“Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction —” — Magick Moste Evile.
Hogwarts Legacy: How To Destroy Spi...
Did you just watch the Harry Potter movies on a long flight for probably the third time but are still confused about the how-about of Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes?
Let me tell you that you are not alone. Every Harry Potter enthusiast knows very well how and when Lord Voldemort created the Horcruxes, but they might be thrown off balance when asked about their destruction. But don’t worry as I will be taking you through all-things-Horcruxes in this article.
To simply put it, a Horcrux is an object, living or dead, in which a Dark Wizard or Witch had hidden a fragment of their soul to become immortal. Created through dark magic, Horcruxes conceal in themselves parts of the creator’s split-up soul.
When a Wizard splits up his soul and hides parts of it in objects outside the body, he cannot die even if his body is attacked or destroyed because parts of his soul remain intact and earthbound in the Horcruxes. This way, he becomes immortal till parts of his soul live in the Horcruxes.
Horcruxes were among the many intriguing things in Harry Potter, which justifies the confusion around them. This section will explore various aspects of the Horcruxes in Harry Potter to answer all your potential questions.
Who Created The Horcruxes In Harry Potter?
Herpo the Foul is considered to be the first in history to create a Horcrux successfully. He created only one Horcrux but being obsessed with immortality Lord Voldemort was the first Wizard to split his soul multiple times and create several Horcruxes.
The Creation Of Horcruxes By Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort learned of Horcruxes through books in the Restricted Section, especially Secrets of the Darkest Art as a student at Hogwarts in the 1940s named Tom Riddle. He created Horcruxes after seeking further information from the Potions Master Horace Slughorn about how to create more than one Horcrux, of which no book would have any record.
When Tom Riddle asks Slughorn about how to create a Horcrux, he says-
“..By an act of evil — the supreme act of evil. By committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart.”
To split their soul, a Wizard must deliberately commit the supreme act of evil— murder —which would result in the Wizard metaphysically damaging his own soul. The Wizard would then use this damage to his advantage and enclose a part of their soul into the desired object with a spell. If the Wizard was later killed, he would continue to exist in a non-corporeal form.
As a fragment of the soul, a Horcrux would always retain the identity of the creator at the time of its creation. For instance, Tom Riddle’s diary portrayed Tom Riddle as a teenager while the eyes inside Salazar Slytherin’s locket resembled Voldemort’s eyes as they were black.
Are There Seven Or Eight Horcruxes?
In the Half-Blood Prince, Harry finds out that Tom Riddle intended to create 7 Horcruxes but, it is later revealed that he accidentally made another Horcrux, making the number 8. It could be confusing to many a Potterheads, but this section must vanish all your doubts regarding the same.
In Harry Potter, the number 7 is a powerful number for Voldemort. Voldemort wanted to split his soul into seven parts. So he created six Horcruxes- ring, cup, locket, diadem, diary, and Nagini. The seventh bit of his soul was stored in his own body, making it the seventh Horcrux.
Voldemort had already “pushed his soul to the limit” in creating his seven Horcruxes, and his soul became so incredibly fragile that it ripped apart when the Killing Curse rebounded upon him. This newly torn piece of his soul latched on to the only living being in the vicinity-Harry. So Harry was an unintentional pseudo-Horcrux, making him the 8th Horcrux.
Was Professor Quirrel A Horcrux?
No, Professor Quirrel should not be considered as a Horcrux. His body was just temporarily possessed by Voldemort when he needed an outlet for physical presence.
It is believed that Quirrel was a temporary Horcrux, but he cannot be considered as a Horcrux because when Voldemort took over his body, he did not kill anybody (unlike during the creation of a Horcrux). Also, Horcruxes are difficult to destroy, but Harry kills Quirrel by a mere physical touch. It proves the fact that Quirrel was not a Horcrux.
Was Harry Potter a Horcrux?
Yes, Harry Potter was the sixth Horcrux. He was accidentally made a Horcrux in 1981. When Voldemort murdered Harry’s parents, his soul was so unstable that it broke off and latched on to the infant Harry. However, the Dark Lord was not aware of the fact that a piece of his soul was in Harry, i.e. Harry was a Horcrux. His soul was so fragmented and broken that he seemed disconnected from them to the point that he didn’t realize that several pieces had been destroyed.
