Mysteries to me; maybe not to you

[amiabledorsai]

No: HPFGUIDX 144671

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "truthbeauty1" <rh64643 at a...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Bart Lidofsky <bartl at s...> wrote:
> >
 Bart:
Can anybody explain why Lord Voldemort must not be named? Or why they
just don't call him "Tommy"?

Truthbeauty1:
 Well most people do not in fact know that Voldemort
used to be Tom Riddle, but I know you were just kidding. I think
Rowling uses this as an example of how paralyzed with fear Voldemort
has made the wizarding world. It is also just a silly kind of
superstitious thing that these people have fallen into. 

Amiable Dorsai:
At a guess, the Death Eaters went around making examples of people who
bandied the name "Voldemort" during the first war.  

I don't think you can exactly classify the continuing fear of the name
as "superstition", exactly.  Witches and Wizards, especially
Purebloods who grow up around magic, know deep in their bones that
*words have power*. Once Tommy convinced them that his nom de
psychosis was bad medicine, it's not too surprising that they would
continue to be afraid of what to Harry, and lately, Hermione, is a
"mere word".

Amiable Dorsai