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Reader Comments: (Page 8)

I think there is a very important point that is being missed here. As far as I know there is no way to split your soul. Or to split anyone elses soul. There is nothing in the books to indicate it is possible. When a soul is split it isn't by choice, it is the result of commiting . The act of commiting is so evil that it rips the soul apart.

ing someone is not what does it either. It is the act of . It has been speculated that Dumbledore has a horcrux that he made after defeating the dark wizrd in the 1940s, but that doesn't make sense. Dumbledore did not MURDER him, he ed him because he had no choice. To commit is a deliberate act of evil. ing in war or in self defence is not .

So, what characters in the Harry Potter world do we know that have commited ? Voldemort and a handful of Eaters. That's it. So, any speculation that any member of the Order of the Pheonix has created a horcrux is completely unfounded.

Posted by Michael Brinkley from Oceanside, Ca on February 2, 2007 08:22 AM

Slughorn explains to Harry in HBP that rips the soul apart. It is then up to the wizard (the derranged wizard, that is) to use that tear to his/her advantage and create a Horcrux. I'm guessing that there is some sort of spell then that actually creates the Horcrux, but it is only done after the . It doesn't sound like someone else can make one for you.

I suppose that when Dumbledore said that "there are things worse than " he may have been refferring to the self mutilation that Voldemort has put himself through. Perhaps, Voldemort's soul is demolished beyond repair (not that I am in any way feeling sorry for him).

Posted by Heather from NJ on February 2, 2007 10:11 AM

Voldemort would have created a Horcrux while at Hogwarts to see if it would actually work. Remember he created a Horcrux out of the ring while he was a teenager (can't recall off the top of my head if he was still at school or just graduated). Therefore, he did not wait until he was "at the peak of his powers".

I think most of the time that passed while Voldemort was creating Horcruxes was based on finding the appropriate objects. As Dumbledore mentioned, the diary was an ideal Horcrux because it contained the memories that made Voldemort happiest. Learning he was Slytherin's heir and his memories about the school which he "loved" as much as he could love anything. He spent a great deal of time collecting other objects. I also assume that he performed other magic to make his current body more immortal.

I think it is curious that he would use a Horcrux at all. After all, he would not use the Elixir of Life because he would be dependent on it. However, he is dependent on followers to bring him back to life through a Horcrux. Perhaps it is through use of the Horcrux that the portion os soul is released. After all, it was not until Ginny used the diary that Voldemort was able to act. Regardless, Voldemort is still dependent on another to be immortal.

To me creating a Horcrux is similar to creating a ghost. Being afraid of , the creator prevents part of their soul from passing through the archway of . It seems as if no magic is required to make a ghost, after all Myrtle was a student of relatively poor ability and she ended up a ghost. In creating a ghost, the stress on one's soul is caused by their own . The person's soul chooses to split itself and maintain a spectural existence.

However, in the case of a Horcrux, the damage to one's soul is caused by ing another. Rather than having a portion of the Horcrux creator's soul (assuming would part of a 's soul), they choose to house the portion of soul in an object. This probably would not require a spell so much as the to make it happen.

Posted by Ron from Peoria, Illinois on February 2, 2007 7:51 PM

There a spell required to encase the soul in an object and create a Horcrux, let us refere to the final memory which Harry aquired for Dumbledore. Slughorn:

"The wizard intent on creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: He would encase the torn portion -" Tom: "Encase? But how -?" Slughorn: "There is a spell, do not ask me, I don't know!"

So as Slughorn clarified for us there is a spell required to encase ones soul in an object, where Tom learned the spell or what it is is highly debatable. I just thought I would clear that up.

Posted by Lucas from Willard, Utah on February 4, 2007 1:28 PM

Yes there is a spell used to make a Horcrux...im just wondering how Voldemort figured out what the spell was.
and to Ron: a Horcrux is an EVIL Dark object. i dont think anyone who would make a Horcrux (coff coff voldemort) would be afraid of , but afraid that when they their legacy, the reign of evil that they had worked so hard on, would out
just a theory

Posted by Ashley from Missouri on February 7, 2007 3:50 PM

Ashley --
By saying would not require a spell so much as the to make it happen. I assume a spell is used to create a Horcrux, but that the spell itself may not be difficult to perform. Therefore, it would be feasible for Voldemort as a Hogwart's student to perform the spell. The real issue is the desire, or to someone to split their soul in order to perform the Horcrux spell. Once again, a ghost can be created with very minimal magical ability, a Horcrux is conceptually similar as it is very important moving forward in book 7.

As far as fear. Voldemort is clearly afraid of . Dumbledore mentions it to Voldemort as his greatest weakness. Also, fear of the "legacy" going away is a fear of . As an orphan, Voldemort would be afraid of . He thought how had robbed him of his parents. It also robbed him of the ability to grow up as a wizard.

Posted by Ron from Peoria, Illinois on February 7, 2007 7:15 PM

Ron,
the spell to make a Horcrux may or may not be difficult. Judging by the fact that Tom Riddle managed to perform an Unforgivable Curse so early in his life shows power, so he could be able to perform the spell to make a Horcrux at that age as well.
And also, i think that Voldemort even now has somewhat of a fear of his evil reign out. Thats why he is going to the giants and the dementors; to expand his evil-ness and peoples fear of him.
and yes, Voldemort is clearly afraid of . why else would he go so far to make sure that he would not ? who else puts that kind of energy in something like that?

Posted by Ashley from Missouri on February 8, 2007 1:27 PM

voldy was able to perform - and conrol - magic since when he was a little boy at the orphanage. he discovered many things related to magic all by himself, even before dumbledore went to offer him a place at hogwarts. so i'm not really surprised if he discovered the spell required to make an horcrux when he was still at school. it's surprising the fact that he is so afraid of that he'd do Everything to escape it, after all he isn't that a clever wizard if he hasn't realized what dumbledore reminded us all, that is the greatest adventure of all, or something like that, i can't remember the exact words

Posted by sabri from italy on February 11, 2007 03:05 AM

and i think it significant to the story that JKR let us know about voldy's unhappy childhood, maybe it'll affect the end of the 7 book

Posted by sabri from italy on February 11, 2007 03:07 AM

I have one Question which I think is not even likely to be answered even in the 7th book - When Voldemort d, we know that he was still alive because of ONE of the Horcruxes. How do we know which one? Is there any criteria which of the 7 horcruxes was/is/going to be activated when he d. Which horcrux be activated 1st, which 2nd and so on...?

Posted by Shravan from Vizag, AP, India on February 12, 2007 08:12 AM

Horcruxes don't get activated. In fact, they don't really do anything. They are mearly placeholders to keep the soul bound to earth instead of passing on after .

Posted by Michael Brinkley from Oceanside, Ca on February 12, 2007 4:33 PM

Dumbledore told Harry that a horcrux could be in a living being. He thought that Voldemorts snake may be one of them early on in The Half Blood Prince. He later changed his mind saying that he did not think it was the snake. Voldemort definitely wanted seven horcruxes, Dumbledore said that he only had six before he ed Harrys parents. Could Harry possibly be the seventh? He had to someone to make a horcrux and he had just ed Harrys parents. Just a thought.

Posted by Jenny from Ohio on February 12, 2007 6:20 PM

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