Why did Voldemort go bad?

[Happy Smiley]

No: HPFGUIDX 184131

lesley wrote:
>By the sound of things Harry's upbringing was a lot worse than LV could ever have imagined so why wasn't he evil?  
Joey:
I think that *could* be the cause why Harry wasn't evil. Harry had been a victim of abuse and cruelty (incl. horrible treatment by "Aunt" Marge) at "home" from a very early age and school was not much of a difference either for him. He learns at the age of 11 that his parents were murdered by Voldemort. So, he *knows* how it feels to be a victim of abuse and cruelty and he chose to fight back for himself and for others too. His drive to ensure that the Philosopher's Stone is safe had been just that.
I think Voldemort (though sadly deprived of parental love and care - a vital source of goodness removed, I agree) has never been a victim to this extent - he didn't *lose* anything because of any cruelty inflicted upon him by someone else (at least, there is no canon evidence). So, he never *knew* what it feels like to be in the receiving end, I suppose.
lesley wrote:
>Why didn't he let all the fame go to his head?
Joey:
Because Harry also faced the not-so-good aspects of being famous, I think. As per the Sorting Hat, he had a thirst to prove himself (quite natural, considering what he underwent till then) but then he never thought of himself as "special" like LV had done.
lesley wrote:
>LV seemed to be evil from an early age, it was never explained why, 
and even when he entered Hogwarts things could have been different 
for him, he could have changed if given support. DD at least knew of 
some of his problems and perhaps should have helped him early. 
Joey:
Er, he *was* given support, I feel. Prefect, Head Boy, accolades and warm treatment from all teachers, Best Outgoing Student award - quite a thing at that age. Also, in HBP, when he comes back requesting to be recruited as a teacher, he calls DD's theories (viz. "love is the most powerful force", "death is not the worst thing", etc.) as an *old* argument. So, it seems to me that DD has had discussions with him in the past. 
lesley wrote:
>Maybe he was power hungry but you can be good and perhaps have just as much power, look at DD! 
Joey:
Exactly. One needs to just *look* at people like say DD, Madam Pomfrey, Prof.Flitwick (just to name a few loving and lovable people in Hogwarts!) to understand what it means to be good, kind and fair. But did LV *look* at them at all? LV says that he found nothing (!) in the world that he saw (since he left Hogwarts) proved DD's words about the strength of love to which DD replies that he might have been looking in the wrong places. I don't have the book with me to quote - it's in the chapter Lord Voldemort's Request in HBP. Yes, he was power hungry - looks like this obscured every other thought/feeling in him. 
lesley wrote:
>LV in my opinion was capable of love, he loved Hogwarts and it 
remained in his heart for the rest of his life so it's just this i 
can't understand.. Why was he bad?
Joey:
Good question; this one nagged me too - if he can *love* Hogwarts and find a *home* there then why not develop on that positive feeling? But then that's where he differed from Harry guess, I think. He was too busy trying to make himself immortal and *stand out* amongst the powerful while Harry chose to keep himself busy by saving people in trouble and earning more loved ones in the process.   
JMHO,
~Joey


      

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