The Elder Wand is the most powerful wand in theHarry Potter universe, and here's everyone who has owned it. J.K. Rowling's book series has become one of the biggest franchises in existence thanks to the fandom surrounding the novels and subsequent movie adaptations. The originalHarry Potterfranchise consists of eight movies released from 2001 to 2011. Warner Bros. is still making new movies set in this world, with theFantastic Beastsseries exploring the Wizarding World several decades beforeHarry Potter's story.
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One of the hallmarks of the entire franchise is the Elder Wand. The origin of the famed Deathstick is born out of legend. The Peverell brothers managed to outsmart Death and were given any gift they could think of. The eldest brother asked for the most powerful wand ever to exist, so Death created the Elder Wand. The second brother received the Resurrection Stone, and the youngest brother received the Cloak of Invisibility. These three objects make upthe Deathly Hallows.
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While not all wands are bound to their specific owners, the Elder Wand can only be truly mastered by its rightful owner. Early on in the Elder Wand's existence, the legendary nature of its powers made it a coveted object for power-hungry wizards. This initially led to the belief that a wizard must murder the current owner to master the Elder Wand. Instead, the ownership of the Elder Wand can be passed from one wizard to another through simple disarmament. And with a history that spans centuries, many wizards have been known to be the owner of the Elder Wand.
Antioch Peverell
Antioch Peverell is the original master of the Elder Wand. While the legend states that Death created the powerful wand for him, other wizards, such as Albus Dumbledore, believed that Antioch made the wand himself. The pure-blood wizard's time with the Elder Wand quickly led to him killing someone with who he got in a fight. In the celebration of his victory, Antioch got drunk and spread the story that the Elder Wand was created by Death itself. This boasting led to another wizard killing Antioch in his sleep to take the Elder Wand for himself, but the killer's identity is unknown.
Emeric the Evil
Emeric the Evil was a powerful Dark Wizard during the Middle Ages. He came into possession of the Elder Wand at an unspecified time but used it throughout the early portions of the Middle Ages to attack England. The specifics of his conquests are not known, but he was eventuallykilled in a duel with the Elder Wand's next owner.
Egbert the Egregious
Egbert the Egregious became the owner of the Elder Wand following his slaughtering of Emeric. He mastered the powerful wand, butHarry Potter hasn't revealed much about what he did with it. Dumbledore suggests that his time with the Elder Wand didn't last very long. It isn't confirmed who defeated the evil wizard to take the Elder Wand immediately after him.
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Godelot
Godelot came into possession of the Elder Wand sometime later, making it possible that he was the one who killed Egbert. Unlike most of the past owners, Godelot didn't use the Elder Wand for conquests. Instead, he wrote the book "Magick Moste Evile" (the book that taught Voldemort about Horcruxes) after learning about its powers and filled the book with information on dark magic. Godelot died during the Middle Ages in a cellar after being locked in it by the Elder Wand's next owner.
Hereward
In J.K.'s wealth of Harry Potter lore, the next owner of the Elder Wand is Hereward.Hereward is the son of Godelot and locked his father in a cell to gain ownership of the Elder Wand. Hereward's accomplishments with the Elder Wand have not been explored in anyHarry Potter material thus far. He eventually lost the Elder Wand, but it is unknown who took it from him or how he was defeated.
Barnabas Deverill
Barnabas Deverill came to own the Elder Wand in the eighteenth century. His time with the wand helped gain him the reputation of a "fearsome warlock," according to Albus Dumbledore. However, it is not known what Barnabas did with the Elder Wand that brought such fame.
Loxias
Loxias became the owner of Harry Potter's infamous Elder Wand after murdering Barnabas Deverill in the eighteenth century. The Dark Wizard came to master the wand and used it to kill any enemy who dared stand in his way. Loxias is responsible for coining the Deathstick name for the Elder Wand. It is unknown how many people Loxias defeated with the Elder Wand or who specifically killed him. Many wizards claimed to be responsible for his death, including his mother.
