In Essence Divided, meaning essentially...what?

While rereading OotP last night, a possible answer to something I'd always wondered about popped into my head. This is also mentioned in our thread on unanswered questions, although no one's dealt with it (that I can find) on this site yet. Bear with me though, because this might be difficult to put coherently...

In chapter 22, Harry tells Dumbledore about the dream he has of Arthur Weasley getting attacked by a snake. Dumbledore believes him, obviously, but then he ponders a little silver device of unknown purpose (to us). I'm sure everyone remembers it, but I'll quote the part I'm referring to anyway:

-p. 470, US hardback edition

I always wondered what Dumbledore was really asking the instrument, and what it told him. Initially, I assumed he was asking it whether Harry'd seen into Voldemort's mind, and then whether Voldemort was possibly possessing Harry, or something along those lines. But since then we've learned about horcruxes, and rereading that last night almost made me shout out loud (good thing I didn't; it was 2am!).

It occurred to me that Dumbledore was actually asking the device about the nature of the snake, and its relationship to Voldemort, not about Harry at all. Honestly, until last night, I always thought Dumbledore had kinda pulled the Nagini = horcrux thing out of his a**, cos I didn't see the proof for it at all. But the more I think about it now, actually, the more I think that he was actually asking in OotP if the snake was a horcrux. This is the proof he got, and it makes the 'in essence divided' bit crystal clear if this is the case.

As soon as I thought of this, a few details I'd overlooked jumped out at me. First of all, I'd always kinda wondered what the snake was doing in the MoM in the first place; I'd assumed that it was spying things out for Voldemort, so it didn't seem that important. But why send a snake, why not a person under an invisibility cloak or something? Also, why did the snake act like it wasn't supposed to bite Arthur, unless it had some other business than spying? It didn't really make sense, but I didn't question it much at the time.

But if the snake was a horcrux, if it was part Voldemort, then it makes incredible sense. If the snake's Voldemort (and not just being possessed by him) then that'd mean he could actually get the prophecy. It'd also explain why the snake's venom could help Vapormort regain a feeble body in GoF. In fact, I thought it might even be possible (though far-fetched) that Voldemort had activated the snake horcrux, in a sense, like the diary was almost activated in CoS. That'd give us TWO living Voldemorts to deal with instead of one. If this is the case, the snake could BE Voldemort (who I assume would have long ago learned to be an animagus, and as such I also assume would have taken the form of a great serpent - hence Dumbledore's mention of his many transformations, and Voldemort's snakelike appearance as a human), just transformed.

Anyway, I hope that made some kind of sense for everyone. I wanna give everyone a chance to discuss, I'm anxious to see what everyone thinks, so that's plenty for now. So what do you think?

Nagini is an obviously magical snake anyway, and it wouldnt surprise me if snake venom is a common ingredient in powerful dark magic - but Dumbledore suspects that the murder of Frank Bryce was when Nagini was made into a horcrux. So, at this point, Voldemort wouldnt have any soul connection to the snake, even if he was uncommonly (for Voldemort) fond of Nagini.

Great thread, i love this explaination for what Dumbledore was asking the little machine

I hadnt thought about it until you mentioned it.

I dont quite get what you mean by activate it though, do you mean in the case of Voldemort's re-vapourising, Nagini would perform a diary-like function of making a seperate Voldemort spirit? Do we know what would've happened if the Diary had've made Tom Riddle strong and whole again? Hrm.

If Voldemort has an animagus, i bet it's a snake too

Voldemort could've used Frank Bryce's murder to make Nagini into a horcrux, but he also could've used Bertha Jorkins'. So it's possible that Nagini was already a horcrux by the time he regained a physical form.

What I meant about activating the horcrux is...well, making it not just be a horcrux, but more like a clone, sort of. Like he "rebirthed" himself in Nagini as well, so that there are two living Voldemort's in OotP, instead of just the one we see at the end of GoF. I only really thought of this because I wondered, firstly, whether just a horcrux (inactivated, for lack of a better word) could remove the prophecy; but more than that, how could a snake actually physically remove the prophecy (apart from with its mouth, which would leave it somewhat defenseless if caught)? But if the snake's actually Voldemort in transformed animagus form, it could maybe turn human, retrieve the prophecy/listen to it, then disappear again.

