+388 To demonstrate they aren’t afraid of him, Harry and his friends say Voldemort’s name aloud. But, it would be more effective to refer to him as Tom Riddle, his real name, rather than the grand title he gave himself, amirite?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Oh Simon, how I love you and your nerdiness.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Well I'm pretty sure in the 7th book at one point Harry refers to him as Tom to his face, which totally gets Voldemort all pissy. Its been a bit since I've read it though, at least a few months. So don't quote me on that.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Harry does call him Tom in DH. Dumbledore refers to him as Tom nearly all the time, somewhat to mock his changing his own name and somewhat because he was his teacher. The exact quote is something like "To me, you will always be Tom Riddle."

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yeah, because Riddle hated the name "Tom". He though it was too common.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

He also didn't want to keep the name of his "filthy muggle father" I believe. I really should look up the exact quotes, but I'm too lazy.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

That's true, but most of the Order call him Voldemort - so much that they even put a "trace" or something on the word Voldemort in the 7th book, to try and track Order members.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yeah, the taboo. Unfortunately we don't have much information on this, because it isn't discussed too much in the book, but Dumbledore says something like "Not many people know that the handsome, intelligent head boy named Tom Riddle grew up to be Lord Voldemort." Something like that. I probably screwed that up... But anyways, not many people even knew what his actual name was, not to mention the fear of saying even his "nickname" is enough to make people flinch. So I don't think the Order A. knew his name or B. Never faced him in a situation where calling him "Tom" would actually taunt him. Usually, it would be a small piece of information, like "Voldemort was sighted in Albania" instead of a long, insulting dialogue between the Order and Tom.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

If it were me, I would've called him something along the lines of "Tommy", "Wittle Tommy", "Good 'Ol Thomas", or "Captain Riddlemeister" (etc.)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I know right! Especially because he hates being called that.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

It isn't the most intelligent idea to piss off one of the most powerful wizards of all time but if I was Harry, I'd call him Tom all the time because Voldemort can't exactly kill him, if he wants to stay alive himself.

by Anonymous 12 years ago