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

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 97747

John:

>>Yes, but contrast TR with Harry. Harry was punished whatever 
he didas well. As DD said, we are defined by our choices. Given 
the sameunloved, deprived childhood Harry chose a different 
path from TR.Conscience is there, TR just ignored it. And TR's 
own bad choiceswere re-enforced by everyone else's bad 
choices, whether their intent was good or bad.<<

Hmmm. Harry didn't have much of a conscience when he came 
to Hogwarts, IMO. IIRC, it's not until Year Four that he actually 
feels guilty about something *before* he gets caught. Gryffindor 
was a good influence on him. 

Harry asked not to be in Slytherin mostly because he liked Ron, 
Draco reminded him of Dudley, and because it was, according to 
Hagrid, not only Voldemort's house but the only house that 
produced Dark Wizards (which is untrue). 

 We can imagine Tom meeting a more sympathetic Slytherin 
than Draco and a less likeable Gryffindor than Ron.  Perhaps he 
was  told that all the Marvolo's have been in Slytherin,  which, 
according to McGonagall, has a noble history and has produced 
outstanding witches and wizards. If the Hat chose Slytherin for 
him, would he have argued with it as Harry did?

Harry was lucky. And he had the courage to argue with the hat. 
That's what made him a true Gryffindor.  But where his courage 
came from who can say?

 Oddly enough, it might be Petunia. It would take a certain kind of 
courage to  take a child whom you dislike and fear 
under your protection: a situation not unlike the one Harry and 
Hermione faced with Grawp.

Pippin