Born Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Voldemort is one of the Darkest Wizards of all time. He is one of the most powerful enemies Wizard Club and Dumbledore's Army have faced.
Early Life
Tom Marvolo Riddle was born on [December|31 December], [[1]] at Wool's Orphanage in [[2]]. His [[3]] mother, [Gaunt|Merope Gaunt] staggered to the door of the orphanage, had Tom born in there, and died shortly after his birth. Tom Riddle grew up in a dingy orphanage, completely unaware of his wizarding heritage. Since the [[4]] orphanage staff did not know anything about his mother, they did not know about his magical background. Instead, they believed that Merope was a circus worker, as [Cole] told Albus Dumbledore shortly before his first meeting with Tom. It is unknown whether or not the orphanage staff relayed this to Tom before his first encounter with Dumbledore.
Despite his ignorance of his mother's true background, Tom did have some grasp on his abilities beyond that of normal magical children of his same age, however, and an unusually high degree of control over them. Tom could move objects with his mind and cause them to travel floating wherever he wished, manipulate animals and creatures as he wished, speak [[5]], and use his power to inflict harm on other orphans. After getting into a fight with fellow orphan [Stubbs|Billy Stubbs], he used his powers to hang the boy's rabbit from the rafters. On one occasion, he took two orphans, [Bishop|Dennis Bishop] and [Benson|Amy Benson], into a cave, where he performed an act so horrifying that the two orphans were traumatised into silence. Young Tom Riddle also stole from other orphans and hid their things in his cupboard like trophies. Albus Dumbledore later stopped him from this hobby and warned him that Hogwarts does not tolerate thievery.
When Tom was eleven, Albus Dumbledore, the [[6]] teacher at [School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry], talked to [Cole|Mrs Cole] first, who informed him of how unusual Tom was, sharing tales of his extraordinary influence over the other children. When Dumbledore was at last introduced to the boy, Tom at first believed him to be a doctor or psychiatrist of some sort, come to take him to an asylum because of what the orphanage staff had seen. He was convinced after Dumbledore demonstrated his power by using a [Charm|Flame-Freezing Charm] on Tom's cupboard, and when he revealed that Hogwarts was a school for people with [[7]], which Tom realised his abilities were.
At a very early age, it was clear that Tom displayed a desire to be different and set apart from others (as it was hinted when he mentioned his dislike of his own name, because it was such a common name).
He was not surprised at all upon being informed by Dumbledore that he was a wizard — he was, in fact, eager to believe that he had special gifts that no one else had. Tom also showed an eminent fear of death, considering it a human weakness. He claimed that his mother could not have been a witch, because if she was magical, then she would have been able to avoid dying, and thought his father was a wizard.
Tom's abuse of his wizarding powers alarmed Albus. He resolved to keep a close eye on him, something he should have done in any case, seeing as he was "alone and friendless". Dumbledore also warned Tom that at Hogwarts he would be introduced to the laws that controlled the usage of magic in the wizarding world, and that law-breakers were punished with severity not by Hogwarts but the Ministry of Magic. Riddle's demeanour changed after Dumbledore reprimanded him; he became more guarded and shielded his reactions. Dumbledore provided Riddle with enough information to find [Alley|Diagon Alley] and [Nine and Three-Quarters|Platform Nine and Three-Quarters]. Professor Dumbledore also provided Tom Riddle with a stipend from school funds so that he could purchase his books, equipment and so on. Travelling on his own to Diagon Alley, Riddle bought some second-hand robes and spell books for himself, along with his wand-thirteen and a half inches; yew; phoenix feather core — at Ollivander's. [Ollivander|Garrick Ollivander] later said that the wand was very powerful; Voldemort was very pleased with it until the wand failed him during his confrontation with [Potter|Harry Potter] in the [Hangleton|Little Hangleton] [Hangleton graveyard|graveyard], many years later. Riddle also mentioned that he was a [[8]], which surprised Dumbledore.
Tom was educated at [School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry] from 1938 to 1945, and was [ceremony|Sorted] into [[9]] [Houses|House], a nod to his ancestor [Slytherin|Salazar Slytherin] himself. During summer breaks, he was forced to return to the [[10]] orphanage, which he despised and dreaded more than any other place on earth.
Tom described the way he was seen as "poor, but brilliant, parent-less, but so brave, a school [[11]], a model student."[1] Due to his exceptional acting abilities, he was able to convince virtually all of the Hogwarts staff and instructors that this facade was his true personality. The sole exception to this was [Dumbledore|Albus Dumbledore], who was, at that time, professor of [[12]]. Dumbledore, though not necessarily suspicious of Tom, never forgot about Tom's misdeeds at the orphanage, nor his unsettling behaviour during their first meeting. In turn, Tom realised that he had been careless in showing Dumbledore his true character upon their first meeting, and never attempted to win him over as he had with all his other instructors. In time, he came to fear and despise Dumbledore.[2]
Over time, Riddle gathered to himself a [Riddle's gang|gang of Slytherin thugs], a motley composition of "the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking some shared glory, and the thuggish gravitating toward a leader who could show them more refined forms of cruelty," most of which would become the first [Eaters|Death Eaters]. Riddle claimed they were his friends, and made it appear so in public, but in truth, they amounted to little more than servants, and he cared almost nothing for them. He often manipulated them into committing petty crimes and other misdeeds, but none of these incidents were reliably traced back to the group.
It was also at some point during his years in Hogwarts that he and Dumbledore developed a recurrent argument regarding whether or not love was more powerful than any kind of magic. Tom would only regularly scoff at the thought of such a thing being true.
