Was Myrtle murdered? (was: Re: Harry a Horcrux?)

[Peggy Wilkins]

No: HPFGUIDX 153533

On 6/7/06, Kathryn Jones <kjones at telus.net> wrote:

>    KJ:
>     While I agree whole-heartedly with your timing, I have a hard time
> recognizing the death of Myrtle as a murder. I don't think that Tom
> released the basilisk with the specific intention of killing people,
> that is just what basilisks do apparently. I don't suppose that Tom
> concerned himself about it, but I don't think that it would cause a
> split in his soul unless it was malicious and meant. I also don't think
> that he would find Myrtle of sufficient importance to use that murder as
> the basis for a horcrux... <snip>

Peggy W:
I can't so easily attribute that level of innocence to young Tom
Riddle.  He had to be aware of the entire Chamber of Secrets legend,
and if he knew the story he would have known that the purpose of the
Chamber was to house the basilisk for the specific purpose of
"cleansing" the school of those who were less worthy.  I put "cleanse"
in quotes because of course it is a euphemism for murdering those
deemed unworthy.  He had to be fully aware that the basilisk would go
about "cleansing" the school and yet he sought the Chamber for years
until he found and opened it, and then he went on to command the
basilisk: as we see when he is in the Chamber with Harry, Tom had to
actually call it forth.  At least that was my interpretation.  Tom was
not an innocent youth who just opened a door to prove he could do it
and to see what was behind it.  I think he had to be aware of the
consequences, and yet he deliberately opened it and summoned the
basilisk.

Since there was deliberation,  I consider Tom guilty on this one.

>   KJ, especially appreciative of posts that agree with me, there being
> so few of them

I at least agreed with the earlier part of your post, about Horcruxes
not requiring their maker to drag an enchanted object along to their
designated murder before the fact...  :)


-- 
Peggy Wilkins
enlil65 at gmail.com