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{{Object infobox
 
{{Object infobox
|name= Horcrux
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|name = Horcrux
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|image = Seven Horcruxes.png
|bgcolor1=006600
 
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|location = Worldwide<ref name="HBP23"/>
|bgcolor2=339933
 
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|manufacturer = *[[Herpo the Foul]]<ref name="Herpo">[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/1217-pottercast-anelli.html Anelli, Melissa, John Noe and Sue Upton. "PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling, part one." PotterCast #130, 17 December 2007]</ref>
|image=[[File:The Horcrux.jpg|250px]]
 
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*[[Tom Riddle]]<ref name="HBP23"/>
|manufacturer=*[[Herpo the Foul]]
 
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|made = *[[Greece|Ancient Greece]] (Herpo the Foul)<ref name="Herpo"/>
*[[Tom Riddle]]
 
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*[[1943]]–[[1994]] (Tom Riddle)<ref name="HBP23"/>
|made=
 
|usage=To contain fragments of a [[soul]] and prevent [[death]].
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|usage = To contain fragments of one's [[soul]] and prevent their [[death]]<ref name="HBP23"/>
|owners=*[[Herpo the Foul]]
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|owners = *Herpo the Foul<ref name="Herpo"/>
*[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
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*Tom Riddle<ref name="HBP23"/>
 
}}
 
}}
{{Quote|Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction–|the introduction of ''[[Magick Moste Evile]]''|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
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{{Quote|Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction —|''[[Magick Moste Evile]]'' on Horcruxes|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
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A '''Horcrux''' was an object in which a [[Dark wizard|Dark wizard or witch]] had hidden a detached fragment of his or her [[soul]] in order to become [[Immortality|immortal]].<ref name="HBP23"/><ref>[http://www.hp-lexicon.org/magic/devices/horcruxes.html JKR diary entry, 29 September, 2006]</ref> As long as the receptacle remained intact, so too did the soul fragment inside it, keeping the maker anchored to the world of the living, even if their body suffered fatal damage. The Horcrux was considered to be by far the most terrible of all [[Dark Arts|Dark Magic]].<ref name="HBP23">{{HBP|B|23}}</ref>
   
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Horcruxes could only be created after committing murder, the supremest act of evil, as a means to tear the soul. The process for the creation of a Horcrux involved [[Horcrux-making spell|a spell]] and a horrific act of some sort was performed soon after the murder had been committed.<ref name="HBP23" />
A '''Horcrux''' is a powerful object in which a [[Dark Wizard|Dark]] [[Wizards|wizard or witch]] has hidden a fragment of his or her [[soul]] for the purpose of attaining [[immortality]].<ref>[http://www.hp-lexicon.org/magic/devices/horcruxes.html JKR diary entry, 29 September, 2006]</ref> Creating one Horcrux gives one the ability to resurrect oneself if the body is destroyed; the more horcruxes one creates, the closer one is to true immortality. Creating multiple Horcruxes is suggested to be costly to the creator, by both diminishing their humanity and even physically disfiguring them.
 
   
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Given that Horcruxes were utterly precious to those who made them, there were usually protective measures made to prevent them from being stolen or destroyed, such as [[counter-charm]]s and [[curse]]s. Horcruxes were also extremely durable, and therefore only the most powerful and potent elements and [[magical]] [[spells]] of the wizarding world could truly destroy them, such as [[Basilisk venom]] and [[Fiendfyre]].
==Origins==
 
The first Horcrux was created by [[Herpo the Foul]]. The only other known creator of them was [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], who is possibly the only one to have successfully created more than one Horcrux.<ref name="Pottercast"/> In fact Lord Voldemort created '''seven''' horcruxes.
 
   
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==Origins and Documentation==
==Nature==
 
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The [[Herpo the Foul's Horcrux|first known Horcrux]] was created by [[Herpo the Foul]] in [[B.C. era|Ancient]] [[Greece]]. The only other known creator of a Horcrux was [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], who was very likely the only person to have successfully created more than one Horcrux.<ref name="Pottercast" />
[[File:Oh How.jpg|thumb|right|201px|The Locket and the note]]
 
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Slughorn|Well, well, it can't hurt to give you an overview, of course. Just so that you understand the term. A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul.|Riddle|I don't quite understand how that works, sir.|Well, you split your soul, you see, and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But, of course, existence in such a form...few would want it, Tom, very few. Death would be preferable.|Horace Slughorn and Tom Riddle discussing Horcruxes|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
 
Creation of a Horcrux is considered the foulest act of [[Dark Arts|Dark magic]], as it attempts to violate and tamper with the multiple laws of nature and morality in its creation. Horcruxes are objects considered to be so evil that even the texts published explicitly to cater to the practise of the most terrible kinds of magic will not speak of them. Even ''[[Magick Moste Evile]]'' skirts the topic. It is a banned subject in [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]].
 
   
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Horcruxes were originally conceived of as being a singular act. As such, it was unknown for many centuries what the attempted creation of multiple Horcruxes would result in, as nobody thought it to be ever possible to accomplish such an act. However, Voldemort planned to create six Horcruxes in the hope that splitting his soul into seven pieces would make him stronger than just creating one, due to his belief in the power of the number [[seven]].<ref name="HBP23" />
===Creation===
 
{{Dialogue a-b-a-b|Tom Riddle|And how exactly does one split his soul?|Slughorn|Well, you must understand that the soul is supposed to remain intact and whole. Splitting it is an act of violation, it is against nature.|But how do you do it?|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 --|Slughorn and Tom Riddle on the creation of Horcruxes|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
 
   
The only known book that provides specific instruction on the creation of a Horcrux is ''[[Secrets of the Darkest Art]]'', once held in the [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] [[Hogwarts Library|Library]]. Due to the book's extremely dark and dangerous nature, Albus Dumbledore hid it away in his office; he did not destroy it, however.
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The nature and concepts of Horcruxes were so terrible that they were kept secret from most of the [[wizarding world]], and very few people were ever made aware of their existence. [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] banned any study of the subject of Horcruxes; [[Albus Dumbledore]] was especially adamant and fiercely strict in enforcing this rule.<ref name="HBP23" />
   
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[[File:Secrets of the Darkest Art.jpg|200px|thumb|left|''[[Secrets of the Darkest Art]]'' was the only known book that gave clear instructions on making a Horcrux]]
The specific processes involved are known to involve a spell and a very horrible act. To split one's soul, one must also commit the most supreme act of evil — murder — and then encase a portion of their fractured soul into a chosen object with an as-of-yet unrevealed spell. The detached soul fragment will always remain as it was when it was divided; for instance, Tom Riddle's diary portrayed Tom Marvolo Riddle as a teenager while the eyes inside Salazar Slytherin's locket resembled Voldemort's eyes as they were back when he still had a relatively normal appearance.
 
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Very few books, even those revolving around the [[Dark Arts]], would mention Horcruxes even in the slightest detail: ''[[Magick Moste Evile]]'', a book that contained much information of the most advanced Dark Arts, barely skimmed over the subject of Horcruxes, stating them to be a subject so evil that it should not ever be spoken of, showing that even many [[Dark wizard|Dark wizards and witches]] were terribly horrified by them. In fact, only one book was known to provide specific, detailed instructions on the creation, nature, and consequences of a Horcrux: ''[[Secrets of the Darkest Art]]''.
   
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''Secrets of the Darkest Art'' was once held in the [[Restricted Section]] of [[Hogwarts Library]]; however, due to the book's extremely dark and dangerous nature, Albus Dumbledore later hid it away in his [[Headmaster's office|office]] when he became the [[Headmaster]] of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]. It was believed that [[Tom Riddle]] had found all the required and necessary information to successfully make a Horcrux in this book before Dumbledore eventually managed to get hold of it.
{{Quote|This is the one that gives explicit instructions on how to make a Horcrux. ''[[Secrets of the Darkest Art]]'' – it’s a horrible book, really awful, full of evil magic… And the more I've read about them, the more horrible they seem, and the less I can believe that he actually made six. It warns in this book how unstable you make the rest of your soul by ripping it, and that’s just by making one Horcrux!|[[Hermione Granger]] on researching how [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] made Horcruxes|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}Though a Horcrux can be made from anything, Lord Voldemort chose to use objects of great significance or importance. The process makes the part of the soul remaining in the witch or wizard unstable. If the maker's physical body is later destroyed, he or she will live on in non-corporeal form, although there are methods of regaining physical form.<ref name="GOF">''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''</ref> However, according to [[Horace Slughorn]], few would want to live in such a form and death would be preferable.<ref name="HBP" />
 
   
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No document in existence has information regarding a single individual creating multiple Horcruxes, as no wizard before Voldemort even thought of attempting such a feat; he only dared to when he asked the experienced [[Horace Slughorn]] for an expert opinion, under the guise of the idea of creating more than one Horcrux being only in theory.<ref name="HBP23" />
It is stated at one point that Voldemort had already "pushed his soul to the limit"<ref name="DH" /> in creating his seven Horcruxes. This implies a finite number of Horcruxes any one person may create before the process becomes too dangerous to attempt again. Though this limit is never explicitly stated, the number seems to set solidly at seven intentional Horcruxes, and creating seven Horcruxes in addition to the person's own body renders the soul unstable and liable to break off when the person whose soul it is commits murder. Dumbledore explicitly stated that Voldemort's soul had become so unstable that it finally "broke apart" when Voldemort tried to murder Harry for the first time.<ref name="DH" />
 
   
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==Nature and creation==
===Reconciliation===
 
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{{Quote|A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul... Well, you split your soul, you see, and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged.|[[Horace Slughorn]] on the nature of Horcruxes|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
{{Dialogue a-b-c-b|Ron|Isn’t there any way of putting yourself back together?|Hermione|Yes, but it would be excruciatingly painful.|Harry|Why? How do you do it?|Remorse. You’ve got to really feel what you’ve done. There’s a footnote. Apparently the pain of it can destroy you. I can’t see Voldemort attempting it somehow, can you?|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]], [[Harry Potter]] and Hermione on reconciling the fragments of a broken soul|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:Horcrux creation.gif|250px|thumb|right|[[Tom Riddle]] creating his first Horcrux at the age of sixteen after murdering [[Myrtle Warren]]]]
The creation of a Horcrux can be reversed by its creator by truly feeling remorse, though the effects of this can apparently be painful to the point of being fatal. However, as described below, this may be a far preferable outcome than the alternative.
 
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To create a Horcrux, a wizard first had to damage their [[soul]]. This could only be achieved by deliberately and willingly committing a murder. This act, said to be the most supreme act of evil, resulted in the metaphysical sundering of their own soul. Only a true, deliberate and conscious act of murder against another person without any regret or remorse would suffice to rend the soul; killing out of self-defence or to protect another would not work, and neither would a mercy kill.
   
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A wizard who wished to create a Horcrux would then use that damage to their advantage by casting [[Horcrux-making spell|a spell]] which would sever the damaged portion of the soul and encase it in a designated object.<ref name="HBP23" /> The object used to contain the soul fragment could be just about anything, even a living being or creature could be made into a Horcrux. However creating a Horcrux out of an inanimate object was preferable, as it substantially decreased the chances of it being destroyed.<ref name="HBP23" />
Interestingly, since Dumbledore said that "there is no help possible" for Voldemort's soul, it may be that any soul as badly damaged as Voldemort's could no longer be repaired through remorse as described in ''Secrets of the Darkest Art''.
 
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[[File:Voldemort and Quirrell.gif|left|thumb|250x250px|Voldemort's parasitic form attached to the back of [[Quirinus Quirrell|Quirrell]]'s head after his original body was destroyed]]
Alternately, and more likely, the soul can still be repaired through the redemptive power of repentance. Harry told Voldemort to "try . . . be a man. . . try for some remorse. It's your one chance. It's all you've got left." This seems to indicate that though Tom Riddle's soul is maimed and seriously injured, he can still repair it by regretting all the horrible things he did; Dumbledore may simply mean that Voldemort is incapable of remorse to save his own soul.
 
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As long as that object remained intact, the soul fragment inside it would live on, keeping the maker anchored to the living world, even if their body were to take fatal damage. If the maker's body was subjected to fatal conditions, they would continue to exist in the living world in a non-corporeal shade form,<ref name="GOF33">{{GOF|B|33}}</ref> somewhat similar to a [[ghost]], but technically still alive. According to [[Horace Slughorn]], very few would want to live in such a form, and [[death]] would be much more preferable to most. He personally found the concept so dreadful that he wished not to know the process of creating such a vile object.<ref name="HBP23" /> Although, there were methods of regaining a physical body, such as by<!-- Please do not add that drinking Unicorn blood is a method of regaining a physical body. While drinking Unicorn blood does keep a person alive, it cannot actually restore a physical body. Instead, it is simply an ingredient for a potion that creates a rudimentary body for a Horcrux. --> using the [[Philosopher's Stone]] to produce the [[Elixir of Life]], or by brewing a [[Rudimentary body potion]] followed by a [[Regeneration potion]].<ref name="GOF32">{{GOF|B|32}}</ref>
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According to ''[[Secrets of the Darkest Art]],'' the only known way to truly reunite the pieces of soul contained inside one or more Horcruxes was for the creator to feel genuine regret and remorse for what they had done to make them. The process of uniting broken pieces of a soul is said to have been extremely painful, and even potentially fatal, to any who did so.<ref name="DH6" />
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Horcruxes were said to be essentially the opposite of a person. Where a person's container, their body, could be destroyed without any damage to their soul, the fragment of soul contained inside a Horcrux was dependent on the container for its existence. If the container was destroyed, so too would the fragment of soul within it be.<ref name="HBP23" />
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As a fragment of the maker's soul, a Horcrux seemed to retain the identity of its creator at the time of its creation. Voldemort, for instance, created a Horcrux (his [[T. M. Riddle's Diary|diary]]) during what was presumably his fifth year at Hogwarts. As such, the fragment of soul contained within the Horcrux took on the appearance and mannerisms of Voldemort as he had been when he was sixteen years old.<ref name="HBP23" />
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===Multiple Horcruxes===
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[[File:Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes.gif|thumb|250x250px|Lord Voldemort's multiple Horcruxes]]
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It was indeed possible to make more than one Horcrux, and as long as at least one was intact, then the maker would remain unable to die. However, creating multiple Horcruxes rendered the [[soul]] so unstable and liable to break apart on its own if the creator of the Horcruxes was subjected to what would normally be fatal conditions and lost their physical form.<ref name="HBP23" /> For instance, [[Albus Dumbledore]] explicitly stated that Voldemort's soul had become so unstable that it simply "''broke apart''" when he tried to murder [[Harry Potter]] for the first time on [[31 October]] [[1981]] in [[Godric's Hollow]].<ref name="DH35">{{DH|B|35}}</ref>
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It was stated at one point that Voldemort had already "''pushed his soul to the limit''"<ref name="DH14">{{DH|B|14}}</ref> in creating his multiple Horcruxes. This implied a finite number of Horcruxes any one person may create before the process became too dangerous to attempt again. It also implied that the creation of a Horcrux used a set amount of soul and that this amount had to be the same every time the process was undertaken. However, it should also be noted that Voldemort unintentionally split his soul into eight pieces when he had intended to render it into only seven, so what the true limit is on the number of Horcruxes one can create is not truly known.
   
 
===Destruction===
 
===Destruction===
{{Dialogue a-b|Harry|So if all of his Horcruxes are destroyed, Voldemort could be killed?|Dumbledore|Yes, I think so. Without his Horcruxes, Voldemort will be a mortal man with a maimed and diminished soul. Never forget, though, that while his soul may be damaged beyond repair, his brain and his magical power remain intact. It will take uncommon skill and power to kill a wizard like Voldemort, even without his Horcruxes.|Harry and Dumbledore discussing how to destroy Voldemort|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
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{{Dialogue a-b|Harry Potter|So if all of his Horcruxes are destroyed, Voldemort could be killed?|Albus Dumbledore|Yes, I think so. Without his Horcruxes, Voldemort will be a mortal man with a maimed and diminished soul.|A discussion on how to go about killing Voldemort|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
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[[File:Riddle destroyed2.png|250px|thumb|Harry Potter unknowingly destroying a Horcrux with a Basilisk fang|left]]
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If all Horcruxes were destroyed, the anchor that kept the maker bound to the living world would be gone, and the maker would be mortal and killable again.
   
