(no subject)
HBP Theory and Spoilers
A very testy theory for lots of people, but seven pages on my own views, with references to the whole text.
Please do read.
Harry is the horcrux Lord Voldemort made on the night of the deaths of the Potters in Godric’s Hollow, with references to the text, and with defensive perspective of a reader who came to the conclusion on their own, rather than having it offered to them by someone else.
*Ammendment, as of the 31st of July, in order to include page numbers, and to revise some of the things that I have written.*
Introduction
Now I know what you’re thinking - you’re thinking one of two things, either ‘how did I end up here, reading this tosh’ or ‘Allright, I’m prepared to give this theory a chance.’ Either way, I’d like to appeal to your desire to learn, to your thirst for knowledge, because that, after all is all important.
“So teach us things worth knowing. Bring back what we’ve forgot.” PS
So I’ll put my general theory before you, and then I will go on to explain the deep meaning behind it. I hope that you have not suffered under the badly explained theorising of other people so far, because it will mean a great barrier for me to overcome before I can actually infuse some of my own meanderings upon you. Building resentment against a theory is all that a badly organised argument succeeds in doing, and I should dislike writing a bad argument.
So if you can; wipe your mind, sit back, and watch the words on the paper before you.
‘“Clear your mind, Potter,” said Snape’s cold voice. “Let go of all emotion…”’ OotP Ch. 24 Pg. 473
How do we make Horcruxes?
Now, some of my theory depends on suggestions - things that are not properly explained come under my crafting hands now. The first important quote I will give you is from the memory that Harry procures for Dumbledore.
‘“But how do you do it?”
“By an act of evil - the supreme act of evil. By committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: he could encase the torn portion - ”
“Encase? But how - ?”
“There is a spell, do not ask me, I don’t know!” said Slughorn, shaking his head like an old elephant bothered by mosquitoes. “Do I look as though I’ve tried it - do I look like a killer?”’ HBP Ch. 23 Pg. 465
Here we are then - my first important quote, and it plays a lot of effect upon my later arguments.
Now, first of all you should know that the mention of Horcruxes is taboo. “That’s very Dark stuff. Very Dark stuff indeed,” said Slughorn’ HBP Ch. 23 Pg. 465. Consider - Dumbledore refused to have texts referring to Horcruxes in the school - and Slughorn himself chooses to lie about his mentioning it, rather than tell Dumbledore that he had told Riddle about advanced, terrible Dark Magic.
I believe Slughorn himself, much as he does know, does not know everything. He makes this quite clear. He does not know the spell, and if he did he wouldn’t mention it.
How many pieces is Voldemort's soul in?
First of all, I would suggest, and I would wager on my being correct, that Voldemort has killed a lot more than just seven times. We know, for instance, of a certain eleven, and that’s just the ones Harry’s aware of. Here they are, for reference purposes:
Lily and James Potter (Personally)
Hepzibah Smith (Personally) - HBP Ch.20 Pg. 410
Moaning Myrtle (Through the Basilisk) - CoS Ch. 16 Pg. 221
The Riddles (Personally) - GoF Ch. 1 Pg. 7 and HBP Ch. 17 Pg. 342
Cedric Diggory (Through Wormtail) - GoF Ch. 32 Pg. 553
Frank Bryce -(Personally) GoF Ch. 1 Pg. 19
Dorcas Meadows - (Personally - the scene where Moody's showing the photograph to Harry) OotP Ch. 9 Pg. 158
Bertha Jorkins - (Personally - I don't think anyone ever finds out about this - even Dumbledore) GoF Ch. 1 Pg. 16
Many other Order members (Through his Death Eaters)
Now if you take Slughorn literally, Voldemort’s soul should be in many pieces, even if you don't count not being the actual killer - in the case of his orders. So I don’t think your soul gets ‘torn’ in quite the literal sense. Perhaps it is indeed separated into lots of pieces, but still contained in the whole. Or else, as has been well argued, everyone would be able to make Horcruxes.
I personally believe that only murders done by the hand of the murderer count.
I would argue that Voldemort still only made seven Horcruxes. If my theory is correct, however, then Voldemort may well have made eight, or may think that one of his Horcruxes is contained in the object he was attempting to put it in at Godric's Hollow. I'll explain this later.
Lily and James Poter
I have heard many arguments that perhaps Voldemort used Lily and James Potter to make his Horcrux. Personally, I should think not. Only significant deaths will do for the extra special souvenirs that Voldemort wishes to make.
Making Horcruxes using the deaths of Lily and James would simply not be what was on his mind, after all. And if he had, this would have held up some kind of premonition on the part of Voldemort. No; he was saving himself for his 'extra special death'.
An extra special death
This extra special death is Harry James Potter, a boy of about one year old, who is perfectly ordinary and perfectly innocent. He has perfectly ordinary parents, who fight for the freedom of the wizarding world, and will do anything to protect him when the time comes.
This Harry James Potter is also the child of prophecy, and this, below, is what Voldemort knows of the prophecy.
“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…” OotP Ch. 37 Pg. 741
So Lord Voldemort knows - or rather suspects, that Harry James Potter is already possessing of powers that might vanquish him. He has no idea of what is about to occur. He believes that he should quell that power now, snub it out before it can cause him any damage.
Any other villain would have done just the same thing.
‘When he asked an Oracle how to procure a male heir, was told, “You will have no sons, and your grandson will kill you.” To forestall this fate, Acrisius imprisoned Danae in a dungeon with brazen doors, guarded by savage dogs; but despite his precautions, Zeus came upon her in a shower of gold, and she bore him a son names Perseus. When Acrisius learned of Danae’s condition, he would not believe that Zeus was the father, and suspected his brother Proteus but, not daring to kill his own daughter, locked her and the infant Perseus in a wooden ark, which he cast into the sea.' from Greek Myths, by Robert Graves
So as you can see, killing children to prevent their fulfilment of the prophecy is a common thing. Perseus does in fact go on to kill his grandfather, Acrisius.
