One True Hero and Hero By Committee - LONG (Was: Re: WHo needs Harry?)

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 182363

> Carol:
> As catlady says, I've "gone on about Basilisk venom" in quite a bit 
of
> detail already, but I think this is another goal that only Harry 
could
> have accomplished because only he had the power given to him
> inadvertently by LV of speaking Parseltongue, which enabled him to
> open the Chamber.

zgirnius:
If Vincent Crabbe could cast Fiendfyre, I don't care how scared 
Hermione is of it. An Albus Dumbledore or a Severus Snape (not an 
exhaustive list, just two people who must have the skills) could use 
it to destroy a Horcrux/Horcruxes. Basilisk venom is nice, it is 
ironic, it is the way it actually happened in the book for five 
Horcruxes, but not for the sixth. I also think Harry's "death" 
establishes that an AK would have done for Nagini dearest, but I 
suppose that is debatable. Fiendfyre is not.

Perhaps even Harry would have been taught it for this purpose, by 
Albus. Except Albus knew he did not need to, because CoS had already 
happened. 
 
> Carol responds:
> But, again, we have DD and Harry working together even though Harry
> doesn't know it. Without Harry, DD would have had to find some other
> means of destroying the ring Horcrux, a difficult matter, as I've
> already established (though perhaps not impossible).

zgirnius:
I've said it already, but it bears repeating. Fiendfyre. I don;t 
believe it is too difficult for a healthy Albus who is Master of the 
Elder Wand.

> Carol:
> Mundungus, who stole it and informed HRH, under duress, that it had
> been taken from him by a toad-faced female Mom official. <g> The
> question is whether the fake Horcrux could have been retrieved from
> the cave some other way (without abusing a House-Elf or killing a
> Wizard), and, if so, whether RAB could have been identified.

zgirnius:
It is unknown whether the green goo is survivable, that is true. This 
would require a wizard willing to take the chance and suffer the 
consequences of drinking the green goo. The way to do it to maximize 
his or her chances, would be to send a House Elf to help, who would 
then Apparate the brave witch/wizard, with the "Horcrux", to the best 
Potions/Dark Arts care that could be found. Regulus could have done 
this himself, if it were not for his fear that it would endanger his 
family.

But Harry's presence in the Cave was not necessary, anyway, only 
Albus's. He did the heavy lifting there. Albus could have taken a 
House Elf with him (nto to abuse, to administer the potion, though 
that is abuse of sorts in itself...). He took Harry along to train 
him, because he had already chosen Harry as his successor.

> Carol responds:
> Which occurred because she recognized the Sword of Gryffindor, which
> was supposed to have been placed in her vault (along with the cup,
> which she didn't know was a Horcrux). 

zgirnius:
You'll like this one, Carol. <g>

Bella let slip to Snape that she was entrusted with something most 
precious to Voldemort, in Ch. 2 HBP. (I took this to mean she had a 
Horcrux, just like Lucius, and I was right!) Alas, Albus was trying 
to be the lone hero, so Snape could not possibly have recognized the 
significance of this slip, and probably never even reported it, 
taking it for an idle boast rather than a slip of the tongue.