Horcrux

• Type: Dark Magic; Immortality charm; Soul magic
• Purpose: To achieve Immortality by encasing a fragment of a wizard's soul within an object or living being, thus tethering them to the mortal world.
• Inventor: Herpo the Foul, an Ancient Greek Dark Wizard.
• Known Practitioners: Herpo the Foul, Lord Voldemort.

A Horcrux is considered the foulest of all Dark Magic, as it involves the mutilation of one's own soul. The process is a two-step act of supreme evil. First, the creator must deliberately split their soul. This is achieved by committing the ultimate act of evil: murder. A cold-blooded, intentional murder rips the soul apart. Second, the torn fragment of soul must be encased within a chosen object through a complex spell. The specific incantation is found in the book Magick Moste Evile, but is not stated in the primary texts. Once the spell is cast, the object becomes a Horcrux. The object itself can be anything, from a mundane item to a treasured artifact, or even a living creature. Lord Voldemort preferred objects with historical or personal significance. The creation of a Horcrux has a dehumanizing effect on the creator. With each Horcrux made, the remaining portion of the soul in the creator's body becomes more unstable and damaged, leading to physical disfigurement and a loss of humanity, as evidenced by Lord Voldemort's monstrous transformation.

The primary magical property of a Horcrux is to grant a form of Immortality. If the creator's body is destroyed, the piece of soul within the Horcrux will tether the main soul to the mortal plane, preventing them from dying. The disembodied spirit can later be restored to a physical form through powerful Dark Magic. Horcruxes also possess powerful protective enchantments and a form of malevolent consciousness. They can influence or possess individuals who come into close contact with them, as seen with the Diary of Tom Riddle and Slytherin's Locket, using this influence to defend themselves and further the creator's goals. Destroying a Horcrux is exceptionally difficult, as the container object must be damaged beyond any magical repair. Ordinary physical or magical damage is insufficient. There are very few known methods of destruction:

• Basilisk Venom: A substance so potent and destructive that it has only one known cure: Phoenix Tears. It can destroy a Horcrux completely.
• Fiendfyre: A cursed fire that is powerful enough to destroy a Horcrux. However, it is extremely dangerous and nearly impossible to control.
• The Killing Curse: Avada Kedavra can destroy a Horcrux if it is housed within a living being. This is because the curse kills the living container, and the piece of soul within cannot exist without its container.
• Creator's Remorse: It is theorized that if the creator of a Horcrux feels genuine, profound remorse for their actions, the process could reverse, and the soul fragments could be rejoined. However, the process is described as an excruciating agony that could itself prove fatal.

Driven by his profound fear of death, Lord Voldemort intended to split his soul into seven parts (creating six Horcruxes), believing seven to be the most magically powerful number. He ultimately created seven Horcruxes, one of which was unintentional, splitting his soul into eight pieces.

1. Diary of Tom Riddle: Created with the murder of Myrtle Warren. Entrusted to Lucius Malfoy and destroyed in 1993 by Harry Potter with a Basilisk fang in the Chamber of Secrets.
2. Marvolo Gaunt's Ring: Created with the murder of Tom Riddle Sr.. Hidden in the Gaunt Shack and destroyed in 1996 by Albus Dumbledore using the Sword of Gryffindor, which had been imbued with Basilisk Venom.
3. Slytherin's Locket: Created with the murder of a Muggle tramp. Stolen by Regulus Black and Kreacher, it was later destroyed in 1997 by Ron Weasley with the Sword of Gryffindor.
4. Hufflepuff's Cup: Created with the murder of Hepzibah Smith. Entrusted to Bellatrix Lestrange and stored in her Gringotts vault. It was destroyed in 1998 by Hermione Granger using a Basilisk fang from the remains of the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.
5. Ravenclaw's Diadem: Created with the murder of an Albanian peasant. Hidden in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. It was unintentionally destroyed in 1998 by Vincent Crabbe's Fiendfyre.
6. Harry Potter: The accidental Horcrux. Created unintentionally when Lord Voldemort murdered Lily Potter and the Killing Curse rebounded. A fragment of Voldemort's unstable soul latched onto the only living thing in the room. It was destroyed in 1998 by Lord Voldemort himself when he cast the Killing Curse on Harry in the Forbidden Forest.
7. Nagini: Created with the murder of Bertha Jorkins. The final Horcrux to be destroyed, it was killed in 1998 by Neville Longbottom using the Sword of Gryffindor during the Battle of Hogwarts.

• J.K. Rowling has stated in interviews that the full process for creating a Horcrux, particularly the specific spell and actions following the murder, is so ghastly that she decided not to publish it. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• In the film adaptations, the destruction of a Horcrux is consistently visualized with a black, smoke-like wraith, representing the piece of Voldemort's soul, erupting from the object before dissipating. (film)
• The idea of splitting the soul to achieve Immortality is a concept found in various mythologies, often associated with the darkest forms of magic.