How do the Horcruxes work?

[hokus7]

No: HPFGUIDX 135019

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Inge" <Elvishooked at h...> 
wrote:
> First - appologies if this has already been asked and attempted 
> answered. In that case I'd be happy to be directed to where to 
find them.
> 
> Voldemort creates his 6 Horcruxes and keeps the 1/7 part of his 
soul.Voldemort is hit by the backfiring AK/spell/whatever and loses his body but keeps that 1/7 soul, right?
> 
> Voldemort wants immortality. But what happens if he's AK'd and 
loses that part of his soul which is presently inside him? He has 6/7 soulparts hidden in Horcruxes - but how to get hold of one of 
these soulparts and get it inside him?
> 
> What to do when all 7 soulparts have been used up? Is that the end 
of Voldemort? If so - he's not immortal - he just has 7 lives - 7 and no more.
> 
> Or did I get the idea about Horcruxes all wrong?
> 
> Inge


Hokus now:

There's actually some debate about how the horcruxes work to "anchor 
the soul", and how they're destroyed, since we aren't explicitly 
given an explanation of this is HBP.  Someone (sorry I can't 
remember the post name, poster name, OR message number =P) mused 
that if the soul pieces in the horcruxes bind a persons soul to the 
earthly plane, do they also bind each other by the same magic?  I'm 
inclined to think no, as DD didn't mention any such line of thinking 
when he pronounced the diary and ring horcruxes eradicated.  He 
seemed certain, but then again, he seemed certain of Snape, too.

I also don't think horcruxes are "used up", like lives in a video 
game.  Each horcrux serves as an "anchor" point for the main soul - 
i.e., the one encapsulated in the persons body.  I'm uncertain if 
having more makes the anchor stronger, or just harder to destroy, 
though I'm thinking the latter is more likely.  So basically, Harry 
has to make sure all the anchors are destroyed first, then he can 
send the remaining bit of Voldemort's soul, the one inside LV 
himself, to the other side of the veil.

Of course, how exactly all of this plays out is anyone's guess right 
now, and this is all speculation on my part, but it's how the whole 
horcrux thing read to me.

Hokus