Dumbledore keeping secrets (+horcrux questions)

[Marianne S.]

No: HPFGUIDX 136578

Anuja wrote: 
I just don't understand why Dumbledore doesn't want anyone to know
about horcruxes and his search for them.I mean I don't want to tell
the whole WW but I feel he definitely should have told members of the
OOP..... <snip> ...This mission is the biggest and most important
thing that has to be dealt with!

Marianne S.:
Based on the fact that Snape was the one who's quick action saved
Dumbledore's life when it came to the ring Horcrux, not to mention
that it is Snape that Dumbledore wants after retrieving the fake
horcrux/locket... I would not be surprised if Snape, especially if he's 
a Good! Snape, knows about the Horcruxes and what must be done. 

I feel that I'll know for sure in the next book. A Good! Snape who knows
about the horcruxes and wants them destroyed would be able to help 
Harry, if Harry doesn't kill him first. How can Harry  and the other Order
members be convinced to trust Snape and accept his help? 
Could Dumbledore have left a will or something that explains what he
made Severus promise to do? I think Dumbledore KNOWS that Harry
is not going to be able to go on completely alone, and yet he wouldn't
let Harry tell anyone other than Ron and Hermione. If I rely on the 
assumption that Snape did know about the horcruxes and Harry still isn't 
going to tell McGonagal or Lupin or any of the other Order members, 
perhaps Dumbledore intends to Harry to rely on Snape. This is THE biggest
thing I will wonder about for the next 2 or so years.


Anuja: 
I also feel that Harry is not ready to deal with what lies ahead even
with help from Ron and Hermione.They just don't know enough magic to
destroy all the horcruxes..They definitely need help. Even DD needed
all his skills to get to the (fake) horcrux in the cave, he injured
himself seriously trying to get the ring, too. But at the end of HBP we
saw that Harry refuses to tell Minerva about it! What are they going
to do???

Marianne S:
Again, this is why I believe that Harry will NEED Snape, and I am hoping
that, through that need, Snape will realize Harry is NOT his father and 
maybe they can mend some fences. I mean, they'll never be friends... but
they could maybe respect each other. Snape my even yet see the Lily in
Harry.


Anjuja:
Also, when did DD start the search for horcruxes?I think at the end
of COS his doubts were confirmed by the Riddle diary. He probably
started researching in POA but then things got too busy in GOF. LV was
back at its end so he had to deal with the situation on the ground in
OOP. Does this sound right?

Marianne S: 
To me, that sounds quite right. 


Anuja:
Also, DD thinks that LV made a horcrux after killing Frank Bryce. But
we know he reserves making them for very special deaths that he's
planned. I dont think Bryce was imp to him at all. More importantly I
don't think he had the strength to create one at that time if he
needed Wormtail to feed him..and creating a horcrux must be extremely
skilled magic..So Nagini cant be a horcrux as LV did nt make one at
that time..Either he's one short of 7 or he made a new one after
getting his power back...say after killing Amelia Bones(we know he
killed her personally).


Marianne S:
I agree. I _think_ Bryce was just in the way, like Cedric was, and therefore
not a death that one can make a horcrux from. There is some important
information I don't think I understand about Horcruxes.
a) Does the object have to be present at the time of the murder?
b) If the object does not have to be present, how long does the murderer
have to make the horcrux?
c) Does Voldemort seek to have his soul only in 7 parts, or ..  does he think
he needs to have his soul in 7 parts at any one time? So, if he knows 1/7th
of his soul was destroyed when the diary was destroyed, would he seek to 
replace it?
d) If Voldemort was saving the creation of his last horcrux for Harry's death, 
he did not have his soul in 7 parts at the time where he lost his body. That 
would mean that Nagini COULD be his the 6th horcrux (if he was able to 
make one without his body and therefore just kill anyone who happened
to come by in order to make the horcrux). 
e) OR, if Voldemort could not make his horcrux without his body, could
he have made one after his body returned? Could Peter/Wormtail's hand be
a horcrux? 

Marianne S.