[HPforGrownups] Re: Why did Voldemort go bad?

[Heather Hadden]

No: HPFGUIDX 184143

>Carol responds in post 184128: <snip>
>Curse. As for Tom Riddle Sr., yes, he was taken advantage
>of and tricked; yes, he had every reason to hate Merope
>(poor ugly, unloved, wall-eyed Merope, whom he laughed at
>before she tricked him into "loving" her), but that did
>not give him the right to abandon his child by her and
>leave them both in direst poverty.

>Potioncat: <snip>
>I would agree fully except for one thing. I'm not sure we
>know if Tom Riddle Sr. ever knew about the baby. If he
>knew, then there's no excuse for not making some provisions
>for him.
 

Heather:
I am not saying that this forgives Tom SR, nor does it
excuse it, but he was used by Merope. He felt used, and
that made him feel weak. Plus the shame of being seen
with this ugly girl that the town looked down on. When
the love potion was taken off, he was embarraded and
humiliated. Then to find out that she was a witch and
used a spell on him. Suppose she did tell him about the
baby, which I feel she would have. Well, why would he
believe her? After everything she did to him, why should
he believe that she was a witch. Then he has to look at
the fact that this child is probably going to be magical
also and to him, anything magical is just an abomination,
so looking at all of that, why should he feel anything
for this child? After being used, and your free will
taken, and who knows what else (in his mind) he wants
nothing to do with anything magical.