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Suggest pagesMuggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Deathly Hallows/Chapter 24
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Chapter 24 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The Wandmaker
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[edit] Synopsis
Harry realizes they have successfully apparated to Bill and Fleur Weasley’s seaside cottage, despite his uncertainty at takeoff. He asks about Hermione, and Bill says she is inside and is alright. Looking down at Dobby, Harry pulls the knife from his body and covers him with his jacket. As Dean carries the injured Griphook into the cottage, Harry's scar prickles, and he can see those at Malfoy Manor being punished by Voldemort.
Harry wants to bury Dobby himself, without magic. Asking for a spade, he sets about digging a grave in the garden. His scar burns, but he realizes that he has at last learned to master the pain and can shut out Voldemort’s thoughts with his grief. . . though, of course, Dumbledore would have called it "love". His own thoughts turn to Wormtail and the brief merciful act that cost him his life. Dumbledore foresaw that, but what else had he known? Harry resolves to only hunt Horcruxes as Dumbledore wanted, rather than also searching for the Deathly Hallows.
Ron and Dean join Harry. Ron reports Hermione is fine, Fleur is looking after her. Ron and Dean have brought spades and help Harry dig. After placing shoes, socks, and a hat on Dobby’s body, they carefully place him in the grave and bury him. Luna thinks they should say a few words, and each in turn gives thanks to the tiny elf who saved their lives. Harry places a large rock on the grave as a headstone and inscribes the words: HERE LIES DOBBY, A FREE ELF
Inside the cottage, Harry overhears Bill saying that it was fortunate Ginny was on holiday from Hogwarts, otherwise she could have been taken by Death Eaters before they reached her. Now she is safely hidden with the other Weasleys at Aunt Muriel’s where they are protected by the Fidelius Charm. There is also one protecting Shell Cottage. When Bill says that Ollivander and Griphook can be moved to Muriel’s in about an hour, Harry objects, saying he needs to talk with them, a little surprised by his own authoritative voice.
Harry wonders how Dobby knew to rescue them. The blue eye that was in the mirror shard brings Dumbledore’s words back to him: Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it. Although Harry feels closer to understanding what Dumbledore intended for him to do, he also does not understand. Dumbledore had given Ron the Deluminator knowing he would need a way back. And he understood that there was regret within Wormtail. But what did Dumbledore know about him? Had he deliberately made everything so difficult to give Harry time to work everything out? Harry tells Bill and Fleur that he needs to speak to Griphook and Ollivander, overruling Fleur’s objections that they are still too weak. Bill starts to protest, but Harry reminds him that he is also in the Order and knows that Harry is on a mission for Dumbledore.
Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, first meets with Griphook, who is clutching Gryffindor’s Sword. When Griphook says that Harry is an odd wizard for burying an elf and rescuing a goblin, Harry is unsure if it is praise or insult. Harry asks for his help to break into a Gringotts vault, stunning Ron and Hermione. Griphook claims it is impossible, but Ron contradicts him, citing the break-in seven years ago; Griphook retorts that the vault was empty then. Harry assures Griphook he is not seeking personal gain. Griphook slowly agrees; the respect and protection Harry has shown for goblins and elves has convinced him that Harry is probably the only wizard who would not break into Gringotts for its treasures. Although Harry says the issue is not goblins versus wizards, Griphook points out that all magical creatures are suppressed under wizard rule and elves are being slaughtered. Who amongst the wizards protests? Hermione says they do, and, as a Mudblood, she has no higher position than the goblins and elves under Voldemort's new order. Griphook asks what Harry seeks in the Lestrange’s vault, being as he has the real Gryffindor’s Sword, but Harry says only that there are other things in the vault. Griphook says he will think about it, but he is tired and wants to sleep.
Hermione pulls Harry aside on the stair landing wanting to know if a Horcrux could be in the Lestrange vault. Harry confirms this; Bellatrix's terrified reaction when she thought they might have been inside it has convinced him. Ron reminds him that they are supposed to be searching in places important to Voldemort, but Harry thinks Voldemort would envy anyone with a key to one of the deep Gringotts vaults, something only the oldest Wizarding families could have. Harry also believes that Bellatrix and her husband are unaware that the extremely valuable artifact of Voldemort's they are keeping is a Horcrux, just as he never revealed the truth to Lucius Malfoy about the Diary. The safest place to hide anything, says Harry, is in Gringotts.
