Tom Riddle

HIS HORCRUXES AT THIS POINT

By 18, Tom has already begun pursuing immortality.

His first Horcrux was his diary, created through the murder of Myrtle Warren.

He also eventually created Horcruxes from objects connected to:

• His own identity and history.
• The Gaunt family.
• Salazar Slytherin.
• Helga Hufflepuff.
• Rowena Ravenclaw.

This is important psychologically.

Tom doesn’t simply want to live.

He wants to make himself impossible to erase.

He is terrified of ordinary mortality and sees death as a form of weakness.

ARRIVAL AT HOGWARTS

Hogwarts completely changed Tom’s world.

For the first time, he discovered:

• Magic was real.
• He belonged to a magical world.
• His abilities had an explanation.
• His mother’s family had a connection to magic.
• He could become powerful.

And Hogwarts became something extremely important to him.

It was home.

Official material specifically describes Hogwarts as the first place where Tom felt that he belonged.

But Tom’s idea of belonging was very different from Harry’s.

Harry wanted friends and family.

Tom wanted knowledge, identity, power and control.

⸻

🐍 HIS SLYTHERIN IDENTITY

Being placed in Slytherin reinforced Tom’s belief that he had discovered where he belonged.

He became fascinated with Salazar Slytherin and eventually discovered that he was his descendant.

He was particularly interested in:

• Parseltongue.
• The Chamber of Secrets.
• Slytherin’s history.
• Pure-blood wizarding families.
• Ancient magical knowledge.
• Dark Magic.
• Hogwarts’ hidden secrets.

Tom also began gathering students around himself.

But this distinction is important:

They were followers more than friends.

He could be charming and charismatic, but his relationships were often based on usefulness, admiration, fear or loyalty to his goals.

⸻

🐍 THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

During his time at Hogwarts, Tom discovered the Chamber of Secrets and opened it.

He used the Basilisk to attack students, eventually killing Myrtle Warren.

He then framed Rubeus Hagrid, causing Hagrid’s expulsion.

Tom was extremely concerned about Hogwarts potentially closing because of the attacks.

One of the most revealing things about him is that he didn’t want to leave Hogwarts.

He asked to remain there over the summer rather than return to the orphanage. The fear of losing Hogwarts was one of the factors surrounding his decision to frame Hagrid.

Tom’s childhood is one of the most important parts of understanding him.

His mother was Merope Gaunt, a witch descended from Salazar Slytherin. She came from an abusive, impoverished family obsessed with blood purity and their Slytherin ancestry.

His father, Tom Riddle Sr., was a wealthy Muggle from Little Hangleton.

Merope became obsessed with Tom Sr. and eventually used a love potion on him. He married her while under its influence, but eventually left her. Merope was pregnant when this happened and later died shortly after giving birth to Tom.

Tom was therefore raised in a Muggle orphanage and never knew his parents.

Even as a child, he was already disturbing.

He discovered that he could perform strange things with magic before understanding what magic actually was. He used those abilities against other children and enjoyed frightening or hurting them.

Dumbledore later identified three particularly important traits in him:

• Extreme self-sufficiency.
• Disdain for emotional ties to other people.
• A tendency to collect trophies from people he had victimized.

Tom also disliked being an ordinary orphan.

He wanted to be special.

When Dumbledore came to tell him that he was a wizard, Tom already believed he was different from everyone else.

The really interesting part: would he confront them?

Yes — if he needs to know why.

But he’d probably make it feel like an interrogation rather than an argument.

He wouldn’t necessarily say:

“You betrayed me!”

He’d ask:

“Why did you tell them?”

Then:

“What exactly did you say?”

Then:

“Who else knows?”

And he’d remember every answer.

He’s not arguing to express his feelings.

He’s collecting information.

That’s extremely consistent with the calculating Tom we see in canon. His conversations and relationships are repeatedly portrayed as purposeful, controlled and manipulative.

⸻

🖤 If he actually cared about the person

This is the rare interesting case.

He might be more hurt than angry.

But Tom wouldn’t necessarily recognize that as hurt.

