Character Sketch: Lord Voldemort

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 13747

Charmian posed:

> Other questions:  (geez, I am responding waaaay too much to these 
> Lord Voldemort threads)

Welcome to the Evil Vile Insidious League!
 
> How many people know of his true identity as Tom Marvolo Riddle? 
> Isn't it odd that no one, after his defeat, would write about it or 
> discuss where Lord V came from? Certainly wizards just don't pop out 
> of nowhere. 

Dumbledore, Harry, Lucius (he knows now, if he wasn't 100% sure what 
the diary was when he passed it on to Ginny, 'cause Dumbledore warned 
him against "giving away any more of Tom Riddle's school 
things")...anyone else?  There could be a plausible backstory to how 
he rose to power, but we might never learn it.

> Is Lord V the evil wizard to end all evil wizards, or are movements 
> like the Death Eaters not unprecedented in the HP world?

Sometimes he's referred to as the worst dark wizard "in a century," 
sometimes "ever"; both are probably more hyperbole than verifiable 
fact (how does one quantify Evil Wizardry?).  Suffice it to say he's 
really, really evil and really, really powerful.  I'd imagine someone 
like him, if not as strong, comes along every so often--human nature 
being what it is.
   One thing I believe strongly is that he is not Evil Itself, i.e. 
killing him won't destroy Evil.  Again, human nature being what it is. 
 There can always be another Hitler, Stalin, Amin, Pol Pot...the fact 
that we can generate a list like that proves it.

> Before he became Lord Voldemort, did he act in a somewhat psychotic 
> way at Hogwarts? (From what we see now, Voldster always behaves in a 
> very melodramatic way) Dumbledore suspected something, didn't he? 

I agree AD was on to him (judging from the diary scene).  The great 
man is not one to be fooled by a pretty face and a charming 
manner--something those who think he's overly trusting would do well 
to remember (got that, Cornelius?  Alastor?).  But by the same token, 
I don't think too many others were on to him, nor that AD had anything 
concrete he could point to.  TR was clearly viewed as a model student 
even while he was busy releasing basilisks, framing other students, 
etc.

> Is Lucius Malfoy really his friend, if Voldemort can be said to have 
> any, or was that just a figure of speech? 

I opt for the latter.  Some people use the phrase "my friend" 
precisely when they're feeling unfriendly.  Hard to imagine V really 
has friends, isn't it?  Tools and allies, not friends.

To Joywitch re: sarcasm as a bad quality:  I knew I was running a risk 
with that one.  There's sarcasm and there's sarcasm.  Ron's is 
generally affectionate and harmless; Voldemort's is cutting and cruel. 
 On the whole, it's not a form of humor I'm crazy about, but it all 
depends on context.

Amy Z

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 "We could all have been killed--or worse, expelled."
                   -HP and the Philosopher's Stone 
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