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Is Harry the last horcrux?

by David Haber

In Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, we learned that, to make himself immortal, Lord Voldemort ripped his soul into seven pieces, and created six horcruxes (the seventh piece of his soul still residing in his body). We know or suspect about five of the horcruxes. Is it possible that Harry is the sixth horcrux? There are clues to suggest that he is.

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Reader Comments: (Page 17)

Glad to see Dave is coming around on this theory.
I stand by my earlier posts (October 2006) regarding Harry's Scar as a Horcrux:
As mentioned, I don't believe Voldemort �intentionally� did this. Dumbledore tells us that Voldemort has gone farther than anyone else in creating Horcruxes. Therefore, first rule of history applies, "Unintended Consequences" & provides a good explanation. The old magic "love" used to protect Harry created a violent reaction when Voldemort tried to him & could have caused the unintentional "marking" of Harry with a Horcrux (I think Voldemort was planning to make something into a Horcrux that evening - not necessariy Harry). This may also serve to explain why no one suspects the scar as a Horcrux - because splitting a soul numerous times & using a human vessel had never been done so there would be no precedent. (keep in mind that JKR loves historical precedent & many real-life tyrannists have sewn their own seeds of defeat through the unintended consequences of their actions in their blind quest for glory - sound like Voldemort to me.)

Now, if Harry's scar is a Horcrux why would Voldemort be determined to Harry (thereby destroying one of his own Horcruxes)? We know that Voldemort has gone farther than anyone else creating Horcruxes -splitting his soul numerous times rather than just once. In turn, he may have accepted a "partial" life (he's so un-human now) - with having a physical body being the most important aspect to him (which he got back in GOF). Now that he has that, he may accept the fact that he has to one of his own Horcruxes because this particular Horcrux could backfire on him & destroy him once and for all (if Harry is able to find & destroy the other missing Horcruxes). In this way, it's better for him to remain �eternally partial� and safe rather than risk having the Harry Horcrux destroy him in the end. Let face it, Voldemort�s thinking is NOT normal - we cannot rationalize his "why". In addition, Harry/Dumbledore would never suspect Harry's scar as a Horcrux as Voldemort wants to destroy Harry. Harry, however, in the end figure this out & sacrifice himself to destroy Voldemort.

Finally, there is also the possibility that LV didn't or doesn't realize that the scar is a horcrux. Therefore, Harry (who may discover this in the last book) destroy the remaining missing horcruxes and then have to face LV & LV ultimately destroy himself as he s Harry & ultimately himself, in the end. This makes sense as "neither can live while the other survives" - the two are connected. This scenario also fits with the last word of the 7th book being "scar" - which was reported somewhere. Also makes sense w/ the Harry being like Lilly - sacrifice himself for the love he has for others.

Also, someone noted the significance of Harry's recklessness & how this coupled with his inexperience would make it extremely difficult for him to finish off LV on his own. In this way, we know Harry need the help of his friends to find the missing horcruxes & destroy them, but his face-to-face with LV be one on one, thereby making the possibility of LV having a hand in his own downfall even more plausible (that would be a fitting end for him).

I also love the theory about the dementors. In the books, a lot of time has been spent on dementors and Harry�s ability to deflect them. Perhaps they suck the LV soul out of Harry & then Harry could destroy the dementor � although I don�t think we know how to destroy a dementor. I believe the Patronus only deflects it. This, of course, would allow Harry to survive in the end. However, I just don't see him going off to lead a normal life. Much like Frodo in LOR, he be too affected by his experiences to ever "go back" - which makes me believe in the Harry sacrificing himself in the end theory.

Posted by AJ from Pennsylvania on January 24, 2007 10:21 AM

Plus: "Having the power to destroy" may not necessarily mean Harry actually be the one to drop the hammer on Morty, Harry may just inspire enough hope in people that Morty can not regain his power as he had it before.
Remember, Morty's greatest weapons are fear and hopelessness.
As the Minister has tried to point out...
To truely defeat Morty you don't have to him, just make him unimportant... irrelevent...impotent...

