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."

Cool! So Grindelwald stuns Gregoravitch, Dumbledore kicks Grindelwald's ass, Malfoy disarms Dumbledore, Harry disarms Malfoy, and no handwavey stealing.

Now can someone explain why Voldemort's blood saved Harry in the forest, 'cause I think the wand/master theory works much better so far.

The best way I can explain it is to say "Summer's blood". Kind of worked like how Buffy was able to stop the world from ending by jumping in the hole instead of Dawn because when Dawn was made, they made her out of Buffy's blood.

Voldemort remade himself out of Harry's blood. Which, by extension, was Lily's blood that she shed to save Harry.

I think I need to reread that chapter, 'cause that's whacked.

I misspoke when I said "penultimate." (But let's face it, penultimate is a cooler word than last, and who cares about meaning?) I meant to say that Neville rocked the prophecy by taking out the last Horcrux.

I couldn't figure out the cover at all. The color choice was very strange at first sight, and I kept thinking Harry was on a broomstick in a coliseum. After finishing the book, I was so glad the artist chose to capture the new dawn sunglight over everything, and put Harry's victory over Voldemort on the cover.

(Another scene it could have been was the burning gold in the Lestrange vault, with Harry reaching for the goblet...or I guess the RofR with the Fiendfire.)

I think D&D needs a spell called Fiendfire. In much the way it doesn't need a spell called Expectorate Patron.