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I am specifically talking about the moment before final battle with Harry, after Neville chops Nagini in half. In the beginning of Deathly Hallows, Hermione says that remorse can put the soul back together from horcruxes.

Is this still true once some of the horcruxes are already destroyed? At the end Harry does tell Voldemort to try and feel some remorse, but that only seems to be a taunt, and not actually an invitation to try and make things right.

If Voldemort had wanted, could he have put his soul back together through remorse just before his fight with Harry in Deathly Hallows, or was this avenue for soul repairing closed for Voldemort once the diary was destroyed in The Chamber of Secrets?

2 Answers 2

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Voldemort would've been able to repair his soul. Assuming he's capable of feeling remorse. Or willing to.

When Hermione discusses Horcruxes with Harry and Ron, she mentions there's a way to repair your soul, by feeling authentic remorse.

However, she doesn't mention anything about not being able to repair your soul if an Horcrux was already destroyed. Considering that at that point the Diary and the Ring were already destroyed, Hermione would've probably made a comment about it not being possible for Voldemort, if that were the case.

Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said about Voldemort moving beyond “usual evil.”
“Isn’t there any way of putting yourself back together?” Ron asked.
“Yes,” said Hermione with a hollow smile, “but it would be excruciatingly painful.”
“Why? How do you do it?” asked Harry.
“Remorse,” said Hermione. “You’ve got to really feel what you’ve done. There’s a footnote. Apparently the pain of it can destroy you. I can’t see Voldemort attempting it somehow, can you?”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Chapter Six. The Ghoul in Pajamas

Considering the book she's consulting mentions the method to restore the soul, it would very likely mention any possible limitation on restoring the soul, and Hermione would've made a comment about that.


Harry certainly thinks it is possible, and Voldemort doesn't retort to him that it wouldn't be possible due to the destroyed Horcruxes.

“You’re right. But before you try to kill me, I’d advise you to think about what you’ve done... Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle...”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Chapter Thirty-six. The Flaw in the Plan.


I casually found further evidence that supports Voldemort being able to restore his soul. Apparently Voldemort was capable of healing "more deeply than anyone would have supposed" if he had repented, which in my opinion hints to him being able to remorse his soul back... However, it seems it's thanks to Lily's blood?

except that the power of Lily's sacrifice is a positive force that not only continues to tether Harry to life, but gives Voldemort himself one last chance ... Voldemort has unwittingly put a few drops of goodness back inside himself; if he had repented, he could have been healed more deeply than anyone would have supposed.

Rowling Answers 10 Questions About Harry

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    "Hermione would've probably made a comment about it not being possible for Voldemort, if that were the case." No she wouldn't. She read about Horcruxes from books in Dumbledore's study, books he presumably removed from the library after he became headmaster, and presumably the same types of books Riddle learned about horcruxes from. And presumably these books are from the perspective that a normal dark wizard wont have more than 1 horcrux (whole reason he had to ask Slughorn about multiple hoxcruxes). So presumably these books wont have information about remorsing the soul back .....
    – user13267
    Commented Mar 21, 2023 at 0:54
  • ..... together after one of multiple horcruxes were destroyed. Hermione wouldn't know about something she presumably couldn't have read. Hermione doesn't know everything (or even is right about everything, ref wand, stone and cloak) in universe.
    – user13267
    Commented Mar 21, 2023 at 0:57
  • @user13267 I never claimed Hermione knew everything. But she's our best source of information about Horcruxes. And even if Dark Wizards usually only make one horcrux, it can still be destroyed and maybe the Dark Wizard would wish to repair his soul by feeling remorse after its destruction.
    – IloneSP
    Commented Mar 21, 2023 at 12:20
  • And I didn't claim you claimed it. All I'm saying is "Hermione would have said so" probably cannot be used as a sure fire justification for a lot of things in the story. I have already given my take on why Hermione wouldn't have said anything about this particular situation, in universe. And "Dark Wizard would wish to repair his soul by feeling remorse after its destruction" doesn't mean it's necessarily possible either.
    – user13267
    Commented Mar 21, 2023 at 12:30
  • @user13267 Sure, but as I've said, if destroying an Horcrux impedes restoring the soul, the book Hermione is reading would've mentioned it. And therefore, Hermione would've said something about it. Since she didn't, we can safely assume that destroying an Horcrux doesn't make it impossible to repair the soul.
    – IloneSP
    Commented Mar 23, 2023 at 20:53
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I do not believe that you particular circumstance was ever mentioned. It seems logical in the framework of the HP universe, that once a horcrux is destroyed the portion of the soul might be gone too as Voldemort felt the Horcrux's destructions. It was the opposite in the books and he did not feel the horcrux's destruction, so I would say in the book universe putting the soul back MAY be possible.

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  • Hi, welcome to SF&F. This answer would be better if you could find some quotes or other sources to support your argument.
    – DavidW
    Commented Mar 20, 2023 at 19:30

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