[HPforGrownups] Potters and Riddles

[Edblanning at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 38699

Doldra:
> And it's not 
> entirely unfounded, either: Rowling makes a point of showing the various 
> similarities between Harry and Tom Riddle (and James, for that matter), 
> whether they're on the outside or the inside. Of course, this could be a 
> deliberate attempt to throw people off, but it's nice to speculate.
> 
> 
Those similarities, I'm sure, are an absolutely crucial part of the series 
and not unrelated to the Stoned!Harry thread. The similarities are noted by 
the brother wands (which choose the wizards), the Sorting Hat, which 
recognises Harry's potential for greatness in Slytherin (isn't it interesting 
that it sort of implies that he's giving up the chance of 'greatness' by 
choosing Gryffindor?), by Dumbledore, by Tom Riddle and, of course, by Harry 
himself.

I think it is clear that Harry could, if he chose, be another Voldemort. He 
is destined for greatness (and 'He-who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - 
terrible, yes, but great). It is his choice to be virtuous that distinguishes 
him. The two of them are the embodiment of Dumbledore's dictum that, 'it is 
our choices..... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.'. 
Voldemort is, if you like, the 'AntiHarry', his grasping for immortality the 
antithesis of the willingness Harry has already shown to risk his life for 
others.

What about the families? Well, we know little about either of them. Tom 
inherits his 'pureblood' through his mother (Salazar Slytherin's to boot) and 
Harry through his father (and it has, of course, been speculated that he is 
descended from Gryffindor). Tom *takes* his Muggle father's life and then 
uses him in order to restore himself to a whole (as opposed to a half-) life; 
Muggle-born Lily *gives* her life and in doing so apparently gives Harry 
protection from death. Tom despises his family and rids himself of them; 
Harry's deepest longing is for a family. Whatever more we learn of them I 
won't be surprised at all if it isn't to point out more contrasting 
similarities. I don't think, however that there is any indication that they 
are actually related.

Eloise



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