The Character of Voldemort

[Lalaith_Elf]

I know that there is quite a few thread delving into themes and ideas, including what mooters think has happened in the past and what will happen in the future with Voldemort. But all that is dotted around, which makes it extreamly hard to talk about who Voldemort is!

Okay, so he's Tom Riddle, but any ideas about what really made him turn into Voldemort? And what do you think will really happen to him in the end of the books. Will he rule supreme? Or will he fall under Harry's wand?

I want your answers, your ideas and your plain old nonscense.

[sun-star]

Good questions

Voldemort has to be defeated at the end of Book 7. He has to be (doesn't he? ). Otherwise there isn't really any closure. And then there's the prophecy, which means either Harry or Voldy will die. Maybe both; maybe neither. Eternal struggle between good and evil, never-ending, and all that

I don't know about what turned him into Voldemort. What turns anyone evil? Perhaps he grew up hating Muggles because of his father and exploited the fears of wizards to make himself powerful. I've always wondered about his connection with Grindelwald (defeated 1945 - perhaps when Tom was a loyal supporter?)

We'll find out in the end I suppose!

That was plain old nonsense wasn't it

[Lizra]

I've only read the first three books, so excuse my ignorance!

Iwonder myself, why this "head boy" went bad. Also, does EVERYONE from Slytherin go dark? That is a bit of a joke, but it almost seems that way. Do they have a secret "Dark Arts Society" that meets in the Slytherin common room once a week or something? Is anyone from Slytherin *good*? Would muggle hatred make Riddle go bad, because you can only indulge in it if you are dark? I shouldn't ask questions without reading all the books, but the next few are so thick! I don't have that kind of free time!

[Lalaith_Elf]

You see, I don't think that everyone in Slytherin does turn evil. Or bad, if 'evil' is a too stronger word in some cases. I think that Voldemort may have turned evil if he is Slytherin's heir. What do you think?

I'm going to have to look into that connection with Grindelwald. I've never really thought about it before. Actually I'm ashamed to say that I've let my Potter reading get behind. Last time I read a HP Book was the 5th book. And that was when it was released!

And Lizra, you should read them. The next two are way better than the first two (The third os one of my favorites), and they're not that hard to actually get through. The 5th only took my 2 days to read. I spent a whole weekend just reading it, with occasional breaks. Some a few hours long. So they're really not that hard to get through, even if they look it. Good luck with reading them though.

[Sween]

i think one of the overwhelming theams of the books is how they perecive the muggles. i think the Dark wizard wish to rule them and the rest are just trying to hide from them the thing is in the books they try to make muggles out to be stupid but in the end we are not as arther weasly is there to point out i think.

Voldermort obvious aim is to rule over all. He was raised by muggles as a boy so he knows them quite well. All this pure blood stuff is just a way to get the bad wizards on side cos well they all hate a mud blood.

i think the last two books will explain everything and i think that in the end he will defintall die the only question is will harry die as well?

[Lizra]

I would like to see Muggles "do something" to Voldemort/dark forces. Is there a hidden power or *secret* of muggles? It would be interesting to introduce a knowlegable group of Muggles that are "in the know" about the wizarding world, and have them have some sort of "power" or tool to use over magic people.

[Lalaith_Elf]

Yeah, it would be good to see some muggles doing something. I can't see how exactly but they might. I guess we will have to wait and see. I think that the muggle world will eventually realise that there is a wizarding world. Something like that, so the wizards don't have to 'hide' anymore - maybe they'll enlist the help of the muggles. A bit far fetched I know, but it could happen.

[Orli17]

i think voldemort went bad because of his family. His dad was a muggle and i think for that(or maybe it is adn i just forgot) he deserted his mom adn so he started hating muggles. and also remember he was at a MUGGLE orphanage and that would add to the pain right? Cuz ppl there woulda treated him bad cuz he goes to a weird school or so. I'm not sure....

[Sween]

Originally posted by Lizra
I would like to see Muggles "do something" to Voldemort/dark forces. Is there a hidden power or *secret* of muggles? It would be interesting to introduce a knowlegable group of Muggles that are "in the know" about the wizarding world, and have them have some sort of "power" or tool to use over magic people.

The government clearly know about the wizards and i think muggles could do quite a lot i would like to see 'harry potter and the tactical nuclear strike' as 7th book but it mite give away the ending a bit

[sun-star]

It would get very confusing if the Muggle world found out about the wizarding world at the end of the series... because the Muggle world is us... you'd get all these kids going round saying "mum, where's Hogwarts? Where's Diagon Alley? Why doesn't the hoover fly when I sit on it?" I can't see that happening. Anyway, Tony Blair apparently knows all about it already

Also, I think by the end of the series we'll have met some good Slytherins. There have to be some, otherwise why would they keep that house in the school? You can't decide children are evil at the age of eleven.

[Lalaith_Elf]

Originally posted by Sween
The government clearly know about the wizards and i think muggles could do quite a lot i would like to see 'harry potter and the tactical nuclear strike' as 7th book but it mite give away the ending a bit

lmao! It actually has a very good ring to it....

Originally posted by sun-star
Also, I think by the end of the series we'll have met some good Slytherins. There have to be some, otherwise why would they keep that house in the school? You can't decide children are evil at the age of eleven.

What it, there will probably be the ultimate twist to reveal that Voldemort isn't evil at all, and it's really Dumbledore who is the evil one!

