Horcrux Hunting - Time, Skill, Knowledge, and Harry

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 141569

> bboyminn wrote:
> > > On the Horcruxes in general, the whole process of tracking them
> > > down seems too complex and time consuming using normal methods. 

> > quick_silver71:
> > 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.  
<snip>

> bboyminn:
> 
> Time is the critical aspect here.<snip> it all has to happen in one 
> year along with all the other 'stuff' that we know must happen in 
> the next book (Godrics Hollow, Bill's Wedding, other...). <snip> 
<and then on horcruxes>
> How much time to realize it, and how
> must time to track it down, how much time to retrieve it, how much
> time to destroy it? Then that is only one of many, how much time to
> determine, decide, find, overcome, capture, and destroy the 
> Founder's Horcrux? A lot I think.
> 
> > quick_silver71:
> > The "Founder Object" is probably the most difficult to find 
> > and the one where I believe Snape will help with.  

> 
> bboyminn:
> 
> While the known Horcruxes seem a near impossible task, the 
> 'Founder's Horcrux' really is an impossible task. We don't know if 
> it's Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, we don't know what it is, we don't 
> know where it is, <snip>
>
> Somehow some 'shortcuts' have to enter the picture. Somehow some new
> mysterious source of knowledge has to come into the picture; 


Valky now:
I agree with you both, each in different ways. First I agree with
Steve on the notion that Shortcuts will be absolutely necessary if
Harry is to complete this task in the space of a single year. But I
also agree with Quicksilver in saying that there is only two actually
needing to be found and retrieved the rest are located or destroyed,
which narrows the field considerably much.

Working from that platform, I'd like to rest aside the Locket for now
and focus on the two unknowns, as I think that it will be within the
framework of retrieving and destroying these two that a shortcut needs
to appear.

The first is the Hufflepuff cup, it is identified, but not located.
Now it seems pretty strange, to me, really that a Horcrux *Dumbledore
clearly identified* exists but that Dumbledore gives no open clues to
it's whereabouts while he teaches Harry. 

The second is the Founders object that is unidentified, Dumbledore
gives Harry a strong hint toward suspecting it is Ravenclaw's when he
shows Harry that the Sword "the only known relic of GG" is safe and in
his care. 

What really bugs me here is Dumbledore's clues. When it comes to
loction, Dumbledore seems to have used up all the Pensieve clues on
the Locket Horcrux. Unfair! Right? I mean, here's Dumbledore the
greatest wizard ever with gigantic brainpower at his disposal, giving
Harry a handful of clues and then using them up in *his* hunt to find
the cave instead of finding the Hufflepuff cup or the other object
using his immense resources outside the lessons with Harry.
  
But DD is not an unfair character, so I figure there can be one of two
things happening here.

1. Dumbledore is demonstrating to Harry how to extrapolate another
clue out of the Memories to locate a Horcrux. And whatever that clue
is, I might have missed it.
2. Dumbledore knows Harry already has the same number of clues as to
the locations of the other Horcruxes, and he is using the Memories as
a demonstration of how to extrapolate from what *Harry already knows*.
or 
3. both.

I like the idea that he's done both. DD is definitely a two (or
several) birds with one stone kind of guy, IMO. 

So here's how I construe that into the clues I wrote above:

The Unknown Object-
There is just *not* enough information given about this one. So I am
almost 100% sure that this is the one where the clue to its location
needs to be pulled out of the memories. Incedentally, that leads
directly to London, since the only history of Voldemort that DD didn't
use up in finding the locket and ring was the fact that he worked at
Borgin and Burkes.

The Hufflepuff Cup -
This one OTOH really irks me. Why didn't Dumbledore find this one for
Harry. He knew exactly what it was! It makes no sense. That is why I
think that this is the one that needs a slightly *huge* shortcut. And
that shortcut needs, absolutely, to have been something preventing
Dumbledore from retrieving it. I have two scenarios there. One may be
that it is in the possession of a Death Eater as Quicksilver
suggested. But I am not so fond of that one, since it seems more
logical for the DE's to turn up in London while the scene has been set
for it. The other explanation which I like better is that this Horcrux
has already *been found*, like the Locket. Someone has already had a
fair swipe at destroying it too, so all Harry has to do is turn up and
finish the job. Big enough shortcut for you Steve? <g>

As for the Locket. Well a BIG shortcut on the Hufflepuff Chalice and
the unknown object being found nice an close to home in London should
scale the timeframe down enough to fit in a trip to Number 12 and
Azkaban, yes?

Valky