So who better for Voldemort to kill to finalise his final, seventh Horcrux, than a boy who was supposed to have incredible powers - enough to potentially destroy him - the “the greatest sorcerer in the world” CoS Ch. 17 Pg. 231 ?
So, we are sure, because Dumbledore tells us: “He seems to have reserved the process of making Horcruxes for particularly significant deaths. You would certainly have been that.” Note, not Lily or James; Harry. “He believed that in killing you, he was destroying the danger the prophecy has outlines. He believed he was making himself invincible. I am sure that he was intending to make his final Horcrux with your death.” HBP Ch. 23 Pg. 473
The Importance of Being Frank Bryce
Now Dumbledore goes on to suggest that Lord Voldemort kills the Muggle Frank Bryce to make his last Horcrux. I would discount this, mostly because I remember how Lord Voldemort looked at the beginning of book four.
‘“How am I to survive without you, when I need feeding every few hours? Who is to milk Nagini?”
“But you seem so much stronger, my Lord - ”
“Liar,” breathed the second voice. “I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of what little health I have regained under your clumsy care.”’ GoF Ch. 1 Pg. 14
Of course, Voldemort is capable of killing at this point. He takes Frank Bryce's life, after all. Still, it's clear that splitting your soul changes you in significant ways.
There is evidence here: Frank Bryce might count as a significant death, because of his connection to Riddle's father. And also, there is a discrepency - between the Voldemort at the beginning of the book, and the Voldemort at the end. In the beginning, Voldemort is capable of using the killing curse. At the end, he has to ask Wormtail to kill for him.
Now why am I going about discounting my own theory? I'll explain shortly.
Dumbledore's Error?
I will note here a slight error that I’ve noticed, that may well be dependant upon Dumbledore’s knowledge, rather than on Rowling herself.
He says that Voldemort “used Nagini to kill an old Muggle man” HBP; whereas I distinctly recall Frank Bryce dying in a different way. ‘He was screaming so loudly that he never heard the words the thing in the chair spoke, as it raised a wand. There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce crumpled. He was dead before he hit the floor.’
Dumbledore’s error? Or Rowlings? I doubt she’d forget something she’d made insanely obvious. It is part of my evidence against Nagini.
‘“Well, it is inadvisable to do so,” said Dumbledore, “because to confide a part of your soul to something that can think and move for itself is obviously a very risky business.” HBP Ch. 23 Pg. 473
So why would Voldemort do it? He could use anything, anything at all - a snake can die - but an object can not. Much as Voldemort trusted Nagini, and was perhaps even fond of her - he wanted to live forever. This is why he chose, things that people would never choose to destroy. Why, after all, would someone choose to destroy Slytherin’s locket - a man who lived a thousand years previously. Even if it had come back into someone else’s ownership, it would have never been destroyed - extra precaution in that, you could say. I'm not saying that having his soul in something noone would want to destroy is his reason for choosing it - it's obvious that it is not - I'm just saying it's a useful side effect!
I'm not, however, going to say that Nagini is not completely. There is a part of my theory in which this might be possible - as well as Harry, and I'll go on to explain it now, because it's the right moment.
Seven or Eight Horcruxes?
Now I should first address that Dumbledore is adamant that there are only seven Horcruxes. But I also don't think that Dumbledore supposes, even for a second, that Harry, or something at Godric's Hollow, could also be a Horcrux. I, however, do - and it brings into question Lord Voldemort's responses.
Either he knows that the Horcrux spell suceeded - in which case, he believes that a part of his soul went into an item at Godric's Hollow, and simply doesn't know that it was Harry and not an item that it went into - in which case, Harry will find an item at his parents' house which was supposed to hold a part of Voldemort's soul and does not. Voldemort would therefore believe there were even, he would make no more Horcruxes.
OR
Voldemort didn't know that his Horcrux spell worked. He would still want to make a final Horcrux. Bryce, with Nagini. In which case, my supposition is - that Voldemort's soul should be in eight pieces.
Eight pieces, you say - Dumbledore said there were seven, didn't he?
Yeah, well, Dumbledore believed that Voldemort asked Nagini to kill Frank Bryce...
What about the spell?
First of all, you need to remember that Slughorn says he does not know the spell. I think it will come into the seventh book, and that how the Horcrux spell works will be essentially important. You can't destroy something you don't understand how to make, after all. Look at 'Specialis Revelio' if you don't believe me. This is a gaping hole that will most certainly be explained before the end.
Imagine - if you will, that the spell comes before the murder curse; as a kind of preparation for it. Now, if it comes before, the actual death is therefore what is responsible for the final part of the separation to complete.
Voldemort has prepared the spell, done the first part of it - and all that is left, as he stands over the cot that contains little baby Harry, is to finish the Horcrux spell - to kill the baby, so that his torn soul can separate and find a new home.
Voldemort expects that he can place the soul himself - he has done it five times before, so why should now be any different?
But Lily has protected Harry - Voldemort’s death curse 'kills' himself.
Another important point. Lord Voldemort’s 'death' is the final part of the Horcrux charm that he has used. It was supposed to be ended with Harry - it should have been Harry’s death that separated Voldemort’s soul, but it was instead his own. Because he cast the spell, it still counts. And Voldemort’s wand is still pointed at Harry, even as he is destroyed, corporeal form disappearing to leave the ghost of his spirit behind - which flees.
