Destruction of a Horcrux

That actually makes a lot of sense. It perfectly supports the idea of Die Harry Die! You made my day.
But if Harry's the horcrux, how is he going to give Voldemort the piece of soul?
Is it possible that once you have your entire sould intact again, you can never split it up ever again?

I dont see how it supports the idea of die Harry die, infact if you read my entire post, Voldyvolvol, I actually expanded upon my theory on how that might not be... As for the second part of your post, I say his "love" will exert the piece, and I assume it would just float back to Vodemort. For the third part, I have no idea, I assume it would be irrelevant though because Voldemort wouldn't realise that the pieces are being destroyed (actually that's Dumbledore's theory) until just before the final blow is delivered and therefor not making anymore... but i just got a though. He knows the diary is destroyed... is it possible he made a new one to replace it?

Voldemort explained in the book Gof that he knows about the power called love that Harry has. If you watched the fourth movie this was made extremely clear to the audience that Voldemort was well aware of the little power called love.

ah, he thinks he knows. He cetaintly knows of it's existance, but does he know the power? The closest analogy I can make is a subject of study, say qautum phisics... We all know it exists, but do we know it? Do we know its theories and what its all about? Voldemort is not capable of love, and never was and therefor does not know love, just knows of its existance.

I dont see how it supports the idea of die Harry die, infact if you read my entire post, Voldyvolvol, I actually expanded upon my theory on how that might not be... As for the second part of your post, I say his "love" will exert the piece, and I assume it would just float back to Vodemort. For the third part, I have no idea, I assume it would be irrelevant though because Voldemort wouldn't realise that the pieces are being destroyed (actually that's Dumbledore's theory) until just before the final blow is delivered and therefor not making anymore... but i just got a though. He knows the diary is destroyed... is it possible he made a new one to replace it?
woops. Sorry. Didn't understand that last part.
If you take out the last part, Die Harry Die would work.

You might have me on that bit there, and my theory is just that, a theory. The first quote is from Dumbledore, a character, who could be mistaken. He's admitted that he makes mistakes. As for JKR, well it could be considered that when the piece soul links to the "main" piece of soul, it is destroyed since that piece of sould no longer exists. JKR likes to kind of leave loop holes like that... I'm not trying to prove my theory right, just trying to say how it could still be right.JK tells us that Dumbledore knows just about everything. Yes, he makes mistakes, and JK has pointed out in an interview that his brainpower or 'intellect' doesn't protect him from "emotional mistakes".

We've seen Dumbledore make mistakes based upon emotion; we've yet to see Dumbledore make mistakes of intellect.

Also, the soul fragment from the diary was destroyed before the reader's eyes, we "saw it take shape", we "saw it destroyed, it's gone".

It wasn't 'destroyed' when it theoretically met up to be re-absorbed by Vapormort---who was in Albania at the time. The soul fragment from the diary Horcrux was destroyed at Hogwarts, inside the Chamber of Secrets.

A Horcrux is simply a container. It's an object that contains a bit of one's soul outside of one's own body. The body is the natural vessel {container} of the soul, you kill the body, you kill the soul, just as destroying a Horcrux--a soul 'container'--is to destroy the soul within the container.

Dumbledore, in HBP, not only tells us that Voldemort's soul will be diminished by the destruction of all six Horcruxes, and that it is maimed and mutilated beyond repair, but he also tells us that the loss of his right hand was worth a seventh of Voldemort's soul, that the ring was no longer a Horcrux, it was destroyed. This is a second reference in canon {the first being JK and the interview} to the destruction of a Horcrux as the destruction of the soul fragment within it.

Dumbledore and Harry make no distinction between destroying the Horcrux and destroying the soul fragment, and Harry is intent upon finding and destroying those remaining four Horcruxes.

Dumbledore even mentions the fact that Voldemort doesn't know when a Horcrux is destroyed."Does Voldemort know when a Horcrux is destroyed, sir? Can he feel it?"
"A very interesting question, Harry. I believe not. I believe that Voldemort is now so immersed in evil, and these crucial parts of himself have been detached for so long, he does not feel as we do. Perhaps, at the point of death, he might be aware of his loss...but he was not aware, for instance, that the diary had been destroyed until he forced the truth out of Lucius Malfoy.The soul fragment does not return to Voldemort, it isn't released from the container, it's killed by the destruction of the container/Horcrux.

Perhaps when McGonagall chances upon a note left for Harry, the note has Dumbledore's last words for Harry about how to destroy a Horcrux. Maybe you could blast the thing in fire or do something that will destroy that item for eternity, the Horcrux would be destroyed. Or you could just look for a Basilisk's Fang and stuff it in them all... ;)

There are two problems that arise from HBP. First of all Harry doesn't know how to destroy a horocrux without piercing it with a basilisk fang. Dumbledore never tells him how to so how will Harry know how to destroy them presuming he finds the horocruxes? I bet it requires quite a bit of magic.

I disagree. I think, (maybe its already been discussed and I have missed it) thst in order to destroy a Horcrux you have to break it.

Note how Slughorn uses the word "encase" when describe Horcruxes to Voldemort. Harry destroyed the Diarycrux when he punctured it (breaking it open). The Gaunt's ring was described as having the stone "cracked" down the middle. Maybe all you have to do is break the object open.

I think to destroy the horcrux you have to kill the soul that is contained inside. Just as there are many ways to die, I think there are many ways to destroy a horcrux.

The diary as we saw was destryed one way, the ring another. For the snake perhaps an Avada Kedavra will sufice, killing the snake and the soul within. I am also guessing that Harry will kill Voldemort, the last piece of soul, with a magic that we find out about, but Harry doesn't quite understand how to use until the final battle.

Also, while on the subject of destroying horcruxs, I would like to say that I think Dumbledore was lying to Harry about who else knows about the horcruxs. I think Snape knows. I think it is the reason Dumbledore was argueing with Snape in the forest. Dumbledore was asking Snape to do more work, as Hagrid said. Dumbledore trusted Snape, and Snape knows more about the DA then anyone else close to Dumbledore. It makes sense to me that while Dumbledore was busy hunting down the location of horcruxs, he wanted Snape to be helping Harry understand ways to undue the magic protecting them and how to possibly destroy them. I think Dumbledore kept this from Harry because he wasn't able to get Snape to comply. Dumbledore may have just ended up deciding that he would teach Harry himself by bringing Harry with to undue the magic guarding the horcrux and destroy it, once he found it. But that plan failed.

As far as why Snape would refuse to help Harry with advaned DADA lessons that would aid in destroying horcruxs is still a mystry.
If Snape is bad the reason could be he was protecting Voldemort.
If Snape is good the reason could be because he simply still can't get past his grudge with James that has been directed at Harry.

Also, while on the subject of destroying horcruxs, I would like to say that I think Dumbledore was lying to Harry about who else knows about the horcruxs. I think Snape knows. I think it is the reason Dumbledore was argueing with Snape in the forest. Dumbledore was asking Snape to do more work, as Hagrid said. Dumbledore trusted Snape, and Snape knows more about the DA then anyone else close to Dumbledore. It makes sense to me that while Dumbledore was busy hunting down the location of horcruxs, he wanted Snape to be helping Harry understand ways to undue the magic protecting them and how to possibly destroy them. I think Dumbledore kept this from Harry because he wasn't able to get Snape to comply. Dumbledore may have just ended up deciding that he would teach Harry himself by bringing Harry with to undue the magic guarding the horcrux and destroy it, once he found it. But that plan failed.

I like the theory, but Dumbledore never says no one else knows, he says something to the effect of "Voldemort thinks only he knows about his Horcruxes." But I think your right when you say Snape knows, it makes a lot of sense.

I think the destruction of a horcrux depends on what the object it is hidden in is. The diary was easy to destroy, I'm guessing that the ring was destroyed with some sort of spell, but I assume it mostly depends on the object.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! (and Happy Hanukkah!)

I think the destruction of a horcrux depends on what the object it is hidden in is. The diary was easy to destroy, I'm guessing that the ring was destroyed with some sort of spell, but I assume it mostly depends on the object.

Your guess is good as any, although I'm willing to bet you have to break or crack the object to destroy the Horcrux.

It seems that simply damaging the object stops it from being a horcrux eg burning a hole in the diary and breaking the stone on Gaunt's ring.

Exactly.

Just as a preface: I am assuming the locket horcrux is the locket described in Order of the Phoenix in the cleanup of Grimmauld Place. As far as the locket is concerned, I think Harry would be able to "penetrate it" by speaking Parseltongue. Nobody could open it, so maybe you have to speak Parseltongue to open it up. Harry wouldn't have thought to do this in the 5th book, and only Voldemort and him that we know of would be able to open it. I assume the soul would just float out or something.

I was watching the CoS DVD when I noted something. In the Chamber scene, I was watching Harry pierce the diary with the fang. The fang surely contained Basilisk venom, but it also contained something else. It was covered in Harry's blood. That got me thinking.

What if it was Harry's blood that destroyed the horcrux? What if the protection Lily gave him helped him out this time too? I know that it doesn't really matter, as the diary's gone. But, it just might be the thing to destroy the other horcruxes.

I was watching the CoS DVD when I noted something. In the Chamber scene, I was watching Harry pierce the diary with the fang. The fang surely contained Basilisk venom, but it also contained something else. It was covered in Harry's blood. That got me thinking.

What if it was Harry's blood that destroyed the horcrux? What if the protection Lily gave him helped him out this time too? I know that it doesn't really matter, as the diary's gone. But, it just might be the thing to destroy the other horcruxes.
Well, maybe, but it makes sense to compare it to the destruction of the other horcrux known to be destroyed - the ring. Was Harry's blood required to destroy that? No. Therefore it is unlikely that Harry's blood is a magical horcrux-cleanser.

A more difficult question to me is if a simple knife blade would have also done the trick, or whether it had to include the powerful venom of the fang. The fang happened to be the only 'blade' available, but that does not mean that it specifically took venom to do the trick. (Although if flushing it with Myrtle didn't do the trick, what else would!? :wow: :lol: )

And why did Ginny try to FLUSH a book of all things - if you want to destroy a book totally, you burn it! I'll bet that would have worked.

The horcrux must have been inducing her to go to the Chamber entrance in that bathroom again so she panicked and chucked it away.

I hadn't realized that, but you are absolutely right. Ginny must have been being compelled to go to the chamber, got as far as mytle's bathroom, fought off the possession and tossed it. Which shows, incidently, that Ginny obviously has some talent for occlumancy.

Remember it was she and not Harry who resisted the effects of that sinister music box in Grimmauld place?

Yes as a matter of fact I do, though I didn't until you mentioned it. Maybe she got a sort of resistance to mind effecting magic through be subjected to it for a year and eventually mostly fighting it off. It wasn't enough to stop Riddle from possessing her and taking her to the Chamber in the end, but then again this is Voldemort we were talking about and she had been weakened by the diary's soul sucking magic so that's perhaps understandable.

The author has said that she is an innately very powerful witch. She is Arthur and Molly's seventh born and the only Weasley girl for seven generations. The number seven is a powerfully magical number. She must be giving off signs of some huge potential.

Well, maybe, but it makes sense to compare it to the destruction of the other horcrux known to be destroyed - the ring. Was Harry's blood required to destroy that? No. Therefore it is unlikely that Harry's blood is a magical horcrux-cleanser.

A more difficult question to me is if a simple knife blade would have also done the trick, or whether it had to include the powerful venom of the fang. The fang happened to be the only 'blade' available, but that does not mean that it specifically took venom to do the trick. (Although if flushing it with Myrtle didn't do the trick, what else would!? :wow: :lol: )

And why did Ginny try to FLUSH a book of all things - if you want to destroy a book totally, you burn it! I'll bet that would have worked.

Perhaps there are other, more potent methods of destroying horcruxes. As it is, Harry is nowhere as experienced, skilled, or powerful as Dumbledore was. And even Dumbledore lost an arm while retrieving/destroying a horcrux. The only time Harry destroyed a horcrux on his own was in CoS, with the diary. He emerged from it relatively unharmed.

Jo told us that Harry has picked up more knowledge than he thinks, over the years. We really can't expect Harry to become Super-Harry overnight, with immense magical abilities like Dumbledore. Dumbledore has about 130 more years of experience. Somehow, I don't think that Dumbledore was casting a simple Specialis Reveleo on the cave to find that door. He could even sense where the boat and the invisible chain was. Harry can't expect to master them in just one year. So, he will have to rely more on his past experience than new skills.

What we read in CoS was what Harry thought happened. Its possible that it was his blood, in combination with the basilisk venom, or on its own, that destroyed the horcrux. There's nothing that contradicts it completely. The power of his blood protection is also emphasized throughout the series. This can also be discovered by Harry accidentally, like handling the locket or the ring with a cut finger, or something.

Personally, I don't think that too much time will be devoted by Jo on the horcruxes. There are simply too many loose ends to be tied up, like Snape, Malfoy, Hagrid, James and Lilys' pasts, Lupin, Ginny and a whole lot more. Also, HMS Heron needs to be launched. Bill and Fleur's wedding alone would take up a chapter, seeing that we've never been shown a wizarding wedding before. There's also the matter of what would happen to Hogwarts and the ministry.

So, IMHO, its more than likely that Regulus Alphard Black will have managed to destroy the horcrux before he was killed, and that the locket at 12GP is just a shell, like the ring with the cracked stone. Which leaves the cup, Nagini, and perhaps Harry's scar or the Sorting Hat, since there's not much time to identify, find and destroy another artifact of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. It might also become repetitive, hunting down and destroying the horcruxes. That would leave time for nicely tying up the loose ends, killing Voldemort, a bit of war-time romance, and devoting the last chapter to an epilogue.

What we read in CoS was what Harry thought happened. Its possible that it was his blood, in combination with the basilisk venom, or on its own, that destroyed the horcrux. There's nothing that contradicts it completely. The power of his blood protection is also emphasized throughout the series. This can also be discovered by Harry accidentally, like handling the locket or the ring with a cut finger, or something.

Personally, I don't think that too much time will be devoted by Jo on the horcruxes. There are simply too many loose ends to be tied up, like Snape, Malfoy, Hagrid, James and Lilys' pasts, Lupin, Ginny and a whole lot more. Also, HMS Heron needs to be launched. Bill and Fleur's wedding alone would take up a chapter, seeing that we've never been shown a wizarding wedding before. There's also the matter of what would happen to Hogwarts and the ministry.

So, IMHO, its more than likely that Regulus Alphard Black will have managed to destroy the horcrux before he was killed, and that the locket at 12GP is just a shell, like the ring with the cracked stone. Which leaves the cup, Nagini, and perhaps Harry's scar or the Sorting Hat, since there's not much time to identify, find and destroy another artifact of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. It might also become repetitive, hunting down and destroying the horcruxes. That would leave time for nicely tying up the loose ends, killing Voldemort, a bit of war-time romance, and devoting the last chapter to an epilogue.
1. Yeah, the blood's a possibility, but I think it detracts from the theme of choices making us who we are and causing our weaknesses and strengths.
2. Sure there are a lot of loose ends, but JKR tends to weave events, information and plots all together. Thre are occasional expository speeches fom Dumbleodre, Quirrell, Crouch, Jr., Lupin, etc. but largely we are shown background and necessary information through plot devices like actions, arguments overheard, and the pensieve. Things like the wedding will be the scaffold during which many important tidbits are revealed.
3. SuperHarry may be closer than you think. He can sidealong apparate, cast Impedimentas and other mild jinxes that throw people across the room, make a patronus that can control hundreds of dementors at once, and has fabulous instincts when he needs them (probably will be attributed as the product of a reflection of the quality of his soul). He also is supposed to become much more powerful when he turns 17. There have been hints, such as Krum's comment reported by Hermione, that there are a lot of other talents that Harry has that we just have not had occasion to see as the books have unfolded.
4. You may well be right, though, about destroying the horcruxes turning out ot be less of a problem than it currently seems. I have been mulling over the possibility that actually, they all have already been destroyed (except Nagini and Harry, if either or both are horcruxes), but that neither he nor Voldy realizes it. He will certainly have to track them all down to discover this, and along the way, he can get into numerous confrontations that will reveal information and destroy Death Eaters (yes, I expect that in the course of book 7, Harry and his friends and allies will have destroyed, disabled or imprisoned all or nearly all of the Death Eaters except Snape and Pettifrew before the confrontation with Voldy). As you note, 2 are known to be destroyed, the locket may have been, and that leaves the Hufflepuff cup, the Ravenclaw or Gryffindor object, and the 6th (believed to be Nagini). How hard would it have been for some of the things which have been destroyed in the books to have included the cup (perhaps transfigured) and a Ravenclaw object?

