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Tom Riddle's goal is to to make a horcrux from each house owner's belongings. He is successful in making a horcrux from three of the owners' items. Why isn't he successful in making the Sword of Gryffindor a horcrux?

“I can only guess,” said Dumbledore. “For the reasons I have already given, I believe that Lord Voldemort would prefer objects that, in themselves, have a certain grandeur. I have therefore trawled back through Voldemort’s past to see if I can find evidence that such artifacts have disappeared around him.”

“The locket!” said Harry loudly. “Hufflepuff’s cup!”

“Yes,” said Dumbledore, smiling, “I would be prepared to bet — perhaps not my other hand — but a couple of fingers, that they became Horcruxes three and four. The remaining two, assuming again that he created a total of six, are more of a problem, but I will hazard a guess that, having secured objects from Hufflepuff and Slytherin, he set out to track down objects owned by Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Four objects from the four founders would, I am sure, have exerted a powerful pull over Voldemort’s imagination. I cannot answer for whether he ever managed to find anything of Ravenclaw’s. I am confident, however, that the only known relic of Gryffindor remains safe.”

Canon information from Pottermore, or the HP wikia, is acceptable.

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  • Where does it say he was unable to?
    – user46509
    Aug 3, 2015 at 15:29
  • @CarlSixsmith edit answers! :)
    – axelonet
    Aug 3, 2015 at 15:35

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The sword of Gryffindor was kept safe at Hogwarts. He did not get opportunity to collect it during his Schooling days at Hogwarts

Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall’s desk, picked up the blood-stained silver sword, and handed it to Harry. Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt. Godric Gryffindor

“Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry,” said Dumbledore simply.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 18, Dobby’s Reward

Dumbledore believed that one of the reason Voldemort wanted to come back to Hogwarts as teacher, was to collect Gryffindor's sword. Unfortunately for Voldemort, Dumbledore did not hire him.

"I am confident, however, that the only known relic of Gryffindor remains safe.”

Dumbledore pointed his blackened fingers to the wall behind him, where a ruby-encrusted sword reposed within a glass case.

“Do you think that’s why he really wanted to come back to Hogwarts, sir?” said Harry. “To try and find something from one of the other founders?”

“My thoughts precisely,” said Dumbledore. “But unfortunately, that does not advance us much further, for he was turned away, or so I believe, without the chance to search the school. I am forced to conclude that he never fulfilled his ambition of collecting four founders’ objects. He definitely had two — he may have found three — that is the best we can do for now.”

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 23, Horcruxes

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    Except, of course, that there was another known relic of Gryffindor: The Sorting Hat.
    – EvilSnack
    Jul 16, 2016 at 22:23
  • @EvilSnack personally i think the sorting hat would be a very bad choice, it can speak and sits in Dumbledores office. It would probably spend all day moaning about the dark magic cast on it. Best to use an object that cant talk (or be put on students heads every year: someone could notice if EVERY new student got cursed)
    – Matt
    Sep 4, 2017 at 19:48

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