Endless horcrux hunt? Was: Evil Overlord for the day (Re: Horcrux query)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 144754

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Rebecca Williams 
<becks3uk at y...> wrote:
>
> SSSusan:
> > Actually, I think it was DD who said this, rather than Voldy.  
(Or 
> > do I have that wrong?)  But you're right that *if* DD is correct 
> > that the number seven truly matters to Voldy, that could prevent 
> > him from wanting to make more horcrusts.  OTOH, since a couple 
have 
> > been destroyed now, could Voldy do the math and decide "Okay, 7 - 
2 
> > = 5... so I can make 2 more and get back to 7"??  
> >
> > I jest... sort of.

becky:    
> No it was definitely Voldemort who said about the no.7 - he said 
> it to Slughorn, in Slughorn's memory when he asked about the 
> horcruxes. Later Dumbledore points it out to Harry that he said 
> this. (Sorry not got the book on me to give you a proper quote). 

Geoff:
Just for completeness....

'"Yes, sir," said Riddle. "What I don't understand, though - just out 
of curiosity - I mean, would one Horcrux be much use? Can you only 
split your soul once? Wouldn't it be better, make you stronger, to 
have your soul in more pieces? I mean, for instance, isn't seven the 
most powerfully magical number, wouldn't seven -?"
"Merlin's beard, Tom!" yelped Slughorn. "Seven! Isn't it bad enough 
to think of killing one person? and in any case... bad enough to 
divide the soul... but to rip it into pieces..."'
(HBP "Horcruxes" pp.465-66 UK edition)

'"But now, Harry, armed with this information, the crucial memory you 
have succeeded in procuring for us, we are closer to the secret of 
finishing Lord Voldemort than anyone has ever been before. You heard 
him, Harry: 'Wouldn't it be better, make you stronger, to have your 
soul in more pieces... isn't seven the most powerfully magical 
number...' /Isn't seven the most powerfully magical number./ Yes, I 
think the idea of a seven-part soul would greatly appeal to Lord 
Voldemort."
"He made /seven/ Horcruxes?" said Harry, horror-struck, while several 
of the portraits on the walls made similar noises of shock and 
outrage. "But they could be anywhere in the world - hidden - buried 
or invisible -"'
(ibid. p.470)

becky:
> About doing the math - I see where you are going with that but no  
> I don't think that would work. His soul has already been divided  
> into seven pieces. Even if some of those pieces are destroyed he 
> doesn't get any of that soul back, it is still divided. If he 
> creates more, then he is splitting down the soul again and it is no 
> longer in seven pieces. 

Geoff:
Yes, it is because if some pieces are destroyed, he is "topping up" 
the total again,although I believe that he would be "diluting" what 
is left of his humanity.

> I don't think it is the number of horcruxes that are significant - 
> it is the number of times the soul is split (that is why the 
> seventh remains in his body rather than creating seven horcruxes - 
> this would mean the one in his body would be the eighth). Don't 
> know if I explained that very well but at least I know what I mean 
> Lol!
    
Geoff:
Yes, but the last Horcrux -  however many he makes - must always 
remain in his body or else he commits a form of self-Dementorisation 
and becomes just a shell for want of a better description.