Harry Potter Horcrux Redux

I may be using the “redux” title too often or, more importantly, incorrectly, but I digress.

One of the most popular posts (in terms of hits, clickthroughs, comments, trackbacks and search engine ranking) is my assertion that Harry Potter is the sixth and final Horcrux created by Lord Voldemort. In an effort to split his own soul and attain some measure of invulnerability and immortality, Voldemort used the arcane and dark ritual to split his soul into several pieces. My theory is that Harry Potter is the sixth and final Horcrux.

I cover this theory in greater detail in my original post, but I wanted to have a platform to discuss what events I think may take place in the seventh book.

1) Multiple Deaths:
Now, just because I think Harry is the sixth Horcrux, doesn’t mean I think he’ll die. Quite the contrary. The process that left him with the lightning bolt scar and that effectively ended Voldemort’s existence in corporeal form is a pretty nasty occurence. I don’t think that the reversal of a human horcrux would necessarily be the same as it was for an object horcrux.

Having said that, I think there are some very likely suspects for demise, the most obvious being Voldemort himself. I’m of two minds about this: it is the last book so Voldemort’s death would be a nice, tidy ending, but the potential threat of a weakened and still lurking enemy is intriguing. I think he dies, but potentially in a very open-ended way.

I think every Weasley is at risk in the next book, along with Hagrid, Hermione, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. My prediction is that one or more of them will give their own life to save a loved one. Mrs. Weasely for her husband Arthur. Fleur for her new, lycanthropic groom. Ginny for Harry or even Ron for Hermione or vice versa. A Weasley has to die, or very nearly die and get saved by Harry. It wouldn’t be a proper Rowling book without it.

Most certainly, Severus won’t die, at least not the way some might want him to. I think his true nature and story are revealed in a death scene that makes us questions all the assumptions we’ve had for 7 books. Either that, or his survival is the key to someone else’s, potentially Harry’s or Voldemort’s, survival.

Hagrid may die, just to complete the Black/White/Red alchemical equation: first Sirius (Black), then Albus (White), then Hagrid (Red) equals some greater thing for Harry. Do a Google search on alchemy and character names and you’ll see where this conspiracy theory originates. Needless to say, Hagird might lay down his life, out of love, just as I’ve described for the other characters above.

Whomever passes, you can be sure that love will conquer the most powerful dark magic and someone, a few someones, will make the ultimate sacrifice to save the lives of others.

2) Loss of Powers:
I’m a firm believer in the idea that someone may lose their magical abilities entirely to save their own life or the life of another. I think that Harry may lose his magic in the process of being de-Horcruxed or in saving the life of one of his friends. Love may again prove to be the most powerful magic, above any curse or charm.

3) Hogwart’s Survives:
No matter what was said at the end of HBP, Hogwart’s will survive. Despite the dramatically serious and dark bent of the series, at it’s core these are hopeful books. Maybe Harry becomes a teacher or someday headmaster. Whatever the outcome, future generations are taught the art of magic in the hallowed halls of Hogwart’s. I’m sure of it.

4) A Happy Ending:
As I’ve discussed, I think these books are essentially forward-looking, hopeful and happy despite the terrible consequences and events. It may not end with every character surviving or completely intact, but there will be sunshine through the clearing smoke, debris and rubble. It’s a children’s story about leaving childhood behind; it can’t all be roses but it can be filled with the excitement of facing the future with your friends and loved ones, head held high.

That’s it. Nothing earth-shattering, but it needed saying.

I still firmly believe that Harry is the sixth Horcrux; a terrible fate inflicted upon him by Voldemort that he will learn, accept and ultimately defeat in an ingenious and thoughtful way with the help of those around him.

I expect nothing less than amazement, tears and a smille when I finish the next book.

UPDATE: Join bloggingharrypotter.com and blog about any and all things related to Harry Potter!

27 thoughts on “Harry Potter Horcrux Redux

  1. Harry Potter: Horcrux

    SPOILER ALERT: Secrets of the newest book and speculation about the conclusion of the series are below. Read at you own risk. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.
    I don’t want to put any spoilers out on the internet concerning Harry Pott…

  2. Emily says:

    hey…i strongly agree that Harry is the 6th horcrux…i thought that even before reading this. just thought id let you know im on the same page.
    Emily

  3. Pinkscallion5 says:

    it makes little sense for harry to be a horcrux because lord voldemort keeps trying to kill him. why would he wittingly try to destroy a part of himself? it is only possible if the spell he was casting at the time of Harry’s hopeful murder went awry and harry ended up becoming a horcrux himself. Possibly on his mother’s death. Either way, Voldemort certainly is not aware that he made him a horcrux, because then he wouldnt have much to fear now would he?, knowing that his immortality is secure in harry’s existence(and i thnk that he did not)