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Arcus or Livius
According to Xenophilius Lovegood, Loxias' killer and the next owner of the Elder Wand was likely either Arcus or Livius. There is not much known about either possible owner of the Elder Wand. Either of them werekilled by an unknown wizard, allowing the Elder Wand ownership to pass.
Mykew Gregorovitch
Mykew Gregorovitch (who probably sold Gellert Grindelwald his very first wand) became the owner and master of the Elder Wand sometime in the 1900s. He was an expert wand maker and became quite knowledgeable about wand lore. He eventually came into possession of the Elder Wand through unknown means. Gregorovitch attempted to duplicate the Elder Wand's power for some time and then tried to use it to improve business at his shop. However, this led to someone stealing the Elder Wand and stunning Gregorovitch as he escaped.
Gellert Grindelwald
The young man who stole the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch was Gellert Grindelwald. Gellert decided to steal the Elder Wand as part of his desire to obtain the Deathly Hallows and heard that Gregorovitch had it. The stunning spell Gellert cast on Gregorovitch was enough to make him the rightful owner of the wand. Grindelwald owned the Elder Wand for decades and used its powers to terrorize Europe. His use of the wand inFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledoreallowed him to reanimate a dead qillin, to choose him at the wizarding election. Gellert continued using the Elder Wand beyond this point, leading to a confrontation with Albus Dumbledore. Albus defeated him in combat, leaving Gellert to go back to prison.
Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore achieved ownership of the Elder Wand after the legendary duel with Gellert Grindelwald. Albus possessed the Elder Wand for the next forty years of his life and took it with him to his grave. During his time with the Elder Wand, Albus used its magnificent powers for good and helped gain him the reputation of the world's most powerful wizard. He used the Elder Wand in several instances during theHarry Potter story, including duels with Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic Atrium and saving Harry from the Inferi. Although the Elder Wand was with Dumbledore in his grave, it switched owners before he died.
Related: Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Deleted Scene Made Draco's Redemption Better
Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy wasnotthe one who killed Albus Dumbledore, as Severus Snape intervened. Still, he did become the rightful owner of the Elder Wand after disarming the powerful wizard. Draco was unaware that he was the true owner of the Elder Wand at that moment and never wielded it.
Lord Voldemort
Voldemort was searching for the Elder Wand even before Dumbledore's death, and his search for the wand led him to meet and kill Gregorovitch and Grindelwald for information on its location. This led Voldemort to eventually learn that it was Dumbledore's and broke into his grave to steal it. He was able to use some of the Elder Wand's power but wanted to unlock its full capabilities. Voldemort knew that Snape was responsible for killing Dumbledore and set out to kill him so that he'd become the rightful owner of the Elder Wand. Although he successfully killedSnape, Voldemort was unaware that Draco had disarmed Dumbledore moments before.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter became the owner of the Elder Wandafter a skirmish with Draco led Harry to rip Draco's wand from his hand. Even though this was not the Elder Wand, the disarmament of Draco in any fashion still meant that the Elder Wand's ownership had now secretly passed to Harry. However, he didn't realize what had happened until his final duel with Voldemort at Hogwarts. With the wand's allegiance to Harry, Voldemort's attempt to use the Killing Curse on Harry backfired and killed him instead. Harryused the Elder Wand to repair his original wand so that he would not have to keep using the deadly wand. Hethen breaksthe Elder Wand in half, seemingly eliminating its power and ending the line.
The Elder Wand’s Powers Explained
The Elder Wand is described in theHarry Potterbooks as the "most powerful wand in existence"— here's what that means. The wand is made fromthe wood of an elder tree with the hair of a Thestral's tail as the core. The Thestral hair core is said to be incredibly difficult to tame and deeply unlucky. Somehow, it works for the Elder Wand, whose allegiance to its user is total. The only way that the Elder Wand can be won is through the disarming charm (Expelliarmus!), theft, or by taking it out of the wizard's hands. The legendary Deathly Hallow isn't given a list of powers, per se, but it has been shown to perform incredible feats. It's said to perform the most complicated of magic, even if the user isn't all that capable. It also can mend wands, as Harry uses it to fix his own inHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Related:Why Harry Potter Didn’t Resurrect Dumbledore In Deathly Hallows
That doesn't mean that the Elder Wand can do everything, though. For example, while under Dumbledore's possession, it couldn't un-petrify the students during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It also couldn't fix Dumbledore's withered hand or counteract the effects of Voldemort's potion inHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. So while the Elder Wand is a mighty tool of death and destruction, it does have its limitations.
