Resolving (?) the Riddle

Mon Feb 21 05:30:27 UTC 2005

Charme wrote:
  >>What if Voldemort used snakes in some way to incarnate the soul 
of his ancestor prior to GH? If we go back to your concept of DD 
asking the "divided in essence" question, Voldemort could be the one 
who has a dual nature: Tom Riddle's and the soul of his ancestor's.  
I don't think Harry's powers came from Tom Riddle (WRT to being a 
Parselmouth), I think they came from either Salazar Slytherin or *his 
ancestor* as JKR supposedly deliberately typo'd in CoS. How many 
times does JKR beat us in the head that Salazar Slytherin was a 
Parselmouth (and so is Tom Riddle) - from whom did they get that 
trait? These are questions which I feel might be answered in Book 6, 
and could be that "storyline" which was eliminated from CoS. << 

Mindy:

Okay, this is my first post here, and I am sorry I don't have 
something more illuminating to say.  Also sorry that is, in basic 
form, a "me too" post.  However, this topic (as well as the previous 
one on possession) absolutely fascinates me.  The section I snipped 
covers a lot of the information that has puzzled me.

For the longest time I have struggled with the ending of OOTP.  The 
whole MOM scene seems like a big blur to me.  However, I get 
particularly hung up on the possession scene.  

I am still somewhat confused on the mechanics of possession in the 
Potterverse.  I would love for someone to clear up for me exactly how 
this works.  (Or will I have to see the movie?)  Anyway, one detail 
stands out to me in that scene:  the description of Harry's 
possession as feeling like he was wrapped in snake's coils.  I, too, 
immediately started suspecting that at some level, Voldemort must 
*be* a snake.  

The idea that Voldemort has a dual nature begins to clear up the 
possession thing to me.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I 
have never read any story in which a human can possess another 
human.  It has always been some sort of evil or animal spirit.  So, I 
never quite understood how Voldemort could do it.  I am intensely 
curious to know if any other wizard has this ability, or if this is 
something unique to Voldemort.

If this is unique to Voldemort, then I think Barry's original 
possession theory gains more weight.  This would also serve, to me at 
least, to make Chamber of Secrets as relevant to the overall story as 
JKR says it is.  Truly, this idea is sounding better to me by the 
minute.  I would love to review the original posts on it.  Barry, 
post numbers?

This idea also clears up my confusion of Dumbledore's "divided in 
essence" question.  Perhaps it was solely about Voldemort.  This 
makes a lot more sense to me than it being about Harry.

So, thanks to all of you for giving me a lot to think about.  Once I 
work this out in my head, I may post some further speculation.

Mindy  