Half Blood tragic villain or pure blood heartless leader? writes Shuktara Samkalpa

Dec. 31: Lord Voldemort was the main villain throughout the entire Harry Potter series. No matter how many jokes, memes or puns are made he still was the most dangerous villain in the Wizarding World. Hated as he was, he had caused many families to break apart in the 1950s’ in both the Muggle and Wizarding lives, good and evil lives. He murdered, tortured and controlled many, and removed Gellert Grindelwald (who was not that much of a murderer as far we know), from the position of the most feared Wizard of all times. However, there is more to know the ‘dark Lord’ Voldemort.

Born on 31^st December 1926 to Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle Senior, Lord Voldemort was named Tom Marvolo Riddle after his father and maternal grandfather. Merope, his mother, was a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts and a parseltounge. She had died an hour after Tom’s birth. Growing at an orphanage without love had an influence on Tom and that he could not fit in there.Tom didn’t ever learn to love, and didn’t (couldn’t) accept the orphanage as his home. When he was 11, Dumbledore came and gave him the news on his wizarding blood and Hogwarts. Excited Tom revealed too much about himself than he would have liked. Dumbledore had sensed that he was an unordinary child at the beginning.

From the very start, Tom knew that he was different from the other kids and he used it to his advantages. He controlled his magic fast and had used them before he had learnt how to do so by teachers or elders.

After joining in the September of 1938, Tom quickly became one of the best students in his Year at Hogwarts, the school for Witchcraft, and remained so until he graduated in 1945. He was also the favorite of most of the teachers, with the exception of Dumbledore, who was wary of him. A combination of flattery and good school work got him to a position having confidence of the teachers, and he could get information which shouldn’t have reached the ears of any student.

When Tom was in his 6^th year, he found out that it was his mother who was a witch and not his father. He became frustrated and killed his paternal family, leaving the blame to his maternal uncle.

Tom made his first horcrux (a piece of evil dark magic which splits your soul and prevents you from dying) with the death of his father’s family. Whether his diary or the Gaunt ring was his first horcrux is highly debated.

After graduating from Hogwarts in 1945, he first applied for the DADA (Defense Against the Dark Arts) teacher position. But the then headmaster Professor Dippet, turned him down, saying that he was too young, but asked him to return a few years later.

Surprising everyone, Tom chose to work in the dark artefacts shop – ‘Borgin & Burkes’, instead of going into Politics and ignoring his potential in the Ministry of Magic for many years. He charmed a customer named Miss Hepzibah Smith, who was a descendant of Helga Hufflepuff and had the locket of Slytherin and cup of Hufflepuff. He then murdered her, modified the memory of her house help-err, elf and stole her two most prized possessions, the symbol of power of Hufflepuff and Slytherin. These later went on to become his other two horcruxes.

Ten years later, he returned to Hogwarts to try for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher’s position. However, he was too late. Professor Armando Dippet, the old headmaster had retired by then. He was replaced by none other but Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

Unfortunately for Tom, he was not one of Dumbledore’s favorite students in Hogwarts and Dumbledore had known what kind of wizard Tom was from the very start. Ever since Dumbledore refused the job to Tom, no teacher has been able to stay in it for more than a year. They said that the job has been cursed or jinxed by him and that it will only be removed once Riddle is killed.

Later, we come to know that Tom also hid his 5^th horcrux, the lost diadem of Ravenclaw, in Hogwarts the day he went to see Dumbledore for the job. He had, by then, already gathered a small band of followers who called themselves ‘Death Eaters’ and renamed himself ‘Lord Voldemort’.  He spread terror amongst the entire Wizarding community.

People were so afraid of him that they use to call him by alias. They referred to him as “You-know-who” or “He-who-must-not-be-named”. Even after his defeat in 1981 and before his reappearance in 1995, wizards and witches still didn’t dare call him by his real name. Only those of the Order of the Phoenix or the bravest of the bravest called him ‘Voldemort’.

Until 1991, only Dumbledore used to call him by his alias ‘Voldemort’, and then he started to call him by his real name “Tom”. His own Death Eaters use to call him “The Dark Lord”, “Master”, “My Lord” or “Sire”. He and his Death Eaters killed muggles and Muggleborns with no mercy, and believed in “Purebloods first” and “Wizards first”.  Decades later, in about 1979, his follower Severus Snape brought news of a prophecy made by a Sybil Trelawny about him being defeated by a boy born as the seventh month dies in 1980. The prophecy was as follows:

“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…

born to those, who have thrice defied him…

born as the seventh month dies…

and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal

but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…

and either must die at the hand of the other…

for neither can live while the other survives…

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies……”

The prophecy could have applied to both Neville Longbottom or Harry Potter as they both were born in the end of July 1980- Neville on 30^th and Harry on 31^st.

