#tom riddle and albus dumbledore

[vesperkyno]

Some Harry Potter stuff

[talyris]

Genderswap! Harry Potter

[augustuscaesarsalad]

Imagine if Tom Riddle got hired for the Defense teaching job right after Hogwarts. Dumbledore and Tom have the craziest workplace beef ever. Dippet is still the Headmaster and he has no idea what’s going on. The two most powerful wizards of all time are having the world’s intensest staring contest in the teachers break room. Tom doesn’t become the Dark Lord because he’s too busy grading papers. Nagini and Fawkes become friends which pisses off both Tom and Albus, they have to set up play dates for their familiars and they are so bitter about it.

[apicelladonna]

in another universe, Dumbledore sat timetravelling Harry down in his office and said "I'm a bad example so it's perfectly fine if you're confused about this, but just because I have a bad relationship with a mentally unstable gay cult leader I pretend to still hate but actually love and raw nasty, doesn't mean you have to."

[oregano-stars]

My favourite thing about this fandom is that the canon story has so many characters that are just bad guys - no explanation, no questions, they’re just bad. But this fandom takes those characters and loves them and adds backstory and reasons why those characters mad those “bad” decisions because no one is born a “bad guy” right? Not Reggie, not Barty, not Bella, not even Tom :) And the idolized and well-renowned characters like Dumbledore? We take them down a notch, because no one is born perfect either. I love that. It makes it all feel so much more human and approachable and accepting.

Reblog if you feel the same! I feel like this aspect of the fandom needs some love :)

[boke---hinata---boke]

RON WEASLEY GUYS

The best most canon divergent my brain has been but please guys hear me out i

Okay so we all know the things that Harry, Ron and Hermione had to do to get to the sorcerer’s stone in the first book. Devils Snare, the key, the riddle and Wizarding Chess. We know that the Chess set was the work of Professor Mcgonagall, and assuming the protections were meant to work that means that Mcgonagall would have to have been an incredible chess player. Not above average, like GrandMaster level player. Given this when Ron beats McGonagall she is taken aback. Only 3 other people have beaten her, Albus, Severus and Tom Riddle. She takes to playing chess with Ron in the nights following in the common room (Ron doesn’t sleep at all until Harry wakes up and is back in the dorm). She has not beaten him. At the end of year feast when Dumbledore awards him points for the “best chess game Hogwarts have ever seen” the Slytherins and Ravenclaws are utterly ill. Throughout the rest of his Hogwarts career Ron is challenged by more and more students to play chess, Theo Nott, loses to him and the Slytherin students begin to look at him differently. Half of the Ravenclaws in their year watch in awe as he swiftly beats Parma. It continues like this through his time at Hogwarts, he has never lost. The Slytherin students begin to see his cunning mins, right after he beats Pucey, who is infamous for thinking 20 steps ahead. When Ron beats Marietta Edgecombe the Ravenclaws begin to follow him, they watch nearly all of his matches and take notes, completely ignoring the 5 pave paper due tomorrow. After Ron has beaten all of the students Snape (who has been listening to the whispers in the Slytherin common room) challenges him. The whole school watches with bated breath. It is well known that Snape has only ever lost to two people: Dumbledore and Voldemort. McGonagall promises him 15 Knuts if he wins, she can’t contain the shame any longer.