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Destroying a Horcrux required that the object containing the soul fragment had to be damaged to the point beyond any and all possible means of physical or magical repair, which in the case of living receptacles, meant that they had to be killed.<ref name="Pottercast" /><ref name="JKRtwitter6fev2015">[https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/563633021837131777 J.K. Rowling on Twitter]</ref> However, Horcruxes, by their very nature, appeared to be extraordinarily durable, and seemed completely impervious to most known physical destruction methods and magical spells. Only the most powerful and potently destructive magic and processes could truly destroy them.<ref name="HBP23" /> Furthermore, as a safety measure to protect one's immortality and precious soul fragment, the creator would usually place powerful [[Protective enchantment|enchantments]] onto the artefact to help prevent damage.
Horcruxes can also be destroyed. If a person's body was destroyed, his or her soul would remain intact, whereas with a Horcrux it is the opposite, as the piece of soul depends upon its container to survive. Destruction of a Horcrux is difficult, but not impossible, and requires that the receptacle to be damaged completely beyond physical or magical repair. When a Horcrux is damaged to this point, it may appear to "bleed" (ink in the case of Tom Riddle's Diary and a "dark blood-like substance" in the case of Ravenclaw's Diadem<ref name="DH" />) and a scream may be heard as the soul fragment perishes.
 
   
[[File:Handddsss.jpg|thumb|Dumbledore's blackened hand after putting on a Horcrux.]]
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[[File:Riddle destroyed.jpg|250px|thumb|The diary Horcrux being destroyed beyond repair]]
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The only things known to be capable of destroying a Horcrux were the [[Basilisk venom|venom]] of a [[Basilisk]], the most fearsome and deadly creature in the [[Wizarding world]], and [[Fiendfyre]], a dangerous and advanced [[curse]] that produced powerful enchanted [[Fire|flames]] that required extreme skill and concentration to control.<ref name="DH31" /> The [[Killing Curse]] could also be used to remove the foreign soul fragment from its vessel, though this was only seen used on a [[Harry Potter|living Horcrux]], so it is unknown if the Killing Curse would also work on an inanimate object Horcrux, like [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]] for instance.<ref name="DH32">{{DH|B|32}}</ref> The touch of [[Sacrificial protection|sacrificial love]] was also effective in destroying a pseudo-Horcrux, [[Quirinus Quirrell|Professor Quirrell]], who at the time was being used as a vessel to house Voldemort's main soul piece.<ref name="PS17">{{PS|B|17}}</ref>
   
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Although, it should be noted that Harry Potter was never an intentional Horcrux and so the Killing Curse may not work on a proper animate Horcrux (like [[Nagini]]). One should also consider that Harry had previously been exposed to [[Basilisk venom]]<ref name="COS17" /> (and saved through the speedy administration of [[phoenix tears]], resulting in the soul fragment within him also being saved) and was under the protection of sacrificial love.
It is unknown if the creator of the Horcrux will be able to sense that his soul fragment was destroyed, although Dumbledore stated that in the particular case of Voldemort, he wouldn't feel their loss because his soul was sliced too many times and stayed that way for too long.
 
   
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[[File:Locket destruction.gif|250px|thumb|Ron Weasley destroying the locket Horcrux with the [[Sword of Gryffindor]]|left]]
All known methods of Horcrux destruction are as deadly as the murder needed for its creation. For example, the earliest known method is administering [[basilisk venom]] to the Horcrux, the only cure for which is phoenix tears, an extremely rare substance. Other known methods are [[Fiendfyre]] (as evidenced by its destruction of [[Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem]]), which requires extreme skill to control and the [[Killing Curse]] which seems to be capable of destroying a Horcrux if it is animate, given that part of [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s soul contained in [[Harry Potter]] was destroyed when he was struck with the Killing Curse in [[1998]].<ref name="DH">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''</ref> However, Harry Potter was never a intentional Horcrux and so it may not work on a proper, animate Horcrux (like [[Nagini]]), probably having unforeseen side effects.
 
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When a Horcrux was damaged to the point of destruction, it may appear to "''bleed''" (ink in the case of Tom Riddle's diary<ref name="COS17">{{COS|B|17}}</ref> and a "''dark blood-like substance''" in the case of [[Ravenclaw's Diadem]])<ref name="DH31">{{DH|B|31}}</ref> and a ghostly scream of pain may be heard as the soul fragment perished.
   
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It was unknown if the creator of the Horcrux would be able to sense that their soul fragment was destroyed, although Dumbledore stated that in the particular case of Voldemort, he would not feel their loss because his soul had been split too many times and had been in that state for so long that he simply got used to it.
Harry Potter was not destroyed as a Horcrux in the Chamber of Secrets because [[Phoenix tears|Fawkes' tears]] saved him and hence the "receptacle" (Harry) was not then destroyed beyond repair.<ref name="Pottercast"/>
 
   
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== Powers==
[[Albus Dumbledore]],<ref name="HBP" /> [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]], and [[Neville Longbottom]]<ref name="DH" /> used [[Godric Gryffindor]]'s [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword|Sword]] to destroy [[Marvolo Gaunt]]'s [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring|Ring]], [[Salazar Slytherin]]'s [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|Locket]], and [[Nagini]] respectively. This was only achievable as the sword is a [[Goblin]]-made artefact, which can absorb qualities that strengthen it. When [[Harry Potter]] [[Skirmish in the Chamber of Secrets|slew]] the [[Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk|Basilisk]] in the [[Chamber of Secrets]],<ref name="CS">''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]''</ref> the sword was imbued with [[Basilisk]] [[Basilisk venom|venom]] and became capable of destroying Horcruxes.
 
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{{Dialogue a-b|Ron Weasley|The bit of soul in that diary was possessing [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]], wasn't it? How does that work, then?|Hermione Granger|While the magical container is still intact, the bit of soul inside it can flit in and out of someone if they get too close to the object. I don't mean holding it for too long... I mean close emotionally. Ginny poured her heart out into that diary, she made herself incredibly vulnerable. You're in trouble if you get too fond of or dependent on the Horcrux.|A Horcrux's ability to possess and eventually control a person|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
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The main purpose and power of a Horcrux was to anchor the creator to the mortal realm for the sake of achieving [[immortality]]. As long as at least one Horcrux existed, the creator's soul would be bound to the world of the living. Hence, if the body was destroyed, the soul would remain as a lingering spirit instead of passing through to the other side. Though being in such a state of existence was what very few would prefer over [[death]], the soul could possess other victims to regain physical form, which shortened the victim's lifespan drastically, as seen when Ginny Weasley lay unconscious in the main chamber of the [[Chamber of Secrets]].<ref name="HBP23" /> It was also possible (through a second party) to use certain potions to create a [[Rudimentary body potion|rudimentary body]]<ref name="GOF1">{{GOF|B|1}}</ref> or even the [[Regeneration potion|true body]] of the Horcrux creator's soul to possess.<ref name="GOF32" /> Because of this purpose, a Horcrux was usually kept hidden and dormant, and its other powers were rarely explored or utilised.
   
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[[File:TR diary.gif|250px|thumb|The diary sucking [[Harry Potter]] into itself, showing him a memory from fifty years ago]]
Harry Potter and [[Hermione Granger]] used [[Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk|Basilisk]] fangs from the [[Chamber of Secrets]] to destroy [[Tom Riddle]]'s [[Tom Riddle's Diary|Diary]] and [[Helga Hufflepuff]]'s [[Helga Hufflepuff's Cup|Cup]], respectively.<ref name="DH" />
 
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The fragment of a person's soul within a Horcrux was capable of thinking for itself and had certain magical abilities, including the ability to influence those in their vicinity and affect them mentally. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione were carrying Salazar Slytherin's locket around their necks in 1997, it brought out the worst in [[Trio|the trio]] by making them moodier, more prone to fighting, and darker aspects of them began to appear, especially Ron as he carried the locket much longer than his friends.<ref name="GOF15">{{DH|B|15}}</ref>
   
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However, when away from a Horcrux, its influence and effects would slowly begin to wane and then disappear and those influenced would return to their normal selves, as soon after leaving Ron in particular came back to his senses and regretted his actions. They were also unable to summon their [[Patronus Charm|Patronuses]] while wearing the locket since the soul fragment inside was darkening their thoughts. A person with an affinity for the [[Dark Arts]] and having a malicious disposition, on the other hand, would be greatly strengthened by the influence of a Horcrux, as [[Dolores Umbridge]] was when wearing Salazar Slytherin's locket.<ref name="online bloomsbury chat">[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/0730-bloomsbury-chat.html "(Umbridge) is a very nasty piece of work. She has an affinity for this horrible object" - JK, Online Chat script, accessed 30/7/2011]</ref>
===Powers===
 
[[File:DH1 Riddle-Harry and Riddle-Hermione.jpg|thumb|One fragment of Voldemort's soul that was hidden in the locket.]]
 
{{Dialogue a-b|Ron|The bit of soul in that diary was possessing [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]], wasn’t it? How does that work, then?|Hermione|While the magical container is still intact, the bit of soul inside it can flit in and out of someone if they get too close to the object. I don’t mean holding it for too long…I mean close emotionally. Ginny poured her heart out into that diary, she made herself incredibly vulnerable. You’re in trouble if you get too fond of or dependent on the Horcrux.|Hermione on a Horcrux's ability to possess and eventually control a person|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:Ginevra Weasley Writing on the Wall.gif|250px|thumb|The diary Horcrux taking possession of [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]]|left]]
The fragments of a person's [[soul]] within a Horcrux can think for themselves and have certain magical abilities, including the ability to influence those in their vicinity. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione were carrying [[Salazar Slytherin]]'s [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|Locket]] around their necks in [[1997]], they each became moodier and more prone to fighting, especially Ron. They were also unable to summon their [[Patronus Charm|Patronuses]] while wearing the locket since the soul fragment inside was darkening their thoughts. A person with an affinity for the [[Dark Arts]], on the other hand, would be strengthened by the influence of a Horcrux, as [[Dolores Umbridge]] was when wearing Salazar Slytherin's Locket. If a person is more emotionally vulnerable, it is possible for the soul inside the Horcrux to take control of him or her,<ref name="DH"/> as [[Tom Riddle]]'s [[Tom Riddle's Diary|Diary]] did to [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]].<ref name="CS"/> In fact, Voldemort took advantage of this possessive power to reopen the [[Chamber of Secrets]], using the diary as a weapon rather than a safeguard.
 
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If a person was more emotionally vulnerable and was in physical contact with it for long enough, it was possible for the soul inside the Horcrux to take control of them, as when [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]] was put in a trance-like state during her first year at Hogwarts while in possession of Tom Riddle's diary. In fact, Voldemort took advantage of this possessive power over Ginny to reopen the [[Chamber of Secrets]], using the diary as a weapon rather than a safeguard.<ref name="COS17" /> If given enough time and opportunity, the Horcrux would drain enough of the victim's life-force and soul to manifest itself into a more physical form, at the cost of killing the victim should it continue to completion. This quasi-sentient entity that was capable of depleting life-force to create a physical form differed from a "''mere [[memory]]''", which the diary's manifestation claimed itself to be, as no mere charmed object could achieve such a feat, though [[Lucius Malfoy]] thought that was what the diary simply was.<ref name="HBP23" />
   
In this way, a Horcrux can gradually feed on another person's life or negative emotions to strengthen itself and increase the ability of the soul fragment within to act independently in the physical world. The best example of this is in the case of Tom Riddle's diary. For decades, the diary lay dormant in Lucius Malfoy's possession, doing nothing other than safeguarding the soul fragment of Tom Riddle. When Ginny Weasley began to transcribe her fears and insecurities into the pages of the diary, the fragment of Tom Riddle's soul contained within was not only able to write back to Ginny but eventually drained enough life out of her to actually manifest itself in a semi-corporeal form and work magic with Harry Potter's wand.<ref name="CS"/> Likewise, Salazar Slytherin's Locket slowly gained power when it was in the possession of Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the months prior to its destruction. It can be theorized that the locket gained somewhat less power from them (not enough for Riddle to fully manifest but still enough to speak and create illusions) because Harry, Ron, and Hermione were actively resisting the locket's influence instead of embracing it as Ginny had done with the diary.<ref name="CS"/> On the other hand, Horcruxes which have been isolated for long periods of time (such as Hufflepuff's Cup and Ravenclaw's Diadem) were very passive by comparison and took no real measures to protect themselves. Even Slytherin's Locket was fairly inert when it was initially discovered in a cabinet in the drawing room at 12 Grimmauld Place, displaying no powers other than being impossible to open.<ref name="DH" />
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In this way, a Horcrux could gradually feed on another person's life and negative emotions to strengthen itself and increase the ability of the soul fragment within to act independently in the physical world. The best example of this was in the case of [[T. M. Riddle's Diary]]. For decades, the diary lay dormant in [[Lucius Malfoy]]'s possession, doing nothing other than safeguarding the soul fragment of Tom Riddle. When Ginny Weasley began to transcribe her fears and insecurities into the pages of the diary, the fragment of Tom Riddle's soul contained within was not only able to write back to Ginny but eventually drained enough life out of her to actually manifest itself in a semi-corporeal form and work magic with [[Harry Potter]]'s [[Harry Potter's wand|wand]].<ref name="COS17" />
   
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[[File:Umbridge locket.jpg|250px|thumb|While she wore the locket Horcrux, the evil [[Dolores Umbridge]] grew stronger]]
Horcruxes also possess some last line of defence against destruction. The fragment of soul within the Horcrux seems to be able to sense impending threats and can act to defend itself. For instance, Slytherin's locket viciously taunted Ron Weasley with visions of his deepest fears and even attempted to strangle Harry Potter.<ref name="DH" />[[File:Locketonumbridge.jpg|thumb|The Locket around Umbridge's neck.]]
 
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Likewise, [[Slytherin's Locket]] gradually gained power when it was in the possession of Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the months prior to its destruction. It can be theorised that the locket gained somewhat less power from them (not enough for Riddle to fully manifest but still enough to speak and create illusions) because Harry, Ron, and Hermione were actively resisting the locket's influence instead of embracing it as Ginny had done with the diary.<ref name="COS17" />
   
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On the other hand, Horcruxes which had been isolated for long periods of time (such as [[Hufflepuff's Cup]] and [[Ravenclaw's Diadem]]) were passive by comparison and took no real measures to protect themselves. Even Slytherin's locket was fairly inert when it was initially discovered in a cabinet in the drawing-room at 12 Grimmauld Place. It displayed no powers and gave no indication that it possessed superior magical properties.<ref name="DH10">{{DH|B|10}}</ref>
===Side effects===
 
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[[File:Riddle-Harry and Riddle-Hermione taunting Ron.gif|thumb|250x250px|Sensing imminent destruction, the locket Horcrux taunted Ron as its last defence|left]]
{{Quote|Tamper with the deepest mysteries — the source of life, the essence of self — only if prepared for consequences of the most extreme and dangerous kind.|The first of [[Adalbert Waffling]]'s [[Fundamental Laws of Magic]]|The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)}}
 
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Horcruxes also possessed some last line of defence against destruction. The fragment of soul within the Horcrux seems to be able to sense impending threats and can act to defend itself. For instance, Slytherin's locket viciously taunted Ron Weasley with visions of his deepest fears, hoping not only to prevent him from stabbing it with the [[Sword of Gryffindor]] but also to manipulate him into killing Harry Potter instead. It even attempted to strangle Harry when he was close to obtaining the Sword with the intent of piercing the locket.<ref name="DH19">{{DH|B|19}}</ref>
   
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However, this form of defence may not be viable if the soul fragment in question is not given enough strength or chance to retaliate, as while Harry opened the locket with [[Parseltongue]] before allowing Ron to attack it, both Hufflepuff's Cup and Ravenclaw's Diadem were swiftly destroyed the moment the trio were given an opportunity.<ref name="DH31" />
To create a Horcrux is to divide one's soul — the "''essence of self''" — and it is therefore in the creation of a Horcrux that one falls prey to [[Adalbert Waffling]]'s first [[Fundamental Laws of Magic|Fundamental Law of Magic]], which essentially states that tampering with one's soul inevitably results in grave side effects.
 
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Aside from its self-defence mechanism from the soul fragment, a Horcrux is usually enchanted by the creator to have other forms of defences to prevent destruction. [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]] contained a [[Curse on Marvolo Gaunt's Ring|deadly curse]] that would kill anyone who dared touch it.<ref name="DH33">{{DH|B|33}}</ref> At least Salazar Slytherin's Locket was unbreakable by even [[house-elf magic]].<ref name="DH10" /> T. M. Riddle's Diary was completely [[water]]proof and impervious to spilled ink.<ref name="COS13">{{COS|B|13}}</ref>
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=== Side effects===
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{{Quote|Tamper with the deepest mysteries — the source of life, the essence of self — only if prepared for consequences of the most extreme and dangerous kind.|The first of the [[Fundamental Laws of Magic]]|The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)}}
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To create a Horcrux was to divide one's [[soul]]— the "''essence of self''" — and it was therefore in the creation of a Horcrux that one fell prey to [[Adalbert Waffling]]'s first [[Fundamental Laws of Magic]], which essentially stated that tampering with one's soul inevitably resulted in grave side effects. Creating Horcruxes was considered perhaps by far the most dreadful act possible.<ref name="TBB">{{TBB|H}}</ref><ref name="HBP23" />
   
 
====Dehumanisation====
 
====Dehumanisation====
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{{Quote|Voldemort had entered the room. His features were not those Harry had seen emerge from the great stone cauldron almost two years ago: They were not as snakelike, the eyes were not yet scarlet, the face not yet masklike, and yet he was no longer handsome Tom Riddle. It was as though his features had been burned and blurred; they were waxy and oddly distorted, and the whites of the eyes now had a permanently bloody look, though the pupils were not yet the slits that Harry knew they would become.|Tom Riddle's physical appearance after immersion into the Dark Arts|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
One of these such side-effects is the "dehumanising" effect the mutilation of one's soul is said to have. The more Horcruxes one creates, the less human they become, both emotionally and physically; for example, in the [[house-elf]] [[Hokey]]'s memory Tom Riddle is initially shown to be hollow-cheeked but otherwise normal, though ten years later his features look as if they have been burned and blurred, and his skin is extremely white. One can hence assume that during those ten years he had created more than one Horcrux that in turn wrought the physical changes in Voldemort over that timespan.
 