Of course, there is the possibility that it was already seperated. And he was just waiting to actually kill Harry before he made his Horcrux. Or of course, the possibility that discounts almost everything I've already said - that he preempted killing Harry - made his Horcrux then went to celebrate it with the death he was there to do. I'm not saying this isn't possible - I'm just using the other possibility, rather than that one, to proove that my own is just as likely.
Here, to sum up what I mean, is the way that I believe the Horcrux charm might work, in order to defend my theory. There is no evidence for this being the truth, as there is no evidence to the contrary either. It is merely a choice of self preference - and in order for my theory to work, this has to be the way round it happens. If you think of a soul as a bowl, in which there is one very large piece of solid dough:
The bowl with the dough inside is a soul. Killing tears the pieces of this soul into different pieces. But they don't leave the bowl. Now, imagine there is a spell which takes one of those pieces out of the bowl, and places it on the sideboard. Still with me? A second part of the spell, then directs the piece of soul into a new container.
One spell takes a piece of fractured soul from the whole, and places it in a kind of limbo. It is my suggestion that this spell ends with the actual murder. However, it's equally possible it can work without it - and neither possibility disprooves my Horcrux theory.
Another spell takes that soul from limbo, and places it inside of the receptacle.
Noone knows what happens if the person performing the spell dies. I would suggest that it hasn't been tried very often - and certainly not tested like that. Yes, they are not there to actively move the piece of soul from it's limbo to it's new home - but perhaps the death of the caster destroys the limbo that the fragment is in, and it automatically seeks a new home - the natural existence of a soul, would you not argue, is inside a person, so why would it not go into Harry?
But what evidence have I got that the soul went into Harry?
Let me bring up, just for convenience, that Harry himself is possessing of Voldemort’s powers. Now - a very powerful protective charm, such as the ancient magic that stopped Voldemort killing him, I think, simply reflected the Avada Kedavra curse. What possible reason has it to suck out Voldemort’s powers and put them into the baby? It seems like a reflection to me - Voldemort’s curse - shield - Voldemort’s death… But how, if that is the case, did Harry get Voldemort’s powers, and Voldemort’s Slytherin side, if it wasn’t for that piece of Voldemort’s soul?
For this, I would like to refer to the text of Chamber of Secrets once again.
‘“Professor Dumbledore…Riddle said I’m like him. Strange likenesses, he said…”
“Did he now?” said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully under his thick silver eyebrows at Harry. “And what do you think, Harry?”
“I don’t think I’m like him!” said Harry, more loudly than he’d intended. “I mean, I’m - I’m in Gryffindor, I’m…”
But he fell silent, a lurking doubt resurfacing in his mind.
“Professor,” he started after a moment, “the Sorting Hat told me I’d - I’d have done well in Slytherin Everyone thought I was Slytherin’s heir for a while…because I can speak Parseltongue.”
“You can speak Parseltongue, Harry,” said Dumbledore calmly, “because Lord Voldemort - who is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin - can speak Parseltongue. Unless I’m much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night that he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I’m sure…”
“Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?” Harry said, thunderstruck.
“It certainly seems so.”
“So I should be in Slytherin,” Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore’s face. “The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin’s power in me, and it - ”
“Put you into Gryffindor,” said Dumbledore, calmly.’ CoS Ch. 18 Pg. 245
A very long quote, because I wanted to get it all in. Harry does indeed possess all the things that Voldemort himself possessed. He even had the ancient ability to speak to snakes, which should only go down in Salazar Slytherin’s family, apparently. And yet Harry has this power, because it was transferred to him by Voldemort. “Not something he intended to do, I’m sure.”
Voldemort did not intend to make Harry into a Horcrux - this is very important. And if he has indeed made him into a Horcrux, then he doesn’t know it - this is also essentially extremely important. Unless of course, Snape isn’t protecting Harry for his own good, which I doubt, in which case “Potter belongs to the Dark Lord!” HBP Ch. 28 Pg. 563 does indeed refer to the fact that Harry’s death would bring pain down onto the shoulders of the Death Eater that does it. I doubt it - why would it have changed between Goblet of Fire and Half Blood Prince? ‘“The Dark Lord didn’t manage to kill you, Potter, and he so wanted to,” whispered Moody. “Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him.”’ GoF Ch. 35 Pg. 588 And even if this isn’t the case, why would Snape have left Harry behind when he would have been able to take him to his Master using Side-Along Apparition?
Anyway - Snape’s loyalties are not the point of this essay.
So, assuming it was an accident - remember, even the greatest wizards make mistakes - we still have to prove it happened.
My next bit of evidence is still in the quote above. Now, Dumbledore says to Harry that Voldemort “transferred some of his own powers” to Harry. Harry in turn replies “Voldemort put a bit of himself into me?” Well, no, that isn’t what Dumbledore says at all, and yet he does not choose to disagree with Harry taking that the wrong way, even though it will make Harry suffer more to feel that he has a part of Voldemort inside him, rather than is simply more powerful. Why does Dumbledore choose not to disagree with Harry here?
I have more evidence for just this. I would like to bring into question Voldemort’s diary from the same book, book two, the Chamber of Secrets.
As Dumbledore says, the diary is a Horcrux. The Diary contains part of Lord Voldemort. You’ll remember that “to confide a part of your soul to something that can think and move for itself is obviously a very risky business.” Lord Voldemort’s diary can think for itself, can it not? Lord Voldemort’s diary contains some of Voldemort’s memories - it contains the ability to speak Parseltongue, like Harry; the ability to possess - like Voldemort; Voldemort’s magical ability, like Harry.
