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Horcrux

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Horcrux
Object information
Usage

To contain fragments of a soul and prevent death

Owners

Herpo the Foul, Lord Voldemort

First appearance

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Latest appearance

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

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

A Horcrux is an object in which a Dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul for the purpose of attaining immortality.[1] Constructing a Horcrux is considered extremely Dark magic, as it violates laws of nature and morality, and requires a horrific act as well as murder to accomplish. The first Horcrux was created by Herpo the Foul.[2] Lord Voldemort is the only known wizard to have created more than one.

Contents

[edit] Nature of a Horcrux

[edit] Creation

"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 Voldemort made Horcruxes[src]
Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, Voldemort's second Horcrux.

The book Secrets of the Darkest Art, once held in the Hogwarts Library, gives explicit instructions on creating Horcruxes. The process is known to involve a spell, and a horrible act.[2] 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. Although, in theory, a Horcrux can be 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.[3] However, according to Horace Slughorn, few would want to live in such a form, and that death would be preferable.[4]

The process stands in violation both of profound natural laws, and common human decency: that mankind must not practice such acts upon one another, and that one's soul must remain whole and intact. For these reasons, the Horcrux is the most unnatural and darkest of magical objects. The subject of Horcruxes is banned at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[4]

[edit] Destruction

Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, Voldemort's fifth Horcrux.
Ron: "Isn’t there any way of putting yourself back together?"
Hermione: "Yes, but it would be excruciatingly painful… 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?"
— Ron Weasley and Hermione on rejoining a broken soul[src]
Harry Potter, Voldemort's sixth, unintended Horcrux.

The creation of a Horcrux can be reversed by its creator through truly feeling real remorse for murdering, apparently to the point of being fatal, and it is unlikely that such remorse be obtained simply for the purpose of repairing one's soul.

Horcruxes can also be destroyed by others, seeing as the piece of the soul depends upon its container to survive; the opposite of a human being. Destruction of a Horcrux is difficult, but not impossible, and requires that the object be damaged beyond most magical repair. One of the most foolproof methods of destruction is Basilisk venom (only one known cure for basilisk venom exists: tears of a phoenix). Very few other methods work, such as through a magical smelting procedure (e.g. Fiendfyre). The Killing Curse seems to be capable of destroying a Horcrux if it is animate — as the part of Voldemort's soul contained in Harry Potter was destroyed when he was struck with the Killing Curse in 1998.[5]

Albus Dumbledore[4], Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom[5] used Godric Gryffindor's Sword to destroy Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, Salazar Slytherin's Locket and Nagini respectively. This was only achievable as the sword was made by Goblins; Goblin-made artifacts can be imbued with certain qualities, so when it was impregnated with Basilisk venom when Harry Potter slew the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets[6], it became capable of destroying all the Horcruxes.

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger used Basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets to destroy Tom Riddle's Diary and Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, respectively.[5]

[edit] Powers

Salazar Slytherin's Locket, the third Horcrux of Lord Voldemort.
Ron: "The bit of soul in that diary was possessing 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[src]

The fragments of a person's soul within a Horcrux have certain magical abilities, including the ability to influence those in their vicinity. When Harry, Ron and Hermione were carrying Salazar Slytherin's Locket around their necks in 1997, they each became moodier and more prone to fighting, especially Ron. They were also unable to summon their Patronuses while wearing the locket. 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[5], as Tom Riddle's Diary did to Ginny Weasley[6].

Horcruxes can also be enchanted to provide some line of defence against destruction. The fragment of soul within the Horcrux seems to be able to sense 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.[5]

[edit] Side effects

When a wizard makes a Horcrux, the mutilation of his soul causes him to become less human. The more Horcruxes he or she creates, the less human he or she becomes. Ten years after the house-elf Hokey's memory shows Tom Riddle to be hollow-cheeked but otherwise normal, his features look as if they have been burned and blurred, and his skin is extremely white. During those ten years, we can assume that he had created more than one Horcrux. Albus Dumbledore believes that Voldemort, like him, thinks that no one has ever created more than one Horcrux.

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. It is more probable that he performed the transformations prior to his resurrection as all of his Death Eaters seem to recognize him without question.

The soul itself becomes unstable even with creating just one Horcrux, although the precise dangers of this are not revealed. Voldemort entered uncharted waters in his quest to create more than one Horcrux. The consequences for his soul would have been far more dangerous and even more uncertain. One known consequence occurred when the Killing Curse backfired on Voldemort; his soul had become so unstable that a fragment broke off and attached itself to Harry's soul, turning Harry into an accidental Horcrux. This suggests that as one's soul becomes more unstable, significant trauma (such as a rebounded Killing Curse) may cause part of the soul to break off without having the need to cast the spell for Horcrux creation. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Harry and Voldemort are knocked unconscious in the Dark Forest Harry experiences a vision that suggests the implications of mutilating one's soul in such a manner. He sees a horribly flayed, mutilated baby crying in agony under the seats at King's Cross Station. Dumbledore's spirit tells Harry that it is beyond all aid. Harry later warns Voldemort that he has seen what the dark wizard will become if he does not feel remorse and repair his own mutilated soul, but Voldemort is incapable of this. What Voldemort experienced when he was likewise unconscious is unknown. However, it is possible that Voldemort's unconscious mind is present in the mutilated baby in Harry's vision.

[edit] Horcruxes of Lord Voldemort

Harry Potter: "Does that mean, with the stone gone that is, that Voldemort can never come back?"
Dumbledore: "Ah, I'm afraid...there are ways in which he can return."
— Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore after the destruction of the Philosopher's Stone[src]
Nagini, Voldemort's seventh and final Horcrux.

