Grindelwald taught Tom about making Horcruxes

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 139621

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_svirn" <a_svirn at y...> wrote:
 
aussie:
> > I propose Grindelwald taught Tom about Horcruxes. If that is so, 
> > wouldn't Grindelwald also have made a Horcrux or two? He could 
teach 
> > what he knew.
 
a_svirn:
> Personally, I don't see Grindelwald  doing any such thing, 
> *especially* if he made "one or two" horcruces himself.  Take LV, for 
> instance, would he teach any other aspiring overlord his know-how? 
> Nope, he wouldn't. He would rather kill him (just in case) and make 
> another horcrux. 

Geoff:
I would be inclined to agree because I believe canon points in that 
direction.

'"Sir,I wondered what you know about... about Horcruxes?"
Slughorn stared at him, his thick fingers absent-mindedly caressing the 
stem of his wine glass.
"Project for Defence Against the Dark Arts, is it?"
But Harry could tell that Slughorn knew perfectly well that this was 
not schoolwork.
"Not exactly, sir," said Riddle. "I came across the term while reading 
and didn't fully understand it."
"No... well... you'd be hard-pushed to find a book at Hogwarts that'll 
give you details on Horcruxes, Tom. That's very Dark stuff, very Dark 
indeed," said Slughorn.
"But you obviously know all about them, sir? I mean, a wizard like you -
 sorry, I mean, if you can't tell me, obviously - so I just knew if 
anyone could tell me, you could - so I just thought I'd ask -"...

..."Well," said Slughorn, not looking at Riddle but fiddling with the  
ribbon on top of his box of crystallised pineapple,"well, it can't hurt 
to give you an overview, of course. Just so that you understand the 
term. A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has 
concealed part of their soul."
"I don't quite understand how that works, though, sir," said Riddle.
His voice was carefully controlled but Harry could sense hise 
excitement.
"well you split your soul, you see," said Slughorn, "and hide part of 
it in an object outside the body."....

...But Riddle's hunger was now apparent; his expression was greedy, he 
could no longer hide his longing.
"How do you split your soul?"'

(HBP "Horcruxes" pp.464-465 UK edition)

I read from Tom's reactions that although he has met the name, he knows 
very little about them and certainly hasn't received any inside 
information from Grindelwald or anyone else.