Dumbledore's lapses of Information (Was:CHAPDISC: HBP 23, Horcruxes)

[snow15145]

No: HPFGUIDX 160388






Goddlefrood:

In respect now of the information Dumbledore supplied regarding 
Horcruxes themselves I formed the view while reading the relevant 
chapter under discussion that Dumbledore gave Harry all the 
information he had. That he did not mention Harry or his scar as a 
potential Horcrux strengthened my opinion that neither Harry nor his 
scar is a Horcrux. Dumbledore could have no reason to suppress that 
particular information.

Snow:

Dumbledore does give all the information necessary but as usual 
always in code. Dumbledore did tell him the guideline for the 
proposed Horcruxes that were left to be found; there is something 
from the four houses, the diary and a living Horcrux that he proposed 
may be Nagini. 

What would have happened had Dumbledore given any more clues about 
his suspicions than he already has (the bit of Voldemort in him, the 
fact that the scar represented a connection forged between Voldemort 
and Harry)? Would Harry have viewed himself as one of the proposed 
destructible Horcruxes as many on this list believe that Harry will 
have to sacrifice himself in order to rid himself of the unwanted 
Voldemort soul? 

Harry is not a Horcrux therefore he does not have to be destroyed. 
Harry didn't receive his portion of Voldemort soul via the Horcrux 
process so his situation is unique. Harry, however, may not have 
viewed it this way if Dumbledore were to have explicitly stated that 
he suspects Harry to have one seventh of Voldemort's soul residing in 
him. 

Instead Dumbledore tells Harry that it is inadvisable to use a living 
soul that can think and act for itself as a Horcrux. This lays the 
groundwork for a later date when Harry does think for himself and 
connects the fact that he is forged with Voldemort but also 
understands that he can think and act for himself so the fragment 
that is in him does not control him or his destiny. 

Dumbledore never came straight out in SS and told Harry how to get to 
the Chamber or that their was a stone or that Voldemort was 
attempting to steal it but he did lead him down the path and as Harry 
suspected at the end Dumbledore allowed him to find out on his own 
and deal with it himself, with a bit of help from his friends. 

Dumbledore set the groundwork for Harry with the mirror knowing that 
he would confront it again, did he tell him that
no, he had to work 
it out himself. 

I view this situation in the same manner since Dumbledore has done 
quite a few things in a similar way. 

Goddlefrood:

Dumbledore said that LV had transferred some of his powers to Harry 
the night he obtained the scar, which is an important distinction.

Snow:

Dumbledore also agreed with Harry in CoS that Voldemort appeared to 
put a bit of himself in Harry.

Goddlefrood:

A Horcrux in and of itself does not appear to have power, except to 
revive the person who has need of reviving. It seems you suggest that 
a Horcrux is a power in itself.

Snow:

Not just any Horcrux, one with a soul that can think for itself. If 
the Diary had succeeded in its plan with Ginny's soul, "it would have 
strengthened the present-day Voldemort considerably". You see that a 
Horcrux can have power when combined with a living soul. 

Goddlefrood:

The Horcrux is the vessel for storing the external portion of soul, 
unless I'm much mistaken. For any particularly interested in the 
various ways in which external souls work there is available Chapter 
66 "The External Soul in Folk-Tales" by Sir James George Frazer from 
The Golden Bough. THis is at Bartlebys and other literature sites.

The only power attributed to the external soul is to keep the owner 
of the soul alive no matter what happens and this aspect of the myth 
appears to have been adhered to by JKR. In fact it is quite likely 
that she followed the legend of Koschei the Deathless whose soul was 
outside his body and there were seven levels of protection (although 
not seven separate soul pieces) to destroy in order that he could 
himself die.

Snow:

That may very well be the case and it probably is, but we are not 
dealing with a conventional Horcrux when it comes to Harry. Voldemort 
didn't make Harry a Horcrux by casting a spell to release the ripped 
soul fragment from his body and place it in Harry but; Harry did end 
up with a bit of Voldemort that night along with a scar, that 
according to Dumbledore represents a forged connection with 
Voldemort; Voldemort did lose his body that night along with all his 
powers except the power of possession; Lily was killed that night 
despite his offer to step aside. All of these conditions set up a 
very nice scenario that Harry did receive Voldemort soul. 

Snow