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For example, since Harry won Draco's wand from him, how would Draco's hawthorn wand respond to him if he regained possession of it at some point without winning it back?

For those who say it would have acted normally, how can a wand change allegiance and then behave normally for its original master afterwards? Yes, Rowling states that wands will often retain some loyalty to the original owner even when won, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will work fully for the original master without them winning it back outright?

Likewise, how does the wand work for winner, in this case, Harry? He states that it works at least as well as Hermione's had, but it would probably have to work better than that because he never reported any problems using it like he did with the blackthorn wand that he had not won.

Is there a possibility that a wand that has been won is in a conflicted state, not truly working fully for anyone because of its divided loyalty?

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    I see it more as logging in to the PC from 2 different accounts. As long as there's no CONCURRENT conflict, it works for both owners. Unless you're the Elder Wande
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Jun 25, 2014 at 15:17
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    @DVK : And of course at a time , one account is having admin rights.
    – Rajan
    Jun 25, 2014 at 17:03
  • @Rajan Actually both accounts can have admin rights simultaneously.
    – jon2512chua
    Jun 26, 2014 at 2:37
  • I'd say it also depends on WHO the previous owner was and what he/she taught the wand. Harry was a lot better with Hermione's wand than the blackthorn wand.
    – Righter
    Mar 19, 2021 at 14:42

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It depends on the wand, and particularly on the wand wood. According to Pottermore, some types of wood used for wand are especially loyal to their first owner no matter what, such as applewood, while others like elder wood respond to power, and will give total allegiance to whomever wins them, forsaking their previous owner.

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  • Of course there would probably be issues when using a wand against the original master, but it would still do the job, albeit with more focus and less power. The wand will always have a small part in its heart (core?) that belongs to its original master. My guess is that the wands are bound by an older magic than that of humans (think goblins and house elves) and that they abide by more formal rules. Wands will always work to some extent, but will do better when at the disposal of their rightful masters (the winner of a duel). That being said, the wands will always work best when the original owner also happens to be the rightful owner.
  • The biggest issue, in my eyes, with using other people's wands is whether or not the wand is compatible/familiar with the user. As seen in Ollivander's wand shop, some wands focus a wizard/witch's powers, while others go awry. As a magic-user gets older, they would be able to better channel this energy, but wouldn't be up to their prime without the proper wand at their side.

TL;DR Wands will always work for the user, better for rightful owner, best for original owner - may be due to simple compatibility and familiarity.

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  • but if the wand changes allegiance, it won't work as well for the original owner, it will work best for the winner
    – USER920
    Jul 3, 2014 at 22:29

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