CHAPDISC: HBP 23, Horcruxes

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 160741

Siriusly Snapey Susan wrote:
> Forgive my coming in so late to this discussion, only to insert 
> questions. :)  But reading Debbie's thoughts, I became curious.  
> 
> If you've explained all this before, please forgive me for asking, 
> but are you suggesting that *each* of the horcruxes contains not
only a soul bit but also a memory of Riddle? and that perhaps the
reason Tom Riddle's name is familiar to Harry is that not only is
there a horcrux in Harry, but there's a *memory* of Tom's in there, too?
> 
> If there is... wow, I wonder what form it might take? what it might 
> consist of? would it be a specific memory or, like the diary, more
of an entire particular age of Tom Riddle?  I'm especially curious 
> since, IIRC, doesn't JKR describe what Harry has as a feeling that he 
> knew the name, "like a long lost friend" or some such phrase?  Makes 
> one wonder what kind of memory might be there....

Carol responds:

Since Deb was responding to my post, I hope it's okay for me to jump
in here and disagree with her.

IMO, the diary is the only Horcrux that contains a memory, in this
case specifically the memory of Tom Riddle's sixteen-year-old self,
which is much like a memory removed from Snape's or Dumbledore's head
and placed in a Pensieve. No part of their soul goes with it, it is
only an objective memory that others can enter (as opposed to a
subjective, written memory that a Muggle would enter into a diary).
The whole reason the memory is placed there is to interact with a
reader and perhaps show that reader Tom's "heroic" action in
apprehending the "culprit," Hagrid, and his monstrous friend.

No other Horcrux is intended to be interactive. They exist only to
house a soul bit and keep it earthbound. Soul bits do not in
themselves contain memories, IMO.

As to why Harry thought he "knew" Tom Riddle from his childhood,
possibly that's part of the charm placed on the diary, something to
entice a reader into opening it and interacting with it. Ginny, an
eleven-year-old girl who wanted a confidante and loved the idea of a
diary, may not have needed such a spell, but how many schoolboys keep
a diary? There had to be some sort of charm on the diary to keep it
from being thrown away (rather like the hex or curse Ron mentions that
forces a person to keep reading a particular book). And Ginny herself
felt that Tom was a trusted friend, admittedly after he had responded
to her. As I say, soul bits and memories don't necessarily go
together, and Harry's sense of familiarity on encountering Tom
Riddle's name may have nothing to do with a real memory in himself. It
certainly is not an association between Tom Riddle and Voldemort.

We need to remember the original reason that the diary was created, to
"carry on Salazar Slytherin's noble work." As Harry says, Tom didn't
want his efforts in finding and opening the Chamber of Secrets to go
for nothing. And as DD (IIRC) says, he wanted to be known as
Slytherin's Heir. Note the reactions of Tom's "friends" when Slughorn
says, "It couldn't be clearer that you come from good wizarding
stock." Their winking, nudging, and simpering indicate that they know
exactly which wizarding line Tom comes from.

Carol, wishing that JKR would squash the Harry!Horcrux rumor on her
website