The ensuing chess match takes place over the span of several days, Snape is frequently writing late notes for the students who wish to see it. Other teachers are arriving to their respective classes late. Every time the game is paused Dumbledore casts the anti-tampering ward. This continues for nearly a week, Ron wins. Snape has never respected a Gryffindor more in his life (he is doubly harsh on him in potions, you beat one of the best players in the nation and you mean to tell me your potion is still bubbling??[Ron knows that Snape is seeing him, he just smiles and tweets for a few minutes before a perfect potion is bottled{Snape keeps them in his personal store]}) Eventually Ron is set to play Dumbledore, he is utterly terrified. Soon enough the match is the talk of Wizards across the nation, the Weasley family are all overjoyed for him, win or lose. The game begins and reporters from the Daily Prophet are there, Ron almost cracks, almost In the end after a week and a half Dumbledore’s eyes twinkle, with renewed vigor as he forfeits. Word gets out to Voldemort- he immediately tries to recruit Ron as a Death Eater. Every time Ron rejects him Voldemort sends an increasingly expensive and rare gift. Eventually Ron says if Voldemort vows to not hurt Harry that he will play him in chess, just once. The winner decides their own boon. The world is watching with baited breath as the best chess player and one of the most calculating minds in a century take the stage.The game lasts fornearly 2 weeks, a peace settles over the UK that has not been since Voldemort rose in that grave. The two declare a tie. No body wins, but Voldemort does realize that the war has become far too brutish.

[flamboyantjelly]

Very interesting commission for a poster to a time travel fic by @thetaxicabber 💕😊

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48146074/chapters/121410358

[metalomagnetic]

I see a lot of meta posts detailing Tom's potential trauma from the Blitz.

Tom never saw the Blitz. It started on 7 September 1940 and ended on 11 May 1941. Unless he voluntarily went to London during the winter holiday (and he'd never do that), then he never witnessed the bombing.

Furthermore, he says in Chamber of Secrets that he asked Dippet to let him stay at Hogwarts, not Dumbledore. Dippet was the Headmaster, so all these posts claiming Dumbledore sent Tom back to London/not allowing Tom to stay at Hogwarts have no basis in canon.

Again, write what you want in your own fic, AU are fun; this is only a reminder for the posts discussing canon events.

[aphoticarachne]

What is this feeling?

Tom Riddle x Reader

>> next chapter

Wherein you and Tom Riddle seem to loathe each other . . or do you?

a/n: I watched Wicked a few weeks ago and the song “What is this Feeling?” has been ringing in my mind so here we are.

Everyone who roamed the shadowed corridors of Hogwarts knew of the quiet war that lingered between you and Tom.

It was not something declared aloud, but rather something that settled in the air, cold and thin, like winter mist curling through the cracks of stone. You never quite understood why, but there it was — every word you spoke, every step you took, seemed to sharpen the edges of his gaze. It began subtly. A stray remark from the faculty during first year, their praise falling at your feet like scattered petals. You hadn’t thought much of it. But Tom had. Tom always noticed.

And then, of course, there was your magnetism. You drew attention without meaning to — a pureblood with a mind quick enough to match his, and a beauty that moved through rooms like a breath of wind. Naturally, people admired you. Naturally, he despised it.

There was no mild disdain in Tom Riddle. Only unadulterated loathing.

You learned not to flinch beneath the weight of it. His cold eyes followed you as if hexing you from afar was a temptation barely restrained. And perhaps, in some quiet part of you, you welcomed it. Rivalry, even unspoken, was still a kind of recognition. Over time, you had begun to play along, careful and deliberate, weaving your way into his path just to see the flicker of irritation cross his face.

In the end, you were as much to blame for it as he was.

So when Horace Slughorn, your Potions Professor, announced in seventh year that you’d be partnering with Tom, you nearly lost your composure.

It was absurd, really — the sudden heat in your chest, the tightening of your grip on the desk. Across the room, Tom’s gaze flicked toward you, impassive but sharp, as if Slughorn’s words had only confirmed something he already suspected.

The room felt smaller.

“Professor!” You called, carefully schooling your expression as Slughorn announced the partners for brewing Draught of the Living Death. He turned to you, his ever-present smile stretched wide, brimming with that thoughtless cheer he seemed to carry everywhere.

“Yes, dear girl?”

“Might I partner with someone else? Or perhaps work alone?” Your voice was light, polite, though the faint smile you forced felt stiff. Across the room, Tom’s gaze settled on you — disinterested, yet razor-sharp beneath the surface.

Mindless imbecile, you thought.