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[5], and later made his familiar Nagini what he thought was the sixth, but was in fact the seventh, Horcrux. As a student named Tom Marvolo Riddle at 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. Albus Dumbledore removed those books from the Hogwarts Library soon afterwards. Although later he supected 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 stored memory of it during the 1996-1997 school year. Harry was able to get it through the use of Felix Felicis.[4]

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 Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Hermione was able to summon the books on the subject to her from the Headmaster's office at the end of the 1997 school year to aid them in their research on Horcruxes.[5]

Although Voldemort had seven Horcruxes, no more than six existed at one time because Tom Riddle's Diary was destroyed before Nagini was made 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.[6] 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, as the creature could die or be killed and the Horcrux lose its integrity.[4] Thus it is likely that any method that would kill Nagini would destroy the Horcrux, as death cannot be undone by magic. Also, it is unknown what would happen if Nagini died of old age.

[edit] List of Voldemort's Horcruxes

Horcrux Hiding Place Murder Destroyed by Destruction method Destruction Site Date
Tom Riddle's Diary In the possession of Lucius Malfoy, later given to Ginny Weasley (without her knowledge), and eventually found by Harry Potter Moaning Myrtle Harry Potter Stabbed with a Basilisk's fang Chamber of Secrets June 1993
Marvolo Gaunt's Ring In the Gaunt Shack Tom Riddle Sr. Albus Dumbledore Cut with Godric Gryffindor's Sword Headmaster's office Summer 1996
Salazar Slytherin's Locket Horcrux Cave, later moved to 12 Grimmauld Place, after that kept by Dolores Umbridge A Muggle tramp Ron Weasley Stabbed with Godric Gryffindor's Sword Forest of Dean December 1997
Helga Hufflepuff's Cup The Lestrange vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank Hepzibah Smith Hermione Granger Stabbed with a Basilisk's fang Chamber of Secrets Battle of Hogwarts, 2 May 1998
Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem In the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts Castle An Albanian peasant Vincent Crabbe Unintentionally incinerated with Fiendfyre. Room of Requirement Battle of Hogwarts, 2 May 1998
Harry Potter Inadvertently part of Harry's soul Unknown (possibly Lily Potter or Voldemort himself) Lord Voldemort Killing Curse, without harm to Harry, except for a large bruise on his chest. Forbidden Forest Battle of Hogwarts, 2 May 1998
Nagini Always by Lord Voldemort's side after the Hufflepuff cup was stolen. Bertha Jorkins[7] Neville Longbottom Beheaded with Godric Gryffindor's Sword Entrance Hall of Hogwarts Battle of Hogwarts, 2 May 1998

[edit] Etymology

The word Horcrux may be derived from the French dehors, meaning "outside", and crux, meaning "essence"[8].

[edit] Parallels in the Muggle World

The concept of a "soul container" is not original to the world of Harry Potter. For example, in Dungeons and Dragons lore, a legendary undead Lich (A powerful user of magic that seeks immortality through means of undeath) could only achieve his dream of immortality by containing their soul in a phylactery, which is almost exactly like a Horcrux - documented examples of lich phylacteries include swords, staves, and crystals. If a lich's body is destroyed, it can simply regenerate or find a new body, but if the phylactery is destroyed first, the lich can then be killed. For this reason, liches defend these phylacteries as much as they can in a manner very similar to Lord Voldemort and his seven Horcruxes. Unlike Horcruxes, however, phylacteries contain an entire soul rather than just a portion of it. The Russian myth of Koschei the Deathless is another example of containing souls. In Native American folk tales, sorcerers could evade death by sealing their spirit inside parrots, becoming invulnerable until the parrot was destroyed. In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, the Dark Lord Sauron stored part of his power in the One Ring, and could only die if it were destroyed. It is interesting to note that both Voldemort and Sauron used a ring as a container of power, and that at least two horcruxes (the diary and the locket), like the One Ring, could have a corrupting influence on the wearer. In the movie Anastasia, Rasputin concealed his soul inside a relic, when it was destroyed, Rasputin died with it.

[edit] Behind the scenes

  • 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.[2]
  • In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, as in the novel, the Locket from the Cave does not show any sign of the "S" that is Slytherin's mark on the locket as it was a Black family heirloom.
  • Voldemort planned on making six Horcruxes, thereby splitting his soul into seven pieces (the seventh being contained in his body). Through his attempt to murder Harry Potter, and Harry's subsequent accidental creation as a horcrux, he actually had seven horcruxes. His eighth, much mangled, piece of soul was the one that spent over a decade bodyless and eventually returned to his reconstituted body. However, inadvertently and by chance, his soul was always split into the magically significant seven, because the Diary was destroyed before Nagini was made a Horcrux.
  • Of the seven Horcruxes Voldemort created (intentionally and unintentionally), four of them were destroyed during the Battle of Hogwarts, along with Voldemort himself.
  • The creation of a Horcrux doesn't always require a spell (for example, Harry Potter). However, it does require a murder.
  • In the 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 Deathly Hallows film. In addition, Ginny hides Harry's potion book while Harry closes his eyes, and he does not see the diadem.
  • It is debatable if the Killing Curse can destroy inanimate horcruxes.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ↑ JKR diary entry, September 29, 2006
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.K. Rowling PotterCast Interview
  3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  7. ↑ J.K. Rowling and the Live Chat, Bloomsbury.com, July 30, 2007
  8. ↑ MuggleNet: Horcruxes
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