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[[File:Voldemortbaby.jpg|thumb|220x220px|Voldemort's state after leaving [[Quirinus Quirrell|Quirrell]]'s body ]]
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One of these such side-effects was the "''dehumanising''" effect the mutilation of one's [[soul]] was said to have. The more Horcruxes one created, the less human they became, both emotionally and physically; for example, in the [[house-elf]] [[Hokey]]'s memory, Tom Riddle was initially shown to be hollow-cheeked and pale-skinned but otherwise normal,<ref name="HBP20">{{HBP|B|20}}</ref> though ten years later, after making Horcruxes and becoming Voldemort, his features looked as if they had been burned and blurred, and his skin was extremely white.<ref name="COS17" />
   
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[[File:Voldemort2.gif|250px|thumb|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] after his Dark Arts transformation|left]]
Of course, this initial consequence of dehumanisation has its own side effect; it logically follows that if one becomes dehumanised by Horcrux creation then they will take less stock of morality in general, increasing the likelihood that they will create another Horcrux, which would in turn make them less human and hence less moral, which further increases their likelihood of making more Horcruxes and so on. In other words, Horcrux creation may be thought of as a "slippery slope" or "downward spiral" until one reaches the limit, at which point no more Horcruxes may be made.
 
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One should note that it is unclear whether the red eyes and slit-like nostrils that [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] had after he was reborn were caused by having more Horcruxes than he did than when he applied for the [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] position a second time,<ref name="HBP20" /> whether they were characteristics of a person who had been resurrected with the help of serpents (which had continued to play key roles in his revival), or whether due to any other alterations he had made to himself. Dumbledore speculated that Voldemort underwent other dangerous transformations as well as creating Horcruxes and that it was a mixture of these, rather than just one thing, that resulted in Voldemort's hideous appearance.<ref name="HBP23" />
   
====Appearance====
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====Instability ====
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{{Quote|You were the seventh Horcrux, Harry, the Horcrux he never meant to make. He had rendered his soul so unstable that it broke apart when he committed those acts of unspeakable evil, the murder of your parents, the attempted killing of a child. But what escaped from that room was even less than he knew. He left more than his body behind.|Albus Dumbledore informing Harry Potter about the state of Voldemort's soul|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
One should note that it is unclear whether the red eyes and slit-like nostrils that Voldemort has after he is reborn are caused by having more Horcruxes than he did than when he applied for the [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] post a second time, or whether they are characteristics of a person who has been resurrected with the help of serpents (who have continued to play key roles in his revival). It is probable that he performed these transformations prior to his resurrection as all of his Death Eaters seem to recognise him without question after Voldemort returned.
 
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A third side effect of Horcrux creation was that the master [[soul]] itself became abundantly unstable (even with creating just one Horcrux).<ref name="HBP23" />
   
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[[File:Voldemort Spirit.JPG|250px|thumb|Voldemort's mangled and unstable soul]]
====Instability====
 
A third side effect of Horcrux creation is that the Master Soul itself becomes unstable (even with creating just one Horcrux). The precise dangers of this spiritual destabilization are not currently detailed explicitly throughout the franchise, however, some can be gleaned from the events in the books. For example, the creation of Voldemort's seventh "Horcrux" - Harry Potter - is known to be the direct result of this<ref name="Pottercast">[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/1217-pottercast-anelli.html PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling]</ref> as when Voldemort was hit by the back-fired Killing Curse at his parent's home in [[Godric's Hollow]] it caused his soul to split, with one fragment remaining in him and the other displaced part immediately seeking out the only other living thing in the room and latching onto it - Harry Potter. However, one should note that although this parasitic fragment of Voldemort's soul attached to Harry's has been mistaken for a Horcrux it has been confirmed that in actuality it does not truly constitute one, since it was not created intentionally. Likewise, not all of the known parts of the Horcrux creation process were correctly carried out for it. Voldemort had just committed 2 murders (Harry's parents) so that may have been adequate for that requirement. In this state, Harry Potter may be more accurately described as a "proto-Horcrux", though for simplicity he may be termed a Horcrux regardless.
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For example, the creation of Voldemort's sixth "Horcrux" (of seven) — Harry Potter is known to be the direct result of this.<ref name="Pottercast">[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/1217-pottercast-anelli.html PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling]</ref> When Voldemort was hit by his own back-fired [[Killing Curse]] at Potters' home in [[Godric's Hollow]], it caused Voldemort's soul to split, with one fragment immediately seeking out the only other living thing in the room and latching onto it [[Harry Potter]].
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The rest of Voldemort's mutilated soul fled.<ref name="DH35" /> However, this parasitic fragment of Voldemort's soul that attached to Harry did not make him a true Horcrux, since it was not created intentionally and the necessary parts of the Horcrux creation process were not carried out.<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/1217-pottercast-anelli.html Rowling on Pottercast]</ref>
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Notably, Voldemort appeared to be entirely unaware of this split, as he later created a seventh Horcrux in his quest to have six, and continued to target Harry Potter despite him now holding part of Voldemort’s own soul.
   
 
====Limbo====
 
====Limbo====
[[File:Voldemort's Soul.jpg|thumb|After wrecking his own soul from many Horcrux creations, Voldemort is trapped in limbo for eternity.]]
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{{Quote|Something that is beyond either of our help...|The fate of those who create a Horcrux|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}[[File:Voldemort's mutilated soul.jpg|250px|thumb|After mangling his own soul through many Horcrux creations, the fragments of Voldemort are trapped in limbo for eternity|left]]
The final known side-effect of Horcrux creation is the inability to move on from [[Limbo]] after death. This is seen when Voldemort's [[Killing Curse]] (after the destruction of all the other Horcruxes) rebounded and finally ended his life once and for all, his broken and mangled [[soul]]<ref>[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=121 J.K.Rowling Official Site F.A.Q.s]</ref> was forced to exist in the stunted form of a flayed and mutilated baby that Harry saw in King's Cross during his visit to Limbo, unable to return to the land of the living, unable to become a ghost, and unable to go to the land of the dead because his soul was maimed and unwhole. It is unknown if this was a standard fate meted out for all Horcrux creators, or if it was unique to Voldemort due to the number of his Horcruxes. Regardless, reconciliation cannot occur after death, as the soul's state at death remains forever, so the greatest of all consequences incurred by Horcrux creation may be the possibility of eternal limbo of the soul.
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The final known side-effect of Horcrux creation was the inability to move on from [[limbo]] after death. This was seen when Voldemort's [[Killing Curse]] destroyed the part of his soul that resided in Harry Potter. This broken and mangled piece of [[soul]]<ref>[http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=121 J.K.Rowling Official Site F.A.Q.s]</ref> was forced to exist in the stunted form of a flayed and mutilated baby that Harry saw in King's Cross during his visit to limbo, unable to return to the land of the living as a ghost, and unable to move on to the [[afterlife]] because his soul was maimed and corrupted. The creature also appeared to be in constant agony and struggling merely to exist, as it was said to have been gasping raggedly for breath and crying in pain when Harry observed it.<ref name="DH35" />
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The same fate was implied to have been suffered by Voldemort's "''main''" soul piece, the one that inhabited his body; it is unknown if this was a standard fate meted out for all Horcrux creators, or if it was unique to Voldemort due to the number of his Horcruxes. Regardless, reconciliation apparently cannot occur after death, as the Horcrux-bound fragments of Voldemort's soul did not recombine with the primary fragment in his body when they were destroyed. As such, the greatest of all consequences incurred by Horcrux creation may be the possibility of eternal limbo of the soul. Voldemort's soul fragments also appeared to possess only the awareness and intelligence of the infant they appeared to be.<ref name="DH35" />
   
 
==Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes==
 
==Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes==
{{Quote|I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality...|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] to his gathered [[Death Eaters]] after his [[Rebirth of Lord Voldemort|rebirth]]|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
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{{Quote|I, who have gone further than anybody along [[Life path|the path]] that leads to immortality....|Lord Voldemort to his gathered [[Death Eaters]] after his [[Return of Lord Voldemort|rebirth]]|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
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[[File:RestrictedLibrary.JPG|thumb|250x250px|[[Restricted Section]] where ''Secrets of the Darkest Art'' was located]]
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[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], obsessed with immortality and unable or unwilling to understand the importance of the [[soul]]'s well-being, went further than any wizard known to history, creating seven Horcruxes — although he planned only six of them, as his intention was to split his soul in [[seven]], the most magical number. He accidentally created a pseudo-Horcrux when he failed to murder [[Harry Potter]] in 1981,<ref name="DH35" /> and later made his pet snake [[Nagini]] into his seventh Horcrux. As a student named Tom Riddle at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] in the 1940s, he learned of Horcruxes through books in the [[Restricted Section]] at [[Hogwarts Library]], including ''[[Secrets of the Darkest Art]]'', and sought out [[Potions Master]] [[Horace Slughorn]] for further information about creating more than one, of which no book would have any record.
   
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[[Albus Dumbledore]] removed all of those books from the [[Hogwarts Library]] soon afterwards, although later he suspected that Slughorn had given information to Riddle about Horcruxes, as Slughorn refused to reveal the true account of what really happened. Voldemort seemed to understand that his soul had a limit to how many times he could split it, as he ceased creating any more Horcruxes once he intentionally reached his desired six and refused to create any replacements for the ones that were destroyed. This held true even for the diary, the destruction of which he became aware of nearly two years before his [[Voldemort's Last Stand|eventual death]], and which he could have replaced during that time.<ref name="HBP23" /> That being said however, Voldemort was able to split his soul into eight fragments without noticing any ill effects despite thinking at the time that his primary soul fragment was a sixth of a soul, not a seventh.
[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], obsessed with immortality, went further than any wizard known to history to create [[seven]] — although he had an eight-part soul, because he accidentally created his sixth Horcrux when he failed to kill [[Harry Potter]] in [[1981]],<ref name="DH" /> and later made his pet snake [[Nagini]] into what he thought was the sixth, but was in fact the seventh, Horcrux. As a student named [[Tom Riddle|Tom Marvolo Riddle]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] in the [[1940s]], he learned of Horcruxes through books in the [[Restricted Section]], including ''[[Secrets of the Darkest Art]]'', and sought out [[Potions master]] [[Horace Slughorn]] for further information about creating more than one, of which no book would have any record. [[Albus Dumbledore]] removed those books from the [[Hogwarts Library]] soon afterwards. Although later he suspected that Slughorn had given information to Riddle about Horcruxes, Slughorn refused to reveal the true account of what really happened. Dumbledore later assigned Harry to retrieve the [[Pensieve|stored memory]] of it during the [[1996–1997 school year]]. Harry was able to get it through the use of [[Felix Felicis]].<ref name="HBP">{{HBP}}</ref>
 
   
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[[File:Tom with ring.jpg|250px|thumb|A teenage Tom Riddle wearing the ring Horcrux|left]]
This was part of Dumbledore and Harry's quest to determine, locate, and destroy, in secret, what they believed to be as many as six of Voldemort's Horcruxes. After Dumbledore's death, Harry took up the quest with his friends [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]] and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]]. Hermione was able to [[Summoning Charm|Summon]] the books on the subject to her from the Headmaster's office at the end of the [[1996–1997 school year]] to aid them in their research on Horcruxes.<ref name="DH" />
 
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Dumbledore later assigned Harry to retrieve the [[Pensieve|stored memory]] of it during the 1996-1997 school year, in which Harry was able to get it through the use of [[Felix Felicis]].<ref name="HBP23">{{HBP|B|23}}</ref> Although Voldemort had been warned that the usage of Horcruxes would render one's soul to live a miserable existence should their living flesh be destroyed, and Voldemort even experienced this first hand for fourteen years, he nevertheless preferred to live in such a state when the alternative was [[death]], which he feared the most because he regarded it as a shameful and ignominious human weakness, since he was willing to continue his creation of his [[Nagini|sixth true Horcrux]] even in his crippled form.<ref name="GOF33">{{GOF|B|33}}</ref> Voldemort's streak of independence made it intolerable for him to utilise any other methods to obtain his immortality (such as the [[Elixir of Life]]); he chose to rely on Horcruxes because they were magical extensions of himself.<ref name="HBP23" />
   
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Having split his soul multiple times, it became extremely unstable that upon his [[Killing Curse]]'s first rebound on him, Voldemort's already maimed soul split apart and attached to the only living being in the room at the time: Harry Potter. It was also the creation of so many Horcruxes that led Voldemort's humanity to deteriorate severely. As Voldemort's soul fragments had been separated from him for so long, he could no longer feel them should they be destroyed.<ref name="DH35" />
Although Voldemort had [[seven]] Horcruxes, no more than six existed at one time because [[Tom Riddle's diary]] was destroyed before [[Nagini]] was turned into a Horcrux. Hence he did have his soul split in seven pieces as he intended; however, it conferred no special added protection as he seemed to feel it might.<ref name="CS" /> Concerning Nagini, it is not known if she had to have been killed by [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword]] or if any other means, such as a regular sword killing her, would have destroyed the Horcrux. However, as Albus Dumbledore stated, using a living being as a Horcrux is a risky business, due to it being able to move around and think for itself.<ref name="HBP" /> It is unknown if any method that would normally kill Nagini would also destroy the Horcrux.
 
   
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[[File:Dumbledore diary.jpg|250px|thumb|Dumbledore holding the remnants of the diary Horcrux]]
All of Voldemort's Horcruxes are made from objects that have extreme value, in his desire to secure his position as the greatest in history, and that only noteworthy items can live up to his standards and having the honour of housing a fragment of his precious soul. As such, he had originally made it his desire to collect four items of the four founders of Hogwarts; he only found three, and gave up after failing to find another, but made Horcruxes out of other items that have sentimental value to himself, if not as a priceless artefact of the Wizarding world.
 
