Horcruxes anew

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 138461

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "amiabledorsai"
<amiabledorsai at y...> wrote:
> 
> > Now Bohcoo, laughing outloud over, "soul in one basket:"
> 
> <Big Snips>
> 
> > So, since I am assuming he kept two pieces with him in the very 
> > beginning, I am assuming he is most anxious to reunite with a
> > second chunk now, just to be on the safe side, just to once again 
> > have a  spare on hand. 
> > 


> Amiable Dorsai:
> 
> You know, assuming Voldemort wants to keep one of his "spares" close
> to him, putting it in Nagini makes some sense--...
> 
> Which brings up another thought:  What exactly was going on in OotP
> when Harry saw Nagini bite Arthur? Was Harry linked to Voldemort who
> was possessing Nagini, (my thought at the time) or was Harry 
> directly sensing Nagini's actions through the chunk of Voldemort's 
> soul that she carries?
> 
> If the latter (Harry can link to pieces of Voldemort's soul other
> than the one in Voldemort's body), that has interesting consequences
> for the Horcrux search.
> 
> Amiable Dorsai

bboyminn:

On the first point, I think Voldemort has killed many more times than
he has created Horcrux, so he has no shortage of shreaded pieces of
soul available. Further, I don't see any reason why Voldemort would
want to re-united with his soul fragments in the sense of
re-integrating them back into his body. That would make him more
vulnerable not more powerful. By Dumbledore's own words, it's clear
that Voldemort's earthly magical powers are separate from his soul. He
points out that Harry should not underestimate Voldemort, and points
out the even with these soul fragments gone, Voldemort is still and
extremely powerful wizard. The whole point behind the Horcruxes is to
keep bit of soul separate from yourself and keep it earthbound. That
way if your body is destroyed, you don't die because your soul can't
be destroyed. 

That said, that doesn't mean that Voldemort won't gather his soul
pieces together in one place so he can personally protect them.
Voldemort is a megalomanic; he is absolutely convince of his own
complete superiority over other wizards, and further convinced that he
is god-like infallible. He therefore would believe that he could
protect the soul fragments better that the many enchantments that
protect them.

With only one book left, there has to be a shortcut to destroying the
Horcrux; either that or they are a red herring. They seem to be the
method by which Voldemort will be destroyed, and in a McGuffin-like
sense, everyone in the story will concentrate on them only to discover
at the end that Harry found another way. 

So, one way or another, we have to have a short-cut method of
destroying the Horcruxes. Given what Harry knows, he could spend the
rest of his life trying to discover enough of Voldemort's history to
guess what and where they might be. That just too much time. There has
to be a way that allows us to resolve the issue in less than 800 pages
and in less than a year of book time. 

To the next point, you raise a very interesting question regarding
Harry and Nagini. As I read this thread, I can more and more see the
appeal of making Nagini a horcrux. She is intelligent and cunning
enough to defend herself and instinctively try every things possible
to preserve her own life, as well as being very mobile. That gives her
an independance and flexibility that can under most circumstances be
much more effective than a static location and bunch of charms.

Plus as you suggest, it might give Nagini and Voldemort a level of
connection that went beyond simple possession. With a Horcrux in a
live being of limited free will, Voldemort may be able to use Nagini
in way simple possession don't allow. So, I like that part.

"She underlines that Slytherin connection, which enhances Lord
Voldemort's mystique, I think he is perhaps as fond of her as he can
be of anything; he certainly likes to keep he close, *and he seems to
have an unusual amount of control over her, even for a Parselmouth*."
[HPB, Am Ed, HB, pg 506-507]

But, I'm having trouble accepting that Harry is carrying part of
Voldemort's soul inside him. I can't completely discount it, but the
book seems to go against it. Dumbledore is no fool; he knows that a
bit of Voldemort's essense is in Harry, and he knows about the
Horcruxes, he would have to be a complete idiot not to at least
examine the connection between the two. But, indications are that he
did examine it, and is able to make a distinction between Voldemort's
soul and his earthy physical and magical powers. Sorry, but I can't
find the quote, though I know it took place in a conversation between
Harry and Dumbledore in the HBP. If I find it, I'll post it.

For what it's worth.
Steve/bboyminn