Nagini and The Marauder's Map as Horcruxes

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 144332

In message 144324 "marda.buz at j..." <marda.buz at j...> wrote:

> The Marauder's Map is in contention, in my mind, for the book 3 
> horcrux position.  

> Let's start in the CoS. Mr. Weasley says "never to trust anything 
> that thinks for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brains. 
> Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious 
> object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic—".

> LV would want to place a horcrux inside something that can preserve 
> and protect it. The map does seem to 
> lead a charmed existence. Fred and George set off the dung bomb 
> in Filch's office
"and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one 
> of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous." 
> Fred whips the drawer open and, out of all the contents, happens 
> to grab the map. Once again in the hands of students who will 
> treat it with great respect. Furthermore, (I'm a mathematician 
> by day) what's the likelihood they would ever stumble upon the 
> exact words to work the map. (mathematical probability == 
> approximately zero) The map next transfers to Harry. It avoids 
> falling into Snape's possession twice. Each time it goes to 
> another teacher and somehow works its way back into Harry's 
> hands. The map appears to have some enchantments placed upon it 
> that keep it safe from being lost/destroyed.

<snip> 

Geoff:

I'm not sure that this follows. The Marauders' Map is not in the same 
category as Riddle's diary which, at its first appearance was an 
unknown quantity whereas Fred and George got the Map from Filch's 
office and he would have known its origin.

We know it was created by James, Sirius, Remus and Peter but the 
question might be asked, would they have allowed one of their number 
to walk off with the map while it was being created, especially if 
Peter was cartographically challenged?

Further, there has been discussion on the group as to how long after 
a killing, you can continue to create a Horcrux. So, if (and in my 
view, it's a very big 'if') Voldemort got hold of the map, whom did 
he kill and when? I'm also doubtful whether he would actually use 
something like the map because I assume that he would wish to keep 
his Horcruxes intact and a map made of inflammable parchment could 
very easily be destroyed - whether by accident or design.

Further on the subject of Horcruxes, LLiannan wrote in message 144328:

Regarding #4 . . . HBP US ED PG 306
"(Dumbledore)
 I am sure that he was intending to make his final
Horcrux with your death.(Harry)
" (Still Dumbledore)After an interval of some years, however, he
used Nagaini to kill an old muggle man, and it might then have
occurred to him to turn her into his last Horcrux."

Nagini Horcrux was created after he killed Frank Bryce.
GOF US ED PG 15 "There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound,
and Frank Bryce crumbled."

Geoff:
There is no evidence that Voldemort created a Horcrux on this 
occasion. That he apparently used an Avada Kedavra curse on Frank 
Bryce does not mean that he then created one. This is supposition. It 
should also be realised that this killing was gratuitous - Voldemort 
had not been expecting to kill someone. He was more concerned in 
keeping his whereabouts under wraps and probably wasn't thinking 
about his Horcrux expansion programme at this point...