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This was part of [[Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter's Horcrux hunt|Dumbledore and Harry's quest]] to determine, locate, and destroy, in secret, what they believed to be as many as four of Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes (two had already been destroyed). After [[Battle of the Astronomy Tower|Dumbledore's death]], Harry took up the [[Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter's Horcrux hunt|quest]] with his friends [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] and [[Hermione Granger]]. Hermione was able to [[Summoning Charm|summon]] the books on the subject to her from the Headmaster's office at the end of the [[1996–1997 school year]] to aid them in their research on Horcruxes.<ref name="DH6">{{DH|B|6}}</ref>
   
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Although Voldemort had six true Horcruxes (''not'' including Harry) in total, no more than five existed at one time because [[T. M. Riddle's Diary]] was destroyed before Nagini was turned into a Horcrux. Concerning Horcrux Nagini, it is not known if she had to have been killed by the [[Sword of Gryffindor]] or if any other means, such as a regular sword killing her, would truly destroy the soul fragment along with her. However, as Albus Dumbledore stated, using a living being as a Horcrux was a risky business, due to it being able to move around and think for itself.<ref name="HBP23" /> It is unknown if any method that would normally kill Nagini would also destroy the Horcrux. It is also unknown what would happen if Nagini had died a natural death, or if that were possible, since Horcruxes had mechanisms in place to prevent destruction.
===List of Voldemort's Horcruxes===
 
   
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All of Voldemort's Horcruxes were made from objects that had extreme monetary, historical or (in as much as he could feel) sentimental value, in his desire to secure his position as the greatest sorcerer in history, and that only noteworthy items could live up to his standards and have the honour of housing a fragment of his precious [[soul]]. As such, he had originally made it his desire to collect four items of the [[Hogwarts founders|four founders]] of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]; he found only three, and gave up after failing to find the Sword of Gryffindor, but made Horcruxes out of other items that had sentimental value to himself, if not as a priceless artefact of the Wizarding world. Believing that [[Seven|the number seven]] is the most powerful number when it comes to magic, Voldemort intended to split his soul into seven pieces, with six Horcruxes housing one fragment each and his body containing the seventh.
{|cellspacing="1" cellpadding="4" border="2" class="wikitable"
 
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[[File:Half-blood-prince-cave.jpg|250px|thumb|The Crystal Cave, where the locket Horcrux was hidden|left]]
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He hid these Horcruxes in special locations and kept their existence and purposes from absolutely everyone. However, his arrogance had also inadvertently let him leave behind subtle hints of their whereabouts, leading to their destruction. Because Voldemort was the first (and by far, the only) known wizard to have created more than one Horcrux, both Dumbledore and Voldemort himself believed that he was the closest to true [[immortality]] than any other wizard or witch before him.<ref name="HBP23" />
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A secondary reason why Voldemort chose to create multiple Horcruxes is to utilise the effects of having a soul fragment to weaponise some of these artefacts, as opposed to keeping them as hidden safeguards. Voldemort felt more comfortable placing these few Horcruxes in the risk of destruction knowing he had more hidden safely to maintain his immortality. It was for this reason he chose to use his diary to reopen the [[Chamber of Secrets]], and sending [[Nagini]] on missions from time to time.<ref name="HBP23" />
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[[File:The Killing Curse.gif|thumb|250x250px|Voldemort [[Massacre at Malfoy Manor|murdering several goblins and Gringotts employees]] after hearing about the [[Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank (1998)|theft]] of [[Hufflepuff's Cup|one of his Horcruxes]]. ]]
  +
Although Voldemort created multiple Horcruxes so that it would not be as detrimental to him in case one was destroyed, he would nevertheless be furious if any one of them were destroyed. He was wrathful at [[Lucius Malfoy]] for indirectly causing the destruction of the diary Horcrux,<ref name="HBP23" /> despite intending for it to be a weapon rather than a safeguard, due to Lucius acting without instruction. When Voldemort found out that [[Hufflepuff's Cup]] [[Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank (1998)|was stolen]], he [[Massacre at Malfoy Manor|massacred many of the goblins and Gringotts employees within the bank]], including [[Griphook]], all of whom failed to protect the cup. Discovering that [[Slytherin's Locket]] and the [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring|Gaunt family ring]] were taken from their hiding places infuriated him even more, though it became more understandable as he was aware that he was losing more Horcruxes as time went on.<ref name="DH27">{{DH|B|27}}</ref>
  +
  +
Time constraints and his arrogance prevented him from adding more protection for the [[Ravenclaw's Diadem|Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw]], which led to its destruction. He went out of his way to protect his last Horcrux, [[Nagini]], and was totally horrified and angered beyond words when she was killed by [[Neville Longbottom]] with the Sword of Gryffindor, thus finally stripping him of his immortality.<ref name="DH36">{{DH|B|36}}</ref>
  +
  +
In an [[alternate reality]] where [[Cedric Diggory]] became a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] and killed Neville during [[Voldemort's Last Stand]], Nagini was not killed as a result, thereby allowing Voldemort to keep his immortality and successfully kill Harry Potter while also conquering the entire [[Wizarding world|wizarding community]]. This timeline event was eventually [[Time-Turner|undone]] by [[Albus Potter]] and [[Scorpius Malfoy]].<ref name="CC">{{CC}}</ref>
  +
  +
===List of Voldemort's Horcruxes===
  +
{| class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[Quirinus Quirrell]]<ref name="quirrell">''[[Pottermore]]'' - "''[http://www.pottermore.com/en/book1/chapter17/moment1/professor-quirrell New from J.K. Rowling: Professor Quirrell]''"</ref>
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[T. M. Riddle's Diary]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[File:Quirinus-Quirrel 458.jpg|150px]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[File:Tom Riddle's Diary.png|150px]]
 
|-
 
|-
!width="30%"|Hiding place
+
! width="30%" |Hiding place
!width="30%"|Created with the murder of
+
! width="30%" |Created with the murder of
!width="10%"|Destroyed by
+
! width="30%" |Location of murder
!width="10%"|Destruction method
+
! width="30%" |Date created
!width="10%"|Destruction site
 
!width="10%"|Date Destroyed
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|In the possession of [[Lucius Malfoy]], later given to [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]] (without her knowing it),<ref name="COS4">{{COS|B|4}}</ref><ref name="COS18">{{COS|B|18}}</ref> and eventually found by [[Harry Potter]] in the girls lavatory on the second floor<ref name="COS13" />
|[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
 
  +
|[[Myrtle Warren]] by the [[Serpent of Slytherin]]
|None (soul very unstable at the time; [[possession]])
 
  +
|[[Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom|First-floor girls' lavatory]], [[Hogwarts Castle]]
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
  +
|[[June]] [[1943]]
|Burnt to death by [[Love|Harry's touch]]
 
|[[Underground Chambers]], [[Hogwarts Castle]]
 
|[[4 June]], [[1992]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[Tom Riddle's Diary]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[File:Diario-tom1.jpg|150px]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
!width="30%"|Hiding place
+
! width="10%" |Destroyed by
!width="30%"|Created with the murder of
+
! width="10%" |Destruction method
!width="10%"|Destroyed by
+
! width="10%" |Destruction site
!width="10%"|Destruction method
+
! width="10%" |Date destroyed
!width="10%"|Destruction site
 
!width="10%"|Date Destroyed
 
 
|-
 
|-
|In the possession of [[Lucius Malfoy]], later given to [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]] (without her knowing it), and eventually found by [[Harry Potter]] in the girls lavatory on the 2nd floor.
 
|[[Myrtle|Moaning Myrtle]]
 
 
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
|[[Harry Potter]]
|Stabbed with a [[Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk|Basilisk]] fang
+
|Stabbed with one of the [[Serpent of Slytherin|Basilisk]]'s fangs<ref name="COS17" />
|[[Chamber of Secrets]]
+
|[[Chamber of Secrets]], [[Hogwarts Castle]]
|[[29 May]], [[1993]]
+
|[[29 May]] [[1993]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[File:Marvolo Gaunt's Ring.jpg|150px]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[File:Marvolo Gaunt's Ring1.jpg|150px]]
  +
|-
  +
! width="30%" |Hiding place
  +
! width="30%" |Created with the murder of
  +
! width="30%" | Location of murder
  +
! width="30%" |Date created
  +
|-
  +
| In the [[Gaunt Shack]]<ref name="HBP17">{{HBP|B|17}}</ref>
  +
|[[Tom Riddle Senior]] with [[Morfin Gaunt]]'s [[Morfin Gaunt's wand|wand]]<ref name="HBP17" />
  +
|[[Riddle House]], [[Little Hangleton]]<ref name="HBP17" />
  +
|c. August [[1943]]<ref name="HBP17" />
 
|-
 
|-
!width="30%"|Hiding place
+
! width="10%" |Destroyed by
!width="30%"|Created with the murder of
+
! width="10%" |Destruction method
!width="10%"|Destroyed by
+
! width="10%" |Destruction site
!width="10%"|Destruction method
+
! width="10%" |Date destroyed
!width="10%"|Destruction site
 
!width="10%"|Date Destroyed
 
 
|-
 
|-
|In the [[Gaunt shack]]
 
|[[Tom Riddle Sr.]]
 
 
|[[Albus Dumbledore]]
 
|[[Albus Dumbledore]]
|Cut with [[Godric Gryffindor]]'s [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword|Sword]]
+
|Cut with the [[Sword of Gryffindor]]<ref name="HBP23" />
|[[Headmaster]]'s [[Headmaster's office|office]]
+
|[[Headmaster's office]], [[Hogwarts Castle]]
 
|[[July]] [[1996]]
 
|[[July]] [[1996]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[Salazar Slytherin's Locket]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[Slytherin's Locket]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[File:Salslyloc.jpg|150px]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[File:Horcrux WB F7 SlytherinsLocketHorcrux Illust2.jpg|150px]]
 
|-
 
|-
!width="30%"|Hiding place
+
! width="30%" |Hiding place
!width="30%"|Created with the murder of
+
! width="30%" |Created with the murder of
!width="10%"|Destroyed by
+
! width="30%" |Location of murder
!width="10%"|Destruction method
+
! width="30%" |Date created
!width="10%"|Destruction site
 
!width="10%"|Date Destroyed
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Horcrux cave]], later moved to [[12 Grimmauld Place]], later stolen by [[Mundungus Fletcher]], who gave it to [[Dolores Umbridge]] as a bribe
+
|The [[The Cave|Crystal Cave]], later stolen by the combined efforts of [[Regulus Black]] and [[Kreacher]];<ref name="DH10" /> moved to [[12 Grimmauld Place]], later stolen by [[Mundungus Fletcher]], who gave it to [[Dolores Umbridge]] as a bribe<ref name="DH11">{{DH|B|11}}</ref>
|A [[Muggle]] [[Muggle tramp|tramp]]
+
|A [[Non-magic people|Muggle]] [[Unidentified Muggle tramp|tramp]]
  +
|Unknown
|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]
 
  +
|c. [[1946]] or later, but before [[1979]]
|Stabbed with [[Godric Gryffindor]]'s [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword|Sword]]
 
  +
|-
|[[Forest of Dean]]
 
  +
! width="10%" |Destroyed by
|[[28 December]], [[1997]]
 
  +
! width="10%" |Destruction method
  +
! width="10%" |Destruction site
  +
! width="10%" | Date destroyed
  +
|-
  +
|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]<ref name="DH19" />
  +
|Stabbed with the [[Sword of Gryffindor]]<ref name="DH19" />
  +
|[[Forest of Dean]], Gloucestershire<ref name="DH19" />
  +
|[[28 December]] [[1997]]<ref name="DH19" />
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[Helga Hufflepuff's Cup]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[Hufflepuff's Cup]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[File:Cuupp.jpg|150px]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[File:Hufflepuff's Cup DHF promo.jpg|150px]]
 
|-
 
|-
!width="30%"|Hiding place
+
! width="30%" |Hiding place
!width="30%"|Created with the murder of
+
! width="30%" |Created with the murder of
!width="10%"|Destroyed by
+
! width="30%" |Location of murder
!width="10%"|Destruction method
+
! width="30%" |Date created
!width="10%"|Destruction site
 
!width="10%"|Date Destroyed
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|The [[Lestrange family]] [[Lestrange Vault|vault]] at [[Gringotts Wizarding Bank]]
 
|The [[Lestrange family]] [[Lestrange Vault|vault]] at [[Gringotts Wizarding Bank]]
|[[Hepzibah Smith]]
+
|[[Hepzibah Smith]]<ref name="HBP20" />
  +
|[[Hepzibah Smith]]'s home<ref name="HBP20" />
  +
|c. [[1946]] or later
  +
|-
  +
! width="10%" |Destroyed by
  +
! width="10%" |Destruction method
  +
! width="10%" |Destruction site
  +
! width="10%" | Date destroyed
  +
|-
 
|[[Hermione Granger]]
 
|[[Hermione Granger]]
|Stabbed with a [[Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk|Basilisk]] fang
+
|Stabbed with a [[Serpent of Slytherin|Basilisk]] fang<ref name="DH31" />
|[[Chamber of Secrets]]
+
|[[Chamber of Secrets]], [[Hogwarts Castle]]<ref name="DH31" />
|[[Battle of Hogwarts]], [[2 May]], [[1998]]
+
|[[Battle of Hogwarts]], [[2 May]] [[1998]]<ref name="DH31" />
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[Ravenclaw's Diadem]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[File:Diademm.jpg|150px]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[File:Ravenclaws Diadem.png|150px]]
 
|-
 
|-
!width="30%"|Hiding place
+
! width="30%" |Hiding place
!width="30%"|Created with the murder of
+
! width="30%" |Created with the murder of
!width="10%"|Destroyed by
+
! width="30%" | Location of murder
!width="10%"|Destruction method
+
! width="30%" |Date created
!width="10%"|Destruction site
 
!width="10%"|Date Destroyed
 
 
|-
 
|-
|In the [[Room of Requirement]] at [[Hogwarts Castle]]
+
|In the [[Room of Requirement]] at [[Hogwarts Castle]]<ref name="DH31" />
 
|An [[Albanian peasant]]
 
|An [[Albanian peasant]]
|[[Vincent Crabbe]]
+
|[[Albania]]
  +
| c. [[1946]] or later
|Unintentionally incinerated with [[Fiendfyre]]
 
|[[Room of Requirement]]
 
|[[Battle of Hogwarts]], 2 May 1998
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[Harry Potter]]<ref name=harry>Harry Potter was not technically a Horcrux, as the process for becoming a Horcrux was not used. [http://pottercast.the-leaky-cauldron.org/episode/show/166 J.K. Rowling Interview]</ref>
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[File:Dhharryroomhighreso.jpg|150px]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
!width="30%"|Hiding place
+
! width="10%" |Destroyed by
!width="30%"|Created with the murder of
+
! width="10%" |Destruction method
!width="10%"|Destroyed by
+
! width="10%" |Destruction site
!width="10%"|Destruction method
+
! width="10%" |Date destroyed
!width="10%"|Destruction site
 
!width="10%"|Date Destroyed
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Vincent Crabbe]]<ref name="DH31" />
|Inadvertently part of Harry's soul
 
  +
|[[Fiendfyre]]
|"[[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] had rendered his soul so unstable that it broke apart when he committed those acts of unspeakable evil, the murder of [[James and Lily Potter|Harry's]] parents, the attempted killing of a child [[Harry Potter|Harry]]."<!-- There is no clear consensus on whether or not the deaths of Harry's parents contributed to the instability of Voldemort's soul that resulted in the fragment breaking loose when the curse rebounded. Until this is verified by a canon source, it remains unknown. -->
 
  +
|[[Room of Requirement]], [[Hogwarts Castle]]
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
|Destroyed with a [[Killing Curse]]
 
|[[Forbidden Forest]]
 
 
|[[Battle of Hogwarts]], 2 May 1998
 
|[[Battle of Hogwarts]], 2 May 1998
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[Nagini]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[Nagini]]
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
 
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue"|[[File:Serp.jpg|150px]]
+
! colspan="4" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[File:Nagini PM.png|150px]]
 
|-
 
|-
!width="30%"|Hiding place
+
! width="30%" |Hiding place
!width="30%"|Created with the murder of
+
! width="30%" |Created with the murder of
!width="10%"|Destroyed by
+
! width="30%" |Location of murder
!width="10%"|Destruction method
+
! width="30%" |Date created
!width="10%"|Destruction site
 
!width="10%"|Date Destroyed
 
 
|-
 
|-
|Always by [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort's]] side after the cup was stolen
+
|Always with [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] after the cup was stolen<ref name="DH27" />
 
|[[Bertha Jorkins]]<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/0730-bloomsbury-chat.html J.K. Rowling and the Live Chat, Bloomsbury.com, 30 July, 2007]</ref>
 
|[[Bertha Jorkins]]<ref>[http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/0730-bloomsbury-chat.html J.K. Rowling and the Live Chat, Bloomsbury.com, 30 July, 2007]</ref>
  +
|[[Albania]]
  +
|Summer [[1994]]
  +
|-
  +
! width="10%" |Destroyed by
  +
! width="10%" |Destruction method
  +
! width="10%" |Destruction site
  +
! width="10%" |Date destroyed
  +
|-
 
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
 
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
|Beheaded with [[Godric Gryffindor]]'s [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword|Sword]]
+
|Beheaded with the [[Sword of Gryffindor]]<ref name="DH36" />
|[[Entrance Hall]] of [[Hogwarts Castle|Hogwarts]]
+
|Front steps of [[Hogwarts Castle|Hogwarts]]<ref name="DH36" />
 
|[[Battle of Hogwarts]], 2 May 1998
 
|[[Battle of Hogwarts]], 2 May 1998
 
|}
 
|}
   
  +
===Pseudo-Horcruxes===
==Etymology==
 
  +
While he did not fit the definition of a Horcrux, as he was not created intentionally using the [[Horcrux-making spell]] for the purpose of obtaining immortality, Harry Potter essentially became a Horcrux. After Voldemort's curse rebounded on him, a piece of his mangled soul split off and latched onto Harry. Dumbledore explained that for simplicity's sake, Harry was a Horcrux.<ref name="Harry not Horcrux">{{cite web|url=http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/1217-pottercast-anelli.html|title=Anelli, Melissa, John Noe and Sue Upton. "PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling, part one." PotterCast #130, 17 December 2007.|quote=But I think, by definition, a Horcrux has to be made intentionally. So, because Voldemort never went through the grotesque process that I imagined creates a Horcrux, with Harry, it was just that he had destabilised his soul so much that it split when he was hit by the back-firing curse. And so this part of it flies off and attaches to the only living thing in the room. A part of it flees in the very close-to-death limbo state that Voldemort then goes on and exists in. I suppose it's very close to being a Horcrux. But Harry was not-- did not become an evil object. He wasn't-- he didn't have curses upon him that the other Horcruxes had. [...] Now, I know that won't end the debate, but I do think that the strict definition of Horcrux, once I write The Scottish Book, will have to be given and that the definition will be: the receptacle is prepared by dark magic to become the receptacle of a fragmented piece of soul and that that piece of soul deliberately detached from the Master Soul to act as a future safeguard or anchor to life and to safeguard against death.}}</ref>
The word ''Horcrux'' may be derived from the French ''dehors'', meaning "outside," and ''crux'', meaning "soul". In a nutshell, ''Horcrux'' may mean ''"The Soul Outside"''.<ref>[http://www.mugglenet.com/levelnine/horcruxes/howtheywork.shtml MuggleNet: Horcruxes]</ref>
 
  +
  +
{| class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
  +
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
  +
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[Harry Potter]]<ref>Harry Potter was not technically a Horcrux, as the process for becoming a Horcrux was not used.</ref>
  +
|- style="text-align: center; background: #ccc"
  +
! colspan="6" style="background: lightsteelblue" |[[File:Harry Potter.jpg|150px]]
  +
|-
  +
! width="30%" |Hiding place
  +
!Created with the murder of
  +
! width="30%" |Location of murder
  +
! width="30%" | Date created
  +
|-
  +
|[[Harry Potter]]
  +
|[[Lily J. Potter]]
  +
|[[Godric's Hollow]], [[West Country]]
  +
|[[31 October]] [[1981]]
  +
|-
  +
! width="10%" |Destroyed by
  +
!Destruction method
  +
! width="10%" |Destruction site
  +
! width="10%" |Date destroyed
  +
|-
  +
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
  +
|[[Killing Curse]]
  +
|[[Forbidden Forest]], [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
  +
|[[2 May]] [[1998]]
  +
|}
  +
  +
== Etymology==
  +
The word ''Horcrux'' may be comprised of "''hor''" or "''hore''" (old English/middle-English) meaning "dirt, evil, impurity" and "''crux''" or "''crúce''" (old English) meaning "container, pitcher(ful), jar" which would therefore mean "container of evil".
  +
  +
Alternatively, ''Horcrux'' can be seen as a combination of a shortening of "''horrible''" and "''crux''" (meaning "''{{W|Christian cross|the Cross}}''" in Latin). In this sense, a Horcrux would be something that a follower of the Cross would regard as horrible.
  +
  +
On the other hand, "''hor''" could be derived from the French "''hors''", which means "outside". Thus, "Horcrux" would mean something that is "outside what is permitted under the Cross".
   