I honestly don't think this last part's all that important, because in all likelihood being a horcrux would be enough. It was just an interesting add-on to wonder what would theoretically happen if one of the horcruxes WAS activated after Voldemort had regained a true body. It really doesn't have all that much to do with my main point, I just wanted to throw it out there too...But thanks for the support for my theory!

I think you're onto something with the whole 'why Nagini was in the MoM and what Dumbledore was talking about with the snake' thing. It makes total sense that that's when Dumbledore realized Nagini's importance and her being a horcrux.

I'm also not sure though, about this whole 'activated' thing. Besides, I'm not sure Voldemort could stand to have more than one of himself running around. Even if they were just pale copies.

This quote is a cheaky allusion to the alchemy symbol of the snake eating its tail.

I think it's more than a hint that Harry IS! a horcrux.
[I've done this volume on tape 56 times, but never actually read that passage]

Good catch! How about:

-DD asks the intrument about the incident in the DOM, and the snake does this littledance. But, it only describes 2 snakes. [?] Well, there's the first one, then it shows another two wrapped around each other.

-So, if it's VM and Nagini, then what role does Harry play there? Because we all know he was there: He was the snake.
So, say the explanation[and a good one at that] is correct, that the Snake was at the DOM, to get the prophecy, then DD has an explanation about the crime, but not why Harry can see it.

As to the purpose of Nagini, I think it's more likely that VM has been wanting the Prophecy for 16 years. So, making Nagini a horcrux is probably somehting VM's been devising probably since before Nagini.


The Next question: How in the snake spit does Dumbledore know about the killing of Frank Bryce? Considering that Frank's body was fed to Nagini, the only witnesses to the act are: VM, Wormtail, Harry[though he can't remember], and the Eagly on whose back Harry flew during the dream.

Eh... I don't think DD cares why Harry can see it. He already knows about the connection. Harry was not the snake that night, he wasn't actually there. He merely observed it. DD is asking the instrument about the two beings we actually know were there, Nagini & LV. This is why it makes sense in HBP for DD to tell Harry that he has wondered about Nagini's nature. Without this OotP scene, he hasn't wondered about her, that we know of.

I have a hard time believing that either Bertha or Frank were horcrux murders though (not that it matters for the silver instrument discussion). I would imagine that splitting one's soul is a trying process. Babymort wasn't exactly the strongest of creatures. I don't think he had the power to do it or survive it while in that form.

It is definately a great explanation to that puzzling question, and I do agree with you.

However, as for the whole "rebirthing", I'm not sure- as was already pointed out, I don't think LV would stand another LV running around. I have a feeling he'd be most distrustful of himself than any other being, simply knowing his own nature. He just may prefer to keep Nagini close to him, in the off chance she could be killed.

To me the smoke is referring to first Nagini, and then Nagini and LV. Harry is not part of this equation. I think DD was looking for a reason as to why Harry's connection with LV was suddenly appearing with Nagini as well.

We also need to remember that LV may have also been possessing Nagini at that time. Whether or not that affects his Horcruxes is another matter up for discussion. But that would explain why Harry was able to also experience the DoM.

I always believed LV was possessing Nagini when they attacked Arthur. I don't think the snake had feelings of wanting to cause injury... but LV certainly would. It doesn't make any sense for Harry to see events thru Nagini is LV isn't possessing her.

Why doesnt it make sense? Voldemort has no need to posess Nagini if Nagini is willing to follow his orders, and perhaps a horcrux in a living thing gives a link like that of Harry and Voldemorts.

So Nagini is linked to Voldemort, who is linked to Harry. Through this Harry is also linked to Nagini, IF HE'S A HORCRUX

God i hope he's a horcrux.

Also; about Frank Bryce being a Horcrux murder, in HBP Dumbledore thinks that Voldemort was going to make Harry his 7th Horcrux murder, but he was vanquished in the process, and that he thinks his next murder would've been the Horcrux one to make sure he had 7.

Now, if Frank Bryce ISNT a Horcrux murder, does that then mean that it was indeed Harry who became a Horcrux after the murder of his parents? A DOUBLEMURDERHORCRUX.

Woah. Trippy.

Like I said, I can't see Nagini having the feelings that Harry describes feeling when he witnesses Arthur's attack. That's why it doesn't make sense to me. He doesn't just see it happen. He feels LV's rage and desire for death.

The other issue. I think LV wanted to visit the MoM himself. Obviously, it was dangerous for him to go... what's the next best option... to possess Nagini. Just makes sense to me.