Tom, or Voldemort as we must call him now, didn’t and couldn’t hear the entire prophecy, and only knew that he will be defeated by the one who was born at the end of July, 1980. He didn’t know that he would be the one marking his challenger either. So, he decided to kill his might-be-challenger as soon as he was born. He chose Harry James Potter, a half-blood (born with one muggle born witch/muggle and a wizard parent) like him, instead of Neville Longbottom, a pureblood.

On 31^st October 1981 Halloween, Voldemort attempted to kill Harry. He killed James, who was trying to protect his family, and went on to murder Lily, who was pleading with him to spare her baby’s life.   After killing Lily, Voldemort had turned to kill the one-year-old Harry. However, his mother’s sacrifice protected Harry and the killing curse rebounded off him, codswalloping Voldemort. Though most believed him to be dead, his horcruxes prevented him from dying.

They said he roamed in the forests of Albania in exile for 10 years. In 1991, he manipulated a young wizard named Quirinus Quirrell, a Hogwarts professor. He tried to get Quirrell to steal the philosopher’s stone from Hogwarts. But Harry, who was starting that year, managed to stop them with his two friends.

In 1992, due to an error of a Death Eater, one of Voldemort’s horcruxes, his diary was sent to Hogwarts where Harry managed to destroy it without knowing what it was. The year 1993 didn’t affect Voldemort much, since he was still a small bundle. In 1994 however, two of Voldemort’s faithful Death Eaters managed to raise him back, and he started spreading terror again.

In 1996, he tried to get rid of Dumbledore through innocents. When Dumbledore was killed, he took over the ministry and Hogwarts, leaving Pius Thicknesse as a Minister puppet and Severus Snape as the Headmaster. He killed many, and in 1997, the Battle of Hogwarts took place, where many heroes and Death Eaters fell, and the Good emerged victorious, and Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as the Dark Lord Voldemort, was defeated at the hands of Harry Potter for the last and final time.

From 1946 till 1990, Tom separated many, tortured thousands, and killed hundreds. His war led to many betrayals, torn love, broken friends, disowning families and more grief. Throughout the series, we have come to know Voldemort as the main enemy, the villain, the wizard who practiced Dark Arts, the heartless antagonist who tore thousands of lives apart.

But is he the heartless antagonist?

Tom was always different, and he had known it. He was aloof, didn’t have many friends in his orphanage. He didn’t make any friends in Hogwarts either. When in the orphanage, he used to terrify the other kids, and they were all scared of him. He had learnt to control and use his magic sometimes even before he was 11.

“He was a funny boy…He was a funny baby too. He hardly ever cried; you know. And then, when he got a little older, he was…odd……He scares the other children…There have been incidents…” (-Mrs. Cole, The Half-Blood Prince Page 222.)

“…I don’t think that many people will be sorry to see the back of him…” (-The Half Blood Prince, page 223)

 “…I knew I was different…I knew I was special. Always, I knew there was something.” (-Tom Riddle, Voldemort, The Half-Blood Prince, page 225.)

He was always alone, different and had never known love. Though well-cared for, he was brought in a gloomy atmosphere, where he felt different and that he didn’t belong and it had an impact on his mind which always made him feel lonely. He grew used to that loneliness and started to get wrapped up into it.

In Hogwarts, though, he felt happy, perhaps for the first time in his life. It felt like a home to him. But he still wanted to be aloof, friendless, secretive and operate alone.  He was already self-sufficient and secretive from his time in the orphanage, and he wanted to continue being so, for he was already accustomed to it. Though many Death Eaters claimed to be in his confidence, be close to him or even understand his, they were Ron. He never had a friend, and it seemed that he never wanted one.

During his time at Hogwarts, he gathered loads of admirers, who later went on to be his faithful Death Eaters. He also took the ‘Blood Supremacy’ matters siriusly, and believed that Purebloods (Wizards/ Witches with both parents as Magical humans.) were far more superior than Half-bloods, Muggleborns and Muggles. Though a half blood in reality, he pretended to be a pureblood to gain respect and admiration. He was introverted, and never learnt how to love. Since his mother had used a love potion on his father, and Sr. Riddle had never really loved Merope, Tom was born without the ability to love. If he tried to learn, though, he could have learned how to love.

He was also a real Slytherin, cunning, sly and ambitious.  (Well, he would be, considering that he is a descendant of the founder of the house) He was also had, as people like to say, the perfect villain personality. He was secretive, cunning and knew just where to pull the strings.