  +
The Greek "''hor''" means "boundary", which could refer to the boundary between life and death. Latin "''crux''" also lends way to words such as "''crucify''" and "''excruciating''", meaning "pain/torture", which may describe either the experience of ripping one's soul apart, or the terrible deeds that had to be performed in order to create a Horcrux.
The word ''Horcrux'' may be also composed by ''"hor"'' or ''"hore"'' (old English/middle-English) meaning ''"dirt, evil, impurity"'' and ''"crux"'' or ''"crúce"'' (old English) meaning ''"container, pitcher(ful), jar"''. Besides, ''Horcrux'' is a contraction from ''"horrible"'' (English) meaning ''"frightful, flagitious, unworthy, wretched, terrible, monstrous, fearful"'' and ''"crux" ''(Latin) meaning ''"the Cross".''
 
   
==Behind the scenes==
+
==Behind the scenes ==
*[[J. K. Rowling]] revealed in [[Pottermore]] that Prof. [[Quirinus Quirrell]] served as a temporary Horcrux when Voldemort's soul possessed his body during Harry Potter's [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|first year]] at Hogwarts.<ref name="quirrell"/> A notable difference however is that the piece of soul within Quirrell was able to exist without its container, as it abandoned Quirrell and left him to die in the [[Underground Chambers]].
+
*[[J. K. Rowling]] stated in {{PM}} that Professor [[Quirinus Quirrell]] served as a temporary Horcrux when Voldemort's soul possessed his body during Harry Potter's [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|first year]] at Hogwarts.<ref name="quirrell">{{WW|professor-quirrell}} - Quirrell was not technically a Horcrux, as he contained the Master Soul, not a soul fragment, and was not created using the Horcrux-making spell.</ref> A notable difference, however, is that the piece of soul within Quirrell was able to exist without its container, as it abandoned Quirrell and left him to die in the [[Underground Chambers]]. This is due to it being the "master" soul that serves as the awareness and consciousness of Voldemort's psyche.
:*Based on this, the animals that Voldemort inhabited during his years of exile, such as rats and snakes, can also be considered as temporary Horcruxes.
+
**Based on this, the animals that Voldemort inhabited during his years of exile, such as rats and snakes, can also be considered temporary Horcruxes.
*[[J. K. Rowling]] knows exactly what the process for the creation of a Horcrux is, but is not telling yet. The information will be included in the [[Harry Potter Encyclopedia]]. She has told her editor what the process is and revealed that the editor felt like vomiting afterwards. All she will say is that a spell is involved, and a horrific act is performed.<ref name="Pottercast"/> However, since the encyclopedia may have been canceled, the information may eventually be revealed on [[Pottermore]].
+
*J. K. Rowling knows exactly what the process for the creation of a Horcrux, but has yet to reveal it. All Rowling has revealed is that a [[Horcrux-making spell|spell]] is performed, along with a horrific act.<ref name="Pottercast" /> The information was initially planned to be revealed in the ''[[Encyclopaedia of Potterworld]]''.
  +
** The likelihood of the incantation to this spell being revealed is very low, as Rowling said that she could not "possibly tell [us]. Some things are better left unsaid." in an interview, on July 30th, 2007.
*J. K. Rowling described the invention of the Horcrux as comparable to the splitting of the atom: "''Something that people imagined might be able to be done, but couldn't quite bring it off, and then... and then people started doing it with sometimes catastrophic effects.''"<ref name="Pottercast"/>
 
  +
*J. K. Rowling described the invention of the Horcrux as comparable to the splitting of the atom: "''Something that people imagined might be able to be done, but couldn't quite bring it off, and then... and then people started doing it with sometimes catastrophic effects.''"<ref name="Pottercast" />
*In an interview, J. K. Rowling was asked why the Horcrux within Harry wasn't destroyed after he was poisoned by the basilisk in ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]''. She replied that [[Fawkes]]'s tears "mended" him before he could be destroyed beyond repair.<ref>[http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/10/20/j-k-rowling-at-carnegie-hall-reveals-dumbledore-is-gay-neville-marries-hannah-abbott-and-scores-more J. K. Rowling at Carnegie Hall Reveals Dumbledore is Gay; Neville Marries Hannah Abbott, and Much More]</ref>
 
  +
*In an interview, J. K. Rowling was asked why the Horcrux within Harry wasn't destroyed after he was poisoned by the basilisk in {{COS}}. She replied that [[Fawkes]]'s tears "mended" him before he could be destroyed beyond repair.<ref>[http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/10/20/j-k-rowling-at-carnegie-hall-reveals-dumbledore-is-gay-neville-marries-hannah-abbott-and-scores-more J. K. Rowling at Carnegie Hall Reveals Dumbledore is Gay; Neville Marries Hannah Abbott, and Much More]</ref>
*The only Horcrux that Harry personally destroyed was Tom Riddle's Diary, even though he was the only one clearly stated to be sent for the mission. Also, he did not even know that it was a Horcrux at the time. The [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring|Ring]] was destroyed by [[Albus Dumbledore]], the [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|Locket]] by [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]], the [[Helga Hufflepuff's Cup|Cup]] by [[Hermione Granger]], the [[Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem|Diadem]] with [[Fiendfyre]] that was conjured by [[Vincent Crabbe]], [[Nagini]] was killed by [[Neville Longbottom]], and the fragment within Harry was inadvertently destroyed by Voldemort himself. In the film adaptation, however, the Diadem is stabbed with a basilisk's fang by Harry and then kicked by Ron into the oncoming Fiendfyre.
 
  +
*The only Horcrux that Harry personally destroyed was [[T. M. Riddle's Diary]], even though he was the only one clearly stated to be sent for the mission. Also, he did not even know that it was a Horcrux at the time. [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]] was destroyed by [[Albus Dumbledore]], [[Slytherin's Locket]] by [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]], [[Hufflepuff's Cup]] by [[Hermione Granger]], [[Ravenclaw's Diadem]] with [[Fiendfyre]] that was conjured by [[Vincent Crabbe]], [[Nagini]] was killed by [[Neville Longbottom]], and the fragment within Harry was inadvertently destroyed by Voldemort himself. In the film adaptation, however, the Diadem is stabbed with a basilisk's fang by Harry and then kicked by Ron into the oncoming Fiendfyre.
*Of the seven Horcruxes Voldemort created (intentionally and unintentionally), four of them were destroyed during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], along with Voldemort himself.
 
  +
*Of the seven Horcruxes Voldemort created (intentionally and unintentionally), four of them were destroyed during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], along with Voldemort himself. In fact, aside from [[Slytherin's Locket|Salazar Slytherin's Locket]], all Horcruxes were destroyed within Hogwarts grounds, either during or before the aforementioned battle.
*In the [[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|film version]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'', the only Horcruxes mentioned are the diary, the ring, and the locket, leaving Harry with no direction in the [[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)|film adaptations]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''. In addition, [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]] hides Harry's potion book while Harry closes his eyes (as well as kissing him for the very first time), and there is no indication that Harry sees the diadem.
 
  +
*In {{HBP|FA}}, the only Horcruxes mentioned are the diary, the ring, and the locket, leaving Harry with no direction in {{DH|F1}} and {{DH|F2}}. In addition, [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]] hides Harry's potion book while Harry closes his eyes (as well as kissing him for the very first time), and there is no indication that Harry sees the diadem.
*There has been controversy of the fact that, in the films, Harry, Ron and Hermione do not have any leads to find the remaining Horcruxes, apart from the locket. However, in the [[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|film version]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'', it is shown that a Horcrux will leave a ''trace'' of Dark magic - this gives the person who touches the Horcrux visions of associated events and other related Horcruxes. A scene in the sixth film shows Harry touching [[Marvolo Gaunt]]'s [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring|Ring]] and experiencing a flow of high speed visions including [[Tom Riddle]] screaming in agony (possibly due to the method of ripping his soul) and [[Nagini]], one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes. This is also stated in Steve Klove's script for the film. This would ultimately lead Harry, Ron, and Hermione to know most (if not all) of the Horcruxes in the [[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)|film versions]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''.
 
  +
* There has been controversy of the fact that, in the films, Harry, Ron and Hermione do not have any leads to find the remaining Horcruxes, apart from the locket. However, in {{HBP|FA}}, it is shown that a Horcrux will leave a ''trace'' of Dark magic - this gives the person who touches the Horcrux visions of associated events and other related Horcruxes. A scene in the sixth film shows Harry touching [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]] and experiencing a flow of high speed visions including [[Tom Riddle]] screaming in agony (possibly due to the method of ripping his soul) and [[Nagini]], one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes. This is also stated in Steve Klove's script for the film. This would ultimately lead Harry, Ron, and Hermione to know most (if not all) of the Horcruxes in {{DH|F1}} and {{DH|F2}}.
*A person who is a Horcrux also seems to possess some of the creator's abilities such as [[Harry Potter]] being able to use Parseltongue which is one of [[Voldemort]]'s inherited abilities. It also creates a mental link between the two the strength of which seems to depend upon the strength of the creator. For example, when Voldemort was weak and only in a spiritual form, Harry could only sense his presence when he was close by and feel his anger, but after he returned to somewhat of a body, this expanded a bit into the occasional dream vision of things happening with Voldemort. After Voldemort returned to full power, this link expanded so that Harry got full visions in his dreams of what Voldemort was dwelling upon, but the link can also be two-way and Voldemort was able to use it and Legilimency to implant a false vision in Harry's mind. The link can be shut off with Occlumency on the part of one of the two with the link, but if the Occlumency slips, the link can reopen. The only way to sever the link completely and remove the abilities the Horcrux gives is to destroy the Horcrux itself.
 
  +
*A person who is a Horcrux also seems to possess some of the creator's abilities such as [[Harry Potter]] being able to use Parseltongue which is one of [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s inherited abilities. It also creates a mental link between the two the strength of which seems to depend upon the strength of the creator. For example, when Voldemort was weak and only in a spiritual form, Harry could only sense his presence when he was close by and feel his anger, but after he returned to somewhat of a body, this expanded a bit into the occasional dream vision of things happening with Voldemort. After Voldemort returned to full power, this link expanded so that Harry got full visions in his dreams of what Voldemort was dwelling upon, but the link can also be two-way and Voldemort was able to use it and Legilimency to implant a false vision in Harry's mind. The link can be shut off with Occlumency on the part of one of the two with the link, but if the Occlumency slips, the link can reopen. The only way to sever the link completely and remove the abilities the Horcrux gives is to destroy the Horcrux itself.
*It is debatable if the Killing Curse can destroy inanimate Horcruxes, although given the extreme measures Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to go through to obtain Basilisk venom to destroy the Horcruxes they found during their [[Horcrux hunt|search]], it seems unlikely (though it stands to reason that the trio would refuse to use the Killing Curse, although in the films Ron does try to kill Nagini with the Killing Curse).
 
  +
*It is debatable if the Killing Curse can destroy inanimate Horcruxes, although given the extreme measures Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to go through to obtain Basilisk venom to destroy the Horcruxes they found during their [[Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter's Horcrux Hunt|search]], it seems unlikely. It is also possible that none of them were capable of performing the curse, as successfully executing an unforgivable curse requires dark intentions, making it nearly impossible for a non-dark wizard to do.
*According to Dumbledore, Voldemort was preserving the creation of his Horcruxes for significant deaths. However, this stands to be another one of Dumbledore's deductions being wrong, as Voldemort has used a [[Muggle tramp]] and [[Albanian peasant]] to create two of his Horcruxes, with no known significance for the two. However, Dumbledore only knew for certain of two of the murders committed to create Voldemort's Horcruxes: the murder of [[Myrtle|Moaning Myrtle]] (his very first killing) to create the diary, and murder of [[Tom Riddle Sr.]], his father, for the Gaunt Ring Horcrux. Both of these murders were very significant, but it turns out later that Dumbledore was incorrect that all Horcrux-related deaths were important ones.
 
  +
* According to Dumbledore, Voldemort was preserving the creation of his Horcruxes for significant deaths. However, this stands to be another one of Dumbledore's deductions being wrong, as Voldemort has used a [[Unidentified Muggle tramp|Muggle tramp]] and [[Albanian peasant]] to create two of his Horcruxes, with no known significance for the two. However, Dumbledore only knew for certain of two of the murders committed to create Voldemort's Horcruxes: the murder of [[Myrtle Warren|Moaning Myrtle]] (his very first killing) to create the diary, and murder of [[Tom Riddle Senior|Tom Riddle Snr]], his father, for the Gaunt Ring Horcrux. Both of these murders were very significant, but it turns out later that Dumbledore was incorrect that all Horcrux-related deaths were important ones.
 
*J.K. Rowling's exact definition of a Horcrux is "a receptacle prepared by dark magic in which a Dark wizard has intentionally hidden a fragment of his soul for the purpose of attaining immortality."<ref>http://www.accio-quote.org/jkrwebsite.html</ref>
 
*J.K. Rowling's exact definition of a Horcrux is "a receptacle prepared by dark magic in which a Dark wizard has intentionally hidden a fragment of his soul for the purpose of attaining immortality."<ref>http://www.accio-quote.org/jkrwebsite.html</ref>
*The concept of a "soul container" is not original to the world of ''Harry Potter''. See [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SoulJar this page] for more information.
+
* The concept of a "soul container" is not original to the world of ''Harry Potter''. See [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SoulJar Soul Jar] on TV Tropes, for more information.
  +
**Most notably, the concept of storing ones soul in an external vessel is similar to the idea of a Lich, popularised by the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons. A lich is a spell-caster who has stored their soul in a vessel called a phylactery to prevent death.
*Interestingly, no one destroyed more than two Horcruxes (counting Quirrell) and half of them were destroyed by someone other than Harry, Ron, and Hermione. (This does not apply to the films, however, as Harry (and Ron, to an extent) destroy the diadem, which is destroyed by Crabbe in the book)
 
  +
*It is unknown whether a Dark wizard protected by a Horcrux could still be killed by being thrown through the [[Veil]]. It's also unknown whether a Horcrux could be [[Dementor's Kiss|kissed]] by a [[Dementor]], thereby presumably destroying it.
*Interestingly, the majority of the people who destroyed Voldemort's Horcruxes didn't know what they were destroying at the time. Neville didn't know what Horcruxes were when he killed Nagini, Harry didn't know about Horcruxes when he destroyed the diary, Voldemort didn't know he was destroying a Horcrux when he attempted to kill Harry Potter, and Vincent Crabbe didn't know what he was destroying when he destroyed the diadem. Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore all knew that they were destroying Horcruxes, which was exactly what they were trying to do.
 