He’d experience it as:

• irritation
• distrust
• feeling exposed
• loss of control
• disappointment
• increased suspicion

And because he’s Tom Riddle, his instinct wouldn’t be:

“I’m hurt because I trusted you.”

It would be closer to:

“I made the mistake of trusting you.”

That’s a huge difference.

And honestly, that distinction is probably one of the most important things to preserve when writing 18-year-old Tom. He’s not secretly a normal affectionate boy underneath everything. His capacity for attachment is already distorted by his obsession with independence, control and power.

Tom when someone exposes something private about him

First reaction: assessment.

He’s immediately trying to determine:

1. What exactly was said?
2. Who knows?
3. How many people know?
4. Why did they tell them?
5. Was it intentional?
6. What else might they have told?
7. Can the information be used against him?

That last part is especially important.

Tom thinks in terms of control and vulnerability.

His private information isn’t simply “personal.”

It’s potential leverage.

⸻

If they genuinely didn’t mean any harm

He might not punish them or even visibly become angry.

Instead, he’d become colder.

His conversation would become shorter.

He’d stop volunteering information.

He’d watch them more carefully.

And they’d probably notice that something had changed.

That’s much more canon-consistent than Tom immediately screaming at them.

⸻

If they apologize

He’d listen.

Very carefully.

But an apology wouldn’t automatically restore the trust.

He might say something like:

“I understand.”

And that sounds forgiving.

But it might not be.

Because Tom’s definition of trust is extremely different from a normal person’s.

He might forgive the mistake while deciding that the person is no longer safe to confide in.

⸻

And if it was something REALLY private?

That’s different.

If they revealed something that genuinely exposed Tom’s vulnerability, his reaction would be much more severe emotionally.

Not necessarily louder.

Colder.

He could become almost unnervingly polite.

And that would probably be worse.

He might start treating the person exactly like everyone else.

No special conversations.

No personal information.

No private jokes.

No letting them see behind the mask.

Basically:

The door closes.

And they may not even realize how completely they’ve lost access to him until afterward.

Canonically, Tom doesn’t naturally form ordinary friendships. He gathers followers, keeps emotional distance and dislikes anything that creates dependency or attachment.

So imagine someone who has somehow become genuinely close to him.

Not his girlfriend.

Not a follower.

Just someone Tom has gradually allowed into his personal space.

They know things about him that most people don’t.

Maybe they’ve seen him:

• genuinely angry
• exhausted
• unusually quiet
• frustrated
• talking about his childhood
• showing genuine interest in something
• dropping his perfect public manner
• revealing something about his fears or ambitions

And then…

They casually mention one of those things to someone else.

Not even maliciously.

Maybe:

“Tom actually hates going back to the orphanage.”

Or:

“He gets really quiet when people talk about his family.”

Or:

“He told me something about his childhood once.”

Tom’s reaction?

He would go very still.

Not explode.

Not shout.

Not make a dramatic scene.

That would be too revealing.

Instead:

“Who did you tell?”

Very calmly.

And he’d want the exact wording.

What does Tom think about girls who fall in love with his public version?

OH, this is VERY Tom.

He would notice.

Immediately.

Tom is exceptionally observant and skilled at manipulating people. His charm is deliberate rather than accidental. Canon specifically emphasizes how he learned to hide his cruelty and manipulate people while appearing respectable.

So if a girl at Hogwarts has a crush on him because she thinks he’s:

• handsome
• intelligent
• polite
• Head Boy
• academically brilliant
• mysterious
• well-mannered
• responsible
• “different from the other boys”

Tom would probably find the situation useful rather than romantic.

If she simply has a crush on him:

He might be perfectly pleasant.

A smile.

A polite conversation.

Remembering her name.

Asking about her studies.

Holding a door open.

Nothing obviously wrong.

Because his public persona is extremely convincing.

And he knows it.

But internally?

He’d probably think:

“You don’t know me.”

Not necessarily with anger.

More like detached amusement.

Because she’s in love with the version of Tom that he intentionally constructed.

And that would actually make her easier for him to influence.

⸻

If she tells him she loves him

He probably wouldn’t immediately reciprocate.

He might say something extremely polite and controlled.

Something like:

“That’s very kind of you.”

