Something I've been pondering.

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 160790

Catherine:
> > Given Dumbledore's feelings about the fear of a name increasing 
> > the fear of the thing itself, and his feelings about always 
> > calling Voldemort "Voldemort", I've always wondered why he would 
> > even go that far?  I mean, why doesn't Dumbledore always refer to 
> > Voldemort as Tom Riddle which, to me, signifies an even stronger 
> > weakening of his name.

Audrey:
> Hi Catherine and welcome!
> 
> Dumbledore does refer to Tom as Tom during the fight at the 
> Ministry.  I always loved that aspect of the scene.  I saw it as 
> Dumbledore saying, "You may think you're Lord Big Stuff but as far 
> as I'm concerned all you will ever be is Tom Riddle".   


SSSusan:
Let me second the welcome, Catherine!

There is also the memory into which DD took Harry in HBP, when Tom 
came to Hogwarts to ask, again, for the DADA position.  IIRC, doesn't 
Voldy try to *get* DD to refer to him by his new title, "Voldemort," 
and DD quite deliberately and pointedly declines, instead continuing 
to call him "Tom"?

I think there is no doubt that that was designed to show Voldy that 
he, DD, was less than impressed and to keep him from thinking he 
could intimidate with his "title" (which is obviously just a NAME he 
selected, not even a real title!).


Audrey:
> My guess for why he doesn't do it all the time is that relatively 
> few people may know Voldemort's real name.  By using the name 
> Voldemort with them Dumbledore uses the name they fear to show that 
> it really isn't something to be afraid of and also there is no 
> doubt that they know who he is talking about.  

SSSusan:
I think you're right, Audrey, that DD wants to stress to people that 
they *can* say the name without something horrible happening, that it 
is safe to say the name, and that they can do so as part of their 
effort to confront & overcome their fear.

I admit I've also wondered, though, about DD's decision not to reveal 
to the WW that Voldemort *is* Tom Riddle.  Doesn't it seem like the 
kind of thing he'd want to do -- make sure the Daily Prophet 
published it far & wide?  You know, "This wizard so many fear, he's 
just Tom Riddle, who was a schoolboy at Hogwarts just like all of 
you!"

The fact that DD apparently never has done this, and the fact that 
many witches & wizards do not seem to have a clue about 
Voldemort's "previous life" as Tom Riddle, makes me wonder if DD 
hasn't kept that close to his chest in order to protect someone 
else?  That perhaps revealing far & wide that Voldy is Tom Riddle 
might be revealing information that would somehow hurt someone else 
or be damaging to some innocent person's reputation.  

[Heh. I used to wonder if McGonagall had been married to Tom, before 
Tom revealed himself to be such a nasty bit of goods, but I tossed 
that idea out the window as we learned more about Tom's teenaged & 
young adult life in HBP. <g>]

Siriusly Snapey Susan