  +
* Interestingly, no one destroyed more than two Horcruxes (counting Quirrell) and half of them were destroyed by someone other than Harry, Ron, and Hermione. (This does not apply to the films, however, as Harry (and Ron, to an extent) destroy the diadem, which is destroyed by Crabbe in the book.) The majority of the people who destroyed Voldemort's Horcruxes didn't know what they were destroying at the time. Neville didn't know what Horcruxes were when he killed Nagini, Harry didn't know about Horcruxes when he destroyed the diary, Voldemort didn't know he was destroying a Horcrux when he attempted to kill Harry Potter, and Vincent Crabbe didn't know what he was destroying when he destroyed the diadem. Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore all knew that they were destroying Horcruxes, which was exactly what they were trying to do.
*The books previously established that Voldemort can't feel when a Horcrux is destroyed. However, this was completely reversed in the movies. That is the reason he starts on the journey of seeing if all the Horcruxes are safe in the books, but in the movies it is unclear if he even checks his hiding spots. When Hermione destroys the Hufflepuff Cup, Voldemort, Harry and Nagini all seem to be momentarily incapacitated by pain. This is also happens when the Ravenclaw Diadem and Nagini are destroyed, clearly showing that all Horcruxes and the Master Soul feel the destruction of the others.
 
  +
*The books previously established that Voldemort cannot feel when a Horcrux is destroyed. However, this was completely reversed in the movies. That is the reason he starts on the journey of seeing if all the Horcruxes are safe in the books, but in the movies it is unclear if he even checks his hiding spots. When Hermione destroys the Hufflepuff Cup, Voldemort, Harry and Nagini all seem to be momentarily incapacitated by pain. This also happens when the Ravenclaw Diadem and Nagini are destroyed, clearly showing that all Horcruxes and the Master Soul feel the destruction of the others.
  +
**Interestingly enough, this only starts to happen when the cup is destroyed, as Harry does not react to the locket's destruction and Voldemort remains oblivious when both it and the ring are destroyed. The reason for this is unclear, but it may be because the cup marked the destruction of half of Voldemort's soul, or possibly because Voldemort wasn't aware that his Horcruxes were being hunted until the cup was stolen.
  +
*In the fairy tale ''[[The Warlock's Hairy Heart]]'', the [[Warlock (The Warlock's Hairy Heart)|main character]] of the story stores his [[Hairy Heart|own heart]] outside of his body via dark magic, similar to Horcruxes in both function and consequences. It was a feat considered impossible outside of the storybook, and was probably a metaphor for Horcrux-making, altered so that misguided readers may not try to imitate the exact process, but still similar enough for virtuous reader to understand the story's Æsop. This in turn resembles the Slavic tales of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koschei Koschei the Deathless].
  +
*According to Dumbledore, even when Voldemort's Horcruxes were destroyed, his brain and his magical power would remain intact.<ref name="HBP23" /> This was demonstrated to be true during the brief period of time between the death of Nagini (the final Horcrux) and Voldemort's final death.
  +
*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]] and [[Lucius Malfoy]] both never learned that they were each entrusted with a Horcrux despite being told to keep them under the strictest security. Furthermore, [[Severus Snape]] was unable to figure out Voldemort had created Horcruxes despite being told that a fragment of Voldemort's soul resides within Harry. In fact, despite Voldemort surviving the first rebounding Killing Curse and telling his [[Death Eaters]] that he alone went further than anyone on the path of immortality, none of them were able to understand that he utilised Horcruxes to achieve this. This all suggests that even among the most devoted Dark Arts practitioners such as them, they could not fathom that their master would dare mutilate his own soul for the sake of immortality. The only Death Eater who successfully learned Voldemort had created a Horcrux was [[Regulus Black]] and indeed he, despite coming from a family that had quite the affinity for the Dark Arts, was utterly horrified upon finding out and tried to destroy it.
  +
*In the season 12 episode ''[https://supernatural.fandom.com/wiki/The_One_You%27ve_Been_Waiting_For The One You've Been Waiting]'' of the American TV series ''Supernatural'', [https://supernatural.fandom.com/wiki/Nazi_Pocket_Watch a mystical artefact] containing the soul of [https://supernatural.fandom.com/wiki/Adolf_Hitler Adolf Hitler] was described as a Horcrux by [https://supernatural.fandom.com/wiki/Christoph_Nauhaus Christoph Nauhaus] while explaining how it worked which protagonist Sam Winchester recognised as a ''Harry Potter'' reference. Like a Horcrux in ''Harry Potter'', it saved the soul of the creator to ensure their survival and eventual return.
  +
*It is interesting to note that all of Voldemort's Horcruxes were destroyed in the same order they were created in. Even all the way down to how Harry was accidentally made a pseudo-Horcrux between Voldemort's creations of the Diadem and Nagini Horcruxes; Harry allowed himself to be "killed" by Voldemort between the destruction of the Diadem and Nagini being the last.
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
 
{{Imagecat|Images of Horcruxes}}
 
{{Imagecat|Images of Horcruxes}}
  +
*{{PS}} {{1st}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]''
 
  +
*{{PS|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{COS}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{COS|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''
 
  +
*{{COS|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{POA}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{POA|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''
 
  +
*{{POA|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{GOF}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{GOF|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'' {{1st ID}}
 
  +
*{{GOF|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{OOTP}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{OOTP|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''
 
  +
*{{OOTP|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]''
 
  +
*{{HBP}} {{1st ID}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]''
 
  +
*{{HBP|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{HBP|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{DH}}
*''[[Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|F1}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|F2}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|G1}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|G2}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]''
 
  +
*{{CC}} {{Mention}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter|Harry Potter LEGO Sets]]''
 
  +
*{{CC|P}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{TBB|R}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{JKRS}}
  +
*{{PM}}
  +
*{{WW}}
  +
*{{HPPU}}
  +
*{{HPV|CH}}
  +
*{{HPV|CR}} {{Mention}}
  +
*''[[PotterCast]]'' {{Mention}}
  +
*{{LEGO|C1}}
  +
*{{LEGO|C2}}
  +
*{{LEGO|B}}
  +
*{{LEGO|C}}
  +
*{{LEGO|D}}
  +
*{{LEGO|Y1}}
  +
*{{LEGO|Y2}}
  +
*{{LEGO}}
  +
*{{QWC}}
  +
*{{TCG}}
  +
*{{HPK}}
  +
*{{HM}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{WU}}
  +
*{{PAS}}
  +
*{{MA}} {{HoM mention}}
  +
*{{HL}} {{Mention}}
   
 
==Notes and references==
 
==Notes and references==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}
 
 
[[de:Horkrux]]
 
[[de:Horkrux]]
  +
[[tr:Hortkuluk]]
  +
[[es:Horrocrux]]
  +
[[fi:Hirnyrkki]]
 
[[fr:Horcruxe]]
 
[[fr:Horcruxe]]
  +
[[he:הורקרוקס]]
  +
[[it:Horcrux]]
  +
[[ja:ホークラックス]]
 
[[nl:Gruzielement]]
 
[[nl:Gruzielement]]
 
[[pl:Horkruks]]
 
[[pl:Horkruks]]
  +
[[pt-br:Horcrux]]
 
[[ru:Крестраж]]
 
[[ru:Крестраж]]
  +
[[uk:Горокракс]]
[[fi:Hirnyrkki]]
 
  +
[[zh:魂器]]
[[ja:ホークラックス]]
 
  +
[[Category:Dark Magic]]
 
[[Category:Horcruxes|*]]
+
[[Category:Horcruxes]]
[[Category:Dark Magic Artefacts]]
 

Latest revision as of 11:33, 1 March 2024

"Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction —"
Magick Moste Evile on Horcruxes[src]

A Horcrux was an object in which a Dark wizard or witch had hidden a detached fragment of his or her soul in order to become immortal.[1][3] As long as the receptacle remained intact, so too did the soul fragment inside it, keeping the maker anchored to the world of the living, even if their body suffered fatal damage. The Horcrux was considered to be by far the most terrible of all Dark Magic.[1]

Horcruxes could only be created after committing murder, the supremest act of evil, as a means to tear the soul. The process for the creation of a Horcrux involved a spell and a horrific act of some sort was performed soon after the murder had been committed.[1]

Given that Horcruxes were utterly precious to those who made them, there were usually protective measures made to prevent them from being stolen or destroyed, such as counter-charms and curses. Horcruxes were also extremely durable, and therefore only the most powerful and potent elements and magical spells of the wizarding world could truly destroy them, such as Basilisk venom and Fiendfyre.

Origins and Documentation

The first known Horcrux was created by Herpo the Foul in Ancient Greece. The only other known creator of a Horcrux was Lord Voldemort, who was very likely the only person to have successfully created more than one Horcrux.[4]

Horcruxes were originally conceived of as being a singular act. As such, it was unknown for many centuries what the attempted creation of multiple Horcruxes would result in, as nobody thought it to be ever possible to accomplish such an act. However, Voldemort planned to create six Horcruxes in the hope that splitting his soul into seven pieces would make him stronger than just creating one, due to his belief in the power of the number seven.[1]

The nature and concepts of Horcruxes were so terrible that they were kept secret from most of the wizarding world, and very few people were ever made aware of their existence. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry banned any study of the subject of Horcruxes; Albus Dumbledore was especially adamant and fiercely strict in enforcing this rule.[1]

Secrets of the Darkest Art

Secrets of the Darkest Art was the only known book that gave clear instructions on making a Horcrux

Very few books, even those revolving around the Dark Arts, would mention Horcruxes even in the slightest detail: Magick Moste Evile, a book that contained much information of the most advanced Dark Arts, barely skimmed over the subject of Horcruxes, stating them to be a subject so evil that it should not ever be spoken of, showing that even many Dark wizards and witches were terribly horrified by them. In fact, only one book was known to provide specific, detailed instructions on the creation, nature, and consequences of a Horcrux: Secrets of the Darkest Art.

Secrets of the Darkest Art was once held in the Restricted Section of Hogwarts Library; however, due to the book's extremely dark and dangerous nature, Albus Dumbledore later hid it away in his office when he became the Headmaster of Hogwarts. It was believed that Tom Riddle had found all the required and necessary information to successfully make a Horcrux in this book before Dumbledore eventually managed to get hold of it.

No document in existence has information regarding a single individual creating multiple Horcruxes, as no wizard before Voldemort even thought of attempting such a feat; he only dared to when he asked the experienced Horace Slughorn for an expert opinion, under the guise of the idea of creating more than one Horcrux being only in theory.[1]

Nature and creation

"A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul... Well, you split your soul, you see, and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged."
Horace Slughorn on the nature of Horcruxes[src]
Horcrux creation

Tom Riddle creating his first Horcrux at the age of sixteen after murdering Myrtle Warren

To create a Horcrux, a wizard first had to damage their soul. This could only be achieved by deliberately and willingly committing a murder. This act, said to be the most supreme act of evil, resulted in the metaphysical sundering of their own soul. Only a true, deliberate and conscious act of murder against another person without any regret or remorse would suffice to rend the soul; killing out of self-defence or to protect another would not work, and neither would a mercy kill.

A wizard who wished to create a Horcrux would then use that damage to their advantage by casting a spell which would sever the damaged portion of the soul and encase it in a designated object.[1] The object used to contain the soul fragment could be just about anything, even a living being or creature could be made into a Horcrux. However creating a Horcrux out of an inanimate object was preferable, as it substantially decreased the chances of it being destroyed.[1]

Voldemort and Quirrell

Voldemort's parasitic form attached to the back of Quirrell's head after his original body was destroyed

As long as that object remained intact, the soul fragment inside it would live on, keeping the maker anchored to the living world, even if their body were to take fatal damage. If the maker's body was subjected to fatal conditions, they would continue to exist in the living world in a non-corporeal shade form,[5] somewhat similar to a ghost, but technically still alive. According to Horace Slughorn, very few would want to live in such a form, and death would be much more preferable to most. He personally found the concept so dreadful that he wished not to know the process of creating such a vile object.[1] Although, there were methods of regaining a physical body, such as by using the Philosopher's Stone to produce the Elixir of Life, or by brewing a Rudimentary body potion followed by a Regeneration potion.[6]

According to Secrets of the Darkest Art, the only known way to truly reunite the pieces of soul contained inside one or more Horcruxes was for the creator to feel genuine regret and remorse for what they had done to make them. The process of uniting broken pieces of a soul is said to have been extremely painful, and even potentially fatal, to any who did so.[7]

Horcruxes were said to be essentially the opposite of a person. Where a person's container, their body, could be destroyed without any damage to their soul, the fragment of soul contained inside a Horcrux was dependent on the container for its existence. If the container was destroyed, so too would the fragment of soul within it be.[1]

As a fragment of the maker's soul, a Horcrux seemed to retain the identity of its creator at the time of its creation. Voldemort, for instance, created a Horcrux (his diary) during what was presumably his fifth year at Hogwarts. As such, the fragment of soul contained within the Horcrux took on the appearance and mannerisms of Voldemort as he had been when he was sixteen years old.[1]

Multiple Horcruxes

Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes

Lord Voldemort's multiple Horcruxes

It was indeed possible to make more than one Horcrux, and as long as at least one was intact, then the maker would remain unable to die. However, creating multiple Horcruxes rendered the soul so unstable and liable to break apart on its own if the creator of the Horcruxes was subjected to what would normally be fatal conditions and lost their physical form.[1] For instance, Albus Dumbledore explicitly stated that Voldemort's soul had become so unstable that it simply "broke apart" when he tried to murder Harry Potter for the first time on 31 October 1981 in Godric's Hollow.[8]

It was stated at one point that Voldemort had already "pushed his soul to the limit"[9] in creating his multiple Horcruxes. This implied a finite number of Horcruxes any one person may create before the process became too dangerous to attempt again. It also implied that the creation of a Horcrux used a set amount of soul and that this amount had to be the same every time the process was undertaken. However, it should also be noted that Voldemort unintentionally split his soul into eight pieces when he had intended to render it into only seven, so what the true limit is on the number of Horcruxes one can create is not truly known.

Destruction

Harry Potter: "So if all of his Horcruxes are destroyed, Voldemort could be killed?"
Albus Dumbledore: "Yes, I think so. Without his Horcruxes, Voldemort will be a mortal man with a maimed and diminished soul."
— A discussion on how to go about killing Voldemort[src]
Riddle destroyed2

Harry Potter unknowingly destroying a Horcrux with a Basilisk fang

If all Horcruxes were destroyed, the anchor that kept the maker bound to the living world would be gone, and the maker would be mortal and killable again.

Destroying a Horcrux required that the object containing the soul fragment had to be damaged to the point beyond any and all possible means of physical or magical repair, which in the case of living receptacles, meant that they had to be killed.[4][10] However, Horcruxes, by their very nature, appeared to be extraordinarily durable, and seemed completely impervious to most known physical destruction methods and magical spells. Only the most powerful and potently destructive magic and processes could truly destroy them.[1] Furthermore, as a safety measure to protect one's immortality and precious soul fragment, the creator would usually place powerful enchantments onto the artefact to help prevent damage.

Riddle destroyed

The diary Horcrux being destroyed beyond repair

The only things known to be capable of destroying a Horcrux were the venom of a Basilisk, the most fearsome and deadly creature in the Wizarding world, and Fiendfyre, a dangerous and advanced curse that produced powerful enchanted flames that required extreme skill and concentration to control.[11] The Killing Curse could also be used to remove the foreign soul fragment from its vessel, though this was only seen used on a living Horcrux, so it is unknown if the Killing Curse would also work on an inanimate object Horcrux, like Marvolo Gaunt's Ring for instance.[12] The touch of sacrificial love was also effective in destroying a pseudo-Horcrux, Professor Quirrell, who at the time was being used as a vessel to house Voldemort's main soul piece.[13]

Although, it should be noted that Harry Potter was never an intentional Horcrux and so the Killing Curse may not work on a proper animate Horcrux (like Nagini). One should also consider that Harry had previously been exposed to Basilisk venom[14] (and saved through the speedy administration of phoenix tears, resulting in the soul fragment within him also being saved) and was under the protection of sacrificial love.

Locket destruction

Ron Weasley destroying the locket Horcrux with the Sword of Gryffindor

When a Horcrux was damaged to the point of destruction, it may appear to "bleed" (ink in the case of Tom Riddle's diary[14] and a "dark blood-like substance" in the case of Ravenclaw's Diadem)[11] and a ghostly scream of pain may be heard as the soul fragment perished.

It was unknown if the creator of the Horcrux would be able to sense that their soul fragment was destroyed, although Dumbledore stated that in the particular case of Voldemort, he would not feel their loss because his soul had been split too many times and had been in that state for so long that he simply got used to it.

