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Reader Comments: (Page 4)

Luna Lovegood
The wand was Grindelwalds. We know this because the wand was Dumbledores who defeated Grindelwald. We know that because at the end Harry uses the Elder Wand to mend his Phoenix wand which otherwise couldn't be mended.

Igor
I really doubt that the Elder Wand makes someone truly invincible. If it did how could anyone conquer it from the last owner? Like Dumbledore said, the story about it being an completely unbeatable wand is just what would be expected from an object like that. It is clear that the Elder Wand boosts a wizards power enormously however.

Posted by Sirius Black from Arkansas on August 16, 2009 8:37 PM

I have a theory as to why Dumbledore beat Grindlewald. I noticed that it doesn't say whether Gregorvitch actually 'won' the wand from anyone, it says he found it. The trail went cold after Abraxas last had the wand. What if he lost it and it was found by Gregorvitch?

If this is the case, the wand was not 'won' by Gregorvitch and, therefore was not won by Grindlewald when he stole it from him, which is why it wouldn't work to its full potential. Then, when Dumbledore won the duel, he had also won the wand.

Posted by Craig Edwards from Telford on September 28, 2009 09:45 AM

and im sorry, i meant Loxias

Posted by Craig Edwards from Telford on October 6, 2009 09:23 AM

I love th fountain of fair fortune and the tale of the 3 brothers. They are the best stories I've ever read they make you think about what you want to do with your life.

LONG LIVE HP!

Posted by Chandler from Joplin, MO on October 31, 2009 10:09 AM

They are wonderful stories, Chandler, and you could do a lot worse than live according to the principles they embody. Just imagine if we all cared for and helped each other, used our talents to the full for the good of all, and accepted the limits of our mortality as a gift... not a bad sort of world, really.

Posted by Elizabeth from Australia on November 5, 2009 02:25 AM

But if we were all good, we wouldn't need stories like Beedle's anymore...

Posted by Siena from Nottingham ,UK on November 19, 2009 10:13 AM

"But if we were all good, we wouldn't need stories like Beedle's anymore..."

Do you think maybe we'd need the occasional reminder?

Posted by Elizabeth from Australia on November 20, 2009 05:18 AM

Yes, of course - as we are all so flawed. I was just thinking that all these stories like HP and Beedle are so successful because we need them so much - they function as a mirror for us, showing us our own faults and what we need to work on. But given the utopia state of us being able to embrace all these virtues - and obviously after our disgraceful fall fom Paradise (to speak in biblical terms here ) we aren't capable of that anymore... - we wouldn't need reminders, and thus moral stories would be superflous?

Posted by Siena from Nottingham, UK on November 20, 2009 05:53 AM

I think you have a point, Siena. Human nature, being what it is, is why we need these stories. Speaking of which, if I am not going too egregiously off-topic, for anyone looking for a fun and meaningful movie which actually sticks to the story line in the book (Hint, hint Potter movie-makers; it CAN be done!) I've just taken my kids to see A Christmas Carol - 3D. Very, very good. In fact I muttered to my eldest that I wished they'd done the HP movies as well.

Posted by Elizabeth from Australia on November 21, 2009 03:56 AM

I was just pondering over something you said earlier on, Elizabeth - if I may quote: "The third brother though, only used his gift to ensure that he lived out his normal span of life, he neither tried to ursurp 's powers, nor reverse it. He merely tried to make sure he put off 's summons for as long as possible. This is a perfectly normal human, sinless attitude. " This comment just struck me - while I have to agree that it is indeed a human attitude and perfectly normal to wish to live as long as possible - but is it really sinless what the third brother did? It seems to me as if he tried to outsmarten just as much by deciding when HE felt he would like to take off the cloak, pinpointing to get him when HE was ready for it instead of letting decide. He did not commit a sin against other human beings though like his brothers - but still, it seems to me he cheated just as much. It reminded me a bit of Dumbledore really - he preached that to embrace would make one the Master of it while he himself played destiny and planned his own. Admittedly he never said he was Master of , he considered himself to be only worthy of the humblest of all the Hallows - the Elder Wand.

(Must check out the Christmas Carol if it's good by the way - but I haven't even read the story yet so maybe i should do that first.)

Posted by Siena from Nottingham, UK on November 27, 2009 04:00 AM

There is some truth in what you are saying, Siena - though I doubt whether Rowling meant it to be looked at in this way. I think what she meant was that the third brother outsmarted as such that wouldn't catch him prematurely - obviously, this is what sometimes does, think of terminal illnesses or fatal accidents. It is of course debatable whether these premature s can be called destiny or not - it is the ongoing discussion between the church who often claims that it was God's wish to "call a person to him" and the person's mourning loved ones to whom those words are empty words and often have no comfort at all.

Posted by Cai from Berlin, Germany on December 13, 2009 03:31 AM

I went to see "A Christmas Carol" - I enjoyed it, it was quite as dark as the story, no cute Disney pics at all! But I didn't enjoy the digitally altered characters, I thought it looked a bit too artificial. Is it called "performance capture" where they film the real actors and then alter them digitally? I suppose I don't like the effects and would prefer real faces in HP. But otherwise I loved how "A Christmas Carol" stayed true to Dickens. Thank you for recommending it, Elizabeth.

Posted by Siena from Nottingham, UK on December 17, 2009 06:27 AM

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