Before we get started I just want to mention that only 20.8% of you are subscribed, so
if you enjoy the content please SUBSCRIBE to support the channel
Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In today’s video we’re going to
be discussing Voldemort and his horcruxes. A known proponent of dark magic, Tom Riddle
was a troubled young boy who began experimenting with the dark arts at an extremely young age.
As he grew older and older, Tom Riddle, who had been born with an inability to feel certain
emotions- grew hungry for power- fuelled by the spite that he felt towards his parentage
and a world that he felt ‘rejected’ him right from the start. Dumbledore first encounters
Riddle at Wool’s orphanage in 1938, and it’s on this visit that Dumbledore informs
Riddle of his magical background. Riddle knew he was different, but he didn’t know WHAT
he was- he had no sense of identity, however, that certainly didn’t stop him from tormenting
all of the other orphans. As the years passed, Riddle underwent a lot of change- first he
got in to darker and darker forms of magic- and later he decided to get rid of his ‘filthy’
muggle name- from that point onward going by a name that would strike fear in to the
hearts of wizardkind- Voldemort.
Today’s video is going to look at one particular piece of dark magic that Voldemort produced
in his lifetime- the horcrux ‘wickedest of magical inventions’. While studying at
Hogwarts, Tom Riddle befriended Horace Slughorn, his (then) potions professor. Slughorn had
a reputation for choosing favourites- and Tom, who demonstrated an unparalleled ability
to learn and uncanny ability to perform magic, became one of these favourites. However, it
was this relationship that lead to Slughorn revealing pivotal information about Horcruxes
to Riddle.
A horcrux is an object in which a dark witch or wizard has imbued part of their soul. The
ultimate purpose of creating a horcrux is to achieve immortality. However, the truly
sinister component of creating a horcrux is that in order to produce one, you must MURDER
someone. There are only two known wizards who have created a Horcrux, the first being
Herpo the Foul and the second being Voldemort, who produced many. In fact, Voldemort ended
up creating 7.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s dive in to Voldemort’s horcruxes, where I’ll
be ranking them from LEAST to MOST effective (at least in my opinion). Bear in mind this
list will NOT be in order of creation.
7. Rowena Ravenclaw’s Diadem
Rowena Ravenclaw was of course one of the founders of Hogwarts, and her daughter, Helena,
aka the Grey Lady, was the one that Voldemort manipulated in order to find the diadem. Helena
was among the first generations of Hogwarts students, and began attending the school while
her mother Rowena, along with the other 3 founders, were at the school. However, just
a few years in to her magical education, Helena stole her mother’s diadem believing that
it could make her more powerful. Still in conflict with her mother, Helena later died
after she was stabbed by the Bloody baron, but she did remain at Hogwarts as a ghost.
Voldemort used his talent for manipulation on Helena, having her believe that he understood
her anguish- this led to her revealing the location of her mother’s diadem, which was
hidden in Albania. In order to turn the diadem in to a Horcrux, Voldemort killed an unnamed
Albanian peasant. After creating this Horcrux, Voldemort travelled to Hogwarts to inquire
about teaching at the school, and it was at this time that he hid the diadem in the room
of Requirement.
So, why is this Horcrux so low down on the list? Well, it just didn’t have much of
an impact on the story. I mean, it’s certainly an interesting aspect to the story, but the
diadem didn’t kill anyone or make anyone go mad, it was rather anticlimactically destroyed
by Vincente Crabbe- it was also hidden in a pretty bad location if you ask me.
6. Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup
Helga Hufflepuff was one of the Four Hogwarts founders, and her Cup, which was one of her
prized possessions, was targeted by Voldemort because of its association with her.
Voldemort held these objects in high praise because of who they belonged to- powerful
witches and wizards.
Per Pottermore:
“This cup was handed down through Hufflepuff’s descendants until it reached Hepzibah Smith.
The ageing witch took a shine to a young Borgin and Burkes clerk, treating him to a glimpse
of her most treasured belongings. Two days later, Hepzibah was dead and her house-elf
Hokey seemed to remember poisoning her mistress’s cocoa. The cup and locket had both vanished.”
This is of course the point at which Voldemort turned the cup in to a horcrux, killing Hepzibah
by spiking her cocoa with poison. The Cup was then stored in Bellatrix Lestrange’s
vault, who kept it at Gringotts. The cup was reasonably well protected, but Gringotts is
probably not the best place for things like that because it’s almost the OBVIOUS place
you’d go in search of important items. In terms of effectiveness, I’d say that Hufflepuff’s
Cup and Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem were way below the others.
5. Salazar Slytherin’s Locket
The next horcrux I want to discuss is Salazar Slytherin’s locket, which was created after
Voldemort murdered a ‘muggle tramp’. The Locket made its way in to circulation within
the wizarding world when Merope, Voldemort’s mother, pawned the locket out of desperation.
