Accidental Harrycrux : a theory

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 155293

>
> Mike wrote:
> > My hypothesis for how one creates an accidental Horcrux postulates
> > that the encasement spell is cast prior to committing the murder. My
> > basis for this belief comes from examining Slughorn's explanation:
> >
> > "The wizard *intent* upon creatig a Horcrux would use the damage to
> > his advantage." (HBP p.498, US, Slughorn speaking, my emphasis)
> >
> > I read this as the wizard must create the intent, have the
> > encasement object and use the 'spell' to mark the object as well as
> > prepare to capture the torn piece of soul. <snip>
> 
> Carol responds:
> I understand what you're saying. However, it is impossible to encase
> something that does not yet exist. The soul piece must be torn off
> *before* it is encased (enclosed) in the object that will become a
> Horcrux.
> 

Ken:

No, you don't understand what Mike is saying. If you want to
understand it you have to cast aside your present convictions on how
the horcrux spell works and consider an entirely different possibility.

Consider Hermione's curse on the membership list for Dumbledore's
Army. She cast the spell before anyone ratted on the group, possibly
before anyone even signed the parchment. The spell on the list was
able to sense that someone on the list had broken the promise, it was
able to identify who that person was, and it was able to mark her with
pimples. The spell on the parchment is dormant and it goes into action
if/when/and-only-if someone who signed the list betrays the group.
Quite a bit of intelligence for a simple piece of parchment! 

The horcrux spell *could* work in a similar fashion, this is *all*
speculation of course since we know next to nothing about how JKR
pictures that this works. You put a spell on Hufflepuff's cup, for
example, that connects it to your soul and enables it to grab a piece
of your soul, if/when/and-only-if your soul is ever split. It is
perfectly logical that this could be done before you commit a murder
and tear your soul. Then, when you actually do commit a murder one of
the torn pieces of your soul automatically gets sucked into the
horcrux object. No further action is required on your part. You do
have to cast the horcrux spell in order to create a horcrux but you
don't necessarily have to cast it *after* the murder that splits your
soul. We just don't know for sure; until JKR issues a ruling on the
matter one is as plausible as the other.

Ken