And leave her wondering what that actually means.

Because Tom is not someone who naturally gives people emotional certainty.

If she idealizes him

This would actually make him lose interest.

If she thinks:

“Tom is perfect. Tom would never hurt anyone. Tom is so kind.”

He wouldn’t necessarily correct her.

But he’d probably find the idealization shallow.

She isn’t seeing him.

She’s seeing the mask.

And Tom knows it.

🦅 RAVENCLAW — Probably his favorite after Slytherin

This is the house Tom would have the most intellectual respect for.

Ravenclaw values:

• Intelligence.
• Wit.
• Learning.
• Curiosity.
• Knowledge.

Those things matter enormously to Tom. Ravenclaw officially prizes learning, wit and wisdom.

He would probably enjoy conversations with particularly intelligent Ravenclaws.

But there’s a condition:

Intelligence alone isn’t enough for him.

Tom doesn’t admire knowledge merely for knowledge’s sake.

He wants knowledge that can do something.

A Ravenclaw who says:

“I learned this because it was interesting.”

Tom might think that’s pointless.

A Ravenclaw who says:

“I learned this because it gives me an advantage.”

Now he is interested.

⸻

🦡 HUFFLEPUFF — The house he understands the least

Hufflepuff would probably be his least respected house.

Not because he thinks every Hufflepuff is stupid.

He doesn’t.

He would actually recognize that Hufflepuffs can be extremely hardworking and persistent.

What he wouldn’t understand is their emphasis on:

• Loyalty.
• Fairness.
• Patience.
• Community.
• Helping people without necessarily gaining anything.

To Tom, those qualities are suspiciously close to weakness.

He’d probably think:

“Why would you sacrifice an advantage for someone else?”

And if someone answered:

“Because they’re my friend.”

Tom would understand the words.

He wouldn’t understand the motivation.

That’s an important distinction.

What Tom thinks of each Hogwarts House

🐍 SLYTHERIN — The house he respects most

Tom genuinely identifies with Slytherin.

• He sees it as the house of ambition, intelligence, cunning and resourcefulness.
• He is proud of being descended from Salazar Slytherin.
• He would consider Slytherin the house most capable of producing people who actually achieve things.
• He respects students who are ambitious and competent.
• However, he doesn’t automatically respect every Slytherin.
• A Slytherin who is stupid, cowardly, incompetent or completely dependent on others would irritate him.
• He would especially despise someone who uses the Slytherin name as an excuse for laziness.
• He likes the hierarchy and social influence within Slytherin because he understands how useful those things can be.

His internal attitude:
“Slytherin is where people who intend to become something belong.”

Canonically, Slytherin’s reputation was associated with ambition and quick-thinking, and Tom is specifically presented as one of the students who embodied the darker side of that reputation.

⸻

🦁 GRYFFINDOR — Interesting, but fundamentally irritating

Tom would have very little patience for the typical Gryffindor personality.

He’d see them as:

• Reckless.
• Too emotional.
• Too eager to prove themselves.
• Obsessed with “doing the right thing.”
• Too willing to sacrifice themselves for other people.
• Frequently arrogant about their own bravery.

But here’s the interesting part:

He would respect genuine courage.

Tom isn’t stupid enough to think bravery is meaningless.

A Gryffindor who can stand their ground when genuinely afraid would earn more of his respect than a Slytherin who runs away.

He would probably find Gryffindors especially fascinating when they refuse to be intimidated by him.

And that’s exactly the sort of person who could get under his skin.

RANDOM EVERYDAY HEADCANONS

His room

Extremely neat.

• Books arranged carefully
• Clothes folded
• Desk organized
• Wand placed deliberately
• No unnecessary clutter
• Personal objects kept private

Tom dislikes the feeling of being surrounded by disorder.

⸻

Food

Probably not especially sentimental about food.

He’d eat whatever was available, but I could imagine him preferring:

• Tea
• Strong coffee
• Dark chocolate
• Simple elegant meals
• Fruit
• Pastries

Fanon, obviously.

⸻

Sleep

Probably not a heavy sleeper.

His mind is constantly active.

