What's a horcrux?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 143655

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pcpal67" <pcpal67 at y...> wrote:
>
> Forgive my ignorance, as I am a dedicated muggle.  But I just 
> can't keep track of every new detail of the wizarding world.  
> ...edited... as the books get more sophisticated so does the 
> tangled web of knowledge one needs to follow in order to remember
> and discuss the stories.
> 
> "pcpal67"
>

bboyminn:

So, is there a question in there somewhere?

If your question is 'What is a horcrux?', I can probably help you out.

First JKRowling didn't invent the concept of Horcrux, it exists in
eastern European myth and legend. The basic concept is that a person
hides his heart (I assume this mean 'heart' in the abstract sense) or
his soul inside some material object. Then that object containing a
person's soul is in turn hidden in a safe secure place. 

Since the soul and the body are in separate location, the soul's
connection to the earth can not be severed by the death of the body.
In some instances or versions, with the soul hidden in a material
object, the body can't die. 

JKR has taken this old legend and, like many of the old myths and
legends, reworked it into her own unique version. In JKR's world,
killing tears the soul, and that torn piece of soul can then be stored
in a material object like a locket or cup. As long as that soul piece
is contained in or tied to the material object, it remains earthbound,
and that means the the person who owns the soul piece can't be killed.

When Voldemort's curse rebounded from Harry and struck himself, he was
ripped from his body and his body died, but Voldemort was protected by
having pieces of his soul stored away from his body. That meant that
even though Voldemort's body was lost/killed, he true SELF remained
alive. 

For Harry to kill Voldemort, he must release the hidden soul pieces
from the objects that contain them. Only when Voldemort is down to the
one last piece of soul that is now contained in his material body, can
he be killed. 

Hope that's clear enough, and I hope that helps. If you had some other
 question or point, please ask it more directly and you will surely
get it answered.

The concept of Horcruxes was introduced into the story in the latest
volume 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'.

For the record, someone here in this group suggested that Horcruxes
would come into the story, although at the time we didn't have the
term 'Horcrux', before 'Half-Blood Prince' was released. At the time I
thought it was an absurd idea, but now that the story bears this
person out, I am not too proud to admit I was wrong. If the person
would like to take a bow, I'm sure everyone would happily applaud.

Just passing it along.

Steve/bboyminn