Dumbledore's attention to Harry an ammends for past mistakes?

[lupinwolf2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 77153

We know that Dumbledore watches over Harry. We know that he protects 
him while at the same time must prep him for being "the one" (so to 
speak).

But for all of that... for all of the attention given to a promising 
student like Harry, where was all that when Tom Riddle was at 
Hogwarts?

Is Dumbledore somewhat making ammends (through his actions with 
Harry) for the attention he didn't give Tom Riddle? Could Dumbledore 
have made a profound difference in an adolesant young Riddle? I would 
imagine that it would have. While Dumbledore was not yet the 
headmaster, it seems that he had more contact with Tom (as a teacher) 
than most headmasters would.

I can't believe that in some fashion, Dumbledore doesn't hold himself 
partly responsible for failing to recognize or make a difference with 
Tom Riddle to stop him becoming something abhorrantly evil like 
Voldemort.

If Harry is REALLY supposed to "kill" voldemort with "love" are we 
then to conclude that he will "save" Tom Riddle with "love"?

Either way, this is a pretty profound statement to assert how big of 
a difference love and attention can make in two similar lives. And 
why, was Dumbledore inacapable of making a positive difference in the 
life of Tom Riddle?