This topic is not as much whether Gryffindor's Sword is a horcrux, as it is the possibility that Tom Riddle, then already LV, could have made it into a horcrux right in front of DD.

If you remember, DD said that Gryffindor's sword is the only relic from him that anyone knows of.
Now, also remember the very prominent reaction that Harry had to DD's memory of his interview with Tom Riddle for the DADA position at Hogwart's...
Here's where conjecture comes in, and where my thought may fail... We don't know if LV can do wandless magic, do we? But the thought occurred to me that if the sword was on the wall when he came for his interview, what if that "twitch" was not a movement toward his wand, as JKR may have wanted us to think, but was really LV turning the sword into a horcrux. This all depends on how long you have between performing the murder and making the horcrux as well.

Do you think that it's possible for LV to have performed such a feat of magic directly in front of DD without his knowing? LV was a superb occlumens, so perhaps he could block DD out enough to get away with it. I just thought it was odd that the sword sits in a case behind his desk, and LV made that "twitch," that JKR made sure that we would notice.

What better place to hide a horcrux than right where DD is... and with DD protecting it himself???

No.

Simply because you have to kill a human being to make a horcruxe as a sacrifice for more soul. Sorry for the incredibly short message but that's all there is to it.

Sorry, but no. Even if LV had been successful at making the sword a Horcrux, DD would be able to sense the magic, locate it, and disable or destroy it. We know he is gifted in doing this by his search of the cave. There's know way something could be in DD's office like that without him knowing.

I agree, LittleRed7771, that it would give the sword a "feel" of magic, but the founder's relics are supposed to have magical properties of their own, so it may have already had a "feel" of magic, and making it into a horcrux might not have changed that "feel" enough to notice.

First off, I don't think that Voldemort embeded a Horcrux into the sword, espescially right under Dumbledore's nose. I don't think he would have been able to because making a Horcrux is very advanced magic, and would take time to do it. Besides, I also don't think Voldemort would have had the guts to even attempt it in front of Dumbledore.

I've often wondered if LV had somehow managed to make Gryffindor's sword a horcrux when he had his interview with DD. What better place to have a horcrux than under the protection of one of the most powerful wizards in the last century?

I don't know if there is a time limit in making a horcrux after killing someone, but LV could very well have just come from killing someone before his interview. His Deatheaters were waiting for him in Hogsmeade while he was at Hogwarts and I doubt they were there to lend moral support for a job interview . We know that LV knew that he wouldn't get the DADA position, so why woud he have bothered coming to Hogwarts unless he had some ulterior motive?

As to DD being able sense magical properties in objects, I would agree that a relic like the sword would already have magical properties embedded in it and perhaps DD wouldn't have noticed any new ones that may have been added (Although you think one would notice something as magical as a piece of one's soul!).

Or... perhaps instead of making the whole sword a horcrux, he could have made something smaller into the horcrux and added it to the sword while he was at the interview. The sword's handle was encrusted with rubies already so it might have been easy to hide another one on there. That would also solve the problem of a possible time limit on the making of a horcux after you kill someone. He could have made a ruby a horcrux at the time if the killing with the intention of adding it to Gryffindor's sword. I rather agree with Silence Dogood that the making of a horcrux would be wasy too advanced magic for someone to do wandlessly. However a simple levitation and sticking charm could do the trick right? We know that there are some pretty hard core sticking charms out there as no one in the Order could remove Mrs. Black's portrait from the wall in OOtP.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that I don't really think that the whole sword could be a horcrux because I don't really think there would have been ample opportunity for LV to make it into a horcrux. However, there was ample opportunity to add something to the sword and thereby still making it a horcrux without DD being any wiser.

im pretty sure that the sword wasnt even in the office in the time voldemort came. because dumbledore was suprised to see it when harry had pulled it out of the sorting hat in COS. so its a good theory...however im pretty sure its not a horcrux..but who knows right.

We don't know whether the sword was there or not. I always though the sword made it's first appearance when Harry pulled it from the hat but it had to have been there before especially since Dumbledore syas he's known where it was all along.

I never thought the sword was a horcrux but now i have it back on my list. If it is a horcrux then it had to have occured during that memory because there is no other time Tom has alone with it. We know the Horcruxes are all strongly protected and what is a stronger protection than Dumbledore? Also if you're still following the theory regarding elements, which you are i think samsmom, then I think fire could easily protect this horcrux being that it's near fawkes, and protected by probably one of the truest Gryffindor's ever, Dumbledore.

