HOGWARTS SCHOOL

You have clicked on Tom's diary which represents his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. The diary was turned into a Horcrux and given to Lucius Malfoy to plant inside the school. It ended up getting into the hands of young Ginny Weasley, who became entranced by the living memory of Tom Riddle that lived inside. He had placed one torn piece of his soul into the diary, hoping to one day find and open the Chamber of Secrets inside the school; after all, he was the Heir of Slytherin. Although this Horcrux successfully made Ginny open the Chamber, Harry came to the rescue and destroyed not only the Basilisk monster, but the diary and the memory living inside of it, as well.

Tom came to Hogwarts after Albus Dumbledore recruited him from the orphanage (as I discuss in the Ring section). Having no money whatsoever, Tom entered the school on a full scholarship and wore secondhand robes. He was sorted into Slytherin House almost immediately. His knowledge of being related to one of the founders deeply excited him and increased his sense of self-importance. Tom also acted quite differently in school than he had when Albus Dumbledore first met him. This also put a strain on their relationship as Albus was the only person who knew his true colors. For this reason, Tom never tried to charm his Professor like he did with everyone else. In school, he showed no signs of arrogance or aggression like he had in the orphanage. He was extremely handsome and unusually talented, and being an orphan, this all drew attention and sympathy from the staff from the start. He was also very quiet, polite and had a passion for knowledge; he was truly impressive.

He also gathered a group of other students who were completely dedicated to his existence. These “friends” were the start of the Death Eaters and helped open the Chamber of Secrets which killed the young girl later known as Moaning Myrtle. When Hagrid (who was a student at the same time as Riddle) came into possession of the spider, Aragog, he was expelled from Hogwarts as his pet was blamed for the murder of Myrtle. This inaccurate belief was encouraged by Tom who had been using the basilisk to attack students, and who had framed Hagrid to avoid the school being closed. Riddle was considered heroic for this and it made him look like an even more perfect student.

“Few who knew him then are prepared to talk about him; they are too terrified.”
–Albus Dumbledore (Half-Blood Prince, p. 339)

During his time at Hogwarts, Tom became obsessed with his parentage. He constantly wished to track down his father; to find his accomplishments somewhere inside the castle grounds. After finding no such information anywhere, Tom had to accept that his father was not a wizard. This devastation caused him, according to Albus Dumbledore, to drop his name forever, and assume the title of Lord Voldemort, a dark lord who despised muggles and the shameful human weakness of death. On the other hand, his middle name, Marvolo, could be traced. He discovered the existence of Slytherin’s surviving line and set off to find his Gaunt, Parseltongue-speaking relatives.

“I thought you was that Muggle,” whispered Morfin. “You look mighty like that Muggle.”

Tom found the Gaunt cottage, but was immediately mistaken for being Tom Riddle Senior. Morfin yelled at him and screamed how his mother was nothing but a disgraceful slut. Tom Riddle, enraged by all this, knocked out Morfin, stole his wand, found his father’s nearby Mansion, and murdered him along with his grandparents. He had revenge upon the father who never wanted him and obliterated the entire Riddle line. He then planted this memory inside of Morfin’s head, so he was convicted of the murders and sent to Azkaban, where he eventually died.

When Tom came back to Hogwarts after that summer, he decided to tackle a segment of magic that few wizards had ever gone to. This involved the creation of horcruxes, a taboo subject at school. Riddle must have learned of their existence on his own. He did however manage to bring up the subject to Professor Slughorn, the Defense against the Dark Arts instructor at the time.

“I don’t know anything about Horcruxes and I wouldn’t tell you if I did! Now get out of here at once and don’t let me catch you mentioning them again!”
–Horace Slughorn

Professor Slughorn was completely struck by Tom’s knowledge for such a horrible subject. Creating a Horcrux involves splitting one’s soul so that it can be placed inside an object. The idea is so that the witch or wizard can be somewhat immortal. However, the only way to split one’s soul means to kill another person. In history, the only person who ever did so, split their soul twice. Tom wanted to split his seven times. This completely disturbed Horace Slughorn, and he even tampered with his memory of their conversation when it came time for him to share it with Albus Dumbledore; he was deeply ashamed. An even more detailed explanation on horcruxes can be found in the Cup section.

