CoS clues to Books 6 & 7 analysis

boyd_smythe boyd.t.smythe at fritolay.com
Tue Jul 6 13:32:41 UTC 2004


No: HPFGUIDX 104586

> previously boyd_smythe wrote:
> "So what did it take for Tom Riddle to become the powerful dark 
> lord? 
> We can only guess, but my thought is that Tom Riddle was filled with 
> hatred and self-loathing. Why? He hated mixed-bloods yet was a 
> half-blood himself. He hated and killed his father, the only family 
> he 
> had. Shunned by other students, he hated them, too. He even hates 
> DD, 
> who probably was kind and tried to help him. In short, Tom hated the 
> world for cursing him with his wretched life. And he wanted 
> *revenge*."

> kylie responded:
> boyd makes some great points and I agree with most, but where is 
> canon that suggests Tom Riddle was shunned by other students? (tho' 
> I agree he did hate them).  We know he was handsome, smart, 
> charming, and trusted by most of the teachers (but didn't fool 
> Dumbledore) AND he was made Head Boy, so he must have had some 
> popularity.

Hmmm, you have some excellent points here. Perhaps he was popular 
within Slytherin ala Draco, but would that house really have accepted 
him given his heritage?

My guess is that he was at best tolerated by some Slyth students due 
to his abilities. Otherwise, why go into hiding and change his name 
and appearance? As we've heard (sorry, no books here at the moment), 
very few knew LV was Tom Riddle.

And wouldn't changing your name, killing your father and hating 
mixed-bloods despite your own mixed blood seem to imply self-loathing?

--boyd
P.S. Percy is by all accounts not terribly popular, but is a Head Boy.





More information about the HPforGrownups archive