Splitting the Soul - Actually Tearing the Soul

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 157395

"Mike" <mcrudele78 at ...> wrote:
>
> "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:
> > ... 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>
> > 
> > ...
> 
> Mike responds:
> Ouch! ...edited...
> 
> ... We are discussing a magical concept: splitting 
> the soul. Specifically, splitting the soul for the 
> purpose of making a horcrux. ...
> 
> ... 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 ... 
> 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.
>


bboyminn:

Perhaps we need to define our terms. To my knowledge that books never
use the phrase 'splitting the soul'. It refers to it as 'tearing the
soul'.

Minus a clarification on terms, I'm incline to agree with Betsy_HP.
Any willful harm to a fellow human being injures the soul. Further any
form of willfully taking the life of a fellow human being tears the
soul. No magic needed.

However, to split that torn section of soul off and separate it from
the core-soul for the purpose of encasing it in a external physical
object (horcrux) does require magic. 

That is my fair and reasonable belief. Though, how that fits in with
the terms and opinions you are expressing, I don't know.

Just a thought.

Steve/bboyminn