[Goldberry1]

Originally posted by Orli17
i think voldemort went bad because of his family. His dad was a muggle and i think for that(or maybe it is adn i just forgot) he deserted his mom adn so he started hating muggles. and also remember he was at a MUGGLE orphanage and that would add to the pain right? Cuz ppl there woulda treated him bad cuz he goes to a weird school or so. I'm not sure....

i've always thought that was the main reason that voldemort was spurred to seek revenge (so to speak) on the non-magical. in goblet of fire we get that whole backstory. voldemort says how his mother - a witch - fell in love with his muggle father, who abandoned her once he found out she was a witch, before voldemort was born. then, his mother died giving birth to him and he was raised in a muggle orphanage. then, voldemort vows to take revenge on his father, which he eventually carries out.

so, that's a part of it, voldemort despises muggles because of his father's actions and probably because of his experiences in a muggle orphanage.

but that doesn't necessarily explain (to me) why voldemort would support the pure-blood supremacy. *thought occurs* unless his deep-seated hatred of muggles makes him believe that anyone with muggle blood is bound to be something like his father: close minded (and probably fearful of those with magical powers).

hmm... must think some more before everything becomes random babbling.

as for the end, i suspect voldemort will be defeated, but it's definitely not going to be clear-cut. i don't necessarily see harry being killed as well - but you never know.

[Lizra]

But Harry was raised by atrocious muggles....and he doesn't seem to harbor much ill towards them, does he?

[Lalaith_Elf]

There is definatly more to it than his hate towards his father. I mean I don't really like or get along with my parents (okay, okay understatement - we hate each other ), but I don't have any need to turn evil, kill them and try to take over the world (although the taking over the world part is starting to sound good ).

[Menelvagor]

It seems to me that, especially in the fifth book, JKR is setting up Neville to play a big role in Voldemort's death (yes, I think he'll die). Harry will actually do it, but it will be because of Neville, or something like that (hmm, this is getting kind of Gollum-Frodo...). As to Voldie's evilness, there's probably part of the story that we haven't gotten yet that will explain it better. I suspect there will be more similarities with Harry in Voldie's past, but I'm not sure why.

[Goldberry1]

Originally posted by Lizra
But Harry was raised by atrocious muggles....and he doesn't seem to harbor much ill towards them, does he?

hmm, yes... that does throw a bit of a wrench into just about all of my logic, doesn't it?

well, harry clearly doesn't like them, but, yeah, he doesn't really want them dead.

well, hopefully we'll find out some more in the (i hope near) future to let know what really happened!

[Lizra]

Voldemort will be killed with love. It's the weapon he can't repell. It will be interesting to see Harry's love evolve. R/V was getting the upper hand on Harry in the last fight scene in the last book, till Harry got the warm fuzzy "love thoughts" about Sirius.
Lilly's love for Harry almost killed R/V back at the onset. I think R/V will kill someone(s) Harry loves (Dumbledore, a Weasley...? ) and will then grow stronger, feeding off Potter's initial rage and hate, giving Voldemort lots of scary momentum. Then Harry's growing teenage love life might cause complications, and somehow a strong show of love on Harry's part will finally do R/V in! Maybe!

The part that has me stymied is where Snape will fit in!

[Fimbrethil]

You know Lizra....if you're right then the whole last book is just going to be 7 or 800 pages of I love you's......and other things....dangit! Why does the moot have to be pg? Let's just leave it at puff puff pass.

Harry doesn't want his Aunt and Uncle dead and yet Tom wanted his parents dead. That kind of confused me at first then I started thinking about that and it really just depeands on the person doesn't it? How they think and act and what they believe. That kind of copies real life too, and it's amazing how JKR can do that. Err...thats just an idea of mine...does it make sense?

I think it's obvious that Snape has, somehow, gotten back in with Voldemort and is a "spy". The one story we can defeintaly expect to see is what all happened to Snape ie. his back story (I don't think he was ever truly bad/evil he didn't have the best parents though did he?) why Dumbldore trusts him and how he did get back in with Voldemort. Whether JKR will makes us all groan and spread that out into both the last books or just put it in one book has yet to be seen. *ominous music*
I love you all....maaaaaaaaaaan.

[Lizra]

Lots of people think Snape is a vampire ( I don't really see it inless Rowling is just going to say the whole thing about vampires not being able to function in daylight is a myth) ....maybe his parents were though, and thats why he had such a miserable youth? What was that flashback of him zapping flies in his room...that makes me think of vampires (along with his appearance) ...eating bugs when there is nothing else to feed on. Maybe his mom wasn't keen on groceries! I dunno though. Snape a spy? Gosh I hope not!

An interesting challenge in having love be the weapon against Voldemort might be the sometimes confusing similarity between love and hate. Also, a good source of struggle would be the difficulty in mastering/controlling love. Hate can be somewhat predictable, and it should be fairly easy for a dark master such as Voldemort to draw hate out of Harry and then feed off of it and grow stronger.....but love is hard to control and often surprising in it's nature (IMO ) It will take Harry quite awhile to figure out his "power", and then being a teenager harnessing the potential in his love will be *touchy*. Well....that's the direction I'd take if I was writing the last two books. I think you could make a lot of drama out of a fairly "tortured" young wizard's love and hate.

I don't really remember a part that mentions where Harry doesn't want the Dursley's dead, yet R/V wanted his parents dead. But that rings true because Harry has the POWER to love, which ultimately shall make hin stronger than Voldemort, who is lacking. Just a theory....