  4. tash says:

    I think it would be a good twist if Harry was a Horcrux. It seems likely but I was hoping that JK Rowling would have another trick up her sleeve so that the ending would not be predictable from any of the other books, so that nobody would guess what would happen.
    Maybe Voldemort is unaware Harry is a Horcrux? There is a strange connection between the two of them and sometimes Harry acts like Voldemort (eg when he feels an urge to attack Dumbledore in book 5). Nobody has ever survived the killing curse before so it is possible that in the process Harry became a Horcrux of Voldemort’s and neither are aware of it.
    However I think that the whole point of this theory would be to kill off both Harry and Voldemort. I think they both have to die because a)its only fair on the characters and in these kind of books good always prevails and b) if Harry survived JK Rowling would spend the rest of her life being bugged to write a book about what happened next in Harry’s life. So Harry kills Voldemort, realises he’s a Horcrux and sacrafices himself to save others.

  5. samuel shortis says:

    THere has to be something to do with a wand…
    Ollivander has disappeared
    and if JK knows her mythology…the following might prove interesting

    the alchemical magician- and in pagan ritual- states that there are four elements. and four objects
    the elements are the traditional earth fire wind and water
    the objects are a pentacle (or disc) a cup, a sword, and a wand…
    Now the objects which are certain are the disc and cup- the disc is the primal earth…the cup is water…

    as for the other two- one school of thought puts fire with wand and air with sword (BUT this isn’t always the case) some schools put fire with sword and air with wand….

    Here’s what I think of the four objects

    Gryffindor’s Sword FIRE
    Hufflepuff’s Cup WATER
    Slytherin’s Locket EARTH
    Ravenclaw’s Wand AIR

    this would go with the tarot cards- bear in mind some out fire with wand and air with sword, but here are the following associations elementally

    Fire- courage, moral backbone, passion,doing what is right
    Earth- power, money, having power in whatever you set out to do
    Air- intellect, logic, doing what is logical and truthful
    Water- Love, Care, nurture, healing…

    they do sound like the characteristics of the four houses- and Ollivander has disappeared after all.
    there is a sword- gryffindor’s a cup-hufflepuff’s
    I know it seem’s a stretch making the locket a disc- but we don’t know what’s inside it yet- if it is bone or earth related- then it must be considered earth related.
    ANd there must be something to do with a wand- We’ve had the bowtruckles introduced to us-and we know that harry’s wand is deffective around voldy due to the priori incantatem effect.

    what do you think?

    I do not think that harry will have to die- but he will be faced by that choice. rowling wants life to triumph and show how evil sows the seeds of it’s own undoing. The action of voldemort- or of wormtail, will be what undoes him…

    Snape is good. I just know it. I can feel it in my bones.

    Speaking of which…why is the bones family being killed off?

    An army which all fear- would that not be an army of inferi? then again it could be any old evil thing.

    anyone notice that Regulus Black, the dude who ran off with the locket (now in the hands of fletcher) “died” about the same time harry was born?

  6. marge mcdougall says:

    Harry is the 7th horcrux, not the 6th and Voldemort does not realize this. Harry may have to survive holding onto this piece of Voldemort’s soul only because, in essence, these books are written for children and killing off the main character would kill off the series. He very well may ride off into the sunset, powerless or vacating his powers, in order for all others of the wizarding world to survive. Only JK Rowling knows for sure – let’s let her write her book and stop trying to disect everything.

  7. papanesta says:

    Wouldn’t it be funny if Voldemort was also a horcrux of Harry?

    His Mother died making sure that Harry could live on, by putting part of him where no-one would expect.

  8. Chuck says:

    Marge, are you suggesting that LV made a horcrux without knowing that he did it? That seems very unlikely to me. It doesn’t seem like something that happens by accident, otherwise anybody who committed a murder could have horcruxces without knowing it. Also, making Harry a 7th horcrux would defeat the whole point of 7 being the most magically powerful number. With 7 horcruxes, there would be 8 pieces to LV’s soul (including the part that he kept in his own body). I just don’t see how either of those things could work in the story.

    Also, if Harry rides off into the sunset carrying a piece of LV’s soul inside him, then the prophecy is never fulfilled. That doesn’t seem likely to me either.

    As for LV being a horcrux for LV, I’m not buying it. Remember, you have to be the one to commit the murder in order to tear your soul. Harry never murdered anybody. So his soul is presumably still intact. No horcruxes for Harry, as far as I can tell.

