I never did fully grasp what H's wand moving on its own meant.

Dumbledore says that, the night at the cemetary at the end of Goblet of Fire, when Harry's and Voldemort's wands connected, Harry's wand absorbed some of Voldemort's magic. Then, when Voldemort was close by again, the wand threw that magic back at him.

Maybe intent *and* awareness matters? It is definitely a confusing twist of events. Grendelwald stole--and intended to steal--from Gregoravitch (I really hope I'm getting these names right), but Voldemort taking the wand from an unprotected grave can't really be viewed as stealing from Malfoy, so he never "beat" Malfoy, as viewed by an inanimate object's understanding of events.

Also, does anyone have the book handy? Didn't Grendelwald take a shot at Gregoravitch before he jumped from the window? Did he do anything with the shot (i.e. hit/stun/disarm him)?

If Harry was just undermining Voldemort's confidence by making up some plausible nonsense about something he knows V is ignorant, all those problems just melt away.

But then there's the new problem of why Harry survived the killing curse in the woods. My understanding is that, if the Elder wand recognized Harry as its Master, the curse didn't have the power to kill him, much like Harry couldn't get his "snatcher" wand to work properly.

Grendelwald tells Voldemort, "...But your journey was pointless. I never had it ... My death will not bring you what you seek ... There is so much you do not understand ... That wand will never, ever be yours..."

Again, Voldemort's weakness - not understanding beyond what he has told himself.

Grendelwald was telling him, albeit all vague and shit, that because Grendelwald stole the wand - did not gain it through defeating his opponent - Grendelwald was NOT the true master of the wand. Grendelwald could still use it, but not to to the highest potential of the wand.

Dumbledore *did* defeat Grendelwald and therefore "won" the wand. Draco disarmed Dumbledore, Harry disarmed Draco. Harry gets the wand, end of Voldemort, cool book cover.

Now, it gets a bit handwavey in there because if Grendelwald was never the true master of the wand, then maybe Dumbledore shouldn't have been, either even though he defeated Grendelwald. But, it's just a little handwavey.

But then there's the new problem of why Harry survived the killing curse in the woods. My understanding is that, if the Elder wand recognized Harry as its Master, the curse didn't have the power to kill him, much like Harry couldn't get his "snatcher" wand to work properly.

That had nothing to do with the Elder Wand. That had to do with Voldemort having Harry's magical motherlovin' blood in him.

Also, does anyone have the book handy? Didn't Grendelwald take a shot at Gregoravitch before he jumped from the window? Did he do anything with the shot (i.e. hit/stun/disarm him)?

He stunned him. Gregorovich was studying the wand - trying to replicate it. It seems from the description in the book that Grendelwald stole it from the wand-making part of Gregorovich's store. It wasn't in use at the time, and he had it before he stunned Gregorovich. I think he actually used it to stun Gregorovich.

That had to do with Voldemort having Harry's magical motherlovin' blood in him.

The blood has been confusing me, so I'm ignoring it.

Aimée, I thought Dumbledore told Harry that Grendelwald lied to Voldemort in an attempt to stop his possession of the wand?

ETA: Oo! So if he stunned him, maybe that was enough for the whole "beating" definition? And it would explain why Grendelwald hung around waiting for Gregoravitch to witness the stealing?

I thought it was mentioned later that Grendelwald was lying when he said he's never had the wand.

And I hadn't noticed Grendelwald stunning Gregorovich. I guess I can accept that as "beating" him.

I'm looking for that, Polgara, but I can't find it.

Harry tells Dumbledore "grindelwald tried to stop Voldemort goinf after the wand. He lied, you know, said he never had it." Dumbledore nods, but Dumbledore's nods are not always assent. Sometimes they're just, "Ok, think what you want. I just told you about the damn things. Prat."