Horcrux hunting

[juli17ptf]

No: HPFGUIDX 153112

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tonks" <tonks_op at ...> wrote:
>
> DD said, and we have seen, that the horcruxes are also a weapon.  
> They kill anyone that tries to destroy them.  They may also use the 
> life force of the victim to regenerate part of LV as it did in the 
> diary.  With this in mind how, I ask you, is Harry going to be able 
> to destroy them?  He almost died when he found the first one and we 
> see what happened to DD with the ring.  As skilled a wizard as DD 
> is, if it were not for Snape the ring would have killed DD.  I just 
> can't see Harry destroying the horcruxes by himself or with his 
> friends.  It will be certain death.
> 
> I have been thinking about who could destroy them. And who `would' 
> destroy them.  I think that Slughorn would have the skill, but 
would 
> not do it. He has too strong of a self preservation streak to take 
> that risk.  I can see Mad-Eye doing it, and Snape of course. But we 
> need Snape for something else at the end in the final battle 
between 
> LV and Harry, so Snape can't do a horcrux too.  I expect the person 
> who destroys the horcrux to die doing it. 

Julie:
I think Harry will likely destroy a couple of the horcruxes, the real 
locket horcrux probably, and one or two others. Though the horcruxes 
do attempt to kill the potential destroyer, Harry may have special 
protection against their destructive powers that no one else 
possesses, given that he has a part of Voldemort in him. 

Still, I don't think he will get them all. If there is a horcrux 
Harry cannot destroy without dying in the process, I think it will be 
Nagini. And Nagini, if she is a horcrux, will certainly be the last 
one destroyed, which means her destruction will probably take place 
just before or during the final battle. And I've come up with a new 
theory about who will destroy the final horcrux. (I think it's new, 
though someone else could have come up with it too I'm sure.)

I was reading a HP forum and someone brought up the fact that large 
cats are often killers of snakes in mythology, especially Egyptian 
mythology. It was also speculated that Snape's patronus might be a 
large cat, such as a jaguar or wild cat. It seemed an interesting 
speculation to me, especially since felines and canines are often 
mortal enemies (Snape versus Sirius and Lupin). But then I thought of 
another animal even more famous in literature if not mythology for 
killing snakes. An animal that in the real world is in fact a 
renowned snake-killer. Riki Tiki Tavi anyone? 

JKR said once that she couldn't identify Snape's patronus because it 
would reveal too much. Some of us thought it might reveal Snape's 
true loyalty. But what if instead it reveals Snape's ultimate *role* 
as a snake-killer? (Certainly if she'd told us that Snape's patronus 
is a mongoose, it would've taken maybe five seconds for most of us to 
identify what mongooses are famous for, and figure out which snake 
would be the likely target!)

So my theory is that Snape's patronus is a mongoose. And Snape's most 
direct role in helping bring about Voldemort's downfall will be 
destroying the Dark Lord's last and perhaps most dangerous horcrux, 
Nagini the snake, thus clearing a path for Harry to reach Voldemort. 
And it will be Snape's final role I fear, because mongooses sometimes 
do die while fighting snakes :(

Thoughts?

Julie