My Thoughts
Lord Voldemort is a character that I feel is right, for a lack of a better word. He has done so many great things, and has worked for what he has gotten. His views are very different, but I believe in what he is doing because he sees what the others do not.
It is known that Voldemort's mother died while giving birth to him, but before that his father had abandoned her after he found out she was a witch. She is also a decedent of Salazar Slytherin (who is known for his hate of impure wizards) she married a Muggle anyway. She seems to be very different than one would think. She also still named him Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort's Father = Tom and Marvolo = her father) which shows me she still loved them regardless. She has a compassion and a forgiveness that many others would not.. Or so it would seem... She died giving birth to him, so he never knew his mother and that makes it nearly impossible for him to ever really learn from her.
Though, if Merope were my mother I wouldn't want learn from her. I don't like what she did. I don't like that she was vain enough to go after a stud and force him to fall in love with her by use of a love potion. She is the ultimate example of how 'love' makes you weak. Voldemort hates the non-magical ones and those connected to muggles because he sees them as being weak. He assumed his mother was the muggle since she died. He sees death and love as weaknesses. And to be honest I can see why he thinks that way. He knows what it takes to survive. People can preach about how you need others, but in the end you only have yourself. However, as independent as he may be, he still knows he has to use people, but he will only use them as much as he needs them and no more than that. Since he learned of the Prophecy he had to do what was necessary to ensure his path to immortality was a clear one. He's worked very hard to achieve his goals and he wasn't about to let all his work go down the drain.
He has held a major grudge, but he has fought and worked for what he wants his whole life and I respect that. It progressed to more important things, including defeating Harry Potter. The one that has done him much harm. The threat. I do not like Harry Potter for many reasons. He has not worked for what he has gotten, has had many things handed to him, he is rash, he stripped Voldemort of his body, and in turn some of Voldemort's powers transferred to Harry, which is also something he did not have to work for.
Voldemort was able to take Hagrid and Aragog to his advantage and frame Hagrid for being the heir of Slytherin and setting his spider to kill Murtle. He is an opportunist and will do anything to achieve his ends. He in return gained a trophy for this. He is very ambitious and does not give up on what he wants to accomplish. When he wanted to be the wizard who had the name that all others feared to speak, he did just that.
He also handles things well for the most part, and is able to fool so many. The school year after the summer he murdered his father and Grandparents, he became a prefect, Head Boy, and received a Medal for Magical Merit. He is extremely powerful in case I haven't pointed that out. He was able to do so many things that others could not even dream of. He was powerful even at a young age. He is an incredibly intelligent wizard. Dumbledore knows this and it is very obvious from all that he has accomplished in his life. He is also very influential, able to gain followers and strike fear throughout the wizarding world. He understands the true meaning of sacrifice, he has done everything to reach his goal no matter what that is. Yes, he will do anything it takes to get what he wants. He framed Morfin for the murders of his father and grandparents because it was a convenience to put it simply, but also because he wanted Morfin taken out as well. Voldemort’s reaction to what Morfin had to say, both about Tom Riddle Sr. And Merope, was not good. Morfin pissed him off pretty much from what I gathered..
But I also think, like Hitler (who I personally see shares many similarities with Voldemort), Voldemort will do all he can to keep his history/his family private. Voldemort is half Muggle, he couldn't risk having that slip. Getting rid of the filthy dirty bloods in his family was one of the reasons he had killed his father and grandparents, but also because this man, his father, had abandoned his mother when he found out what she was a witch. This angered Tom. This filthy anti-magic Muggle didn't want anything to do with him. I have a feeling his hate for Muggles spawned from this whole ordeal. He sees his Father as a common Muggle. A common Muggle that despises magic. It all started with Merope if we want to get technical. She fell weak to her supposed 'love' and had a child with a man that would have never loved her. He was a snobby, rich, common magic hating muggle. He would have never stayed. Voldemort's history is so complex, it can't easily be broken down. If Merope had married a decent guy, even if he were a muggle, who knows if (assuming Voldemort was still born) he wouldn't have decided to still find out his history and embrace the blood of Slytherin that was inside him? He may have, he may not have. There is a possibility he would have been content if he had a 'normal' family. I do think Voldemort has shown resentment many times for his father and muggles. However, it doesn't seem to be only because of them being 'dirty' or ' unworthy'. I see his resentment stems from other reasons as well. The murders were about hiding his history, but also for revenge. Some people may argue that Voldemort was born evil. While I don’t think that’s necessarily true, if he was I don’t know if one could consider it his “fault”. Voldemort never had anyone show him love when he was a being able to love, not ever. In fact, the only "love" or "devotion" he has ever, throughout his entire life been given is a kind not based on truth. It’s actually pretty sad if you think about it. But what I am trying to say is that Voldemort was not born hating muggles. He didn’t pop out of the womb thinking about all the evil he could bring on them. He learned it. He probably learned a lot of it at school and through his family’s history (Salazar in particular). Slytherins have a bad reputation and most of them do seem to meet it. So I’m pretty sure that Voldemort heard muggles and “dirty bloods” being spoken ill of at least once while in school. Perhaps he agreed with them, since he didn’t have the most happy childhood around. But I think the breaking point, like I said, was when he met up with Morfin. Voldemort was still human when he learned of his parents. I believe, if only subconsciously, Voldemort ‘s hatred for muggles really started when he learned of his father. Perhaps it’s possible Voldemort completely blames his mother’s death on his father or muggles in general. Obviously he sees muggles as weak, but learning that his mother also became weakened by one.. well, that to me could only make Muggles worse in Voldemort’s eyes.I also believe it is possible that his want to be different played in to him wanting his uncle dead as well. He now remains the only known heir of Salazar Slytherin, and that is pretty different in my opinion.
