TR vs LV

[dicentra_spectabilis_alba]

No: HPFGUIDX 34474

> 
> I asked this once before, but no one answered: Why does Dumbledore,
in the very beginning of the first book, insist that "Lord
Voldemort's" name be spoken, and that things should be called by their
proper name... why doesn't he call LV "Tom Riddle" then? He's one of
the "few people" who know that TR is LV. Why is that? Why is it a secret?
> 
> 
> Gabriel


I reckon he insists that Voldemort's name be spoken because everyone
deliberatly avoids it (everyone but Harry, Sirius, and Remus, that
is). He doesn't want Harry to get into the same bad habit of cringing
at the mere mention of his name.  He suspects that someday Voldemort
will be back, and it's important that people not be overwhelmed by
fear, because they'll need to fight him.

As for why he doesn't refer to him as Tom Riddle, I suspect that it's
because Tom Riddle essentially no longer exists.  Tom went through
extensive transformations in his quest to become immortal, and IIRC he
returned from his quest unrecognizable.  To call him Tom would be to
ignore the monster Voldemort is.  Besides, Tom, the "perfect" student,
was a lie: Tom was the facade, Voldemort the true nature.

--Dicentra, who doesn't know why it should be a secret, either