Harry, Voldemort and Snape

[pippin_999]

> Sigune:
> > In this, Harry may seem very different from Snape, who is truly 
> > passionate about the Dark Arts. And yet: I wonder if he would have 
> > felt the same about them if he had been exposed to the kind of
> > things Harry experienced. Snape has never, as far as we know, been
> > a victim of Dark magic; indeed, it is what has empowered and 
> > sustained him. And we may very well ask whether Harry would not
> > have enjoyed it just the same if Voldemort hadn't killed his
> > parents.
> 
> Jen: Oh, LOL. I triple-dog dare you to say that on the main list! I 
> did wonder if Dumbledore wasn't curious about how Harry would turn 
> out, with a life so similar to Riddle's in certain ways as a child? 
> Since he didn't try to shape Harry, or turn him into a super wizard 
> or raise him himself <g>, he did take the risk of having another 
> Riddle on his hands *except* for the forethought of leaving Harry 
> with people he suspected would not allow Harry to do unchecked magic 
> as Riddle was able to do.
> 

Pippin:
Most people with unhappy abusive childhoods don't grow up to be psychopaths, and most 
people who are psychopaths don't become murderers. So I'd say the odds of Harry not 
becoming another Voldemort were pretty good, barring any magical contamination. The 
character who is Voldemort's mental twin is Lockhart, IMO: charming,  ruthless and 
apparently utterly lacking in conscience. Of course Lockhart never did any dark spells at 
all; he couldn't. 

Pippin