Should Harry Potter Have Destroyed the Elder Wand?

by

As a new Harry Potter remake approaches, Hogwarts Legacy becoming profitable, and Fantastic Beasts trailing off, it’s evident that Warner Bros. seeks fresh avenues to exploit the Wizarding World franchise. Given the vast global fanbase, whatever comes next in this series is bound to draw crowds. The universe seems ripe for additional tales beyond the Second Wizarding War. Reflecting on the main series may help identify potential sequels or spinoffs, and possibly those that should have been avoided. One significant point of consideration is the impact of destroying the Elder Wand at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2, as it may have limited the Wizarding World’s future growth compared to the book’s ending.

The concluding installment of the Harry Potter book series, as well as its last two films, introduced us to three renowned relics from the Wizarding World: the Resurrection Stone, the Cloak of Invisibility, and the Elder Wand. These three items were rumored to grant their wielder the power to conquer death. During his journeys, Harry learned that the stone had been owned by Voldemort’s kin, while it is believed that the cloak has been covertly passed down in Harry’s family for numerous generations.

Read moreHunt: Showdown Permanently Gets Cheaper, but With a Catch

Meanwhile, the wand was well-known for its rich history due to its users frequently bragging about it, causing enemies to desire it. Countless wizards pursued the Elder Wand, unaware of the Deathly Hallows, merely seeking the strongest wand in existence. This wand could be obtained by overpowering its owner, but its allegiance was unreliable; it might not grant maximum power to an unworthy user. The conditions for acquiring the wand were adaptable, as Harry Potter and Voldemort discovered.

Decades prior to the events I’m about to recount, I watched as Dumbledore, a fellow cinephile of magical lore, vanquished his dark wizard lover, Grindelwald. In the process, he seized control of the Elder Wand, effectively halting the destructive chain of events associated with that artifact.

Dumbledore had a clever plan; he intended to be slain by Severus Snape and interred alongside his wand. This was so that should anyone desecrate his tomb – as Voldemort ultimately did – they wouldn’t truly master the wand. However, fate intervened, as Draco Malfoy disarmed Dumbledore before his demise, thus gaining ownership of the Elder Wand.

In the climactic moments of our tale, Harry Potter managed to disarm and overpower Malfoy, earning himself the title of the Elder Wand’s master by story’s end.

Read moreDeadpool & Wolverine Director Reveals What Part of Making Sequel Was Most Fun

Harry obtained all three Deathly Hallows separately, never holding them concurrently. He discarded the stone somewhere within the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts, choosing not to reclaim it afterwards. He retained his ancestral cloak, but the destiny of the Elder Wand varies between the book and the film. In the book, he utilizes it to mend his own damaged phoenix feather wand, demonstrating its immense power as no other enchantment could achieve that repair. In the movie, he breaks the Elder Wand in half and flings the fragments off a bridge on Hogwarts grounds, while in the book, he lays the wand to rest instead.

I’m returning the Elder Wand to its original place. Let it remain there. If I were to pass away naturally, like Dumbledore, wouldn’t its power be destroyed, right? Its previous owner would never have truly been vanquished. That will mark the end of it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The Elder Wand in the Harry Potter Sequels

There’s no doubt that both endings carry a strong sense of conclusion, yet they also remind us of the ongoing influence of the Elder Wand in subsequent stories. In the stage play sequel, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, an interesting twist unfolds: Harry loses his wand in a duel against Voldemort’s daughter, Delphini. Later, Delphini is subdued by Hermione, sparking numerous fan speculations about the future of the Elder Wand.

From what we understand, Delphini may have rightfully claimed ownership of the wand when she disarmed Harry. However, if Hermione managed to subdue Delphini later on, it’s possible that Hermione regained control over the wand. This is assuming that Harry didn’t lose or surrender the wand in any significant manner before this sequel, which seems unlikely. But if the wand remains buried with Dumbledore, then ownership becomes irrelevant. If the wand is ever retrieved, it would need to be paired with the person who currently possesses its allegiance. This might be difficult to determine given a history of deaths and disarmings that could lead to a cold trail. Anyone else who picked up the wand would find it to be an ordinary wand without any special powers.

In “The Cursed Child”, the Elder Wand doesn’t make an appearance, so it can easily be incorporated into any screen adaptations without issues. However, if future sequels decide to use the Elder Wand, they will face a challenge in distinguishing themselves from the films, especially since fans have memorized every detail of these movies. This could lead to widespread confusion and renewed discussions about adaptation and canon.

The Elder Wand’s Potential

Read moreDespicable Me 4 Holds Box Office Lead, Longlegs Stuns

As a devoted fan, I’ve pondered over alternate paths the Harry Potter sequels might tread without the Elder Wand, and it’s not necessarily a problem. Nevertheless, it felt peculiar for the films to remove such a powerful artifact from play when the books didn’t. This is more so because the other two Deathly Hallows are still in action. These relics could have made an extraordinary trio of McGuffins in future tales, providing a fresh spin on adventures without needing to hunt Horcruxes again, while still echoing the original magic without direct repetition.

Instead, breaking the Elder Wand serves as a significant character development for Harry. He refused to let fear or desire control him into hoarding this artifact for himself. While book enthusiasts may still imagine it waiting should he ever require it again, its absence means that no one can now bring together all three Hallows, preventing anyone from becoming the “Master of Death.” This act signifies a new chapter in the Wizarding World, offering a fresh start.

It’s important to mention that The Cursed Child stands out as the only sequel to the Harry Potter series released thus far. All other additions to the franchise have been prequels, like Fantastic Beasts and Hogwarts Legacy. This approach seems logical and beneficial for the series overall. Delving into the past with magical elements opens up many creative possibilities, whereas venturing into the future might involve too much speculation about various potential events at once.

Previous installments have effectively utilized the Elder Wand, as seen in Fantastic Beasts where Grindelwald wields it, and in Hogwarts Legacy, allowing players to employ it. This appears to be the most fitting application of its potential; by tying any narrative to Harry Potter’s climactic duel, it enhances the rich history of the Wizarding World simultaneously.

The Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies are streaming now on Max.

Read More

2025-03-04 01:12