Possible Horcrux Complication

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 139505

I've been thinking about the whole Horcrux plotline, and something 
occured to me.  Dumbledore and Harry are going on the assumption that 
there are only four horcruxes left (five if you count Voldemort 
himself).  This is based in part on the idea that Voldemort can't 
feel when one of his horcruxes has been destroyed.

The problem is that Voldemort may very well know that the diary has 
been destroyed.  In fact, Dumbledore seems to believe that he does 
know this, based on his statement about the power of Voldemort's 
anger when he found out what Lucius had done.

Given this, how can Dumbledore and Harry be sure that Voldemort has 
not constructed another Horcrux to replace the diary? It certainly 
would be a kicker if Harry destroyed the other four, then faced down 
Voldemort only to discover that there is another soul shard hidden 
out there somewhere.

Of course, part of the problem here is that we don't know all that 
much about the actual creation of Horcruxes and the effects of 
splitting one's soul into multiple pieces.  How difficult is it to 
make a Horcrux?  We know that making one involves murder, but does it 
require extensive preparation in advance?  Does the murder have to be 
scheduled at a particular time and accomplished by a particular 
method?  Can a sufficiently ruthless wizard create a Horcrux "on the 
fly" so to speak?

How many times can one divide one's soul?  Is there a limit?  
Dumbledore is basing the idea that there are seven soul shards on 
Voldemort's talk about the magical significance of seven.  But how 
can they be sure.  How can they know that Voldemort didn't change his 
mind and go with another mystical number, such as nine?

For that matter, what happens to the soul shard inside a Horcrux when 
the Horcrux is destroyed?  Does it return to the wizard?  If so, then 
the danger of Voldemort creating a replacement Horcrux would seem to 
be acute.  Or does it go directly to where ever bad little wizards 
go?  If the latter is the case, then creating a replacement might 
well be much more difficult, particularly if there is some kind of 
limit on how often a soul can be divided.

Just musing.


Lupinlore