Now - even if Voldemort did know that Harry had absorbed a part of his soul, you have to remember that he was willing to sacrifice a part of his soul. He put it in danger, right underneath Dumbledore’s nose. Dumbledore calls it blasé - here’s the quote, from HBP:
‘“Quite correct,” said Dumbledore, nodding. “But don’t you see, Harry, that if he intended the diary to be passed to, or planted on, some future Hogwarts student, he was being remarkably blasé about that precious fragment of his soul concealed within it. The points of a Horcrux is, as Professor Slughorn explained, to keep a part of the self hidden and safe, not to fling it into somebody else’s path and run the risk that they might destroy it - as indeed happened: that particular fragment of soul is no more; you saw to that.” Ch. 23 Pg. 468
Couldn’t he, therefore, have created a diary without the soul in it, if he just intended for it to be read? No…I don’t think so. Rowling said in one of her interviews, that if Riddle had succeeded in leaving the diary, he would have caused a great deal more power to come to Lord Voldemort.
I think there is something to muse there, as to what exactly this means. But it is not for me to discuss here, nor to try to, while I endeavour to try with other trains of thought. I don’t want to bore, after all, which I realise I must be coming close to towards the end of this essay.
Any Questions?
For I have finally reached the part of the essay where I look at conclusion, and other people’s thoughts on why this could not be possible. So here are my considerations.
Harry could not be a Horcrux, because why would Voldemort want to destroy a part of his soul?
Answer:
1. Voldemort doesn’t know. It was a mistake, and he was ‘destroyed’ before he could find out otherwise. I know a lot of people don’t like this idea. But even the best enemies are not all powerful - Voldemort did not know that love could be such a dangerous enemy until it was too late, for instance.
2. Voldemort knows, but he doesn’t care. The way he treated his diary means that even if he did know that Harry was a Horcrux - the fact is that the boy is prophesized to be the one who destroys him is enough for Voldemort to want to destroy him, even at the sacrifice of another part of his soul.
Voldemort doesn't do anything accidentally. Why would Voldemort have put a part of his soul into Harry?
Answer:
Voldemort has done a lot of things accidentally. Harry living at all was an accident, an oversight on his behalf. His failure to get the Philosopher's Stone was another accident. Losing any of his Horcruxes was an accident. Priori Incantatem was an accident. Losing Harry in Goblet of Fire was an accident. Going to the Ministry of Magic and thus revealing himself was an accident. Don't tell me that Voldemort doesn't make mistakes - more, in fact, than anyone else in the book except Harry himself! So trust me, it is perfectly possible that Lord Voldemort made a mistake, and accidentally, due to his demise, put a piece of his soul into Harry Potter.
The prophecy says that one of them has to kill the other one, so the theory can’t be right, because Harry would have to die in order for Voldemort’s soul to be destroyed, and for him to be susceptible to final destruction.
Answer:
Noone says that it’s not possible to extricate a part of soul from your body - after all, Voldemort does it how many times? It might not have even been tried before - after all, why would anyone put a part of their soul into another person - it’s not going to happen is it, unless by accident. It might even be possible that Harry has to perform a Horcrux charm himself, in order to extricate the part of soul - but the thought of Harry killing anyone other than himself to destroy the last Horcrux is not a welcome thought - even though I admit that Harry dying isn’t a welcome thought either.
The prophecy is a troublesome thing. For instance, 'die' might not mean what it normally means. Technically, Harry defeated Lord Voldemort with his hands in the first book, remember? There's definitely more to the prophecy than meets the eye.
You just want Harry to die in the end - that’s what this is all about, isn’t it?
Answer:
Not at all - I don’t want Harry to die. I want him to marry Ginny and have lots of little red haired babies to annoy McGonagall, Filch and the other teachers for another generation. I don’t want him to die, but I also like a story to end properly, and if Harry has to die to make it end properly, then I would be happy to let it happen. But there is every reason that Harry might die - and every reason he might not - it all depends on love, for that is his weapon - the same thing as is in that nice locked room in the Ministry of Magic. It might even have something to do with dementors... Anything could happen, and there are no clues either way as to say that Harry will die or will not.
In the end, of course, Harry might have to kill both himself and Voldemort at the same time. The prophecy doesn’t disprove it - the wording in the prophecy is terribly vague, after all, and like Rowling said “Both myself and Professor Trelawney worded the prophecy very carefully.”
Conclusion
So, that’s all my words on the matter, and if I have not yet convinced you, then I think it might be difficult to do so. If I have, well, that’s a relief.
If you’d like to discuss this matter further, or link this essay in your own journals, or on your websites, then I should be equally pleased for you to do so. Thank you very much for bearing through to the end. I know it was terribly long after all but I felt the matter needed proper consideration, and setting into essay structure.
For anyone who thinks that this is still a load of tosh, or that I can’t write essays to save my life, I say this - the last essay I wrote was no less than five years ago…and that’s a pretty long time. I hope it’s at least barely readable though.
Missing letters ‘r’ are a result of my thoroughly unreasonable keyboard.
Thank you again. And please - comment below.
“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul.” W.E. Henley
Glossary of references - PS - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling (English hardback)
CoS - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling (English paperback)
PoA - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J. K. Rowling (English paperback)
GoF - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J. K. Rowling (English paperback)
OotP - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J. K. Rowling (English Hardback)
HBP - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, by J. K. Rowling (English Hardback)
Greek Myths, by Robert Greaves
Quote by W.E. Henley from The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
P.S. I think my English teacher would be proud of me! Also - livejournal killed all my italics, so it looks kind of more dull than it ought to have. I might edit it later, but I'm knackered after typing it all out!
P.P.S. If anyone can find these quotes for the American editions, I would like to add an ammendment to them. Most of the readers, after all, do have the American copies.
