Tom Riddle's Award for Special Services to the School

[hermionegallo]

No: HPFGUIDX 135264

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Amanda" <exslytherin at h...> 
wrote:
> I was obsessing about this myself this morning but your analysis is 
> superb.  The 50 years is a vague generality as we don¡¦t have a 
> specific date for the Riddle murders yet. 


hg replies:
Thanks, Mandy. 
I'm really hoping that "fifty years ago" as mentioned in the opening 
of GoF is actually "about fifty years ago," and I'm continuing to 
look for canon evidence of the 1945/after Tom graduated date, 
although (Lexicon) Steve himself admits this time period is tricky.  
In post 135166 he says: 

"The dates for the events of 50 years ago are rather, well, mushy. 
The Lexicon's timeline is annotated with as much canon evidence as I 
had when I did the work, last October. Basically, I used the literal 
interpretation of "fifty years ago" whenever it said that. Of course, 
there's nothing to indicate that it means EXACTLY fifty years ago."

Mandy:
> 
> I support the 3 Riddle murders - three horcrux idea.  The ring, the 
diary 
> and a yet to be determined third.  
> 
> Your idea of the Award for services to the school is delicious.  It 
is 
> definitely something Tom would relish and be proud of.  To win 
heroic 
> award whilst deceiving the entire school, is something he would put 
in 
> his ¡¥collection¡¦ of achievements.   

hg:
It would explain, at least in part, why Voldemort was so keen on 
getting into Hogwart's, if the award was a horcrux.  Why he felt the 
need to collect it, however, I could only speculate.

It seems that theft or deception has been involved in the making of 
Voldemort's horcruxes, contributing to my speculation about whether 
or not Harry would be one.  It would make sense that Voldemort, upon 
hearing the prophecy, would not only wish to nullify it, but moreover 
UPEND it, by putting a bit of himself into the only "one" who'd ever 
be able to defeat him.  "Stealing" the soul of the "one" with an AK 
and replacing it with his own?  And leaving it right out in the open, 
like the award (if it is one) -- what a power trip.  But now I'm 
digressing onto spongy turf again, onto thoughts I haven't entirely 
thought.  Still on the fence about Horcrux!Harry.

Cali's turn:
I believe that Tom created the horcruxes AFTER he committed the three 
murders we
witnessed in HBP: the diary and the ring. I'm not certain he created 
any more
until after he left Hogwarts, but I cannot be certain. He needed the 
info from
Slughorn, then over the summer committed the murders (between his 6th 
and 7th
year).

hg:
I'll allow that he didn't of necessity make the ring, diary and #3 at 
the same time; however, he was wearing the ring when he spoke with 
Slughorn, and he got that after seeing Morfin, which was before he 
killed the Riddles.  It seems to me that a multiple murder gave him 
the multiple horcrux idea, but that's just speculation, too.

Auria adds:
Its also interesting that on JK Rowling's website, Tom Riddle's award
is present on the 'Fansites' page, on the 'top shelf'. This may add
weight to the argument that the award is significant for JK Rowling to
include it as an item on the webpage.

hg:
I wonder if all the horcruxes are "hidden in plain sight" on her 
website?!  Anyone else see anything else?

Thanks for the replies, food for thought.
hg.