In the realm of wands, a certain rule exists - a rule that took shape in the seventh installment of the Harry Potter series:
"Where a wand has been won, its allegiance will change."
Indeed it was Ollivander who introduced this notion that if a witch or wizard should "beat" another, then the victor should simply own the loser's wand and that wand should naturally respond to its new carrier.
Such was a vital issue in Deathly Hallows, especially when considering the devious plot twists centered on the Elder Wand's bloody legacy. Not to mention the rule's importance at the final resolution of the series where the loyalty of the Elder Wand, in reality, defined Harry's victory.
Now, as was made clear in Deathly Hallows, the term "beating" really has a variety of meanings.
Let us look at the Elder Wand's path and see what we can derive:
1) Death -> Antioch Peverell (Killed in his sleep)
2) Emeric "The Evil" (Died in a duel) ->
Egbert (Unkown demise)
3) Godelot (Son locked him in a cellar) ->
Hereward (Stole it)
4) Barnabas Deverill -> Loxias (Unknown demise)
5) Gregorovitch -> Grindelwald (Stole it)
6) Grindelwald (Defeated in a duel) -> Dumbledore
7) Dumbledore -> Draco Malfoy (Expelliarmus)
8) Draco Malfoy -> Harry Potter
(Stole Draco's regular wand)
When taking the above into consideration, it's obvious that the term "beating" can be interpreted rather loosely. As was proven by Dumbledore's defeat of Grindelwald in 1945, the previous owner of the Elder Wand does not necessarily need to have died for the transfer of loyalty to take effect.
Clearly, this wand of power responds to violence. It has been stolen, killed for, and betrayed for. It is that great "possession" in the wizard world - the ultimate fantasy of people young and old. And yet, it attracts those who are most vicious, people who are overcome with greed. Much like the Mirror of Erised, which allows people to see their deepest desires, the wand does not really promise greatness. No, the Elder Wand brings misfortune to its carriers going back as far as the failure of Antioch Peverell.
"The Elder wand has never been destroyed or buried, but has survived to accumulate wisdom, strength, and power far beyond the ordinary."
Luckily, unbeknownst to Dumbledore - (or was it!) - Harry saw to it that the wand was returned to his tomb.
This loyalty of wands (or lack thereof) adds a new face to their nature. Perhaps, they are no more tools than the sun or the moon. While one can harness a wand's power, can they ever truly own it?
There's also something very important to remember: the Elder Wand is a Deathly Hallow. Whether it was indeed given by Death himself, or simply a dark creation of the eldest Peverell, the Elder Wand is altogether different from the normal, and should be judged as such. Considering its properties though, I believe this wand follows the rules of the others but to an extreamly greater extent. Meaning, while a regular wand may adapt to its carriers' sparring strategies - as in blocking curses with a flick, the Elder Wand might learn to reflect spells back at the opponent!
This is some intense stuff! In any case, we can't have full understanding of wands until we decipher that exciting mystery which is Priori Incantatem.