5. The Sorting Hat - it's not a horcrux, JKR recently said so on her website.

i think Harry will destroy the horcruxes based upon **'s advice.....it is likely that Dumbledore is gonna pull a Obi Won Kenobi style u know....like Gandalf or sumthing....he is gonna make an appearance(s) in Book7

Why does he have to do a Gandalf? He can talk from his newly instated portrait you know...

Why does he have to do a Gandalf? He can talk from his newly instated portrait you know...
It's not clear how much of the living person's knowledge a portrait has, but Dumbledore could have left him the pensieve and cases of memories, or some other way of giving Harry whatever additional knowledge or skills he may need.

As I was reading thru some of these it occured to me that I don't know if any of the aurors or any one from THE ORDER has ever killed a DEATH EATER during battle. Or do they just disable them and then arrest them. The reason I wonder this is, if Avada Kedavra is illegal is there an equavilant good guy spell or curse? I know death eaters have to have been killed otherwise Voldemort would have more followers than he currently does. And if there is an equavilant curse could Harry use it to destroy a horcrux. Or maybe he just needs a darn big hammer!

maybe he just needs a darn big hammer!
Or a Grunnings drill :tu:

There are many ways to know how to destroy a Horcrux: the new teacher of Poisons (in Italy his name is Lumacorno, but I dont' know what is it in english), the poirtrait of Dumbledore and..RAB...he/she tried to destroy it.
But...can Harry destroy a Horcrux all alone (or with R & H, too) if Dumbledore to destroy it has lost his hand?
They will have a help, necessary!:shrug:

I think that if someone could produce an avada kedavra curse that it would be the most expedient way, however, since through the destruction of a human body, the soul is expelled, it would stand to reason that through the destruction of horcrux, again, the soul is expelled. More conventional methods could be used to destroy the horcruxes, however, avada kedavra is the only one that is unblockable. Therefore, only using avada kedavra, could Harry easily get through whatever protection spells have been cast on the objects. Also, I think that if Harry is a horcrux, that avada kedavra might be the only way to expell the fragement of Voldemort's soul from him without killing him. I think adava kedavra is supposed to mean something like "destroy this thing," but it was, according to JKR, originally a healing spell, and the thing to be destroyed was a disease. Since, especially in HBP with non-verbal spells, the will and intent of the caster has been emphasized, perhaps the intent of the caster of avada kedavra decides if it heals or destroys, kills Harry or cures him of the "disease" inside of him.

Why couldn't they just do a priori incantatum on **'s wand to find out how he distroyed the ring? (assuming it wasn't snapped and buired with him... like in Slughorns song he sung to Haggrid)

But...can Harry destroy a Horcrux all alone (or with R & H, too) if Dumbledore to destroy it has lost his hand?
Dumbledore's hand was damaged by a curse on the ring, not necessarily by the act of destruction. "Yes, indeed," said Dumbledore, and he raised his blackened, burned-looking hand. "The ring, Harry, Marvolo's ring. And a terrible curse there was upon it too. Had it not been -- forgive me the lack of seemly modesty -- for my own prodigious skill, and for Professor Snape's timely action when I returned to Hogwarts, desperately injured, I might not have lived to tell the tale. However, a withered hand does not seem an unreasonable exchange for a seventh of Voldemort's soul. The ring is no longer a Horcrux."
Dumbledore does not say just how he destroyed the ring, but his hand was injured in getting past the protections placed upon it. Additionally, Albus made no attempt to destroy the locket (though he did seem impaired by the potion) while in the seaside cave. We must presume he intended to destroy it at Hogwarts...and that he may have done the same with the ring.

In one of the mugglenet opening chapter fanfic contest winners, Harry recieves a large box full of Dumbledore's memories. I think that something along these lines happening is possible, so if this did happen Harry could just look at the memory of Dumbledore ridding the ring of the horcrux and know how it is done that way.

I really don't think the destruction is going to be the hard part. The hard part is getting past multiple and varied protection spells/potions/curses--the parts that do potential damage to anyone getting too close to the horcrux item. Once those are passed/bypassed, physical damage may be sufficient. The diary was destroyed as a horcrux by putting a hole in it. The ring could have been destroyed as a horcrux by cracking the stone (with a hammer, with a good whack against a stone wall...). The locket needs to be opened (and probably nothing more). The cup can probably be destroyed by putting a hole in it (there's the Grunnings drill, Dedalus Diggle!) Nagini will have to be killed in some fashion, no doubt, but it doesn't have to be with Avada Kedavra--Sectumsempra will likely be enough.

The destruction phase doesn't really worry me...it's all the spells and invisible stuff that will be the difficult portion!

I believe Harry is going to have to rely on the expertise and experiences of others (and not just Ron and Hermione) in order to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes. Fortunately there are members of the Order of the Phoenix who have these abilities.

For example, Bill Weasley is a "curse breaker" for Gringot's. Moody and Lupin obviously had enough knowledge of the Darks Arts to be asked to teach DADA by Dumbledore and should, if Harry confides in them, be able to lend guidance.

Also, I do not believe Harry, or just his scar, is a Horcrux. When Voldemort tries to possess Harry at the end of OotP to try and tempt Dumbledore to kill them both, he would have been asking for the destruction of one of his Horcruxes. I don't think he would do this just as apparently he was angry with Lucius Malfoy when he heard the diary had been destroyed. The same logic applies to thea fact that other than R.A.B., his Death Eaters did not know about the existence of Horcruxes or where to find them. If so, wouldn't Bellatrix and company been out hunting them down and retrieving them instead of torturing the Longbottoms to find out Voldemort's whereabouts?

-LAinSEA

I believe Harry is going to have to rely on the expertise and experiences of others (and not just Ron and Hermione) in order to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes. Fortunately there are members of the Order of the Phoenix who have these abilities.

For example, Bill Weasley is a "curse breaker" for Gringot's. Moody and Lupin obviously had enough knowledge of the Darks Arts to be asked to teach DADA by Dumbledore and should, if Harry confides in them, be able to lend guidance.

Also, I do not believe Harry, or just his scar, is a Horcrux. When Voldemort tries to possess Harry at the end of OotP to try and tempt Dumbledore to kill them both, he would have been asking for the destruction of one of his Horcruxes. I don't think he would do this just as apparently he was angry with Lucius Malfoy when he heard the diary had been destroyed. The same logic applies to thea fact that other than R.A.B., his Death Eaters did not know about the existence of Horcruxes or where to find them. If so, wouldn't Bellatrix and company been out hunting them down and retrieving them instead of torturing the Longbottoms to find out Voldemort's whereabouts?

-LAinSEA


It occured to me, as I was reading this, Lupin,Moody, Bill, and everyone in the order would help Harry in anyway they could. Only problem is...Dumbledore told Harry to tell no one. And we all know Harry is very lolyal to Dumbledore. As far as we know, Harry is the only one Dumbledore told about the horcrux's. So the trio is on it's own I think.
I agree completely about Harry not being a horcrux. You said it well indeed!:tu:

Perhaps Hermione will ask Bill a few questions at the wedding...about curse-breaking. She knows what Harry may be facing, and she hasn't finished her seventh year (or even started it). I really doubt she would specifically ask him about how to destroy a horcrux, though.

in my opinion Harry still doesnt have the skills to destroy a horcrux just yet .
he will certainly needs Hermione 's brains ;) . he will never be able to do this alone .......

so i have no idea how he could do it ......just wait and see ,wait and see...

There are many ways to know how to destroy a Horcrux: the new teacher of Poisons (in Italy his name is Lumacorno, but I don't know what is it in english)...
It's Slughorn, by the way.
I wonder if you can just Avada Kedavra a Horcrux, like you would any living being...
I would think that maybe Dumbledore put his hand through the veil to destroy the Horcrux - it would certainly explain the blackened hand.
I wonder what RAB used. I'm sure s/he didn't have any access to the veil, since s/he was on the run from Voldemort, and certainly didn't have Dumbledore's know-how of sneaking in and out of places.

I wonder what RAB used. I'm sure s/he didn't have any access to the veil, since s/he was on the run from Voldemort, and certainly didn't have Dumbledore's know-how of sneaking in and out of places.Maybe he didn't destrox the horcrux. He was planing to do this by writing the note, but maybe he died before sucess.

I like your idea, that Dumbledore could have hold the ring in the veil - but I don't know, if he have had access to the MoM. Surely he was such a powerful wizard that he probably would have found a way to do this technically, but I'm not sure if I believe that he would have made this decision.

Dumbledore's hand was damaged by a curse on the ring, not necessarily by the act of destruction.

:tu: Yeah, I do agree. And evidently it's not necessary to physically destroy the Horcrux to remove the part of the soul stored inside it, as the diary and the ring demonstrate. The counter-spell that "destroy" the Horcrux is still a mystery, naturally, but I think that at least Bill, as a curse-breaker, should know something about it. I also thought that some specific information about the counter-spell could be found in Durmstrang Institute.

And evidently it's not necessary to physically destroy the Horcrux to remove the part of the soul stored inside it, as the diary and the ring demonstrate. The counter-spell that "destroy" the Horcrux is still a mystery, naturally, but I think that at least Bill, as a curse-breaker, should know something about it.
So far, there is absolutely no evidence of needing a spell or counter-spell to destroy a horcrux as a horcrux (ie, a spell that would leave the object unharmed). The diary's soul piece was released and destroyed in tha act of thrusting a sharp object through the diary (whether the venom was the part that actually did the trick is debatable). The ring was safe and whole in the last pensieve memory of it, it's doubtful that it was cracked prior to Albus obtaining it. If he had used a specific spell to crack the stone of the ring, I would have expected him to tell Harry that, but he didn't. Even when they discuss the two destroyed horcruxes, he doesn't say just what he did to destroy the ring as a horcrux. It seems that simple, physical damage is sufficient, though it may not be the only way to destroy a horcrux.

Yes, Bill Weasley should know quite a bit about curse-breaking. But unless he brings up the subject of horcruxes specifically (and I'm not sure I can see why he would...), I can't see him and Harry discussing it. Harry knows that telling too many people about horcruxes would be extremely dangerous and unwise; even mentioning the word "horcrux" would be very indiscreet...

Well I think in the seventh book maybe Dumbledore will have left some information around for Harry on what to do if Dumbledore dies.

I was thinking the same, but I doubt he would leave important information lying around, like how to destroy a horcrux. DD didn't know how to destroy the locket either untill he found it and examened the horcrux.

Harry will probably just have to trust his guts on how to destroy the horcruxes when he finds them. (WHICH HE WILL!!)

So far, there is absolutely no evidence of needing a spell or counter-spell to destroy a horcrux as a horcrux (ie, a spell that would leave the object unharmed). The diary's soul piece was released and destroyed in tha act of thrusting a sharp object through the diary (whether the venom was the part that actually did the trick is debatable). The ring was safe and whole in the last pensieve memory of it, it's doubtful that it was cracked prior to Albus obtaining it. If he had used a specific spell to crack the stone of the ring, I would have expected him to tell Harry that, but he didn't. Even when they discuss the two destroyed horcruxes, he doesn't say just what he did to destroy the ring as a horcrux. It seems that simple, physical damage is sufficient, though it may not be the only way to destroy a horcrux.

Yes, Bill Weasley should know quite a bit about curse-breaking. But unless he brings up the subject of horcruxes specifically (and I'm not sure I can see why he would...), I can't see him and Harry discussing it. Harry knows that telling too many people about horcruxes would be extremely dangerous and unwise; even mentioning the word "horcrux" would be very indiscreet...

If Harry were to tell anyone else about the Horcruxes who is an adult, then i guess Lupin or Mr Weasley would be the ones he'd goto first. If it all. As for Bill, Rowling has made a point out of his career in several places over the course of the last 3 books or so. If Harry needs help getting around complicated curses and Hermione becomes stuck (which i think she may do at one point), then Bill could step in and help. There will come a point during the course of the 7th book, when the secret of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes will seep out. Though i guess few people at the Ministry of Magic would know what a Horcrux is. I hope for Harry's sake he does not run into Umbridge, who'd just see the founders objects as stolen property and possibly ruin all until somebody like Shacklebolt or Tonk's appear. Being Auror's i'd assume they'd know something about Horcruxes ie what Tom Riddle knew before he went off and discovered how to make them etc.
As for Horcruxes it appears there is no Horcrux destroying spell per say. I think it all depends on the physical nature of the object ie the Diary was made of paper, so the Bassillik fang not only pentrated the pages it also killed that bit of soul at the same time, possibly via the Bassilik's venom.
And what we tend to forget is that Magic can do a better job of destroying something than crude muggle methods ie bashing a Horcrux with a non magical hammer or something.

I don't think you deestroy all the horcruxs' with the same spell. In fact I don't think you destroy the horcrux at all. I think you have to find a way to break into the horcrux and then destroy the bit soul within. And I think each one will take a different method. We know Harry simply opened the diary horcrux and then destroyed the bit of soul by piercing the diary. We have know idea how Dumbledore broke into the ring horcrux or how he destroyed the bit of soul in it, although I'd bet he didn't use a basilisk fang. (haha) So I think each onee will be different. Voldemort would havee madee it as hard as possible, I think.

I agree, it will depend on the horcrux. But it may not be as hard as we're thinking... yeah, one of them got Dumbledore good... but didn't he say that it was because his reflexes weren't so good anymore?
Harry didn't have much trouble getting rid of the diary. I think he'll be okay.

Harry also has very quick reflexes due to his quidditch traing(the graveyard in gof).
I do wonder if the horcrux will be in the bowl of hufflepuffs cup or what and if so will it be potion that makees it stay there or what

yeah, one of them got Dumbledore good... After re-reading that part, I'm pretty sure it was a curse on the ring (a protection spell) that did the damage, and not the horcrux-destruction process. Consider that Albus made no attempt to remove a soul-bit from the locket--he pocketed it to take it back to Hogwarts. I suspect he did the same with the ring, but some curse affected him as he touched it (in order to put it in his pocket or on his finger). Or maybe it was the result of the "burned hand teaches best" and he wasn't about to make the same error by putting the locket around his neck! Point being that Albus made no move, and gave no directions to Harry, to destroy the locket or any other method of removing/destroying the soul-bit.

Oh, it makes me wonder, though, just how much Snape knows about horcruxes. Snape saved Dumbledore from the ring's curse, did he help destroy the ring as a horcrux, too? Minerva doesn't hesitate for a moment, she sends the cursed necklace straight to Snape. When Albus has drunk the debilitating potion in the cave, he wants to be taken to Snape (for a cure or to make sure the horcrux is destroyed? Wouldn't Slughorn do just as well, or even better as he already knows something of horcruxes?). I do wonder if the horcrux will be in the bowl of hufflepuffs cup or what and if so will it be potion that makees it stay there or whatHmm, well the diary horcrux was embedded in a single page (could be any page, really) or in the cover or dispersed throughout...probably doesn't really matter. Harry "plunged it [the basilisk fang] straight into the heart of the book." Heart of the matter, crux of the matter, "straight into the horcrux"...:evil:

For my part, I would say the cup has to have a hole or large crack made to release the soul-bit. I don't think one could just tip it over and "spill" the soul-bit out, I think it would be part of the cup itself...but that's just mho. At this point, I don't suppose we can be very sure how any of the horcruxes might be destroyed. (Maybe Nagini can be destroyed by driving the Ford Anglia over her! :lol: )

Oh, it makes me wonder, though, just how much Snape knows about horcruxes. Snape saved Dumbledore from the ring's curse, did he help destroy the ring as a horcrux, too? Minerva doesn't hesitate for a moment, she sends the cursed necklace straight to Snape. When Albus has drunk the debilitating potion in the cave, he wants to be taken to Snape (for a cure or to make sure the horcrux is destroyed? Wouldn't Slughorn do just as well, or even better as he already knows something of horcruxes?).

wow. good point. I've never thought about it that way, but it does start to make sense? DOES Snape know about the horcruxes? Did Dumbledore confide that in him?
I'm a snape-is-good person, so it makes me think that maybe Harry will learn the truth about Snape and Snape will help Harry to destroy them...

Oh, it makes me wonder, though, just how much Snape knows about horcruxes. Snape saved Dumbledore from the ring's curse, did he help destroy the ring as a horcrux, too? Minerva doesn't hesitate for a moment, she sends the cursed necklace straight to Snape. When Albus has drunk the debilitating potion in the cave, he wants to be taken to Snape (for a cure or to make sure the horcrux is destroyed? Wouldn't Slughorn do just as well, or even better as he already knows something of horcruxes?).