Harry Potter Canon Is Really The Journey Of The Elder Wand
When one looks at theHarry Potterseries in its entirety, the whole story could be considered a journey of the Elder Wand and the Deathly Hallows. From the beginning of the book series, Dumbledore had the Elder Wand. He also had the second piece of the Deathly Hallows, the invisibility cloak, which he saved for when Harry got to Hogwarts. The Hogwarts headmaster came in possession of the final Deathly Hallow when he acquired Voldemort's Horcrux ring, which held the resurrection stone. Dumbledore knew from the beginning, or at least guessed, that the only way Harry could live would be to have all three Hallows in his possession. Though the Elder Wand was only introduced in the last book, Dumbledore always intended it to be passed on to Harry. While it took a while to get there, the Harry Potter canon hinges on the possession of the Elder Wand, and Harry becomes the complete master of death.
Will Fantastic Beasts Ever Get To Show The Famous Dumbledore/Grindelwald Duel?
In theFantastic Beastsfranchise, Gellert Grindelwald is the holder of the Elder Wand. Anyone who has read theHarry Potterseries knows that Dumbledore defeats Grindelwald in a legendary battle, therefore gaining possession of the tool.Fantastic Beasts 3's ending saw a small scrimmage between the two, but certainly not the harrowing battle that legend speaks of. By the end of the movie, Grindelwald is still holding the Elder Wand. TheFantastic Beastsseries was supposed to have five films. That being said,Fantastic Beasts 4might not happen.
Due to the poor critical reception ofThe Crimes of GrindelwaldandThe Secrets of Dumbledore, a fourth installment might not happen. On top of that, director David Yates has another project in the works, and no announcement forFantastic Beasts 4has been made. Coupled with this are the numerous controversies surrounding Johnny Depp and Ezra Miller. Therefore, people may not get to see the legendary fight between Grindelwald and Dumbledore.TheFantastic Beastsfranchise has been muddied by refocusing on Dumbledore instead of Newt, the complicated plot, and breakingHarry Pottercanon. The Elder Wand has been passed around for a long time, and people may not get to see Dumbledore's initial acquisition of it.
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FAQs
Who are the owners of the Elders wand? ›
Why was Draco the true owner of the Elder Wand? Voldemort thinks that he becomes the true owner of the Elder Wand by stealing it from Dumbledore's grave, but in the end we learn that the true owner was really Draco Malfoy, that is until Harry defeated him and allegiance transferred to Harry.
Who owns the Elder Wand after Draco? ›Harry Potter's possession
Nearly a year after Draco had unintentionally become the wand's master, Harry Potter had taken Draco's wand by force during the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor, thus making him the new and final master of the Elder Wand.
As fans know, Dumbledore won the Elder Wand off Gellert Grindelwald when they dueled in 1945, and Dumbledore maintained control of the Elder Wand until his death.
Did Snape become the owner of the Elder Wand? ›This nuance was lost on Lord Voldemort, who wrongly assumed Severus Snape held the Elder Wand because he was Dumbledore's killer, when in reality Draco had disarmed Dumbledore before Snape arrived on the scene, making Malfoy the wand's true new owner.
Who was the Elder Wand truly loyal to? ›We know the Elder Wand allied with Draco Malfoy, who disarmed rather than killed Albus Dumbledore. It later switched its loyalty to Harry Potter during his escape from Malfoy Manor.
Why did Draco's mom save Harry? ›Narcissa Malfoy's Very Dangerous Lie
But she was also a mother, which meant she was willing to risk everything to make sure her son was safe. When Harry survived Voldemort's Killing Curse for the second time, Narcissa pretended he was dead so she could get to Draco.