When And How Did Lord Voldemort Create Each Horcrux?
Here are the details of all the seven Horcruxes created by Lord Voldemort (apart from the one in his body of course)-:
Here is the List of Horcruxes
- The Diary was the first Horcrux created by Voldemort in June 1943 with the death of Myrtle Warren (Moaning Myrtle).
- The Gaunt Ring (encasing the second Hallow) was the second. Voldemort created it in 1943 using the deaths of his father.
- The third and fourth were Slytherin’s Locket and Hufflepuff’s Cup, created around the same time (between 1943 and 1970s) using the deaths of a Muggle Tramp and Hepzibah Smith respectively.
- The Ravenclaw’s Diadem was the fifth Horcrux created with the death of an Albanian peasant. The exact time of creation is unknown but it took place sometime after Tom Riddle finished school and before he went to Professor Dumbledore to apply for the Defense position a second time.
- Harry Potter was the sixth Horcrux created (accidentally) in 1981 with the murder of Harry’s parents and attempted killing of the infant Harry. He was an accidental Horcrux as, at the time of the killing of James and Lily Potter, Voldemort’s soul was so unstable that it broke off and latched on to baby Harry.
- Nagini was the seventh Horcrux created in 1994 with the death of Bertha Jorkins though Professor Dumbledore speculated that it was the death of Muggle caretaker Frank Bryce.
In a conversation about how Lord Voldemort could be killed, Albus Dumbledore tells Harry- “without his Horcruxes, Voldemort will be a mortal man with a maimed and diminished soul.” So before any attempt to kill Voldemort, all his Horcruxes had to be destroyed.
To destroy the Horcrux, the object encasing the soul fragment had to be damaged to the point beyond any physical or magical repair. When a Horcrux was damaged to that 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), and a scream may be heard as the soul fragment perished.
The Destruction Of Each Horcrux In Harry Potter- When, How, And By Whom?
Here are all the details that you need about the destruction of each Horcrux of Lord Voldemort-:
- Tom Riddle’s Diary- Harry Potter destroyed the first made Horcrux with a Basilisk Fang. It was destroyed in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
- Marvolo Gaunt’s Ring- Albus Dumbledore destroyed the ring with the sword of Godric Gryffindor in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Salazar Slytherin’s Locket- It is destroyed by Ron Weasley with Gryffindor’s sword in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
- Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup- Hermione Granger destroyed the cup with a Basilisk Fang in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
- Rowena Ravenclaw’s Diadem: Harry stabs the diadem with a Basilisk Fang and Ron Weasley kicks it into Gregory Goyle’s Fiendfyre spell. It was destroyed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
- Harry Potter- Harry was destroyed as a Horcrux by Voldemort using the Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Harry, however, came back to life as a Horcrux no more.
- Nagini- Neville Longbottom destroyed Nagini using Godric Gryffindor’s Sword in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
I hope this article solved some of your Potter problems!
Related Reads-
Severus Snape’s Patronus And Its Appearance In The Forest Of Dean
How Did Harry Get The Elder Wand?
(Video) Harry Potter Bloopers That Make The Movies Even Better
How Did Dumbledore Block Avada Kedavra To Save Harry?
FAQs
In which movie does Harry destroy all Horcruxes? ›
The diary was the first of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes to be destroyed, by Harry Potter in the Chamber of Secrets, who stabbed it with the fang of the very Basilisk that was used to commit murder in the first place.
What are the 7 Horcruxes in Harry Potter and how are they destroyed in order? ›- Harry destroys the diary.
- Dumbledore destroys the Resurrection Stone.
- Ron destroys the locket.
- Hermione destroys Hufflepuff's cup.
- Crabbe (!) inadvertently destroys Ravenclaw's diadem.
- Neville kills Nagini.
- Voldemort destroys the pseudo-Horcrux in Harry's scar.
Analysis. It is perhaps interesting that no person destroyed more than one Horcrux. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dumbledore, Crabbe (indirectly: the diadem fell apart in Harry's hands after being damaged by Crabbe's fiendfyre), and Voldemort each destroyed one of the seven.
