7 Horcruxes - 7 Sins
While in the midst of writing my 7 Kisses in 7 Years story, I realized that there is another set of sevens in the Harry Potter novels: 7 horcruxes, with 7 different people destroying each one. I began to speculate if there was any connection between each horcrux and the person who destroyed it. I got to thinking about paired qualities and that led me to the seven deadly sins. Below is the write-up I have for each. Feel free to debate!
The first horcrux is Tom Riddle's diary and it was destroyed by Harry Potter. The horcrux embodied the sin of pride as Tom clearly felt superior to all of his classmates, half-blood though he was. He felt he could do no wrong and that everything was owed him. He thought he was clever, intelligent, and extraordinary. Harry, on the other hand, was meek and humble, not wanting to be heralded by the press and barely acknowledging his own abilities. This was a fight between two youths still growing into themselves.
The second horcrux is Marvolo Gaunt's ring and it was destroyed by Albus Dumbledore. This horcrux embodied the sin of sloth for the Gaunts were lazy miscreants who would rather engage in easy misdeeds and criminal activities instead of hard work and honest wages. The lure of the Resurrection Stone itself embedded in the ring is the cheater's way out of facing a loved one's death, which is normally a long and painful road. That difference was shown in this battle between instant gratification and long suffering.
The third horcrux is Salazar Slytherin's locket and it was destroyed by Ronald Weasley. This one embodied the sin of envy for the ugly wishes that people desired that they assumed others already possessed, such as Salazar himself wanting what the Muggle community had--the right to rule. The Weasleys were poor in material goods for many years, and Ron as the youngest brother always got the cast-offs and hand-me-downs and had little money for leisurely activities. He had to overcome his owns thirsts and fears such as thinking Hermione was Harry's girl even though she never was and his longings for glory similar to what he thought Harry received all the time. This was a battle of accepting what he had and being happy with that.
The fourth horcrux is Helga Hufflepuff's cup and it was destroyed by Hermione Granger. The cup as symbol represented fullness or emptiness. In Tarot, the cups show quantities of both material and spiritual gifts: money, food, love, energy, etc. The sin of gluttony is portrayed as the cups overflowing to the point that they are drowning in riches. Hermione herself had everything a girl could want: loving parents, loads of magic, high intelligence, great friends, beauty, courage, and strength of character, so it must have been a great trial for her to set aside her education and comforts for the year of hunting and to admit that it was Ron who thought up the use of the Basilisk Fangs to destroy the horcruxes. Althought JKR did not write it, this must have been a fight against accepting more.
The fifth horcrux is Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem and it was destroyed by Vincent Crabbe. The diadem represented wisdom and intelligence, the likes of which were sought after by students and teachers alike. The sin of greed manifests itself in the endless quests for whit as treasure and the low levels to which people will sink to acquire it. Crabbe was the perfect example as his wish to rise in the Death Eaters' status urged him to use a magic he knew little how to control, which consumed not only the diadem but himself as well. The fight here was against stupidity and he obviously lost.
The sixth horcurx is Lord Voldemort's snake, Nagini, and it was destroyed by Neville Longbottom. The snake represented the sin of lust by drawing on its meaning from the Christian mythology as a seducer, whether it be for material, spiritual or sexual favors. It is sneaky and devious. It sheds it skin to become whatever alluring thing it needs to be to ensnare a person. It took the pure soul of Neville, who had honor and nobility, bravery and modesty, to defeat it with the untainted magic of Godric Gryffindor's sword, the only one of the four founders' prized objects that did not become a horcrux. The difference was shown in their base instincts.
The seventh and final horcrux is Harry Potter's scar and it was destroyed by the Dark Lord himself. This last one embodied the sin of wrath as was evident every time it burned so fiercely at Voldemort's anger. It was created by such intense hatred at a little boy and ultimately was annihilated by the same, since the sanctity of the innocent and the love that surrounds him could not be touched by such evil. The final battle was the epitome of the eternal and cosmic struggle between good and evil, Light and Dark, love and hate, creation and destruction.
