Lucius & Diary!Tom

[KathyK]

No: HPFGUIDX 78653

Wanda:
 
>>Could Lucius perhaps have written in the diary himself, and 
discovered how it worked?  Maybe he received instructions from the 
Tom Riddle in the diary - it's not perfectly clear to me that diary!
Tom is confined to his own era.  He seems to have a fair bit of 
knowledge about what happened in the years following the Basilisk 
episode, and it isn't explained how he found out all of the things 
he knows.  I'm sure this has been discussed before, and of course, 
Ginny could have told him things.  But I got the impression that he 
is almost a continuation of Voldemort's mind, and is somehow aware 
of what his non-diary self went on to do.  "Voldemort is my past, 
present and future," is a line I come back to over and over - 
Voldemort seems almost to be a sort of anti-God, present at all 
times and in all places.<<



I agree Lucius Malfoy found out how to work the diary, either by 
writing in and meeting Diary!Tom or perhaps Voldemort revealed some 
of the means he used to ensure his survival and entrusted the diary 
to Lucius in case he ever died.  

But I don't think Diary!Tom gave Malfoy any instructions to bring him 
back.  I don't think Malfoy would reveal enough information as to 
what was going on in the WW for Diary!Tom to instruct him to help him 
return.  In fact, if Malfoy was writing in the diary, he probably fed 
the diary misinformation so he wouldn't *have* to do anything about 
it if he didn't want to.  Maybe he told the diary that Voldemort was 
still alive and well, ruling the WW, laughing as the blood of muggle-
borns dripped from his hands.  

This is based on my belief 1.  that Malfoy wouldn't really want 
Voldemort back because he's happy with his wealth and power, and 
doesn't need Voldemort to prop him up, and 2.  Diary!Tom has no 
knowledge except that which is given to him via the diary.

Although Diary!Tom does seem to have quite a bit of knowledge from 
beyond his time, several things he says leads me to believe that most 
of that knowledge comes from Ginny Weasley.  

Firstly, he says outright: "Ginny told me all about you, Harry," said 
Riddle.  "Your whole *fascinating history." Emphasis Rowling. (CoS, 
US Paperback 311)

Of course he could be lying, as he is prone to do--Hagrid raising 
werewolf cubs further down on the page is an example, as is the whole 
framing Hagrid thing.  Plus Riddle says he was always able to charm 
anyone he needed to (310).  

But there is further evidence that Diary!Tom only knows about his 
future self and Harry from what he's told by Ginny.  

When describing what happened with the initial opening of the 
Chamber, he says Dumbledore is the only one suspicious of him and 
that he couldn't open the Chamber again in school.  

"Well he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid 
was expelled," said Riddle carelessly.  "I knew it wouldn't be safe 
to open the Chamber again while I was still at school....I decided to 
leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its 
pages..." (312).

It's his mention of Dumbledore that is actually the most convincing.  
He talks about Dumbledore in the sense that he knew him at sixteen:  
as the Transfiguration teacher.  Not as fearsome Dumbledore who spent 
years working to thwart Lord Voldemort.  Ginny would have mentioned 
Harry's defeat of Voldemort both as a baby and in the previous year 
but she wouldn't have specifics on either event, nor on the first war 
in general.  

Even when Diary!Tom tells Harry about "I am Lord Voldemort" he still 
doesn't offer any knowledge beyond what the sixteen-year-old 
Voldemort would know.  He speaks in the past tense, but I think 
that's because he is aware of the passage of time, despite a lack of 
knowldege of events in that passing.  

Also, Diary!Tom asks Harry to tell him how Harry survived both times 
(316).  It gave me the impression that he didn't have the specific 
events of either occurrence, which he would have had if he'd been in 
any way connected to the present Lord Voldemort.  Look at the way he 
muses:

"So. Your mother died to save you.  Yes, that's a powerful counter-
charm.  I can see now...there is nothing special about you, after 
all." (317).  

He doesn't say, "Aha!  I should have known.  I should have been 
ready." as if he had been there.

So while I believe Diary!Tom knows a little bit about his future 
self's situation, I also think there are big blanks in that 
knowledge.  I don't believe, for the reasons above, he is in anyway 
connected with the current, hiding-in-the-forests-of-Albania 
Voldemort.  

Okay, this is where I quit,

KathyK (going to sleep in the nice 50 degree weather...so much better 
than 80 and HUMID!)