Slughorn’s brow furrowed, his jovial demeanor dimming by a flicker. “You’ve no issue with Mr. Riddle, I presume? No, I see no reason why two of my brightest students shouldn’t work together!” He clapped his hands, already drifting toward another group, humming contentedly.

A quiet, defeated sigh slipped past your lips. Was Slughorn truly so oblivious, so incurably naïve, to think this pairing was anything but disastrous?

You told yourself it was fine. You would endure it, as you always did. But there was a quiet undercurrent to it now, something that twisted beneath the surface like a serpent curling around bone.

As soon as class ended, you slipped through the door, your steps quick and deliberate. The weight of the room lifted the moment you crossed the threshold, and you exhaled quietly, eager to disappear into the steady flow of students crowding the corridor. The last thing you wanted was to linger, not with him still there, his gaze undoubtedly following you as it often did.

But just as you merged into the throng of robes and chatter—

Tom had called out your last name, like he always did whenever he felt the need to address you.

His voice rang clear, smooth and precise, cutting through the noise with unsettling ease. You didn’t stop. Didn’t turn. It wasn’t the first time he had tried to catch your attention, and by now you’d learned to brush past it, to pretend not to hear.

The students around you shifted, moving like water around stone, and you were ready to lose yourself among them—

Until his hand caught your wrist. Firm, but not careless.

A startled breath caught in your throat as Tom pulled you aside, his grip steady as he steered you into a narrow corridor. The sudden absence of noise made the air feel heavier, too still.

You tore your arm from his grasp, distaste flickering sharp in your eyes as you stepped back, creating distance between you.

“What do you want, Riddle?” Your tone was cold, sharpened by irritation you no longer cared to hide.

Tom straightened, folding his arms across his chest as he regarded you with that same calculating look he always wore, the one that felt more like an assessment than anything else.

“Do you make a habit of ignoring everyone, or just the ones you despise?” he asked, his head tilting slightly. His voice was infuriatingly calm.

“I didn’t hear you,” you replied curtly, though the lie felt thin even to your own ears.

He hummed softly, the sound light but edged. “Lying is beneath you.”

You held his gaze, the quiet tension settling between you like fog. “Was there a reason you stopped me, or do you simply enjoy cornering students in secluded places?”

Tom’s eyes narrowed faintly, though his expression remained unreadable. “Starting next week, we meet after class. Every day. We work on the potion until it’s flawless.”

There was no invitation in his tone—only fact, as if the decision had already been made long before this conversation.

“I’ve already arranged for the use of Slughorn’s classroom. Go there when classes end.”

His eyes lingered on yours for a moment longer, cold and unwavering.

“Do you understand?”

"And what if I'm busy next week? Have you no consideration?" you shot back, arms crossing as you met his gaze without flinching. The truth was, your schedule was perfectly clear — not a single obligation to be found. But that wasn’t the point. Who was he to dictate your time as if it belonged to him?

Tom’s expression didn’t shift, not even slightly. If anything, the corner of his mouth twitched, not quite a smile, but something colder.

"And who, exactly, would be foolish enough to keep your company?" His voice was soft, almost thoughtful, but the insult laced beneath it struck hard enough.

Your eyes narrowed.

"4 PM," he continued, brushing past your challenge with practiced ease. "I expect you there. On time. Or I’ll brew the potion myself — and I’ll make sure Slughorn knows you contributed nothing."

The weight of his words hung in the air, heavy and unmoving. His gaze lingered, deliberate as if daring you to test him further. But before you could summon a retort, he turned sharply on his heel and strode down the corridor, his robes trailing behind him like shadows curling at his feet.

You stayed rooted in place, watching as he disappeared around the corner.

Infuriating. Absolutely infuriating.

Deena speaks .ᐟ

English isn't my first language so I apologize if I'd made any mistakes, if so, please correct me.

I plan on making this a short fic, mayhaps 5+ chapters? Please give me opinions on how I should end this story! + I'm also sorry if it sucks, this is my first time writing!

