I have started a slightly AU Riddle-Era fic with Riddle as the main character. I'd written up to the third chapter when I realized I'd done the same thing that I've done with the other three stories, original and fanfiction, that I've written - neglected to come up with a villain/conflict, and therefore, a plot. I know how the first year will turn out, with Riddle competing with his classmates for position/influence, but beyond that I have a blank. I do plan on actually finishing this story and writing a sequel, so I want to place hints of the over-arching villain in the first story. I know how I want to characterize Riddle and the supporting characters, but I'll soon run out of impetus to keep writing if I can't come up with a general conflict he has to overcome.

In short, any ideas that you could contribute for a villain that is not Grindelwald or the grandfather of one of the HP-contemporaries would be appreciated. The level of recognition I'll put in the author's notes depends upon how much of your idea I use and your preferences, and I'll PM you before I publish it on the internet.

Last note: The story sounds like nothing really new, and it isn't. I'm figuring out my style, not trying to do anything ground-breaking, as this will be my first serious lengthy writing attempt.

 

Well, I'm not sure I can help with a true antagonist role, but as for sub-plots, Riddle wants to prove he's different; special, even. That gives you the right to run with the idea of how he figures out he's the Heir of Slytherin. It doesn't have to be something so pedestrian as library research. I'm fairly sure that the Ancient and Noble Houses of Whoever would have tapestries to show off their own breeding and self-importance.

We also know Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets, resulting in Myrtle's death by stare-down. How does he find it? How does he know what creature awaits him there? How does he know he can control the basilisk without bringing on his own death by stare-down?

Dumbledore keeping a close eye on everything he does is another small slant you can take on. Put that with the search for both his heritage and the CoS, and you have a reason for tension.

Does Riddle start learning 'dark magic' while at Hogwarts, or does he have to do this during the summers? We already know he goes around London on his own while at the orphanage...maybe he knows some shady dealers who get him things he needs? When does he place the enchantments on his diary? [Aside from the Horcrux thing.]

So outside of a major opponent, you have plenty of sub-plot to use. I'd be interested in reading your story, if you ever work out where to go with it.

 

I'm a fan of the idea that you don't need a villain to make things exciting. You can have a perfectly good story without some epic clash of enemies. Just look at the majority of non-fantasy fiction.

There are also many "boarding school stories" out there (most written by Enid Blyton). They work pretty well, even without a villain. You can have minor antagonists in the form of school rivals and so forth (see: Malfoy) but there is no need for any real villain. Though Tom Riddle's massive talent in compared with his classmates will make it problematic to give him any meaningful rival. However, boarding schools - all schools in fact - can be made to be quite eventful places, and the added element of magic only increases the potential.

Make it a character-driven, relationship-driven story that explores in much further detail the Harry Potter world, set to the backdrop of Riddle's rising ambition.

Having a war in canon really got in the way of us seeing what the magical world is like under normal conditions, which I find much more interesting.

Then of course you have the fact that Tom Riddle himself is a villain-in-progress. He is the antagonist and protagonist in one.

 

Another potential plot device that I forgot before is Grindelwald's reign of darkness. What effects would that have on Riddle's school years (both directly and indirectly through his schoolmates) ?

Let him possibly begin to develop his power structure among his peers--while hiding it from everyone who matters, too. He needs to inspire loyalty at this point, as well as fear. His first Death Eaters, after all, would probably have been people he schooled with.

I'm really interested in what you do use, as I've not read a well-written Tom Riddle-at-Hogwarts story yet. Good luck with the writing process.

 

The first issue that I see Riddle will have to face is gaining the respect of his fellow classmates. Considering the fact that he is probably contemporary with the first Death Eaters, people of higher birth than him, who eventually treat him like their own variant of the second coming.

He is a poor Half-blood, since no one knows his association with the Gaunt's yet. He has no money, comes from a fairly muggle background and is placed into the house of Great Salazar himself, who prizes cunning and ambition, but whose members put great emphasis on birthright.

Perhaps his Slytherin ancestry gains him respect, perhaps his ability for Parseltongue, or an original event that you will determine. Early conflict with his colleagues is necessary for a believable plot and makes for a lovely twist when they end up serving him. One suggestion: tune down the random torture and maiming of servants. Perhaps that was a trademark in the second war, but during the first war he had to have a charming persona if he ever hoped to gain allies. The first pureblood that bit the dust would have spread the news and he would have been left with only Nagini for company.

I am a great fan of keeping Lord Voldemort and Tom Marvolo Riddle separate persona. Not in the sense that he is mentally insane, but think Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious, Count Dooku/Lord Tyrannus. A public face and one to wear with your close friends. Adds interesting twists when a character who has faced Lord Voldemort or has reasons to fear or hate him is sympathetic to Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Random suggestions:

No shopping trip once he gains access to any inheritance;
Consider if a fabulously large inheritance is essential to the plot;
Don't make Dumbledore an idiot;
Good luck.

 

First off, thanks to all for the ideas. They have all helped in some way.

Amen. Oddly, I always thought that made Voldemort seem far less threatening.

It will be an AU, but I'm going to try to stick as close to canon as possible. Do you really think the Gaunts had a hidden inheritance that deliver itself to Tom when he just needed it?

No, he's not getting any economic windfalls any time soon (which will be an incentive to develop his talents).

You British out there, what word should I replace the underlined one with. Keep in mind Riddle is eleven, and he is not the type to burst out with huge streams of vulgarity in my story:

I had written a brief description of the stuff Tom could do before attending Hogwarts, then realized I had made him far too powerful.

This is what I have him capable of:

- Weak form of Legilimency/mind control. Gives him rough command over animals, but the inate magical qualities of souls means it doesn't even come close to working on humans (obviously I don't explain the technicalities).
- Weak telekinesis. Volume larger than a human, his control noticably slips. Larger still and he can only make things tremble.
-Parseltongue of course. Important notice: no 'parsel magic' at all. In fact, he doesn't get much use out of it because non-magical snakes are extremely poor conversationalists. Think "want food" and "thing there" levels of vocabulary. They are dumb animals.

That's about it. Before I had him rudimentarily vanishing/conjuring/transfiguring objects as well, but I decided that that destroyed Suspension of Disbelief too much. I want him to have stuff to learn during 1st year.

Thanks again.