Horcrux hunting

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 153140

Brothergib wrote:
> 
> We have been told previously that Bill is a curse breaker, therefore 
> it seems likely that Harry will bring the Horcruxes to Bill. I don't 
> think Harry would be confident enough to try and destroy a Horcrux 
> himself. Also, IMO, Harry will only deal with one Horcrux. This will 
> probably be the locket, which (as many have previously pointed out) 
> he will find at Grimmauld Place.
 
> Interesting as well that from Snape's own mouth we hear that a 
> wizard's Patronus can change according to how that wizard is feeling 
> (when Snape derides Tonks change in Patronus in HBP). If Snape's 
> Patronus is a mongoose, I don't think it would have started out that 
> way. If (as many of us believe) Snape has a deep seated lothing of 
> Voldemort, then his patronus may very well have changed to some
snake killing animal.
 
> I think that Snape will actually destroy all the remaining Horcruxes 
> except one - the locket as discussed above. We do not know where (or 
> in some cases what!) the remaining Horcruxes are, and must assume 
> that if DD knew, he would have told Harry. Therefore, to find the 
> remaining Horcruxes you need to ask Voldemort himself. My thoughts 
> are that Snape will now approach Voldemort and claim that DD knew of 
> the Horcruxes and may have told HP where they are. Voldemort (who
now trusts Snape implicitly) will give Snape the role of protecting his 
> Horcruxes. We have canon evidence that noone knows more about the 
> Dark Arts than Snape, so who better to destroy Horcruxes. Finally, I 
> do not think we will witness the destruction of these Horcruxes. I 
> think that as Harry and Voldemort come face to face for the last 
> time, Snape will have the satisfaction of telling Voldemort that all 
> his Horcruxes are gone!! And I agree with you - Snape won't survive!

Carol responds:
Just for fun, since we're only speculating here, I'm just going to
throw my own guesses into the works. I agree that Bill Weasley's
curse-breaking skills will play a role in destroying one Horcrux,
probably the locket, which was formerly at 12 GP and will be traced to
either Kreacher, Mundungus, or Aberforth. But I also think that,
without Snape there to cure him, Bill will die, as Dumbledore would
have done if not for Snape. (Note that Harry's near-fatal injury in
CoS was not from the diary but from the Basilisk. That particular
Horcrux was intended to be interactive. Ginny wasn't cursed when she
tried to destroy it. I don't think that we can assume, based on the
diary alone, that Harry is immune to Horcrux curses.)

I absolutely agree that no one knows more about the Dark Arts than
Snape and that he's the person most likely to know how to destroy a
Horcrux without dying in the process. I think that Snape will prove
his loyalty (and usefulness) to Harry by destroying a Horcrux in front
of him and surviving. (His changed Patronus may also play a role in
revealing his loyalty, but I think it will be a Phoenix and nor a
mongoose.) If Bill destroys the locket and dies in the process, that
would leave Snape to (find and?) destroy the cup and perhaps help
Harry recognize and find the Ravenclaw Horcrux, which I think is the
tiara, and destroy that one as well. But it will, IMO, be up destroy
Nagini and fight Voldemort. After all, Harry is the hero of the story.

So far as we know, Patronuses can be used to carry messages and drive
off Dementors, but I don't think they could kill a large and powerful
snake, especially a magical one (Nagini's venom has the power to
sustain Baby!mort's life). Harry killed the Basilisk using the Sword
of Gryffindor. I think that's how he'll kill Nagini as well, perhaps
at Snape's suggestion. (That would be a good way to get him back to
Hogwarts if he hasn't been there already.)

Carol, who thinks that Snape won't die simply because that's what
readers expect to happen and JKR loves to pull the rug out from under us