I AM LORD VOLDEMORT: The Life of Tom Marvolo Riddle & His Flight from Death
written by Regulus Viridian Fawkes
A biography on the life of Tom Marvolo Riddle, infamously known as "Lord Voldemort," a man so feared by the wizarding community that not even Rita Skeeter would dare to write about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
20
Reads
1,053
Early Years: His Childhood (1926-38)
Chapter 4
Tom Marvolo Riddle was born on 31 December 1926 at Wool's Orphanage in London. One hour later, his mother, Merope, died, but she had a last request: that he be named TOM (after his father), given the middle name MARVOLO (after his maternal grandfather), and given the surname of RIDDLE. The orphanage staff didn't know of Merope's magical heritage and assumed she was a circus worker. According to the orphanage's matron, Riddle hardly cried. Riddle inherited his mother's magical abilities and, though ignorant of it, exerted an exceptional amount of control over them.
The children of Wool's Orphanage were scared of the young Riddle. He had the habit of stealing or taking things from fellow orphans as "trophies" for his misdeeds. When the kids were taken to a cave, he took two other orphans, Dennis and Amy, and they were "never the same again after the trip." Riddle, however, insisted that he had nothing to do with it.
It was clear from his youth that Riddle wanted to stand out from other people, evidenced by his dislike of his given name, Tom, which would become important in his ascent to power.
When Riddle was eleven, he was visited by Professor Albus Dumbledore, then the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore was his first-ever visitor. Riddle believed him to be a doctor who would take him to an asylum because of his actions the staff had noticed. However, the latter revealed to him his magical abilities, and that he was qualified for admittance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore's revelation of Riddle being a wizard only fueled Riddle's desire to stand out & be special. Riddle informed Dumbledore of his wrongdoings using his magical abilities, which alerted the latter of his psychopathic nature & tendencies. Riddle had revealed too much to Dumbledore, and from then on, he would mask his psychopathic nature, using his charisma to project an image of "the good boy/student." Dumbledore provided him with a stipend to purchase his robes, wand, textbooks, and other equipment needed for his wizarding education at Hogwarts. At Diagon Alley, he obtained his first wand -- 13.5" in length, yew wood, and phoenix feather core -- from Ollivanders, which the shopowner, Garrick Ollivander, noted to be one of exceptional power. Riddle was satisfied with this wand until his confrontation with Harry Potter in 1995.
The children of Wool's Orphanage were scared of the young Riddle. He had the habit of stealing or taking things from fellow orphans as "trophies" for his misdeeds. When the kids were taken to a cave, he took two other orphans, Dennis and Amy, and they were "never the same again after the trip." Riddle, however, insisted that he had nothing to do with it.
It was clear from his youth that Riddle wanted to stand out from other people, evidenced by his dislike of his given name, Tom, which would become important in his ascent to power.
When Riddle was eleven, he was visited by Professor Albus Dumbledore, then the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore was his first-ever visitor. Riddle believed him to be a doctor who would take him to an asylum because of his actions the staff had noticed. However, the latter revealed to him his magical abilities, and that he was qualified for admittance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore's revelation of Riddle being a wizard only fueled Riddle's desire to stand out & be special. Riddle informed Dumbledore of his wrongdoings using his magical abilities, which alerted the latter of his psychopathic nature & tendencies. Riddle had revealed too much to Dumbledore, and from then on, he would mask his psychopathic nature, using his charisma to project an image of "the good boy/student." Dumbledore provided him with a stipend to purchase his robes, wand, textbooks, and other equipment needed for his wizarding education at Hogwarts. At Diagon Alley, he obtained his first wand -- 13.5" in length, yew wood, and phoenix feather core -- from Ollivanders, which the shopowner, Garrick Ollivander, noted to be one of exceptional power. Riddle was satisfied with this wand until his confrontation with Harry Potter in 1995.