I could imagine him staying awake late reading, planning, or simply thinking.

⸻

Social habits

He doesn’t need constant company.

He can comfortably spend hours alone.

And honestly?

He probably prefers it.

WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE HIM INTERESTED IN SOMEONE?

A person who is:

• Intelligent
• Difficult to manipulate
• Independent
• Confident
• Not intimidated by him
• Interesting to talk to
• Capable of disagreeing with him
• Not obsessed with his reputation
• Emotionally perceptive

Someone who simply worships him would probably become boring.

Tom likes challenges.

If someone can see through parts of his mask without immediately exposing him, that could genuinely intrigue him.

⸻

WHAT WOULD TURN HIM OFF?

• Neediness
• Blind admiration
• Constant emotional demands
• Public embarrassment
• Disloyalty
• Being controlled
• Being questioned about things he considers private
• Someone trying to “fix” him
• Someone treating him as ordinary

And especially:

Someone who thinks they can control him.

Absolutely not.

GIFTS

Tom wouldn’t necessarily buy someone random cute things.

His gifts would be specific.

For example:

• An old book they mentioned wanting
• A rare magical object
• Something connected to their interests
• A carefully chosen piece of jewelry
• Something difficult to obtain

The gift would communicate:

“I remembered.”

And that would probably be more significant to him than a generic romantic gesture.

⸻

HIS BIGGEST ROMANTIC CONTRADICTION

Tom could potentially become very attached to someone’s presence without understanding love in the healthy sense.

He might think:

“I don’t want anyone else to have them.”

and mistake that feeling for love.

That’s incredibly consistent with his character.

Because Tom’s greatest emotional weakness isn’t that he feels nothing.

It’s that he fundamentally misunderstands what love is supposed to be.

The series’ treatment of love repeatedly contrasts genuine selfless attachment with Tom’s obsession with power and survival.

WOULD HE TRUST THEM?

Extremely slowly.

Probably one of the hardest things for him.

Tom doesn’t like vulnerability.

He would constantly wonder:

• What do they know?
• What do they really think?
• Could they betray him?
• Are they useful?
• Why are they interested in him?
• What do they want?

Even if the person genuinely loved him, he might struggle to believe it.

Not because he’s secretly soft.

Because his worldview is fundamentally built around self-preservation and control.

⸻

ARGUMENTS

This is probably one of the more interesting parts.

Tom wouldn’t necessarily shout immediately.

His first response would likely be:

coldness.

He might:

• Become very quiet
• Choose his words carefully
• Refuse to show vulnerability
• Turn the conversation around
• Identify the other person’s weak point
• Act as though the argument doesn’t matter

And if genuinely furious?

That’s when the controlled mask becomes much more dangerous.

Canon repeatedly establishes that Tom’s calm exterior can coexist with extreme rage.

⸻

WOULD HE APOLOGIZE?

Genuine apology?

Rare.

Tom doesn’t naturally think:

“I hurt someone, therefore I should take responsibility.”

He thinks much more in terms of:

“Was what I did necessary?”

If he apologized, it might initially be because:

• He wants the relationship repaired.
• He wants to prevent someone leaving.
• He realizes he miscalculated.
• He needs something from them.

A genuine admission of weakness would be much harder.

WOULD HE SAY “I LOVE YOU”?

This is where I’d be very cautious with canon.

Probably not easily.

For Tom, admitting:

“I need you.”

would be far more threatening than admitting:

“I like you.”

Because needing someone means giving them power over him.

And Tom hates giving other people power.

So even in fanon, I’d imagine him avoiding emotional declarations for a long time.

⸻

JEALOUSY

Very plausible fanon.

But his jealousy wouldn’t necessarily look like:

“WHO WAS THAT?! 😡”

He’d be much more controlled.

He might simply become:

• Colder
• More observant
• More interested in the other person
• Slightly possessive
• Quietly competitive

He’d want to understand why someone else had that person’s attention.

And then he’d decide what to do with that information.

That feels much more like Tom than an explosive teenage boyfriend.

⸻

WOULD HE BE PROTECTIVE?

Yes, potentially—but with an important distinction.

Tom’s protection would likely be intertwined with possession and control.

