Do you think there is more to Voldie's story?

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 97722

Silverthorne wrote:
> > IIRC, Tom's hatred of muggles started when his father abandoned 
> Tom's witch mother <snip>
> 
> (Rob enters the conversation)
> 
> I agree that his father's abandonment and not knowing his mother was 
> a catalyst that started him on his way, but how did he aquire so much 
> information on the dark arts.  If you can recall, all of these types 
> of books are in the restricted section of the Hogwarts Library.
<snip> 
> This is why I feel that at the time Tom had attended 
> school he was taught all of the dark arts by a teacher, a teacher 
> with a hidden agenda.  My theory is that Grindelwald is that mentor.  
<snip>

Annemehr:
It could be.  As Mandy Croyance pointed out in her inaugural post
<waves>, the easy assumptions are not safe to make.  Grindelwald's
Germanic name and parallels to Hitler suggest he was in Germany, but
he could well have been in Britain or anywhere.  Another assumption is
that Grindelwald was trying to "take over the world" as Voldemort is.

If Grindelwald was a Hogwarts teacher, I don't think he would have
stayed there if his agenda were world domination.  Hogwart would have
been a rather inconvenient base of operations, I would think.  But
Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card only tells us that Grindelwald was a
"dark wizard."  Perhaps what he was really doing was research into new
forms of Dark Magic, in which case Hogwarts would have been an
excellent place to live, and teaching would have been an excellent
cover.  And Tom Riddle, the protege.

Of course, the dark Hogwarts teacher, if he existed, could have been a
lieutenant of Grindelwald's.  In that case Dumbledore's defeat of
Grindelwald would still have had much the same effect on Tom Riddle as
your own theory.

By the way, there are two main things Riddle had to learn about at
Hogwarts.  The other thing (besides the dark arts) was his ancestry,
that he was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin.  I once, with tongue
only halfway in my cheek, suggested Dumbledore as Tom's source for
family info (might've been in a private email, though).  Think about
it:  Dumbledore's heart goes out to the charming young boy from the
orphanage, and, recognising the name "Marvolo," gives him information
about his mother's family.  He does this out of a feeling that
children have a right to have information about themselves in order to
guide their own destinies.  But young Tom has a bent for the Dark
Side, and eventually uses this information to the death and misery of
countless people. Dumbledore has learned a hard lesson, and when a
charming young orphan from Privet Drive comes along, Dumbledore doles
out the truth about him with an eyedropper -- and we know how well
*that* worked out...

Rob:
> If Grindelwald was a teacher then it would explain how Tom had access 
> to all of the necessary materials to make him evil.  Putting your 
> teenage self in a diary seems like very complicated magic even for a 
> prodigy.
<snip>

Annemehr:
I'd rephrase that, and say that Tom needed access to the necessary
materials to make him powerful.  To be evil, all he had to do was
choose it.

But, to address your point, I compare him to James and Sirius.  I
think the Marauder's Map may be as complex a piece of magic as the
Diary, and I'm sure they did that on their own.  Still, I'm perfectly
happy to think that either Grindelwald or a supporter of his mentored
Tom Riddle at Hogwarts, though I don't think it's necessary to explain
his knowledge of the Dark Arts.  We'll see, I hope!

Annemehr