The Catalyst to Riddles Motivation (was: Riddle's family)

[bowlwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 56746

Richelle Wrote:

>But that point aside, do we really know that Riddle was an only 
>child?  First of all, we don't even know how he knows what he does 
>about his mother.  She died when he was born.  It is feasibly 
>possible that she had another child with a different father before 
>she had Tom Riddle.  An older half brother/sister could have been 
>sent to a separate Muggle orphanage, 
 
Kenney Wrote:
 
>My theory is and has been for a long time that Grandmother Evens 
>(Lilly's mum) had Tom riddle as a child. Her identity could have 
>easily changed if her maiden Name was altered by Grandfather Evens
 
>especially if they married young.  Too young to keep as a child for 
>fear of being shunned by society, she doesn't tell Tom Riddle 
>Senior
or he too, not wanting to face a complicated social 
>confrontation deserted the expectant teenager.



CoS (US hardback, page 332-333)

"You can speak Parseltongue, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "because 
Lord Voldemort – who _is_ the last remaining ancestor [descendant, 
corrected in future printings] of Salazar Slytherin – can speak 
Parseltongue."

The problem I have with this idea is that Dumbledore clearly states 
that Riddle/Voldemort is the last remaining descendant of Salazar 
Slytherin (well, it says ancestor in my copy, but I don't want to run 
that one through the wringer again). 

CoS (US hardback, page 314)

"I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar  Slytherin himself, 
through my mother's side?"

GoF (US hardback, page 647)

"He left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even 
born, Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be 
raised in a Muggle orphanage
"  

Riddle himself admits that he's the heir of Slytherin through his 
mother's side and that she died giving birth to him.  If he was born 
in the 20's, there's a pretty good indication that she did die in 
childbirth (it was very common) and that there would be plenty of 
witnesses (midwife or doctor, neighbors, etc).   I think there's too 
much canon to show that he couldn't have a sibling through his 
mother's side.  

Now, it is possible that he has a sibling through his father's side, 
but s/he would almost have to be unknown or unacknowledged, because 
when Riddle Sr. died, his house/possessions would have gone to that 
child.  Not to mention, unless Riddle Sr. happened to hook up with a 
witch again, the likelihood is that child would have been a Muggle 
too.  

bowlwoman