"Tom...There are things worse than death."

United States
February 9, 2007 8:45am CST
I lose count of the number of times throughout books 1-6 that Dumbledore makes some sort of reference to there being "worse things than death," or "there are better ways to destroy a man than killing him." I'm thinking specifically of the battle the two have at the end of Order of the Phoenix. Most of us expect the artist formerly known as Tom Marvolo Riddle to die (probably at the hands of Harry(, since, to him, there is nothing more ignominious than death. That scenario has the unfortunate byproduct of making our hero now a murderer, and as Dumbledore tells Draco, "muder is not nearly as easy as the innocent think." But just suppose it isn't his fate to die...what would be that "thing worse than death?" Break his wand and stick him in Azkaban? Make him live as a muggle? Force him to wear Umbridge's pink cardigan?
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1 response
@thanzm (193)
• Qatar
9 Feb 07
Ohh pleez, dont start scaring people man. Tom is not going to be a muggle. Why???? Becoz the third book ie the deathly hallows is a story happening in 1998 something according to Jo. In that case, if Voldie becomes a muggle, in 2001 he would have become the US President. We already know that someone else took that place dear, so either Tom is not going to be a muggle or he used the last magic left in him to become "He who must not be Blamed". HaHeHoo Tell me im gud.
• United States
9 Feb 07
How do we know that he didn't become a spectral being again and inhabit the body of "He who must not be blamed?" hmmm...