Horcrux creation and different kinds of magic

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 135124

Deb:(snippped good discussion of general magical education upthread)
> If indeed this type of ritual magic {graveyard potion} is 
> necessary for the creation of a horcrux, then one can not be 
> created accidentally or even incidentally.  To create a horcrux
> one would need all of the elements required to complete the spell
> to be assembled in one place, one would need the time, the right 
> circumstances, the right equipment in order to complete the ritual
> and create the horcrux-- and the focused intention to not only
> create a horcrux but firstly to commit deliberate, premeditated
> murder and spill blood in the process.  

Jen: Voldemort has a thing about blood, doesn't he? After witnessing 
the forceful use of Harry's blood in GOF, and the blood payment in 
the cave in HBP, I think it's a fairly good guess the sealing of a 
Horcrux requires the blood of the victim. Taken after death, no 
doubt, since the AK wouldn't shed blood. *shivers*

Blood--Voldemort believes it weakens people and Dumbledore believes 
in its strength. DD uses it symbolically to forge Harry's greatest 
potection. That's the reason for the darn gleam, Dumbledore can see 
what Voldemort continually overlooks, that blood is valuable. He 
understands Voldemort can touch Harry because Harry's blood weakened 
him, not the other way around. 

Deb: <snipping>
>  I think further that LV had created all 6 of his horcruxes before 
> he went to kill Harry Potter... the bit of the prophecy that he
> knew was that "the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord
> approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the
> seventh month dies" .... I think from LV's POV he would see this
> as the last obstacle to his immortality .... if this one person is
> the only one who has the power to vanquish him, and if LV kills
> him and prevents the fulfillment of the prophecy as he understands
> it, and his soul is segmented and hidden, then there would be no
> way that he could die... again speculating on LV's thought
> processes... very scary! 

Jen: I'm with you here. I don't see how Voldemort could make a 
Horcrux without first performing the murder and possibly using the 
blood of the victim to seal the deal. The price for selling part of 
his soul. 

And Voldemort must have *desperately* wanted to seal his final 
Horcrux that night at Godric's Hollow, meaning he did have six going 
in. It would be a victory for him, to have all seven souls sealed 
and his enemy vanquished. But the ritual never took place when he 
was ripped from his body. 

I'm on the fence about Harry becoming a Horcrux that night. It seems 
so important to JKR why Harry survived that night: Lily's sacrifice. 
And then she answered the second half of the mystery in HBP: Why did 
Voldemort live? 

JKR definitely likes her characters to live in the gray area, so 
it's possible she's saying 'look, even with part of Voldemort's soul 
Harry is still making the right choices'. But it taints things, too. 
Then it wasn't just Lily's sacrifice that saved Harry, it was also 
being forcibly sealed as a Horcrux against his will. Magic so dark 
you can't even read about it at Hogwarts! Dark, very dark. It would 
make a great ending, how Harry discovers he's a Horcrux and what he 
does to destroy LV's soul inside without killing himself, 
but....there would be some flaws to overcome with that plot 
development. 

Jen

For a good discussion on Dark Magic, read the thread starting here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/82138

(References included in this post for earlier discussions as well)