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The Harry Potter series is full of interesting antagonists. From the villainous antics of Bellatrix Lestrange to the unbearably unpleasant presence of Dolores Umbridge, there is an abundance of villains that fans love to hate. But, of course, none is quite as synonymous with evil as that of Lord Voldemort. His presence certainly isn't understated; nearly every problem Harry faces in the series is caused, either directly or indirectly, by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

That's probably why it's no surprise that, by the seventh and final installment of Harry Potter, Voldemort seems like an unstoppable force. And in a way, he is. As fans learn over the course of the series, Voldemort found a way to make himself virtually immortal. And he did so by creating seven Horcruxes, objects that each possess a fragment of the creator's soul so that, if they are ever killed, they are able to bring themselves back from the dead. When Harry learns about Voldemort's Horcruxes, he, Ron and Hermione spend the final story traveling across Britain to find and destroy them. Here is a list of the seven Horcruxes in Harry Potter and how they were destroyed.

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Tom Riddle's Diary Was the First Horcrux Introduced

Tom Riddle's diary on a desk in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle's diary is a major focal point of the story, as its original owner turns out to have far more significance than originally thought. Toward the end of the story, when Harry goes to save Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets, he meets a young Tom Riddle. And it is there that Riddle reveals himself to be the future Lord Voldemort and explains that he was the one who opened the chamber and released the basilisk.

At the time, the extent of the diary's true nature was not revealed, as Harry was led to believe Tom Riddle was a memory strengthened by Ginny feeding her emotions to him. In reality, the matter was more complicated, as Dumbledore would reveal in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that the diary was just one of seven Horcruxes. Of course, this Horcrux was destroyed by Harry with the basilisk fang during that final confrontation with Riddle.

Dumbledore Destroyed the Horcrux in Marvolo Gaunt's Ring

Dumbledore touching Marvolo Gaunt's ring in Harry Potter

Introduced in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Marvolo Gaunt's ring is an heirloom that belonged to Tom Riddle's grandfather (although, in the films, it is attributed to his mother.) It not only served as one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, but it also contained the Resurrection Stone. Albus Dumbledore found this ring and even attempted to use it as a means of bringing back his dead sister once he recognized the stone. As a result of that act, a curse nearly killed him. Dumbledore ultimately destroyed the ring with the sword of Godric Gryffindor, but not without suffering the consequences.

The curse weakened Dumbledore to a noticeable degree. At the start of Half-Blood Prince, Harry sees the damage the curse has done to Dumbledore's arm, although it is not revealed why until later. Although the ring was destroyed before the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the Resurrection Stone survived, to be discovered later by Harry inside the golden snitch.

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The Horcrux in Slytherin's Locket Nearly Destroyed Harry, Ron and Hermione

Dolores Umbridge wearing the Slytherin locket in Harry Potter

The locket once owned by Salazar Slytherin was a source of many problems for Harry, Ron and Hermione in the final moments of Half-Blood Prince and the first half of Deathly Hallows. It is an heirloom of the Slytherin family, having been owned by Salazar Slytherin, of whom Voldemort is a direct descendant. This fact, along with most of Voldemort's family history, doesn't get explored in the films, but it is a major point in the books. Toward the end of Half-Blood Prince, Harry, with help from Dumbledore, goes after the locket, only for Harry to discover the one they found is fake. Then, in Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron and Hermione eventually go on a search for the real locket.

They soon learn the heirloom is in the possession of Dolores Umbridge, and after sneaking into the Ministry of Magic, they procure it and escape. They then remain in possession of Slytherin's locket as they attempt to find a way to destroy it. This affects them greatly, but none more so than Ron, who briefly abandons his friends after an argument with Harry. The locket is eventually destroyed by Ron, using the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

Helga Hufflepuff's Cup Was Destroyed in the Battle of Hogwarts

Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, one of the Horcruxes from Harry Potter

Like the locket, Helga Hufflepuff's cup is also the family heirloom of a founding member of Hogwarts. Helga Hufflepuff's cup fell into the possession of Tom Riddle after he murdered a woman named Hepzibah Smith to claim Salazar Slytherin's locket. That detail is left out of the films, but it is a pretty crucial element in understanding how the relic came into his possession in the first place. After it is eventually turned into a Horcrux, it is given to Bellatrix Lestrange, who keeps it in her vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

Harry, Ron and Hermione retrieve Helga Hufflepuff's cup from the vault and remain in possession of it until the Battle of Hogwarts. During the battle, Ron and Hermione make their way back to the Chamber of Secrets, where Hermione destroys the cup with a Basilisk fang. While the book only recounts the events through dialogue, due to the viewpoint being limited to Harry's, the film Deathly Hallows: Part 2 wisely shows Ron and Hermione destroying the cup.

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Tom Riddle Turned Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem Into a Horcrux

Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, one of the Horcruxes from Harry Potter

The Lost Diadem is another item that belonged to a house founder. Rowena Ravenclaw possessed the item, which could make its wearer smarter, before it was stolen by her own daughter, Helena. While its origins were explored in greater detail in the novel, the general idea of how Tom Riddle retrieved the Diadem remains mostly the same in the film. The Grey Lady, who happens to be the ghost of Helena, was tricked by Riddle to reveal the location of the Diadem. And once Riddle gains possession of the item, he turns it into a Horcrux and hides it in the Room of Requirements.

Upon learning this, Harry, Ron and Hermione explore the room in search of it. But they soon run into Draco Malfoy and his friends, who attempt to fight them. The destruction of the Diadem was another element that differed from book to film. In the books, it is unintentionally destroyed by Vincent Crabbe in a "Fiendfyre." But the film sees Harry stab the Diadem with a basilisk fang before tossing it into the Fiendfyre.

Voldemort Turned His Own Snake, Nagini, Into a Horcrux

Voldemort's snake, Nagini, in a cage in Fantastic Beasts

According to a controversial plot point in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Nagini was once a human woman that was born with a curse that allowed her to transform into a snake. Although it is unclear how that happened, by the time of the Harry Potter series, the change was permanent. Whatever the circumstances were, she eventually becomes Lord Voldemort's "pet," and she is the only other living creature besides Harry that Voldemort made into a Horcrux.

While the events surrounding Nagini's demise differ from the source material, mostly in the sense of when it occurs, the way in which she dies is largely the same. She is beheaded by Neville Longbottom with the Sword of Gryffindor in both the book and the film. However, while the book has it occur just before Harry reveals himself to be alive, the film chooses the moment to occur at the climax of Harry and Voldemort's battle.

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Harry Potter Himself Was Voldemort's Seventh and Final Horcrux

Harry Potter casting Expelliarmus in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

This Horcrux has the unique distinction of being the only one Voldemort didn't know about. While it is no secret that, throughout the series, Harry is subconsciously linked to Voldemort, the reason is not revealed until the last act of Deathly Hallows. As it turns out, the secret behind some of Harry's abilities, such as his innate skill of speaking Parseltongue, along with his ability to see through the eyes of Voldemort in his dreams, is because he has a piece of Voldemort's soul attached to him, making him a Horcrux. This happened after Voldemort attempted, and failed, to use the killing curse on him when he was just a baby.

This Horcrux was destroyed by Lord Voldemort himself. When Harry learned it was attached to him, he met with Voldemort in the woods and let the villain cast the killing spell on him. This destroyed the Horcrux but gave Harry an opportunity to return to the physical world, which he accepted.