What makes LV so powerful?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 169116

Tandra wrote:
>
> This has been gnawing at me since I just finished the 6th book yet
again. I know LV hunts down power and finds out stuff that most other
wizards don't care to find out, but I don't get why he was so powerful
by the time DD met him in the orphanage. It seemed obvious to DD that
he wasn't an ordinary wizard, but where did all this power come from?
> Because he was an heir of Slytherin? Is there anything that leads us
to believe that Slytherin was all that powerful? I just don't see why
he is all so powerful. Can anyone help me there?

>
Carol responds:

Slytherin was one of the four Founders of Hogwarts, in itself a great
accomplishment. He was reputed to be one of the greatest wizards of
his age, famous for speaking Parseltongue (a rare gift). But the real
proof of his greatness as a (Dark) wizard is the construction of a
hidden chamber that no one but his own heir can find and open and the
hatching*, taming, and controlling of a Basilisk, which will only obey
him or his heir. (Please don't think that I'm defending the idea of
hiding a Basilisk in the castle to kill the "unworthy" Muggleborns!)

I can certainly see why budding Dark Wizard Tom Riddle would be proud
to be descended from him and eager to prove himself Slytherin's true
heir, especially given the taint (his view!) of his Muggle heritage on
his father's side.

It's odd that the line disintegrated as it did and that we don't hear
of any other great wizards, Dark or otherwise, from that line (maybe
Grindelwald was one?), and I'm guessing that the Gaunt line became so
degenerate that the kids didn't even attend Hogwarts. (They spoke
Parseltongue, but there's no indication of a Parselmouth at Hogwarts
within a dozen years or so of Tom's residence there.) But Tom wouldn't
care about that. He would think it made him even more special: the
great Slytherin's powers passed down to him a thousand years later,
with his ability to control the Basilisk as proof.

Carol, who suspects that Slytherin could also control animals and had
powers similar to Tom's but knew he was a wizard because he was a
pureblood and so concealed and controlled those powers that could lead
others to suspect that he was a Dark wizard

* I'm assuming that he hatched the Basilisk rather than buying it
because it would be rather difficult to conceal a monstous snake and
fairly easy for a Dark wizard who happened to be a Parselmouth to
hatch it himself after building its place of concealment