“Voldemort doesn’t march up to people’s houses and bang on their houses, Harry……He tricks, jinxes and blackmails them. He’s well-practiced at operating in secret…” (-Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix, page 88)

His personality, though he used to for dark arts, could have been used for the better if he wanted or tried to.   However, blinded by false beliefs, he had thrown away his time and life.

Like Luke Castellan, Voldemort had an absent father and a mother who couldn’t take care of him. However, unlike Luke, Tom was never a hero, and certainly never died like one. Also, Luke’s father had no choice but to leave them, while on the other hand, Tom Riddle Sr. could have taken in Voldemort. And unlike Voldemort’s mother, Luke’s mother was cursed to not being able to take care of him, and had no option either; while Voldemort’s mother could have at least tried.

If only, Tom had learnt to love, many lives wouldn’t have been torn apart.  Things might have been different if his mother had survived, or if his father had taken him in and cared for him. Or maybe if his mother hadn’t used a love potion on his father, who could have been able to love. Or if someone had the courage and strength to break through his walls and earn his trust and respect either in his orphanage days or early Hogwarts years (1st – 3^rd year), maybe he could have changed.

Maybe, maybe but I guess we’ll never know what might have happened if Tom Marvolo Riddle could have loved.

A Small Guide to The Wizarding World Speak

Albus Dumbledore – One of the greatest and most powerful wizards of all times, the only wizard (except perhaps Harry) Voldemort was afraid of, one of the most popular Headmasters and professors, Headmaster of Hogwarts for a long time.

DADA- Defense Against the Dark Arts, a subject taught at Hogwarts.

Godric Gryffindor – Founder of the Gryffindor house.

Gryffindor – The house for the brave (sometimes arrogant) and valiant.

Half-Blood – Those who have muggleborn/Muggle/another Half-blood as one parent and a pureblood/half-blood as the other.

Helga Hufflepuff – Founder of the Hufflepuff house.

Hogwarts – The wizarding school for the young witches and wizards of England and abroad. Students start their first year at the age of 11 and their last year is when they come ‘of age’; that is when they turn 17. All year round, except for the summer, when students return for about 3 months. They have the option for returning during Christmas and Easter holidays as well.

Horcruxes – Evil Dark magic which cause your soul to be split into pieces and prevent you from dying. Requires murder among other things to be performed. 

Hufflepuff – The house for loyal, kind and trust worthy people.

James Potter – Gryffindor, pureblood, member of the Order of the Phoenix, father of Harry James Potter and husband of Lily Potter nee^’ Evans. (27^th March 1960- 31^st October 1981)

Lily Potter (nee Evans) – Gryffindor, muggleborn witch, member of the Order of the Phoenix, mother of Harry James Potter, wife of James Potter. Sacrificed herself to try to save her son. (30 January 1930 – 31^st October 1981)

Luke Castellan – A son of Hermes from the world of Percy Jackson, friend of Annabeth Chase, Thalia Grace, Grover Underwood and Perseus Jackson. Son of Hermes and May Castellan. (More in ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ series by Rick Riordan.)

Merope Gaunt- Mother of Voldemort, descendant of Salazar Slytherin. She was abused most of her life by her brother and father, and couldn’t use her magical abilities properly because of it. When free and away from them, she learnt how to use magic and control it. After Riddle Senior had deserted her, though, Merope decided never to use magic ever again and simply lost the will to live even for her baby.

Mrs. Cole – The manager of the orphanage in which Tom Riddle grew up.

Muggle – Non-magical humans.

Muggleborn – A wizard or a witch born to Muggles.

Order of the Phoenix – A group/organization formed by Albus Dumbledore to fight against the Dark Lord in the 20^th century.  Only over aged wizards and witches who had left school could join.

Parseltounge – The language of the snakes.

Pureblood- Those who have only wizards and witches as their ancestors in the previous 3 generations.

Ravenclaw – The Hogwarts house for the wise, smart.

Rowena Ravenclaw – Founder of the Ravenclaw house.

Salazar Slytherin – Founder of the Slytherin house.

Severus Snape – A Slytherin who wasn’t exactly evil. Childhood friend of Lily Evans, but they stopped talking to each other after their 5^th year. Became a Death Eater, but became a spy for Dumbledore. Potions teacher at Hogwarts for years until 1996, when he became the DADA teacher for a year and the Headmaster for a year in 1997. Loved Lily until the very end. Neither good or bad in the end. 

Sirius Black – Harry’s dog father- err, GOD father. A pure blood wizard who came from a family of Slytherins, pureblood supports and Voldemort supporter but rebled against them and was sorted into Gryffindor. Was James Potter’s best friend and best man.

Slytherin – The house for the cunning, sly and ambitious.

Squibs – Those born to magical parents but don’t have magic.

• Shuktara Samkalpa (Reporter Rodent)