Over time we have recieved HEAPS of topics about the Riddle house, and the meaning of the first chapter in the book, however most of these have been lost over time. Recently (this week) I've seen a few more submited so I thought a pinned topic would be a good idea. So here's what it's all about...

Voldemort is Tom Riddle Jr. It is stated in the books that he was named after his father. He becomes an orphan after his mother dies giving birth to him, and his father leaving because she was a witch.

In the opening chapter of GOF, Tom Riddle Snr. (Voldemort's father), and his elderly parents are living in the house. After his wife died and he found out she was a witch he moved back in with them.

So when he finishes school Tom Riddle Jr. goes to the house and murders his father Tom Riddle Snr. and his grandparents. He then goes into hiding and becomes what he was known as to his closest friends at school - Lord Voldemort.

I hope that helps explain it a bit.

yep yep...that's the story. It is a bit confusing the way you read it in the first chapter because you get an idea of tom being younger and his parents being middle-aged or so, not elderly.

And thanks for posting this to make it clear for everyone..it helps. Even though i've read the book a hundred times, i always forget the exact details of the history and have to go look it up...in fact i just did a couple of days ago because a friend asked me sommin about it and i had totally forgotten!!!!

The history isnt that difficult to remember for me but i dunno im just wierd. I thought it was a good opening to GoF anyway and it really got me hooked from the start. If you really think about it there is little to discuss on the matter being as its laid out pretty plainly here now =P

Voldemort killed his own dad.

^^ Yeah, pretty messed up isn't it? He hated Muggles so much he killed his own father. What made him come to hate Muggles and Muggleborns so much?

His father was a muggle and abandoned him, so he figures they are all cowards, worthless and the like...

That is horrible! I totally missed the concept of that chapter. I thought Voldemort had killed only his grandparents and some other stuff. I am going to read it now. Thanks Dainise for posting that up!

You know, yes, I was always concerned about that issue. I never understood it completely. Why, Mr Riddle Senior is described as a young boy with his parents, and more over, Riddle Senior would be old enough to live on his own, so why would he be actually living there??

In a way, I thought it actually was something concerned TomRiddle(Voldy) faking his own death, but then again that didn't make sense. So if I glued what you just said, which made sense, and my logic... I will make a while guess:

Maybe Voldemort travelled to the past with a time turner to kill his own father and his granfathers? After all, they weer alive and could ave taken him out from the orphanage, Tom Riddle jr would be realy resented to them though time to do it. I would have to check the dates, though, and make sure it was much before "Lord Voldemort" first rise to power. Will be back!

So true, he thought he's dad is useless muggle. But who would want to kill his own dad. I guess only an evil and mean person would be able to do it.

Voldermort killed his own father because he lothed him.he is regaining strength and power

Thanks for like clearing that up. Everytime I read the book I was like "what tha!?!". It really confused the heck out of my, thanks foe putting it in laim-man's terms.

I think Voldy killed his father for more human reasons for forgeting about him and his mother, for leaving her to died and it is not like he could have supported them even if he had no contact with them. He was rich and a snob who had he been a wizard would have been in Slytherin. Voldy is more like his father then he would want to claim.
perhaps he killed his family so to help his goal of becoming immortal but i tihnk he killed them for just not careing about him or his mother. A normal human being do not just marry someone and leave them in a world(Muggle world) which they have very little understanding! i am guessing Mrs Riddle was a pureblood witch how turn her back on her family for the love of a muggle who betrayed her and left her and her son to died!
Sorry if am ranting but I hate people who betray others they and there lack of feeling hurt so any people!

Tom is really unforgiving and has no mercy...comeone he killed his own dad!!!

oh, man thats perfect I was a little lost on that scene also

Wow - I just finished the opening chapter in GOF, and when you havn't read it in a few years, questions that have already been answered time before spin around ijn your head. The first post helped straighten things out there. Anyways, this is pretty random all in all, and I'm sure I am wrong - I was just pondering this - could the riddle house be the Shreiking shack? And if it is I'm now smacking myself.

Glad ya'll clarified on that confusing topic. I never could quite get it the 2nd time through.

I was reading the beginning again last night about when Frank Bryce called the strange boy he saw 'unfamiliar' (or whatever exact words it was...I don't have the copy here with me), but he was pale and had dark hair. I guess it's understood that it was either Tom Riddle Jr. killing his father (which makes so much sense) or it was Tom Riddle Jr. (Voldie) faking his own death.

So anyway, I was reading it last night and for some reason the image of Harry Potter (travelling back in time) killing Voldemort's family came to mind. He would be unfamiliar to Frank Bryce and he looks like Bryce's description, obviously. However, I cannot even begin to answer that ever-so-important question: how. So I realize that this is probably not how it happened.

I can't tell you what a shocker it was to have that idea suddenly pop into my mind last night, though. For a split second I thought I had just figured out the entire series, but then my brain returned to my skull!

that makes so much more sense now!

well ... we know where he got that from from. in the book it is says-
"..., for they had been most unpopular. Elderly Mr. and Mrs. Riddle had been rich, snobbish, and rude, and their grown up son, Tom, had been, if anything, worse."
and ofcoarse... he is also hier of Slytherin whom hates muggles himself. So all Tom needed was a reason to kill (his father leaving his mother) and it was done.

you can say that but it does happen, even in teh real world. People dont think mother or fathers could ever kill their own children, yet it has been doen and vice versa

thats pretty much the bottom line

I had always assumed that Voldemort had killed his father who had gotten remarried and had a son that he also named Tom Riddle but I don't know. Because that would definately be a big kick to the sore spot.
I think that Voldemort killed his dad because he wanted to show Tom that he was no better than any other person.

What kind of suprised me was that Frank wouldn't have recognized Tom Jr., he supposed to look almost exactly like his father! Unless, his evil transformation has already started.

of course!

yes thankyou so much i got really confused in that part