[HPforGrownups] RE: Harry as a Horcrux theory

[Kathryn Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 157803

robin wrote:
  snip
  If he is, do you think
> Dumbledore knows or suspects this?  How much more did Dumbledore know
> that he didn't reveal to Harry?  And what about the the sorting?  The
> hat puts Harry in Gryffindor because Harry chooses it.  But it
> originally thought to put him in Slytherin.  If it had put him there
> would it have changed Harry's status as a Horcrux, assuming he is a
> Horcrux?
> 
> robin.

  KJ writes:

     This is another hugely hot topic, but it is one of my favourites, 
so I will gingerly dip my toes into the water.

     My feeling is that Dumbledore had suspicions that Harry might be 
carrying a piece of Voldemort. We have Harry missing for several hours 
after the attack on Godric's Hollow, and we have conversation between 
Hagrid and Minerva at Hogwarts. It seems likely that Harry was taken to 
Madam Pomfrey to be checked out, at least for injuries before being 
taken to the Dursleys.  Dumbledore was the only one who had heard the 
entire prophesy, assuming, of course, that we have heard the entire 
prophesy. He knew that Harry had been "marked as his equal."

     Dumbledore would have known very quickly that Voldemort wasn't 
precisely dead and gone because of Snape's Dark Mark. (of course I am a 
DDM believer). I believe that Snape would have been able to tell that 
the mark was faded but still active. In fact, Snape's mark has been 
important to the plot all along.  He would have suspected Voldemort's 
use of a horcux at that time, and begun his search for information.

     There are the clues of the Sorting Hat and the brother wands that 
lead us in the same direction as well.  Dumbledore would also have had 
that information at his disposal. I think that the Sorting was simply an 
indication, or clue. The fact that Harry chose Gryffindor was important.

     Dumbledore left Harry at the Dursley's for a reason.  Lily's 
sacrifice protects him personally, while Dumbledore's magic protected 
the house. I am thinking that he might have left Harry there to allow 
Harry to grow up in the same loveless environment as Voldemort, perhaps 
as a test, perhaps to encourage the "equality".

     Whenever JKR refers to someone as "the epitome of good", and adds 
later that no one is all good or all bad, I have to wonder about 
Dumbledore.  He had a plan, that is canon, but we have no idea what that 
plan was. He began to become more attached to Harry than was good for 
his plan, which surely indicates something nasty for Harry. He has made 
Harry no promises regarding protecting Harry's life, Harry chose to take 
it that way. The most he could offer Harry was that he hoped their 
lessons would help him survive.

     So, in Book 7, we know that Harry has some horcruxes to get rid of, 
we know that Snape is going to play a part somehow, and we know that 
Voldemort has to be stopped, because that is basically the challenge 
facing the heroes. We know that Snape has obeyed Dumbledore implicitly 
throughout the books but we do not know if that is going to continue. We 
also don't know if Voldemort has any idea what might be causing the 
connection between himself and Harry. We do know from HBP that he 
occludes against Harry to prevent him knowing what is being plotted. I 
suspect that Snape was kept out of the loop because of his contact with 
Dumbledore. If Voldemort is convinced that Snape is not an Occlumens, he 
would not want to risk Dumbledore discovering the plan in Snape's mind. 
Dumbledore had little or no contact with Draco, so the risk was not the 
same.

     So, on that basis I can see the book ending in several ways:

1.	Voldemort kills Harry, the last "horcrux" and Snape kills Voldemort 
while he is dancing a jig over Harry.

2.	Harry kills Voldemort, a lucky accident, and Snape snuffs Harry.

3.	Harry and Snape kill Voldemort, Snape knows he is a horcrux but can't 
bring himself to obey Dumbledore's last orders. We are left wondering if 
Voldemort returns.

4.	The Prime Minister advises the British military that there is a 
terrorist cell operating out of the old Riddle house, and they 
obligingly blow all three of our characters out of existance.:-)

KJ