A very testy theory for lots of people, but seven pages on my own views, with references to the whole text.
Please do read.
Harry is the horcrux Lord Voldemort made on the night of the deaths of the Potters in Godric’s Hollow, with references to the text, and with defensive perspective of a reader who came to the conclusion on their own, rather than having it offered to them by someone else.
*Ammendment, as of the 31st of July, in order to include page numbers, and to revise some of the things that I have written.*
Introduction
Now I know what you’re thinking - you’re thinking one of two things, either ‘how did I end up here, reading this tosh’ or ‘Allright, I’m prepared to give this theory a chance.’ Either way, I’d like to appeal to your desire to learn, to your thirst for knowledge, because that, after all is all important.
“So teach us things worth knowing. Bring back what we’ve forgot.” PS
So I’ll put my general theory before you, and then I will go on to explain the deep meaning behind it. I hope that you have not suffered under the badly explained theorising of other people so far, because it will mean a great barrier for me to overcome before I can actually infuse some of my own meanderings upon you. Building resentment against a theory is all that a badly organised argument succeeds in doing, and I should dislike writing a bad argument.
So if you can; wipe your mind, sit back, and watch the words on the paper before you.
‘“Clear your mind, Potter,” said Snape’s cold voice. “Let go of all emotion…”’ OotP Ch. 24 Pg. 473
How do we make Horcruxes?
Now, some of my theory depends on suggestions - things that are not properly explained come under my crafting hands now. The first important quote I will give you is from the memory that Harry procures for Dumbledore.
‘“But how do you do it?”
“By an act of evil - the supreme act of evil. By committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: he could encase the torn portion - ”
“Encase? But how - ?”
“There is a spell, do not ask me, I don’t know!” said Slughorn, shaking his head like an old elephant bothered by mosquitoes. “Do I look as though I’ve tried it - do I look like a killer?”’ HBP Ch. 23 Pg. 465
Here we are then - my first important quote, and it plays a lot of effect upon my later arguments.
Now, first of all you should know that the mention of Horcruxes is taboo. “That’s very Dark stuff. Very Dark stuff indeed,” said Slughorn’ HBP Ch. 23 Pg. 465. Consider - Dumbledore refused to have texts referring to Horcruxes in the school - and Slughorn himself chooses to lie about his mentioning it, rather than tell Dumbledore that he had told Riddle about advanced, terrible Dark Magic.
I believe Slughorn himself, much as he does know, does not know everything. He makes this quite clear. He does not know the spell, and if he did he wouldn’t mention it.
How many pieces is Voldemort's soul in?
First of all, I would suggest, and I would wager on my being correct, that Voldemort has killed a lot more than just seven times. We know, for instance, of a certain eleven, and that’s just the ones Harry’s aware of. Here they are, for reference purposes:
Lily and James Potter (Personally)
Hepzibah Smith (Personally) - HBP Ch.20 Pg. 410
Moaning Myrtle (Through the Basilisk) - CoS Ch. 16 Pg. 221
The Riddles (Personally) - GoF Ch. 1 Pg. 7 and HBP Ch. 17 Pg. 342
Cedric Diggory (Through Wormtail) - GoF Ch. 32 Pg. 553
Frank Bryce -(Personally) GoF Ch. 1 Pg. 19
Dorcas Meadows - (Personally - the scene where Moody's showing the photograph to Harry) OotP Ch. 9 Pg. 158
Bertha Jorkins - (Personally - I don't think anyone ever finds out about this - even Dumbledore) GoF Ch. 1 Pg. 16
Many other Order members (Through his Death Eaters)
Now if you take Slughorn literally, Voldemort’s soul should be in many pieces, even if you don't count not being the actual killer - in the case of his orders. So I don’t think your soul gets ‘torn’ in quite the literal sense. Perhaps it is indeed separated into lots of pieces, but still contained in the whole. Or else, as has been well argued, everyone would be able to make Horcruxes.
I personally believe that only murders done by the hand of the murderer count.
I would argue that Voldemort still only made seven Horcruxes. If my theory is correct, however, then Voldemort may well have made eight, or may think that one of his Horcruxes is contained in the object he was attempting to put it in at Godric's Hollow. I'll explain this later.
Lily and James Poter
I have heard many arguments that perhaps Voldemort used Lily and James Potter to make his Horcrux. Personally, I should think not. Only significant deaths will do for the extra special souvenirs that Voldemort wishes to make.
Making Horcruxes using the deaths of Lily and James would simply not be what was on his mind, after all. And if he had, this would have held up some kind of premonition on the part of Voldemort. No; he was saving himself for his 'extra special death'.
An extra special death
This extra special death is Harry James Potter, a boy of about one year old, who is perfectly ordinary and perfectly innocent. He has perfectly ordinary parents, who fight for the freedom of the wizarding world, and will do anything to protect him when the time comes.
This Harry James Potter is also the child of prophecy, and this, below, is what Voldemort knows of the prophecy.
“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…” OotP Ch. 37 Pg. 741
So Lord Voldemort knows - or rather suspects, that Harry James Potter is already possessing of powers that might vanquish him. He has no idea of what is about to occur. He believes that he should quell that power now, snub it out before it can cause him any damage.
Any other villain would have done just the same thing.
‘When he asked an Oracle how to procure a male heir, was told, “You will have no sons, and your grandson will kill you.” To forestall this fate, Acrisius imprisoned Danae in a dungeon with brazen doors, guarded by savage dogs; but despite his precautions, Zeus came upon her in a shower of gold, and she bore him a son names Perseus. When Acrisius learned of Danae’s condition, he would not believe that Zeus was the father, and suspected his brother Proteus but, not daring to kill his own daughter, locked her and the infant Perseus in a wooden ark, which he cast into the sea.' from Greek Myths, by Robert Graves
So as you can see, killing children to prevent their fulfilment of the prophecy is a common thing. Perseus does in fact go on to kill his grandfather, Acrisius.