Posted by Kevin from Wisconsin on January 24, 2007 10:33 AM

I have two comments and one question. First, JKR may have said Harry is not a horcrux but I still feel his scar may be one. How else could one explain the connection between Voldy and Harry. Even Dumbledore felt he transfered some of his power to harry. Secondly the title it seems may be refering to the people that have gone beyond the veil (the that are hallow to Harry). I have a hunch that the last battle is going to take place in the Ministry of Magic and the veil, and the people behind it are going to help Harry. Lastly, I have been wondering, did JKR say the we would see the mirror of Erised again or is it gone forever?

Posted by Jeff from San Augustine, TX on January 24, 2007 1:02 PM

Instead of his scar being the horcrux, what if it is his eyes?
There have been numerous references to Harry "having Lily's eyes" not "your eyes look like your mothers" but you "have" your mother's eyes. What if, Voldy was out to make a horcrux (as it is said in HBL that to make a horcrux you have to ) and thought he would use a big such as one to beat the prophecy to do so. But when Lily stands in the way of Harry and sacrifices herself, instead of the horcrux being put into something Voldemort had chosen, Lily's eyes become the horcrux and are given to Harry. The scar, remember' can just be the mark of the horcrux.
I also do feel that there was someone else there that night and I do think that the invisible cloak (JK has said herself that we would find out how dumbledore got it) was covering someone unexpected such as... Petunia, crazy as it sounds there is something more to her character and I feel like she may have some part to play in all of this that is bigger. Make's me actually wonder who Voldemort is speaking to when he say's 'stand aside girl'

Posted by sarah from Auckland NZ on January 24, 2007 11:10 PM

AJ: I think that if the scar is a Horcrux (what I personaly believe), it is intentional and part of a bigger plan.

As you say, Voldemort needs a body (without a body, he is a "weaker than the meanest ghost", or something like that), and he doesn't know what happen to him the day his own body get too old to live. With some exceptions (Dumbledore, Flamel), wizards don't get very old. And how can you recover your body, if your body has d forever?

SO, I think that Voldemort's plan was to go one step further than anyone else: transfer his soul, memory, consciousness into a much younger body, not yet a wizard, but a future wizard.

From there on, several plots can work:
(1) he s as the old Voldemort, takes possession of the baby and get someone to raise him, linked to him by an Unbreakable Vow;
(2) the soul is shared between the baby and Voldemort, who both exist at the same time; when the baby is grown-up, he s the old Voldemort and becomes the new Voldemort;
(3) the soul remains inside the scar/Horcrux and takes possession later.

Why Voldemort did choose Harry? Maybe, he found there a good way to ensure his plan while fulfilling the prophecy.

Why does he AK' Harry? To get his own soul inside Harry's body, he must liberate Harry's soul without damaging the body.

And I also think that Lily was proposed to play her role in that plan.

Posted by herve from strasbourg on January 25, 2007 02:28 AM

kevin, you are wrong about harry not having to "Drop the hammer" on you-know-who, in the half blood prince, dumbledore is telling harry the resaon that the profecy is accurate. that is that you-know-who contunues to set store by the prophecy, and as long as you-know-who continues to believe that harry is the only one with the power to destroy him, he continue to hunt him dowm. dumbledore points this out in the chapter labeled "horcruxes".
"as long as voldemort continues to hunt you, it seems certian really that" (dumbledore)
" one of us is going to end up ing the other" (harry)
"yes"(dumbledore)

Posted by david from south windsor CT on January 25, 2007 07:50 AM

"Not something he intended to do, I'm sure..."

it is important, I suspect that it was Dumbledore who spelled the curse to make Harry (or his scar) a Horcrux of Voldemort, so Dumbledore know and responed so certain. Voldemort didn�t know Harry is in fact one of his Horcrux.

Why would Dumbledore want to do this? It may be the plan of Dumbledore for destroying Voldemort in the future as he knows there is a boy who can do it. It is the plan in order for the prophecy become true.

It is only a theory�it may be a clue why there is a gleam of triumph Dumbledore had after hearing Harry that Voldemort used his blood�

Dumbledore maybe the one who hiding in the invisible cloak that night at Godrics Hollow�(however, it opens a question: why Dumbledore need that cloak since he don�t need a cloak to become invisible? I can�t figure it out�)

Posted by ccbb33 from Singapore on January 25, 2007 09:43 AM

This can't be. This goes straight against Sybil's prophecy. Voldemort might have forged a connection with Harry, but that's different to putting a piece of soul in him. If harry was the Horcrux, anyway, wouldn't Voldemort GUARD him instead of attempting to him?