Won't Harry be pleased if he has to work with Snape! And just how would Snape get anyone to trust him again? Maybe Dumbledores potrait will give a clue.

(Maybe Nagini can be destroyed by driving the Ford Anglia over her! )

You are very funny in a sick sort of way!

You are very funny in a sick sort of way!
I try, I try! :evil:

I just thought it was a nicer way to get rid of her than Avada Kedavra or Sectumsempra....I hate seeing Harry use Dark Arts spells...

Nagini ? All Harry needs is a magical sword and Fawkes to take care of Nagini. Or some other sharp impliment. Hrm the Ford Anglia would probably be good. Just get Fawkes to disctract Nagini then Ron can drive over Nagini a few times while Harry distract's Voldemort by calling him Tom Riddle.

That was all in jest. Harry's already killed a giant of a snake, Nagini should'nt be too much of a problem for Harry, unless Voldemort's been enhancing her with some banned breeding of magical creatures magic. Or Hagrid could help Harry out with Nagini. I bet Hagrid would do just about anything for Harry to see him safe and happy.
Having said that i wonder if any of Aragog's offspring will accidentally help Harry by eating Nagini and most of Voldemort's Death Eater's.

I'd like to see Pettigrew repaying his life debt by filling his cheeks with cyanide, changing into a rat and dancing in front of Nagini going "Na-na-na-na-naaaa-na".

I'd like to see Pettigrew repaying his life debt by filling his cheeks with cyanide, changing into a rat and dancing in front of Nagini going "Na-na-na-na-naaaa-na".
:lol: I'd pay to see that! :evil:

The ring was safe and whole in the last pensieve memory of it, it's doubtful that it was cracked prior to Albus obtaining it. If he had used a specific spell to crack the stone of the ring, I would have expected him to tell Harry that, but he didn't. Even when they discuss the two destroyed horcruxes, he doesn't say just what he did to destroy the ring as a horcrux. It seems that simple, physical damage is sufficient, though it may not be the only way to destroy a horcrux.It's always irked me that Dumbledore never got around to telling Harry how he injured his hand because I figured it would be helpful in the horcrux search and destroy mission. Since we know that the diary was destroyed with little magical fanfare and the ring (given it's last description) sounds like it may have just taken a whack I suppose the story isn't important after all. It would be very ironic of JKR to come up with such a complicated process for making a horcrux only to make it's destruction so simple.

:lol: I'd pay to see that! :evil:


Me too. I would love to see dear Peter bite the dust while destroying a horcrux.


I also have been concerned that Harry never found out exactly what happened to Dumbledore's hand. That bit of information could be helpful.

I never thought about Snape knowing about the horcruxes but that sounds reasonable. Even if Dumbledore didn't tell him because of his dark arts background he may have already known of them. Then he put 2 and 2 together and figured out what Dumbledore was doing.

Some how I think Dumbledore had something major on Snape. He seems to be pretty closed mouthed. He seems to be very selective about what he tells Voldemort. With that in mind, he may have been working very closely with Dumbledore. He does seem to know more than most of the order.

i agree with Nicole about Dumbledore's hand being injured due to a curse on the ring, not to the destruction of it. So here's a theory-what if the piece of soul in each horcrux took on the form that Voldemort was at the time of the making of the horcrux? Like in CoS it took on the form of Tom the teenager...I wonder if each horcrux has a memory in the form of Voldy. It would definitely make it interesting to see all the forms of Voldy, it would be almost like a time line of the making of the horcrux's.

the main thing that concerns me with the destruction of horcruxes is that there was a curse on the ring that lost dumbledore his hand and could have possibly killed him...honestly what chance does harry have......

the main thing that concerns me with the destruction of horcruxes is that there was a curse on the ring that lost dumbledore his hand and could have possibly killed him...honestly what chance does harry have......

Yeah, we are all wondering about that, don't we? What chances has got Harry to win over Voldemort, honestly? He will need the help of his friends in order to survive, I don't want to say the end of the series (but I hope so), but at least to survive through the process of locating and destroying the Horcruxes. And I don't think that Ron and Hermione will be enough. Harry will need the help of someone else ... inside the Order ...or not ... this I don't know. :no:

Yeah, we are all wondering about that, don't we? What chances has got Harry to win over Voldemort, honestly? He will need the help of his friends in order to survive, I don't want to say the end of the series (but I hope so), but at least to survive through the process of locating and destroying the Horcruxes. And I don't think that Ron and Hermione will be enough. Harry will need the help of someone else ... inside the Order ...or not ... this I don't know. :no:
Harry being able to call upon the help of many others in locating and destroying the Horcruxes is what sets him apart from Lord Voldemort (who would rather work alone and in secret). I don't think he would even have to go into detail about what he was doing to receive help from others either. Plus it all fits with the Sorting Hat's entreaties to unite in the face of trouble.

Harry's big advantage in detroying the horcruxs', other than his support system, is his youth. His reflexes are extremely fast. They would have to be to bee the youngest quiditch player in a century. He thinks fast in tight spots. That was evident at the MOM IN OOTP.

Since I believe that all of the remaining horcruxes are protected in some way, (curse on the ring, locket in a poison, etc) Each of the horcruxes would be deadly to the would be destroyer before he gets the opportunity to destroy it. There may even be something in the destruction process of some of the horcruxes that could be deadly.

Harry is going to need all of the help he can get to figure out what he has to overcome. Each of the horcruxes will have different and unique set of problems that will need to be overcome.

Each of Harry's friends have their own set of strength, and areas of knowledge. Until we know the problems to be overcome, it is impossible to tell which of his friends will be helpful.

QUESTION if a dementor can suck your soul, can it destroy a horcrux? A horcrux contains part of your soul. . . so. . . . i have been turning this over and over in my head and i was wondering what others thought.?.

i never thought of this, but i seems rather interesting. could harry somehow use a dementor to destroy one of Voldemort last parts.

i think it would be a pretty cool action sequence for harry to battle with a dementor, somehow bind, tie him up, or harness him, and then use him to suck the soul from Nagini or the cup or whatever else the horcuxes could be.

it could really happen if Voldemort has the dementors guard one the horcruxes as an extra defense if he ever discovers that harry and Dumbledore knew about them.

i dno, id just really like to see more dementor fights that go beyond patronuses. any ideas?

Harry could use the sword of Godric Gryffindor to kill Nagini and destroy the bit of Voldemort's soul inside of her.

i never thought of this, but i seems rather interesting. could harry somehow use a dementor to destroy one of Voldemort last parts.

i think it would be a pretty cool action sequence for harry to battle with a dementor, somehow bind, tie him up, or harness him, and then use him to suck the soul from Nagini or the cup or whatever else the horcuxes could be.

it could really happen if Voldemort has the dementors guard one the horcruxes as an extra defense if he ever discovers that harry and Dumbledore knew about them.

i dno, id just really like to see more dementor fights that go beyond patronuses. any ideas?

:no: I just can't see Voldemort trusting a dementor, who dine on souls, to gaurd one of his precious fragments. And I don't know if dementors would be able to get past Voldemorts spells/enchantments that would probably gaurd his horcrux.

And I don't know if dementors would be able to get past Voldemorts spells/enchantments that would probably gaurd his horcrux.Maybe this will happen accidently with one of the horcruxes or - in a way of returning of Voldemorts evilness - with Voldemort.

I was wondering something, and if someone's already brought this up SORRY! We have only been present during one horcrux being destroyed, the diary. Now this soul fragment looked, and was dressed like, a hogwarts student. So I assume that when a horcrux is not actually used by Voldemort, but broken into by someone, Some type of spectral Voldemort will emerge from the Horcrux . Presumably ready to fight, like young Riddle. So as Voldemort got stronger, and made horcruxs' along the way, does this mean each spectral version that emerges from each horcrux will get stronger, depending on what order they are found in, of course.

Now this soul fragment looked, and was dressed like, a hogwarts student. So I assume that when a horcrux is not actually used by Voldemort, but broken into by someone, Some type of spectral Voldemort will emerge from the Horcrux . That's an interesting theory. I always thought the young Tom Riddle was just an extra, a memory to reopen the Chamber of Secrets. It's an intersting idea that there's more to him and that every horcrux could look like Riddle. But difference from what we know now is that the diary could be used as a medium to get into the past like Dumbledore's pensive is, too. I'm not sure, if something like that was possible with the ring or could be possible with another horcrux.

That's an interesting theory. I always thought the young Tom Riddle was just an extra, a memory to reopen the Chamber of Secrets. It's an intersting idea that there's more to him and that every horcrux could look like Riddle. But difference from what we know now is that the diary could be used as a medium to get into the past like Dumbledore's pensive is, too. I'm not sure, if something like that was possible with the ring or could be possible with another horcrux.

:shrug: I always thought of Tommy jr. of just being a memory until Dumbledore told Harry different. Now i'm wondering if we will see a form of him emerge from each horcrux. It would be a great twist. This also leaves me wondering if the thrilling tale Dumbledore never told us including fighting a soul fragment.

I'm not sure if this was mentioned already, but what about Bill? He's a curse breaker. It seems that just getting to a horcrux is extremely difficult, and it's highly unlikely Harry would of been able to get to the locket w/out DD. Harry needs someone with experience, and this would seem to be Bill's area. Plus JKR has made the occupations of the Weasly's significant in the storyline time and time again, but not so much with Bill. I would love to hear comments on this!:clap:

I'm not sure if this was mentioned already, but what about Bill? He's a curse breaker. It seems that just getting to a horcrux is extremely difficult, and it's highly unlikely Harry would of been able to get to the locket w/out DD. Harry needs someone with experience, and this would seem to be Bill's area. Plus JKR has made the occupations of the Weasly's significant in the storyline time and time again, but not so much with Bill. I would love to hear comments on this!:clap:


I think that Bill's abilities as a curse breaker could be very important.

Harry will not be able to complete the destruction of the horcruxes without help. Dumbledore kept encourageing him to keep his friends imformed of everything he knew and not to push them away.

Harry's friends were his strength and the fact that Voldemort was a loner was a weakness.

now that Dumbledore is no longer available to Harry as a source of info. how is he going to destroy those darn horcruxes?
my theory-DD will appear in past Headmaster portrait in Heads' office at Hogwarts,so harry will still be able to talk to him and be given all the info. he needs!
but i think the method of destruction will be different with each horcrux.its going to be intersesting how JK will tie up all the ends in BK 7.
CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

only JKR knows the right thing but what i think is that every horcrux will have a different curse on it. Harry must master curse breaking if he wants to succeed in destroying the horcruxes.

now that Dumbledore is no longer available to Harry as a source of info. how is he going to destroy those darn horcruxes?
my theory-DD will appear in past Headmaster portrait in Heads' office at Hogwarts,so harry will still be able to talk to him and be given all the info. he needs!
but i think the method of destruction will be different with each horcrux.its going to be intersesting how JK will tie up all the ends in BK 7.
CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Or maybe the Dumbledore in the portrait can visit his portraits in the Famous Wizard cards - how convenient!

well he could cary a pet dementor around with him. They suck out souls from humans. Why not other things

Or maybe the Dumbledore in the portrait can visit his portraits in the Famous Wizard cards - how convenient!

:clap: I like it. Portable Dumbledore. That would be too cool!:tu:

I am sure Harry will find a way to fling each Horcrux off the highest point of Mt. Doom, and then have to kill himself, as he is likely a Horcrux. (has anyone thought of that scar's greater significance that way?)

It's frustrating when these books take on the themes of other science fiction books in such an obvious way. Harry's destruction of the horcruxes is an obvious ode to Frodo in LOTR.

Has anyone ever played the 1989 NES game Castlevania 2:Simon's Quest? He had to collect tyhe 5 body parts of Dracula, then kill him.

Just a similarity I noticed. I love that game. :-P

Maybe it will be easier for Harry to destroy the Horcruxes after Voldermond used his blood in GoF. Harry's blood has become Voldy's in a way, so the Horcruxes may "recognize" it as their master's!!! That would make them easier to destroy... I know it sounds kind of far-fetched, but it's possible, isn't it? :-)

I think that's a damn good idea. Why not? ;-)

Maybe it will be easier for Harry to destroy the Horcruxes after Voldermond used his blood in GoF. Harry's blood has become Voldy's in a way, so the Horcruxes may "recognize" it as their master's!!! That would make them easier to destroy... I know it sounds kind of far-fetched, but it's possible, isn't it? :-)

I think that's a damn good idea. Why not eh? ;-)

I think it was more the Basilisk's power that destroyed the diary then some transferrance of power from the sword. Harry descendant of Gryffindor... That is possible. Harry's dad was a powerful pureblood so he might have been descended from Godric. That would make the ultimate showdown. Heir of Salazar Slytherin versus Heir of Godric Gryffindor.

As for the actual destruction of the Horcruxes themselves.. I think that an Order member will help Harry with that or maybe Snape.

I keep reading views from people who reckon Snape's good. Even if he does turn out to be good, I still shan't forgive him for running to Voldemort with the info on the prophecy. I hope Harry destroys him after Snape helps him destroy the horcruxes. Just like Snape killed Dumbledore after accepting his protection for so many years.

I just don't want him to get away lightly. Even if Dumbledore was a horcrux etc...;-)

only JKR knows the right thing but what i think is that every horcrux will have a different curse on it. Harry must master curse breaking if he wants to succeed in destroying the horcruxes.
Wasn't Bill or Charlie a cursebreaker? Maybe he will teach Harry something...

I guessing he would have to pierce the locket with something very sharp.
No ideas about the cup
Something of Ravenclaw/Gryffindor's depends on what it is.
The snake would be killed and then burned

I'm going with the idea that damaging a horcrux releases the soul encased in it. In which case, I think that killing Nagini with Gryffindor's Sword will be enough. being killed by an object of Gryffindor wouldn't harm the chances either!

My guess is that since the locket once belonged to Slytherin, Tommy might have gotten a little nostalgic, and it could be as simple as speaking parcel tongue. Like the chamber, it could be as simple as saying "open up" in snake language.

What happens to the bit of soul in a horcrux after the horcrux object is destroyed? The bit of soul housed in LV's body wasn't destroyed with his body--it became "Vapormort," without form but still hanging around in the world. Shouldn't it be the same with the bits of souls housed in other objects? Isn't it logical to think that the pieces that once were in the diary and the ring are still floating around somewhere? They can't really be killed after all, for they are still bound to their other pieces which are safely hidden in other horcruxes and in LV's resurected body.

If that is true, then why does Harry have to kill Voldemort last? Why wouldn't it work just as well to kill him first, then destroy the other horcruxes before he gets a new body?

I think we have to assume that once a horcrux is destroyed the part of the soul in it is destroyed just the same, thus he has to destroy all the horcruxes first so that Voldemort can't "ressurect" himself again

Well, to take a look at a possible method to destroy a horcrux, we have to use the information we have on the only horcrux we ourselves have seen destroyed. Voldemort's diary.

I find it very interesting that Harry was able to use two characteristics Voldemort possesses and turn them against the diary (and as such, Voldemort) to destroy it. Harry used Parseltounge to gain access to the chamber. He also used Voldemort's love of anything serpentine (the basilisk fang) to take out not only the object, but also the magic imbued within. So, if Harry was able to use Voldemort's personal values and skills against him to destroy one horcrux, doesn't it stand to reason that he could also do so with the others?

I agree with the veil idea, and Mad Eye probably knows, and even Slughorn. Perhaps Dumbledore enclosed a letter to Harry about destroying Horcruxes... this doesn't seem to illogical because he did seem to know that we was close to his death...

So somehow, we will find out about it, and for now we can only speculate. Also, I wonder what Harry will inherit from Dumbledore's will....

I think you have hit on a very good Idea .The veil is a portal to the land of the dead ,so if Harry throws the Horcruxes through the veil ,then those parts of Voldemort would be in the land of the dead, and be effectively dead !,so that Voldemort would be 5/7th. or 6/7th. dead and thus vunerable to being killed by Harry !. So what do you all think? :huh:

What would happen if Harry managed to throw Voldy through the veil?

I imagine that would destroy Voldy regardless of any remaining horcruxes.

What would happen if Harry managed to throw Voldy through the veil?

I imagine that would destroy Voldy regardless of any remaining horcruxes.
I imagine his vapor-self (soul piece) would be ejected in the process, being bound to earthly objects as it is. Now after the horcruxes have been destroyed, a trip through the veil should eliminate Voldemort...:D

:clap: I like it. Portable Dumbledore. That would be too cool!:tu:

Hmm. I wonder if Dumbledore's portraits on the chocolate frog cards were reporting to him somehow.

