the Horcrux Issue

[rtbthw_mom]

No: HPFGUIDX 139793

My compliments to all who have (more ably than I) fleshed out their 
thoughts about the whole horcrux issue.  I'd like to suggest a 
slightly different take on the whole subject, one that has elements 
of some thoughts that have come before (my apologies to all who let 
me borrow some of their ideas!)

I'm in agreement with whomever it was that said that the soul pieces 
in the horcruxes would also retain memory.  To me, this is why Diary!
Tom has to ask Ginny for information about Harry: this information 
was unavailable at the time this horcrux was created - it hadn't 
happened yet!  
COS p. 311, Scholastic edition:
"Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry," said 
Riddle.  "Your whole *fascinating* history."  His eyes roved over 
the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and their expression grew 
hungrier.  "I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet 
you if I could." 

Diary!Tom didn't know about Harry because Harry wasn't born when 
this particular horcrux was made.  However, Quirrell!Mort knew all 
about Harry because this was the last incident before LV became 
whatever it was he became: he was able to give Harry the details of 
how he killed James and Lilly (SS, p. 294, Scholastic edition.)  And 
since this was Vapor!Mort, he knew all about Harry when he regained 
a body at the end of GOF.  

I'd like to suggest that each part of LV's soul contained in a 
horcrux exists sort of in limbo, if I could say it that way.  It 
waits for an opportunity to be acted upon so it can become another 
LV if needed.  I wonder if Diary!Tom doesn't show us that there is 
the possibility of 7 LV's running around at once - a truly terrible 
thought - if they had all been reactivated at the same time.  I also 
think that because of the horcruxes, LV is unable to die because 
there are still pieces of him (the pieces of soul) that are tied to 
this life, therefore it is impossible for him to *completely* move 
on into the next life, or the great beyond, or whatever you'd like 
to call it.  That's why somebody (DD, Harry) has to find and destroy 
all those little pieces of soul - when there are no more, then LV  
can be killed, nothing to tie him to this life anymore (I guess 
that's kind of a DUH! comment there!)

What confuses me is why LV was hanging around in Albania when the 
horcruxes were in England?  I guess he really doesn't need to be 
nearby a piece of his soul because they don't seem to "come back 
together" after they are activated: they simply continue on from 
where they were when they became horcruxes, having the evilness of 
LV still contained inside them.  

I had some other thoughts, too, but they seem to have left me for 
the moment :). . .I hope this isn't too simple, this is after all, 
children's literature!  

I'll let everyone start finding the holes in my theory -

Pat from Virginia