I always assumed James and Harry were both heirs of Gryffindor. There have of course been many signs pointing to Harry being one. His wand emitting gold and scarlet sparks for one, him pulling Godric's sword out of the hat as another. His parents also lived in a place called Godric's Hollow. It is known Harry has no remaining family but Petunia (and Dudley, Vernon). This is curious to me. All of them, dead? Petunia matters for the protection against Voldemort but she is not a an heir of Gryffindor. James had to die, Voldemort gave him no choice at all. Lily though, she had a choice, she did not have to die. But she chose to sacrifice herself to save her son. This makes me feel James and Harry were both heirs and they in turn both needed to die. The prophecy of course is why Voldemort wanted to have Harry killed, but I strongly believe he was actually killing two birds with one stone, well anticipating to anyway. You could almost call this three birds or maybe even four with one stone, if it had been successful that is. James is out, but Harry still remains.
Voldemort and Harry have many similarities as well, a lot of that has to with some of the powers that were transferred to Harry when the Avada Kedavra backfired. I can’t imagine Voldemort liking that. Harry Potter has been given much fame because of this. He also shares many of the same skills/powers as The Dark Lord, which I am positive is not well received from The Dark Lord. Voldemort has worked for everything and Harry has basically gotten a free ride, as far as the skills/powers go. Voldemort didn't know why Harry had survived at first but when he discovered why, he felt better for he then knew Harry was not special. It is known that Voldemort likes to be different. He does not want to be like anyone else, but Harry is so much like him. All the more reason to want to kill him. So there are three reasons I believe he would want Harry dead, maybe there are more but these are the ones I am thinking at the moment. Competition (in more ways then one), Prophecy, and because Harry is an heir. I believe Voldemort has killed two birds with one stone many times. After reading Half-Blood Prince I can't help but think of Hepizbah Smith. She was an heir of Hufflepuff and he killed her. He took the goblet and the locket and got yet another heir killed. I feel he is seeking/was seeking revenge for Slytherin. I mean, Voldemort wanted so badly to finish what Salazar had started, ridding the school of witches and wizards unworthy to study magic there. He did kill Morfin, also an heir of Salazar, but like I mentioned earlier, I think what Morfin was saying angered Voldemort so much he wanted him dead.
He is a great leader in many ways. He is so very intelligent, powerful, influential, patient, resourceful, charismatic, and he has such a great knowledge about how to go about accomplishing things. Most of the time he knows the right time to strike (and I can't blame him for being hasty at times. It is difficult to remain calm after over 16 years of trying to kill a boy that just won't die). He has also never given up. He comes back and works even harder to succeed. I do not want Harry to "beat" Voldemort at all. Harry has had the help of so many, The Order, his friends, Voldemort's victims, Voldemort himself (the powers being transferred) and many others. There is no way Harry deserves to defeat him.
If I had my way Lord Voldemort would be able to finish what he started and gain what he wants. He is able to do so many things and I cannot help but love his character. He possesses so many qualities that I admire. He does have weaknesses though. He underestimates what he doesn't understand or what he sees as being weak. Which in JK Rowling's stories isn't good to do at all. In all honesty though, if this was the real world, love wouldn't save the day.
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