Sharing names

[antoshachekhonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 98617

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Wanda Sherratt" <wsherratt3338 at r...> wrote:
> A few days ago, there was a little discussion about the Riddle 
> family, with posters clearing up confusions over just who was who, 
> and who killed whom.  It's easy to get confused, as there are two 
> Tom Riddles to keep track of.  And then it occurred to me...how very 
> odd that that would be the case!  It's unusual in Rowling's books 
> for a father and son to have the same name.  In fact, I can think of 
> only one other example:  Barty Crouch Sr. and Jr.  Now, it was 
> significant for the plot that the two Crouches shared a name, 
> because it succeeded in throwing a red herring across our path when 
> Harry saw the name on the Marauder's Map.  This leads me to believe 
> that such an unusual occurrence in the Riddle family might ALSO be 
> of use, plot-wise.  Can anyone think of any reasons why Tom Riddle 
> would have to have the same name as his father?  Because I really do 
> think that it's going to turn out to advance the plot somehow.
> 
> Wanda

Antosha:

Honestly, I think the most obvious reason is the one that Tom Jr. himself gave Harry in the 
Chamber of Secrets: He hated is father, hated his father's name, with which he was 
saddled, and therefore changed his name to... well, I can't say Voldie any more, but, you 
know, Lord Thingy. 

This IS a red herring--if any of you figured out that nice-seeming Tom-in-the-diary was 
actually chief-head-bad-guy-incarnate without peaking or being told, then you probably 
also figured out that Darth Vader was Luke's dad. (Ooops. Spoiler. Hope there's nobody 
out there in the universe who didn't know that one already...)

It's funny, I have the low distinction of having written some HP fanfic. One story involves 
Harry going back in time to retrieve an item of Tom Sr's. You wouldn't believe the amount 
of confusion that engendered. It never occurred to me that people wouldn't remember that 
there were TWO Tom Riddles....