It would explain what he meant when he told Harry that he'd been watching him closely for a long time. If Harry happened to be carrying a Dumbledore card, Dumbledore might have been getting information that way.

If Harry happened to be carrying a Dumbledore card, Dumbledore might have been getting information that way.

But that doesn't explain how Albus watched Harry before Harry got his first card. And Albus was most certainly watching him closely at #4 Privet Drive--he knew that Harry changed bedrooms and where Vernon took Harry in the attempt to escape the letters; he knew how horribly the Dursleys had treated Harry.

I still think there will be no problems destroying the objects as horcrux containers. The difficulty and danger will be in negating/by-passing the protections placed upon them.

But that doesn't explain how Albus watched Harry before Harry got his first card. And Albus was most certainly watching him closely at #4 Privet Drive--he knew that Harry changed bedrooms and where Vernon took Harry in the attempt to escape the letters; he knew how horribly the Dursleys had treated Harry.

I still think there will be no problems destroying the objects as horcrux containers. The difficulty and danger will be in negating/by-passing the protections placed upon them.

He might well have had another method of watching Harry before he came to Hogwarts.

Also, I imagine throwing a horcrux into the veil would make bypassing the protections moot. Obviously, if Harry himself is an accidental Horcrux, there would be no protections to bypass.

I imagine his vapor-self (soul piece) would be ejected in the process, being bound to earthly objects as it is. Now after the horcruxes have been destroyed, a trip through the veil should eliminate Voldemort...:D

I suspect that his vapor-self wouldn't be able to come back. I can't think that anything that passes the veil would be able to return. Voldy never did truly die the first time. Passing through the veil would be true death, even more than ghosts do.

This is just my opinion, of course, but if anyone could come back through, why haven't they? The horcruxes (horcruxi?) merely binds him from being pulled past it.

He might well have had another method of watching Harry before he came to Hogwarts.

Also, I imagine throwing a horcrux into the veil would make bypassing the protections moot. Obviously, if Harry himself is an accidental Horcrux, there would be no protections to bypass.



I suspect that his vapor-self wouldn't be able to come back. I can't think that anything that passes the veil would be able to return. Voldy never did truly die the first time. Passing through the veil would be true death, even more than ghosts do.

This is just my opinion, of course, but if anyone could come back through, why haven't they? The horcruxes (horcruxi?) merely binds him from being pulled past it.

I thought I might have had an original idea about using the veil in the MOM to destroy the horcruxes. So I did a search of the forum and finally found the veil theory on this thread. At least I came up with the idea independently.

The biggest question I have concerning the idea is that it is so simple and obvious: why didn't Dumbledore use it?

Then it occurred to me that Dumbledore told Voldemort that there are worse fates than death in book 5.

The new twist to the theory:
Perhaps Dumbledore did think of it but in a different way. Instead of destroying the Horcruxes, make Voldemort think you're hot of the trail of the Horcruxes. That might prompt Voldemort to do something rash by actively going after Harry himself immediately without much caution. If you can deliberately manipulate when and where the confrontation happens, then use Harry as bait at the MoM in the room where the veil is.

If Voldemort knows for sure that at least one Horcrux is intact, he might not think twice about going into that room to kill Harry. Now the questions become: (1) how do you get Voldemort to go through the veil; (2) what would happen if Voldemort went through the veil with Horcruxes INTACT?

Perhaps Harry will sacrifice himself by tackling Voldemort and pushing him through the veil together. Since nothing returns from beyond the veil,
Voldemort would still be alive but unable to return. That is TRULY a fate worse than death.

Dumbledore may not have thrown Horcruxes through the veil because that might actually be the ultimate protection for them. They might still work and then Voldemort would REALLY be invincible. The real problems associated with the idea of throwing the Horcruxes into veil deal with the unknowns. We cannot be sure of the consequences.

But Voldemort through the veil instead...could he really return? I don't think so. I think he would be left in an unltimate purgatory like limbo state forever.

Such a story line would only require a successful search for ONE additional horcrux with the knowledge of that search by Voldemort. Perhaps Harry could use Draco to make sure Voldemort knows about the success as he makes his way into the room with the veil. Voldemort will follow because of the perception that he must act quickly.

I guess that the biggest problem with this theory is the unknown of how exactly the veil works. But there has been little controversy about how it works even though there are some assumptions involved. Those assumptions are pretty clear cut. Only a little research would be needed on Harry's part.

Thoughts anyone????

Why isn't the Horcrux spell an Unforgivable Spell? It rather seems to be a kind of taboo.

I thought I might have had an original idea about using the veil in the MOM to destroy the horcruxes. So I did a search of the forum and finally found the veil theory on this thread. At least I came up with the idea independently.

The biggest question I have concerning the idea is that it is so simple and obvious: why didn't Dumbledore use it?

Then it occurred to me that Dumbledore told Voldemort that there are worse fates than death in book 5.

The new twist to the theory:
Perhaps Dumbledore did think of it but in a different way. Instead of destroying the Horcruxes, make Voldemort think you're hot of the trail of the Horcruxes. That might prompt Voldemort to do something rash by actively going after Harry himself immediately without much caution. If you can deliberately manipulate when and where the confrontation happens, then use Harry as bait at the MoM in the room where the veil is.

If Voldemort knows for sure that at least one Horcrux is intact, he might not think twice about going into that room to kill Harry. Now the questions become: (1) how do you get Voldemort to go through the veil; (2) what would happen if Voldemort went through the veil with Horcruxes INTACT?

Perhaps Harry will sacrifice himself by tackling Voldemort and pushing him through the veil together. Since nothing returns from beyond the veil,
Voldemort would still be alive but unable to return. That is TRULY a fate worse than death.

Dumbledore may not have thrown Horcruxes through the veil because that might actually be the ultimate protection for them. They might still work and then Voldemort would REALLY be invincible. The real problems associated with the idea of throwing the Horcruxes into veil deal with the unknowns. We cannot be sure of the consequences.

But Voldemort through the veil instead...could he really return? I don't think so. I think he would be left in an unltimate purgatory like limbo state forever.

Such a story line would only require a successful search for ONE additional horcrux with the knowledge of that search by Voldemort. Perhaps Harry could use Draco to make sure Voldemort knows about the success as he makes his way into the room with the veil. Voldemort will follow because of the perception that he must act quickly.

I guess that the biggest problem with this theory is the unknown of how exactly the veil works. But there has been little controversy about how it works even though there are some assumptions involved. Those assumptions are pretty clear cut. Only a little research would be needed on Harry's part.

Thoughts anyone????

Interesting theory...very thought-provoking, but what then will they do with the other Horcruxes?

Why isn't the Horcrux spell an Unforgivable Spell? It rather seems to be a kind of taboo.

Precious few know about the Horcrux spell--including, I would think, the Ministry

Interesting theory...very thought-provoking, but what then will they do with the other Horcruxes?


They could be destroyed at leisure, without all the danger normally associated with the task.

They could be destroyed at leisure, without all the danger normally associated with the task.

I suppose they could...

I agree with the veil idea, and Mad Eye probably knows, and even Slughorn. Perhaps Dumbledore enclosed a letter to Harry about destroying Horcruxes... this doesn't seem to illogical because he did seem to know that we was close to his death...

So somehow, we will find out about it, and for now we can only speculate. Also, I wonder what Harry will inherit from Dumbledore's will....
So do I, hopefully it will be some stuff that will help him with destroying the Horcruxes... ;)

Originally Posted by MirrorIsKey

Perhaps Harry will sacrifice himself by tackling Voldemort and pushing him through the veil together. Since nothing returns from beyond the veil,
Voldemort would still be alive but unable to return. That is TRULY a fate worse than death.

I dunno. If Voldemort still had Horcruxes on the living side of the veil. I think that the remaining piece of soul in his body would simply tear free on this side of the veil, leaving him "Vapormort" again, and just needing someone to whip him up a new body.

After all, it seems clear that Voldemort's soul cannot "pass beyond" as long as it is anchored by Horcruxes. And the other side of the veil certainly seems to be "beyond".

I don't think that we know enough about the veil to say that it can be used to destroy horcruxes. We also don't know enough about horcruxes. In my opinion, it wouldn't do much. If the speculation about Harry being able to go through the veil at one point is correct, then couldn't Voldemort, once he realizes what's going on, he'd send somebody through the veil to retrieve them.:shrug:

If the speculation about Harry being able to go through the veil at one point is correct, then couldn't Voldemort, once he realizes what's going on, he'd send somebody through the veil to retrieve them.

The Veil (or Beyond the Veil) is a metaphor for Death. JKR has provided a physical reality to the metaphor, which wizards use to study death.

Dead is Dead in Potterverse, or so the author has said many times. So, crossing the Veil is a one-way trip. Lupin indicates as much when he tells Harry that Sirius cannot come back after having fallen through the Veil. So, Voldemort can send as many DEs as he wants: they cannot comeback.


It is interesting to speculate on what would happen if a Horcrux was tossed beyond the Veil. If Voldemort's body and the other horcruxes act as a horcrux for any individual soul fragment, then possibly the soul fragment would be ripped from the item as it passed through the Veil, as the soul fragment would be anchored to Earth by the other encased soul fragments. Alternatively, if it did go through, then it would be anchoring Voldemort's soul to the hereafter rather than the here-and-now.

Either way would be bad news for Voldemort!

It is interesting to speculate on what would happen if a Horcrux was tossed beyond the Veil. It's also interesting to wonder just how Harry would gain access to the Department of Mysteries to do so when he can't explain why he would need to enter! :lol:

Well I think in the seventh book maybe Dumbledore will have left some information around for Harry on what to do if Dumbledore dies.

I've always thought that Dumbledore's portrait will take on this role. I think that it knows everything Dumbledore knew in life, so it will be able to tell Harry whatever Dumbledore wanted him to know.

And about the time Harry destroyed the Horcrux diary: could it have made a difference that Voldemort had escaped the diary at the time? And I think that destroying the Horcruxes can't be too difficult compared to getting to them, and avoiding the protective spells Voldemort has on them. Not to mention finding where they are hidden.

Ok well i was just thinking, i may not describe what im thinking right but im sure you'll get the jist of it. Anyways, ok we now know that love is harrys uderestimated weapon, ok so harry is protecting Ginny by breaking up with her, as as stated above it ould be just like Ginny to get back in somehow, But ok this is what i was thinking ginny gets caught by V and is being used as a lure or something, harry goes up against V and V aims likea Ava kad at ginny, harry jumps in the way sacrificing himself for love! and as V has marked Harry as his equal is his undoing, not just bouncing opf harry as it did origianly but turing on V instead. obvoiulsy at his point harry would have found the horcruxs's i dunno but it seems plausable any ideas?
u might be on to something there.

Best way to destroy a Horcrux:

Obtain bottle of Coke.

Add one Horcrux.

Add tablespoon of Pop Rocks.

Shake bottle.

Going back to the diary, I think that its crucial Harry was able to destroy it relatively easily in the end - he just sunk a huge poisonous fang through it - and I think it is really more the enchantment PROTECTING the horcruzes that may prove to be an issue. It may be that Harry could destroy it because it wasn't well protected like the Ring was.

Going back to the diary, I think that its crucial Harry was able to destroy it relatively easily in the end - he just sunk a huge poisonous fang through it - and I think it is really more the enchantment PROTECTING the horcruzes that may prove to be an issue. It may be that Harry could destroy it because it wasn't well protected like the Ring was.

This just might be true, especially since the diary was one of the earliest (perhaps even the first) of the horcruxes. Riddle evidently did not have such deep knowledge of the dark arts while he was in school. He had to clear his doubts with Slughorn, didn't he?

Even so, the diary was only destroyed with the help of a fresh venemous basilisk fang. I bet they aren't that easy to come around. Killing a fully grown basilisk single handedly is not a task to be taken lightly. I'm still sticking to my theory that Harry's blood will play an important part.

Even so, the diary was only destroyed with the help of a fresh venemous basilisk fang. I bet they aren't that easy to come around.But are we sure another method wouldn't have worked? Perhaps plunging Godric's sword through it would have worked, but Harry didn't think of it nor did he attempt to use it for that purpose. Perhaps an ordinary dagger could have damaged the diary, but Harry didn't have one at hand. (I bet it was protected against permanent water damage and possibly fire damage as well. I would have thought "burn the darn thing" before thinking to flush it down a toilet! :lol: )

I can't help but think of Dungeons and Dragons when it comes to horcruxes (called phylacteries in D&D's Monster Manual under the entry for Lich). The object is easily destroyed...once found. It's the finding it, and dealing with the protections surrounding it, that's the hard part.

It's also interesting to wonder just how Harry would gain access to the Department of Mysteries to do so when he can't explain why he would need to enter! :lol:

Oh it'll be easy. Harry will pretend to be the Ministrys poster boy and say "hey what about a nice picture of me by the veil in the DOM, otherwise i won't do it!"

This thread discusses the very same thing: Destruction of a Horcrux (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=60348&highlight=horcrux) :)

Destruction of a Horcrux (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=60348&highlight=horcrux)

edit: nvm... haha

In HBP, Dumbledore says:

"The ring, Harry. Marvolo's ring. Amd a terrible curse there was upon it, too. Had it not been- forgive me the lack of seemly modesty- for my own prodigious skill, and for Professor Snape's timely action when I returned to Hogwarts, desperately injured, I might not have lived to tell the tale. However, a withered hand does not seem an unreasonable exchange for a seventh of Voldemort's soul. The ring is no longer a Horcrux." HBP, American Hardback, Page 503

Dumbledore says he used magic to stop the spell from the ring killing him, but he didn't ever mention anything about using magic against the piece of soul in the Horcrux itself...

-Could it simply be a spell? Obviously, it would be very complex, seeing as making one is very difficult. But would the spell be more complex, or easier than actually making one?

-Or, could it be something along the lines of feeding that fragment of soul to a dementor? (I don't think that that's very likely, but just an example to get your mind going.)

It is interesting to speculate on what would happen if a Horcrux was tossed beyond the Veil.
That'd be really interesting, actually.


I've always thought that Dumbledore's portrait will take on this role. I think that it knows everything Dumbledore knew in life, so it will be able to tell Harry whatever Dumbledore wanted him to know.
I'm not sure that's entirely possible, as someone (Hinoema) told me on one of my threads that Jo says the portraits do something more like reciting catchphrases or something... I don't thik they actually have any magical knowledge, just like, a more general personality of the person they were painted after.

I have to agree with several of the people here that finding the horcrux and getting through its protection is the hardest part. Once you are through all of that then you can destroy the horcrux with more relative ease. I would not say that it would be easy to do, but something like godrics sword, or perhaps the new spell from HBP(I can't think of the name) the one Harry used on Draco can be used to break open a horcrux

Hmm. Forgive me if I repeat anything, though I think I may not.

I don't think destroying the item that contains the Horcrux is the hard part. I think the hard part is resisting attack by the soul fragment within it. I also ahve a feeling that since Harry now has so many connections to Voldemort, ther is a good chance that both the Horcruxes themselves and their defenses will 'see' him as 'Voldemort' and let him pass/ not attack.

I think Harry will find that his powers from/ connections to Voldemort will give him a power the Dark Lord Knows Not- part of which will be that he is able to magicaly pass for Voldemort, thanks to the weapons Voldemort himself has handed him, to render him mortal again.

Call it a gut feeling. However, it suits what I see as a dramatic irony- that what was so terribly difficult and dangerous for Dumbledore would be, thanks to Voldemort's choices, relatively easy for Harry (once he finds them).

I think Harry will find that his powers from/ connections to Voldemort will give him a power the Dark Lord Knows Not- part of which will be that he is able to magicaly pass for Voldemort, thanks to the weapons Voldemort himself has handed him, to render him mortal again.

Call it a gut feeling. However, it suits what I see as a dramatic irony- that what was so terribly difficult and dangerous for Dumbledore would be, thanks to Voldemort's choices, relatively easy for Harry (once he finds them).

Interesting. I'd thought of the above in terms of Harry destroying Voldemort himself, though not in relation to a horcrux. But why not? It possibly relates to the diary horcrux, which was destroyed by the fang coated with Harry's blood. What might be the effect now that Voldie regenerated with 'flesh, blood and bone'? Also, in CoS, Ginny had to pour her soul into the diary to give form/power to the memory. I wonder if this could somehow work in reverse with one of the remaining horcruxes?

I'm also wondering what would happen to a horcrux if it passed beyond the veil.