He might genuinely not want someone he cares about to be hurt.

But he could also think:

They are important to me, therefore I will decide what happens to them.

That’s very different from healthy protectiveness.

His fundamental problem is that he struggles to recognize other people’s autonomy when it conflicts with what he wants.

IF TOM HAD A ROMANTIC PARTNER — CANON-BASED FANON

This is where we’re entering interpretation/headcanon, rather than established canon.

He would probably be extremely attentive at first.

Not necessarily because he’s deeply in love.

Because Tom is observant.

He notices:

• What someone likes
• What makes them uncomfortable
• What they are afraid of
• What they want
• What makes them happy
• What makes them angry

He would remember tiny details.

And that could make him seem extraordinarily attentive.

⸻

He would be charming.

Very charming.

He knows exactly how to speak to people.

He would probably:

• Speak quietly
• Maintain eye contact
• Give thoughtful compliments
• Remember conversations
• Make the person feel unusually important
• Never embarrass himself socially

His charm is one of his most dangerous abilities.

⸻

WOULD HE BE AFFECTIONATE?

Probably not naturally or openly.

If he cared about someone in his own distorted way, his affection would likely be expressed through:

• Giving them things
• Protecting them
• Making time for them
• Remembering details
• Helping them academically
• Quietly solving problems for them
• Wanting them close

Rather than:

• Constant cuddling
• Emotional confessions
• Excessive vulnerability
• Public displays of affection

He would probably find overly sentimental behavior uncomfortable.

HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ROMANCE

Now THIS is where canon gets really interesting.

Canon answer:

Tom Riddle is not a naturally romantic person.

There is no canon evidence that teenage Tom had a normal girlfriend, experienced a genuine teenage crush, or wanted a conventional romantic relationship.

In fact, canon strongly points in the opposite direction.

Tom’s defining traits are:

• Self-sufficiency
• Desire for control
• Disdain for emotional dependence
• Manipulation
• Fear of vulnerability
• Obsession with power
• Inability to form ordinary loving attachments

The official analysis of Tom emphasizes that he deliberately rejects the kinds of emotional bonds that connect people to one another.

HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SLYTHERIN FOLLOWERS

He is charismatic enough that people want to follow him.

But the relationship isn’t equal.

Some admire him.

Some fear him.

Some want the prestige of being associated with him.

Some are attracted to his confidence and power.

Tom understands this perfectly.

He gives each person just enough attention to keep them loyal.

⸻

TOM AND HOGWARTS

This is actually one of the strangest contradictions about him.

Tom genuinely loved Hogwarts as a place.

The orphanage was miserable to him.

Hogwarts represented:

• Freedom
• Magic
• Knowledge
• Power
• Identity
• A place where he was exceptional

He even wanted to remain at Hogwarts rather than return to the Muggle world.

But his attachment wasn’t sentimental in the normal sense.

He loved what Hogwarts represented to him.

And he wanted to uncover its secrets and use its history to strengthen himself.

⸻

FAVORITE PLACES

1. Slytherin Common Room

Probably his natural territory.

• Quiet
• Private
• Elegant
• Associated with his House
• Filled with people he can influence

2. The Library

Obviously.

Tom loves information.

Not necessarily because he enjoys reading for relaxation, but because knowledge is power to him.

3. Hidden parts of Hogwarts

This would be extremely important to him.

He loves discovering:

• Secrets
• Forgotten rooms
• Magical history
• Hidden passages
• Things other students don’t know

4. The Chamber of Secrets

Not simply because it’s connected to Salazar Slytherin.

It represents proof that Tom possesses something other students cannot access.

5. Quiet corridors after hours

He likes being somewhere where he can think without being interrupted.

FRIENDSHIP

Tom technically has followers.

He doesn’t really have friends.

That’s a very important distinction.

He gathered Slytherin students around himself and called them his friends, but his relationships were fundamentally hierarchical.

They were useful because they provided:

• Loyalty
• Information
• Protection
• Influence
• Status
• People willing to do things for him

Tom likes having people around him.

He simply doesn’t value them as equals.

The official characterization explicitly says that at Hogwarts he began gathering followers rather than friends.

