Since the publication of HBP, it is apparent that Harry will need to find a number of Horcruxes, which may include Hufflepuff’s cup, Slytherin’s locket, and an object of value from Griffindor and/or Ravenclaw. As to the exact number, that argument was the subject of a previous editorial, but let’s put that aside to focus on how Harry will find these objects.

We know from Dumbledore that Hufflepuff’s golden cup and Slytherin’s golden locket are undoubtably Horcruxes. The cup was last seen in the Smith household, and its latest whereabouts are unknown. The locket most likely was taken by Regulus Black/RAB, and discovered by Harry at the Black family home. It is not known whether it remains a Horcrux. However, given the pilfering of the Black family valuables by Mundungus, we also do not know whether the locket remains where Harry found it at Grimmauld Place, or whether it has been moved to an alternate location within Grimmauld Place, or removed completely.

With Voldemort’s love of trophies, it is likely that a jeweled/golden object belonging to Ravenclaw and/or Griffindor has also been turned into a Horcrux. These objects are likely to be found at a place of meaning to Voldemort, as Slytherin's ring was found in the Gaunt family house and the locket was originally placed in the cave visited by Tom Riddle as a child. But how to find the objects?

Yes, Hermione is intelligent, and I believe that she will help uncover the locales of where Harry should look, including Hogwarts (Room of Requirement? Chamber of Secrets?), the Riddle family house, and perhaps even Godric’s Hollow itself. But once Hermione deduces where the searches should commence, how to uncover the actual object?

Dumbledore could tell where magic had touched a place, but Harry cannot, and perhaps may never attain this skill. Hermione may not even be able to tell where magic was used to hide these objects.

What to do? Hmmmmmm. Need to find a golden or jeweled object? Who ya gonna call? THE NIFFLER!!

As Hagrid said, they are dead useful at finding valuables, and we know how Lee Jordan used them to attack everyone’s favorite High Inquisitor (too bad they didn’t succeed in gnawing off those chubby jeweled fingers). Once a possible location was identified, in goes Harry, Hermione and Ron, with a few Nifflers borrowed from Hagrid to determine where the object is being hidden.

Who knows, maybe the Nifflers could even retrieve it, but I would suspect there would be powerful magic behind it, and so the Nifflers may only be able to discern its hiding place.

And you thought that Care of Magical Creatures was a useless subject at Hogwarts, like geometry or algebra...

11/3/05

Posted by: Sara