Grindelwald later loses the wand to Dumbledore in a duel in 1945.
Who are the owners of the Invisibility Cloak? ›Dumbledore gave Harry the Invisibility Cloak. This was as a gift at Christmas in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Dumbledore had the cloak since he had asked James Potter to borrow the cloak to study it. However, when James passed away, it stayed in Dumbeldore's possessions until he gifted it to Harry.
How did Dumbledore get all 3 Deathly Hallows? ›At different points, Dumbledore possessed all three Deathly Hallows. He won the Elder Wand from Grindelwald, had the Invisibility Cloak in his possession when James Potter died, and wore the Resurrection Stone as it sat in Marvolo Gaunt's ring. Dumbledore's powers are really quite extraordinary!
What is the strongest wand in Harry Potter? ›The Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever created, is one of three objects that make up the Deathly Hallows, including the Cloak of Invisibility and the Resurrection Stone. The Elder Wand was 15 inches long, formed by Death himself, made of elder wood, and contained the center of the tail-hair of Thestral.
Who killed Grindelwald? ›
Fifty-three years after his defeat, Grindelwald was slain in his prison cell by Lord Voldemort, who was searching for the Elder Wand for himself. It was only during the confrontation in Grindelwald's cell that Voldemort learned Albus Dumbledore had claimed the wand long ago.
What is the strongest core for a wand? ›Dragon. As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells.
What did Ollivander lie to Voldemort? ›Ollivander confesses that he told Voldemort to look to Gregorovitch for the wand, because Gregorovitch was rumored to possess it. However, though Ollivander knows about the history of the Elder Wand and its powers, he doesn't know about the Deathly Hallows or the wand's connection to the other artifacts.
Who owned the Elder Wand before Grindelwald? ›Though nobody speaks of the Elder Wand in this film, Grindelwald presumably already wields the most powerful wand in existence. According to Rowling's timeline, Grindelwald steals the Elder Wand from wand maker Gregorovitch sometime between 1900 and 1926, before the events of Fantastic Beasts.
Did Dumbledore let Draco disarm him? ›No. Albus Dumbledore did not intend for Draco Malfoy to disarm him. The door burst open and somebody erupted through it and shouted, “Expelliarmus!”
Why was the Elder Wand so powerful? ›The author has indicated that the core of the Elder Wand is a hair from a Thestral, "a powerful and tricky substance that can be mastered only by a witch or wizard capable of facing death." This seems entirely appropriate given the association with death of the Elder Wand, and of the Thestral.
How did Harry survive Avada Kedavra in the forest? ›Voldemort intentionally made six Horcruxes, but when he used Avada Kedavra on Harry, he unintentionally created a seventh Horcrux. Instead of dying, Lily's love for Harry created a counter 'curse' known as Sacrificial Protection and saved Harry.
Who had the Death Eater Thorn wand? ›Fenrir Greyback Wand with Character Wand Box
The wand of Death Eater and werewolf Fenrir Greyback.
If the owner 0f the Elder wand died of natural causes, that means he died undefeated by anyone. The power of the wand dies with him, too, since it is not possible to “conquer” the wand anymore. The Elder Wand changed masters when the previous one is beaten, like Harry disarming Malfoy.
How did Dumbledore get so powerful? ›These give him insight, but so too does Dumbledore's own past. Because he hasn't always equated power with love. One of the first things we ever learn about Dumbledore is that his fame was partly forged by defeating Gellert Grindelwald, the world's Darkest wizard in a pre-Voldemort age.
Why does Malfoy's mom lie to Voldemort? ›
Not knowing whether Draco was alive or dead, Narcissa chose to lie to the Dark Lord rather than risk losing her son. When Voldemort asked her to check if Harry was dead and she realised he was, in fact, still breathing, Narcissa seized her opportunity.
Why did Narcissa divorce Lucius? ›In fact, Lucius' own support to Voldemort is revealed to come only under some form of duress, which is likely Narcissa's Veela Allure. When Lucius turns on Voldemort due to the reveal of his Horcruxes, Narcissa divorces him, taking 75% of Malfoy's wealth with her.
