J.K. Rowling has spilled the beans on many mysteries and backstories of the Harry Potter series over the years, either on Pottermore, in the Fantastic Beasts prequels or via her Twitter account. One secret that so far she’s refused to reveal, though, is exactly how Horcruxes are created. But given that Potterheads are amongst the most dedicated fans on the planet, there’s one commonly believed theory that might explain it.
If you’re a diehard HP nut you might’ve heard this idea before, as it was first suggested on Reddit a few years ago. ScreenRant recently brought back the post though and offered their own input, so it’s worth revisiting.
To begin with, it’s known that there are three parts to creating a Horcrux, just as Voldemort did several times. Firstly, the act of murder fragments the soul. Following that, a spell is used to release this soul fragment from the body and finally, something is done to bind the fragment to an object. It’s this third stage that’s the big mystery.
Rowling’s said she once told her editor and it made them sick, which is why she’s keeping it to herself. But the widespread theory is that the third step involves cannibalism. Specifically, that Voldemort would’ve had to eat the flesh or perhaps drink the blood of his victims to complete his Horcrux. This Reddit theorist uses Moaning Myrtle as a case study, as Myrtle was killed by the Basilisk but her murder was the cause of Tom Riddle’s first Horcrux, his diary. So, perhaps he “connected” to his victim by consuming a part of her.
We all know how much Rowling loves to draw from mythology and folklore and the theorist discusses how cannibalism is often said to imbue evil souls with dark power in old legends. There’s perhaps even a hint at this explanation in the fact that Voldemort drinks unicorn blood to extend his life in the first Harry Potter book/film.
ScreenRant suggests a possible flaw in the idea, though, as all Riddle’s Horcrux victims were found intact. But we suppose it’s always possible that he used some kind of illusionary or regenerative spell to cover up his cannibalism.