So who better for Voldemort to kill to finalise his final, seventh Horcrux, than a boy who was supposed to have incredible powers - enough to potentially destroy him - the “the greatest sorcerer in the world” CoS Ch. 17 Pg. 231 ?
So, we are sure, because Dumbledore tells us: “He seems to have reserved the process of making Horcruxes for particularly significant deaths. You would certainly have been that.” Note, not Lily or James; Harry. “He believed that in killing you, he was destroying the danger the prophecy has outlines. He believed he was making himself invincible. I am sure that he was intending to make his final Horcrux with your death.” HBP Ch. 23 Pg. 473
The Importance of Being Frank Bryce
Now Dumbledore goes on to suggest that Lord Voldemort kills the Muggle Frank Bryce to make his last Horcrux. I would discount this, mostly because I remember how Lord Voldemort looked at the beginning of book four.
‘“How am I to survive without you, when I need feeding every few hours? Who is to milk Nagini?”
“But you seem so much stronger, my Lord - ”
“Liar,” breathed the second voice. “I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of what little health I have regained under your clumsy care.”’ GoF Ch. 1 Pg. 14
Of course, Voldemort is capable of killing at this point. He takes Frank Bryce's life, after all. Still, it's clear that splitting your soul changes you in significant ways.
There is evidence here: Frank Bryce might count as a significant death, because of his connection to Riddle's father. And also, there is a discrepency - between the Voldemort at the beginning of the book, and the Voldemort at the end. In the beginning, Voldemort is capable of using the killing curse. At the end, he has to ask Wormtail to kill for him.
Now why am I going about discounting my own theory? I'll explain shortly.
Dumbledore's Error?
I will note here a slight error that I’ve noticed, that may well be dependant upon Dumbledore’s knowledge, rather than on Rowling herself.
He says that Voldemort “used Nagini to kill an old Muggle man” HBP; whereas I distinctly recall Frank Bryce dying in a different way. ‘He was screaming so loudly that he never heard the words the thing in the chair spoke, as it raised a wand. There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce crumpled. He was dead before he hit the floor.’
Dumbledore’s error? Or Rowlings? I doubt she’d forget something she’d made insanely obvious. It is part of my evidence against Nagini.
‘“Well, it is inadvisable to do so,” said Dumbledore, “because to confide a part of your soul to something that can think and move for itself is obviously a very risky business.” HBP Ch. 23 Pg. 473
So why would Voldemort do it? He could use anything, anything at all - a snake can die - but an object can not. Much as Voldemort trusted Nagini, and was perhaps even fond of her - he wanted to live forever. This is why he chose, things that people would never choose to destroy. Why, after all, would someone choose to destroy Slytherin’s locket - a man who lived a thousand years previously. Even if it had come back into someone else’s ownership, it would have never been destroyed - extra precaution in that, you could say. I'm not saying that having his soul in something noone would want to destroy is his reason for choosing it - it's obvious that it is not - I'm just saying it's a useful side effect!
I'm not, however, going to say that Nagini is not completely. There is a part of my theory in which this might be possible - as well as Harry, and I'll go on to explain it now, because it's the right moment.
Seven or Eight Horcruxes?
Now I should first address that Dumbledore is adamant that there are only seven Horcruxes. But I also don't think that Dumbledore supposes, even for a second, that Harry, or something at Godric's Hollow, could also be a Horcrux. I, however, do - and it brings into question Lord Voldemort's responses.
Either he knows that the Horcrux spell suceeded - in which case, he believes that a part of his soul went into an item at Godric's Hollow, and simply doesn't know that it was Harry and not an item that it went into - in which case, Harry will find an item at his parents' house which was supposed to hold a part of Voldemort's soul and does not. Voldemort would therefore believe there were even, he would make no more Horcruxes.
OR
Voldemort didn't know that his Horcrux spell worked. He would still want to make a final Horcrux. Bryce, with Nagini. In which case, my supposition is - that Voldemort's soul should be in eight pieces.
Eight pieces, you say - Dumbledore said there were seven, didn't he?
Yeah, well, Dumbledore believed that Voldemort asked Nagini to kill Frank Bryce...
What about the spell?
First of all, you need to remember that Slughorn says he does not know the spell. I think it will come into the seventh book, and that how the Horcrux spell works will be essentially important. You can't destroy something you don't understand how to make, after all. Look at 'Specialis Revelio' if you don't believe me. This is a gaping hole that will most certainly be explained before the end.
Imagine - if you will, that the spell comes before the murder curse; as a kind of preparation for it. Now, if it comes before, the actual death is therefore what is responsible for the final part of the separation to complete.
Voldemort has prepared the spell, done the first part of it - and all that is left, as he stands over the cot that contains little baby Harry, is to finish the Horcrux spell - to kill the baby, so that his torn soul can separate and find a new home.
Voldemort expects that he can place the soul himself - he has done it five times before, so why should now be any different?
But Lily has protected Harry - Voldemort’s death curse 'kills' himself.
Another important point. Lord Voldemort’s 'death' is the final part of the Horcrux charm that he has used. It was supposed to be ended with Harry - it should have been Harry’s death that separated Voldemort’s soul, but it was instead his own. Because he cast the spell, it still counts. And Voldemort’s wand is still pointed at Harry, even as he is destroyed, corporeal form disappearing to leave the ghost of his spirit behind - which flees.