How were each of the Horcruxes destroyed? ›In the movies, the Horcruxes are destroyed in these ways: The killing curse — “Avada Kedavra.” Fiendfyre — a curse that creates powerful and magical flames. Godric Gryffindor's sword — one that was pulled from the Sorting Hat.
Were there 7 or 8 Horcruxes? ›The Dark Lord — aka Voldemort — created seven Horcruxes in an attempt to sustain immortality.
What was the hardest Horcrux to destroy? ›The Locket
Of all of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, Salazar Slytherin's old locket is the most difficult to obtain and destroy. In the Half Blood Prince, Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore travel to an old cave where the Dark Lord would torture victims during his time as a teenager.
Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley destroy the Hufflepuff's cup Horcrux inside the Chamber of Secrets—Hermione giving it the fatal blow with a basilisk fang. In the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book, Vincent Crabbe inadvertently destroys Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem in the Room of Requirement via Fiendfyre.
Can you block Avada Kedavra? ›There is no direct way to block the Avada Kedavra curse directly with a counter curse. One can dodge it or use magic to put something physical in its path. This battle scene is quite consistent with what Rowling laid down about the curse.
Was Professor Quirrell a Horcrux? ›Quirrell is, in effect, turned into a temporary Horcrux by Voldemort. He is greatly depleted by the physical strain of fighting the far stronger, evil soul inside him.
What is the only thing that can destroy a Horcrux? ›We know for a fact that Basilisk venom is one of the few substances strong enough to destroy a Horcrux. Not only does it destroy the one inside Tom Riddle's diary, but Ron and Hermione also use one of the fangs to destroy Helga Hufflepuff's cup.
How was Marvolo's ring destroyed? ›
After Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts, he used Godric Gryffindor's Sword to crack the Resurrection Stone so as to destroy it as a Horcrux. While the act did destroy the ring as one of Riddle's Horcruxes, it did not stop the fatal curse.
Which one of the Weasley twins died? ›During the Battle of Hogwarts, Fred is killed in an explosion. Before his death, Fred reconciles with his estranged brother Percy, who arrives at Hogwarts to participate in the fight and apologises to the family for not believing them.
How does Nagini become a Horcrux? ›Nagini was Lord Voldemort's final Horcrux
In an interview, J.K. Rowling revealed that it was the murder of Bertha Jorkins that made Nagini a Horcrux. After Voldemort discovered his Horcruxes were in danger, Nagini was magically protected, described as being encased in a 'starry, translucent sphere'.
When Jo Rowling was asked on the Bloomsbury webcast who died to make Voldemort's seven Horcruxes, she answered: The diary ” Moaning Myrtle.
How did Nagini become Voldemort's snake? ›Nonetheless, despite her initially benevolent nature, Nagini's blood curse eventually turned her into a snake permanetly. Though it is unknown if she became evil as a result of that, or was turned evil as a result of Voldemort turning her into a Horcrux. As a snake, Nagini was completely loyal to Lord Voldemort.
Why isn't Harry the eighth Horcrux? ›Voldemort only intended 7 soul pieces including his own soul piece, meaning 6 horcruxes then Voldy himself. Harry was the unintended 8th horcrux, due to his souls being so unstable by being split more than once.
Why did Tom Riddle say 7 Horcruxes? ›Voldemort believed that the number seven had magical significance. Because of that he wanted his soul to be in seven pieces. That meant he wanted SIX horcruxes, with the seventh piece of his soul being the one in his body.
Did Harry use the resurrection stone? ›Dumbledore left Harry the Resurrection Stone (disguised in a Snitch) in his will, and Harry uses it just before he goes to battle Voldemort. However, he doesn't use it to try to bring the dead back for an extended period or anything.
Which Horcrux poisoned Dumbledore? ›Gaunt's ring
After retrieving the ring Albus Dumbledore himself fell victim to a curse that, even when contained, would likely have killed him within the year. Once rendered defunct as a Horcrux, the stone was placed inside a Golden Snitch and left to Harry Potter in Dumbledore's will.
The Horcruxes Left Him Vulnerable & Weak
In creating these Horcruxes, he gave the ability for other witches and wizards to destroy him without ever laying a finger on him. Voldemort was a powerful wizard, comparable only to Albus Dumbledore or Grindelwald, rocking an awesome wand and a sense for world domination.
