Neither Harry nor his Scar is a Horcrux (Was Re: Voldemort's Age)

[jmwcfo]

No: HPFGUIDX 170328

> Bart:
> I suspect that many have taken JKR a mite too literally in terms of 
Horcruxes. Murder rends the soul, but it doesn't destroy a piece of 
it; With a horcrux, you complete the process, tearing the piece of 
soul completely off, to preserve it.  

> Now, as far as him even considering creating a new Horcrux in 
killing Harry, I doubt it strongly. My logic is that Morty had 
decades to make his Horcruxes, and he was already well on his way to 
conquering the WW. I do not believe he would have even STARTED 
without having created all 7 horcuxes in advance, and, given the 
power of the number "7", he would have had no plans to create more. 
Similarly, I don't think he would make a living being a horcrux, 
because living beings have a nasty habit of dying. 
> 
> As far as how many horcruxes Morty has left, well, the ring and 
diary are destroyed. There is the locket, which may or may not have 
destroyed. And, let's not forget, there's whatever horcrux that 
contained the piece of his soul now residing in his body. That's 2 
destroyed, one maybe destroyed, and one used up. That leaves three 
more. Assuming that JKR can count, which is NOT a good assumption...
> 
> Bart
>

JW:
I can't completely agree with Bart.  JKR has said that horcruxes do 
NOT get used up.  I compare a horcrux to an anchor, which maintains a 
ship's position, stops it from floating away, but can be used time 
and time again.  IOW, the soul-piece that is in LV's current body is 
the soul-piece from his original body, whioh hung around as Vapor!
Mort for over 13 years because the horcruxes kept it grounded.

Further, I find no canonic reason to conclude that all horcruxes were 
made at about the same time.  DD surmised that LV's party with the 
Potters would be used to create the last horcrux.  Events did not 
allow that to happen.  Has it happened since? Or not at all?

However, I share Bart's skepticism over the use of living beings.  A 
living horcrux would not be an appropriate foundation for a thousand-
year reich.  Under this logic, LV's snake would NOT be a horcrux.

And I repeat what I wrote a few days ago: IMO an accidental Harry-
crux is plausible but unlikely.  For those keeping score, I give it a 
20% probability, equivalent to 4:1 odds AGAINST it.

So what DO we have?  By my count, the Mangy 7 might comprise: Ring, 
diary, LV hisself (not as a horcrux, but he is one of the seven 
pieces, the other six being horcruxes) are a certain 3.  Cup and 
locket have high probabilities - at least 80% each, equivalent to 4:1 
odds in FAVOR of each, IMO.  IF we discount the snake, we might 
consider relics from Ravenclaw (perhaps her missing wand) and 
Griffindor (perhaps the old blood-stained axe from the RoR, or maybe 
a certain invisibility cloak).

I am flexible as to the specific identity of the last two - valid 
ideas have been presented at various times, and I promise to research 
them.  However, I admire the symmetry represented by including all 4 
founders in the mix.  

I am the father of 4 boys, 18 thru 27.  I wish Bart (a father and 
GRANDfather) and all our peers a happy father's day weekend.