How do the horcruxes work and why does the prophecy contradict it?

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 135489

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "David L." <dlatchman at g...> wrote:

> Here is my take on it. <snip> 
> you "die" but since something else is holding your soul here, in  
> this physical dimension, your soul can't separate; you stay here. <snip>
> 
> Now the question is what happens when you destroy a horcrux. Yes it 
> holds your soul, or a portion of it. Since there are other horcruxes 
> or other binds present then that portion does not leave this 
> dimension or evaporate into the ether. I am guessing it still stays
 > in this dimension. 

Valky now:
Without getting too heavily into the debate, this I agree with, due
that it is a logical explanation. JKR may actually steer the story
according to Harry in a complete other direction but I think it will
need to explain away the logic of this if it does, or it will seem a
little silly to me.

In the mugglenet/TLC interview JKR appears to be absolutely
contradicting that Horcruxes work this way by saying that the "soul
piece" in the diary was definitely "destroyed" and is now gone. 
So unless there is some *extra* explanation revealing why/how the soul
piece in the diary wasn't "bound to the ground" by the other pieces of
itself, I can completely sympthise with those who can't understand how
Horcruxes work. It simply doesn't make logical sense to me.

As far as I gather from Dumbledores and Slughorns statements about
Horcruxes, the Wizard gains immortality because of the protections put
on his other pieces of soul. And if that was all there was to it then
the soul piece inhabiting Voldemort in GH (or one of) was destroyed by
the AK, for its protection was Voldemort himself who was destroyed..
(yeah I'm getting heavily in now oops). It is, perhaps, possible that
it happened this way due to there having been three murders attempted
at GH. Giving Voldemort two pieces of soul to lose when the AK
backfired and he could have managed to keep one. However, thats a
*lot* to explain and so it might seem a little silly if that's how it
was. 




> Does it return to its owner? Would Voldemort become more human as 
> Harry destroys the other Horcruxes? Will he even know eventually?  
> Yes he has been separated from these portions for so long at some 
> time he must become aware of what is happening. After Harry destroys  
> the sixth Horcrux would Voldemort realize because he now has all the  
> pieces of his soul in his body once more? Or is there something 
> else?
> David L.


I too believe that the pieces of soul *must* go somewhere still on the
earthly plane, they are Voldemort after all, so they aren't just going
to leave if they can avoid it. We could end up with seven little
Vapormorts, or Voldie Ghosts floating in the ether otherwise,
relatively harmless, though they might be, it's still a very
unpleasant thought and hardly the job of vanquishing done like it
should be. 

The last explanation that's logical is that there might be exceptions.
For example the diary horcrux, having been created by a very young
inexperienced Voldie, may be the exception due to it's novice magic,
while later horcuxes are better protected and much less vulnerable to
destruction/displacement of their contents by magical forces. 

The last thing that contradicts the concept that JKR implies in her
mugglenet/TLC interview is the prophecy. 

It says: one must die by the hand of the other for neither can live
while the other survives..

This logically does not add to Dumbledore can destroy a Horcrux and
weaken Voldemort, then Harry destroys the rest because Voldemort can't
die while the Horcruxes survive.. 

For a start: it says neither can live, not Voldemort can't die.. so
the Horcruxes hardly form the complete answer in any case. 

And secondly, one must die by the hand of the other totally rules out
Dumbledore destroying a piece of Voldemorts soul and then dying as a
fulfillment of the prophecy while one and the other are just Harry and
Voldemort.  

I really want to know why the Prophecy contradicts Dumbledore's
explanation of how to vanquish Voldemort. I don't think that it's
entirely because he doesn't place a whole lot of stock in what it
says, it may be in part but the question of choice arises and
Dumbledore chose to give the prophecy some of his study time so there
has to be something to it that he felt warranted paying attention to. 

Valky