  9. Laurel says:

    I too, even before viewing this page, thought of the possibility of Harry being the seventh (there are seven Horcruxes, not six) Horcrux–thus being the reason that Voldemort lost his powers, but then again, why would Voldemort try to kill Harry if he was a Horcrux? But then again, maybe Voldemort made Harry a Horcrux after this, so that Harry couldn’t kill him unless he killed himself, because as Dumbledore often said before his death “Voldemort has difficulty grasping the concept that there are worse things than death” so he would think that Harry would never kill himself just to kill Voldemort…but we all know that Harry is to survive and how can he if he would have to kill himself to defeat Voldemort? Oh, and for Chuck, Harry could be a Horcrux, because it’s Voldemort that would have to committ the murder, not Harry. duhhhhh u need to read the sixth book more carefully, Chuckie.

  10. Chuck says:

    Laurel, I realize that Harry COULD be a horcrux, I just don’t think he is. My comment was that LV could NOT be a horcrux for Harry, as papanesta suggested in the post dated 8.29.05. My point is that there are no horcurxes with pieces of Harry’s soul in them, b/c Harry has never committed murder. If you re-read papanesta’s post and then mine, I think you’ll see what I was getting at. Sorry if I was unclear.

    Ok, now for everyone who thinks there are SEVEN horcurxes for LV. . . There are only SIX horcruxes. The point of the number seven is not that Riddle was asking about seven horcruxes; he was asking if it would be best to have seven pieces of your soul.

    Since he would always have one piece of his soul remaining in his body, that leaves only six more pieces to hide in horcruxes. If you re-read Chapter 23, I think you’ll see this. On page 498 of my American hardcover, Riddle asks Slughorn, “Can you only split your soul once? Wouldn’t it be better, make you stronger to have your soul in more pieces, I mean, for instance, isn’t seven the most powerfully magical number, wouldn’t seven —?”

    See? He’s talking about how many pieces your soul should be in. Seven pieces means six horcruxes, doesn’t it? He can’t live without one of the pieces in his body.

  11. Michael says:

    Ok. there is NO WAY Voldemort intentionally makes Harry a Horcrux. The “evidence” for this theory seems to be based on the last half of the prophecy. One small problem here and this little breakdown in logic should dispel the notion…
    Voldemort does not know the entire prophecy. IF HE DID, WHY WOULD HE HAVE THE DEATH EATERS GO TO THE MOM TO STEAL IT? Why spend a year of your life trying to find out something you know? (Snape was thrown out after only hearing the first half)

    Given that Voldemort does not know the last half of the prophecy (It is stated that ONLY Harry and Dumbledore know the entire thing), he would NOT make Harry a horcrux. He did not go to Godric’s Hollow with that intention (of making Harry a horcrux; he did intend to make one, but of an object). Given that he only heard the first part, he went with the intention that he was going to kill the person with the power to vanquish him… he did not know he would had powers he knew not of (LOVE) or that he would mark him as his equal. All he thought was that if he killed Harry, no one could defeat him.

    Now, is it possible that Harry was ACCIDENTLY made the horcrux… sure, although I for one think JK has a little to much originality than to rehash an old plot device such as this… but I might be wrong. But if you really go back and read the books closely, there is nothing to support that Voldemort intentionally turned Harry into a Horcrux. Ignoring the prophecy, if he did do it, why would he try to kill him at the end of GoF and OotP? Why would he destroy a piece of his soul knowingly?

    Personally, I agree that Snape killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore’s orders to keep Draco alive (because he is just that type of person) and because Dumbledore realizes that Harry is the most important aspect. Snape will die in book 7, but I think he does it to save Harry… Maybe during their duel Voldemort is about to win and Snape saves him, in which Bellatrix or more likely Voldemort, kills Snape. I also think Wormtail sacrifices himself to save Harry too, mainy because it was hinted at in the end of PoA. (The part about how when one wizard saves another’s life there is a primal debt, yada yada yada). I am hoping this is when Bellatrix gets killed (Wormtail making amends for getting James Killed). I also tend to agree with the theory that Harry is a decendant of Gryffendor… which is why I think that Voldemort gets killed with the sword… given that the wands can’t duel each other. Which brings up another question, I wonder if Olivander is dead, or if he is being forced to make a new wand… not sure, just wondering.

