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harry potter - How did Slughorn's information on horcruxes actually help Voldemort?


It's no secret that Horace Slughorn gave Voldemort information on making horcruxes, and a major thrust in the sixth book is Harry and Dumbledore trying to find out what Slughorn told him.



With that said, it seems like Voldemort already had a fair bit of information about horcruxes when he went to Slughorn. I'm slightly confused as to how the information Slughorn gave him actually helped him - it's not like Slughorn gave him an article on "how to make a Horcrux in 10 easy steps," and the majority of the things they discussed he already knew. And Slughorn never really answered Voldemort's question about how many horcruxes it's possible to make. That being said, how did Slughorn's information actually help Voldemort, and how was it enough information for him to actually make one?



Answer



Ron wondered this too, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:



"This is the one that gives explicit instructions on how to make a Horcrux. Secrets of the Darkest Art - it's a horrible book, really awful, full of evil magic. I wonder when Dumbledore removed it from the library... If he didn't do it until he became headmaster, I bet Voldemort got all the instruction he needed from here."
"Why did he need to ask Slughorn how to make a Horcrux, then, if he'd already read that?" asked Ron.
"He only approached Slughorn to find out what would happen if you split your soul into seven," said Harry. "Dumbledore was sure Riddle already knew how to make a Horcrux by the time he asked Slughorn about them. I think you're right, Hermione, that could easily have been where he got the information."
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, chapter 6



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