The 'Horcruxes' And Voldemort's 'Return' - An Explanation
Once, there was a wizard, and his name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. He started like any other Hogwarts student- but his power and lust for more power only grew. Eventually, he would take another name- one that would become feared throughout the Wizarding World: Lord Voldemort.
He sought, like his ancestor Salazar Slytherin, to purge the earth of those he deemed 'impure'. In his view, Muggleborns and their sympathisers ('Blood Traitors') were unworthy to study magic. He thought of muggles as scum crawling on a world that was his for the taking.
Though he had surrounded himself with an army ('Death Eaters') and was so feared that people dared not speak his name, he did not feel his victory was secured.
He knew of a prophecy- A boy born at the end of July would one day have the power to crush his reign of terror. And so, he chose to crush that boy first- before this prophecy could ever come to pass.
This ploy ultimately led to his defeat. Lily Potter, a member of the organisation committed to bringing about Voldemort's downfall ('The Order of the Phoenix') and her husband James Potter gave their lives to protect their infant son: a boy by the name of Harry. In doing so, they invoked a magic Voldemort had no knowledge of. When the Dark Lord attempted to use the Killing Curse on the baby, it rebounded from him and struck Voldemort himself. Had Harry been a little older, he may have survived, but a baby with such volatile magic stood no chance against such a malicious Killing Curse. If the residual magic had not killed him, certainly some debris in the house would have- half of the Potter residence was blown up from the force of the curse. That night was the end of the First Great Wizarding War, and of Lord Voldemort.
Or so was widely thought. The Wizarding world never quite got rid of the rumours that there was something left of Lord Voldemort- he had disappeared, but could he, somehow, still be alive? Perhaps formless, but still, ultimately, a threat.
For years, it seemed all was well. The Great Wizarding War was over, Voldemort seemingly dead, and his supporters were locked up in Azkaban.
However. There was, indeed, a remnant of Voldemort's essence remaining. Peter Pettigrew, who had proven himself to be a servant of Lord Voldemort (see Third Year) had spent two years on the run before re-discovering that remnant. Even the fraction left of Voldemort succeeded in bending the weak will of Pettigrew, and soon he had apparently turned himself in to the Azkaban dementors. Once inside, Voldemort knew exactly which of his now-imprisoned supporters he needed to reach. There was one woman devoted beyond all others, fanatical to the point of, some suspected, dementedness. She willingly allowed herself to be possessed by this chunk of her Lord's soul. In doing so, she snapped the last threads of her sanity and gained some dark magic beyond her wildest imaginings. That day, there was a mass breakout from Azkaban Prison, and Bellatrix was among the escaped.
In the few year following, Lestrange amassed an army of old followers and some new ones subscribing to the Pureblood ideal. Unbeknownst to them all, however, she had a second mission, to locate and procure some objects called 'Horcruxes'. Her Dark lord had whispered to her of the great power stored in these items before he died, large reserves of dark magic that will help him rise back to his former glory.
Believing no other items would be worthy of his magic(the prick), these objects were of the great Hogwarts Founders. The the Locket of Salazar Slytherin, the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff, and the Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. (The Sword of Godric Gryffindor was obviously too difficult to procure- or Voldemort did not hold an affinity with this particular founder.)
All three would be best, but even one would work. First, though, Bellatrix would have to to get to them, and they had been well hidden.
However. There was, indeed, a remnant of Voldemort's essence remaining. Peter Pettigrew, who had proven himself to be a servant of Lord Voldemort (see Third Year) had spent two years on the run before re-discovering that remnant. Even the fraction left of Voldemort succeeded in bending the weak will of Pettigrew, and soon he had apparently turned himself in to the Azkaban dementors. Once inside, Voldemort knew exactly which of his now-imprisoned supporters he needed to reach. There was one woman devoted beyond all others, fanatical to the point of, some suspected, dementedness. She willingly allowed herself to be possessed by this chunk of her Lord's soul. In doing so, she snapped the last threads of her sanity and gained some dark magic beyond her wildest imaginings. That day, there was a mass breakout from Azkaban Prison, and Bellatrix was among the escaped.
In the few year following, Lestrange amassed an army of old followers and some new ones subscribing to the Pureblood ideal. Unbeknownst to them all, however, she had a second mission, to locate and procure some objects called 'Horcruxes'. Her Dark lord had whispered to her of the great power stored in these items before he died, large reserves of dark magic that will help him rise back to his former glory.