Harry talks to Ollivander, who thanks Harry for saving him. Harry asks if his broken wand can be repaired, but Ollivander says it is too badly damaged. Harry then shows Ollivander the two wands taken from Malfoy Manor. Ollivander identifies the first as Bellatrix’s walnut and dragon heartstring wand. Draco’s is hawthorn and unicorn hair, although he says that it may no longer actually belong to Draco because Harry captured it. He explains that wands can transfer their allegiance—the wand chooses the wizard. While a wizard can use almost any wand, if the wand has not bonded with the wizard, it is less effective. A conquered wand usually bends to its new master’s will, and this allegiance can be won without killing an opponent. Ron pulls out Wormtail's wand and asks if it is safe for him to use; Ollivander identifies it as the chestnut and dragon heartstring wand he was forced to make for Peter Pettigrew, and says it will serve Ron reasonably well if he did capture it. Harry asks about legends concerning wands that have passed ownership through murder. Ollivander nervously says he believes there is really only one, to which Harry responds, “And You-Know-Who is interested in it, isn’t he?” Ollivander acknowledges this and admits that he confessed to Voldemort while under torture about the twin cores in his and Harry’s wands. He also told Voldemort that he could just use another wand against Harry. But Harry says that did not work, his wand destroyed the other. Ollivander has never heard of anything like that happening before; Harry’s wand did something unique. Voldemort will now be seeking a wand more powerful than Harry's. Harry says Voldemort probably knows that his wand was broken by using the Prior Incantato spell on Hermione's confiscated wand. It will reveal that her spell broke Harry's wand and that she tried unsuccessfully to repair it.
Ollivander confirms that Voldemort knows about the Elder Wand and is probably seeking it not only to defeat Harry, but because he believes it will make him invincible. However, the wand's master is still vulnerable and must always be wary and fear attack. And while Ollivander believes the Elder Wand does exist, it is unlikely that it passes ownership only through murder. It gained a bloody history because it is such a desirable object, and many have fought for it. Ollivander is stunned when Harry asks if he told Voldemort that Gregorovitch once had the Elder Wand, but admits he did, although it was only a rumor that Gregorovitch may have started to help his business. When Harry asks him about the Deathly Hallows, Ollivander does not know what he is talking about. Harry believes he is being truthful and thanks him for the information. Harry then tells Ron and Hermione that Gregorovitch possessed the Elder Wand a long time ago, although when Voldemort found him, he no longer had it. It was stolen by Grindelwald. Harry suddenly "sees" Voldemort approaching Hogwarts’ gate but continues talking. With the wand, Grindelwald became the most powerful dark wizard of that time. Only Dumbledore could possibly defeat him, which he did in their legendary duel. Dumbledore captured the Elder Wand, and it is now at Hogwarts. Ron wants to go there immediately, but Harry says they are supposed to be hunting Horcruxes, not Deathly Hallows.
Everything suddenly grows dark and cool, then Harry sees himself walking along side Snape by the lake at Hogwarts. He dismisses Snape, saying he will speak with him shortly. The white marble tomb comes into view, and Voldemort splits it open with his wand. Dumbledore’s shrouded body lies within. The shroud layers fall away and under his folded arms is the Elder Wand. Voldemort wonders how Dumbledore could ever have believed that the tomb would protect it from him. As he reaches in and grabs the wand, sparks erupt from its tip. It is ready to serve its new master.
[edit] Analysis
Ollivander's comment that the Elder Wand's master must always fear attack is revealing, meaning that whoever wields the wand, despite its superior power, remains vulnerable and can be conquered. We saw the same warning in the Tale of the Three Brothers, where the brother with the Elder Wand was murdered in his sleep the very night after he first used the Wand in a duel. Harry realizes that if Grindelwald was the blond thief who stole the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch, and Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, that even without killing him, the wand's allegiance must have shifted to Dumbledore. Considering Grindelwald's and the wand's combined power, it is a testament to Dumbledore's considerable magical abilities that he was victorious. It is also a testament to Dumbledore's humanity that he spared Grindelwald, allowing him to be permanently incarcerated for his heinous crimes, although Dumbledore's prior relationship with Grindelwald may have tempered his actions. However, that humanity came with a price: leaving Grindelwald alive left a trail leading directly to the Elder Wand. Harry correctly surmises that Voldemort now knows the Elder Wand exists, and he will likely attempt to obtain it; Harry later sees Voldemort at Hogwarts as he is about to retrieve it from Dumbledore's tomb. However, Harry, whose obsession with the Deathly Hallows had put the mission at risk, decides to abandon his pursuit for them and instead focus only on finding and destroying the Horcruxes, a decision he makes despite his lingering doubts about Dumbledore.