  12. Trickyart says:

    Yep. I reakon that Harry is the horcrux. Dumbledore says that when Voldermort tried to kill him that he left something of himself behind – Harry is a powerful wizard, a parselmouth and has seen through the eyes of both Nagini and Voldermort, each supposedly being another horcrux. The silver ball thing in book five that Dumbledore has in his office shows a smoke form of a snake and another snake wrapping around it and he says something along the lines of ‘one and the same’ or something like that – I take this to have two possible meanings – firstly it may mean that it is more proof to Dumbly-dore that Voldermort has made a horcrux of Nagini, or secondly, Harold himself is Horcruxular. Also, Voldermort told Lily Potter that she didn’t ‘need’ to die when he was about to kill Harry which, to me, suggests that he had made a Horcrux of the child of the prophesy from the murder of James Potter (killing ‘tears’ the soul) just in case any weird shit happened, OR that he didn’t want to kill her because he knew what it does to the soul, so he was forced to make a makeshift Horcrux out of Harry. Also on the subject, I reakon R.A.B must be Sirius’ brother Regulus A(rmadillo?) Black, as he is mentioned a large amount throughout the last few books and to continually mention a character that has no bearing on the narrative is just AIDS on a stick.

    So there.

  13. James Flight says:

    I don’t think the LV could have made Harry a Horcrux by accident, as it is not very likely that the most brilliant and evil wizard in the wizarding world could have tried to kill someone and then, Whoops, left a part of their soul in them instead by mistake.

    The pieces seem to fit, to say that LV deliberately made Harry a horcrux as a sort of fool proof way of making himself immortal. Since as Harry is supposed to be the only one who can defeate him, then planting a part of himself inside Harry so that if he kills Harry he lives on, and if Harry kills him he lives on (in Harry) would seem like a sensible idea.

    On the night that LV supposedly tried to kill Harry I think that it was the fact that Harry’s mother died to save him that caused LV to fall, not because he attemted a deadly curse on Harry, but because creating a Horcrux is a truly evil act, and maybe attempting this on someone who was protected by love caused it to backfire. This also makes sense because it only takes one person to be killed to create a Horcrux, and does LV not tell Harry (correct me if i’m wrong) on more than one occasion that his mother neednt have died (maybe he considers it a mistake killing her).

  14. Harry Potter Horcrux Redux Redoubled

    For the last time (two previous posts here and here), here are the pertinent details that lead to my theory that Harry Potter is the sixth and final Horcrux created by Lord Voldemort to shield his soul from death:
    Facts:
    1) Lord Voldemort knows the …

  15. Harry Potter: Horcrux

    This post is also cross-posted on my personal blog, but it’s definitely worth sharing here.
    For the last time (two previous posts here and here), here are the pertinent details that lead to my theory that Harry Potter is the sixth and final Hor…

  16. Nat says:

    Harry Potter # 6 Theories

    RAB- Regulus A(rmadillo) Black

    Horcruxes- 1) Tom Riddle’s Diary
    2) Tom Morvolo’s Ring
    3) Slytherin’s Locket
    4) Hufflepuff’s Cup
    5) Something of Ravenclaw
    6) Nagini or Harry Potter?

    1) Diary already rid of in book 2
    2) Ring already rid of by Dumbledore
    3) Locket may be rid of by “R.A.B”
    4) The cup still at large
    5) Ravenclaw’s wand??
    6) Nagini the snake or Harry Potter could be a horcrux himself (also, Harry could be considered a Gryffindor horcrux)

    Harry Potter Horcrux- Why would Voldemort try to kill Harry if he was a Horcrux?
    -When has he ever really tried to kill him?

    Book # 1: We find out that he tried to kill Harry but the spell backfired giving him the scar, etc. Maybe he was really trying to make Harry a Horcrux.
    Clues: “Lily needn’t have died…” because James was murder enough to create a horcrux.
    Book # 2: It was the diary that fought Harry. It was the Tom Riddle from 50 years prior; therefore that Tom Riddle didn’t know that Harry was a horcrux.
    Book # 3: Voldemort does not attempt to murder Harry in this book either…the only thing that happens is Wormtail rejoins his master.
    Book # 4: Voldemort needs Harry’s blood to regain a body. On the contrary of killing Harry, he tells the death eaters not to harm him. He specifically wants Harry’s blood even though he can use anyone’s because Harry may have a part of his soul in him. Also, he gains the protection from Harry’s blood.
    Book # 5: At the ministry Voldemort tells all the death eaters not to harm Harry…” He is for Voldemort”. Also, when Dumbledore and Voldemort are having the battle, Voldemort enters Harry’s body and says to Dumbledore “Kill me now” therefore killing Harry too, but Dumbledore doesn’t do it. Voldemort did not kill Harry.
    Book # 6: Once again, death eaters are given orders not to harm Harry.

    Alchemy- Black/White/Red
    Sirius/Albus/Hagrid ???