Of course, there is the possibility that it was already seperated. And he was just waiting to actually kill Harry before he made his Horcrux. Or of course, the possibility that discounts almost everything I've already said - that he preempted killing Harry - made his Horcrux then went to celebrate it with the death he was there to do. I'm not saying this isn't possible - I'm just using the other possibility, rather than that one, to proove that my own is just as likely.
Here, to sum up what I mean, is the way that I believe the Horcrux charm might work, in order to defend my theory. There is no evidence for this being the truth, as there is no evidence to the contrary either. It is merely a choice of self preference - and in order for my theory to work, this has to be the way round it happens. If you think of a soul as a bowl, in which there is one very large piece of solid dough:
The bowl with the dough inside is a soul. Killing tears the pieces of this soul into different pieces. But they don't leave the bowl. Now, imagine there is a spell which takes one of those pieces out of the bowl, and places it on the sideboard. Still with me? A second part of the spell, then directs the piece of soul into a new container.
One spell takes a piece of fractured soul from the whole, and places it in a kind of limbo. It is my suggestion that this spell ends with the actual murder. However, it's equally possible it can work without it - and neither possibility disprooves my Horcrux theory.
Another spell takes that soul from limbo, and places it inside of the receptacle.
Noone knows what happens if the person performing the spell dies. I would suggest that it hasn't been tried very often - and certainly not tested like that. Yes, they are not there to actively move the piece of soul from it's limbo to it's new home - but perhaps the death of the caster destroys the limbo that the fragment is in, and it automatically seeks a new home - the natural existence of a soul, would you not argue, is inside a person, so why would it not go into Harry?
But what evidence have I got that the soul went into Harry?
Let me bring up, just for convenience, that Harry himself is possessing of Voldemort’s powers. Now - a very powerful protective charm, such as the ancient magic that stopped Voldemort killing him, I think, simply reflected the Avada Kedavra curse. What possible reason has it to suck out Voldemort’s powers and put them into the baby? It seems like a reflection to me - Voldemort’s curse - shield - Voldemort’s death… But how, if that is the case, did Harry get Voldemort’s powers, and Voldemort’s Slytherin side, if it wasn’t for that piece of Voldemort’s soul?
For this, I would like to refer to the text of Chamber of Secrets once again.
‘“Professor Dumbledore…Riddle said I’m like him. Strange likenesses, he said…”
“Did he now?” said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully under his thick silver eyebrows at Harry. “And what do you think, Harry?”
“I don’t think I’m like him!” said Harry, more loudly than he’d intended. “I mean, I’m - I’m in Gryffindor, I’m…”
But he fell silent, a lurking doubt resurfacing in his mind.
“Professor,” he started after a moment, “the Sorting Hat told me I’d - I’d have done well in Slytherin Everyone thought I was Slytherin’s heir for a while…because I can speak Parseltongue.”
“You can speak Parseltongue, Harry,” said Dumbledore calmly, “because Lord Voldemort - who is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin - can speak Parseltongue. Unless I’m much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night that he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I’m sure…”
“Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?” Harry said, thunderstruck.
“It certainly seems so.”
“So I should be in Slytherin,” Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore’s face. “The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin’s power in me, and it - ”
“Put you into Gryffindor,” said Dumbledore, calmly.’ CoS Ch. 18 Pg. 245
A very long quote, because I wanted to get it all in. Harry does indeed possess all the things that Voldemort himself possessed. He even had the ancient ability to speak to snakes, which should only go down in Salazar Slytherin’s family, apparently. And yet Harry has this power, because it was transferred to him by Voldemort. “Not something he intended to do, I’m sure.”
Voldemort did not intend to make Harry into a Horcrux - this is very important. And if he has indeed made him into a Horcrux, then he doesn’t know it - this is also essentially extremely important. Unless of course, Snape isn’t protecting Harry for his own good, which I doubt, in which case “Potter belongs to the Dark Lord!” HBP Ch. 28 Pg. 563 does indeed refer to the fact that Harry’s death would bring pain down onto the shoulders of the Death Eater that does it. I doubt it - why would it have changed between Goblet of Fire and Half Blood Prince? ‘“The Dark Lord didn’t manage to kill you, Potter, and he so wanted to,” whispered Moody. “Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him.”’ GoF Ch. 35 Pg. 588 And even if this isn’t the case, why would Snape have left Harry behind when he would have been able to take him to his Master using Side-Along Apparition?
Anyway - Snape’s loyalties are not the point of this essay.
So, assuming it was an accident - remember, even the greatest wizards make mistakes - we still have to prove it happened.
My next bit of evidence is still in the quote above. Now, Dumbledore says to Harry that Voldemort “transferred some of his own powers” to Harry. Harry in turn replies “Voldemort put a bit of himself into me?” Well, no, that isn’t what Dumbledore says at all, and yet he does not choose to disagree with Harry taking that the wrong way, even though it will make Harry suffer more to feel that he has a part of Voldemort inside him, rather than is simply more powerful. Why does Dumbledore choose not to disagree with Harry here?
I have more evidence for just this. I would like to bring into question Voldemort’s diary from the same book, book two, the Chamber of Secrets.
As Dumbledore says, the diary is a Horcrux. The Diary contains part of Lord Voldemort. You’ll remember that “to confide a part of your soul to something that can think and move for itself is obviously a very risky business.” Lord Voldemort’s diary can think for itself, can it not? Lord Voldemort’s diary contains some of Voldemort’s memories - it contains the ability to speak Parseltongue, like Harry; the ability to possess - like Voldemort; Voldemort’s magical ability, like Harry.
