[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry Horcrux redux

[rebecca]

No: HPFGUIDX 155105

>> Neri:
>> I never heard about detaching the ripped soul. Are you saying that
> if a person who had just committed a murder is killed, then only one
> of his soul parts leaves his body, while the ripped part remains
> there? Doesn't sound logical to me. <snip>
>
> Carol:
> What? No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying that the soul
> of a murderer may be torn, but it normally stays with the main soul,
> damaged but not encased in a Horcrux. Only rarely does the murderer
> actually detach the soul bit (remove it from the main soul housed
> inside himself) and encase it in a container using the spell that
> Slughorn denied knowing. <snip>

Rebecca:

I have read this thread with considerable interest - and I have something 
nagging in my mind that needs to come out. (Pardon the pun. :)) Bear with 
me, hm?

To me, the AK and the creation of the Horcrux (encasing the torn part of the 
soul inside an object) are seperate acts, e,g. spells. Both Slughorn and 
Dumbledore allude to this in canon:

"There is a spell, do not ask me, I don't know!" said Slughoin shaking his 
head like an old elephant bothered by mosquitoes.

IMO, Dumbledore almost exclusively discusses the encasing of the soul - and 
as we have seen and if Dumbledore is right, an AK itself isn't necessary: 
Hepzibah Smith was poisoned.  In other words, if Voldemort did create a 
Horcrux with her death, the spell couldn't be predicated on an AK due to the 
poisoning. This leads me to the conclusion that the creation of the Horcrux 
is predicated on any murdering means, but not exclusively linked or combined 
at the same time as an AK because it takes a unique spell to encase torn 
part after killing has been accomplished.

For these reasons, I am not convinced that Harry is a Horcrux, even an 
accidental one, just because an AK bounced about in GH.  I do believe 
Dumbledore's statement in CoS that Voldemort accidently gave Harry some his 
powers the night the scar was created - if we go by the diary as an example, 
Harry should have been possessed as Ginny was by part of Voldemort's soul if 
Harry was a Horcrux. I also wonder about this from OoP:

"The Death Eater had pulled his head out of the bell jar. His appearance was 
utterly bizarre, his tiny baby's head bawling loudly while his thick arms 
flailed dangerously in all directions, narrowly missing Harry, who had 
ducked. Harry raised his wand but to his amazement Hermione seized his arm.



'You can't hurt a baby!'"



Ok, so wonder what happens if you *do* try to hurt a baby? Maybe that's how 
some of Voldemort's powers ended up in Harry.....



Rebecca