Who is Riddle to Harry?

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 45627

Jonathan of the cool Tolkien username wrote:

> We know that Harry has a 
somewhat
> 'telepathic' connection to Voldemort whenever the said Dark Lord is 
enraged,
> maybe the link brought memories from Voldemort's mind and put them 
in his
> own. This might also explain *why* the name in the diary seemed so 
familiar.

I've always thought it was something akin to this--that Riddle seems 
familiar to Harry because they're connected.  I hadn't thought of it 
as a matter of literally having some of Voldemort's memories, though 
that's certainly possible, but just that they are linked in ways Harry 
doesn't understand and isn't even aware of.  So I took the bit about 
it being like someone he'd known as a child as the *feel* of the 
memory rather than a specific clue; it's that tip-of-the-tongue "I 
KNOW this person, but where from?" feeling.

It may well be, per Pip's suggestion, that anyone would have this 
feeling because Riddle enchanted the diary to be compelling in this 
way.  However, the fact is that Harry (unlike Ginny) *does* "know" Tom 
Riddle.  They've met, twice . . .

Amy Z

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   "What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened
 as they always did if he dared to ask a question.
    "Your new school uniform," she said.
    Harry looked in the bowl again.
    "Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."
                    -HP and the Philosopher's Stone            
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