What is Dumbledore's favorite flavor of jam? ›
'Sherbet lemon' and 'Acid Pops' are used as passwords to Dumbledore's office, and his preferred jam flavour could be used as a question to check his identity – it's raspberry, just in case you want to know. Unfortunately, he had more mixed enjoyment when it came to Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans.
Which Horcrux is destroyed by Neville Longbottom? ›Neville plays a significant part in the two final books and the fight against Lord Voldemort, destroying the final Horcrux, Nagini, with the Sword of Gryffindor.
What is Ron Weasley's worst fear? ›In the second book of the Harry Potter series, The Chamber of Secrets, the audience becomes aware of the fact Ron is incredibly afraid of spiders. The being around them scares him immensely and the mere idea of spiders turns him into the world's biggest baby.
Who destroyed the Goblet Horcrux? ›The cup, which was made a Horcrux with Hepzibah's death, was left with Bellatrix Lestrange who kept it at Gringotts. Griphook and an Imperiused Bogrod helped Harry, Ron and Hermione break into Bellatrix's vault and recover the Horcrux. The cup was destroyed by Hermione Granger, using a fang from the Basilisk's corpse.
What spell killed Voldemort? ›During his final confrontation with Voldemort, Harry knew that he (Harry) was the Elder Wand's true master. He again cast Expelliarmus, ejecting the wand from Voldemort's hand into his own as the Killing Curse rebounded off his body, fatally striking Voldemort.
What is Voldemort's killing spell? ›Some would say there's no spell worse than Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse that Voldemort used so indiscriminately.
Who invented Avada Kedavra? ›History Of Avada Kedavra
The Killing Curse was created in the early Middle Ages by Dark witches and wizards. Primarily, the curse was used to quickly slay opponents during a duel.
It should be noted that despite his fear of Voldemort and that he was not a Death Eater, Quirrell was one of Voldemort's only followers who referred to him by name, the others being Barty Crouch Jr. and Peter Pettigrew.
What house was moody in? ›Mad-Eye Moody is a Hufflepuff.
Why does Quirrell stutter? ›The most obvious mention of stuttering was the character Professor Quirrell. In the end we discover that Professor Quirrell faked stuttering as to seem aloof and not draw attention to his plotting with the evil Voldemort.
Why didn't Harry use Avada Kedavra? ›
Why did Harry not use Avada Kedavra on Voldemort? Using Avada Kedavra while the Elder Wand was resisting Voldemort was already a risky business, but using it against the true owner would be suicide (as Voldemort would find out when he used the Elder Wand against its true owner: Harry).
Did Harry ever use Avada Kedavra? ›Throughout the Harry Potter series, one of the Unforgivable Curses Harry Potter never used the Killing Curse for several reasons. Avada Kedavra was Lord Voldemort's signature spell. In fact, the Dark Lord directly killed multiple notable figures, including Harry's parents Lily and James Potter, with the Killing Curse.
How did Voldemort lose his nose? ›This theory suggests that each time he created a new Horcrux, that specific Horcrux diminished a part of his soul. Thus, his nose began to sink in, eventually disappearing altogether. Due to his tampering with dark magic, his human appearance evolved into a more snake-like state.
What was Dumbledore's curse? ›Like all the other Horcruxes Voldemort created, a protective curse was placed over the Ressurection-Stone-turned-Horcrux. Anyone who tried to take the ring would be cursed the moment it touched their finger, which is exactly what happened to Dumbledore.
What happened to Resurrection Stone? ›Sometime after Cadmus's death (or perhaps even by Cadmus himself), the Resurrection Stone was fitted into a ring. This ring was passed down as a family heirloom for the Peverell family, and eventually the Gaunt family, as knowledge of what the Stone was, and even what the symbol on it meant, became lost.
How did James Potter get the invisibility cloak? ›James Potter inherited the Cloak of Invisibility from his father Fleamont Potter. Fleamont was a descendant of Hardwin Potter who married Iolanthe Peverell, the only daughter of one of the descendants of Ignotus Peverell, the original owner of the Cloak of Invisibility.
