Concerning Horcuxes

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 169450

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Anna" <dragondancer357 at ...> wrote:
>
> Rereading HBP, just past the part when Dumbledore shows Harry the TRUE 
> memory of Slughorn, young Voldemort, and their conversation about 
> Horcruxes, I still don't understand something:
> 
> Slughorn says that killing someone splits your soul, and that with 
> said piece of soul, you can create a Horcrux.  Well, what about all 
> the Aurors and others who killed in the numerous battles 
> between "good" and the forces of Voldemort.  If they (the Aurors) 
> killed dark wizards and such when trying to capture them, for example, 
> aren't their souls split as well?  I mean, does the mere act of 
> killing someone -- anyone -- split the soul, or is the soul only split 
> when one does a particulary nasty/evil murder, or has the concious 
> intention of creating a Horcrux?  Voldemort did countless murders, yet 
> he only supposedly created 6 Horcruxes.  Do you think his soul is 
> really split into a hundred-some-odd pieces?  Any ideas?  Thanks.

Geoff:
Actually, Slughorn is more specific than that.....

'"How do you split your soul?"
"Well," said Slughorn incomfortably, "you must understand that 
the soul is supposed to remain intact and whole. Splitting it is an 
act of violation, it is against nature."
"But how do you do it?"
"By an act of evil - the supreme act of evil. By committing MURDER. 
Killing rips the soul apart..."'
(HBP "Horcruxes" p.465 UK edition)

(My emphasis).

In a war situation, people are killed but his stress lies on murder as a 
premeditated act against another person which I think is not quite the 
same.

Even so, if the souls of Aurors are split, it doesn't follow that they are 
going to rush off and create Horcruxes; perhaps the soul pieces remain 
together but separate - if you see what I mean.