[blueberrycasanova]

yall hermione granger would not be minister of magic, she’d be working in some field where she can help muggle attacks or inequality and instead the minister would be percy weasley. he has worked towards this goal his entire life, he’s literally the most ambitious character in the entire series and he’s so slept on. like please he would make the best minister of magic the wizarding world has ever seen. but he’d be working closely with hermione just to ensure everything is running well and they’d genuinely be such a power duo. like all of a sudden there’ll be fewer attacks against half breeds and more common spaces for everyone to coexist in diagon alley. there’d be less bullying happening for someone’s character traits and they’d be offered internship opportunities. there would be a wizard-muggle community and not constant hatred. house elves would get paid for their work. but they would also ensure wizarding traditions are alive. percy weasley and hermione granger would work together to make it a better world, a better reality for everyone to live in. except the fascists ofc.

@h0e-zi3r

[ariddle-diddle]

Hellooooo I saw u seemed to be doing a few asks, and was wondering if u'd consider drawing a Tom throwing Dumbledore's bowl of lemon drops in his face pretty please🥹🥹🥹

Maybe not that, but a Gentle Persuasion. It's always troublesome when Tom smiles.

[wisteria-lodge]

Dumbledore & the Rejected Drink

So there's this little character quirk Dumbledore has. He really likes offering, and asking for drinks. It's his go-to social ice-breaker. BUT there's also a motif of that drink... not happening. And it's not a children's literature thing, there are plenty of scenes of the Order drinking, Harry, Ron and Hermione drinking, Hagrid, Slughorn, Narcissa, the Fat Lady all drinking. Mundungus, Trelawney, and Winky drink *too much.* It's just a Dumbledore thing! No one wants to drink with Dumbledore!

In Book 4 he invites Barty Senior, Madame Maxime and Karkaroff to have "a nightcap" with him after the Goblet of Fire ceremony, they all turn him down. :(

When he goes to pick up Harry in Book 6, Dumbledore pours mead for all three Dursleys, which they obviously don't drink. (And the longer they don't drink the more insistent the glasses get, until they're bouncing on the Dursleys' heads.)

In the next scene, he asks Slughorn for a drink, which he does get... but Slughorn doesn't drink with him.

Slughorn will later plan to give Dumbledore a bottle of mead for Chirstmas, and then just... not do that. This is a huge plot point too. Like with the bouncing glasses at the Dursleys, the narrative is drawing attention to the fact that no one is drinking with Dumbledore.

Dumbledore mentions that if anyone sees him leaving the castle, they'll think he's "off into Hogsmeade for a drink (...) I sometimes offer Rosmerta my custom, or else visit the Hog’s Head... or I appear to." So again with this "thwarted drink" thing. He's not actually drinking at the Hog's Head. (We learn later that the Hog's Head belongs to Aberforth so that's like... he's not even drinking with his brother. who owns a bar.)

There's a bit in Book 3 which *might* count, where Dumbledore asks Hagrid for "a cup of tea. Or a large brandy.” And Hagrid agrees, but we don't see him actually drink with Dumbledore (and we don't know for sure that he's going to go with the alcohol.)

Dumbledore drinks with exactly two people in the entire series:

1. Harry

“Madam Rosmerta’s finest oak-matured mead,” said Dumbledore, raising his glass to Harry, who caught hold of his own and sipped. He had never tasted anything like it before, but enjoyed it immensely.

2. Voldemort

“May I offer you a drink?” “That would be welcome,” said Voldemort. “I have come a long way.” Dumbledore stood and swept over to the cabinet where he now kept the Pensieve, but which then was full of bottles. Having handed Voldemort a goblet of wine and poured one for himself, he returned to the seat behind his desk. “So, Tom . . . to what do I owe the pleasure?” Voldemort did not answer at once, but merely sipped his wine. “They do not call me ‘Tom’ anymore,” he said. “These days, I am known as —” “I know what you are known as,” said Dumbledore, smiling pleasantly. “But to me, I’m afraid, you will always be Tom Riddle. It is one of the irritating things about old teachers. I am afraid that they never quite forget their charges’ youthful beginnings.” He raised his glass as though toasting Voldemort, whose face remained expressionless.

