The Locket again..., Was it the Horcrux or the locket itself? Options

[Perseus_Evans]

I've been thinking... (collective "uh-oh" from the mods)

Is it possible that the properties of the locket weren't only because it had been made a Horcrux?

The effect it had on the various people who wore it in DH, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dolores, was very different, but perhaps the root of it is the same. Even at the end of the Horcrux's life, it fought back with the same properties...

Amplifying negative thoughts seemed to be the effect. With the trio, it was a problem, dragging them down, spreading emnity and discord. With Dolores, it was empowering somehow, but she was all about the negative anyway. But here's the thing...

I think that power was inherent to the locket and not because a chunk of Voldy's soul was lurking inside it.

I also think I may finally understand why it, above all other Horcruxes made a cover (OK Nagini was on a spine, but not in all it's glory).

And... I think Slytherin's locket itself is the spark behind the flame of this entire story.

Slytherin may have made the locket with the intent to clarify his ambition, to mute his own internal sense of sympathy, and ultimately distill his will down to the cold and calculated. It fits with the nature of his house's standards, according to the Sorting hat.

For most of his descendants, the locket was a treasured means of enhancing those thoughts, those feelings of self-righteousness. Through the generations the heirs of Slytherin clung to those negative beliefs and feelings of superiority. But when it was finally passed down to a young witch, who was trapped in a house from which there seemed no escape; a house where she was made to serve along the lines of a house-elf, the locket only began to amplify her sense of helplessness. She became unable to do consistently perform any constructive magic (like Harry's failure to produce a patronus), and then worse, became obsessed, and infatuated with someone she clearly couldn't have. Her name? Merope Gaunt.

Perhaps all of these factors stemmed from the locket's power. Marvolo had no clue on the power of the resurrection stone. I'm quite sure he didn't care about the power of the locket either.

Merope escaped and eventually sold the locket, but was willing to almost give it away. I refuse to believe she had no sense of its value. I believe she wanted to be rid of it, and that her death was not due to poverty, but her broken heart and the regret of what she'd become. She was ashamed of herself for letting the darkness go so far as to let her use magic to achieve love, and only when the fog of the locket was gone, did the remorse take her life.

So the locket may well be what set the events in motion that began Tom Marvolo Riddle's life and further, when you think of the potential effect of such a magical item on a developing baby, it's no wonder he was evil.

So the hopelessness may well have been imposed upon the trio more because of the locket, then the fact that it was a Horcrux. And so I'm thinking that may be the hidden power of the locket, that Hepzibah Smith had been referring to...

This post has been edited by Perseus_Evans: Aug 23 2007, 11:02 AM

[Hermione@13]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Amazing deduction! That's cool!(lol)It totally explains a lot! As you said, it explains why V was born so evil. Maybe the locket also strengthens Evil Magic and that's why Tom was so advanced.

[Nossist]

Nice thread here. Great!

What gets me though is when they open the locket wasn't it something like a Harry Voldemort and Hermione Voldemort appeared on the locket (little figures I guess) but im not, if you dont know what I'm talking about I shall get the book back soon and find the exact qouting.

Great thread though, it makes alot of sense of why the locket made the trio feel like that, and seeing as Griffindors item had a special power (probably because it was so strong and could destroy horcruxes, and could be summoned from the hat) and Ravenclaws item had special powers (making the user smarter, was this true however or just a myth?) I wouldnt be surprised if Slytherins locket did have that power. But what power did Hufflepuffs cup have?

One extra thing, I said the sword had the power to destroy horcruxes, this was because it had, i think, basalisk venom in it, I imagined that this was added by DD but I could be wrong.

[Perseus_Evans]

The sword was imbued with basilisk venom when Harry killed the Basilisk in CoS... Griphook had mentioned that goblin-wrought steel will absorb the powers of the substances that touch it...

And I think the Harry/Hermione versions popped out because the locket was amplifying Ron's negative feelings. His sense of being the weak link has always been his fear, even in the Mirror of Erised.

It is interesting though that Harry's story may have begun with his distant cousin Merope (through the Peverells) putting on the locket...

[xc coach]

As usual, Perseus Evans, you found an interesting topic to discuss.

Slytherin makes this locket. And imbues it with this negativity-booster. And then Tom makes it a horcrux, which is even worse. This Horcrux was indeed the worst of them all.

Thanks for thinking about it! I'm sure the mods didnt' really shudder. Much.