Riddle reached his seventh year of schooling with top grades in every examination he had taken. Nearly everyone expected him to become someone important and distinguished; after all he was a prefect, Head Boy, and winner of a special award (Chamber of Secrets Incident). Many suggested that he should work for the Ministry of Magic, but Tom was not interested and refused all offers. Riddle was clearly a brilliant student during his time at Hogwarts, and was probably the most gifted student to ever be at Hogwarts all together. However, even though Riddle could produce spells that others could not and excel in every single subject, he did not do so for the greater good. He did all this because he was power hungry and a sociopath; he only cared about himself. He figured if he became this all powerful invincible being, he would never succumb to something such as death. Twisted ambition and lack of love define Tom Marvolo Riddle.

“There is no good and evil, there is only power...and those too weak to seek it.”
- Voldemort

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

It would be very silly of me to not discuss Riddle's relationship with Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Everyone adores his character, and it's hard not to when he's a Merlin-like Wizard with a love for toffee eclairs, knitting patterns, and wool socks. But that's not what I'm here to discuss, sorry. In many respects, their characters may very much be influenced by two simple figures: God & Satan. I am not sure if JK Rowling intentionally made this so, perhaps John Milton influenced her like many other authors in history, but the comparison is uncanny. After reading the series, I began to think that Riddle was very much like Satan in Paradise Lost, and I write about this in various sections throughout the site. Only here though will I discuss how Albus Dumbledore in some ways represents the idea of God. I am not religious, so this is in no way about my personal feelings about the Bible or Christianity, or the continuing and very stupid misconception that "Harry Potter is Satanic!". I'm simply comparing literature here.

Dumbledore was written as the influential, wise and elderly Wizard full of intelligence, kindness and love. He was supposedly the most powerful Wizard ever, and everyone respected him, even when he was controversial at times. Riddle himself was only afraid of one other human being, and that of course, was Albus. This man represents the ultimate moral authority in the entire Wizarding World. The books undoubtedly revolve around the classic central conflict of good and evil; especially since Dumbledore had fought off evil Wizards his entire life, including one he was even in love with named Grindelwald. Albus has always reminded me of a god-like figure, similarly to those wise and older males in The Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia.

Albus also represents the House of Gryffindor, while Riddle represents the House of Slytherin. These two houses have a deep rivalry that dates back to their foundation. So, is one supposed to represent good, while the other represents evil? I think so. Remember, Dumbledore's Army also held no students from Slytherin House. After all, Voldemort proclaimed in Book Seven, his intention to abolish the other three houses and force all Hogwarts students into Slytherin. This is all very much like Satan creating an army to destroy God and his non-fallen Angels.

“...in the light of Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”
- Albus Dumbledore

Dumbledore was the central figure that kept the hope alive for the other characters. He was there for his students, his faculty, and basically the entire world itself. He did not fear Voldemort because he understood what was underneath that monstrous façade; he knew Voldemort was nothing more than a man with a fragmented soul who had essentially destroyed himself. He was not afraid to speak his name, and he was even less afraid to call him by "Tom" in front of his face. Even though the two Wizards were very different, they did indeed share one quality: a desire for power. Although Dumbledore only ever desired to use power for good, he found that those best suited for power are those who do not desire it. His own desire led him to a life-threatening injury when he attempted to destroy Voldemort's Horcrux & Gaunt's Ring. When he put it on, the dark magic cursed him physically. Also, both Wizards suffered horrible family losses. The only difference was that Albus loved his family deeply, and suffered emotionally throughout his entire life because of it. Voldemort took a different route, and hated his family. This hatred lead to fear and vengeance; he knew nothing of love.

“That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend. Of house-elves and childrens tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped.”
- Albus Dumbledore

Voldemort had always wanted Dumbledore to die; after all, he was Harry's greatest protector that was still alive. Towards the end, Voldemort began to plot Dumbledore’s assassination and the complete takeover of Hogwarts School. Naturally, he made sixteen-year-old Draco Malfoy a Death Eater, and told him to kill his Headmaster and get a small army of Death Eaters into Hogwarts. If he didn't do all this then his parents would be killed. In secrecy, Draco's mother, Narcissa, made Severus Snape promise to kill Dumbledore if Draco had failed. It took Draco an entire school year, but his clever little mind succeeded by creating an entrance into Hogwarts through the Room of Requirement's vanishing cabinets. He also managed to disarm Dumbledore when he returned with Harry from the Cave (where Voldemort's Locket was hidden). Dumbledore being extremely wise, remained calm and knew Draco was no murderer. However, Snape arrived and killed Dumbledore; at first readers believed this to be murder, but in fact, Dumbledore was already dying. Voldemort was also completely unaware that Dumbledore had learned about the Horcruxes, shared the information with Harry, and that Gaunt's ring had been destroyed.