Finished! (Spoilers)

[bluesqueak]

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Pippin:
> I can't quite figure out what happened with the wands either, but 
> that's probably the point --  DD and Voldie  both got it wrong.

Yup. The Elder Wand is like some Wizarding Equivalent of a World 
Championship in Boxing. You keep the thing until the next Wizard 
defeats you - either by killing you, or disarming you, or by making 
you surrender. And that defeat counts even if you aren't using the EW 
at the time. I *think* Voldy got fooled by the legend and assumed the 
Wand did pass by either murder or direct defeat in a duel. And DD got 
it wrong because he didn't realise that, weakened himself, a much 
weaker wizard could defeat him. Pride goeth before a fall (in this 
case, literally).

So DD had it until Draco defeated him by disarming him. That meant 
when Snape killed DD, he wasn't the holder of the EW (or maybe the 
EWWW! judging by some reactions here {g}).

Then Draco had it (without knowing he was the EW holder) until Harry 
defeated him by disarming him.

Harry is currently the holder. If he dies a natural death without 
anyone ever taking his wand off him by force, the Wand can never take 
a new master - it's his for eternity. Sort of a Wizarding Lonsdale 
Belt - win often enough, and it's yours forever.

 
> I have to thank Jo for making Lupin a credible red herring. I
> wonder if it was Tonks and Lupin who got pulled from the epilogue
> and sent off to the NGA just to make it clear which side they were 
> on? You know, there's very little of ESE!Lupin which is actually 
> refuted by canon. If I hadn't sworn otherwise, I'd be tempted to 
> theorize thathe got away with it. <g>

Lupin was such a credible red herring that there was a point in the 
book (when he was suggesting he go with Harry) where I was utterly 
convinced you'd got it right. He couldn't have been more shifty if he 
tried.

No, I think Tonks and Lupin dying was JKR's commentary on looking 
after your kid. Some circumstances are so deadly dangerous that 
parents have to risk and maybe lose their lives, so that their child 
will have a chance to grow up. And this includes mothers risking 
their lives as well as fathers.

Pip!Squeak