Believing no other items would be worthy of his magic
All three would be best, but even one would work. First, though, Bellatrix would have to to get to them, and they had been well hidden.
Albus Dumbledore, the only man that Voldemort had ever feared, had harboured his own trepidation about a Second Wizarding War. During the same year (the Sixth Year at Hogwarts for our main cast), he coerced Horace Slughorn into revealing the exchanges between himself and Tom Riddle during his time at Hogwarts, and theorised on the creation of the Horcruxes. By the end of the year, he had become certain about the location of one of these dark artefacts, and enlisted the help of a member of the Order of the Phoenix to recover it. ((This member remains undecided at the current time.))
The locket was submerged in a basin of bright green potion which had to be drunk in order for one to retrieve it. Dumbledore drank the potion himself, which weakened him greatly and caused him a terrible thirst, but the locket was retrieved. Unfortunately, Albus Dumbledore met his death that evening. The poison took its toll on what was in truth, a very, very old man, and Dumbledore knew it would kill him slowly if he was not granted a quick death. He was killed soon after by Severus Snape. It was discovered after this event that the locket he had recovered was not the locket of Salazar Slytherin, but one belonging to someone with the initials R.A.B.
The true locket, originally belonging to Slytherin, was discovered in the possession of Delores Umbridge when she returned to teach for the second time at Hogwarts (see Seventh Year). Soon after this, the significance of the Horcruxes and the nature of the items themselves are puzzled out through the efforts of Evie Hall and Draco Malfoy. The Locket was stolen by Fred Weasley, George Weasley and Holly Sterling when they make a dramatic escape from Hogwarts, but is not destroyed until several months later.
The Cup is recovered from the Lestrange Vault by Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. It had been kept in the Vault almost since its creation, and had not been recovered from this spot due to the Death Eaters' belief it was safe there. ((The Rescue of Hufflepuff's Cup will likely be covered in a short story during or after the writing of Seventh Year.))
The Diadem is not found until the Battle of Hogwarts. It is subsequently destroyed by Neville Longbottom, Holly Sterling and Evie Hall in a battle with Bellatrix Lestrange wherein she is left severely injured, but capable of apparating away. She materialises in the Great Hall, desperate to fight to her last breath, and is killed by Molly Weasley after she attempts to murder Ginny Weasley. The piece of Voldemort's soul dies with Bellatrix, and his spirit, unwhole as it is, is sucked into the limbo between life and death forevermore.
The locket was submerged in a basin of bright green potion which had to be drunk in order for one to retrieve it. Dumbledore drank the potion himself, which weakened him greatly and caused him a terrible thirst, but the locket was retrieved. Unfortunately, Albus Dumbledore met his death that evening. The poison took its toll on what was in truth, a very, very old man, and Dumbledore knew it would kill him slowly if he was not granted a quick death. He was killed soon after by Severus Snape. It was discovered after this event that the locket he had recovered was not the locket of Salazar Slytherin, but one belonging to someone with the initials R.A.B.
The true locket, originally belonging to Slytherin, was discovered in the possession of Delores Umbridge when she returned to teach for the second time at Hogwarts (see Seventh Year). Soon after this, the significance of the Horcruxes and the nature of the items themselves are puzzled out through the efforts of Evie Hall and Draco Malfoy. The Locket was stolen by Fred Weasley, George Weasley and Holly Sterling when they make a dramatic escape from Hogwarts, but is not destroyed until several months later.
The Cup is recovered from the Lestrange Vault by Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. It had been kept in the Vault almost since its creation, and had not been recovered from this spot due to the Death Eaters' belief it was safe there. ((The Rescue of Hufflepuff's Cup will likely be covered in a short story during or after the writing of Seventh Year.))
The Diadem is not found until the Battle of Hogwarts. It is subsequently destroyed by Neville Longbottom, Holly Sterling and Evie Hall in a battle with Bellatrix Lestrange wherein she is left severely injured, but capable of apparating away. She materialises in the Great Hall, desperate to fight to her last breath, and is killed by Molly Weasley after she attempts to murder Ginny Weasley. The piece of Voldemort's soul dies with Bellatrix, and his spirit, unwhole as it is, is sucked into the limbo between life and death forevermore.
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