This is how Hepzibah Smith, the same witch who had Hufflepuff’s Cup, came in to its
possession. When Voldemort killed Hepzibah, he scored a 2-for-1 and got the locket as
well.
After killing a helpless muggle, Voldemort hid the locket in a cave protected by all
sorts of dark magic- including INFERI. Interestingly enough, however, the defences of the cave
were breached on numerous occasions, first by Kreacher and Regulus Black- next by Harry
and Dumbledore (who retrieved a decoy).
The Locket, however, was still quite a problem for Harry and the gang, mainly because they
had to carry it around for so long- unaware of how to destroy it. It mainly effected Ron,
who wore it the most, and it ultimately led to separation, jealousy and anger among the
trio.
4. Tom Riddle’s Diary
Tom Riddle’s Diary dates all the way back to Voldemort’s younger years, when he was
still a student at Hogwarts. It was a blank diary, but what noone knew was that this unassuming
object had been turned in to a Horcrux by Voldemort after killing Myrtle Warren (AKA
Moaning Myrtle) in 1943. Myrtle spent her last moments staring in to the eyes of the
basilisk that came from Slytherin’s Chamber of Secrets. Before his first downfall, Voldemort
gave the diary to Lucius Malfoy for safekeeping. However, it wasn’t long before Lucius smuggled
the diary back in to Hogwarts, where it could wreak havoc. The diary had a profound impact
on Ginny Weasley, who used the diary as, well- a diary- confiding in it and scribbling her
emotions and feelings on to all of its pages.
“Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted…
I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets."
The diary was effective because it allowed Voldemort to grow stronger, manipulated Ginny,
and very nearly killed Harry.
3. Marvolo Gaunt’s Ring
The next horcrux I want to discuss is Marvolo Gaunt’s ring, an heirloom of the ‘gaunt’
family- which was of course Voldemort’s mothers side. As Voldemort was an orphan,
he later became obsessed with his family history - which led to him travelling to Little Hangleton
where he met Morfin Gaunt, his uncle, who was wearing the ring. Voldemort then stole
the ring, bewitched Morfin, and travelled to the home of his father, Tom Riddle Sr-
where he promptly killed him- turning the ring in to a Horcrux.
This Horcrux was effective because of the impact that it had on the story. You see,
when Dumbledore destroyed it, he fell ill- he was cursed, and though he was killed by
an Avada Kedavra sent from Snape, Dumbledore would have died anyway.
2. Nagini
Up next we have Nagini, Voldemort’s trusty companion and the snake that was once a woman-
the victim of a vicious Maledictus curse. It’s speculated that Nagini and Voldemort
first met in the forests of Albania, sometime in the 1980s. At this point, Nagini would
have likely fully-assumed her snakelike form, and Voldemort would have been hiding in his
disembodied state.
At this point in time, both Nagini and Voldemort were a bit lost in the world-Nagini was stuck
in a snake form- facing an entirely new identity, and Voldemort had been recently defeated.
For this reason, I think it’s only natural that the pair teamed up.
Nagini became instrumental in Lord Voldemort’s survival before he could be restored to his
real body, and her venom was even used as an elixir that helped him to survive. It was
one of the primary ingredients in a potion that he used to rebuild his strength. Nagini
also helped Voldemort to commit numerous murders, and one murder in particular, the murder of
Bertha Jorkins, sealed their bond more than ever. You see, after the death of Bertha Jorkins,
Nagini became one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. She was now more than just the companion of
Voldemort- a fragment of Voldemort’s soul lived inside of her.
The havoc that she wrought before her death at the hands of Neville Longbottom certainly
makes her deserving of this spot on the list- she was essential to Voldemort, though, I
do think that it would have made a lot more sense for her to have completely avoided the
Battle of Hogwarts.
1. Harry Potter
Harry’s not actually a proper Horcrux- but nonetheless, a piece of Voldemort’s soul
fragment lived inside of him. In my eyes, Harry was the ultimate Horcrux because, for
the longest time, no one even knew that Harry was one. In order for Voldemort to die, Harry
would need to die as well.
Harry ultimately chose to sacrifice himself for the greater good-knowing that his life
was linked to Voldemorts. However, Harry of course ends up returning to the world of the
living, as the only thing that was ‘killed’ was the piece of Voldemort’s soul inside
of him.
Because of the unpredictability of having Harry as a Horcrux, and his inadvertent transformation
into one, Harry was the strongest link keeping Voldemort’s soul alive.
And that’s it for this video! Do you guys agree with my rankings? Let me know in the
comment section down below
Until next time
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live