Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince-SPOILERS!!!!

[JimAde]

No, but Dumbledore did tell Harry in an earlier book that he thinks Voldemort transferred some of his power to Harry accidentally. If that can happen, why not making him a horcrux? Sounds pretty similar actually.

This idea (that part of Voldemort's soul is in Harry) has been kicking around on the mugglenet boards for years. I'm thinking they were right, but now we have a name for it: Horcrux.

 

[Xath]

Given how each book gets progressively darker, I can't imagine Dumbledore coming back (although the Phoenix imagery for him, and the fact he's a blatant Gandalf figure do hint he could return), but I think it's pretty clear that not all is as it seems with his death.

Here's my question. Snape killed Dumbledore with the Killing Curse, which has been explained over and over again. You have to have an extreme hate for the person you're killing, otherwise nothing happens, or you get a worthless jet of green light. So while I do actually think Dumbledore is dead, here's my alternate and unsupported postulation.

Snape mustered enough energy to get a blast of green light off in the spell, but not to do more than push Dumbledore back a few feet. Since Draco thought the mission was complete, Snape fulfilled the Unbreakable Vow. Meanwhile, Dumbledore had time to get to the bottom of the tower, and swap his own body out with that of another. My guess would be perhaps, his twin brother, Aberforth(?) Dumbledore. Or maybe even a polymorphed body or something. Then, Dumbledore turned himself invisible (which we know he can do without a cloak) and flew up to release the binding spell on Harry.

It's not likely, but I thought I'd put it out there.

 

[Storm Raven]

There's no indication that you can make a Horcrux unintentionally.

There's no real indication you can't either, given how very little information on Horcrux construction Rowling provided. I'm thinking it won't be long before the next book comes out - this one seemed to be little more than a set-up for Book 7, with a very limited amount of self-contained story.

 

[billd91]

No, but Dumbledore did tell Harry in an earlier book that he thinks Voldemort transferred some of his power to Harry accidentally. If that can happen, why not making him a horcrux? Sounds pretty similar actually.

This idea (that part of Voldemort's soul is in Harry) has been kicking around on the mugglenet boards for years. I'm thinking they were right, but now we have a name for it: Horcrux.

But you'd think that anyone creating a horcrux, even accidentally, would be able to sense it as such once it was done. After all, it is part of your own soul. I would certainly expect a wizard as powerful as Voldemort to have a clue, especially once he had temporarily possessed Potter in the Ministry of Magic.
Voldemort has simply tried too many times, either directly or indirectly, to kill Potter to make the "Potter as horcrux" hypothesis believable.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I also think Dumbledore had something up his sleeve.

Dumbledore's plea to snape could be taken a second way, instead of begging not to be killed, he was begging to be killed. Snape may be the only person who can bring down the Death Eaters, that is if he doesn't Die By Vow. I figure that Dumbledore sacrificed himself to allow Snape to continue on his mission for him.

I'm almost completely sure Dumbledore's Plea was for Snape to kill him. I think Snape will die by Vow, but in a self-sacrificing way. Also, Snape's Vow to finish what Draco was sent to do doesn't really have a time limit written into it, so Snape isn't breaking the Vow if he doesn't kill Dumbledore.

When did the snake become a Horcrux anyway? I assumed it was all before the Dark Lord's "death", but don't recall if it's stated.

 

[Vocenoctum]

The age of the book doesn´t show when the comments were written in it.
Thinking about it, I believe it was probably family property and Snape inherited it from his mother (Prince).

I kind of figured Snape didn't have the money, and was using a Class Copy of the book. Not sure why he'd have left it there. Not sure why he didn't retrieve it later. Not sure why he didn't give it to Draco...

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I kind of figured Snape didn't have the money, and was using a Class Copy of the book. Not sure why he'd have left it there. Not sure why he didn't retrieve it later.

Another possibility, but I tend to believe it is a family item.

Not sure why he didn't give it to Draco...

That´s definitely not his style. Note that he usually gives minus points to his least favourite houses, not bonus points to his own one. If Draco wants to improve his grades, he has to work better, not count on Snapes help (or his charme )

 

[Umbran]

There's no real indication you can't either, given how very little information on Horcrux construction Rowling provided.

Actually, there is such an indication - the fact that hardly anyone knows what they are, and they aren't mentioned in texts, and there aren't a bunch of wizards running around inexplicably unable to die should be decent signs. Given the number of magical accidents in the Potterverse, if it could happen accidentally, it *would*. Every wizard or witch who kills might end up with one. That'd be a lot of horcruxes (horcruxen?)

And that's all aside from how obvious and cliche a thing it would be. Also sets aside the complication - If Harry is a Horcrux, he himself cannot beat Voldemort, because he'd have to die before Voldemort does.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

And that's all aside from how obvious and cliche a thing it would be. Also sets aside the complication - If Harry is a Horcrux, he himself cannot beat Voldemort, because he'd have to die before Voldemort does.

I don't think that is a likely scenario, mostly because I don't think the publisher will let JKR get away with it. But technically, it's still a possiblity for Harry to martyr himself.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

If Harry is a Horcrux, he himself cannot beat Voldemort, because he'd have to die before Voldemort does.

Ahhhh, now wouldn't that be a great twist ending for book 7?! It will be Neville's moment to shine, after all!!!