As we all know the books left a lot of questions unanswered. So many things are contradictory and just flat out don't make any sense.
I've often thought about Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts and those memories that Dumbledore showed Harry. Many of the things Dumbles told Harry didn't make any sense. Worse some of the reasons he gave Harry for the
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One possible reason for the shift is because Tom realized that he wasn't the only big fish in the pond anymore once he arrived at Hogwarts. He didn't have to be charming in the orphanage because everyone was scared of him and nobody knew what he was. But at Hogwarts, nobody would write off his actions as bizarre 'accidents.' Instead of teaching him to reform his behavior (as Dumbledore likely hoped), Hogwarts taught him to hide it better.
/maybe he could magically influence people into admiring him? Probably not all at once, or it would look suspicious, but maybe his housemates "warmed up to him" unusually quickly/
Still, how many people would need to be charmed by Tom before somebody started wondering why everyone seemed to make an exception for him? Imagine if Severus had this ability and more and more people started to admire him despite his background and greasy hair? Even if everyone recognized how gifted he was at potions, somebody would've gotten suspicious of how this 'jumped-up upstart' was suddenly everyone's darling, especially since everyone at the school is aware that mind-altering spells and potions exist.
/He might think, "They couldn't check the book occasionally and make sure wizard orphans are adopted by wizarding families? They just left me in that orphanage with nothing! No, less than nothing--with the threat of being carted off to an asylum! I'll show them..."/
That would be an interesting motive and one that could also resonate with Harry, but unfortunately something like that is never explored in canon. Tom says to Dumbledore that he doesn't want to go back to the orphanage, but it's taken for granted that he must return there. Just like it's taken for granted that Harry must live with the Dursleys, and the series doesn't question that either.
In fact, I think that there was a discussion a while ago in this community about that premise: why wizards don't set up orphanages or adoption agencies for magical orphans. They're so concerned about secrecy, but they don't ever think of the ramifications of allowing magical children to be raised by Muggle families who aren't in on the secret.
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I really wonder how much Tom's looks helped him. Lockhart demonstrates his ineptitude blatantly and publicly on numerous occasions, but he's apparently gotten away with this for years because of his fabulous hair and dazzling smile. (He can't have Oblivated everyone.) Maybe wizards are even greater suckers for good looks than we are?
And there's always self-delusion and good old-fashioned hypocrisy. If purebloods are the most magically talented, and Tom is ridiculously talented, then he must be pureblood, QED. He doesn't know who his parents really were, and who knows whether the orphanage recorded their real names? So he's a pureblood, if maybe a bastard one, who got lost in the Muggle world by accident somehow, and we can all sleep soundly at night without questioning our society's fundamental beliefs. Or, maybe he's a half-blood, but obviously his wizarding parent was really special, so he isn't like those other half-bloods, and... look, he's just different, okay? No, it isn't logical, but lots of people are illogical in exactly that way. Plus, you know what Hermione says about wizards and logic...
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Slughorn's words in the memory add up to that. Tom says his background might be a hindrance in the Ministry, Slughorn responds with saying that his talent must mean he comes from the best wizarding stock or words to that effect.
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