The Nature & Destruction of Horcruxes (was:... the Forest scene )

[Geoff]

No: HPFGUIDX 191209

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "bearhugger48" <bearhugger48 at ...> wrote:

bearhugger48:
> I am missing something here plz help me to understand.
> This piece of dark magic Tom Riddle came to know as horcrux from
> the forbidden library says that a wizard can separate his soul into
> 7 pieces? Or more, nevertheless has to have some sort of scientific
> background even in the WW.

Geoff:
Let's look at the conversation between Slughorn and Tom to 
start with:

'"How do you split your soul?"
"Well, said Slughorn uncomfortably, "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. 
Killiong rips the soul apart..."'
HBP "Horcruxes" p.465 UK edition)

So, it seems that every time a person commits murder, their soul 
is split. But Horcruxes are only created when the murderer WANTS 
to create one. The conversation continues...

'",,,The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the 
damage to his advantage: he would encase the torn portion-"
"Encase? But how-?"
"There is a spell, do not ask me, I don't know!" said Slughorn.'
(ibid. p.465)

So there is no limit on how many times a soul can get split; as 
I said a day or so ago, Voldemort has killed a lot of people 
so there must be a lot of soul fragments in his being.

Hence there is presumably no limit to the number of Horcruxes.

The seven emerges from later in the conversation:

'"What I don't understand though - just out of curiosity - I mean, 
would one Horcrux be much use? Can you only split your soul once? 
Wouldn't it be better, make you stronger, to have your soul in more 
pieces? I mean, for instance, isn't seven the most powerfully magical 
number, wouldn't seven-?"
"Merlin's beard, Tom!" yelped Slughorn. "Seven! Isn't it bad enough 
to think of killing one person? And in any case... bad enough to 
divide the soul..  but to rip it into seven pieces..."'
(ibid. pp.465/66)

So, basically, you can have your soul in many pieces if you kill enough 
and Voldemort has done; but the number of Horcruxes depends on 
how many you *make*. It does not follow that every soul fragment 
becomes a Horcrux. Later on the same chapter, Dumbledore says 
that a seven-part soul would would greatly appeal to Voldemort, but 
points out to Harry that the seventh part musr remain inside his body 
so there are six Horcruxes to be found. He also points out that 
Voldemort would probably choose objects worthy of the honour 
of becoming a Horcrux.

bearhugger48:
>  It would seem that LV had to have control of these pieces and know
> what he wanted to do with them to make them horcruxes. Then he had
> to make a decision in what to place them, where to hide them and how
> to protect them.
>  Given that Lily & James were murdered just before Harry was touched
> in the head, would account for two pieces of soul not yet placed
> anywhere. Then LV lost his powers and poof gone. Was the piece
> attached to Harry-Lily's? And what happened to James' piece?
> Can we name all 7 pieces.
> In the Movie <I know no one cares> DH1 Ron destroys the locket
> horcrux and said only 3 more to go. At that point, only the book &
> the ring had been neutralized. Excellent word.
> Way back in old school-3+3=6 Maybe just a Hollywood booboo.

Geoff:
We do not know which piece remained with Harry; as I said recently, 
it seems odd that one and only one missed being disembodied.

Actually Ron is right.

The six Horcruxes (Discounting Voldemort himself) that we know of
at this point are:

Riddle's diary
Gaunt's ring
The locket
The Hufflepuff cup
Nagini
One unknown (later revealed as the Ravenclaw diadem)

Of these, the first three have been destroyed up to this point. The 
Trio do not know yet that Harry is a Horcrux - the unintended 
Horcrux, a fact not known by Voldemort at this time either, so that 
there were actually eight.