On Technology of Horcrux creation
#################################

:date: 2022-01-09T08:50:43
:category: literature
:tags: review, harryPotter, blogComment, zettelkasten

(my comments on “`Diary Horcrux Murder`_” by berkeleyjake)

It may be possible that the result of the ritual sacrifice can be
somehow stored and the ritual creating Horcrux can be done later.

What’s more important is this:

   “Well, you *split your soul*, you see,” said Slughorn, “and
   *hide part of it* in an object outside the body. (HBP, chapter
   23)

and

   “By an act of evil — the supreme act of evil. By committing
   murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon
   creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: He
   would *encase the torn portion* —”

   “Encase? But how — ?”

   “There is a spell, do not ask me, I don’t know!” said
   Slughorn, shaking his head like an old elephant bothered by
   mosquitoes. “Do I look as though I have tried it — do I look
   like a killer?” (still Slughorn in the same chapter)

and

   […] what would happen to the wizard so determined to evade
   death that he would be prepared to murder many times, rip his
   soul repeatedly, so as *to store it in many, separately
   concealed Horcruxes*. (Dumbledore in the same chapter)

and

   “No,” said Ron, before Harry could answer. “So does it say how
   to destroy Horcruxes in that book?”

   “Yes,” said Hermione, now turning the fragile pages as if
   examining rotting entrails, “because it warns Dark wizards how
   strong *they have to make the enchantments on them.* From all
   that I’ve read, what Harry did to Riddle’s diary was one of
   the few really foolproof ways of destroying a Horcrux.” (DH,
   chapter 6)

What I am saying is that Horcrux must be LATER created from
a part of soul separated by a murder (or ritual sacrifice)
BEFORE. Which means that first must be murder and then there is
Horcrux-creating ritual (“a spell” as Slughorn said), and then
perhaps even later there is some more magic to “make the
enchantments on them” to protect the Horcrux from destruction.

Conclusion is obvious. It was not possible for Voldemort to
create a real Horcrux and even less it was possible for him to
make those protective enchantments on it when he was killed just
after the act of murder which was supposed to rip a part of his
soul by murdering Harry. Therefore, whatever was in the Harry’s
scar was not a full-fledged Horcrux and certainly it lacked those
protective enchantments (if there are any).

----

There is a flaw in my argument (I still stand behind Harry’s scar
not being a full-fledged Horcrux, although we don’t know whether
it still couldn’t somehow help Tom Riddle to stand back from
death). What’s the deciding point in time is actually a murder
not creation of a Horcrux. If Tom Riddle ripped part of his soul
by killing Myrtle Warren, then it would remember only things
which happened before her death.

How much alive is the part of the soul in the Horcrux? And does
it have any means of perception? I don’t think so. So, even if it
was still alive and it still had some self-consciousness (and
that’s truly disgusting), it couldn’t learn about things which
happened after Myrtle’s death, which Ginny didn’t know about.

Actually, there is a flaw even in this contra-argument. If the
diary was made into a horcrux, it is probable that at least for
the rest of his Hogwarts years (and possibly for a long time
afterwards) Tom Riddle was carrying the thing around and perhaps
even writing into it. So, his memories of post-Myrtle-death
events could there that way. Umph, I am glad to have this solved.

So, yes, a horcrux is a living thing, which can still learn
things. Ewww.


.. _`Diary Horcrux Murder`:
    https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/comments/rzly4u/diary_horcrux_murder/