Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince point of discussion (Spoilers)

[Pyrex]

Right. Unlike a Lich, the horcrux-stored soul-fragments can't spontaneously recreate themselves a body; it (apparently) requires a great deal of external energy to do so (Ginny's life-force in CoS and Wormtail's ritual in GoF).

OTOH, it's entertaining to consider what might have happened if the events in CoS and GoF had occured more-or-less simultaneously. Could Voldemort's soul-fragments be used to create multiple distinct individuals?

 

[wolff96]

OTOH, it's entertaining to consider what might have happened if the events in CoS and GoF had occured more-or-less simultaneously. Could Voldemort's soul-fragments be used to create multiple distinct individuals?

I don't think the Tom Riddle of the diary cared one lick about Voldemort-the-adult. He seemed to consider his older alter-ego foolish for missing the power of love when trying to kill Harry.

I think he was trying to get HIMSELF a new form and new life, developing that soul fragment into a whole new individual.

So yeah, I think in Rowling's world you could get a whole bunch of Voldemorts running around if you're not careful...

 

[sckeener]

So yeah, I think in Rowling's world you could get a whole bunch of Voldemorts running around if you're not careful...

I have this horrible mental picture of the New Voldemort making some horcruxs and some day way down the line....

the seventh horcrux of the seventh horcrux of Lord Voldemort shall arise and defeat the seventh son of the seventh son of Harry Potter. (after all Harry is supposed to have 12 kids at least according to Trelawney...)

 

[Squire James]

My Harry Potter theory is a bit off the wall.

You know how that prophecy was worded so everyone thinks Harry (and perhaps Neville Longbottom) is the only one to fulfill the conditions? Well, I think Dumbledore is not beyond lying to people, not even people like Harry. I think Draco Malfoy also qualifies somehow... maybe he was reported born at 11:58 of the night before but he really wasn't born until 12:01 or some such. Even more unlikely, maybe Neville and Draco were switched soon after birth, and neither one is truly quite who they think they are...

I also think that using an Unforgivable Curse disqualifies a person for being The One, which is why Snape was trying to make sure neither Harry nor Draco uttered one. What Snape is not aware of is that Harry already disqualified himself with that weak but still Unforgivable Curse he uttered in Order of Phoenix. In other words, Draco's the new Gollum - only he can destroy the Ring - ahem! - Valdemort!

 

[Hijinks]

We know that creating a hoarcrux requires a death. Would D have arranged for Snape to kill him to create one for Harry?

Very interesting point. But if creating a horcrux requires malice and evil intent, I doubt DD had it in him.

FWIW, my SWAG (semi-wild-assed guess) is that while Harry does destroy the Horcruces, someone else -- likely Neville -- delivers the killing blow to Voldemort. I have nothing to back up this, other than that I am a Neville Longbottom fan.

My husband and I believe so as well. We think that Neville will save the day. He's been a very quiet hero but he's played an important role so far. Remember that the prophecy *could* have been about him, but when Voldy attacked Harry, he made it about Harry.

 

[Mistwell]

Neville is who the prophecy is talking about, and not Harry. The Dark Lord did mark Neville...by making his parents insane (more of a metaphorical mark). And everyone is fooled into not paying much attention to Neville and focusing on Harry. So Neville is the one that will end up killing the Dark Lord.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Neville is who the prophecy is talking about, and not Harry. The Dark Lord did mark Neville...by making his parents insane (more of a metaphorical mark). And everyone is fooled into not paying much attention to Neville and focusing on Harry. So Neville is the one that will end up killing the Dark Lord.

The problem with that theory, of course, is that Neville's parents were tortured by Bellatrix and the other fugitive Death Eaters *after* Voldy went down. He had no part in that particular bit of unpleasantness.

Edit: While I suppose that you could consider Bellatrix and the Death Eaters as Voldemort's catspaw, and thus have him marked that way, that's a bit...strained, especially since there's no evidence of a direct order. Also, since Voldemort went to try and kill Harry himself, that's much more of a direct link.

Brad

 

[Hijinks]

You know how that prophecy was worded so everyone thinks Harry (and perhaps Neville Longbottom) is the only one to fulfill the conditions? Well, I think Dumbledore is not beyond lying to people, not even people like Harry. I think Draco Malfoy also qualifies somehow... maybe he was reported born at 11:58 of the night before but he really wasn't born until 12:01 or some such. Even more unlikely, maybe Neville and Draco were switched soon after birth, and neither one is truly quite who they think they are...

That's a very interesting theory! I think that the prophecy has to be about Harry at this point, though, because as Hermoine said, the prophecy is only retrieveable by the person that it's about. That's why Voldy needed Harry to go into the Ministry to get it.

 

[buzzard]

Neville is who the prophecy is talking about, and not Harry. The Dark Lord did mark Neville...by making his parents insane (more of a metaphorical mark). And everyone is fooled into not paying much attention to Neville and focusing on Harry. So Neville is the one that will end up killing the Dark Lord.

In Half Blood Prince Dumbledore states pretty clearly that the Prophecy is about Harry because of the actions of Voldemort. It has been chosen. Had things been done a different way, yes, Neville would have been the chosen one, but he wasn't. The prophesy addresses such issues as a link between them, and Harry is the one bearing the link.

buzzard

 

[Mistwell]

The problem with that theory, of course, is that Neville's parents were tortured by Bellatrix and the other fugitive Death Eaters *after* Voldy went down. He had no part in that particular bit of unpleasantness.

Edit: While I suppose that you could consider Bellatrix and the Death Eaters as Voldemort's catspaw, and thus have him marked that way, that's a bit...strained, especially since there's no evidence of a direct order. Also, since Voldemort went to try and kill Harry himself, that's much more of a direct link.

Brad

Yes, I was arguing catspaw.

Obviously Voldemort thinks Harry is the one.

But the prophecy will be found only by someone who is the subject of this prophecy. And who finds it? Neville. He notices it has Harry's name on the label below it.