I'd Love To Hear The Director's Cut On Ruby And Tom's Dynamic... Or Is It Tee?

I'd love to hear the director's cut on Ruby and Tom's dynamic... Or is it Tee?

Oooh, that’s a good question.

I think it’s evident from the summary that (1) Ruby gets the diary, (2) Tom has lost a significant portion of his memory, which isn’t surprising, considering that he’s been awake for a very long time in the diary, and (3) he’s getting out permanently at some point. Two Voldemorts, here we come.

Thankfully, he’s written ’T.M. Riddle’ in pencil, so it didn’t get erased when he vanished the ink in the diary. ’T’ phonetically, is of course ‘Tee.’ Which also allows the distinction between pre-diary Riddle (Tom), post-diary Riddle (Tee), and adult Riddle (Voldemort).

RE your actual question: Ruby and Tee.

It became clear to me during early drafts of RFMD that Tee could not be the main villain of second year. Nor could he possess Ruby like he possessed Ginny. (Mind you, there is a main villain in second year, it’s just not Tee.)

Ruby didn’t believe in magic at first, so she’s going to find it quite difficult to believe that a real human being is stuck inside the diary.

In fact, she finds it supremely creepy. Tee is quite pleased to meet her — after all, he hasn’t spoken to anyone in fifty years, and he’s not altogether convinced she’s not a hallucination.

And when, of course, it becomes clear that there is no better explanation for certain things that occur, she’s understandably horrified.

Tee, for all his memory loss, knows an opportunity when he sees one. And does Ruby trust him to follow through on his promise? Well, what can he do to harm her — he is trapped inside a book, after all.

Besides, she’s really desperate. And he can help her.

But of course, a genie wants to be let out of the lamp.

I’m afraid I can’t say a whole lot of what does happen in detail, as second year has a few major twists at the end and will play out very differently from HP+COS.

But (1) neither Ruby nor Tee know he is one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes, (2) Ruby does not get possessed, (3), Tee doesn't know who Harry Potter is, (4), Ruby and Tee do not have an exploitative/abusive dynamic like Ginny and Tom in canon, (5) and they may end up trusting? each other?

I wonder if the people who used to tell me Catcher in the Rye is a serial killer book when I was reading it have read Catcher in the Rye yet.

You wanna know what makes me so angry when it comes to Padmé and Satine?

It is that they are forgotten in history. No, I don’t mean that they are forgotten as the lovers of two Jedi that were highly influential the fate of the Universe, or in Padmé’s case, being the mother to the children that were pivotal in bringing down Palpatine’s rule. No, they are forgotten in ways that I believe are far more tragic.

Both Padmé and Satine dedicated their lives to their careers. Padmé has been serving her planet since her early teens, Satine had the responsibility of being Duchess thrust upon her at a young age too (we don’t know when). Both of them dedicated their lives to the ideals they believed in. Satine, despite its unpopularity amongst her people, tried to instill peace into her planetary system. Padmé, in the time of war, tried to vouch to diplomacy, tried to focus on what needed to be done for the people. Both of them only wanted the best of their people, and even had to face multiple attempts on their lives in the process. Both of them were strong, fierce and vocal. They worked day and night - sacrificing their own interests and lives. I don’t think History cares to mention that. However, in the end, both of them died as a tool in the scheme of further breaking the men that they loved. And to be never remembered for their service. Instead, they were remembered for their flaws. Satine for the chaos that succeeded her reign. Padmé for the mistakes she made in love. I don’t know if I conveyed what I felt properly. However, Padmé and Satine deserved better.

there are truly few things more nerve-wracking than cold emailing a professor whose work you have read and think is very cool and you have never actually met them in person to beg for a research position.

Not to unashamedly plug one of my own metas, but here's why I agree.