Then, the only other time Dumbledore and Voldemort actually meet face to face, we see this dynamic continued:

“There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!” snarled Voldemort. “You are quite wrong,” said Dumbledore, still closing in upon Voldemort and speaking as lightly as though they were discussing the matter over drinks.

Like, I get it. Dumbledore is put on a pedestal by most people who know him (I'm also thinking of his comment about how people always give him books as gifts, when he really wants socks.) He's just a person, he's just a guy, but the vast majority of people in his life treat him as this all-knowing powerhouse and maybe... aren't that motivated to break that illusion by getting to know him on a personal level. No one is drinking with him (this symbol of connection and equality) even though he keeps offering.

So, it does make a lot of sense that Harry drinks with him in Book 6. Book 6 is where Dumbledore finally decides that he can tell Harry his secrets, and pass the torch onto him. In the French translation, this is where he and Harry start using informal pronouns with each other. He sees Harry as his equal.

But Voldemort.... like. The idea of him and Dumbledore drinking together is brought up twice. It's also interesting that at one point Dumbledore had a drinks cabinet in his office, but doesn't during the main series. Did Dumbledore have (or want) more of these 'equal footing' connections before the first Voldemort war? I wouldn't be surprised.

So we have Voldemort and Dumbledore: the two brilliant, powerful, goody-two-shoes students who won every award in the school, then opted for jobs they were aggressively overqualified for after they left, learned to read minds, spent Books 4, 5 and 6 battling it out through proxies. They're oddly similar people. And they treat each other as equals.

I'm not totally sure what I'm supposed to do with this info, to be honest. I guess, start shipping Dumblemort?

EDIT: Have been informed that this ship is called Riddledore, which does sound much less stupid.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

I've thought of a good way to characterize duelling styles.

Take Dumbledore and Voldemort. When I think of their style, I think of the movie, The Revenge of the Sith, and the duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan. It's incredibly stylish and intense. Both fighters are the best and it really comes down to who makes the first mistake.

That's how I think of Dumbledore and Voldemort. Their duel in OOTP was the most bombastic and entertaining in the whole series. They were duelling as how you'd expect two wizards of equal skill to duel.

With Harry, I think of the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indy shoots the swordfighter and walks off.

Harry's duelling style is quick, dirty and pragmatic. Sure, it may be boring, but it's damn effective. Why waste time and risk your life with all these fancy spells when a simple disarming charm renders 99% of wizards completely harmless.

Harry's not fighting as a wizard, he's fighting as a survivor.

Harry's definitely the most pragmatic dueller out of these three. And it makes sense. Harry didn't have the luxury of studying dueling and magic at his leisure to enjoy just the magic of it the way Dumbledore and Voldemort did. He doesn't have the arrogance of Dumbledore and Voldemort, so he doesn't have that same need to show off and prove he's the smartest most talented person in the room. Becouse that's what I think it is. The duel in OotP doesn't look like that just because of skill — it's also arrogance, of both combatants.

Both Dumbledore and Voldemort are trying to say: "look at me! I'm so much more talented and skilled than the other guy!" during their duel. The whole thing is a theatrical ego-stroke.

It's why Voldemort gets so miffed when Dumbledore questions his intelligence and magical skill. It's why Dumbledore repeatedly doubts Voldemort's skills aloud and calls him "Tom". Their duel is a game of showing "Look, I'm better", neither of them is trying to simply win, they want to humiliate their opponent and prove themselves superior.