Why is the Malfoy family rich? ›Having rendered unknown, shady (and almost certainly magical) services to King William I, Malfoy was given a prime piece of land in Wiltshire, seized from local landowners, upon which his descendants have lived for ten consecutive centuries.
Why can t Albus fight Grindelwald? ›Dumbledore and Grindelwald took a blood oath to not fight each other. "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," the second film in the series, reveals that as teenagers Dumbledore and Grindelwald undertook a blood pact that wouldn't allow them to move against each other.
Who did Dumbledore love? ›"I always saw Dumbledore as gay," Rowling said in response to a fan question about Dumbledore's love life. "Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald" and was "blinded" by it. "This was Dumbledore's tragedy."
How did Voldemort get Nagini? ›Nagini was Lord Voldemort's final Horcrux
In an interview, J.K. Rowling revealed that it was the murder of Bertha Jorkins that made Nagini a Horcrux. After Voldemort discovered his Horcruxes were in danger, Nagini was magically protected, described as being encased in a 'starry, translucent sphere'.
Additionally, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Professor Dumbledore looks right at Harry and Ron underneath the Invisibility Cloak while in Hagrid's hut, suggesting that Dumbledore might actually be able to see through the Invisibility Cloak.
Did Dumbledore have all three Deathly Hallows? ›Dumbledore, at one point, possessed all three Deathly Hallows. From Dumbledore's letters to Grindelwald in Deathly Hallows, it is obvious that the headmaster of Hogwarts was obsessed with the idea of the Hallows in his youth.
How many Invisibility Cloaks exist? ›Why are there two Invisibility cloaks in Harry Potter Series?
Who is the heir of Gryffindor? ›Harry is the magical Heir of Gryffindor (and he's also a descendent of Godric), Neville of Hufflepuff, Hermione of Slytherin and Luna of Ravenclaw.
Was Harry's Invisibility Cloak a deathly Hallow? ›
The three Deathly Hallows – the Invisibility Cloak, the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand – have tempted many a wizard over the years.
What is Albus Dumbledore's secret? ›In the opening scene of The Secrets of Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) revealed that he was in fact in love with Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) when they were teenagers, and the blood oath was a witness of their love.
Who has the weakest wand? ›Overall, Neville owns one of the weakest wands in Harry Potter.
Who has the 2nd most powerful wand? ›- Severus Snape's Wand. ...
- Gellert Grindelwald's Wand. ...
- Bellatrix Lestrange's Wand. ...
- Harry Potter's Wand. ...
- Lord Voldemort's Wand. ...
- Professor Dumbledore's Original Wand. ...
- Merlin's Wand. ...
- The Elder Wand.
- Hermione Granger. ...
- Fenrir Greyback. ...
- Fleur Delacour. ...
- Sirius Black. ...
- Bellatrix Lestrange. ...
- Horace Slughorn. ...
- Lord Voldemort. ...
- The Elder Wand. The Elder Wand is the coolest wand in all of Harry Potter for many reasons.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore confirmed that Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore (Ezra Miller) is the new Snape (Alan Rickman) through a very familiar line delivered by Aberforth Dumbledore (Richard Coyle). Fantastic Beasts 3 finally shed light on the Credence being Aurelius Dumbledore plot twist.
Is Grindelwald Voldemort's Father? ›Voldemort is also not the child of Grindelwald, since his father is famously known to be Tom Riddle.
What is the rarest wand in wizarding world? ›Poplar – rarest
This wand wood is always happiest when working with those of clear moral vision. Something to keep in mind: 'Every single wand is unique and will depend for its character on the particular tree and magical creature from which it derives its materials.
Inflexible wands are rare. They are difficult to teach, and are powerful, but not overly so. Rigid wands are easily the most powerful wands and the hardest to teach. They are also known as unyielding.
What is the rarest wand combination? ›The rarest wand on both Pottermore and J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World is the Elder wand. The wand was made from wood of an Elder Tree and awand core from the feather of a Thestral's tail.
