Why Tom left Merope /Draco and Harry

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 146936

> > >>Alla:
> > I think to learn that your wife is a witch and son is a wizard 
> > could be pretty explosive revelation. Again, it does not mean 
that 
> > Tobias should have reacted that way, of course, but 
such            
> > revelation caused Tom Riddle Sr. to leave his wife, you know.
> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Actually, I think Tom Riddle left his "wife" because he finally 
> realized that she'd used either a mind-altering potion or a mind-
> Altering spell to kidnap and repeatedly rape him.

Alla:

Correct, but this is a smaller revelation, the larger revelation is 
that Merope is a witch and I don't remember that Tom Riddle knew 
that. Basically, what I was trying to say is that BECAUSE Tom 
learned that Merope used a love potion on him, he learned that she 
is a witch. Unless I am suffering a temporary memory loss and there 
is something in canon that says that Tom knew who Merope was before 
he fall under her spell.


>> Betsy Hp:
> Draco makes the mistake of thinking Harry has been raised a 
wizard.  
> Harry makes the mistake of thinking Draco is just like Dudley. 
(JKR 
> makes it clear that Draco is nothing like Dudley, beating us over 
> the head with the differences in CoS in case we missed all the 
clues 
> in PS/SS.)

Alla:

Personally I see a lot of similarities between Draco and Dudley. 
Dudley is engaged in 'Harry hunting", Draco seems to be very happy 
to engage in "Hermione hunting" in CoS and then adds Ron to the mix. 
Dudley is Muggle type of bully, Draco is a Wizard type of bully, not 
only bully, but the one who seems to be willing to go further than 
words into actions. IMO of course.

So, no I don't see much difference between them at all. And of 
course Draco's "I'll bully father into getting me one" reminds Harry 
of Dudley wanting more and more presents. Mistake? Personally I 
don't think so. JMO of course.

Betsy Hp:
 Draco makes the mistake of thinking making fun of Hagrid 
> would amuse Harry (too bad it wasn't Filch peering in the 
window).  

Alla:

How do you know that? How do you know that Draco insults Hagrid 
because he wants to amuse Harry? The way I see it Draco already has 
his opinion of Hagrid before he knew who Hagrid was. When Draco sees 
Hagrid at first, he is just surprised, but when Draco hears who THAT 
man is, oh then he spits the words of contempt right away.

"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the 
front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and 
pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come 
in. 'That's Hagrid," said Harry pleased to know something the boy 
didn't."He works at Hogwarts" - PS/SS, p.78.

And after that Draco starts speaking. And I would say that is 
Draco's ugly prejudices speaking which have nothing to do with 
amusing Harry. IMO of course.

"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's sort of servant, isn't 
he?" 
"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and 
less.
"Yes, exactly. I heard he's sort of savage - lives in a hut on the 
school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do 
magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed" - PS/SS, p.78.

So, dear Draco judged the person whom he NEVER saw before as low 
life, basically. And you are saying that was for Harry's amusement? 
I don't see it at all.

> > >>Gerry:
> > Draco asking about Harry's parents being the right kind          
> > immediately follows that they should not let the other kind go 
to 
> > Hogwarts. The other kind being witches and wizards with 
Muggle    
> > parents, e.g. Harry's mum!
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> But Draco doesn't insult Lily on purpose.  That's where the 
> misspeaking comes in, I think.  If Draco had realized that this 
was 
> Harry Potter he was speaking to he probably would have asked Harry 
> about the horrors of being raised by Muggles, and Harry would have 
> been glad to fill him in.

Alla:

That's the point, IMO. Because he did not know who Harry Potter was, 
Draco shows him his ugly inner self by insulting ALL muggleborn 
witches and wizards. I don't care that if Draco knew who Harry was 
he may have not insulted Lily. (How do you know that by the way?) It 
would not have changed his opinion of Muggleborns witches and 
wizards; he would just have hidden it from Harry, IMO. As it is, 
Harry saw the OBJECTIVE picture of Draco's major personality trait - 
his prejudice and hatred of Muggleborns and figured out that Ron's 
genuine interest is much better than Draco's attitudes. All I can 
say that IMO Harry judged pretty well.

To me it is as I wrote before - Harry so far had very GOOD reason 
IMO not to look beyond Draco's surface ( and there is maybe 
something of course), BUT to MAKE Harry look beyond, Draco needs to 
stop hating. When he does, IF he does, then I am sure Harry will 
look beyond and will see misguided, confused teenager, who finally 
figured out which side he should be on.

 
> Betsy Hp:
> And Draco was merely curious about the boy in the shop. 

Alla:

Till he found out that that boy's parents were of the "wrong kind".


> > >>Geoff:
> > Being more serious, I would be very suspicious of having the 
twins 
> > as my friends and protectors.
> > <snip>

Alla:

Snort, Geoff. I agree with 95% of what you write, but finally I 
found the topic on which I disagree with you. I would LOVE to have 
twins as friends and protectors.

> Betsy Hp:
<SNIP>
> And I know this makes people laugh (out loud, even <g>) but I do 
> think it strange that the twins shop can get away with tweaking 
> Voldemort while other shop keepers get disappeared.

Alla:

Well, yes, it really does. Sorry!

JMO,

Alla