“You do not seek to kill me, Dumbledore?” called Voldemort, his scarlet eyes narrowed over the top of the shield. “Above such brutality, are you?” “We both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom,” Dumbledore said calmly, continuing to walk toward Voldemort as though he had not a fear in the world, as though nothing had happened to interrupt his stroll up the hall. “Merely taking your life would not satisfy me, I admit —” “There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!” snarled Voldemort. “You are quite wrong,” said Dumbledore, still closing in upon Voldemort and speaking as lightly as though they were discussing the matter over drinks. Harry felt scared to see him walking along, undefended, shieldless. He wanted to cry out a warning, but his headless guard kept shunting him backward toward the wall, blocking his every attempt to get out from behind it. “Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness —”

(OotP, Ch36)

Harry, on the other hand, is an abused, traumatized boy with ridiculously low self-esteem who's been running on survival mode since he can remember himself. Of course, he'd fight to remain alive. Harry never fights to prove a point or humiliate his opponents like Dumbles or Voldy, he is fighting to survive.

He is always going for incapacitation or disarming — he knows the longer the fight lasts, the lower his survival chances are, so he fights intending to end fights quickly. It's the best way to ensure survival and it's what he does.

He tries to avoid killing when the enemy doesn't deserve it (like Stan Shunpike or Draco in the bathroom, yes, Harry tried not to kill him) but Lupin is wrong in his assessment of Harry's dueling in DH. In fact, Harry is willing to kill when he needs to. When his opponent deserves it and it will save Harry and others, Harry goes for the kill. and he does so instantly.

He doesn't have Voldemort's theatrical need to play with his food:

“We bow to each other, Harry,” said Voldemort, bending a little, but keeping his snakelike face upturned to Harry. “Come, the niceties must be observed. . . . Dumbledore would like you to show manners. . . . Bow to death, Harry. . . .”

(GoF, Ch34)

Becouse he isn't trying to prove a point. He is trying to survive and playing with your food means the food just might get a chance to get away.

Nor does Harry have Dumbledore's feigned goodness. (Dumbledore is a character who is obsessed with what he considers "good", he wants to be a good, humble person so bad, but he isn't. To the point of completely romanticizing the concept of "goodness" and kind of missing the point sometimes). Dumbledore doesn't kill because of his romanticized, idealized version of goodness which places him "above such brutality" just like Voldy mocks him in OotP. So he would never cast a killing curse — even if it is an efficient solution that would save lives at the moment.

Harry has no qualms about using Unforgivables when he feels the situation calls for it. If it's more efficient and helps/saves people Harry cares about, he'd do it. Harry is crazy scrappy when fighting. I talked about it here, but Harry uses his body a lot when dueling. He tackles Death Eaters with his hands, he elbows them in the face, he uses plenty of muggle brawling when dueling because it works. Harry does whatever he needs to do to survive, it doesn't even matter to him if he wins or not — what matters is survival. This is why he is so practical when it comes to dueling, why he fights the way he does, and why he is willing to cast Unforgivables. He would always choose the path to survival and to save as many people as he can, even if that path is running away (which he often considers in fights, especially when younger).

I really like your phrasing of it: "Harry's not fighting as a wizard, he's fighting as a survivor" because that's exactly what this is. If punching someone helps, he'd do it, if a spell can be useful, he'd use it. Oh, his hands burn Quirrell, very well, he'd use that — he uses anything and everything he can, he doesn't care how it looks, just that it works.

I think the Death Eaters in OotP were surprised when he just, like, tackled them down physically. I think most wizards think such is beneath them, so it'll surprise them when someone actually throws hands. I mean, we see Arthur and Lucius throw hands, and it's clearly not something common in their society:

There was a thud of metal as Ginny’s cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, “Get him, Dad!” from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, “No, Arthur, no!”; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; “Gentlemen, please — please!” cried the assistant, and then, louder than all — “Break it up, there, gents, break it up —” [...] Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury. “A fine example to set for your children . . . brawling in public . . . what Gilderoy Lockhart must’ve thought —”

(CoS, Ch4)

I'm pretty sure Lucius did not expect that. Like, he might've expected a hex, but not to be pushed physically. He probably considers it awfully muggle.

So, yeah, your assessment is correct and it fits their characters, beyond just skill level (since I believe Harry could fight like Dumbledore and Voldemort if he was inclined to do so).

[augustuscaesarsalad]

Dumbledore thinks about recent events. (It’s a little too familiar to him)

[ggadtomarry]

As an Albus fan, I have to tell this.

