Splitting the Soul (was: Voldemort killed personally)

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 157385

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" wrote:
> > Mike previously:
> > I don't mean to sound flippant, but we are talking about a  
> > series with wizards and magic, aren't we? You aren't really    
> > suggesting that the *magical splitting of your soul* can be      
> > accomplished without using magic to commit the murder, are you? 
> > Does that sound consistent with this book series?
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Well, I don't want to speak for hickengruendler, but I *do* think 
> that JKR meant murder, any kind of murder, splits or rips the   
> soul. The magical bit comes in when a wizard rips that split piece 
> of soul away and stuffs into some sort of container.
> <"ruthless" rearrangement>
> 
> Honestly, I think it'd be a bit odd if JKR suggested that *only* a 
> magical murder splits the soul.  That would suggest that if young 
> Tom had taken an axe to his estranged family his soul would be  
> just fine, thank you very much.  I don't think JKR is going in 
> that sort of "off on a technicality" direction.

Mike responds:
Ouch! I wasn't thinking that graphically. And I think you are 
reading too much into my post. Did Lizzy Borden get a tarnished soul 
from her escapade? I suppose so. Would a wizard get a tarnished soul 
from doing the same? I would say, yes. By NO means would I suggest 
that JKR wouldn't find non-magical murder reprehensible. And I don't 
think I was even coming close to suggesting that. 

But, I'm postulating on what the requirements are to perform *Dark 
Magic* in a *magical* universe, not making moral judgements on 
degrees of barbarity. We are discussing a magical concept: splitting 
the soul. Specifically, splitting the soul for the purpose of making 
a horcrux. And when it comes to magical requirements, I do think JKR 
is specific, or as you said "off on a technicality". 

"Swish and flick", "Concentrating hard on your happy memory?", 
"Arvada Kadevra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind 
it.", "...you need to really want to cause pain - to enjoy it", "No 
Unforgivable Curses from you, Potter!"; yeah, JKR is "technical" 
when it comes to her brand of magic. And while the concept of murder 
is a moralistic, "splitting the soul" is a magical concept that I 
can't imagine doesn't require  magical input to perform.

> Betsy Hp: 
> <snip> 
> So, murder hurts the murderer's soul.  But only a wizard can make 
> dark use of that injury.

Mike:
I don't disagree, murder does *hurt* the soul, and it does appear 
that "tarnishing" ones soul has it's own consequences. But it takes 
magic to "split" the soul. Dumbledore said Harry's soul is   
"untarnished and whole", not just untarnished and not just whole.