Harry deeply mourns Dobby's death, and his choosing to dig Dobby's grave manually is, for him, a gesture showing respect, gratitude, and love to the House-elf who forfeited his life to save him. Using magic to quickly and easily excavate and refill a dirt hole would only have lessened Dobby's bravery and heroism in Harry's mind, and he feels obligated to exert himself physically to affirm Dobby's sacrifice before laying his fallen friend to rest. He also clothes Dobby's body to honor him as a free Elf, clothing symbolizing an Elf's sovereignty. Harry further acknowledges Dobby's independence on his tombstone for all to see. Ron and Dean helping to dig the grave not only shows respect for Dobby, but also their solidarity to Harry. Luna leading the others to say a few final words about Dobby is probably one of the rare times wizards have paid tribute to a House-elf.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- Does Griphook really believe that it is impossible to break into Gringotts? How might it be done?
- What does Griphook mean when he calls Harry an "odd" wizard? Why is Harry unsure if he is being praised or insulted?
- Hermione claims that Muggle-borns have as little status as non-human magical folk under Voldemort's rule. Is this accurate or not? Explain why.
- If the Elder Wand is the world's most powerful wand, why is its master always vulnerable to defeat? How might Dumbledore have won its allegiance from Grindelwald without killing him?
- Is Gringott's really the safest place to hide something as Harry claims? Explain.
[edit] Extra Study
- Why does Harry dig Dobby's grave without using any magic? Why do Ron and Dean help him?
- Why does Harry clothe Dobby's body before burying him?
- Is Harry correct that Dumbledore wanted it to take time for him to figure out how to complete the mission? If so, why?
- Why did Voldemort never reveal to Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy that the objects he entrusted them with were his Horcruxes? What might they have done if they had known?
- Why would Voldemort torture Ollivander for information rather than using a memory charm or a truth potion? Which method is more reliable?
- Why didn't Dumbledore kill Grindelwald in their duel? Was letting him live a wise choice? Explain why.
- Why would Dumbledore wish to be entombed with the Elder Wand, knowing Voldemort could easily retrieve it?
[edit] Greater Picture
By carefully examining Harry's questions to Mr. Ollivander, we can see that Harry is attempting to determine who is the Elder Wand's current master. Harry knows that Draco Malfoy forcibly removed the wand from Dumbledore's hand, and that it was unused before being placed inside the tomb with Dumbledore's corpse. Harry has already discovered that a wand that is borrowed or simply given to someone, as Ron did with the hawthorn wand he captured from a Snatcher and gave to Harry, usually works much less efficiently than the user's own wand. In fact, Ron, who captured it, was probably the hawthorn wand's actual master. Harry's questions seem intended to confirm that this theory about the Elder Wand is true. If it is, Voldemort will likely discover that the Elder wand performs far less effectively than he anticipated. The opposing theory, that the Elder Wand only changes allegiance when its master is murdered, seems supported by its bloody history; however, Harry realizes that Dumbledore fully commanded the wand despite Grindelwald's remaining alive, and Grindelwald, in turn, did not have to kill Gregorovitch to wield the wand's full power. Although Ollivander does confirm this theory, Harry remains unsure, and over the next weeks while they are planning the assault on Gringotts and recovering from their injuries, Harry repeatedly wonders if he did the right thing, allowing Voldemort to claim the Elder Wand.
As a side note, one might wonder how Ron was able to use the wand that Harry had simply given him in Malfoy Manor. By sheer luck, that wand was Pettigrew's, which Ron had wrested away from Pettigrew in the cellar. Though it had since been confiscated by Draco, it was surrendered by Ron rather than forcefully taken from him, and so Ron probably remained its new master. Harry pulling the wand away from Draco would have been less relevant to it, as Draco was never its master.
Hermione complains later that Bellatrix Lestrange's wand performs poorly for her; this is because, being nearly unconscious from pain, she took no part in the multiple disarmament jinxes or possession struggles, so that wand is now loyal to the last person who captured it, most likely Ron, who jinxed it from Bellatrix' hand. Knowing what he does now, Harry may be able to rectify that problem by having Hermione forcibly remove the wand from Ron's hand, though he does not. Possibly, his decision, conscious or otherwise, to withhold this solution may be partial retaliation for Hermione's comments regarding how Harry should be able to use the hawthorn wand. However, even if Harry did have Hermione forcibly take the wand from Ron, the wand might recognize that such a deliberately orchestrated act was a bogus "capture", and it would therefore remain under either Ron's, or possibly even Bellatrix', control.