Now - even if Voldemort did know that Harry had absorbed a part of his soul, you have to remember that he was willing to sacrifice a part of his soul. He put it in danger, right underneath Dumbledore’s nose. Dumbledore calls it blasé - here’s the quote, from HBP:
‘“Quite correct,” said Dumbledore, nodding. “But don’t you see, Harry, that if he intended the diary to be passed to, or planted on, some future Hogwarts student, he was being remarkably blasé about that precious fragment of his soul concealed within it. The points of a Horcrux is, as Professor Slughorn explained, to keep a part of the self hidden and safe, not to fling it into somebody else’s path and run the risk that they might destroy it - as indeed happened: that particular fragment of soul is no more; you saw to that.” Ch. 23 Pg. 468
Couldn’t he, therefore, have created a diary without the soul in it, if he just intended for it to be read? No…I don’t think so. Rowling said in one of her interviews, that if Riddle had succeeded in leaving the diary, he would have caused a great deal more power to come to Lord Voldemort.
I think there is something to muse there, as to what exactly this means. But it is not for me to discuss here, nor to try to, while I endeavour to try with other trains of thought. I don’t want to bore, after all, which I realise I must be coming close to towards the end of this essay.
Any Questions?
For I have finally reached the part of the essay where I look at conclusion, and other people’s thoughts on why this could not be possible. So here are my considerations.
Harry could not be a Horcrux, because why would Voldemort want to destroy a part of his soul?
Answer:
1. Voldemort doesn’t know. It was a mistake, and he was ‘destroyed’ before he could find out otherwise. I know a lot of people don’t like this idea. But even the best enemies are not all powerful - Voldemort did not know that love could be such a dangerous enemy until it was too late, for instance.
2. Voldemort knows, but he doesn’t care. The way he treated his diary means that even if he did know that Harry was a Horcrux - the fact is that the boy is prophesized to be the one who destroys him is enough for Voldemort to want to destroy him, even at the sacrifice of another part of his soul.
Voldemort doesn't do anything accidentally. Why would Voldemort have put a part of his soul into Harry?
Answer:
Voldemort has done a lot of things accidentally. Harry living at all was an accident, an oversight on his behalf. His failure to get the Philosopher's Stone was another accident. Losing any of his Horcruxes was an accident. Priori Incantatem was an accident. Losing Harry in Goblet of Fire was an accident. Going to the Ministry of Magic and thus revealing himself was an accident. Don't tell me that Voldemort doesn't make mistakes - more, in fact, than anyone else in the book except Harry himself! So trust me, it is perfectly possible that Lord Voldemort made a mistake, and accidentally, due to his demise, put a piece of his soul into Harry Potter.
The prophecy says that one of them has to kill the other one, so the theory can’t be right, because Harry would have to die in order for Voldemort’s soul to be destroyed, and for him to be susceptible to final destruction.
Answer:
Noone says that it’s not possible to extricate a part of soul from your body - after all, Voldemort does it how many times? It might not have even been tried before - after all, why would anyone put a part of their soul into another person - it’s not going to happen is it, unless by accident. It might even be possible that Harry has to perform a Horcrux charm himself, in order to extricate the part of soul - but the thought of Harry killing anyone other than himself to destroy the last Horcrux is not a welcome thought - even though I admit that Harry dying isn’t a welcome thought either.
The prophecy is a troublesome thing. For instance, 'die' might not mean what it normally means. Technically, Harry defeated Lord Voldemort with his hands in the first book, remember? There's definitely more to the prophecy than meets the eye.
You just want Harry to die in the end - that’s what this is all about, isn’t it?
Answer:
Not at all - I don’t want Harry to die. I want him to marry Ginny and have lots of little red haired babies to annoy McGonagall, Filch and the other teachers for another generation. I don’t want him to die, but I also like a story to end properly, and if Harry has to die to make it end properly, then I would be happy to let it happen. But there is every reason that Harry might die - and every reason he might not - it all depends on love, for that is his weapon - the same thing as is in that nice locked room in the Ministry of Magic. It might even have something to do with dementors... Anything could happen, and there are no clues either way as to say that Harry will die or will not.
In the end, of course, Harry might have to kill both himself and Voldemort at the same time. The prophecy doesn’t disprove it - the wording in the prophecy is terribly vague, after all, and like Rowling said “Both myself and Professor Trelawney worded the prophecy very carefully.”
Conclusion
So, that’s all my words on the matter, and if I have not yet convinced you, then I think it might be difficult to do so. If I have, well, that’s a relief.
If you’d like to discuss this matter further, or link this essay in your own journals, or on your websites, then I should be equally pleased for you to do so. Thank you very much for bearing through to the end. I know it was terribly long after all but I felt the matter needed proper consideration, and setting into essay structure.
For anyone who thinks that this is still a load of tosh, or that I can’t write essays to save my life, I say this - the last essay I wrote was no less than five years ago…and that’s a pretty long time. I hope it’s at least barely readable though.
Missing letters ‘r’ are a result of my thoroughly unreasonable keyboard.
Thank you again. And please - comment below.
“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul.” W.E. Henley
Glossary of references - PS - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling (English hardback)
CoS - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling (English paperback)
PoA - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J. K. Rowling (English paperback)
GoF - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J. K. Rowling (English paperback)
OotP - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J. K. Rowling (English Hardback)
HBP - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, by J. K. Rowling (English Hardback)
Greek Myths, by Robert Greaves
Quote by W.E. Henley from The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
P.S. I think my English teacher would be proud of me! Also - livejournal killed all my italics, so it looks kind of more dull than it ought to have. I might edit it later, but I'm knackered after typing it all out!
P.P.S. If anyone can find these quotes for the American editions, I would like to add an ammendment to them. Most of the readers, after all, do have the American copies.