Horcrux Hunting was It wasn't Slughorn

[quick_silver71]

No: HPFGUIDX 141533


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at y...> wrote:

> On the Horcruxes in general, the whole process of tracking them down
> seems too complex and time consuming using normal methods. Somehow
> there has to be a shortcut, either the Horcruxes don't have the
> significants that we currently believe, or Snape will find out how to
> destroy them and help Harry do so, or Voldemort will get paranoid and
> move the Horcruxes all to one location and that will simplify Harry hunt. 

I both agree and disagree. I think that the Horcrux is a huge task to hung around the neck of Harry and I wonder how he's going to do it yet I don't think that there's going to be a major short-cut or that the Horcruxs will be unimportant.

I think that Harry finishing the task of destorying the Horcrux is a hugely important character development phase. The Harry that I saw in Half-Blood Prince showed signs of being able to complete this task...the appearance of cunning, guile, his general combat skills, his use of hard hitting spells, his willingness to actually notice the world around him, etc.  I think that the Horcrux hunt is like the Tri-Wizard tournment in that it will cement someting inside Harry that will allow him to face Voldemort.  Harry's training for the third task alone did a lot for him...the next year Hermione asks Harry to help tutor other students, including herself, in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

The Horcrux hunt seems like the best way to accomplish two things with Harry: expose him to the larger wizarding world (in all sense of the word) and hope that he grows as a person and can perhaps see some of the mistakes that he MAY have made (Snape, his use of Dark magic, Slytherins, Draco, etc) and to furthur his "hands on" magical education.

While the Hunt seems daunting at first  it may actually require less time and effort  (and danger...in the beginning away) then when I first read about it. Three Horcruxs are accounted for (the Ring, the Dairy, and Voldemort...the last still being inact), one is missing in action but probably not in Voldemort's hands or protections (the Locket),  and three are unaccounted for (the Cup,  the maybe!Horcrux Snake and the Founder object). The Locket  is probably the easiet to destory since it's been removed for the protections of Voldemort...indeed I think that the summer before 7th year (if that even happens) is gonig to be spent on the locket (maybe a trip to Number 12 and a vist to Mundungus in Azkaban).  That leaves only three to deal with and Harry seems to be working on the premise that one is being kept right beside Voldemort (the Snake). The "Founder Object" is probably the most difficult to find and the one where I believe Snape will help with.  Then Harry basically has to find and overcome the defenses around the Cup before he attacks Voldemort (altough the order of Horcruxs destroyed doesn't matter...it could be different)  and tries to kill the Snake and then Voldemort's body. Or maybe a little Rat will help him to lure away the Snake?

Although finding the Cup is difficult I believe that a certain Death Eater (Bellatrix) may know where it is (she seems to imply that she's been trusted with a lot by Lord Voldemort in Spinner's End). Which also serves to settle the score in regards to Harry vs Bellatrix thing (or if Neville is along...). 

Quick_Silver (who actually hopes the Voldemort gets to win a lot in Book 7)...throwing out mainly conjecture and speculation