How did Voldemort actually die?

I’ve been thinking about this, and the explanations we’re given don’t quite add up.

First, they say Harry is the master of the Elder Wand because he disarmed Malfoy. But here’s the thing — Malfoy wasn’t even holding the Elder Wand at the time. He was holding his own wand. So how does that work exactly? That connection feels like a bit of a stretch.

Then there’s the idea that the Killing Curse rebounded because the Elder Wand wouldn’t kill its true master. But if that’s the case, why wouldn’t the wand just refuse to cast the spell at all? Why would it rebound instead of simply malfunctioning? A rebound makes it look like Harry has some kind of protective magic strong enough to reflect Avada Kedavra, which raises even more questions.

I’d love to hear what you all think. Am I missing something, or is this one of those things we’re just supposed to accept and move on?

  • Otherbarry@lemmy.zipEnglish
    4·
    1 month ago

    But if that’s the case, why did the wand kill Harry the first time in the woods? Why didn’t it just fly out, spin around, and hit Voldemort then?

    At that specific point Harry Potter was still the second to last existing horcrux (leaving Nagini as the last one) so you could say the Elder Wand was actually aiming for the piece of Voldemort horcrux.

    During the final duel Harry Potter is no longer a Voldemort horcrux, he’s just himself at that point.

    At least that’s my take on how that worked out but it’s been a bit since I’ve read the books, maybe there’s a detail I’m forgetting.

    • tug7503@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      1·
      1 month ago

      At that specific point Harry Potter was still the second to last existing horcrux (leaving Nagini as the last one) so you could say the Elder Wand was actually aiming for the piece of Voldemort horcrux.

      That makes sense logically. (If the curse didn’t hit Harry at all)

      But that would be far too absurd a spectacle. Imagine Voldemort watching his own Killing Curse fly out and curve straight back at him mid-flight. LOL

      I personally don’t think that fits the serious atmosphere of the final battle.

      • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        8 days ago

        There’s a few ways to maybe look at it but in general there is a killing curse shot at Harry (the master of death) by a wand that doesn’t want to kill him but also the killing curse “doesn’t leave a mark.”. Thus one would believe it hits a body, and seperates it from the soul. The soul drifting away to the realm of the dead. (No markings on the bodies that muggles ever identify as causes of death)

        There were 2 separate souls in Harry’s body.

        The wand was built by death meant to trick people with their own arrogance. Thus like you stated elsewhere, it makes sense the killing wand meant to wind you up dead would care about the misgivings like draco cowering/holding back rather than harry going full tilt to survive. If you are defeated it believes your soul should be the property of Death.

        Voldemort, a grown man who spent years trying to make sure he would never die, wielded a wand meant to kill it’s users fighting someone he had failed to kill over and over.

        There was no chance that wand was going to obey Voldemort.