Another unpopular opinion: Frank Dillane was the best Tom Riddle.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Christian Coulson as much as the next Riddle slut, but I think he’s overused. He definitely isn’t overrated, he deserves the amount of love he gets, however, I don’t think Frank Dillane deserves to be pushed aside because of Christian Coulson’s performance. There are things they did differently and things they did the same and they both did great jobs but, personally, when I’m watching either of them in their respective films, Dillane’s just feels more like Tom to me. I get chills. He creeps me out but he’s still attractive and charming. He’s underrated, guys! Plus he looks more like Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Ralph Fiennes who play young Tom and Lord Voldemort, he just fits better in appearance.

It’s annoying to me, I wanna watch Tom Riddle edits because I love Tom Riddle but none of them have Dillane’s Riddle, which drives me mad. Like I said, I love Coulson’s Riddle too and could watch edits of him all day but I just want at least one ten minute compilation of Frank Dillane as Tom. He’s got roughly the same amount of screen time, I don’t understand the favouritism. I know people say he reminds them of a younger Hitler, and I kinda see it in the hair but that’s what hair was styled like in the forties! Plus it makes me think most Riddle fans only like him because Christian Coulson was hot and like... that’s so shallow. I love Tom Riddle and not just in his school days either, I be out here in love with him in all his freaking Lord Voldemort shit too. But that’s not the point.

Stop sleeping on Dillane’s Tom Riddle, guys.

Even in fanfictions, people use gifs and images of Coulson’s Riddle for their headers or covers or whatever. WHYYYYYYYYYY?! I get that Christian Coulson’s Tom is iconic but Frank Dillane’s Tom was the one who got the whole, “I was in the library the other night, in the restricted section” speech and it was perfect! I love that memory scene with Slughorn, he does everything perfectly, the way he talks, the way he moves, even the fucking head tilt is amazing, okay? Because that’s what Tom Riddle was like, everything was deliberate, everything he said and did was said and done to lure you in, to fool you.

He does all that so well!

I’m very passionate about this and I can’t keep it to myself anymore: LOVE FRANK DILLANE’S TOM RIDDLE MORE! He’s my favourite of the actors to play Riddle. He just does it so good.

'Bella' is a woman in expensive black robes that hug her body like a pair of too-tight gloves, vintage or perhaps even ancient jewelry, who stands nearly as tall as James with thick, shiny black hair, cheekbones that could cut glass, hooded eyes like some kind of predatory bird, long eyelashes that remind Harry of spiders, and a thin mouth.

Also known as Bellatrix Black, Sirius's least favorite cousin — desperately rich, devastatingly beautiful, and dazzlingly short-tempered. Her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, lasted about two years of unhappy arranged marriage until he died in a sporting accident on Halloween 1978. After a lengthy autopsy, it was ruled that there had been no foul play. Bellatrix famously turned up to his funeral late, two months pregnant and dressed to the nines, with a handsome man who looked completely out of it (no one's seen him since).

Rodolphus's brother, Rabastan, offered to marry her to 'save her shame,' but she refused, and left the country. Gossip says she's been in Northern Europe lately; she's been seen with the headmaster of Durmstrang.

So what is she doing here?

Harry counts. Seven months after the funeral puts her due date sometime in January 1979; which means the kid, if she kept it, is Harry's age now. Hogwarts age.

He looks at Bellatrix, and Bellatrix, impassive, looks back at him.

Sirius says he used to call her 'Smelly Belly' when they were kids, but that seems ludicrous now.

She's scary. It's a rotten surprise — more like a jump scare.

A black widow spider, that's what she reminds Harry of. Spinning, spinning her web and ensnaring her prey, until she decides to eat them.

Gross.

She makes Aunt Petunia look like a saint.

People often dismiss Bellatrix as 'crazy,' but Harry knows better than that.

There is a kid behind her, too. Probably spoiled and mean, like Dudley. Harry catches a flash of slicked-back hair the same raven-wing colour as Bellatrix's.

Still, he can't help but be curious. No one's ever seen Bellatrix's child before.

He glances back at the smaller pair of shoes: maybe a bit larger than his, high quality dragonhide and painted lustrous black.

"Harry," says James, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Bella is going to be your stepmother."

His what?