Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Tom Riddle?

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 177896

Katie:
> Are any of us really that scared or intimdated by Voldemort?

Ceridwen:
If you read what's said and implied about him, he's a chilling 
villain.  The way he killed Snape was so off-handed: "Nothing 
personal, buddy, ciao!" - actually showed what was only dimly 
described.

I was never brought to the edge where I could see him in the text as 
anything other than someone who picked competent people and 
hornswoggled them into becoming minions.  He knew a few decent 
spells, Unforgivables, and wasn't afraid to use them.  Wanting to 
keep their lives and some sort of bodily comfort, they followed.  
Karkarov was one who suffered death for leaving, and Sirius believed 
his brother had died for the same reason.  We know the threats 
weren't idle.

I don't think I was shown the potential scope of Voldemort's 
villainy, except for a few glimpses.  I understood, and sometimes I 
could see around the edges, but until DH (Charity Burbage, Snape), I 
didn't see much of LV in action.  By then, I had formed a different 
opinion of him and wasn't too impressed.

Ceridwen.