you could use almost any wand, but don't expect to
get the very best results with any old wand.

> Inconsistency, thy name is JKR. 

That's a bit strong for one plot hole.
 
> Using it against opponents isn't
> keeping it out of circulation 

I think it is if you want to break that circle.

> Dumbledore was careful not to kill with the wand 

And I'm not suggesting that Harry use it for the next 50 years to become a serial murderer. Dumbledore used it for half a century with good results, and Harry is a better man.

> It just makes him a target for others
> who are equally deluded.

Perhaps but that can't be helped. Harry remains the Master of the Elder Wand and there is nothing he can do about it, except get himself defeated. As I say that may mean that Harry is condemned to lead an interesting life, but why would a writer want to avoid hinting at that?

> If they think about the Elder Wand at all,
> they probably think of it as Harry's just reward.

I think the Elder Wand is Harry's just reward too, and like them I'd be puzzled why nobody ever sees him use it and I'd wonder where it was. I don't think it would take me long to come up with a pretty good guess. 

Me:
>> Everybody knows the wand was once in 
>> Dumbledore's tomb and if somebody is
>> looking for it again that would be the
>> first place they'd look.

You:
> "Everybody" knows no such thing. True,
> Voldemort said that he took it from there,
> but only a few hundred people heard him 

In addition to all the people at the Battle of Hogwarts there were thousands of people at Dumbledore's funeral and probably an equal number of non humans; They saw him buried with his wand, as is apparently Wizard custom. I'm thinking of the sad song "Odo The Wizard". 

> I don't recall Dumbledore saying that
> he couldn't cast an unbreakable protective spell.

I do, he told Harry that's why his mother's protective spell was so important, and even that won't last forever. 

> But who in the WW has a motive to take the
> wand from the hero who defeated Voldemort?

Someone who wasn't a very nice person I would think, such people are never in short supply. Harry's defeat of Voldemort was great but he hasn't destroyed evil forever. There is always another dark wizard.

> The last thing he wants is to spend it 
> fighting to keep the mastery of the Elder Wand. 

Harry's wishes on this matter are irrelevant, and anyway for a moment stop putting yourself in the position of Harry and put yourself in the position of JKR. What's the point of implying that your main character's life was very dull after you stopped writing about him? I really think this getting rid of the Elder Wand business was a last minute change because unlike the rest of the plot it doesn't seem to be well thought out. 

 Eggplant