HBP, Chapter Twenty-Three: Horcruxes
Only one week to go. I can't wait.
This chapter is a crucial one, with lots of information.
Harry feels the potion wear off as he comes back to the castle and hears that Dumbledore has just arrived. He goes to Dumbledore's office and they put Slughorn's real memory in the Pensieve.
They learn that Slughorn explained Riddle that a Horcrux is an object made to assure a person cannot die. When murdering someone, the assassin splits their soul and with a very complex spell, this torn part of the soul can be concealed in any object. The object with the hidden piece of soul is a Horcrux. And the owner of the soul won't die because they still have that part of their soul earthbound. But if the Horcrux is destroyed, the person can die.
Then Riddle comments that it would be pointless to make only one Horcrux, that can be destroyed and asks if seven bits of soul wouldn't be much better, since seven is a powerful magical number.
Harry and Dumbledore leave the Pensieve and discuss the matter and Dumbledore tells Harry that he expected something like that. He had suspected that Voldemort had made more than one Horcrux when he knew about the diary, that was one, in his opinion, but treated very carelessly by Voldemort. He also tells Harry that Marvolo's ring had been a Horcrux too and that he had destroyed it, after finding it in the ruins of the house of the Gaunts. That's the reason his hand was damaged, because of the curse that was upon it and that would have killed Dumbledore, if Snape hadn't helped him.
Dumbledore explains that he thinks Voldemort made six Horcruxes and his own self is the seventh bit of his soul. Two of the Horcruxes have already been destroyed. Taking into account Voldemort's love for collecting things and his love for Hogwarts, Dumbledore thinks he used relics from Dumbledore's founders to make the remaining Horcruxes: Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup are probably two of them, but the only known relic of Gryffindor, his sword, is in Dumbledore's office and certainly isn't a Horcrux. Voldemort may have found some object of Ravenclaw or even Gryffindor to make another one, though.
They speculate a bit more if that was the reason Voldemort wanted to be a Hogwarts professor, to find more objects of the founders. And Dumbledore tells Harry about his suspects that Nagini is a Horcrux. I'll quote what they say, because it might be important.
"'The snake?' said Harry, startled. 'You can use animals as Horcruxes?'
'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. However, if my calculations are correct, Voldemort was still at least one Horcrux short of his goal of six when he entered your parents' house with the intention of killing you. [bolds added by me]
'He seems to have reserved the process of making Horcruxes for particularly significant deaths. You would certainly have been that. He believed that in killing you, he was destroying the danger the prophecy had outlined. He believed he was making himself invincible. I am sure that he was intending to make his final Horcrux with your death.
'As we know, he failed. After an interval of some years, however, he used Nagini to kill an old Muggle man, and it might then have occurred to him to turn her into his last Horcrux. She underlines the Slytherin connection, which enhances Lord Voldemorts mystique; I think he is perhaps as fond of her as he can be of anything; he certainly likes to keep her close, and he seems to have an unusual amount of control over her, even for a Parselmouth.' "
Then Dumbledore tells Harry he is still looking for them and might take Harry to help him if he thinks he can find another one.
Dumbledore says he thinks Voldemort doesn't feel a Horcrux being destroyed, because he didn't when the diary was destroyed.
They talk a bit about the prophecy. Dumbledore confirms that love is the power the Dark Lord knows not. And that Voldemort couldn't realize how different Harry was when he saw the Stone in the Mirror of Erised. Any man who wanted power or money or immortality wouldn't have seen it. That's the reason Harry can defeat Voldemort, that's the pówer he has.
Harry also realizes that he wants to be in this fight, he wants to be the one who defeats Voldemort, not because of fate, not because Voldemort supposes he is the Chosen One and will want to kill him, but because he, Harry, chooses so.
~*~
The bolds in the words "at least" above were added by me, because I've always suspected they shouldn't be there, unless we have a reason to believe Voldemort still wanted to make more than one Horcrux. I have a theory based on them, that you can see here.