Posted by Micool from Brisbane, Queensland on January 25, 2007 12:23 PM

The only Horcrux which we actually know much about is the Diary. However, it is fraught with false clues as to the essense of a Horcrux. It was specially enchanted to reveal information to a reader when Voldemort deemed it the right moment to release it into the student population. Even then, mere contact with the object did not seem to create any 'connection'. One had to use what were presumably 'added' features (writing with the diary) to communicate with it and to begin the process of assimilation. Presumably the ring did not attempt to take over Dumbledore, if the heavy gold locket at 12 Grimmauld place is indeed the one stolen by Regulus Black, then several people handled it in cleaning and nobody was posessed or communicated with. It makes sense of course... what is a horcrux for? It is to remain HIDDEN for the purpose of hiding parts of a soul to prevent the total of the maker. Why make a Horcrux which calls to anyone who touches it 'hey! Hey! I'm a self-thinking magical object! No, a Horcrux should be difficult to find and simply remain inert for self-preservation.

How does this relate to Harry or His SCAR? In OOP when Harry has just been cleared of charges after the Dementor attack he thinks about Dumbledore and the Scar Hurts him severely. Similarly, when he looks at Dumbledore in person he has reactions within himself.

If Harry were a Horcrux this would A. Have been common in the past. B. Continue through the series. A 'soul fragment' within Harry would not 'turn on - turn off' but remain what it is with some consistency.

However, when Voldemort flees the Ministry at the end of OOP he performs Occlumency against Harry and ALL such feelings, pains, urges and related thoughts cease. If Harry were a Horcrux, and the Horcrux active within him, the pains would not cease. They cease because there is a 'connection' between the two, not because Harry is a Horcrux.

However, this is not to say that the scar... still sitting quietly hidden in plain sight is not a Horcrux by itself and not actually 'part' of Harry. I think of the scar tissue imbedded in his forhead as being similar to a 'scab'... something added as a layer 'on' rather than 'in' Harry in this context.

Posted by Charlie Tarbox from Gettysburg, Pa on January 25, 2007 12:32 PM

We usually associate green light flash with AK. But there seems to be AT LEAST ANOTHER SPELL that produces green light and IS NOT Avada'.

In OotP, Harry runs after Bellatrix in the Ministery and catches her in the hall. There, he sends a Cruciatus, fails and she answers with another Cruciatus. She misses him, changes her mind and tries to get the prophecy with repeated Accio. Harry tells her he no more has the prophecy, shows his empty hand and the book says that he gets his hand off the way as another flash of green light is sent to him.

I guess that "another" refers to either of the two different curses that were sent to him just before, Cruciatus and Accio. Besides that, why would Bellatrix try to him all of a sudden, while she is trying to get the prophecy. It is almost obvious that the green light refers to Accio. And it is pretty much Jo-like to conceal something very important as a detail in a dramatic scene (there were so many spells here and there that I never noticed before how strange this green light was, coming from Bellatrix).

Now, if Accio is really "green light" and Jo gives us that information in such a hidden way, it must be very meaningful. What if Voldemort was performing an Accio and not an AK, in front of Harry, and what would happen if someone really evil tried an Accio XXX soul, and sucked it just like Ron did with the brain?

Posted by herve from strasbourg on January 26, 2007 12:27 AM

charlie, in HBP we learn that dumbledre destroyed the ring horcrux, so that makes two horcruxes, and what do you think about the locket, the huffelpuf cup? dumbledore flat out told us that they were horcruxes. and besides, what do you think that you-know-who is doing with them? putting them on display?

Posted by david from south windsor, connecticut on January 26, 2007 04:19 AM

i think that harry is a decendant of godric. it makes sense, madam hepzibah was a decendant of huffelpuff, morfin of slytherin, harry of gryffindor, then if we find the heir of ravenclaw, we be able to find the last horcrux

Posted by david from south windsor, connecticut on January 26, 2007 04:23 AM

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