The Elder Wand, also known as the Deathstick or the Wand of Destiny, is a powerful wand in the Harry Potter series. Its loyalty and allegiance play an important role in the story.
What is the Elder Wand?
The Elder Wand is one of the three Deathly Hallows, along with the Resurrection Stone and Cloak of Invisibility. According to The Tale of the Three Brothers, it was created by Death himself and given to the oldest Peverell brother, Antioch. It is made of elder wood, hence the name, and contains a core of Thestral tail hair.
The wand is extremely powerful and can repair other wands. However, it is not unbeatable as some wizards believe. Its true power depends on the skill and ability of the wizard who wields it.
How does the Elder Wand’s loyalty work?
The Elder Wand’s allegiance shifts from one wizard to another when the current master is overpowered. As Ollivander explains, “the wand chooses the wizard.” However, the Elder Wand’s allegiance can change if the wizard is disarmed or defeated.
The wand’s loyalty does not have to pass to the one who killed its last owner. Simply defeating the previous master, such as by disarming them, can transfer the allegiance. As Dumbledore says, “its true master does not seek to kill, but to overpower.”
Who has the Elder Wand been loyal to?
Here is a timeline of known masters that the Elder Wand pledged its allegiance to:
Antioch Peverell
The oldest Peverell brother who received the wand from Death. He boasted about its power and was killed in his sleep by someone who stole it.
Emeric the Evil
A short-lived owner who terrorized the south of England with the wand. He was overthrown in a duel by Egbert the Egregious.
Egbert the Egregious
He defeated Emeric the Evil in a duel and took possession of the wand. His time as owner was also short.
Godelot
A powerful dark wizard who acquired the wand and used it to write the infamous Magick Moste Evile book. He was eventually overthrown by a rival or killed by a vengeful mob.
Hereward
Also called “Hereward the Wake.” A Saxon rebel leader who amassed a large following with the wand’s power before being defeated by the Norman invaders.
Barnabas Deverill
The founder of the pure-blood Deverill family. He used the wand’s reputation to establish his family’s influence in England before losing it in a duel.
Loxias
Allegedly the wand’s first foreign owner. He used it to become a Greek tyrant before being assassinated by the wizard Arcus and the Elder Wand passed to him.
Arcus
After assassinating Loxias, he laid claim to the Elder Wand. Not much is known about his time wielding it.
Livius
A foreign wizard who defeated Arcus and gained mastery of the wand, using it to carve out a kingdom for himself in Europe.
Unidentified Dark Wizard
Killed by a mob of angry peasants, the wand passed to one of the members of the attacking mob.
Unidentified Peasant
A member of the mob that killed the previous owner. The wand’s allegiance passed to this unlikely person when its previous master was defeated.
Unidentified Owner
Little is known about the wand passing through various hands over several decades.
Godelot
Godelot managed to reclaim ownership of the Elder Wand decades after originally possessing it, before losing it again prior to his death.
Sir Patric
A wizard who commissioned the building of the Leaning Tower of Pisa as a grand gesture to impress his sweetheart using the power of the Elder Wand.
Unidentified Dark Wizard
This owner was overcome by a mob of torch-bearing Muggles, with the wand passing to one of the assailants again.
Loxias
The wand found its way back to Loxias centuries after his first term as its master. It is unknown how he regained mastery of it.
Unidentified Owner
There are no known details about this owner or how they came to possess the wand.
Arcus and/or Livius
It is unclear precisely when, but the wand returned to the possession of one of its ancient European owners, either Arcus or Livius.
Egbert the Egregious
Egbert had ownership of the wand a second time, proving he must have defeated Arcus or Livius in a duel after originally overthrowing Emeric the Evil.
Godelot
The celebrated dark wizard laid claim to the wand for a third term and used its power widely until his death, when it passed to his own killer.
Mykew Gregorovitch
A Russian wandmaker due to his skill and knowledge of wands. He obtained the wand from slaying Godelot. He lost it in a duel with the Dark wizard Grindelwald.
Gellert Grindelwald
The infamous dark wizard rose to power in Europe during the early 20th century after claiming mastery of the Elder Wand by defeating Gregorovitch.
Albus Dumbledore
Dumbledore dueled and defeated Grindelwald in 1945, winning mastery of the legendary Elder Wand and becoming its longest-known owner.
Draco Malfoy
He disarmed Dumbledore atop the Astronomy Tower in 1997 before Snape killed Dumbledore. This meant Draco was unknowingly the master of the Elder Wand.
Harry Potter
Harry disarmed Draco Malfoy at Malfoy Manor in 1998, making him the wand’s new master without realizing it. He gained physical possession of it by overpowering Voldemort.
Was Voldemort ever the true master?
No. Voldemort never gained mastery of the Elder Wand even though he physically possessed it. He stole it from Dumbledore’s tomb but did not defeat Dumbledore before his death. The wand’s allegiance passed from Dumbledore to Draco to Harry.
Voldemort was obsessed with an unbeatable wand and believed he needed to kill Harry to gain its full loyalty. But the wand refused to harm Harry and backfired on Voldemort, leading to his death.
Conclusion
The Elder Wand’s loyalty is complex and shifts between many different wizards over centuries. Its allegiance passes to whoever defeats its previous master, not necessarily who wields it physically. This causes complications when the wand changes hands without dueling or killing.
Ultimately, Harry Potter gains mastery of the legendary wand by disarming Draco Malfoy, even though he did not realize it at first. Voldemort never becomes its true master before his death despite stealing the wand, as he never defeated its previous owner Dumbledore.