Powers

Ron Weasley: "The bit of soul in that diary was possessing Ginny, wasn't it? How does that work, then?"
Hermione Granger: "While the magical container is still intact, the bit of soul inside it can flit in and out of someone if they get too close to the object. I don't mean holding it for too long... I mean close emotionally. Ginny poured her heart out into that diary, she made herself incredibly vulnerable. You're in trouble if you get too fond of or dependent on the Horcrux."
— A Horcrux's ability to possess and eventually control a person[src]

The main purpose and power of a Horcrux was to anchor the creator to the mortal realm for the sake of achieving immortality. As long as at least one Horcrux existed, the creator's soul would be bound to the world of the living. Hence, if the body was destroyed, the soul would remain as a lingering spirit instead of passing through to the other side. Though being in such a state of existence was what very few would prefer over death, the soul could possess other victims to regain physical form, which shortened the victim's lifespan drastically, as seen when Ginny Weasley lay unconscious in the main chamber of the Chamber of Secrets.[1] It was also possible (through a second party) to use certain potions to create a rudimentary body[15] or even the true body of the Horcrux creator's soul to possess.[6] Because of this purpose, a Horcrux was usually kept hidden and dormant, and its other powers were rarely explored or utilised.

TR diary

The diary sucking Harry Potter into itself, showing him a memory from fifty years ago

The fragment of a person's soul within a Horcrux was capable of thinking for itself and had certain magical abilities, including the ability to influence those in their vicinity and affect them mentally. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione were carrying Salazar Slytherin's locket around their necks in 1997, it brought out the worst in the trio by making them moodier, more prone to fighting, and darker aspects of them began to appear, especially Ron as he carried the locket much longer than his friends.[16]

However, when away from a Horcrux, its influence and effects would slowly begin to wane and then disappear and those influenced would return to their normal selves, as soon after leaving Ron in particular came back to his senses and regretted his actions. They were also unable to summon their Patronuses while wearing the locket since the soul fragment inside was darkening their thoughts. A person with an affinity for the Dark Arts and having a malicious disposition, on the other hand, would be greatly strengthened by the influence of a Horcrux, as Dolores Umbridge was when wearing Salazar Slytherin's locket.[17]

Ginevra Weasley Writing on the Wall

The diary Horcrux taking possession of Ginny Weasley

If a person was more emotionally vulnerable and was in physical contact with it for long enough, it was possible for the soul inside the Horcrux to take control of them, as when Ginny Weasley was put in a trance-like state during her first year at Hogwarts while in possession of Tom Riddle's diary. In fact, Voldemort took advantage of this possessive power over Ginny to reopen the Chamber of Secrets, using the diary as a weapon rather than a safeguard.[14] If given enough time and opportunity, the Horcrux would drain enough of the victim's life-force and soul to manifest itself into a more physical form, at the cost of killing the victim should it continue to completion. This quasi-sentient entity that was capable of depleting life-force to create a physical form differed from a "mere memory", which the diary's manifestation claimed itself to be, as no mere charmed object could achieve such a feat, though Lucius Malfoy thought that was what the diary simply was.[1]

In this way, a Horcrux could gradually feed on another person's life and negative emotions to strengthen itself and increase the ability of the soul fragment within to act independently in the physical world. The best example of this was in the case of T. M. Riddle's Diary. For decades, the diary lay dormant in Lucius Malfoy's possession, doing nothing other than safeguarding the soul fragment of Tom Riddle. When Ginny Weasley began to transcribe her fears and insecurities into the pages of the diary, the fragment of Tom Riddle's soul contained within was not only able to write back to Ginny but eventually drained enough life out of her to actually manifest itself in a semi-corporeal form and work magic with Harry Potter's wand.[14]

Umbridge locket

While she wore the locket Horcrux, the evil Dolores Umbridge grew stronger

Likewise, Slytherin's Locket gradually gained power when it was in the possession of Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the months prior to its destruction. It can be theorised that the locket gained somewhat less power from them (not enough for Riddle to fully manifest but still enough to speak and create illusions) because Harry, Ron, and Hermione were actively resisting the locket's influence instead of embracing it as Ginny had done with the diary.[14]

On the other hand, Horcruxes which had been isolated for long periods of time (such as Hufflepuff's Cup and Ravenclaw's Diadem) were passive by comparison and took no real measures to protect themselves. Even Slytherin's locket was fairly inert when it was initially discovered in a cabinet in the drawing-room at 12 Grimmauld Place. It displayed no powers and gave no indication that it possessed superior magical properties.[18]

Riddle-Harry and Riddle-Hermione taunting Ron

Sensing imminent destruction, the locket Horcrux taunted Ron as its last defence

Horcruxes also possessed some last line of defence against destruction. The fragment of soul within the Horcrux seems to be able to sense impending threats and can act to defend itself. For instance, Slytherin's locket viciously taunted Ron Weasley with visions of his deepest fears, hoping not only to prevent him from stabbing it with the Sword of Gryffindor but also to manipulate him into killing Harry Potter instead. It even attempted to strangle Harry when he was close to obtaining the Sword with the intent of piercing the locket.[19]

However, this form of defence may not be viable if the soul fragment in question is not given enough strength or chance to retaliate, as while Harry opened the locket with Parseltongue before allowing Ron to attack it, both Hufflepuff's Cup and Ravenclaw's Diadem were swiftly destroyed the moment the trio were given an opportunity.[11]

Aside from its self-defence mechanism from the soul fragment, a Horcrux is usually enchanted by the creator to have other forms of defences to prevent destruction. Marvolo Gaunt's Ring contained a deadly curse that would kill anyone who dared touch it.[20] At least Salazar Slytherin's Locket was unbreakable by even house-elf magic.[18] T. M. Riddle's Diary was completely waterproof and impervious to spilled ink.[21]

Side effects

"Tamper with the deepest mysteries — the source of life, the essence of self — only if prepared for consequences of the most extreme and dangerous kind."
— The first of the Fundamental Laws of Magic[src]

To create a Horcrux was to divide one's soul— the "essence of self" — and it was therefore in the creation of a Horcrux that one fell prey to Adalbert Waffling's first Fundamental Laws of Magic, which essentially stated that tampering with one's soul inevitably resulted in grave side effects. Creating Horcruxes was considered perhaps by far the most dreadful act possible.[22][1]

Dehumanisation

"Voldemort had entered the room. His features were not those Harry had seen emerge from the great stone cauldron almost two years ago: They were not as snakelike, the eyes were not yet scarlet, the face not yet masklike, and yet he was no longer handsome Tom Riddle. It was as though his features had been burned and blurred; they were waxy and oddly distorted, and the whites of the eyes now had a permanently bloody look, though the pupils were not yet the slits that Harry knew they would become."
— Tom Riddle's physical appearance after immersion into the Dark Arts[src]
Voldemortbaby

Voldemort's state after leaving Quirrell's body

One of these such side-effects was the "dehumanising" effect the mutilation of one's soul was said to have. The more Horcruxes one created, the less human they became, both emotionally and physically; for example, in the house-elf Hokey's memory, Tom Riddle was initially shown to be hollow-cheeked and pale-skinned but otherwise normal,[23] though ten years later, after making Horcruxes and becoming Voldemort, his features looked as if they had been burned and blurred, and his skin was extremely white.[14]

Voldemort2

Lord Voldemort after his Dark Arts transformation

One should note that it is unclear whether the red eyes and slit-like nostrils that Voldemort had after he was reborn were caused by having more Horcruxes than he did than when he applied for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position a second time,[23] whether they were characteristics of a person who had been resurrected with the help of serpents (which had continued to play key roles in his revival), or whether due to any other alterations he had made to himself. Dumbledore speculated that Voldemort underwent other dangerous transformations as well as creating Horcruxes and that it was a mixture of these, rather than just one thing, that resulted in Voldemort's hideous appearance.[1]

Instability

"You were the seventh Horcrux, Harry, the Horcrux he never meant to make. He had rendered his soul so unstable that it broke apart when he committed those acts of unspeakable evil, the murder of your parents, the attempted killing of a child. But what escaped from that room was even less than he knew. He left more than his body behind."
— Albus Dumbledore informing Harry Potter about the state of Voldemort's soul[src]

A third side effect of Horcrux creation was that the master soul itself became abundantly unstable (even with creating just one Horcrux).[1]

Voldemort Spirit

Voldemort's mangled and unstable soul

For example, the creation of Voldemort's sixth "Horcrux" (of seven) — Harry Potter — is known to be the direct result of this.[4] When Voldemort was hit by his own back-fired Killing Curse at Potters' home in Godric's Hollow, it caused Voldemort's soul to split, with one fragment immediately seeking out the only other living thing in the room and latching onto it — Harry Potter.

The rest of Voldemort's mutilated soul fled.[8] However, this parasitic fragment of Voldemort's soul that attached to Harry did not make him a true Horcrux, since it was not created intentionally and the necessary parts of the Horcrux creation process were not carried out.[24]

Notably, Voldemort appeared to be entirely unaware of this split, as he later created a seventh Horcrux in his quest to have six, and continued to target Harry Potter despite him now holding part of Voldemort’s own soul.

Limbo

"Something that is beyond either of our help..."
— The fate of those who create a Horcrux[src]
Voldemort's mutilated soul

After mangling his own soul through many Horcrux creations, the fragments of Voldemort are trapped in limbo for eternity

The final known side-effect of Horcrux creation was the inability to move on from limbo after death. This was seen when Voldemort's Killing Curse destroyed the part of his soul that resided in Harry Potter. This broken and mangled piece of soul[25] was forced to exist in the stunted form of a flayed and mutilated baby that Harry saw in King's Cross during his visit to limbo, unable to return to the land of the living as a ghost, and unable to move on to the afterlife because his soul was maimed and corrupted. The creature also appeared to be in constant agony and struggling merely to exist, as it was said to have been gasping raggedly for breath and crying in pain when Harry observed it.[8]

The same fate was implied to have been suffered by Voldemort's "main" soul piece, the one that inhabited his body; it is unknown if this was a standard fate meted out for all Horcrux creators, or if it was unique to Voldemort due to the number of his Horcruxes. Regardless, reconciliation apparently cannot occur after death, as the Horcrux-bound fragments of Voldemort's soul did not recombine with the primary fragment in his body when they were destroyed. As such, the greatest of all consequences incurred by Horcrux creation may be the possibility of eternal limbo of the soul. Voldemort's soul fragments also appeared to possess only the awareness and intelligence of the infant they appeared to be.[8]

Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes

"I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality...."
— Lord Voldemort to his gathered Death Eaters after his rebirth[src]
RestrictedLibrary

Restricted Section where Secrets of the Darkest Art was located

Lord Voldemort, obsessed with immortality and unable or unwilling to understand the importance of the soul's well-being, went further than any wizard known to history, creating seven Horcruxes — although he planned only six of them, as his intention was to split his soul in seven, the most magical number. He accidentally created a pseudo-Horcrux when he failed to murder Harry Potter in 1981,[8] and later made his pet snake Nagini into his seventh Horcrux. As a student named Tom Riddle at Hogwarts in the 1940s, he learned of Horcruxes through books in the Restricted Section at Hogwarts Library, including Secrets of the Darkest Art, and sought out Potions Master Horace Slughorn for further information about creating more than one, of which no book would have any record.

Albus Dumbledore removed all of those books from the Hogwarts Library soon afterwards, although later he suspected that Slughorn had given information to Riddle about Horcruxes, as Slughorn refused to reveal the true account of what really happened. Voldemort seemed to understand that his soul had a limit to how many times he could split it, as he ceased creating any more Horcruxes once he intentionally reached his desired six and refused to create any replacements for the ones that were destroyed. This held true even for the diary, the destruction of which he became aware of nearly two years before his eventual death, and which he could have replaced during that time.[1] That being said however, Voldemort was able to split his soul into eight fragments without noticing any ill effects despite thinking at the time that his primary soul fragment was a sixth of a soul, not a seventh.

Tom with ring

A teenage Tom Riddle wearing the ring Horcrux

Dumbledore later assigned Harry to retrieve the stored memory of it during the 1996-1997 school year, in which Harry was able to get it through the use of Felix Felicis.[1] Although Voldemort had been warned that the usage of Horcruxes would render one's soul to live a miserable existence should their living flesh be destroyed, and Voldemort even experienced this first hand for fourteen years, he nevertheless preferred to live in such a state when the alternative was death, which he feared the most because he regarded it as a shameful and ignominious human weakness, since he was willing to continue his creation of his sixth true Horcrux even in his crippled form.[5] Voldemort's streak of independence made it intolerable for him to utilise any other methods to obtain his immortality (such as the Elixir of Life); he chose to rely on Horcruxes because they were magical extensions of himself.[1]

Having split his soul multiple times, it became extremely unstable that upon his Killing Curse's first rebound on him, Voldemort's already maimed soul split apart and attached to the only living being in the room at the time: Harry Potter. It was also the creation of so many Horcruxes that led Voldemort's humanity to deteriorate severely. As Voldemort's soul fragments had been separated from him for so long, he could no longer feel them should they be destroyed.[8]

Dumbledore diary

Dumbledore holding the remnants of the diary Horcrux

This was part of Dumbledore and Harry's quest to determine, locate, and destroy, in secret, what they believed to be as many as four of Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes (two had already been destroyed). After Dumbledore's death, Harry took up the quest with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Hermione was able to summon the books on the subject to her from the Headmaster's office at the end of the 1996–1997 school year to aid them in their research on Horcruxes.[7]

Although Voldemort had six true Horcruxes (not including Harry) in total, no more than five existed at one time because T. M. Riddle's Diary was destroyed before Nagini was turned into a Horcrux. Concerning Horcrux Nagini, it is not known if she had to have been killed by the Sword of Gryffindor or if any other means, such as a regular sword killing her, would truly destroy the soul fragment along with her. However, as Albus Dumbledore stated, using a living being as a Horcrux was a risky business, due to it being able to move around and think for itself.[1] It is unknown if any method that would normally kill Nagini would also destroy the Horcrux. It is also unknown what would happen if Nagini had died a natural death, or if that were possible, since Horcruxes had mechanisms in place to prevent destruction.

All of Voldemort's Horcruxes were made from objects that had extreme monetary, historical or (in as much as he could feel) sentimental value, in his desire to secure his position as the greatest sorcerer in history, and that only noteworthy items could live up to his standards and have the honour of housing a fragment of his precious soul. As such, he had originally made it his desire to collect four items of the four founders of Hogwarts; he found only three, and gave up after failing to find the Sword of Gryffindor, but made Horcruxes out of other items that had sentimental value to himself, if not as a priceless artefact of the Wizarding world. Believing that the number seven is the most powerful number when it comes to magic, Voldemort intended to split his soul into seven pieces, with six Horcruxes housing one fragment each and his body containing the seventh.

Half-blood-prince-cave

The Crystal Cave, where the locket Horcrux was hidden

He hid these Horcruxes in special locations and kept their existence and purposes from absolutely everyone. However, his arrogance had also inadvertently let him leave behind subtle hints of their whereabouts, leading to their destruction. Because Voldemort was the first (and by far, the only) known wizard to have created more than one Horcrux, both Dumbledore and Voldemort himself believed that he was the closest to true immortality than any other wizard or witch before him.[1]

A secondary reason why Voldemort chose to create multiple Horcruxes is to utilise the effects of having a soul fragment to weaponise some of these artefacts, as opposed to keeping them as hidden safeguards. Voldemort felt more comfortable placing these few Horcruxes in the risk of destruction knowing he had more hidden safely to maintain his immortality. It was for this reason he chose to use his diary to reopen the Chamber of Secrets, and sending Nagini on missions from time to time.[1]

The Killing Curse

Voldemort murdering several goblins and Gringotts employees after hearing about the theft of one of his Horcruxes.