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Okay, debate away! I want feedback on this one!
The first horcrux is Tom Riddle's diary and it was destroyed by Harry Potter. The horcrux embodied the sin of pride as Tom clearly felt superior to all of his classmates, half-blood though he was. He felt he could do no wrong and that everything was owed him. He thought he was clever, intelligent, and extraordinary. Harry, on the other hand, was meek and humble, not wanting to be heralded by the press and barely acknowledging his own abilities. This was a fight between two youths still growing into themselves.
The second horcrux is Marvolo Gaunt's ring and it was destroyed by Albus Dumbledore. This horcrux embodied the sin of sloth for the Gaunts were lazy miscreants who would rather engage in easy misdeeds and criminal activities instead of hard work and honest wages. The lure of the Resurrection Stone itself embedded in the ring is the cheater's way out of facing a loved one's death, which is normally a long and painful road. That difference was shown in this battle between instant gratification and long suffering.
The third horcrux is Salazar Slytherin's locket and it was destroyed by Ronald Weasley. This one embodied the sin of envy for the ugly wishes that people desired that they assumed others already possessed, such as Salazar himself wanting what the Muggle community had--the right to rule. The Weasleys were poor in material goods for many years, and Ron as the youngest brother always got the cast-offs and hand-me-downs and had little money for leisurely activities. He had to overcome his owns thirsts and fears such as thinking Hermione was Harry's girl even though she never was and his longings for glory similar to what he thought Harry received all the time. This was a battle of accepting what he had and being happy with that.
The fourth horcrux is Helga Hufflepuff's cup and it was destroyed by Hermione Granger. The cup as symbol represented fullness or emptiness. In Tarot, the cups show quantities of both material and spiritual gifts: money, food, love, energy, etc. The sin of gluttony is portrayed as the cups overflowing to the point that they are drowning in riches. Hermione herself had everything a girl could want: loving parents, loads of magic, high intelligence, great friends, beauty, courage, and strength of character, so it must have been a great trial for her to set aside her education and comforts for the year of hunting and to admit that it was Ron who thought up the use of the Basilisk Fangs to destroy the horcruxes. Althought JKR did not write it, this must have been a fight against accepting more.
The fifth horcrux is Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem and it was destroyed by Vincent Crabbe. The diadem represented wisdom and intelligence, the likes of which were sought after by students and teachers alike. The sin of greed manifests itself in the endless quests for whit as treasure and the low levels to which people will sink to acquire it. Crabbe was the perfect example as his wish to rise in the Death Eaters' status urged him to use a magic he knew little how to control, which consumed not only the diadem but himself as well. The fight here was against stupidity and he obviously lost.
The sixth horcurx is Lord Voldemort's snake, Nagini, and it was destroyed by Neville Longbottom. The snake represented the sin of lust by drawing on its meaning from the Christian mythology as a seducer, whether it be for material, spiritual or sexual favors. It is sneaky and devious. It sheds it skin to become whatever alluring thing it needs to be to ensnare a person. It took the pure soul of Neville, who had honor and nobility, bravery and modesty, to defeat it with the untainted magic of Godric Gryffindor's sword, the only one of the four founders' prized objects that did not become a horcrux. The difference was shown in their base instincts.
The seventh and final horcrux is Harry Potter's scar and it was destroyed by the Dark Lord himself. This last one embodied the sin of wrath as was evident every time it burned so fiercely at Voldemort's anger. It was created by such intense hatred at a little boy and ultimately was annihilated by the same, since the sanctity of the innocent and the love that surrounds him could not be touched by such evil. The final battle was the epitome of the eternal and cosmic struggle between good and evil, Light and Dark, love and hate, creation and destruction.
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Okay, debate away! I want feedback on this one!