What was Voldemort's fatal flaw? ›
His fatal flaw is his belief that being strong is more important than being human – however, unhappily for Voldemort, humanity itself is the most important and powerful trait in the world, as Harry demonstrates.
Why did Voldemort crumble when Harry touched him? ›Voldemort can not comprehend love, and so it destroys him to touch Harry because Lily's love for her son runs through Harry's veins and body. ems Harry burnt Quirrell's face when he touched it.
Why does Harry use Expelliarmus against Voldemort? ›Why does Harry only use one spell? Because Harry was the true master of the Elder Wand that Voldemort was using at the time, the wand refused to do Voldemort's bidding to kill Harry. Therefore, when Harry cast Expelliarmus, the wand was pulled over to Harry's waiting hand, effectively disarming Voldemort.
Who was the last owner of the Elder Wand? ›Voldemort thinks that he becomes the true owner of the Elder Wand by stealing it from Dumbledore's grave, but in the end we learn that the true owner was really Draco Malfoy, that is until Harry defeated him and allegiance transferred to Harry.
Who is Leta Lestrange to Bellatrix? ›Funnily enough, the most famous Lestrange is one only by marriage, and despite really adorable Instagram photos that make us wish it so, there is no blood relation between Leta and Bellatrix whatsoever. At most, Leta and Rodolphus Lestrange (Bellatrix's husband) are very distant cousins.
Why didn't the Elder Wand belong to Snape? ›This nuance was lost on Lord Voldemort, who wrongly assumed Severus Snape held the Elder Wand because he was Dumbledore's killer, when in reality Draco had disarmed Dumbledore before Snape arrived on the scene, making Malfoy the wand's true new owner.
Who took the elder wand from Gregorovitch? ›Grindelwald was still determined to enact his vision for the wizarding world. He had also managed to steal the Elder Wand from the wandmaker Gregorovitch – so was now in possession of one of the Deathly Hallows.
Whose wand is made of elder wood? ›Best known as the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore was recognised as the master of the Elder Wand. As one of the three objects to make up the Deathly Hallows and crafted with the tail hair of a Thestral, this legendary wand is said to be the most powerful in existence.
Is Hermione the owner of the Elder Wand? ›Is Hermione the owner of the Elder Wand? Harry gets disarmed by Delphini in their duel in Godric's Hollow, thus she becomes the master of the wand. Hermione binds her later.
Who are the owners of the invisibility cloak? ›Dumbledore gave Harry the Invisibility Cloak. This was as a gift at Christmas in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Dumbledore had the cloak since he had asked James Potter to borrow the cloak to study it. However, when James passed away, it stayed in Dumbeldore's possessions until he gifted it to Harry.
Was Gregorovitch better than Ollivander? ›
Magical abilities and skills
Wandmaking/Wandlore: Gregorovitch owned and operated a wand shop to highly successful standards, being at least on par with the very brilliant Ollivander, and according to some, was more skilful than even him.
Having retrieved this memory, Voldemort then kills Gregorovitch. At the end of the book, it is revealed that the object that Gregorovitch had owned and which had been stolen from him was the Elder Wand or the Deathstick, a legendary wand that could not be defeated in a duel.
What is the rarest wand core? ›Phoenix. This is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this.
What is the rarest wand in Harry Potter? ›Elder. The rarest wand wood of all, and reputed to be deeply unlucky, the elder wand is trickier to master than any other. It contains powerful magic, but scorns to remain with any owner who is not the superior of his or her company; it takes a remarkable wizard to keep the elder wand for any length of time.
Why is the Elder Wand so powerful? ›The author has indicated that the core of the Elder Wand is a hair from a Thestral, "a powerful and tricky substance that can be mastered only by a witch or wizard capable of facing death." This seems entirely appropriate given the association with death of the Elder Wand, and of the Thestral.
Did Dumbledore have all 3 Deathly Hallows? ›Dumbledore, at one point, possessed all three Deathly Hallows. From Dumbledore's letters to Grindelwald in Deathly Hallows, it is obvious that the headmaster of Hogwarts was obsessed with the idea of the Hallows in his youth.