Questions regarding the Harrycrux

[terri_testing]

“While the magical container is still intact, the bit of soul inside it can flit in and out of someone if they get too close to the object. I don’t mean holding it for too long…. I mean close emotionally…. You’re in trouble if you get too fond of or dependent on the Horcrux.” (Hermione regurgitating Dumbledore’s books, DH p. 103

Comments

[ladyhadhafang]

Um, plot armor? *Ba dum TISH*

In all honesty, I think Dumbles' "lack of empathy" makes the sickest amount of sense. Seriously, I reread the books for a fanfic I was doing (it was a Rose Potter remake, BTW. XD) and really...Dumbles really came down with a case of "eat a dick" in Book 4. That and...Rowling is...a little too much in love with him.

(Sweet Sith, I'm channeling William Shatner. I need help. :P)

[charlottehywd]

That and...Rowling is...a little too much in love with him.

This, precisely. Sometimes I wonder why I used to love this series so much. I got into a heated discussion before class on precisely this topic, actually.

[ladyhadhafang]

"This, precisely."

Thank you. :) Seriously, one reason I got turned off the series was Dumbledore telling us *precisely what to think* about Voldemort. (I know it sounds like a silly reason, but...yeah. XD) It's like JKR was telling us, through Dumbles, how the books should be read. (Actually, regarding some of her...interesting interviews, that actually makes a sick amount of sense. :/)

"Sometimes I wonder why I used to love this series so much. I got into a heated discussion before class on precisely this topic, actually."

Not to pry or anything, but care to elaborate? :)

[charlottehywd]

It wasn't anything that exciting, really, but I was discussing HP with another student (one who was much older than me, I ought to mention) and I said that it seemed like from the way that Rowling set up the story that Harry ought to have died and that it was a copout for him not to. That and I brought up the Hermione mind-raping thing, which I probably shouldn't have but he vehemently defended it anyways. Probably a good thing the professor came in when she did.

[oryx_leucoryx]

Well, whatever the reason, Dumbles could know that at least before Hogwarts Harry wasn't making any friends, wasn't developing the skills to make friends or to keep them once made. He had Arabella's reports. Perhaps if she had reported that Harry was the head of the anti-Dudders or otherwise involved socially Twinkles would have had to revise his plans, but as things were there was no need. And then he Sorted into Gryffindor. Either Hufflepuff or Slytherin would have been a problem in this regard, because both Houses *teach* their members to form friendships or alliances. But in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, if one doesn't make an effort one can stay left alone, and there is no action on the part of the House leadership (Head, Prefects) or membership to connect to the loners.

[danajsparks]

So why was the Harrycrux different from every other Horcrux known in this particular crucial respect (non-flittiness of the soul-fragment), and how did Dumbles know it was?

Well, here are a few possibilities...

1. The properties of a horcrux that's alive are different from those of an inanimate object.

2. Lily's protection somehow kept the soul fragment immobile

3. Harry's own soul and/or magic kept the soul fragment in check

4. Harry isn't a true horcrux since Voldie didn't turn him into one intentionally. Thus, many of the magical properties that are usually included when making a horcrux, such as allowing the soul fragment to possess somebody, were not included in the Harrycrux.

5. Some combination of the above

[jodel_from_aol]

I've postulated that Lily's protection went beyond Tom not being able to physically touch Harry. The Harrycrux was never able to take him over, or, indeed to be able to communicate with him in any meaningful manner. Tom was able to communicate with him through the connection held open by the Harrycrux, but the Harrycrux could barely recognize its own name.

In fact, it wasn't until after we got the unexplaned idiocy of the amazing fighting auto-wand that the polarity of the connection reversed, itself and the connection of Tom-->Harry became Harry-->Tom. And Lily appears to have had nothing to do with that.

But the question of how a living Horcrux intereacts with the host is a reasonable thing to ask, as well. Tom was able to possess and control Nagini to the point of being able to send her on errands with an agenda to perform. And a fairly complex one, too, if the nonsense in Godric's Hollow is meant to be taken seriously.

[danajsparks]

I've postulated that Lily's protection went beyond Tom not being able to physically touch Harry. The Harrycrux was never able to take him over, or, indeed to be able to communicate with him in any meaningful manner. Tom was able to communicate with him through the connection held open by the Harrycrux, but the Harrycrux could barely recognize its own name.

My theory is that this may be an important reason why Dumbledore insisted on Harry growing up with the Dursleys and returning there every summer. Lily's magic needed to be "charged" in order to prevent the soul fragment from possessing Harry.

[jodel_from_aol]

I'm just a bit of the oppinion that Albus considered Harry enough of an unknown quantity (or quality) that he simply wanted to place him somewhere outside the ww, and set a watcher who would alert him if all hell seemed to be breaking loose.

That his watcher was someone who couldn't magically defend herself if it did, is pretty much typical of Albus. But then, I doubt he had a lot of fanboys or fangirls who would be able to pass in a muggle neighborhood. Let alone do it while holding down a job inside the ww. Mrs Figg may have been the best on offer.

[madderbrad]

We all know the real reason, of course - Rowling never thought out the horcruxes. She never thought out the series! Each horcrux acts differently. Harry's survives being 'almost killed' by basilisk venom but then is destroyed when he is 'almost killed' by an AK. The diary possesses. The locket didn't, but it exhibited 'One Ring' tendencies. Voldemort himself is repelled by Harry's thoughts of 'love' but the fragment of Voldemort's soul can co-exist right next to that 'love' for 16 years thank you very much. And so on.

Still, for the intellectual exercise, I was going to go with something like danny_sparks's theory #3

[mary_j_59]

No-one got as close to the Harrycrux as Harry himself. So the effects of the Harrycrux were waged against Harry; people further away were safe.

Of course, that means that Harry himself should have been affected by the soul fragment, but, uhm, well ... yeah. *points at general 'Rowling never thought it through' error, above*.

Now, that's interesting. Could it, perhaps, explain the boy's rather vindictive, unloving nature? And also why he got worse when he entered the magical world?

But I agree that Rowling didn't really think it through. Heck, she didn't think through the scar-o-vision. As you said above (I think it was you) why wasn't Voldemort using the connection against Harry? And why would anyone around Harry feel safe discussing plans when they knew Voldemort could listen in any time he wanted to?

Oh, well. Nice to encounter another Duane fan, btw. I hope you like Earthsea when you get to it.

[charlottehywd]

Now, that's interesting. Could it, perhaps, explain the boy's rather vindictive, unloving nature? And also why he got worse when he entered the magical world?

That's what I was thinking. Except unfortunately Rowling seems to not want to admit that there's anything wrong with him. Too bad, because this would make for a much, much more interesting story.

[oryx_leucoryx]

I tried to float a theory on my own lj that Dumbles HAD expected that people who loved Harry might be possessed by his Horcrux, had therefore arranged magically to reinforce Harry’s canon early (pre-Hogwarts) friendlessness, and had further arranged that Harry’s first friends in the WW be disposable Dumbles-followers (Hagrid, the youngest Weasley scion).

Aren't pretty much all school residents (or at least the kids) disposable, considering the way he kept letting monsters of all kind into the school, and letting assorted dangers stay around with no action on his part? If the Horcrux is only dangerous to one person at a time what's the big deal?

I’d even suggested that the events of CoS seemed at first to Dumbles as indications that the soul-fragment inside Harry had flitted out to possess one of the Weasleys, after Harry spent much of the summer there.Do we have any sign he noticed anything wrong with Ginny (or any of the Weasleys) before she was taken into the Chamber? He suspected Harry himself was opening the Chamber with his