    Elements: 1) Fire 1) Sword
    2) Earth 2) Pentacle/Disc (locket??)
    3) Air/Wind 3) Wand 4) Water 4) Cup

    1) Gryffindor
    2) Slytherin
    3) Ravenclaw
    4) Hufflepuff

    Fire- courage, moral backbone, passion, doing what is right (Gryffindor)
    Earth- power, money, having power in whatever you set out to do (Slytherin)
    Air- intellect, logic, doing what is logical and truthful (Ravenclaw)
    Water- Love, Care, nurture, healing… (Hufflepuff)

    Snape- -Good guy
    -Killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore’s orders
    Clue: The conversation Hagrid overhears between Snape and Dumbledore in the Forbidden Forest (book 6).
    -Will help Harry in the end

    Malfoy- -Will be protected by the Order of the Phoenix

  17. Aaron says:

    I dont think Harry himself is a horcrux but his scar is. And remember J.K. Rowling said the last word of book seven is scar. I think they will cut the scar out of his head. What do you think?

  18. Aaron, this is an intriguing idea. I’d love to hear more. Blog it and ping this post to keep the discussion going.

    Better yet, join bloggingharrypotter.com and blog it there!

  19. Paul says:

    oh my goodness i only realized this after watching the fourth movie!

    assuming snape is a good guy, he should be able to use priori encantatem to talk to dumbledore just as voldemorts wand showed harry his parents, cedric, etc.

    also, was a horcrux necisary to provide voldemort with the portion of his soul he has starting in book 1?

  20. Paul says:

    oh my goodness! i only realized this after watching the fourth movie!

    assuming snape is a good guy, he should be able to use priori encantatem to talk to dumbledore just as voldemorts wand showed harry his parents, cedric, etc.

    also, was a horcrux necisary to provide voldemort with the portion of his soul he has starting in book 1?

  21. Chenturan says:

    Look guys
    harry being a horcrux is not a twist…its obvious…too obvious
    im sure rowling knows that lots of people r gonna think he is so she is gonna suprise make us all look like idiots. In addition, if rowling planned on harry being horcrux after seein the hundreds of site that people r thinking this she will have no choice but to change this.

    She purposely puts in little things to make us think about stuff like this i.e the small mentioning of regulus black….harry finds the initial r.a.b

    As for snape… dumbledore isnt stupid, he has continuously said that snape is a gud guy…dumbledore was gonna die anyway…so snape killed him to keep his cover.

  22. Richard says:

    marge in the 6th book when harry and dumbledore r in slughorns real memory, he tells tom riddle that there is a spell that you need to use to make a horcrux. so voldemort couldnt have made harry a horcrux because when he tried killing harry with the avada kedavra curse it back fired and went on him ripping him form his body to where he couldnt use a wand so theres know way he could have made harry a horcrux.

    and has anyone thought that harry could still talk to dumbledore? remember at the end of the 6th book when harry and mcgonagle walk down to dubmledores office he had a picture on the wall behind the chair. harry could go and talk to dumbeldoe about the horcruxes.

    i think that snape will die. i think that harry will catch up with him and snape will try and wiggle himself out of with excuses but harry will be covered in to much hatred and kill him and follow on after voldemort

  23. Richard says:

    theres no point for snape to kill dumbledore to keep his cover. he killed dumbledore and the order of the phoenix wont trust him ever again, even if it is true that dumbledore told snape to kill him the order never new so they wont believe snape. so there wont be any point in spying if he cant tell the order what voldemorts going to do

  24. Chenturan says:

    it is commmented by dumbledore “that the order can cover up deaths” when he is speaking to malfoy
    i just dont think that dumbledore would have so much faith in a person and be killed by them

  25. Anonymous says:

    The horcruxes are
    1. Tom Riddles Diary (destroyed)
    2. Tom Marvolo Riddle’s ring (destroyed)
    3. (Slytherin) The locket (destroyed by R.A.B?)
    4. (Hufflepuff) The cup
    5. (Ravenclaw) The mirror of Erised
    6. (Gryffindor) Possibly Harry himself.
    7. Voldemort himself obviously

    You see, I agree with all the statements that Harry is a horcrux but this doesn’t nesescerily mean he’ll die. I think Harry is a horcrux because remember when he was being sorted into his house and the Sorting Hat wanted to put him in Slytherin. Harry should have gone in Slytherin because of his personality but I think the reason the Sorting Hat put him in Gryffindor was because Gryffindor didn’t have a horcrux and all the other houses had. After all, there was no other main reason why Harry was in Gryffindor anyway. And J.K did state at some point that it was very important why Harry was in Gryffindor.
    Good theory?

Leave a Reply