Why Harry would not use Elder Wand? WAS: Re: Wand allegiance.

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 187349

Pippin:

>From Dumbledore's notes in ToBtB on the Elder Wand:

A full century later, another unpleasant character, this time named Godelot,
advanced the study of Dark Magic by writing a collection of dangerous spells
with the help of a wand he described in his notebook as 'my moste wicked and
subtle friend, with body of ellhorn, who knows ways of magick most evile.'
(*Magic Moste Evile* became the title of Godelot's masterwork.

As can be seen, Godelot considers his wand to be a helpmeet, almost an
instructor. Those who are knowledgeable about wandlore will agree that wands do
indeed absorb the expertise of those who use them <snip> <SNIP>

---
(a footnote identifies ellhorn as an ancient name for elder)

Dumbledore goes on to say that while every man who claims to have owned the
Elder Wand (no witch has ever done so) has insisted that it is "unbeatable" the
known facts of its passage demonstrate that it has not only been beaten hundreds
of times, but that "it attracts trouble as Grumble the Grubby Goat attracted
flies."


Alla:

Thanks. I am trying to decide where to start with listing the reasons why this statement does not satisfy me as evidence of Elder wand having personality.

Okay, first of all don't you think that Dumbledore picks and chooses whom he believes and whom he does not in deciding what Elder wand is and what not?

For some reasons the hearsay testimony of a wizard who may or may not have been completely sane is completely believable to Dumbledore , but the idea of Elder wand being unbeatable or at least very powerful is a myth? Before you ask I believe both of these statements had been not complete myths but just exaggerations.

And I mean, we KNOW that not everything about Hallows and three brothers is to be taken literally, right? We know that they possibly created the Hallows, NOT Death gave it to them, etc. So again, how do we know that this statement is 100% correct?

And even if it is correct in his mind, had you never referred to your, I don't know, favorite gadget as your friend? I mean, I would not refer to my computer for example as my wicked and subtle friend, but I had certainly heard a friend say something to the effect that computer taught him so much and it had been his wonderful mentor, or something like that. How do we know that this was not what this character meant? And even in more literal sense computers help people learn these days, no? We have learning computer programs; people can take classes on line, etc. This does not mean that computer has personality though.

I mean, this all is of course no more than interesting aside, but no I cannot buy that elder wand has a human like personality.

JMO,

Alla