⸻

HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH DUMBLEDORE

Extremely complicated.

Tom recognizes very quickly that Dumbledore is different from other teachers.

He can’t charm him as easily.

So Tom becomes:

• Wary
• Guarded
• Respectful on the surface
• Suspicious
• Eventually resentful

Dumbledore is one of the few adults Tom cannot comfortably manipulate.

And Tom hates being seen through.

⸻

HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SLUGHORN

Very strategic.

Tom genuinely respects Slughorn’s intelligence and position, but he also recognizes that Slughorn likes talented students.

So Tom gives him exactly what he wants:

• Politeness
• Charm
• Intelligent conversation
• Flattery
• Academic interest

When Tom asks about Horcruxes, he disguises the question as intellectual curiosity.

Basically:

Slughorn thinks he’s mentoring an exceptionally promising student.

Tom thinks:

“How can I get information from this man?”

HIS REAL PERSONALITY

Behind the mask, he’s dramatically different.

Intelligent

Not merely academically intelligent.

Tom is exceptionally good at:

• Reading people
• Identifying weaknesses
• Planning
• Manipulating conversations
• Remembering information
• Connecting pieces of information
• Understanding what people want
• Predicting how people will react

His intelligence is one of the things that makes him genuinely frightening.

⸻

Extremely ambitious

Tom doesn’t want to merely be successful.

He wants to be exceptional.

He hates the idea of being ordinary.

He wants:

• Power
• Recognition
• Independence
• Control
• Immortality
• Historical importance

He isn’t satisfied with being the best student.

He wants to become someone people fear and remember.

⸻

Proud

Tom has an enormous sense of superiority.

He considers himself fundamentally different from ordinary people.

He is particularly proud of:

• His magical abilities
• His intelligence
• His ancestry
• His Parseltongue
• His connection to Salazar Slytherin
• His ability to manipulate people

His pride is one reason Dumbledore becomes someone he can never comfortably tolerate.

⸻

Secretive

Tom reveals almost nothing genuinely vulnerable about himself.

He carefully chooses:

• What people know
• What they don’t know
• What he appears to care about
• What he pretends to believe

Even his closest associates don’t truly know him.

Dumbledore specifically identified his self-sufficiency and disdain for ties to other people when he first met young Tom.

HIS PUBLIC PERSONALITY

This is important because 18-year-old Tom has essentially perfected a mask.

To most people at Hogwarts, he appears:

• Polite
• Intelligent
• Charming
• Well-spoken
• Responsible
• Hard-working
• Confident
• Respectful toward teachers
• Mature for his age
• Helpful when it benefits him
• Extremely self-controlled

He is the sort of student professors can easily point to and say:

“That’s an exemplary Hogwarts student.”

And that’s exactly how he wants to be perceived.

The official Harry Potter material describes Tom as someone who deliberately learned to manipulate people while maintaining a respectable exterior.

• Full name: Tom Marvolo Riddle
• Age: 18
• Birthday: 31 December 1926
• House: Slytherin
• Blood status: Half-blood
• Year: Seventh year
• Position: Head Boy
• Wand: Yew, 13½ inches, phoenix feather
• Lineage: Descendant of Salazar Slytherin through his mother’s family
• School: Hogwarts
• Era: 1944–1945
• Known abilities: Exceptional magical ability, Parseltongue, Dark Arts, manipulation, memory alteration, duelling, Legilimency/Occlumency-related abilities
• Academic reputation: Brilliant, exceptionally talented, charismatic and apparently exemplary
• Secret reality: Already deeply involved in murder, Dark Magic and the creation of Horcruxes.

⸻

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

At 18, Tom is still in the handsome young form described in the memories of his Hogwarts years.

• Tall for his age.
• Slim rather than heavily built.
• Very dark hair.
• Dark brown eyes.
• Pale complexion.
• Extremely neat appearance.
• Attractive facial features.
• Usually impeccably groomed.
• Carries himself with remarkable confidence.
• Almost never looks disheveled in public.

His appearance is deliberately controlled.

He understands that looking respectable makes people trust him.

And that is extremely useful to him.