Horcruxes
Harry returns to the castle as the Felix Felicis potion is wearing off. Nearly Headless Nick tells him that Professor Dumbledore has returned and is in his office. Memory in hand, Harry presents himself to Dumbledore, who is apparently amazed and very pleased with Harry's success. He fetches his Pensieve, and they journey into Slughorn's fifty year-old memory.
Slughorn is talking to Tom Riddle, who asks about Horcruxes. Slughorn explains it is the darkest of Dark magic. It is possible to split a soul and encase the shard in another object; if killed, the perpetrator does not actually die because his soul shard is trapped and remains earthbound. Slughorn says souls are not meant to be split, and it takes the ultimate evil, murder, to rip a soul apart. Prodded further, Slughorn reveals that there is a spell, but claims he does not know it. Riddle asks if, as one Horcrux can keep someone alive, would not more be better? Seven, after all, is a very powerful number. Slughorn, horrified, tries calming himself by saying this is all hypothetical. Riddle agrees, but as he departs, Harry sees the same wild joy on Riddle's face as when he learned he was a wizard.
Back in his office, Dumbledore tells Harry that Tom Riddle's diary, that Harry destroyed four years before, was almost certainly a Horcrux. He believes it was not only a safeguard, but also a weapon, intended to be passed on to, or planted upon, a Hogwarts student who would become possessed by it and reopen the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore suggests that this was a risky act if Riddle only had one soul fragment, and says he was worried at the time that there were others. Dumbledore recalls Voldemort's statement the night he returned: "I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality," and theorizes that, in a bid for immortality, Voldemort may have divided his soul into seven pieces (as the young Tom Riddle claimed that seven was the "most powerfully magical number"). As long as any Horcrux survives, Voldemort is unable to be killed. Dumbledore speculates that Voldemort only used unique items for his Horcruxes — objects with a significant history and value to Riddle. Two Horcruxes have been destroyed: Tom Riddle's diary (seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and a ring once belonging to Marvolo Gaunt, Voldemort's maternal grandfather. Dumbledore reveals that his injured hand resulted from destroying the ring, and it was only his own skill and Professor Snape's timely action that prevented the damage from being much worse. Dumbledore believes that of the four remaining Horcruxes, two will be Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket; the third may be a Ravenclaw artifact. The only known Gryffindor artifact, the sword, remains safe in Dumbledore's office. He suspects that the final Horcrux is in Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake. Although placing a Horcrux in a living being is possible, Dumbledore says it is not the safest place, as living creatures can be killed. Harry learns that Dumbledore's many absences from Hogwarts were because he was searching for Horcruxes, and Dumbledore tells Harry that should he locate any more Horcruxes, Harry will be permitted to accompany him.
Dumbledore says he does not believe Voldemort knows when a Horcrux is destroyed, as he seemed unaware that Tom Riddle's diary had been destroyed until he learned it from Lucius Malfoy. Dumbledore suggests that with that, plus the fiasco in the Ministry, Lucius may well be happy to be safely tucked away in Azkaban. Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort can be killed if all his Horcruxes are destroyed by someone with uncommon skill and power, someone like Harry, who possesses the ability to love.
Slughorn is talking to Tom Riddle, who asks about Horcruxes. Slughorn explains it is the darkest of Dark magic. It is possible to split a soul and encase the shard in another object; if killed, the perpetrator does not actually die because his soul shard is trapped and remains earthbound. Slughorn says souls are not meant to be split, and it takes the ultimate evil, murder, to rip a soul apart. Prodded further, Slughorn reveals that there is a spell, but claims he does not know it. Riddle asks if, as one Horcrux can keep someone alive, would not more be better? Seven, after all, is a very powerful number. Slughorn, horrified, tries calming himself by saying this is all hypothetical. Riddle agrees, but as he departs, Harry sees the same wild joy on Riddle's face as when he learned he was a wizard.
Back in his office, Dumbledore tells Harry that Tom Riddle's diary, that Harry destroyed four years before, was almost certainly a Horcrux. He believes it was not only a safeguard, but also a weapon, intended to be passed on to, or planted upon, a Hogwarts student who would become possessed by it and reopen the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore suggests that this was a risky act if Riddle only had one soul fragment, and says he was worried at the time that there were others. Dumbledore recalls Voldemort's statement the night he returned: "I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality," and theorizes that, in a bid for immortality, Voldemort may have divided his soul into seven pieces (as the young Tom Riddle claimed that seven was the "most powerfully magical number"). As long as any Horcrux survives, Voldemort is unable to be killed. Dumbledore speculates that Voldemort only used unique items for his Horcruxes — objects with a significant history and value to Riddle. Two Horcruxes have been destroyed: Tom Riddle's diary (seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and a ring once belonging to Marvolo Gaunt, Voldemort's maternal grandfather. Dumbledore reveals that his injured hand resulted from destroying the ring, and it was only his own skill and Professor Snape's timely action that prevented the damage from being much worse. Dumbledore believes that of the four remaining Horcruxes, two will be Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket; the third may be a Ravenclaw artifact. The only known Gryffindor artifact, the sword, remains safe in Dumbledore's office. He suspects that the final Horcrux is in Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake. Although placing a Horcrux in a living being is possible, Dumbledore says it is not the safest place, as living creatures can be killed. Harry learns that Dumbledore's many absences from Hogwarts were because he was searching for Horcruxes, and Dumbledore tells Harry that should he locate any more Horcruxes, Harry will be permitted to accompany him.
Dumbledore says he does not believe Voldemort knows when a Horcrux is destroyed, as he seemed unaware that Tom Riddle's diary had been destroyed until he learned it from Lucius Malfoy. Dumbledore suggests that with that, plus the fiasco in the Ministry, Lucius may well be happy to be safely tucked away in Azkaban. Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort can be killed if all his Horcruxes are destroyed by someone with uncommon skill and power, someone like Harry, who possesses the ability to love.
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