His treatment of Tom is like a B- at least, but his treatment of Severus. It's incredibly fucked up.

I think the author didn't really think it straight, but ok, not everything can function like a clockwork.

Worst things Albus ever did to Severus, which eclipse every thing he may have done to Tom:

- not punishing the bullies who sexually assaulted him

- not punishing the bullies who tried to kill him.

- forbidding him to tell anyone about it

- insulting the one man who is willing to betray LV. His moral outrage is understandable, but wtf, if Severus got fed up in that moment nothing would have worked out

- told Harry a very skewed perspective of the feud between James and Severus. Also what the fuck. Did Albus really believe that Severus hated James because he saved his life (???) instead of sexually abusing him? Severus himself has the lucidity to understand that James did it to save himself and his friends. (I can buy that James is ideologically against murder, no problem about it. He just sees nothing wrong with sexual assault.) This is so fucked up I can only think it as a narrative device to lead the reader to the shocking plot twist.

Like. If Tom was sexually assaulted and got victim of a murder attempt and Albus did absolutely nothing (other than forcing him to shut up about it), people would say LV's hate of Albus was completely understandable. And they would not be wrong.

Especially because Albus got to force Severus to stay silent because he was a poor half-blood with nothing to his name. Just like Tom was.

To offer some kinder perspective, Albus also really believed in Severus ' change of heart and got him the possibility to redeem himself. Also, he was the person he trusted the most in his fight against LV. So yeah.

[iamnmbr3]

I find it incredibly creepy how Dumbledore views Riddle as being this sort of inherently seductive 'femme fatale' type. In book 6 he implies that Tom used his looks to endear himself to his teachers when he started school and hide his supposedly inherently evil and corrupt nature.

Like. Albus. DUDE. Tom was ELEVEN. Why would you assume that teachers would be swayed by or even paying attention to the attractiveness of an eleven year old?! WTAF?

And then he portrays the Hepzibah Smith memory as another example of Tom using his seductive charms for evil. But although he does bring her flowers he doesn't do anything else to encourage her and in fact seems uncomfortable and determined to keep the conversation focused on work.

She is actually the one who is being creepy here given the power differential between them. I mean, yes, Tom is putting up with her because it suits his designs for the moment and could and would kill her in a second if provoked. But even though we know that she certainly doesn't. As far as she knows she's creeping on this young store clerk without wealth or connections whose job depends on keeping her happy.

And certainly while she enjoys his looks and his attention she also seems quite happy with the persona he puts on where he addresses her in a highly respectful manner, not as an equal. She's certainly not complaining about how he calls her Miss Hepzibah or asking him to drop the honorific. She likes that. She likes that he addresses her not much differently than how her House Elf does. She likes his whole "I am only a poor assistant, madam, who must do as he is told" thing. And as far as she knows he is just that, with no particular special power or talent other than his good looks which she evidently appreciates. This is not him leading on and taking advantage of an innocent sweet old lady.

And yes he brings her flowers, presumably to keep her happy, but other than that he tries to keep the conversation professional and steer the discussion towards the purpose of his visit. He doesn't say anything overtly flirtatious or even try to prolong their discussion by asking to see some of her other things.

She brings that up on her own. Nor is there any indication that he is the one that decided to move their relationship in this direction. It seems more like she saw a young and good looking man, apparently far below her in terms of station and magical power, and made her move. He probably isn't the first.

The way she casually touches him is just so creepy to me. And though he tolerates it, he did nothing to encourage or solicit it. Riddle is someone who is in general quite averse to touch. We only see him voluntarily touch one person in 7 books and that's when he touches Harry, just for a second in book 4, just to show that he can. I don't think he enjoys this kind of attention. He was probably glad to kill her for more than just the purpose of getting the cup and the locket.

And yet none of her creepiness is acknowledged. Instead, Dumbledore draws our attention to how Riddle cruelly seduced and murdered a nice old lady whose affections he sought and then betrayed: