The Dark Lord no longer seeks the Elder Wand only for your destruction, Mr Potter. He is determined to possess it because he believes it will make him truly invulnerable." — Ollivander [src] So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death!" — The Tale of the Three Brothers [src] J. K. Rowling stated that wands with Thestral tail hair cores can only be mastered by those who can accept death. Therefore, it would seem impossible for someone like Voldemort, who was obsessed with immortality and therefore unwilling to accept death, to ever master the Elder Wand. Could a witch have owned the Elder Wand at some point? It’s possible, especially if she did so stealthily, unknowingly or if it simply went undocumented for whatever reason. After all, entire centuries of the wand’s history remain unaccounted for. One witch even claimed to have killed the wand’s then-master (namely Loxias; the claim was made by his own mother). And what about Tina Goldstein in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? We saw her disarming Grindelwald. If Grindelwald had the Elder Wand at this point – did this make her the master? At the end of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the Elder Wand is seen lying on the headmaster's desk, instead of being buried in the White Tomb. This scene must take place before Dumbledore's burial (which isn't seen on film), given that in the next film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the wand is buried with its former master.

In a interview with Melissa Anelli in the enhanced edition of Harry a History Rowling said that she and her American editor Arthur had an interesting conversation during the editing of book seven - the moment when Harry takes Draco's wand: " Arthur said, God, that's the moment when the ownership of the Elder wand is actually transferred? And I said, that's right. He said, shouldn't that be a bit more dramatic? And I said, no, not at all, the reverse. I said to Arthur, I think it really puts the elaborate, grandiose plans of Dumbledore and Voldemort in their place. That actually the history of the wizarding world hinged on two teenage boys wrestling with each other. They weren't even using magic. It became an ugly little corner tussle for the possession of wands. And I really liked that - that very human moment, as opposed to these two wizards who were twitching strings and manipulating and implanting information and husbanding information and guarding information, you know? Ultimately it just came down to that, a little scuffle and fistfight in the corner and pulling a wand away." [29] When they returned to Hogsmeade, Madam Rosmerta informed them that the Dark Mark had been conjured over the Astronomy Tower. In the tower, Dumbledore told Harry not to interfere in the events that were about to take place there, and, to ensure this, placed him in a Body-Bind Curse under his invisibility cloak. Hidden, Harry was unable to intervene as Dumbledore (now extremely weakened by the potion) was Disarmed by Draco Malfoy. The wand flew from Dumbledore's hands over the battlements, [19] but was clearly found later, as it was placed in Dumbledore's grave alongside his corpse. [20] When DD tells Harry that his wand only has extraordinary powers against LV's wand and that against all other wands it's just an ordinary one, he adds: "Though it's a fine wand, I'm sure." Now that can be taken as just an afterthought because he is afraid he has hurt Harry's feelings, but it could also be that DD in fact 'is sure' it is a fine wand, because it used to be his. Over the years, Grindelwald raised an army and began a reign of terror that spread through several European countries and resulted in the murder of many wizards and Muggles for many years. He never attempted to seize power in Britain, though, due to his fear of his former friend Dumbledore, who was " a shade more skilful" than he was. During his reign, Grindelwald built the Nurmengard prison to hold any enemies or objectors, all while claiming that everything he did was " for the greater good", which was the phrase he inscribed above the entrance of Nurmengard.After his falling out with Dumbledore, Grindelwald delved into his research of the Deathly Hallows and uncovered the location of the Elder Wand. Rumours had been circulating that the renowned wandmaker Gregorovitch had the wand and was trying to duplicate its properties. Grindelwald broke into the wandmaker's workshop, and succeeded in claiming ownership of the fabled wand by waiting until Gregorovitch came and then casting a stunning spell at him, making himself the rightful owner. When Lord Voldemort used the Elder Wand without mastering it, he claimed that the wand only unleashed his regular (albeit immensely powerful) level of magic and not the unbeatable effects it was rumoured to possess. It's unknown if the wand would work this way for another who hasn't mastered it though, as Voldemort has used the wands of others in the past with no handicap, it's likely that this is his own power rather than that of the Elder Wand. The Elder Wand's power comes from a user's skill, as it doesn't make a wizard or witch inherently invulnerable. This is how Dumbledore was able to obtain the Elder Wand. In 1945, Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald took part in a duel considered one of the greatest duels in the wizarding world. However, as the two got older, their beliefs drove a wedge between them as Grindelwald sought to take over the muggle world, and Dumbledore opposed this idea. This eventually led to a duel for the ages.

Dumbledore's commentary on The Tale of the Three Brothers notes that all known masters of the Elder Wand had been men, with no woman even claiming to have possessed the artefact. [2] Personalize your wand with custom engraving including your name, special dates, or even famous quotes from the beloved Harry Potter series, the perfect way to add a special touch to your wand, making it feel truly unique and personal. In the Deathly Hallows symbol, the Elder Wand was shown as the vertical line that went right through the middle of the circle and the triangle; it represented the aspects of power and invincibility of the Hallows as a whole, the tent pole, as it were, of the entire edifice. Dumbledore's wand is made from the wood of an elder tree, which is why it is known as the Elder Wand.While the "Elder Wand" (capitalised) referred to one of the Deathly Hallows, other wands had been made from elder wood, [2] such as Lottie Turner's wand. [26] In general wizards seemed to eschew elder wands, due at least in part to the sordid history of the Elder Wand itself, favouring wands made from various other woods, such as holly, willow, vine, and oak. [2] Ron repeated an old wizarding saying, " Wand of elder, never prosper" after Hermione read The Tale of the Three Brothers, to illustrate how wizarding lore might be passed from generation to generation. [13] See also [ ] http://www.snitchseeker.com/harry-potter-news/j-k-rowling-explains-grindelwald-and-dumbledores-relationship-dracos-wand-transfer-71142/ Some of its early owners were Emeric the Evil, Egbert the Egregious, Godelot, Hereward, Barnabas Deverill, and Loxias. Either Arcus or Livius may have taken it from Loxias, but Dumbledore claims no one really knows and quipped that it could have been Loxias's own mother. In an alternate reality in which Neville Longbottom never killed Nagini, Voldemort managed to kill Harry, suggesting that the Dark Lord had used his immortality to help him overcome the rebounding curse and mastered the wand. It's unknown what would have happened to the Elder Wand if Dumbledore had been killed by the Inferi in the Horcrux Cave. It might be that its loyalty would have passed to their master, as Voldemort seemed to believe would be the case when he instructed Nagini to kill Snape.