I think the diary horcrux was destroyed due to Harry's blood, not necessarily the object it was on. Anything piercing or otherwise infesting the object with his blood would have done it. Now, since the only other horcrux we know has been destroyed is the ring, was it necessary for Dumbledore to "sacrifice" his hand in order to do it? What I mean is an intentional sacrifice which would fit with how he explains it as quoted above. " a withered hand does not seem an unreasonable exchange". Sounds like he "chose" to exchange his hand . Perhaps the destruction needs some kind of blood sacrifice to destry the soul part of Voldemort.

Brillant! That could explain, if Dumbledore suspected this, why he said that Harry's blood was far more valuable than his!

Well done!

:clap:
This coudl also explain why he didn't let Harry use his own blood in the cave- perhaps he wanted to save such a weapon until such time as they could use it without a chance that Voldemort would detect it and be forewarned of this vulnerability... hmm!

Perhaps the destruction needs some kind of blood sacrifice to destry the soul part of Voldemort.

I think so too, though we have to remember that the Diary was destroyed before Voldemort had Harry's bood running through his veins. Going back to Hinoema's point about 'the power the Dark Lord knows not', Harry must also use 'Love' to destroy Voldemort and his horcruxes. In "The Heir of Slytherin", Riddle reminds Harry of his mother's sacrifice, "You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry." Moments later, "without thinking, without considering, as though he has meant to do it all along, Harry seized the basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunged it into the heart of the book." This reminds me of Harry's thoughts of Sirius as Voldemort was possessing him. My feeling is that the blood is obviously important, though Harry needs to somehow combine this with his 'extraordinary' power.

I don't think destroying the item that contains the Horcrux is the hard part. I think the hard part is resisting attack by the soul fragment within it. I also ahve a feeling that since Harry now has so many connections to Voldemort, ther is a good chance that both the Horcruxes themselves and their defenses will 'see' him as 'Voldemort' and let him pass/ not attack.

I think Harry will find that his powers from/ connections to Voldemort will give him a power the Dark Lord Knows Not- part of which will be that he is able to magicaly pass for Voldemort, thanks to the weapons Voldemort himself has handed him, to render him mortal again.

Call it a gut feeling. However, it suits what I see as a dramatic irony- that what was so terribly difficult and dangerous for Dumbledore would be, thanks to Voldemort's choices, relatively easy for Harry (once he finds them).

Interesting idea. It fits with Dumbledore`s declaration, that Harry is more worth than him, especially his blood in the cave in HBP. This also could be the reason why the prophecy says that only one person can destroy Voldemort. Maybe a person of the knowledge of Dumbledore can destroy one horcrux, but the injuries he get Fawkes couldn`t heal. Harry destroyed a horcrux as well, but his injuries vanished with Fawkes help.
I had had ever the impression that how difficult the demolition of a hocrux is depends on if you used the thing for the demolition that was involved in constructing the one, but you never know.

I think the diary horcrux was destroyed due to Harry's blood, not necessarily the object it was on. Anything piercing or otherwise infesting the object with his blood would have done it. Now, since the only other horcrux we know has been destroyed is the ring, was it necessary for Dumbledore to "sacrifice" his hand in order to do it? What I mean is an intentional sacrifice which would fit with how he explains it as quoted above. " a withered hand does not seem an unreasonable exchange". Sounds like he "chose" to exchange his hand . Perhaps the destruction needs some kind of blood sacrifice to destry the soul part of Voldemort.

This could be, because both Dumbledore and Harry sacrificed their blood in the cave and that was necessary to destroy the locket.

One of the questions for the last FAQ poll on Jo`s site was the one, if the destruction of a Horcrux involve more than the destruction of the object? Sadly it wouldn`t chosen, so we haven`t the answer. I think she wouldn`t ask this question, if the answer would be simly no. Therefore destructing the object doesn`t destruct the horcrux.

I'm going to add to my thought about the blood sacrifice. So far we have seen Voldemort need unicorns BLOOD, Wormtail's HAND, his dads BONES . Also, Harry and Dumbledore needed blood to get into the cave, Harry's blood on the basilisk's fang, we've had hair needed for polyjuice and....... what am I forgetting?
To the point. Stay with me here- I mentioned this somewhere before and got a lousy reaction but....
We are told something big is coming about Lily. We've read over and over how Harry has Lily's eyes. Now, this has been explained that he is or will be able, to see people as she did, past their faults, accepting them for who they are. That's probably true and yet.. awhile ago I read a question asked of Jo which was very odd and her response led me to believe there is more to this than meets the EYE {couldn't resist!}
The interviewer asked JKR if there would ever be a time when a wizard would need their eyes to perform a special spell. JKR was startled and asked why do you ask a few different times. The person replied that people are always going on about Harry having Lily's eyes...
Jo told them they were "clever", "very smart" and said yes, we would see something like that. Well, unless I messed something, we've never yet seen anything like this. So, I propose that:

On the night of the attack, Voldemort went to GH with the intent to make a horcrux with HArry's murder. Somehow, with the screw up AK, Harry received his moms literal eyes. Either Voldie needed this body part for the making of the horcrux and it went wrong, or something else happened when it back fired. And I theorize that, in order to defeat either a difficult Horcrux or Voldemort himself, HArry will need to sacrifice his eyes.
I know it sounds gross but as I said above, we've seen body parts used in this series already. And the description of babymort was the yuckiest part of HP that I read.
Its the whole idea of sacrifice, something of great worth needed to vanquish evil. So, I'd appreciate your thoughts. Maybe you don't agree with the eye swap although it would make sense given the stressing of Lily's eyes we've been shown by our author. Either way, I think destroying a horcrux, like making one, entails some sort of physical loss. And I just remembered Dumbledore's hand! Yep. lots of parts through this series:D

Somehow, with the screw up AK, Harry received his moms literal eyes. Either Voldie needed this body part for the making of the horcrux and it went wrong, or something else happened when it back fired. And I theorize that, in order to defeat either a difficult Horcrux or Voldemort himself, HArry will need to sacrifice his eyes.

That would have the anti-HP protestors camping on her doorstep...Anyway, I think it's a little farfetched myself, but then, other crazy things have happened. Who knows?

I've always rather liked the idea of Dumbledore having to put the Peverell ring on his finger and somehow force a Dementor to Kiss it. It would provide a reason for his 'dead' arm: perhaps a Dementor's soul-sucking organ or what have you is damaging to flesh as well as soul? I don't know, though. It doesn't seem like Dumbledore could have brought himself to touch something so evil, much less use its abominable taste for souls to his advantage. I suppose the more probable solution is that he used some ancient bit of magic to expell the bit of soul.

Maybe you don't agree with the eye swap although it would make sense given the stressing of Lily's eyes we've been shown by our author. Either way, I think destroying a horcrux, like making one, entails some sort of physical loss. And I just remembered Dumbledore's hand! Yep. lots of parts through this series:D

It's an intresting theory- certainly one of the most out there ones I've heard. The physical loss thing is a possibility, although I don't think Harry will sacrifice an eye or two. I think those have to do more with the relationship between Harry and his mom rather than pointing out that they're a horcux.
Anyways, that is a possibility. Did I already say that? Sorry. So. It would make sense, as Voldemort would want whoever was finding his horcruxes to be in pain, at least until he found them. Which makes me wonder...how would you hurt yourself to destroy a cup? Would you have to shed blood over the cup first? Would you have to physically break it, and then maybe cut yourself to get the piece of soul out? Or could you just shoot a spell at it?

It's an intresting theory- certainly one of the most out there ones I've heard. The physical loss thing is a possibility, although I don't think Harry will sacrifice an eye or two. I think those have to do more with the relationship between Harry and his mom rather than pointing out that they're a horcux.

Hmm? The theory didn't include anything about his eyes being a Horcrux.

No, I didn't mean that the eyes were the horcrux, but that perhaps to make one, Voldemort would need some type of body part. We have canon to show that parts ARE used in some spells i.e; wormtails hand and the bones of Tom Sr. And speaking of "out there"- we read of Peter having his hand wacked off to add to the goop . Then we get a description of a babylike horror ducked into the mess. We've had a gorgeous creature in the unicorn being blood slurpied by a crawling half-life. But even if I am wrong about the eyes being Lily's { which I think alot of times Jo is extemely literal in her hints}, I still think Harry is not done with sacrificing, painfully. JKR's quote that I mentioned just jumped out at me as something that begged to be speculated about.

The interviewer asked JKR if there would ever be a time when a wizard would need their eyes to perform a special spell. JKR was startled and asked why do you ask a few different times. The person replied that people are always going on about Harry having Lily's eyes...
Jo told them they were "clever", "very smart" and said yes, we would see something like that.

That sound`s really interesting. Can you remember in what interview did you read this?

That sound`s really interesting. Can you remember in what interview did you read this?

I am so sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Accio qoute has changed their format and I had forgotten the year and had a hard time locating the quote. I had to go back to one of my earlier posts on another thread where I had copied word for word { I must, in my old age, learn how to link!}. So here it is and although it is from 2000, I find this to be one of the most interesting things Jo has ever said. We have had it drummed into our heads over and over about Harry having Lily's eyes. We're supposed to find out something big about Lily. Harry's eyes are supposed to make him vulnerable. Anyway, here's what she said: {not sure who questioner was, didn't say in interview either}

Q: "Are there any special wizarding powers in your world that would depend on the wizard using their eyes to do something?"

JKR: " Why do you want to know this?"

Q: " Just vaguely wondered"

JKR:" Why?"

Q:" Well, because everyone is always going on about how Harry has Lily's eyes."

JKR: " Aren't you smart! There is something coming about that. I'm going to say no more. Very clever"


At first no specific wizard was mentioned and yet, when questioner mentions Harry, Jo calls her "very clever" and "smart".
Does anyone else think this is important?

I am so sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Accio qoute has changed their format and I had forgotten the year and had a hard time locating the quote. I had to go back to one of my earlier posts on another thread where I had copied word for word

No problem, I`m glad you have found that interview again. Thank you!


{ I must, in my old age, learn how to link!}.

It`s easy. Open two windows, one with the quote you would link and one with the thread you will put the link in. Use the number-button above the post you will link to and select this post. Copy the adress in the line above, write the word that should link to your other post, mark it and use the insert-link-button above your reply and paste the adress in it - ready.

So here it is and although it is from 2000, I find this to be one of the most interesting things Jo has ever said. We have had it drummed into our heads over and over about Harry having Lily's eyes. We're supposed to find out something big about Lily. Harry's eyes are supposed to make him vulnerable. Anyway, here's what she said: {not sure who questioner was, didn't say in interview either}

Q: "Are there any special wizarding powers in your world that would depend on the wizard using their eyes to do something?"

JKR: " Why do you want to know this?"

Q: " Just vaguely wondered"

JKR:" Why?"

Q:" Well, because everyone is always going on about how Harry has Lily's eyes."

JKR: " Aren't you smart! There is something coming about that. I'm going to say no more. Very clever"


At first no specific wizard was mentioned and yet, when questioner mentions Harry, Jo calls her "very clever" and "smart".
Does anyone else think this is important?

I agree with you. In the last book we can expect Harry is trying to use magic for that his special eyes essential.

maybe if harry just threw all of the objects through the veil, they could be destroyed that way

I think we will see the veil again. Maybe if he throws some of the objects that way, they will be destroyed, but I think there are complex spells and magic that need to be performed in order to destroy a horcrux. I'm not sure how Dumbledore was able to destroy the ring horcrux, but I'm willing to bet there is very deep magic involved in the destruction of one. The veil was able to accomodate a person who had been alive, so maybe it could destroy a living thing (i.e. Nagini)

I like and agree with the idea that a sacrifice is needed to undo a horcrux. I'd bet anything Dumbledore knew that he had to be wearing the ring when he cast whatever magic he did to destroy the horcrux, thereby releasing whatever curse that protected it, the one which attacked Dumbledore's hand---that to me sounds like something Voldemort would set up, specifically that if you want to destroy, or attempt to destroy one of his horcruxes, you're going to take so BIG lumps. BUT, I don't think this will necessarily work for all the horcruxes, as there's probably unique protections on all of them. For example it would seem that the main protection of the diary lay in its concealment and secrecy, being in Lucius's safe keeping for years. But we'll never know what would have happened if some, say Ginny, had just set a match to it---OR MAYBE SHE DID?? We're told by Myrtle that Ginny threw it away, maybe she had tried to destroy it earlier, as she suspected it's evil influence. Was it possible to destroy that horcrux in any other way than the one in which it was destroyed?? Do the horcruxes have only one individual and unique weakness? They seem to be like deadly puzzles.

sorry this is kind of rambling on

I dont think that there necessarily needs to be magic involved in destroying horcruxes. As dumbledore himself pointed out Tom Riddle's Diary was a horcrux in the chamber of secrets and harry destroyed that one without saying a single spell. I dont mean to discredit your theory, i actually like it, but I think the danger is not so much in destorying the horcruxes as in getting to them first.

I dont think that there necessarily needs to be magic involved in destroying horcruxes. As dumbledore himself pointed out Tom Riddle's Diary was a horcrux in the chamber of secrets and harry destroyed that one without saying a single spell. I dont mean to discredit your theory, i actually like it, but I think the danger is not so much in destorying the horcruxes as in getting to them first.

Magic is more than saying a spell. Harry used a bit of one of the most magical creatures to destroy this special horcrux, therefore magic is involved.
One of the questions for the faq-poll startet on 25th December 2005 was: Does the destruction of a Horcrux involve more than the destruction of the object? Sadly it wasn`t winning, I think there have to be an interesting answer otherwise Jo hadn`t chose to ask it. I understand this question like you said, there is much danger to get the horcrux.

I've been following the enties about Horcruxes and have read (and said myself) that there can't always be a basilisc fang around... Well, I've been watching CoS and thought that the basilisc may be dead, but its body is still in the Chamber. Why couldn't Harry go back into the Chamber, pick another fang and go horcrux-hunting? It sounds logical to me... provided that the basilic-body is still there.
What do you think?

Out of topic: Annett, the wizard in your avatar is great... what is Bas Döse supposed to be?

I'm not sure that it takes anything more than physically damaging the object holding the soul piece. The Diary was pierced, and the Ring was cracked. Of course, getting through all of the spells protecting each object is quite another matter.

I'd love to see another FAQ Poll. *sigh*

I posted this in another thread, but it fits here as well.

The last Horcrux is the one Horcrux V created after his "death" and most probably after his new body. After V created his new body, this should be a great triumph for him in that he has finally survived death. To V's knowledge there is only one other living Wizard who has survived death and that is Harry. So those who have survived death are very, very rare. In light of all this, what if Voldemort decided that his final Horcrux can only be destroyed by those who have also survived death? It cannot be just one Wizard because then Harry can just come by and destroy it. So perhaps it could be 3 or 7 who have survived death. But only 3 would be dangerous because if two dark Wizards with Horcruxes teamed up with Harry, V's final Horcrux would be toast. So I would go with 7 since it would be highly unlikely to find 7 who have survived death. Who could the those seven be?

1. Harry

2. Reformed Dark Wizard with Horcrux who was "killed" and then reconstituted a body just a V did. Many folks can fit this one, Snape, Karkaroff, Lucius post Azkaban, etc.

3. Fawkes. He took an AK for DD in the DoM. Fawkes has an intellect of his own and if DD asks him to help destroy a Horcrux, I'm sure he will.

Then there is the question on WOMBATS 2 about amortal creatures.

Which of the following are considered AMORTAL (have never died, and can never die) by the Ministry of Magic?
a. Dementors
b. Ghosts
c. Inferi
d. Poltergeists
e. Vampires
By most legends, Vampires are "undead" and thus have survived death, so

4. Vampire. A yet unmet Vampire, Sanguini, Sinistra (is she is one), or Rufus Scrimgeour (if he is one and is taking a Vampire equivalent of Wolfsbane potion so that he can go in the sun) are all options.

Snape specifically states in OotP that ghosts are imprints of Wizards who have gone on and Inferi are reanimated bodies, so neither of these should count as surviving death.

5. Animagi and Metamorphamagi. From all the anamagi in the HP series, it seems that Wizards completely take on the traits of the animal they become. If a Wizard's animagus form is a Phoenix and they are hit with AK while they are a Phoenix, then would they survive just as Fawkes did? Similarly, if a metamorphamagus becomes a Phoenix, would they survive AK as well?

But there is something else with Metamorphamagi. In OotP, JKR states clearly that the spell that hit Tonks in the DOM and knocked her out was green. To my recollection, the only green spell in the books has been AK. So if AK hit Tonks, how could she have survived? Do metamorphamagi have some way of surviving AK?

