The Evans Affair: brought to you by the Lumos charm...

[Anne]

No: HPFGUIDX 55298

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "kenney" <kenneyjohn at y...> 
wrote:

> Ever notice the way Harry and Tom look exactly alike?

Anne U:
Actually, no. They don't look "exactly" alike. They both have dark 
hair, but IIRC Tom Riddle is never described as having *black* hair, 
while Harry (and his father, James) are both described many times as 
having black hair. Also mentioned numerous times are Harry's green 
eyes, which he got from Lily, whereas IIRC Tom Riddle is never 
mentioned as having green eyes. Presumably someone who actually 
*knew* Tom Riddle (Dumbledore) might have mentioned 
their "extraordinary physical resemblance" if such existed, but has 
anyone? I don't think so. (Could be wrong, no time to come through 
the books.)

> However, what about Grandma Evans?
> If Lilly's Mother had an affair with a man by the name of "Tom 
> Riddle" then being ashamed of a bastard son, she faked her death 
and 
> orphaned the abandoned child.

Anne U:
Faked her own death? Lily's *mother*? So you're saying that Tom 
Riddle's mother (who, IIRC, was a witch by the last name of Marvolo), 
was so ashamed of giving birth to Tom out of wedlock and being 
abandoned by his father that, in 1927, she faked her own death and 
left Tom Jr. to an orphanage and then, after living as a muggle for 
25 to 30 years later, married Mr. Evans, a real muggle, and then gave 
birth to Petunia and Lily? 

Ah huh. I see. Actually, I don't.

 
> This would then explain several key issued floating around:
> 
> Why did Tom Riddle's Mother name him after a Man who deserted her?

Anne U:
Maybe she loved him even though he turned out to be a scoundrel. That 
happens all the time in Real Life - why not in the WW?

 
> Is Voldemort of any relation to Harry? And being so would make the 
> sorting Hat's dilemma plausible?

Anne U:
The sorting hat's dilemma was plausible because (as Dumbledore 
mentioned in COS), some of Voldemort's powers rubbed off on Harry 
when he successfully resisted V's attempt to AK him in 1981. Harry 
doesn't need to have any other relationship to LV, IMO.

Anne U
(looking around for Occam's razor)