The Opposite of a Horcrux

[spotsgal]

No: HPFGUIDX 139297

> Jen answered:
> "You're thinking about Del's post, who had a similar theory in
> mid-August. Here it is in case anyone wants to re-read it:
> 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/137502"

> Del replies:
> Thanks Jen :-)
> 
> And, huh, I don't like to throw flowers at myself usually, but I 
> have to say that IMO my own theory was not "looser". I worked quite
> a bit on that one :-). I encourage anyone who is interested in the 
> "Opposite of a Horcrux" theory to go and read my post too.

Christina:

Actually, the post I was thinking of was this one:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/136015 by Rin.  

I knew I botched my summary of it, because it doesn't talk about Lily
at all, but it is an interesting read (it actually has more to do with
love as Harry's greatest power than Horcruxes).

I don't remember reading your post the first time around, so I just
gave it a look now :)  It's a very thorough and enticing theory, just
because it explains so much and is neat and tidy.  I thought that HBP
would wrap up a lot of storylines and answer most of our questions
(paving the way for the final showdown in book 7), but since this
really wasn't the case (at least IMO), I think the explanations we
will get in the seventh book will need to be on the simple side just
so that they all fit into one novel.  Since JKR has already
familiarized us with the idea of Horcruxes, I think the idea of
opposite Horcruxes would be easy for the readers to understand and
accept.

Del:
> * The reason why Opposites of Horcruxes aren't created more often by
> people sacrificing themselves is that it necessitates a spell. A
> Horcrux is not created everytime a wizard kills another wizard. The
> murder is not the way, it is only the main ingredient. It's a 
> specific spell that creates the Horcrux. Similarly, the 
> self-sacrifice would only be the main ingredient in the creation of
> an Opposite of a Horcrux, but a spell would be necessary to make it
> happen.

Christina:

This is where I start to get hesitant about the theory.  Obviously,
since the Opposite-Horcrux creation would require Lily's death, the
spell in question must have been cast before her death occurred.  Now
we know that Lily had talent in charms, but I can't help but think
back to a quote JKR gave during the MuggleNet/TLC interview:

----
MA: Did she [Lily] know anything about the possible effect of standing
in front of Harry?

JKR: No - because as I've tried to make clear in the series, it never
happened before. No one ever survived before. And no one, therefore,
knew that could happen.
----

Now, I suppose that if JKR did use the Opposite-Horcrux idea, she
could always defend her statement by saying that since Lily was the
first person to ever try to make an Opposite-Horcrux, she didn't
*know* for sure it would work and therefore didn't *know* for sure
that Harry would survive the AK.  However, she seems to be giving a
very clear and straightforward answer (which doesn't happen often), so
it makes me think that this isn't the route she's on.  Of course, like
I said before, I still can't think up a scenario concerning Lily's
sacrifice that makes sense in the context of what we've heard in the
books and interviews, so I'm sure things will get fudged a bit.


Del: 
> * And finally, about Sirius not mentioning the change in Harry's 
> eyes:
> we don't know how often Sirius saw Baby!Harry. If Harry is like many
> babies, he might have had blue eyes at first, and then the colour
> changed after a few months. It is possible that Harry had bright 
> blue eyes when Sirius saw him at the christening, and it is also 
> possible that Sirius *never* saw Harry again after that, up until 
> the events at Godric's Hollow, when Sirius saw Harry at night, and 
> may not have noticed that his eyes were green and not blue.


Christina:

Ah, nice catch!  It's been a long time since I've been in the company
of a newborn :)  I still think that Sirius saw Harry several days
before Halloween, but that's definitely open to debate.  It was Sirius
that convinced James and Lily to switch the Secret-Keeper to Peter "at
the last moment."  I guess he could have spoken to them via Floo, but
that just seems like the kind of hushed conversation that would take
place in person (and I can't imagine Sirius visiting the Potters
without saying hello to his godson).  It's kind of a leap, but JMO of
course.


Christina