This chapter is a crucial one, with lots of information.
Harry feels the potion wear off as he comes back to the castle and hears that Dumbledore has just arrived. He goes to Dumbledore's office and they put Slughorn's real memory in the Pensieve.
They learn that Slughorn explained Riddle that a Horcrux is an object made to assure a person cannot die. When murdering someone, the assassin splits their soul and with a very complex spell, this torn part of the soul can be concealed in any object. The object with the hidden piece of soul is a Horcrux. And the owner of the soul won't die because they still have that part of their soul earthbound. But if the Horcrux is destroyed, the person can die.
Then Riddle comments that it would be pointless to make only one Horcrux, that can be destroyed and asks if seven bits of soul wouldn't be much better, since seven is a powerful magical number.
Harry and Dumbledore leave the Pensieve and discuss the matter and Dumbledore tells Harry that he expected something like that. He had suspected that Voldemort had made more than one Horcrux when he knew about the diary, that was one, in his opinion, but treated very carelessly by Voldemort. He also tells Harry that Marvolo's ring had been a Horcrux too and that he had destroyed it, after finding it in the ruins of the house of the Gaunts. That's the reason his hand was damaged, because of the curse that was upon it and that would have killed Dumbledore, if Snape hadn't helped him.
Dumbledore explains that he thinks Voldemort made six Horcruxes and his own self is the seventh bit of his soul. Two of the Horcruxes have already been destroyed. Taking into account Voldemort's love for collecting things and his love for Hogwarts, Dumbledore thinks he used relics from Dumbledore's founders to make the remaining Horcruxes: Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup are probably two of them, but the only known relic of Gryffindor, his sword, is in Dumbledore's office and certainly isn't a Horcrux. Voldemort may have found some object of Ravenclaw or even Gryffindor to make another one, though.
They speculate a bit more if that was the reason Voldemort wanted to be a Hogwarts professor, to find more objects of the founders. And Dumbledore tells Harry about his suspects that Nagini is a Horcrux. I'll quote what they say, because it might be important.
"'The snake?' said Harry, startled. 'You can use animals as Horcruxes?'
'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. However, if my calculations are correct, Voldemort was still at least one Horcrux short of his goal of six when he entered your parents' house with the intention of killing you. [bolds added by me]
'He seems to have reserved the process of making Horcruxes for particularly significant deaths. You would certainly have been that. He believed that in killing you, he was destroying the danger the prophecy had outlined. He believed he was making himself invincible. I am sure that he was intending to make his final Horcrux with your death.
'As we know, he failed. After an interval of some years, however, he used Nagini to kill an old Muggle man, and it might then have occurred to him to turn her into his last Horcrux. She underlines the Slytherin connection, which enhances Lord Voldemorts mystique; I think he is perhaps as fond of her as he can be of anything; he certainly likes to keep her close, and he seems to have an unusual amount of control over her, even for a Parselmouth.' "
Then Dumbledore tells Harry he is still looking for them and might take Harry to help him if he thinks he can find another one.
Dumbledore says he thinks Voldemort doesn't feel a Horcrux being destroyed, because he didn't when the diary was destroyed.
They talk a bit about the prophecy. Dumbledore confirms that love is the power the Dark Lord knows not. And that Voldemort couldn't realize how different Harry was when he saw the Stone in the Mirror of Erised. Any man who wanted power or money or immortality wouldn't have seen it. That's the reason Harry can defeat Voldemort, that's the pówer he has.
Harry also realizes that he wants to be in this fight, he wants to be the one who defeats Voldemort, not because of fate, not because Voldemort supposes he is the Chosen One and will want to kill him, but because he, Harry, chooses so.
~*~
The bolds in the words "at least" above were added by me, because I've always suspected they shouldn't be there, unless we have a reason to believe Voldemort still wanted to make more than one Horcrux. I have a theory based on them, that you can see here.