Who killed Fred Weasley in the book? ›In 1998, Fred participated in the Battle of Hogwarts, defending the castle's passageways with his twin. While fighting alongside his brother, Percy, he was killed in an explosion possibly caused by Death Eater Augustus Rookwood.
Who killed Remus Lupin? ›Lupin, played in the films by David Thewlis, was murdered in the battle by Death Eater Antonin Dolohov, while Tonks was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, leaving their son, Teddy, an orphan. Lupin's death is a sore spot for many fans, who fell in love with the werewolf, nicknamed Moony.
Who killed Colin Creevey? ›He is killed by Death Eaters in the final Battle of Hogwarts; in the quiet time after Harry has seen Snape killed, Harry sees Oliver Wood and Neville Longbottom bringing Colin's body in from the grounds.
Why is Credence dying? ›Tragically, even though Credence was saved from Grindelwald's Avada Kedavra, he is dying because of his Obscurus (having survived so long only because of the powerful magic within him).
Why can t Nagini turn back into a human? ›
Rowling previously revealed that Nagini is a Maledictus, which means she carries a blood curse that will doom her to transform permanently into a beast.
Who killed Bellatrix Lestrange? ›An enraged Molly Weasley engages Bellatrix in a duel and fires a curse that hits Bellatrix right over the heart, killing her.
Who killed moaning myrtle? ›Myrtle's life was cut shockingly short when she was killed by the Basilisk at Tom Riddle's command.
Who destroyed the Horcruxes in order? ›- 1 Harry Potter Destroyed Tom Riddle's Diary. ...
- 2 Dumbledore Realized Marvolo Gaunt's Ring Was A Deathly Hallow. ...
- 3 Ron Destroyed Salazar Slytherin's Locket. ...
- 4 Hermione Stabbed Helga Hufflepuff's Cup. ...
- 5 Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem Was Thrown Into A Fire.
A Horcrux is considered destroyed when it's damaged beyond repair. In the case of living Horcruxes, “damaged beyond repair” would mean dead. So, yes, Avada Kedavra can destroy a Horcrux, as long as that Horcrux is a living being.
Who did Voldemort feed to Nagini? ›Nagini, Voldemort's snake, then eats Professor Burbage's dead body. A story about her "resignation" from Hogwarts appears in the Prophet, but members of the Order of the Phoenix discount it, as they are unable to locate her anywhere after that. Burbage is later replaced as Muggle Studies teacher by Alecto Carrow.
What did Nagini say to Harry? ›When Harry and Hermione are on the first floor of Bathilda's house, Nagini (inside the corpse of Bathilda) tells Harry to "Come!" from the next room in Parseltongue.
Is Nagini an Animagus? ›On Twitter the she explained that Nagini is a human and a Maledictus, not an Animagus like Sirius Black. Her condition is a blood curse that only affects women, and one that Nagini has no control over.
How did Tom Riddle become Voldemort? ›Riddle ultimately changed his name, by way of an anagram, from "Tom Marvolo Riddle" to "I am Lord Voldemort", as a way of removing his own heritage and of exalting himself, and he killed the Riddle family, partly because they were Muggles, and partly because they abandoned him and his mother.
Who is the heir of Gryffindor? ›Harry is the magical Heir of Gryffindor (and he's also a descendent of Godric), Neville of Hufflepuff, Hermione of Slytherin and Luna of Ravenclaw.
Did Hagrid know Tom Riddle became Voldemort? ›
Hagrid knows Voldemort's name, identity and past.
In fact, at the beginning of the series, barely anyone but Dumbledore and Hagrid knew that Voldemort was the charming, successful Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Voldemort's mother, Merope Gaunt, is Salazar Slytherin's direct descendant, and his father is Tom Riddle, a Muggle. During this time period, Voldemort is known by his birth name, Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Who killed Helena Ravenclaw? ›Desperate to see her daughter one last time, Rowena sent a man to bring Helena home. Unfortunately, that man was the Bloody Baron, who was head over heels with Helena, and stabbed her in a rage when she refused to come home.
Who killed Lupin and Tonks? ›Both Lupin and Tonks die in combat, killed by Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange, respectively, leaving Teddy an orphan with Harry Potter as his godfather and Andromeda Tonks as his guardian.