CHAPDISC: HBP 23, Horcruxes

[Goddlefrood]

No: HPFGUIDX 160180

CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 
23, Horcruxes

The chapter opens with Harry returning to the Castle, having obtained 
Slughorn's memory.  He is the victim of a joke from the Fat Lady who 
is annoyed over the lateness of his return. During the course of his 
mock argument with the Fat Lady a voice (of Nearly Headless Nick) 
informs him that Dumbledore is in residence. Nick has heard this from 
the Bloody Baron who was indulged in his favourite pastime atop the 
Astronomy Tower. Nick also comments that Dumbledore had business to 
attend to before turning in. (Qs. 1,2,3)

After Harry has been alerted to Dumbledore's return he makes straight 
for Dumbledore's office to inform him about having obtained 
Slughorn's memory. With no preliminary discussion, except for some 
congratulations, the memory is emptied into the Pensieve whereupon 
Harry and Dumbledore enter the memory.

The scene in the Pensieve is as in Chapter 17 - A Sluggish Memory, 
that is the interior of  Slughorn's study with half a dozen teenage 
boys sitting around with Uncle Horace, one of whom is Tom Riddle. The 
conversation is repeated as earlier, beginning with the preamble of 
Professor Merrythought retiring. There is a small alteration in that 
in the earlier version Slughorn's wagging finger is sugar-covered 
whereas in the later no sugar covering is mentioned. (Q4)

We then come to the previously fogged portion of the memory. Slughorn 
praises Tom and predicts he would go far, particularly if he allowed 
Uncle Horace to give a nudge to those in the right places and 
continued to supply liberal quantities of pineapple. During this 
portion Harry notices, as he hadn't at any point in the earlier 
version, that Tom was not the eldest of the group. (Q5)

The conversation then continues as per the earlier version until Tom 
asks what Slughorn knows about Horcruxes. Slughorn explains what a 
Horcrux is, after some prodding, in a manner described as rather 
excited. Harry is reminded during the course of the description of a 
portion of Lord Voldemort's speech in the graveyard at Little 
Hangleton in GoF where he had described how he had felt the night he 
had been parted from his body. (Qs.6, 7)

Tom goes on to ask how a Horcrux is made and Slughorn explains that 
the act of murder causes the soul to split so that a Horcrux could be 
formed from the split. He then professes ignorance of the spell 
needed to actually create a Horcrux. He is, throughout the latter 
part of the conversation, described as becoming increasingly uneasy, 
but he nevertheless answers as fully as he is able. The conversation 
then wraps up with talk of multiple Horcruxes, pointedly the number 
seven, and an injunction not to discuss what they have talked about 
with anybody else due to the subject being banned at Hogwarts. (Qs. 
8,9)

As soon as Harry and Dumbledore leave the Pensieve they begin to 
discuss Horcruxes under the keen attention of all the portraits in 
Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore starts by commenting that the memory 
confirms a theory he had been working on, that being that Voldemort 
intended to create seven soul pieces. The impression is given that 
Dumbledore knows an awful lot about Horcruxes to the point of being 
aware that no book would be able to inform a reader of whether 
multiple Horcruxes would be viable. (Q10) 

Dumbledore goes on to explain that the first definite proof he 
received that Lord Voldemort had split his soul was after the 
climactic events of CoS when Harry destroyed the Diary Horcrux. He 
also states that as many questions were raised as were answered by 
his revelation. One of these was why Lord Voldemort had treated the 
Diary Horcrux in a seemingly slapdash manner and Dumbledore offers an 
explanation why in that one purpose of the Diary was to lead to the 
opening of the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore also comments on 
Voldemort's seemingly careless treatment of the Diary Horcrux, 
concluding that there were likely multiple Horcruxes.

There follows a discussion of why Lord Voldemort would choose 
Horcruxes over other potential methods of prolonging his life or 
attaining immortality with particular emphasis on the merits and 
demerits of a Philosopher's Stone. (Q11)

Next, Harry and Dumbledore review what they know regarding the status 
of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes. Dumbledore says he has destroyed the 
Ring Horcrux and Harry the Diary Horcrux. Dumbledore describes how 
and where he found the Ring Horcrux without mentioning what the curse 
on it was what withered his arm. Dumbledore states that they must 
infer from what they know that four Horcruxes remain to be found and 
destroyed. (Q12)

The two speculate on what the remaining Horcruxes may be with 
Dumbledore stating that his view is that the Horcruxes would be 
contained in objects of great significance to Lord Voldemort or of 
especial magic power. As definite contenders Harry suggests 
Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket as stolen from Hepzibah 
Smith. Dumbledore tentatively agrees with this assessment and goes on 
to say that it would be likely Lord Voldemort would want to obtain 
relics owned by either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor to encase further 
Horcruxes. 