First, the only people who would have known the spell was green were Sirius, Harry, Neville, Tonks, and Bellatrix. Sirius is dead so he cannot tell anyone "Wait, I saw the spell that hit Tonks was AK, so how did she survive?" Harry and Neville are too young, so they would not know that the only green spell is AK. Tonks may not have seen the color of the spell that hit her. So the only person who knows for sure that the spell that hit Tonks was AK is Bellatrix, the person who cast the spell. When Bellatrix hears that Tonks is alive, she would go to Voldemort and tell him Tonks survived AK. Logically, V would tell her to keep quiet about someone surviving AK because V keeps his fear over people because he can cast a strong, unfailing AK. If word gets out that people are surviving AK, then Voldemorts hold of fear over people loosens. If Tonks saw the color of the spell and knew she was hit by AK and survived, logically she would tell Dumbledore. DD might have wanted Tonks to keep quiet about it so that she and any other metamorphamagi Order members could be DD's "secret weapon" against AK.

But there could be more to this. What is metamorphamagi have an "instinctive" protective reflex against AK? Specifically, what if metamorphamagi instinctively morph into an "AK proof" being, such as a vampire, for the millisecond the AK hits? The idea of instinctive magic protection is there throughout the books. when magical children are in danger they instinctively use magic even if they do not have any training, like Harry does when he is chased by Dudley and finds himself on the school roof or as Neville does when his uncle accidentally throws him out a window. Montague apparates out of the Vanishing Cabinets portal even though he does not know how to apparate. Harry uses a shielding charm without realizing it when Snape is using Legilligency on him. So it could be similar with Metamorphamagi it that when their life is in danger from AK they instinctively morph into an AK resistant creature for the millisecond the spell hits.

Everyone says that Harry is the only person who survived AK, but Metamorphamagi are very rare, as Tonks tells Harry, so the fact that they morph to protect themselves from AK might not have been known if Tonks was the first one to survive it. Or, if Metamorphamagi run in the Black family (like Parselmouths run in the Gaunt family) then the fact that Metamorphamagi are AK resistant could be an Black family secret.

6. Someone who has come back from behind the veil. In OotP Luna implies that those beyond the veil are dead. Which brings the question of Sirius. Is Sirius dead because Bellatrix's spell killed him or because he went through the veil? If the fact that someone has gone beyond the veil is what determines that they are dead, then someone who come back from behind the veil could be someone who has survived death.

The reason this comes to mind is because JKR has specifically stated that the two way mirrors Sirius gave to Harry and kept himself will be important in future books. Sirius must have had his mirror with him that night at the DoM because he desperately wanted to get in touch with Harry once he realized Harry was headed to the DoM. So Sirius must have had the mirror with him when he went through the veil. Now, for the mirrors to work in book 7 the one on the other side of the veil it must still physically exist. So things physically exist on the other side of the veil if they go through the veil itself. By that reasoning any Wizard who goes through the veil itself will physically exist on the other side of the veil. So if any Wizard goes through the actual veil while alive, would still have their body but be technically dead.

How to get back from behind the veil? That's where the Vanishing cabinets could shed some light. The two cabinets provide a way to get from Borgin's to Hogwarts. Most importantly, the passage way between the cabinets is able to bypass all the enchantments that protect Hogwarts, enchantments so strong the Voldemort himself cannot storm the castle. Dumbledore himself tells Draco that he thought it was impossible to bypass the enchantments that protect the castle and of all Wizards DD knows the protections of Hogwarts the best. So, what if the mirror could be used the same way? Specifically, what if the mirrors could be used as a Portkey from behind the veil to the world of the living for those Wizards who went through the actual veil and still have their body (Sirius, for example, if Bellatrix's spell did not kill him), bypassing the enchantments of the veil just as the Vanishing Cabinets bypass the enchantments of Hogwarts?

As a side note, the idea of using the mirrors as a Portkey would not have occurred to DD before because Harry never told DD about the mirrors. Harry assumes that Sirius did not have the mirror with him, but that is just Harry's assumption.

7. Thinking outside the Wizard box, a Muggle could be an option. In reality, when people's vital signs stop for a few seconds, they are technically dead, see the light at end of the tunnel, etc. And then when their heart is restarted they are technically alive again. So if this happened to a Muggle, then the Muggle would have survived death. So Petunia post coronary would be an option.

8. Dumbledore. I know JKR said he was dead. But until she says properly dead, I'm not buying it. If DD has another trick up his sleeve and returns, then he counts. And no one has said he doesn't have a Horcrux from the defeat of Grindelwald. DD seems to know a lot about Horcruxes and how to destroy them considering Horcruxes are a banned subject at Hogwarts. Furthermore DD is really, really old and was quite confident at the DoM even though he was facing a master at AK. Most interesting is the fact DD never used the Elixir of Life from the Sorcerer's Stone. In PS we know that DD and Flammel created the Sorcerer's Stone and the the Sorcerer's Stone provides enough Elixir of Life for two since both Flammel and his wife drink it. Now, why would DD let Mrs.Flammel have "his share" of the Elixir when DD is the one who helped make the Stone. True, DD does not have the with to live forever, but DD also believes that Voldemort is coming back. DD would want make sure he stays alive to help fight V since DD is the only one V feared. For that reason DD should start drinking Mrs.Flammels share of the Elixir since DD is more important to the fight against V than Mrs.Flammel. So why doesn't he? My best guess is that DD has a Horcrux from the defeat of Grindelwald and DD created that Horcrux to make sure he stays alive to fight V and thus did not need the Elixir of Life and gave his share to Mrs.Flammel.

9. Playing with semantics, if Snape goes through with DD's plan for Draco, in that Draco is hidden and presumed dead, death certificate issued, and death date put on the Black family tree, and then Draco reemerges alive, could he have survived death. If that is the case, then Draco and any other the folks whose death DD has faked would count.

So seven with two extra.

well nobody knows exactly how 2 destroy a horcrux,i presume even DD did not know and he had to find out.i certainly agree that the method of destruction for each horcrux is different and maybe the Trio will have to come up with a spell to pull that one off.

well nobody knows exactly how 2 destroy a horcrux,i presume even DD did not know and he had to find out.i certainly agree that the method of destruction for each horcrux is different and maybe the Trio will have to come up with a spell to pull that one off.DD did not know how to destroy the ring correctly and that is why he almost died trying. The diary was destroyed by venom, for the ring DD does not give specifics. In History of Magic there is a thread on the Keepers of the Horcruxes where someone suggests the Horcruxes need to be used or worn to be destroyed.

For the last Horcrux, it being destroyed only by those who have survived death seems appropriate since Voldemort made that last Horcrux after he himself survived death.

maybe a dementor could suck the soul out of it? the hardest part would be , of course, getting the dementor. i think its a possibility tho.

maybe a dementor could suck the soul out of it? the hardest part would be , of course, getting the dementor. i think its a possibility tho.

Yes, I think we actually might get a good reason to have a dementor. Personally, I don't think dementors have lived up to their full potentcial in the books yet, and this might be the reason why.

DD did not know how to destroy the ring correctly and that is why he almost died trying. The diary was destroyed by venom, for the ring DD does not give specifics. In History of Magic there is a thread on the Keepers of the Horcruxes where someone suggests the Horcruxes need to be used or worn to be destroyed.

For the last Horcrux, it being destroyed only by those who have survived death seems appropriate since Voldemort made that last Horcrux after he himself survived death.

On the contrary, Dumbledore says" Had it not been.......for my own prodigious skill" Nowhere does it state that he didnt know how to "correctly" destroy a horcrux. No one yet has mentioned a specific way that is needed to do this , hence this thread:D
And re: the diary- where did you read this was destroyed by venom? Its true that Harry used a basilisk fang to destry it but we don't know if the soul piece died because of the fang itself, or the fact that it was pierced by something, or if it was, in fact, MY theory, that the destruction requires some kind of sacrifice. In the diaries case, this would have been Harry's blood on the fang that would have caused its destruction.

Also, to point out, based on Dumbledore's quote to Harry re: the ring, " a withered hand does not seem an unreasonable exchange for a seventh of Voldemort's soul"- the way I read this is that DD was aware a sacrifice was required and willingly gave the use of his hand. Actually, the word"exchange" was the flag for me- JKR is often very literal in her clues.
Whatever the means, it appears that Harry will face some dangerous situations in this hunt, if prior horcruxes are any indication:)

if what you are saying is that a sacrifice is needed to get a horcrux maybe that is why, dumbledore thought it so nessesary to drink the potion in the basin in HBP.

I am thinking there is more to it than destroying the object. What good would a Horcrux be if you could just chuck it into a volcano. Mind you, it's worked in similar circumstances elsewhere...;)

Hasn't anyone considered Wormtail using his magical hand to destory one of the horcruxes? Perhaps that's one of the only ways to destroy one, seeing as how the protective curses and enchantments on the horcruxes came from the same person who created the hand. Dumbledore's shriveled hand in HBP was probably foreshadowing this.

so...
how exactly would a person destroy a horcrux? harry has to do it a bunch of times in the next book, but so far no one's been too concerned with how.


My theory? A large box of Basilisk teeth from the magical version of Costco.:D

[quote=slavetopadfoot;2639926]so...
how exactly would a person destroy a horcrux? harry has to do it a bunch of times in the next book, but so far no one's been too concerned with how.
[quote]

My theory? A large box of Basilisk teeth from the magical version of Costco.:D
That's not necessarily as silly as it sounds - Harry knows where he can get a whole bunch of basilisk teeth, and no one else has access to them. It may be that the tunnel that caved in the COS year will provide access to the Chamber even when the trio are not students (assuming they will not return)

if what you are saying is that a sacrifice is needed to get a horcrux maybe that is why, dumbledore thought it so nessesary to drink the potion in the basin in HBP.

This is an excellent point- maybe he did indeed realize full well what could happen to him by drinking it. Remember how even before they left, he made Harry give his word that he {Harry} would obey what DD asked him? I think that was because Dumbledore knw from dealing with the ring that a sacrifice would be required. And also, even getting into the cave required blood.

We have seen the results of the raw power involved in destroying a Horcrux as evidenced by the severely burned, and blackened hand Dumbledore had by destroying one. The question is exactly from where the power that did the damage eminated? And, will that kind of power affect Harry?

Obviously, we saw that upon the diary's destruction Harry did not feel any ill effects. His injury was sustained from the Basilisk's poisonous bite. When he stabbed it with the Basilisk's tooth there were no explosions, fires, radiating lights, etc...we only see the Soul-Shred-Tom being consumed.

In the cave, the damage was done to Dumbledore by the protections in place to guard the Horcrux, not from the Horcrux itself (of course that was not the real Horcrux)

Now it is believed or has been proposed that 1) Nagini is a Horcrux, and 2) Harry is a Horcrux (not likely, so let us ignore it). If either is true, then it seems an awful risky and feable object to chose. However, let us assume that it is true.

For Nagini to be a Horcrux, surely Voldemort would have placed certain protections on her to ensure her survival, but what? Could it be similar to the protections that Dumbledore placed upon Harry and his Aunt and Uncle's home? In this case the snake itself being the home, and the soul is what is being housed.

For the purposes of this thread, let us assume that is exactly what he did. This would mean that no one could touch Nagini, just as no one can touch Harry at Aunt Petunia's house. This presents a very interesting problem for Harry, because the jury is still out on what kind of spell was placed upon her home. Harry will have to learn the truth of that spell in order to "destroy" Nagini the Horcrux.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this idea, or ideas about what other protections are on Nagini?

well i reckon voldemort thought he was the only descendant of parselmouth living and most likely made nagini a horcrux thinking no one else could control it, the orders would keep it safe enough by language. I think harry being a parselmouth was not in voldemorts intentions and may be significant in controlling or destroying nagini.

I think this may belong better in here Identifying & Tracking Down the Remaining Horcruxes v.4 (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=99398)

However, to answer your theory, I think that LV may have done exactly what you propose. Otherwise his Horcrux would just be too vulnerable to accidents.

a person can only by killing some in witch that rips the person soul from hir or /hers body

I believe a horcrux can be destroyed by killing the piece of soul.

And that can only be achieved by either opening (in the case of the locket) or fisically destroying the object (as in the diary).

I'm no so sure that you'd need to 'kill' the peiece of the soul in the horcrux, though that would depend on the horcrux itself I guess.

For example, in the diary, Harry had to 'kill' the book using the Basilisk's poison. However, we don't know for sure that DD killed the peiece of the soul in the ring; he may have simply released the sould from it's encasement (the stone). His hand may have died while getting the ring and overcoming the enchantments LV placed to protect his horcrux.

I'm no so sure that you'd need to 'kill' the peiece of the soul in the horcrux, though that would depend on the horcrux itself I guess.

For example, in the diary, Harry had to 'kill' the book using the Basilisk's poison. However, we don't know for sure that DD killed the peiece of the soul in the ring; he may have simply released the sould from it's encasement (the stone). His hand may have died while getting the ring and overcoming the enchantments LV placed to protect his horcrux.

Like I said, you have to destroy the object itself. Notice that the stone on the ring was cracked when Harry first saw it (in person of course :) )

Oooh!!! I got a theory!! Ok, so a Horcrux is a part of someones soul. And dementors will suck out your soul, soooooooo, what if you have to get a dementor to destroy it and thats the only way?

thats the only way? The diary didn't involve a dementor, so I would doubt it's the "only way". :) Jo confirmed that the soul in the diary was "destroyed" down in the Chamber in the MN&TLC interview.
MA: Someone put it to me last night, that if Ginny, with the diary -

JKR: Harry definitely destroyed that piece of soul, you saw it take shape, you saw it destroyed, it’s gone. And Ginny is definitely in no way possessed by Voldemort.

Like I said, you have to destroy the object itself. Notice that the stone on the ring was cracked when Harry first saw it (in person of course :) )
I think this might work in a putting the object beyond use sort of a way: the diary was stabbed so all the ink ran out of it and the ring's stone was cracked. For the other Horcruxes, the locket halves might have to be separated, the cup's bowl might need to be punctured and Harry would have to kill Nagini. If the tiara in the Room of Requirement is a Horcrux, perhaps snapping it might work - or perhaps its tarnished nature means it's been put beyond use already.

I think this might work in a putting the object beyond use sort of a way: the diary was stabbed so all the ink ran out of it and the ring's stone was cracked. For the other Horcruxes, the locket halves might have to be separated, the cup's bowl might need to be punctured and Harry would have to kill Nagini. If the tiara in the Room of Requirement is a Horcrux, perhaps snapping it might work - or perhaps its tarnished nature means it's been put beyond use already.

:tu:

I'm quite sure none of the others have been put beyound use. Why make things easy for Harry? :p

But I agree with the rest. Putting the objects beyound use seems to be the way to destroy the horcruxes. Although the dementor idea is quite appealing :angel:

From what we have seen wiht the diary and ring I thinlk that to detroy a Horcrux you release the soul from within it, the soul then probably passing to the afterlife. Physically breaking it is most likely a side-effect.

Harry may not directly kill Voldemort. I'm guessing there are probably many other ways to kill someone magically.

I had a thought...

All the times we've seen Voldemort's soul removed from a horcrux have involved a sacrifice.

The diary involved the death of the basilisk.
The ring involved the death of Dumbledore's hand.
And if you are of the camp that believes that Harry's scar is a Horcrux (which, if this is the case, was removed from Harry in the graveyard to aid in Voldemort's rebirth), then the removal of that part of Voldy's soul involved the sacrifice of Wormtail's hand.

So perhaps Harry will have to sacrifice a part of himself each time he destroys a horcrux.

Anyway, it's midnight here, so that probably explains a lot of this... :yuhup:

Because a Horcrux is one of the most evil magical objects, I believe that the only way to destroy it is through love. When Harry destroyed the diary, he was doing out of love for Ginny, not hate of Voldemoret (weathere he knew that or not at the time is not significant). I believe, in the end, Harry will have to remember that his love for his friends, not his hate for Voldemort will destroy the Horcrux.

Maybe the boa constrictor that Harry set free from the zoo in Philosopher's Stone will come back after a pleasant 6 years in Brazil offering a favour in thanks. Harry could ask him to destroy Nagini! :lol:

Didn't DD destroy the Ring horcrux? Isn't that how his hand got fried? How did DD do it?

A horcrux is a very powerful magical object. And in the case of Hufflepuff's cup, for example, it was already a powerful magical object/heirloom before Voldemort even turned it into a horcrux. I think, perhaps, one way to destroy a horcrux is with another extremely powerful magical item. The basilisk's fang would definitely fit into that category, giving it the power to basically poison the diary and destroy that piece of Voldemort's soul. On that note, I think Gryffindor's sword would be one option for destroying horcruxes. Who knows, maybe Pettigrew's magical hand would be another?