Opening the Chamber of Secrets
Upon arriving at [[13]], Tom became obsessed with his heritage and began researching it with an insatiable hunger. While researching his heritage, Riddle focused solely on who his father was, thinking him to be the magical parent, as he felt his mother could not have been a witch if she had died. He searched for his father's name in the school trophy room, in the records of Hogwarts prefects and in records of wizarding history, but found nothing to suggest his father had even attended Hogwarts. He was eventually forced to accept that his father was the [[14]] parent, and that his mother was the magical one. It was around this time that Tom Marvolo Riddle gave himself the alias "Lord Voldemort", to spare himself of the reminder of his "filthy Muggle father."[3]
Using his middle name, [Gaunt|Marvolo], which was taken from his maternal grandfather, Riddle discovered his mother's heritage and the Gaunts' bloodline connection with Salazar Slytherin. Once Tom learned of his ancestry, it was not long before he discovered the existence of the [of Secrets|Chamber of Secrets] under Hogwarts, during his fifth year, and tamed the [Slytherin's Basilisk|basilisk] which dwelt within. As the Heir of Slytherin through his mother's family, Tom was able to open the Chamber Slytherin had left behind in order to "purge the school of all those who [were] unworthy to study magic" — in Tom's and Slytherin's eyes, [[15]]s.[4]
The basilisk injured many at Hogwarts in 1943. The last victim was a student named [Warren|Myrtle Warren], who was killed in the girls' bathroom when she saw the basilisk's yellow eyes. In light of this incident, the board of governors decided that Hogwarts was to be closed. During that year, Tom made a special request that [Dippet|Headmaster Dippet] would allow him to stay at school over the summer break. However, Dippet informed him of the governors' decision, and denied his request. Realising that the Chamber would need to be closed and the culprit caught in order to keep the school open (and not have to return permanently to the orphanage), he framed fellow student [Hagrid|Rubeus Hagrid] and his pet [[16]], [[17]]. Tom convinced Dippet that Aragog was the monster that had terrorised the school. Hagrid was expelled, and Tom received an engraved trophy for Special Services to the School.[5]
Dumbledore, who did not believe that Hagrid was responsible for the killing, managed to arrange for him to be kept on as Hogwarts's groundskeeper. Distrusting Riddle, Dumbledore kept an "annoyingly close" watch on him after that. Due to this, Tom realised that he would not be able to risk opening the Chamber of Secrets while still a student. As such, he created a [M. Riddle's Diary|diary] to preserve a part of his soul, the very first of seven Horcruxes, hoping it would one day lead someone to finish Salazar Slytherin's "noble work".
Around 1943, in the summer[6], Tom went to [Hangleton|Little Hangleton] to learn about his mother's family. While there, he met his uncle [Gaunt|Morfin Gaunt], with whom he was far from impressed. Morfin mentioned offhandedly at one point during this meeting that he thought that Tom looked "mighty like that Muggle," Merope's husband, [Riddle Snr|Tom Riddle Snr]. Tom immediately demanded the identity of the Muggle in question, and Morfin told Tom the story of his Muggle father, which infuriated Tom to the point of seeking revenge. Tom stunned Morfin and took his wand, went to the [House|Riddle House] and, using his uncle's wand, murdered his father, [Riddle|grandfather], and [Riddle|grandmother] with the [Curse|Killing Curse].
He covered up his crimes by altering Morfin's memory, causing him to believe that he was the killer. When the [Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic] investigated the crime, Morfin, who had previously served three years in [[18]] for using magic in front of and against [[19]], freely admitted to the deed and was sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban. Tom took the family signet ring from Morfin and wore it like a trophy at [School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts].[7]
He covered up his crimes by altering Morfin's memory, causing him to believe that he was the killer. When the [Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic] investigated the crime, Morfin, who had previously served three years in [[20]] for using magic in front of and against [[21]], freely admitted to the deed and was sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban. Tom took the family signet ring from Morfin and wore it like a trophy at [School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts].[8]
Rise of the Dark Lord
Tom Riddle renamed himself to Lord Voldemort and was responsible for the murder of many. After leaving Hogwarts, he gathered followers in the name of killing Muggles and half-blood Wizards, blatantly ignoring who he was. He battled the Order of the Phoenix in the First Wizarding War and disappeared once he was stopped when he attempted to murder Harry Potter. Harry's mother's love for him somehow stopped the Dark Lord from murdering him, as he was incapable of the emotion.
In 1995, Lord Voldemort returned during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr. used the Tri-Wizard cup the champions had to find as a portkey to Little Hangleton where Peter Pettigrew, a follower of the Dark Lord used Dark Magic to bring power back to the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort failed once again to murder Harry Potter. Raven Potter, Harry's sister assisted in preventing her brother's death by running into the maze the task was held in.
The Wizard Club Steps In
The Wizard Club was an organization created in America by Raven Potter who was reborn in America (killed by Voldemort in Godric's Hollow, killed during the attack of the Moon Kingdom, and reborn in America). She wants to end the Death Eaters by finding people to join the Wizard Club and fight them.
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- ↑ Template:GOF, the opening chapter which takes place on August 16, 1994 states that the murders took place "fifty years before, at daybreak on a fine summer’s morning", making the year 1944. However, in Template:HBP it says it happened - "in the summer of (Tom's) sixteenth year..." Tom was born 31 Dec 1926 and turned 16 in Dec 1942, so summer would be 1943
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