Regarding Voldemort being a psychopath

[doddiemoemoe]

No: HPFGUIDX 176205


First off I'll start by saying that being proclaimed a psychopath is 
not a diagnosis or representative a specific mental disorder.  So 
while JKR proclaimed Voldemort to be a psychopath, she isn't saying 
anything other than Voldemort had serious psychological issues going 
on that involved lack of empathy, impulse control problems, and 
difficulty maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships. She is not 
saying he's clinically depressed, has a schizoaffective disorder, bi-
polardisorder, or any sort of personality disorder.

This doesn't mean that he's had this condition since birth since 
psychopathology is not a specific mental disorder. Even Riddle's 
torture of the other children and the bunny doesn't continue as it 
once had once Riddle begins to attend Hogwarts. Riddle has enough 
social skills to charm the teachers(not an easy thing for an 11 to17 
y.o. to do), and have the respect of his fellow Slytherins...until 
around his fifth year when the COS was opened and the first murder
(Moaning Myrtle) occurred. Then we see the behaviors(killing, his 
muggle family, framing his uncle for it) after the first splitting of 
Voldemort's soul and it spirals down from there.

It seems that the more his soul was split, the more he killed, and 
he's killed more times than just killing to make Horcruxes inadvertent 
or otherwise. The more Voldemort killed in DH the more I wondered if 
Voldemort would just destroy himself because if he split his soul 
anymore it had some sort of effect akin to splitting an atom. Beyond 
that I truly wondered how much human he did have left in him other 
than the bone of his father stolen no less, Peter's hand, Harry's 
blood,(eww recipie for voldie's body is dusgusting), and the remaining 
microscopic maimed bit of soul.


In the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort I don't think that 
Harry was wasting his time to give Voldemort another chance. He still 
had Harry's blood and we know that blood has caused many miraculous 
things to happen; not only to Harry--only known survivor of the AK, 
but also aided in Voldemort obtaining a "new" body. I think Harry was 
wise to hedge his bets by talking to Riddle, he's seen this is how 
Riddle likes to operate and how statements Riddle cannot understand 
unhinge him in a special way. (Like DD's worse things than death 
statement in OOP, like his taunting of Harry in GOF, even the little 
chat in PS/SS). I thought Harry's speech to Riddle helped Harry's 
sense of timing of when to cast his expelliarmus. Of course Harry will 
try to give Riddle another chance and a chance for remorse even as 
ridiculous as it sounds. If DD did it for Snape then there was no way 
Harry wouldn't do the same. Harry didn't do this for Voldemort alone, 
but for himself too.

At King's Cross station he kept wanting to go over to that thing under 
the bench, and DD did tell him it was beyond help. DH Ch35 p.709
"Are you sure we can't do anything?"
"There is no help possible."
further down DD states again
"Of house-elves and children's tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, 
Voldemort knows and understands nothing."

So Harry did know his speech was fairly useless, as far as trying to 
change Riddles heart..but he thought it worth a try, besides, his 
speech may have enlightened those gathered around who were watching 
and listening. 

Doddie,