CHAPDISC: HBP 23, Horcruxes

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 160249


<snip of excellent summary by Goddlefrood>
Great summary, Goddlefrood, thanks! And so many questions!! I shall 
pick a few, I think...
 
> 3. What other business would you think Dumbledore had to attend to 
> after midnight on a school night, as alluded to by Nick?

zgirnius:
I assumed it might be mundane stuff he would have attended to at a 
more normal hour, had he been around.

> 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?

zgirnius:
I think he wanted to bounce the idea of a seven-part sould off a 
knowledgeable wizard.

> 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?

zgirnius:
The guilt SLughiorn feels surrounding this conversation suggests to 
me that he was acting of his own free will. I think he continued to 
answer questions in hopes that Tom would say something eventually 
that would reassure him that this conevrsation was not as ominous as 
it was starting to seem.

> 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?

zgirnius:
I think there is a possibility he might have inadvertently created an 
eighth.

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

zgirnius:
I suspect his defeat of Grindelwald may have involved the destruction 
of a single Hoircrux. Which does not answer the question of where he 
initially learned about them, but would motivate his having rather 
detailed knowledge.


> 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?

zgirnius:
If he is wrong, I expect it is about Nagini. 

> 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?

zgirnius:
I agree he is unaware. I think he would not create another, because 
the point is to have made exactly six.

> 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?

zgirnius:
Because there could perhaps be some other obstacle?