We have seen the results of the raw power involved in destroying a Horcrux as evidenced by the severely burned, and blackened hand Dumbledore had by destroying one.

Didn't DD destroy the Ring horcrux? Isn't that how his hand got fried? How did DD do it?


The ring involved the death of Dumbledore's hand.

DD's hand was damaged by the defensive curse placed on or around the rings hiding place. It had nothing to do with damage taken from the destruction of a Horcrux. DD said so himself. And if it wasn't for Snapes quick action on DD's return to the castle, that curse probably would have killed him BEFORE he had time to destroy the Horcrux. The damage DD took to his hand while getting through the rings defenses, is similar to the damage he took trying to get past the lockets defenses in the cave.(the potion)

So far we have seen no evidence at all that destroying a Horcrux causes any damage or magical effects around it or to those around it.

Ah well, it was very late when I thought of that...

We have seen the results of the raw power involved in destroying a Horcrux as evidenced by the severely burned, and blackened hand Dumbledore had by destroying one. The question is exactly from where the power that did the damage eminated? And, will that kind of power affect Harry?

But if that is the case, what's the blow back from Harry destroying the diary? I don't remember (which ain't saying much given my memory) any substantial injury to him in the CoS when he super-nova'd the diary.

Maybe the question is...are all horcruxes (horcrii???) created equal in power and protections???

We have seen the results of the raw power involved in destroying a Horcrux as evidenced by the severely burned, and blackened hand Dumbledore had by destroying one. The question is exactly from where the power that did the damage eminated? And, will that kind of power affect Harry?

Obviously, we saw that upon the diary's destruction Harry did not feel any ill effects. His injury was sustained from the Basilisk's poisonous bite. When he stabbed it with the Basilisk's tooth there were no explosions, fires, radiating lights, etc...we only see the Soul-Shred-Tom being consumed.

In the cave, the damage was done to Dumbledore by the protections in place to guard the Horcrux, not from the Horcrux itself (of course that was not the real Horcrux)

Now it is believed or has been proposed that 1) Nagini is a Horcrux, and 2) Harry is a Horcrux (not likely, so let us ignore it). If either is true, then it seems an awful risky and feable object to chose. However, let us assume that it is true.

For Nagini to be a Horcrux, surely Voldemort would have placed certain protections on her to ensure her survival, but what? Could it be similar to the protections that Dumbledore placed upon Harry and his Aunt and Uncle's home? In this case the snake itself being the home, and the soul is what is being housed.

For the purposes of this thread, let us assume that is exactly what he did. This would mean that no one could touch Nagini, just as no one can touch Harry at Aunt Petunia's house. This presents a very interesting problem for Harry, because the jury is still out on what kind of spell was placed upon her home. Harry will have to learn the truth of that spell in order to "destroy" Nagini the Horcrux.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this idea, or ideas about what other protections are on Nagini?

Yeah, I've been looking around and noone seems to be concerned about HOW Harry will destroy the Horcrux. I imagine it will take him a long time for him to figure it out. Becuase you wouldn't be able to smash it to pieces, would you? That would be WAY to easy.

But if that is the case, what's the blow back from Harry destroying the diary? I don't remember (which ain't saying much given my memory) any substantial injury to him in the CoS when he super-nova'd the diary.

Maybe the question is...are all horcruxes (horcrii???) created equal in power and protections???

That's just too interesting a question to be true, there's just so much to speculate on. I believe all of this information will be delivered to us in DH, otherwise the story will be a bit harder to understand, don't you think? I'm really thrilled to know who gives Harry this kind of information now that Dumbledore's gone, though, can't wait. :).


On to the Horcrux issue now, though. I think that each time a new Horcrux is created, the parts of the soul which have already been divided and concealed in other Horcruxes get smaller. I mean, I see absolutely now way in which a soul can enlarge its size, so I assume the portions just become smaller.

Now about Dumbledore's hand and how it got that way, well, many theories come to my mind. Perhaps it has something to do with the soul not assuming a corporeal form, like the bit in the diary did. The part of Voldemort's soul that was in the diary had almost assumed a corporeal form at the time Harry destroyed it (gaining life by taking Ginny's own), therefore didn't have the strength to harm him because of the trasition or something like it.

In my mind, the parts of Voldemort's soul are, when freed, much like what Voldemort was in PS, alias a kind of smokey entity that can possess bodies. Another possibility could be that these forms can harm too, and that might be what came out of the ring and damaged Dumbledore's hand.

Or perhaps the blackened hand is product of something Dumbledore had to do in order to obtain the ring Horcrux, a consequence for stealing it. Just as he had to drink the potion to get the locket, which released the Inferi and left him very weak, he might have had to do something that involved getting his hand damaged to get the ring. Perhaps the ring was just behind a wall of magical fire that burns but can't be put out? The only way would be getting your hand through the magical fire, and that may have probably woken a monster, just to add a surprise element to it ;).

The point is, all the same, that destroying a Horcrux perhaps does not have consequences, and it's actually the things you need to go through to get it that actually harm you. Who knows, though. As I just proved, I think, there are just too many possibilities.

The title of book 7, The Deathly Hallows, makes me think deadly horcruxes. If hallows is refering to peices of Volds soul. And the 7 part soul of Vold reminds me of the 7 deadly sins. If there is a connection, the seven sins could represent the 7 pieces of Volds soul. So I was thinking that the corresponding virtues my play a part in overcoming the horcruxes, and of course Vold.

This is what I think- but I would love to hear what everyone else thinks too...

Diary- pride- Vold wanted everyone to know he was the heir of Slytherin, Vold wanted credit for finding the COS. When Harry destroyed the diary, he just did it, without thinking about it. Humility/ humbleness is the virtue and it seems very humble of Harry to proclaim DD the greatest wizard, when it was Harry who stopped Vold as a baby. It was Harrys belief in DD that brought Harry the tools he used to overcome Vold.

Ring- wrath- Vold took the ring when, in anger and disgust, he killed his muggle family and framed his wizard family. DD destroyed the ring somehow. The virtue is forgiveness/ composure, which can describe DD.

Locket- envy- Vold believed the locket belonged to him, and was jealous that Hepzibah had it and not him. So overcomming the locket might require kindness/ admiration,- possibly Kreacher? will be involved. There must be a reason Hermonie and DD still insisted on being kind to Kreacher, even though he didn't deserve it.

Cup- greed- The cup did not belong to Vold, but he took it too. This could mean an act of charity/ giving. This scares me because JKR has said that there will be more losses in life, and the first thing I think of is someone might sacrifice themselves in some way.

Snake- sloth- Vold may have created after murdering Frank Bryce, a muggle, just to complete what he could not complete with Harry. Diligence is going to be required, because this would be a moving, thinking target. But I think killing Nagini would destroy the horcrux.

unknown- gluttony- Vold was not satified with only objects of 2 founders, he wanted all 4. Temperance/ self- restraint. I have no idea how this could apply.

Vold- lust- Vold has a lust for life, power, killing, ect. The opposite of lust is chasity, and Harry has never been temped by the dark arts. It is Harry's virtues that will help him defeat Vold.

Vold represents evil and Harry represents good. Of course all this is just a guess. I can only re-read, wait, and wonder. :hmm: :sigh:

The title of book 7, The Deathly Hallows, makes me think deadly horcruxes. If hallows is refering to peices of Volds soul. And the 7 part soul of Vold reminds me of the 7 deadly sins. If there is a connection, the seven sins could represent the 7 pieces of Volds soul. So I was thinking that the corresponding virtues my play a part in overcoming the horcruxes, and of course Vold.

This is what I think- but I would love to hear what everyone else thinks too...

Diary- pride- Vold wanted everyone to know he was the heir of Slytherin, Vold wanted credit for finding the COS. When Harry destroyed the diary, he just did it, without thinking about it. Humility/ humbleness is the virtue and it seems very humble of Harry to proclaim DD the greatest wizard, when it was Harry who stopped Vold as a baby. It was Harrys belief in DD that brought Harry the tools he used to overcome Vold.

Ring- wrath- Vold took the ring when, in anger and disgust, he killed his muggle family and framed his wizard family. DD destroyed the ring somehow. The virtue is forgiveness/ composure, which can descripe DD.

Locket- envy- Vold believed the locket belonged to him, and was jealous that Hepzibah had it and not him. So overcomming the locket might require kindness/ admiration,- possibly Kreacher? will be involved. There must be a reason Hermonie and DD still insisted on being kind to Kreacher, even though he didn't deserve it.

Cup- greed- The cup did not belong to Vold, but he took it too. This could mean an act of charity/ giving. This scares me because JKR has said that there will be more losses in life, and the first thing I think of is someone might sacrifice themselves in some way.

Snake- sloth- Vold may have created after murdering Frank Bryce, a muggle, just to complete what he could not complete with Harry. Diligence is going to be required, because this would be a moving, thinking target. But I think killing Nagini would destroy the horcrux.

unknown- gluttony- Vold was not satified with only objects of 2 founders, he wanted all 4. Temperance/ self- restraint. I have no idea how this could apply.

Vold- lust- Vold has a lust for life, power, killing, ect. The opposite of lust is chasity, and Harry has never been temped by the dark arts. It is his virtues that will help him defeat Vold.

Vold represents evil and Harry represents good. Of course all this is just a guess. I can only re-read, wait, and wonder. :hmm: :sigh:

Very interesting analysis. Depending on the unknown horcrux, this could be picked up by literature teachers as an approach to the horcruxes. I wonder if there is a parallel on the 7 virtues and vices to each of the seven books.

Very interesting analysis. Depending on the unknown horcrux, this could be picked up by literature teachers as an approach to the horcruxes. I wonder if there is a parallel on the 7 virtues and vices to each of the seven books.

:blush: Thank you, I'm flattered.:blush:

Good question, need to give it some thought.:hmm:

That's just too interesting a question to be true, there's just so much to speculate on.

Or perhaps the blackened hand is product of something Dumbledore had to do in order to obtain the ring Horcrux, a consequence for stealing it.

The point is, all the same, that destroying a Horcrux perhaps does not have consequences, and it's actually the things you need to go through to get it that actually harm you. Who knows, though. As I just proved, I think, there are just too many possibilities.

Perhaps, a soul sliver, once freed from a horcrux (released as opposed to destroyed out-right - which might be the order things have to be done), expects to inhabit some corporeal entity (think Ginny's possession is CoS). Dumbledore's injury could have come from rejecting and deflecting the sliver's instinctual drive to inhabit a body. If the item was in DD's hand, I can see the sliver instinctively creeping out of the object and up his fingers to his sleeve before DD could complete whatever spell/process he required to destroy both the soul sliver and the container that held it.

Still begs the question of how similar/different each of these types of horcruxes are and does their distinctiveness imbue them with different protections???:hmm:

Dunno yet....brain hurts...

The title of book 7, The Deathly Hallows, makes me think deadly horcruxes. If hallows is refering to peices of Volds soul. And the 7 part soul of Vold reminds me of the 7 deadly sins. If there is a connection, the seven sins could represent the 7 pieces of Volds soul. So I was thinking that the corresponding virtues my play a part in overcoming the horcruxes, and of course Vold.

This is what I think- but I would love to hear what everyone else thinks too...

Diary- pride- Vold wanted everyone to know he was the heir of Slytherin, Vold wanted credit for finding the COS. When Harry destroyed the diary, he just did it, without thinking about it. Humility/ humbleness is the virtue and it seems very humble of Harry to proclaim DD the greatest wizard, when it was Harry who stopped Vold as a baby. It was Harrys belief in DD that brought Harry the tools he used to overcome Vold.

Ring- wrath- Vold took the ring when, in anger and disgust, he killed his muggle family and framed his wizard family. DD destroyed the ring somehow. The virtue is forgiveness/ composure, which can describe DD.

Locket- envy- Vold believed the locket belonged to him, and was jealous that Hepzibah had it and not him. So overcomming the locket might require kindness/ admiration,- possibly Kreacher? will be involved. There must be a reason Hermonie and DD still insisted on being kind to Kreacher, even though he didn't deserve it.

Cup- greed- The cup did not belong to Vold, but he took it too. This could mean an act of charity/ giving. This scares me because JKR has said that there will be more losses in life, and the first thing I think of is someone might sacrifice themselves in some way.

Snake- sloth- Vold may have created after murdering Frank Bryce, a muggle, just to complete what he could not complete with Harry. Diligence is going to be required, because this would be a moving, thinking target. But I think killing Nagini would destroy the horcrux.

unknown- gluttony- Vold was not satified with only objects of 2 founders, he wanted all 4. Temperance/ self- restraint. I have no idea how this could apply.

Vold- lust- Vold has a lust for life, power, killing, ect. The opposite of lust is chasity, and Harry has never been temped by the dark arts. It is Harry's virtues that will help him defeat Vold.

Vold represents evil and Harry represents good. Of course all this is just a guess. I can only re-read, wait, and wonder. :hmm: :sigh:


i like your analysis. never thought of it that way. but i have a theory... coz if im not mistaken, gluttony refers only to food. so what if voldie "eats" the souls of those whom he kills, thereby making him more powerful? it would explain why he became addicted to killing. kinda dementor-ish. and that unknown horcrux, lets say its harry... so there you have it. gluttony. he kills harry, "eats" his soul, then makes the body into a horcrux. then he says "even if i canot get a relic of gryffindor, i´ve got the heir as my horcrux." that might be what he intends to do.

The title of book 7, The Deathly Hallows, makes me think deadly horcruxes. If hallows is refering to peices of Volds soul. And the 7 part soul of Vold reminds me of the 7 deadly sins. If there is a connection, the seven sins could represent the 7 pieces of Volds soul. So I was thinking that the corresponding virtues my play a part in overcoming the horcruxes, and of course Vold.

This is what I think- but I would love to hear what everyone else thinks too...

Diary- pride- Vold wanted everyone to know he was the heir of Slytherin, Vold wanted credit for finding the COS. When Harry destroyed the diary, he just did it, without thinking about it. Humility/ humbleness is the virtue and it seems very humble of Harry to proclaim DD the greatest wizard, when it was Harry who stopped Vold as a baby. It was Harrys belief in DD that brought Harry the tools he used to overcome Vold.

Ring- wrath- Vold took the ring when, in anger and disgust, he killed his muggle family and framed his wizard family. DD destroyed the ring somehow. The virtue is forgiveness/ composure, which can describe DD.

Locket- envy- Vold believed the locket belonged to him, and was jealous that Hepzibah had it and not him. So overcomming the locket might require kindness/ admiration,- possibly Kreacher? will be involved. There must be a reason Hermonie and DD still insisted on being kind to Kreacher, even though he didn't deserve it.

Cup- greed- The cup did not belong to Vold, but he took it too. This could mean an act of charity/ giving. This scares me because JKR has said that there will be more losses in life, and the first thing I think of is someone might sacrifice themselves in some way.

Snake- sloth- Vold may have created after murdering Frank Bryce, a muggle, just to complete what he could not complete with Harry. Diligence is going to be required, because this would be a moving, thinking target. But I think killing Nagini would destroy the horcrux.

unknown- gluttony- Vold was not satified with only objects of 2 founders, he wanted all 4. Temperance/ self- restraint. I have no idea how this could apply.

Vold- lust- Vold has a lust for life, power, killing, ect. The opposite of lust is chasity, and Harry has never been temped by the dark arts. It is Harry's virtues that will help him defeat Vold.

Vold represents evil and Harry represents good. Of course all this is just a guess. I can only re-read, wait, and wonder. :hmm: :sigh:

I salute you! A very nice idea, and I agree with each one.

About destroying a Horcrux; the only sure thing that we know, is that once both pieces of soul had been removed from the Horcuxes and presusably destroyed, the objects that housed them were damaged; the diary being fanged to death, and the rings stone was cracked. So whatever the process Dumbledore used on the ring the 'de-horcux' it, it damaged it. Though surley as Harry showed in CoS badly damaging the object is enough to destroy the piece of soul.

I do not know if this has been mentioned before but....

Has anyone considered that each Horcrux is varying in the amount of soul it posses and therefore they may vary in strength and ease of destruction?

Think about...
The very first Horcrux LV made contain half his soul because he had a whole soul when he made the first one.

The second Horcrux would then be half of the already split soul. So in relation to Horcrux 1. Horcrux 2 would contain half the amount of soul the first one has and now LV has a quarter of his soul left in his body.

The third Horcrux would contain half of the quarter of the soul in LV's body at the time of creation.

