DH reread CH 20 - The Name of a Mobster

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 186765

---  "pippin_999" <foxmoth at ...> wrote:
> > 
> > lizzyben:
> > 
> > But was it ever an irrational superstition?
> 
> Pippin:
> Yes, I think so. Canon makes a point of telling us that Lupin has no idea how the DE's could have found Harry in Tottenham Court Road. He says "Voldemort" in his conversation with Harry at Grimmauld Place. Clearly he doesn't know about the taboo as yet. This seems to be a power that Voldemort didn't have until the Ministry takeover.
> 
> Lizzyben:
> > But it sort of begs the question - if DD knew that "Lord Voldemort" was really just plain old Tom Riddle, why wouldn't he make that fact known? ...
> 
> Pippin:
> 
> Voldemort wasn't trying to scare people out of saying "Tom."  But I think Dumbledore didn't want to make an issue of Riddle's bloodline. There were some people who wouldn't have trusted Voldemort if they'd known he was once Tom Riddle -- but Dumbledore did not think that would be a good reason not to trust someone. 
> 
> Pippin
>

bboyminn:

A couple of points. First, JKR got this idea for 'fear of the
name' from a pair of very real mobsters who were so ruthless
and cruel that people literally feared speaking their name
for fear someone might overhear and take offense.

I think it is the same with Voldemort's name. Nothing happens
directly from speaking the name, it's not bewitched, but if
a non-Death Eater overhears, they might take you for a DE.
And if a DE overhears, they might take offense in that your
are not paying the Dark Lord the proper respect. Either way
you are in danger, so best not to speak the name.

Once that had been established, it became an ingrained habit
among the population. In a sense, it was a somewhat irrational
superstition that bad luck would befall you if you spoke the
name because after the DEs, Voldemort, and the danger were 
gone, people continued the habit and the fear. 

But, in DH, there are very real and dark consequences from 
speaking the name, once it becomes a very real magical Taboo.
It breaks all protective enchantments, and opens a Trace
directly to your location. Which in turn brings the DE or
the Snatchers. Either way, you are in for a heap of misery
as a result.

Real inevitable misery is much more serious than the mere 
possibility of bad luck. 

As I originally said, Harry doesn't fear Voldemort's name,
even as he is wise enough not to speak it.

Now, as to why Dumbledore and others didn't make it known that
Tom Riddle was the boy who eventually became the man called
Lord Voldemort. I don't think Dumbledore or others in the 
Order were hiding the fact. It was there for anyone to find
who was willing to put out even the smallest effort. But I
also think they were not emphasizing the fact, they were not
going around shouting about it. 

If they did, it would weaken and even potentially block 
Dumbledore's investigation into Tom/Voldemort's history.
There was valuable information in Tom's past, and if everyone
was searching for it, it would make it more likely for 
false information to be presented, and make people more likely
to hide very real information.

In short, making this fact widely known, would make Dumbledore's
job harder. The government, in the wizard world and in the real
world, doesn't exactly have a subtle hand in these matters. So,
again, if the knowledge became widely known, and too many
people started to inquire, it would just make Dumbledore's job
that much harder. 

Still, Dumbledore wasn't actively preventing anyone from 
knowing. The information was there for anyone to seek out. But
typical of lazy inept inert governments, as well as people in
general, they don't act unless hit with a fence post, and then
when they do act, they are not subtle about it. 

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bluewizard