[HPforGrownups] Re: Question regarding Tom Riddle/ Evil wizards

[Richelle Votaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 46499

Pippin writes:

> Of course we don't know the source of Ron's knowledge, but it
> does seem that everyone, not just Hagrid, knows Voldemort was
> in Slytherin.

Exactly.  Everyone seems to think Voldemort is in Slytherin.  Us included.
:)  Yet Dumbledore himself said that "very few" people knew Tom Riddle was
Voldemort.  The only ones I can think of right off are Dumbledore (of
course), Lucius Malfoy, and Ollivander.  And Ollivander probably only knew
because Dumbledore needed wand info and told him as much.  Yet it seems
common knowledge that Voldemort came from Slytherin.  Without anyone knowing
who he really was.  Something there doesn't quite connect.  I mean what are
the odds of Ron actually knowing for fact that Voldemort was in Slytherin
when he didn't know who Voldemort was to begin with?  There was never a
"Voldemort" on the class roll at Hogwarts.

Maureen Amber writes:

> I thought that Riddle was the last descendent of Slytherin which is why he
could open the door to the chamber.  Harry can also gain access to the
chamber because of his connection to LV which is also why he could have done
great things had he been placed in Slytherin.

Which since everyone (except Dumbledore) thought that Hagrid opened the
chamber (and Hagrid was in Gryffindor, according to JKR) implies that you
don't actually have to be in Slytherin to be the heir.  And since many
people suspected Harry, who is in Gryffindor.

Amanda writes:

> And *this* is the question that gives *Hagrid*-lovers heartburn. [I should
> buy some TUMs stock.] I had noticed before that he and Riddle use *first
> names* for each other; this usage seems rare, at least by modern Hogwarts
> standards, unless you know each other pretty well. Like being in the same
> House, or being related. Otherwise it seems to be last names.

Very peculiar indeed.  We've all been saying for the longest that someone
bad is bound to have come from Gryffindor and someone good from Slytherin,
just because.  Interesting.  Could it possibly be Riddle?  I know it's
pretty far fetched, but you never know.  The name usage does imply (not for
certain, of course, but still) that Riddle and Hagrid were in the same
house.  And since we know Hagrid to be a Gryffindor . . ..

Then there's the particular choice of words used by Riddle to describe
himself at Hogwarts.  Of course, chosen carefully by JKR.  Brilliant.
Brave.  Model student.  Not generally the words used to describe your
typical Slytherin.  Of course, Riddle may not have been your typical
Slytherin and still been *a* Slytherin.  Still, let's see.
Brilliant=Ravenclaw.  Brave=Gryffindor.  Brilliant and brave=Gryffindor
(i.e. Hermione).

Ah, well, wait and see . . . wait and see.

illyana writes:

> You know - I've been thinking about that comment for awhile. Does
> that mean that no bad wizards have ever come from Durmstrang or
> Beauxbatons (I apologize if I misspelled either of those names)? Of
> course, that comment could have applied to just evil wizards who went
> to Hogwarts but, in my opinon, it seems like the comment is meant to

Well, one way or another, if every bad witch or wizard really came from not
only Hogwarts, but from Slytherin in particular, why on Earth would they
still have such a house?  Just mark them and send them to Azkaban as soon as
the Sorting Hat sorts them into Slytherin.  (I'm kidding, kidding!)  Anyway,
surely it's a great exaggeration.  I tend to believe that a large group of
DEs came from Slytherin (Snape's gang, for example) but various other houses
produced smaller numbers of DEs/evil wizards.

Richelle

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"May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out."
---- Lady Galadriel, The Fellowship of the Ring
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