Although Voldemort created multiple Horcruxes so that it would not be as detrimental to him in case one was destroyed, he would nevertheless be furious if any one of them were destroyed. He was wrathful at Lucius Malfoy for indirectly causing the destruction of the diary Horcrux,[1] despite intending for it to be a weapon rather than a safeguard, due to Lucius acting without instruction. When Voldemort found out that Hufflepuff's Cup was stolen, he massacred many of the goblins and Gringotts employees within the bank, including Griphook, all of whom failed to protect the cup. Discovering that Slytherin's Locket and the Gaunt family ring were taken from their hiding places infuriated him even more, though it became more understandable as he was aware that he was losing more Horcruxes as time went on.[26]

Time constraints and his arrogance prevented him from adding more protection for the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw, which led to its destruction. He went out of his way to protect his last Horcrux, Nagini, and was totally horrified and angered beyond words when she was killed by Neville Longbottom with the Sword of Gryffindor, thus finally stripping him of his immortality.[27]

In an alternate reality where Cedric Diggory became a Death Eater and killed Neville during Voldemort's Last Stand, Nagini was not killed as a result, thereby allowing Voldemort to keep his immortality and successfully kill Harry Potter while also conquering the entire wizarding community. This timeline event was eventually undone by Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy.[28]

List of Voldemort's Horcruxes

T. M. Riddle's Diary
Tom Riddle's Diary
Hiding place Created with the murder of Location of murder Date created
In the possession of Lucius Malfoy, later given to Ginny Weasley (without her knowing it),[29][30] and eventually found by Harry Potter in the girls lavatory on the second floor[21] Myrtle Warren by the Serpent of Slytherin First-floor girls' lavatory, Hogwarts Castle June 1943
Destroyed by Destruction method Destruction site Date destroyed
Harry Potter Stabbed with one of the Basilisk's fangs[14] Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts Castle 29 May 1993
Marvolo Gaunt's Ring
Marvolo Gaunt's Ring1
Hiding place Created with the murder of Location of murder Date created
In the Gaunt Shack[31] Tom Riddle Senior with Morfin Gaunt's wand[31] Riddle House, Little Hangleton[31] c. August 1943[31]
Destroyed by Destruction method Destruction site Date destroyed
Albus Dumbledore Cut with the Sword of Gryffindor[1] Headmaster's office, Hogwarts Castle July 1996
Slytherin's Locket
Horcrux WB F7 SlytherinsLocketHorcrux Illust2
Hiding place Created with the murder of Location of murder Date created
The Crystal Cave, later stolen by the combined efforts of Regulus Black and Kreacher;[18] moved to 12 Grimmauld Place, later stolen by Mundungus Fletcher, who gave it to Dolores Umbridge as a bribe[32] A Muggle tramp Unknown c. 1946 or later, but before 1979
Destroyed by Destruction method Destruction site Date destroyed
Ron Weasley[19] Stabbed with the Sword of Gryffindor[19] Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire[19] 28 December 1997[19]
Hufflepuff's Cup
Hufflepuff's Cup DHF promo
Hiding place Created with the murder of Location of murder Date created
The Lestrange family vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank Hepzibah Smith[23] Hepzibah Smith's home[23] c. 1946 or later
Destroyed by Destruction method Destruction site Date destroyed
Hermione Granger Stabbed with a Basilisk fang[11] Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts Castle[11] Battle of Hogwarts, 2 May 1998[11]
Ravenclaw's Diadem
Ravenclaws Diadem
Hiding place Created with the murder of Location of murder Date created
In the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts Castle[11] An Albanian peasant Albania c. 1946 or later
Destroyed by Destruction method Destruction site Date destroyed
Vincent Crabbe[11] Fiendfyre Room of Requirement, Hogwarts Castle Battle of Hogwarts, 2 May 1998
Nagini
Nagini PM
Hiding place Created with the murder of Location of murder Date created
Always with Lord Voldemort after the cup was stolen[26] Bertha Jorkins[33] Albania Summer 1994
Destroyed by Destruction method Destruction site Date destroyed
Neville Longbottom Beheaded with the Sword of Gryffindor[27] Front steps of Hogwarts[27] Battle of Hogwarts, 2 May 1998

Pseudo-Horcruxes

While he did not fit the definition of a Horcrux, as he was not created intentionally using the Horcrux-making spell for the purpose of obtaining immortality, Harry Potter essentially became a Horcrux. After Voldemort's curse rebounded on him, a piece of his mangled soul split off and latched onto Harry. Dumbledore explained that for simplicity's sake, Harry was a Horcrux.[34]

Harry Potter[35]
Harry Potter
Hiding place Created with the murder of Location of murder Date created
Harry Potter Lily J. Potter Godric's Hollow, West Country 31 October 1981
Destroyed by Destruction method Destruction site Date destroyed
Lord Voldemort Killing Curse Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 2 May 1998

Etymology

The word Horcrux may be comprised of "hor" or "hore" (old English/middle-English) meaning "dirt, evil, impurity" and "crux" or "crúce" (old English) meaning "container, pitcher(ful), jar" which would therefore mean "container of evil".

Alternatively, Horcrux can be seen as a combination of a shortening of "horrible" and "crux" (meaning "the Cross" in Latin). In this sense, a Horcrux would be something that a follower of the Cross would regard as horrible.

On the other hand, "hor" could be derived from the French "hors", which means "outside". Thus, "Horcrux" would mean something that is "outside what is permitted under the Cross".

The Greek "hor" means "boundary", which could refer to the boundary between life and death. Latin "crux" also lends way to words such as "crucify" and "excruciating", meaning "pain/torture", which may describe either the experience of ripping one's soul apart, or the terrible deeds that had to be performed in order to create a Horcrux.

Behind the scenes

  • J. K. Rowling stated in Pottermore that Professor Quirinus Quirrell served as a temporary Horcrux when Voldemort's soul possessed his body during Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts.[36] A notable difference, however, is that the piece of soul within Quirrell was able to exist without its container, as it abandoned Quirrell and left him to die in the Underground Chambers. This is due to it being the "master" soul that serves as the awareness and consciousness of Voldemort's psyche.
    • Based on this, the animals that Voldemort inhabited during his years of exile, such as rats and snakes, can also be considered temporary Horcruxes.
  • J. K. Rowling knows exactly what the process for the creation of a Horcrux, but has yet to reveal it. All Rowling has revealed is that a spell is performed, along with a horrific act.[4] The information was initially planned to be revealed in the Encyclopaedia of Potterworld.
    • The likelihood of the incantation to this spell being revealed is very low, as Rowling said that she could not "possibly tell [us]. Some things are better left unsaid." in an interview, on July 30th, 2007.
  • J. K. Rowling described the invention of the Horcrux as comparable to the splitting of the atom: "Something that people imagined might be able to be done, but couldn't quite bring it off, and then... and then people started doing it with sometimes catastrophic effects."[4]
  • In an interview, J. K. Rowling was asked why the Horcrux within Harry wasn't destroyed after he was poisoned by the basilisk in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. She replied that Fawkes's tears "mended" him before he could be destroyed beyond repair.[37]
  • The only Horcrux that Harry personally destroyed was T. M. Riddle's Diary, even though he was the only one clearly stated to be sent for the mission. Also, he did not even know that it was a Horcrux at the time. Marvolo Gaunt's Ring was destroyed by Albus Dumbledore, Slytherin's Locket by Ron Weasley, Hufflepuff's Cup by Hermione Granger, Ravenclaw's Diadem with Fiendfyre that was conjured by Vincent Crabbe, Nagini was killed by Neville Longbottom, and the fragment within Harry was inadvertently destroyed by Voldemort himself. In the film adaptation, however, the Diadem is stabbed with a basilisk's fang by Harry and then kicked by Ron into the oncoming Fiendfyre.
  • Of the seven Horcruxes Voldemort created (intentionally and unintentionally), four of them were destroyed during the Battle of Hogwarts, along with Voldemort himself. In fact, aside from Salazar Slytherin's Locket, all Horcruxes were destroyed within Hogwarts grounds, either during or before the aforementioned battle.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the only Horcruxes mentioned are the diary, the ring, and the locket, leaving Harry with no direction in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. In addition, Ginny hides Harry's potion book while Harry closes his eyes (as well as kissing him for the very first time), and there is no indication that Harry sees the diadem.
  • There has been controversy of the fact that, in the films, Harry, Ron and Hermione do not have any leads to find the remaining Horcruxes, apart from the locket. However, in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it is shown that a Horcrux will leave a trace of Dark magic - this gives the person who touches the Horcrux visions of associated events and other related Horcruxes. A scene in the sixth film shows Harry touching Marvolo Gaunt's Ring and experiencing a flow of high speed visions including Tom Riddle screaming in agony (possibly due to the method of ripping his soul) and Nagini, one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes. This is also stated in Steve Klove's script for the film. This would ultimately lead Harry, Ron, and Hermione to know most (if not all) of the Horcruxes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
  • A person who is a Horcrux also seems to possess some of the creator's abilities such as Harry Potter being able to use Parseltongue which is one of Voldemort's inherited abilities. It also creates a mental link between the two the strength of which seems to depend upon the strength of the creator. For example, when Voldemort was weak and only in a spiritual form, Harry could only sense his presence when he was close by and feel his anger, but after he returned to somewhat of a body, this expanded a bit into the occasional dream vision of things happening with Voldemort. After Voldemort returned to full power, this link expanded so that Harry got full visions in his dreams of what Voldemort was dwelling upon, but the link can also be two-way and Voldemort was able to use it and Legilimency to implant a false vision in Harry's mind. The link can be shut off with Occlumency on the part of one of the two with the link, but if the Occlumency slips, the link can reopen. The only way to sever the link completely and remove the abilities the Horcrux gives is to destroy the Horcrux itself.
  • It is debatable if the Killing Curse can destroy inanimate Horcruxes, although given the extreme measures Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to go through to obtain Basilisk venom to destroy the Horcruxes they found during their search, it seems unlikely. It is also possible that none of them were capable of performing the curse, as successfully executing an unforgivable curse requires dark intentions, making it nearly impossible for a non-dark wizard to do.
  • According to Dumbledore, Voldemort was preserving the creation of his Horcruxes for significant deaths. However, this stands to be another one of Dumbledore's deductions being wrong, as Voldemort has used a Muggle tramp and Albanian peasant to create two of his Horcruxes, with no known significance for the two. However, Dumbledore only knew for certain of two of the murders committed to create Voldemort's Horcruxes: the murder of Moaning Myrtle (his very first killing) to create the diary, and murder of Tom Riddle Snr, his father, for the Gaunt Ring Horcrux. Both of these murders were very significant, but it turns out later that Dumbledore was incorrect that all Horcrux-related deaths were important ones.
  • J.K. Rowling's exact definition of a Horcrux is "a receptacle prepared by dark magic in which a Dark wizard has intentionally hidden a fragment of his soul for the purpose of attaining immortality."[38]
  • The concept of a "soul container" is not original to the world of Harry Potter. See Soul Jar on TV Tropes, for more information.
    • Most notably, the concept of storing ones soul in an external vessel is similar to the idea of a Lich, popularised by the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons. A lich is a spell-caster who has stored their soul in a vessel called a phylactery to prevent death.
  • It is unknown whether a Dark wizard protected by a Horcrux could still be killed by being thrown through the Veil. It's also unknown whether a Horcrux could be kissed by a Dementor, thereby presumably destroying it.
  • Interestingly, no one destroyed more than two Horcruxes (counting Quirrell) and half of them were destroyed by someone other than Harry, Ron, and Hermione. (This does not apply to the films, however, as Harry (and Ron, to an extent) destroy the diadem, which is destroyed by Crabbe in the book.) The majority of the people who destroyed Voldemort's Horcruxes didn't know what they were destroying at the time. Neville didn't know what Horcruxes were when he killed Nagini, Harry didn't know about Horcruxes when he destroyed the diary, Voldemort didn't know he was destroying a Horcrux when he attempted to kill Harry Potter, and Vincent Crabbe didn't know what he was destroying when he destroyed the diadem. Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore all knew that they were destroying Horcruxes, which was exactly what they were trying to do.
  • The books previously established that Voldemort cannot feel when a Horcrux is destroyed. However, this was completely reversed in the movies. That is the reason he starts on the journey of seeing if all the Horcruxes are safe in the books, but in the movies it is unclear if he even checks his hiding spots. When Hermione destroys the Hufflepuff Cup, Voldemort, Harry and Nagini all seem to be momentarily incapacitated by pain. This also happens when the Ravenclaw Diadem and Nagini are destroyed, clearly showing that all Horcruxes and the Master Soul feel the destruction of the others.
    • Interestingly enough, this only starts to happen when the cup is destroyed, as Harry does not react to the locket's destruction and Voldemort remains oblivious when both it and the ring are destroyed. The reason for this is unclear, but it may be because the cup marked the destruction of half of Voldemort's soul, or possibly because Voldemort wasn't aware that his Horcruxes were being hunted until the cup was stolen.
  • In the fairy tale The Warlock's Hairy Heart, the main character of the story stores his own heart outside of his body via dark magic, similar to Horcruxes in both function and consequences. It was a feat considered impossible outside of the storybook, and was probably a metaphor for Horcrux-making, altered so that misguided readers may not try to imitate the exact process, but still similar enough for virtuous reader to understand the story's Æsop. This in turn resembles the Slavic tales of Koschei the Deathless.
  • According to Dumbledore, even when Voldemort's Horcruxes were destroyed, his brain and his magical power would remain intact.[1] This was demonstrated to be true during the brief period of time between the death of Nagini (the final Horcrux) and Voldemort's final death.
  • Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy both never learned that they were each entrusted with a Horcrux despite being told to keep them under the strictest security. Furthermore, Severus Snape was unable to figure out Voldemort had created Horcruxes despite being told that a fragment of Voldemort's soul resides within Harry. In fact, despite Voldemort surviving the first rebounding Killing Curse and telling his Death Eaters that he alone went further than anyone on the path of immortality, none of them were able to understand that he utilised Horcruxes to achieve this. This all suggests that even among the most devoted Dark Arts practitioners such as them, they could not fathom that their master would dare mutilate his own soul for the sake of immortality. The only Death Eater who successfully learned Voldemort had created a Horcrux was Regulus Black and indeed he, despite coming from a family that had quite the affinity for the Dark Arts, was utterly horrified upon finding out and tried to destroy it.
  • In the season 12 episode The One You've Been Waiting of the American TV series Supernatural, a mystical artefact containing the soul of Adolf Hitler was described as a Horcrux by Christoph Nauhaus while explaining how it worked which protagonist Sam Winchester recognised as a Harry Potter reference. Like a Horcrux in Harry Potter, it saved the soul of the creator to ensure their survival and eventual return.
  • It is interesting to note that all of Voldemort's Horcruxes were destroyed in the same order they were created in. Even all the way down to how Harry was accidentally made a pseudo-Horcrux between Voldemort's creations of the Diadem and Nagini Horcruxes; Harry allowed himself to be "killed" by Voldemort between the destruction of the Diadem and Nagini being the last.

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Notes and references

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 23 (Horcruxes)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Anelli, Melissa, John Noe and Sue Upton. "PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling, part one." PotterCast #130, 17 December 2007
  3. JKR diary entry, 29 September, 2006
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling
  5. 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33 (The Death Eaters)
  6. 6.0 6.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 32 (Flesh, Blood and Bone)
  7. 7.0 7.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 6 (The Ghoul in Pyjamas)
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35 (King's Cross)
  9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 14 (The Thief)
  10. J.K. Rowling on Twitter
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 31 (The Battle of Hogwarts)
  12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 32 (The Elder Wand)
  13. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 17 (The Man with Two Faces)
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 17 (The Heir of Slytherin)
  15. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 1 (The Riddle House)
  16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 15 (The Goblin's Revenge)
  17. "(Umbridge) is a very nasty piece of work. She has an affinity for this horrible object" - JK, Online Chat script, accessed 30/7/2011
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 10 (Kreacher's Tale)
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 19 (The Silver Doe)
  20. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33 (The Prince's Tale)
  21. 21.0 21.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 13 (The Very Secret Diary)
  22. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, "The Warlock's Hairy Heart"
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20 (Lord Voldemort's Request)
  24. Rowling on Pottercast
  25. J.K.Rowling Official Site F.A.Q.s
  26. 26.0 26.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 27 (The Final Hiding Place)
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 36 (The Flaw in the Plan)
  28. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  29. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 4 (At Flourish and Blotts)
  30. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 18 (Dobby's Reward)
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 17 (A Sluggish Memory)
  32. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 11 (The Bribe)
  33. J.K. Rowling and the Live Chat, Bloomsbury.com, 30 July, 2007
  34. Anelli, Melissa, John Noe and Sue Upton. "PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling, part one." PotterCast #130, 17 December 2007.. “But I think, by definition, a Horcrux has to be made intentionally. So, because Voldemort never went through the grotesque process that I imagined creates a Horcrux, with Harry, it was just that he had destabilised his soul so much that it split when he was hit by the back-firing curse. And so this part of it flies off and attaches to the only living thing in the room. A part of it flees in the very close-to-death limbo state that Voldemort then goes on and exists in. I suppose it's very close to being a Horcrux. But Harry was not-- did not become an evil object. He wasn't-- he didn't have curses upon him that the other Horcruxes had. [...] Now, I know that won't end the debate, but I do think that the strict definition of Horcrux, once I write The Scottish Book, will have to be given and that the definition will be: the receptacle is prepared by dark magic to become the receptacle of a fragmented piece of soul and that that piece of soul deliberately detached from the Master Soul to act as a future safeguard or anchor to life and to safeguard against death.”
  35. Harry Potter was not technically a Horcrux, as the process for becoming a Horcrux was not used.
  36. Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Professor Quirrell" at Wizarding World - Quirrell was not technically a Horcrux, as he contained the Master Soul, not a soul fragment, and was not created using the Horcrux-making spell.
  37. J. K. Rowling at Carnegie Hall Reveals Dumbledore is Gay; Neville Marries Hannah Abbott, and Much More
  38. http://www.accio-quote.org/jkrwebsite.html