I still think it's highly unlikely that 1.) tom could do such complex magic without a wand (most wandless magic is pretty basic) and 2.) Dumbledore would fail to notice either the results or the act as the casting of the psell must be pretty obvious and the "feel" would be different enough.

hats off to you on this theory, to me the sword no has a possibility of being a horcurx

the sword its-self wasn't found until the CoS if you remember ? when harry pulled it out of the hat. i don't think the sword was mentioned in that interview was it ? nice theory but Jk would be contradicting herself.

Thats impossible because DD didn't have the sword yet.

I like the theory, and if LV had his wand inside the his robe, then he would not be doing "wandless" magic. Also we have no idea how long it takes to perform the spell to make a horocrux, just that it is complex and one has to murder, which Tom/LV has done. He made the Diary and the ring horocruxes from the murders of his father and grandparents, but not till after talking with Slug.

Seeing that we do not know where the sword was until Harry pulled it from the sorting hat, who is to say it did not sit behind DD's, for DD to have knowledge of it being the only known relic of Gordric, I would guess that he has at least seen it before. I also agree to the fact the sword would have magical properties which could mask that of a horocrux with out delving deeper.

However in the same token, with DD finding out about LV and his horocrux, my guess is that he would have since looked at the sword with more care to make sure that it was not one.

Good theory, alas I will have to side that it is not a horocrux.

I like this theory but would have to agree witht the majority that it is unlikely. It does however leave me wondering why JKR mentioned that DD saw him flicker, maybe she was trying to tell us something. We have a lot to learn in the final book, and I am sure, witht the ancient rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin, LV would consider the sword a valuable item in his horcrux collection.

umm..how do you know that dumbledore didn't have the sword as yet??

by the way, i like this theory, but it does have a few flaws (i think)...if voldemort did make the sword into a horcrux and he moved his hand to his wand inside is robes (or whatever he was wearing) then it would not be wandless..he would have used his wand..and i dont think that he can make a horcrux without using his wand (maybe?)..but if he could why would move his hand near his wand..so i'll stick to the idea that he was using his wand because thats more likely to me..i also think that dumbledore would have sensed this since he is of course the greatest wizard of all times, but even he make mistakes so maybe he didnt sense it, but if he didnt i am 95% sure that he would check everywhere for a horcrux so he must have checked to see the sword was a horcrux ( as f.lamanna said )...so i think on this theory overall that it is not likely, but if dumbledore didnt sense the magic voldemort used, then i dont see why he couldnt have made it into a horcrux..other than the fact that dumbledore could have checked the sword later to see if it was a horcrux...i think that this is a good theory that has a few flaws, but if those flaws were proven wrong then good theory..if they were proven right then good try!! ...i personally dont think the sword is a horcrux though..sorry :[

im not completely positive of this, but i thought the sword was put in DD's office after harry took it out of the sorting hat in CoS......... i could be wrong and just missed reading that in the PS

well i would have to say no sorry!! you do have agood point about LV making the sword a horcruxe but i dont think that DD would have missed that. here are my reasons why i do not think that the sword is one

1. as far as i know DD didnt have the sword untill harry pulled it out of the sorting hat (and that brings me to my next point...)

2. the sorting hat also belonged to gryffindor (it says so on the VTM home page and on JKRs website)

3. also i think that when LV made to move for his wand (when he was or was not making the sword a horcruxe) that is when he was jinksing the defense against the dark arts job as we know DD knows that jinksed it he points it out to harry!!!

you guys should read my sorting hat theory pg 47 of the WHAT WILL THE SEVEN HORCRUXES BE V.3 (its not about the sorting hat its self being one but...ah well you'll see...)

ummm no because the sword wasnt there yet was it becasuse harry just pulled out of the hat in hp2 telll me if im wrong

Hmmm that memory must serve a purpose other than to show Harry thatLV wanted to come back to the school..he could have told harry that much. Now I am gonna have to go back and read HBP again..hahaha. Good theory, though. I think that Ravenclaw will have a horcrux like a tablet or something that is somehow connected to Luna Lovegood...but I sometimes have wild theories like this. I like the one about simply adding a horcrux ruby to the sword..very subtle and sneaky and snakelike Also, does it ever really say when the sword came into DD possession? It could have been there and simply not mentioned. Like many other things in the books.

You took the words out of my mouth. DD would sense the magic in the room. Well... there already would be magic in the room but a difficult spell like the one used to make a horcrux would definately be able to be noticed.