How would Voldemort restore himself from a horcrux?

Question

If Voldemort's body dies, what process would he use to restore himself from a horcrux? His plans seem sloppy for the pains he had taken. For example, why create horcruxes from pieces of jewellery when they dont have the agency to seek out a new body by themselves?

He needed Quirrel, a person with unlikely ambitions to seek him out to gain an useful body. When that body was gone, he needed Barty Crouch, someone with questionable agency (he could be imprisoned) to transport Harry and draw his blood.

Nagini and the diary seems the only horcruxes with agency, the others are mostly inert.

What plans were ever taken to restore Voldemort from his horcruxes?

Answer 1

1. If Voldemort's body dies, what process would he use to restore himself from a Horcrux?

   Just to be clear, the primary avenue is not to restore himself "from a Horcrux". While that's possible (see the section below on Diary), the main function of the Horcrux is NOT to "restored the body" - it's simply to not let the remaining "main" piece of soul to die when the body dies.

   In other words, the Horcruxes played their part in the moment when Voldemort tried to kill Harry and destroyed his body - NOT when he was trying to recreate his body back 10, or 14, years later.

2. For example, why create horcruxes from pieces of jewellery when they dont have the agency to seek out a new body by themselves?

   Actually, some of "the jewellery" has plenty of agency. It nearly took possession of Ron, and that was from brief contact. Imagine if Ron wore the locket nonstop for 70 years (or however long Bilbo had The One Ring).

   This doesn't even touch on the Diary.

3. Nagini and the diary seems the only horcruxes with agency, the others are mostly inert.

   Leaving aside the fact that others were not as inert (see the effect the locket had on Ron), the diary more than made up for it. It was not merely active-able, it was able to turn into Voldemort himself, even on its own without the "main" portion of the soul!

   Q: In 'Chamber of Secrets', what would have happened if Ginny had died and Tom Riddle had escaped the diary?
   A: I can’t answer that fully until all seven books are finished, but it would have strengthened the present-day Voldemort considerably. (JKR FAQs)

   The canon and JKR doesn't state so outright, but the corporeal Tom Riddle, recreated from life force of Ginny Weasley (or anyone else who would have been the victim of the diary) would then likely go and create a real body for the real Voldemort - or even serve as that body. "Voldemort is my present. Past. And future".

4. What plans were ever taken to restore Voldemort from his horcruxes?

   There were 3 independent plans.

   • First, as discussed above, was one of the Horcruxes - especially the Diary - taking an active part in coopting some victim.

   • Second, that his soul remainder would possess someone.

     Granted, not fool-proof, yet it DID work out, with Quirrell.

   • And third, was that one of his Death Eaters would restore him, as he expressed in Goblet of Fire - and was unpleasantly surprised that they did not:

     'I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact – such prompt appearances! – and I ask myself – why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?' ...

     ...

     'And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power, in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living?

     ...

     'Lucius, my slippery friend,' he whispered, halting before him. 'I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius – your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay – but might not your energies have been better directed towards finding and aiding your master?'

5. One last thing you have to remember was that Voldemort - at the time his body was destroyed - was not done and wasn't planning to be done.

   He was arrogant and didn't believe he could be killed so easily.

   So, there's a pretty solid chance that he had further plans (a will, a specially designated set of people, etc...) to ensure his resurrection... but simply didn't get around to them as he first wanted to make all 7 Horcruxes.

Answer 2

The Horcrux has one function. To keep the soul tethered to the world of the living. By breaking the soul apart into the horcrux, makeshift vessels, the death of one vessel would not release the soul into the afterlife.

When Voldemort attempted to kill baby Harry, his body was completely destroyed. This was unexpected, as Voldemort never thought his spell could backfire so strongly (thanks Lily).

"I was ripped from my body, less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost, but still, I was alive." Goblet of Fire

This was not planned, and if it wasn't for Voldemort's insistence on wanting the Philosopher's Stone to come back in a new invincible body, and then on Harry's protected blood, so that he would be mostly invincible in his old body, he could have easily come back with a regular body. Pride goeth before the fall.

On the other hand, when Voldemort resurrected himself with Harry's blood, he became a Horcrux for Harry. This is why when Harry died in the forest, he was able to come back to life, because unlike Voldemort, Harry's body wasn't destroyed. He was just killed.

Answer 3

You seem to be confused about what a Horcrux is and its use.

A Horcrux is used to make sure your soul stays on earth when your body is destroyed. It is created with a murder as it will shatter your soul and allow you to put a part of it inside an object.

Then, when you die, your body is destroyed and your "main" soul is let to wander:

• If you don't have any Horcrux it will continue its journey to the unknown.

• If you have a horcrux (or more), however, it's a bit of your soul that will stay on earth no matter what, linked to the object in which you put it. So, if the body which contain your "main" soul is destroyed, instead of going, your soul will wander around until you find a body of your own. The bit of souls concealed in your horcruxes will remain untouched as their only use are to make sure your soul won't make the journey.

As for the other use of a Horcrux, in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Dumbledore says something interesting:

"...I think I know what the sixth Horcrux is. I wonder what you will say when I confess that I have been curious for a while about the behavior of the snake, Nagini?”

“The snake?" said Harry, startled. “You can use animals as Horcruxes?”

“Well, it is inadvisable to do so,” said Dumbledore, “because to confide a part of your soul to something that can think and move for itself is obviously a very risky business. However, if my calculations are correct, Voldemort was still at least one Horcrux short of his goal of six when he entered your parents’ house with the intention of killing you.”

That's because usually you'll want to put your Horcrux in someplace safe where nobody will ever look. Breaking your soul to pieces is indeed a very dark thing to do and you don't want part of your soul to go wandering around. We can see in Harry's mind of King Cross what someone whose soul is too shattered would become in the form of the hideous infant and understand why it is such a big deal and an important thing. (It's your soul!)

For example, the diary was a fantasy of Riddle who wanted to reoppen the Chamber of Secret (and thus was proven to be its unsafest Horcrux).

You don't want your Horcrux to remake your body of its own as it would put it in an unsafe situation, but instead would have to entrust someone to help you rebuild your body (Wormtail in the book) or make something else ready for your resurrection by the time you die (No clue about what that would be though). And the Dark Lord didn't have that something in place by that time, as his plan to make himself immortal obviously wasn't finished: he didn't had all its Horcruxes, as he wanted Harry to be the murder that would allow him to make his sixth and last Horcrux.

Plus, Voldemort was really surprised when none of his Deatheaters came to him to help him after his death as he bragged many times he conquered death. His most faithful deatheaters (Bellatrix, Crouch Jr) being imprisonned at Azkaban.