At this point Dumbledore categorically states that the only known 
relic of Godric Gryffindor is the ruby-encrusted sword in one of his 
cabinets. The upshot of this tranche of the discussion is that 
Dumbledore concludes that Lord Voldemort obtained two, and possibly 
three, relics linked to the founders, but seems confident that he did 
not obtain one from each. (Q13)

In the final piece of speculation, Dumbledore postulates that Nagini 
is a Horcrux. He explains that it is unwise to use a sentient being 
to house a Horcrux but contends that Nagini has a special position in 
Lord Voldemort's affections. Dumbledore believes that at the time of 
the killing of Harry's parents Voldemort was one short of his target 
of six and that the intended death of Harry was to be used to create 
his last Horcrux. Given that he was short of his target of six 
Horcruxes Dumbledore speculates Lord Voldemort later used Frank 
Bryce's death to create the final one. Dumbledore also states his 
view that Lord Voldemort reserved the making of his Horcruxes to 
coincide with particularly significant deaths. (Q14)

The two {then} summarise their theory that there were six Horcruxes 
of which two had been destroyed and that the remaining four are 
Hufflepuff's Cup, Slytherin's Locket, Nagini and something of 
either Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's. (Q15)

Dumbledore now comes to his revelation that he is close to locating a 
further Horcrux. He agrees that if he is correct then Harry can 
accompany him to find and destroy it, which draws disapproval (to say 
the least) from the headmasters and headmistresses. Harry asks 
whether Lord Voldemort would be aware of the destruction of a Horcrux 
and Dumbledore answers that he thinks he would not be. He supports 
this by describing Lord Voldemort's rage on finding that the Diary 
had been destroyed and the Horcrux contained within also destroyed. 

While discussing the Diary and its loss Dumbledore confirms that the 
Diary was intended to be deployed, but not at the time it was. He 
also states that Lucius Malfoy wanted to use it only to discredit 
Arthur Weasley after Lucius apprehended that Lord Voldemort was dead 
and not coming back. (Q16) 

The conversation now turns to whether Lord Voldemort could be killed 
if the Horcruxes were destroyed with Dumbledore obfuscating a little 
but cagily saying that he believes he could be. Harry, having heard 
Dumbledore's view, quite honestly says that he has no special power, 
at which point Dumbledore repeats his oft stated view that Harry has 
the power of love (TM) whereas Lord Voldemort does not and indeed is 
incapable of understanding love and its power. (Q17) 

Dumbledore explains that the Prophecy is only coming to pass due to 
Lord Voldemort's belief in prophecies and Harry's inured hatred of 
Lord Voldemort from his having murdered Harry's parents. The tools 
Harry possesses to fight with Lord Voldemort have been partially 
bestowed on him by Lord Voldemort himself. Dumbledore reminds Harry 
that he has remained pure of heart and retained the ability to 
love, indeed Lord Voldemort should be aware of this power from the 
time Harry stared into the Mirror of Erised and only saw his family. 
(Q18)

Harry asserts that of course he wants Lord Voldemort finished and 
that he wants to be the one to do it. Harry's final thoughts refer to 
his new understanding of the task ahead and why it must be he who 
carries out the same with his insight into the difference between 
being dragged into a fight and stepping up of one's own free will.

1. Given that Harry, in the course of the series, has often turned up 
late to the Gryffindor Tower without a real complaint from the Fat 
Lady, why do you think she is so liverish in this instance? 

2. Do you think there is any significance in the Astronomy Tower 
being the Bloody Baron's favourite haunt (pun intended) when it is 
also later the scene of Dumbledore's death?

3. What other business would you think Dumbledore had to attend to 
after midnight on a school night, as alluded to by Nick?

4. However insignificant the distinction, is the difference in the 
description of Slughorn's wagging finger between the two versions 
perhaps a clue to something?

5. This segment of his memory, although perhaps embarrassing and no 
longer a view that Slughorn holds, does not appear to do any harm to 
Slughorn, unlike the later part regarding Horcruxes, so why do you 
think he covered up this portion from his fogged memory?

6. Why would Uncle Horace become excited when describing Horcruxes? 

7. Was Tom Riddle initially listening to information he already 
possessed, or did he have no knowledge of Horcruxes at all prior to 
this conversation?

8. What compelled Horace to continue answering Tom's questions when 
he was clearly described as being uneasy about the subject, was it 
more than just a natural conversation in other words?

9. Without going too deeply into the nature of Horcruxes, as that 
aspect has been discussed almost ad nauseam, do you think Voldemort 
actually has or had seven soul pieces, six of which are or were 
Horcruxes?

10. How had Dumbledore acquired his knowledge of Horcruxes and why 
was it such thorough knowledge?

11. Did Lord Voldemort treat the Diary Horcrux carelessly as 
Dumbledore suggests or is there more to its destruction than 
initially met the eye?

12. Would you agree that there are four Horcruxes to find, and if not 
why not?

13. As far as I recall the Sorting Hat was whipped from the head of 
Godric Gryffindor (with the implication nthat it was his), so why 
would Dumbledore not at least make a mention of this?

14. Do you agree with Dumbledore that Nagini is a Horcrux and if so 
did he conclude this when consulting his machine in OotP or from some 
other source?

15. At this advanced stage of the series do you think that the 
summary of the remaining Horcruxes is correct or think that 
Dumbledore is wrong, as he himself professes to be on occasion?

16. Do you agree that Lord Voldemort is unaware when a Horcrux is 
destroyed and if so, and given that he knows of the loss of the Diary 
Horcrux, do you think he would create another?

17. Why does Dumbledore not categorically say that Lord Voldemort 
could be killed if his Horcruxes are destroyed, but only that it will 
take uncommon skill and power to kill him?

18. Lord Voldemort is said to be a powerful and gifted wizard so why 
would he set such store by the Prophecy?

Goddlefrood with thanks to Shorty Elf for assigning this to him and 
Speedy Elf for assistance with the flow of the post.

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