I think you can all see where this is going... each additional Horcrux is a half of what portion of soul LV had in him at the time or creation. This is supported by the change of appearances that occurs over time. Remember, he becomes less human over the years. So it makes sense, that loss in human characteristics direct correlates to his soul being repeatedly split.

I think it would also stand reason that the Horcruxes that contain larger portions of LV's soul would be more difficult to destroy. This may possibly be substantiated by the destruction of Horcruxes we have already know about. Marvolo's ring that Albus destroyed was likely to be the first one LV created. This is likely because his first murders (His father and family) occurred at the same-time we know he came into possession of the ring. We know this ring had a terrible curse upon in it nearly killing Albus. However, the diary the Harry destroyed was likely created after LV could not procure a relic of Godric Gryffndor. So therefore the Horcrux was diluted in strength compared to ring. The timing of Harry's destruction of the Horcrux must be considered. Since LV's soul fragment was projected outside of the diary at the time of destruction, Harry merely destroyed the container and the projected fragment of LV's soul couldn't survive or retaliate at the time.

At any rate I just wanted to throw my theory of graduated Horcruxes out there.

The second Horcrux would then be half of the already split soul. So in relation to Horcrux 1. Horcrux 2 would contain half the amount of soul the first one has and now LV has a quarter of his soul left in his body.

The third Horcrux would contain half of the quarter of the soul in LV's body at the time of creation.

I think you can all see where this is going... each additional Horcrux is a half of what portion of soul LV had in him at the time or creation.

I remember my maths techer often pointing out that half has more than one precise meaning- though not widely known. When you cut something in half the halves don't necessarily have to be equal- i know some dictionaries would disagree but never mind.
So seeing as though Voldemort was always planning on making 6 horcruxes he could well have given them equal amounts of soul.
On a less likely note it seems plausible that the amount of soul in each location balances itself out with the rest.

I don't really see therefore why some horcruxes should have to contain more soul than others!!!

I think the most difficult thing for the trio will be finding the horcruxes, not destroying them. I think the trio are going to have problems destroying the first horcrux, but that one of them will have a brainwave and look at the Mirror of Erised. The Mirror will show their deepest desires (the destruction of the horcruxes) and will show them doing it, and therefore HOW to do it.

I think the most difficult thing for the trio will be finding the horcruxes, not destroying them. I think the trio are going to have problems destroying the first horcrux, but that one of them will have a brainwave and look at the Mirror of Erised. The Mirror will show their deepest desires (the destruction of the horcruxes) and will show them doing it, and therefore HOW to do it.
nice concept - it could be that way.

the tearing of the diary did the trick, and i suppose dumbledore melted the ring or something like that. so it will depend on the hocrux itself.

Hmm, there's always the problem of Harry being inept to concentrate, if the defences to these places have terrible charms on them to prevent being able to break, would Harry really be able to stop them? Then, he's gotta work out to destroy the actualy Horcrux, and he might not be clever enough to do that either, hit the books Hermione!

I think the most difficult thing for the trio will be finding the horcruxes, not destroying them. I think the trio are going to have problems destroying the first horcrux, but that one of them will have a brainwave and look at the Mirror of Erised. The Mirror will show their deepest desires (the destruction of the horcruxes) and will show them doing it, and therefore HOW to do it.

The Mirror can give neither knowledge nor truth, so they would just see them standing around a destroyed horcruxe.

I tend to think that the horcruxes are easy to destroy, and that is one of the reasons why LV puts so many protections around them. A pure soul is a very powerful thing, so I reckon that a split soul is equally fragile. Destroy the object- stab the diary, crack the ring, maybe brak the cup???

hmmm, I don't know how difficult it would be to destroy a horcrux...I always focused on breaking the curses and spells protecting the horcruxes...I wonder if you have to destroy the soul in the horcrux and that in turn ends up destroying the horcrux, or do you have to destroy the horcrux and then kill the bit of soul...Dumbledore should did leave a major problem for Harry to figure out...but then I'm sure the information is floating around somewhere...I mean there's obviously information on how to create one, their should be information on how to destroy one...I think Harry's best starting point would be Slughorn and McGonagall...

I think the most difficult thing for the trio will be finding the horcruxes, not destroying them. I think the trio are going to have problems destroying the first horcrux, but that one of them will have a brainwave and look at the Mirror of Erised. The Mirror will show their deepest desires (the destruction of the horcruxes) and will show them doing it, and therefore HOW to do it.

The Mirror would also show them what the other 4 horcruxes are. Which would be very helpful in finding them.

Maybe if you destroy a horcrux it doesn't destroy the soul maybe it sends the soul back to its owner , so to speak. but if that is true wont the owner feel the souls back in them or something.

I do not think so but im just throwing ideas out.

Matt

From the three horcruxes (or their fakes) we've seen, we know that Voldemort uses a unique protection for each one of them. The biggest protection is secrecy. With the Diary, Lucius is charged with protecting it, despite his [I]not knowing[I] its full nature. The locket was hidden by nature and protected skillfully by the lake, the inferi and the mysterious potion. The ring was hidden in the remains of an obscure old hovel that no one had any reason of ever exploring. It also had a "terrible curse on it" as DD tells us, which cost him his hand. So the protection on every horcrux we can safely assume to be different and unique. Why couldn't the way of destroying each one be equally unique?

I know this wasn't technically a destruction of a Horcrux, but Voldemort fled Quirrell's body when Harry held onto his face and wouldn't let go. Harry also didn't use his wand to destroy the diary & Riddle - he stabbed it with the basilisk fang, after killing the basilisk with the sword, and he had assistance from Fawkes (bringing the Sorting Hat, pecking the basilisk's eyes, his tears on Harry's wound saving his life.) I've put two incredibly long posts about this on the cover art v.2 thread (I think it's on pg. 33) and in the identifying and tracking down horcruxes thread, so I'm going to be very brief here. But the diary is the only active horcrux we've seen so far. It started feeding off Ginny when she starting pouring her soul into it. IF the locket they found but couldn't open at Grimmauld Place is a horcrux, and they had been able to open it, would at least a shadow of Voldemort emerge?

The US cover art got me to thinking that possibly the destruction of each horcrux will involve at least 3 ever-escalating battles between Harry and shadowy horcruxes of Voldemort - which might still be quite powerful, but like the 16-year old Riddle, probably wouldn't know about Harry, and so wouldn't have the passionate desire for vengeance that the present, dominant Voldemort has, because they would be limited to the knowledge of the magical world that Voldemort had when they were created. Harry, on the other hand, could gain an advantage, because it would be almost like practicing a patronus on a boggart before you actually have to face a dementor. He could have a few chances to observe an evolution of Voldemort's style, if you will.

to destory a horcrux, you probably need to break it in some way. in COS harry removes the horcrux from the diary by stabbing it with the baslisk's fang. once that happened, the form of voldermort as tom riddle was destoryed

I recently came up with a theory about the remaining Horcruxes, using the cover art as support and posted it in a different thread. A couple of members recommended I start a new thread specifically discussing this theory, so here goes...

One of the things that we have been shown thus far in the Harry Potter series is that destroying a Horcrux is not an easy thing to do.

It seems, from the comments made by Dumbledore, that Harry kind of got (way too conveniently in my opinion) lucky in that he happened to destroy the diary in the only way that it could have been destroyed. Personally I have never liked the fact that Harry just happened to crack out the Basilisk's tooth and used it to destroy the Diary, and that it was the one way to do so. But that's what we have so we'll live with it...

Next we have Dumbledore destroying the ring and being wounded in the process. We don't know what he had to do to destroy it, but as he put it, "if it wasn't for his prodigious skill, and Snape's assistance" he would have bought the farm, so to speak.

The point is that destroying these Horcruxes is not that easy. It requires research before figuring out how to do it, and then you have to deal with the curses, as Dumbledore learned the hard way.

Now Harry still has upwards of 3 more (maybe 4) Horcruxes that he has to deal with. We all believe that the Locket is probably still a Horcrux, Hufflepuff's cup and an item from Ravenclaw or Gryffindor (I assume Ravenclaw). Then he has the 6th one to deal with, whether that's Nagini or something (or someone) else, that's for a different thread...

So first he needs to find them, then research how to destroy them and then do it. This alone would be way too much to fit into one book, let alone the fact that Rowling is going to have to deal with a wedding, Neville, Hermione and Ron's relationship, Ginny and Harry's relationship, the Dursley's, Luna, Dobby, Percy being a prat, the status of Hogwarts, Hagrid, Grawp, the Deatheaters, etc., etc., etc.

The point is that there is just too much that will need to be in the book to be able to find each Horcrux and destroy them individually.

This tells me that there will need to be a more simple, more direct route to take in order to destroy (or at least "disable") the Horcruxes...

So this got me thinking...

We have already been told that Hermione tried to research Horcruxes in Hogwarts to no avail, other than one passage saying that they are too evil to discuss...

So discovering how to destroy them via the Hogwart's library seems moot.

Then I looked at the US Children's cover and I speculated that it is the death room in the Ministry. That again got me thinking...

- What exactly happened to Sirius? We know he went through the archway, but where does that go to? Is it another realm? Another plane? Is it nothingness, though that doesn't seem right as there is definitely something on the other side?

So what exactly is that archway?

Being that it seemed to have "killed" Sirius, I took it as though that doorway leads to, for a lack of a better description, the "afterworld"?

So now lets look at the purpose behind Horcruxes...

"Well, you split your soul, you see," said Slughorn, "and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But of course, existence in such a form..."

So, as we know, you hide a piece of soul somewhere on earth so that if you are "killed" your soul remains earthbound.

Earthbound... earthbound...

That implies that wherever the Horcruxes are (on earth) is where your original piece of soul would stay, true?

So what if your pieces of soul were no longer earthbound? If your body and final piece of soul was then destroyed would it then remain earthbound, or would it "move on", as the other pieces would not be earthbound to keep the connection?

So, you see whaere I'm going? Hermione can't research the Horcruxes and how to destroy them, but she will be able to deduce a way to remove them from the earth plane. She will know the wording from Slughorn's memory and she has been to the ministry. She knows what happened to Sirius and will likely be able to research that doorway in the death room.

So what if she figures out that chucking the Horcruxes, all together, into the doorway in the death room would effectively nullify their purpose?

To me that seems a much simpler way to deal with the remaining Horcruxes, and in relation to the cover art it may be exactly that that we are being shown, Harry accioing the horcruxes (or final Horcrux) to throw it through the doorway in the death room.

Just a thought, but what an easier way to deal with something in one fell swoop.

-Storsy-

Interesting idea, I like it but I don't know if that's the way it will happen even if it is a possibility. It definitely has potential though.

I think that something interesting about dealing with Volemort's horcruxes is that they are reputedly powerful and potentially useful magical artifacts. In addition, they have a great deal of cultural and historical value. In other words, they aren't things that you just smash if you can possibly avoid it. I think that to destroy a horcrux without actually destroying the object would be a matter of breaking the spell that is binding the soul to the object in some way. Once that's done, the soul fragment will get where it's going by itself. Time to talk to a certain curse-breaker and learn the tricks of the trade . . .

I don't think it's going to take anything special to destroy a Horcrux, just finding it and recovering it.

Destroying them isn't hard: just smash them. But like the Wicked Witch of the West said, "That's not what's worrying me, it's HOW to do it. These things must be done delicately, or you hurt the spell." Slytherin's locket has it's own powers, so does Hufflepuff's cup. And they're ancient artifacts which have a great deal of value quite apart from what they do. I think this is a case where finesse is called for.

If anyone knows how to destroy a dark object like a Horcrux, it would be Snape. And as he would practically be the right hand of LV by now, killing DD and everything, it is safe to assume that Snape knows fully well about the Horcruxes, no matter if it was DD or LV who told him. LV could have relied on Snape when it comes to dark curses to defend them with, that is, if he do trust Snape.

If so, and if Snape is good, he's in a good position to destroy as many as he can before LV discovers his treachery. Snape could at least take out 1 or 2 Horcruxes, that's what I think. And there seems to be different way you can destroy them on. Harry used a Basilisk fang that completely destroyed the diary, DD (or Snape) probably had another method.

Actually, if memory serves (I don't have the exact quote), Dumbledore specifically stated that the Basilisk tooth was the one and only way to destroy the diary, so that implies that they will not be easy to destroy.

You don't just smash it with a hammer, so it's not as easy as you guys are making it out to be. Dumbledore likely researched his method for destroying the ring, and yet he still almost dies and his hand was pretty much destroyed.

So, although I agree they are historical artifacts and worht much, if destroying them, or throwing them into another dimension is what it takes to get rid of Voldemort once and for all, I son't see anyone having too much of a porblem with that, other than Voldemort.

I guess, with what happened to the diary and the ring I just always assumed that the other items would have to be destroyed, or at least damaged irraparrably. If that is the case then the items being gone forever, oh well.

If Dumbeldore stated that losing a hand for 1/7th of Voldemort's soul was worth it, then losing the heirlooms would be as well.

-Storsy-

Actually, if memory serves (I don't have the exact quote), Dumbledore specifically stated that the Basilisk tooth was the one and only way to destroy the diary, so that implies that they will not be easy to destroy.


-Storsy-

I don’t remember Dumbledore saying that…

There are two problems that arise from HBP. First of all Harry doesn't know how to destroy a horocrux without piercing it with a basilisk fang. Dumbledore never tells him how to so how will Harry know how to destroy them presuming he finds the horocruxes? I bet it requires quite a bit of magic. Secondly the problem with the last horocrux in Voldemort is that Harry is pure of heart and all that soo he can't use the unforgivable curses. Thats why they fail on Bellatrix. He can't cause her pain but hes supposed to kill one of the most powerful wizards ever. Sure he has anger but I thought you had to want to cause pain and like it. Harry just wants revenge on him and snape so how's he gonna do it?

I think he'll be able to use the UC in voldemort. Afterall the guy was responsible for killing his parents, sirius and Dumbledore.

Also didn't Dumbledore say there were magical protections and stuff, so Harry probably hasn't learnt about stuff like that.

Actually, if memory serves (I don't have the exact quote), Dumbledore specifically stated that the Basilisk tooth was the one and only way to destroy the diary, so that implies that they will not be easy to destroy.



-Storsy-

Actually Dumbledore never says that.

Dumbledore lost a hand because there was a curse on the ring as a means of defense against thieves. Dumbledore was able to break it quite easily even though he was very seriously injured by the curse. Harry will have to find out how he can break a horcrux without being blasted by it.

I thinkthat since it has a soul, A horcrux is a living object. You could probably AK it, this goes for Nagini at least.

Interesting, that has potential too. It depends on how Avada Kedavra works though. My interpretation was that Avada Kedavra operated by violently severing the link between the soul and body and causing enough pain that the body dies from shock. Since the soul fragment's connection to the body is already broken and it is being held in place with magic instead I'm not sure whether Avada Kedavra would be effective.

Yes, I get the impression that Avada Kedavra only works on an organism.

Yeah, I’m not sure AK would work. The horcruxes are not actual living things, they’re just sort of anchors…

That's not to mention that Harry's tried and failed to perform Avada Kadavra. I'm guessing JKR has a little more storyteller in her than that anyway.

I mentioned this in passing on the Identifying and Tracking thread, but RavenEye suggested i mention it here.

In CoS, Harry destroys the diary with the Basilisk fang. But I think it's significant that the fang is covered in Harry's blood, having just pierced his arm. We know Harry has special protection against Voldemort and we're told that it is in his blood... (The blood used in the creation of Voldemort's new body that caused a gleam of triumph in Dumbledore's eye) in his very skin. I doubt the piercing itself or the Basilisk venom alone would have accomplished the destruction.

In HBP, after Dumbledore has destroyed the ring he has a withered and burned looking hand. Judging from the exploits at the cave at the end of HBP, Dumbledore put the ring on in order to destroy it. Point being, just like the diary he had to engage the item directly in order to destroy it. We see this with Dumbledore drinking the potion containing the locket as well - the straight forward approach. Drink the potion and overcome the magic to collect the locket. Use the diary and overcome the magic to destroy the horcrux. Put on the ring and overcome the magic...

Not only that, but just like the cave opening which required an offering of blood, these horcruxes seem to require a sacrifice in order to be dealt with. They require the assailant weaken themselves in order to deal with them, something Dumbledore says would appeal to The Dark Lord.

Wether this means Harry - or someone - will have to put on or open the locket, or drink from Hufflepuff's cup, or perform a spell with Rowena Ravenclaw's wand (my guess at the unknown horcrux) remains to be seen. But it sure seems more like the Trio to jump right in and rely on wit and nerve in the heat of the moment than doing any real research or recon.