How did Tom kill his father?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 111565

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Brenda M." 
<Agent_Maxine_is at h...> wrote:

Brenda:
> 
> I don't understand why MoM wasn't involved in the homocide 
> investigation of the Riddles. I thought the Muggle authorities were 
> aware of the Wizarding World? They knew about Voldemort and Sirius 
> Black, during the First War... and when Sirius escaped from 
Azkaban, 
> the Muggle media reported it.

Geoff:
Why should the MoM have been involved? OK, the police had a case 
which left them perplexed. But why should somebody suddenly say "Ah, 
perhaps this is something to do with the Wizarding world?" Being away 
on holiday, I haven't got the benefit of access to my books but I 
seem to recall that the incident involving Peter Pettigrew and Sirius 
was hushed up as a gas leak and consequent explosion. When Sirius 
escaped from Azkaban, the Muggle media only got hold of the story 
because Fudge approached the Muggle Prime Minister. I would think 
that the existence of the Wizarding world would be a classified 
matter in Whitehall and not for every Tom, Dick or Harry police 
officer or civil servant to know.

Brenda:
> > What if it was the Basilisk? Ok, the idea may
> > sound ludicrous, because when we met the Basilisk, it was very big
> > indeed. But what if it was a lot smaller 50 years earlier? Small
> > enough to be transported to Little Hangleton? What gave me this 
idea
> > was the fact that the three of them had frightened expressions on
> > their faces, like those petrified by the Basilisk, and unlike 
Cedric
> > who was killed by Avada Kedavra. Just a thought.

Geoff:
Yes, but possibly the circumstances differed slightly. I suspect that 
Tom Riddle intended his father and grandparents to know what was 
coming to them; anyway, they must have known because he presumably 
killed them one by one; they were in the same room and so had time to 
be terrified.

Cedric's death came out of the blue. A high voice says "Kill the 
spare" and PP says "Avadra Kedavra" before anyone has time to blink. 
Hence, he didn't know what hit him.

Brenda:
> But wasn't Basilisk around since the times of Salazar Slytherin? 
> According to Aragog, the monster was born in the castle. I don't 
> think snakes reproduce asexually, do they? The page from library 
book 
> says "capable of living for hundreds of years..."

Geoff:
This was my take on the idea also. We are told that the Chamber 
contained a monster. If Slytherin had left Hogwarts and not returned, 
then the Basilisk could easily be the one he left. Unless there is 
evidence that there were a pair of the little treasures, Baby 
Basilisk doesn't come into the equation.

Geoff:
Who invites group memebrs to enjoy a virtual 
visit to the delights of Exmoor at:
www.aspectsofexmoor.com