Favorite chapter in The Half Blood Prince.

[CatMcNulty at comcast.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 192560

> Crescent:
> The book never really made it clear whether Dumbledore expected 
> Snape to become the master of the Elder Wand. However, because of 
> Draco's disarming him, Draco DID become the master of the wand. 
> And, of course, when Harry overcame Draco and took Draco's wand, 
> he then became the master of the Elder Wand. Voldemort was under 
> the impression that Snape was the master of the wand because he 
> killed Dumbledore. And that is why he felt compelled to kill Snape.


Cat:
De-Lurking  
 Cresent, that is the beauty of JKR's style, she plants tiny clues in such a casual manner the reader oft times dismisses or overlooks them until the second or third reading. She wants her readers to THINK! From my reading (and interpretation). 
 FIRST: It was NOT apparent that Dumbledore had the elder wand until later. A description of Dumbledore's wand was pretty much ignored. 
 SECOND: In hindsight, I do NOT believe that Dumbledore wanted Snape to become the master of the elder wand because, by his own admission, the lure of power was very great and he was not at all confident that Snape could or would resist. Therefore, he removed the possibility of the wand's alliance being transfered to Snape, by Dumbledore requesting that Snape kill him. By making that request it meant that Dumbledore was NOT "defeated" by Snape, Snape was just doing as Dumbledore had requested.
 THIRD: Yes, by disarming Dumbledore, Draco DID inadvertantly and unbeknownest to him become the Elder Wand's master.   
 FOURTH: Word usage and interpretation is a VERY important tool.Voldemort interpretated "conquered" as "killed", he believed that the elder wand's master had to be "killed" in order for the alliegence to be transferred. In Voldemort's thinking: Snape killed Dumbledore therefore Snape was now the masterof the elder wand.  In actuality (as we learn later) Dumbledore was "conquered" or "defeated" when he was disarmed by Draco.
 FIFTH: Voldemort should have known that killing the previous master of the wand was unnecessary because Dumbledore had not killed Grindewald but had "defeated" him in 1945 (like it says on the Chocolate Frog card that Harry got on the way to Hogwarts the first time) :-)
  
 JKR's style is phenomenal! I learn something new everytime I re-read her work!
 Cat >^-.-^<