Why is Voldemort scared of Dumbledore???

[Phaerie]

It says in one of the books that Dumbledore was the only wizard that Voldemort was scared of. However after hearing the first bit of the prophecy he must know that dumbledore couldn't destroy him.

Hence does this mean Voldemort is no longer scared of Dumbledore, seeing as he can't hurt him.

Also he doesn't seem to fear Harry, even though he is the only one who can destroy him. Albeitly he is most likely taking account that atm he is a much more powerful wizard than harry.

There must be more to Voldemorts fear of Dumbledore, than The fact that Dumbledore is a very powerful wizard, i think there might be something else that we don't know about Dumbledore that would give Voldemort more reason to fear him who can't really hurt him.

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

Hmm...that is a tuffie!! I always figured that Voldemort thought that Dumbledore would succumb to those "Dark Powers" that would enable DD to defeat Voldemort so he's always been kind of wary toward DD.

[imc130d]

I'm not sure Voldemort is scared of Dumbledore by the end of OotP. Dumbledore is referred to as "The Only One He Ever Feared" or somesuch, which isn't exactly the same as "The Only One He Still Fears". And taking Harry hostage in Dumbledore's presence doesn't really seem like the act of a fearful man.

As for why he *ever* feared Dumbledore... well, Dumbledore is probably the only wizard alive whose powers and knowledge rival those of Voldemort.

The other thing that occurs to me is pretty far-fetched, but I vaguely remember reading somewhere that in some magical traditions, knowing a person's true name gave you power over that person. Not too many people seem to know that Voldemort's birth name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. A couple of fellow students from his Hogwarts days (including Hagrid, I'd assume), Dumbledore, Harry, Ginny, and (probably) Lucius Malfoy. McGonagall might not even know, although she's apparently about the right age to have been at Hogwarts at the same time as Riddle. So I'm wondering whether this will be important in Books 6 & 7.

[Groo]

i dont really think that Voldemort is a brave man. whatever he does is hardly surprising since he contains infinite talent, but never have his actions shown his bravery. only strength.

and when such a man is faced against a person who is as talented as him, who absolutely doesnt fear him at all(infact addresses him as Tom), who was his teacher and who is actually brave, i am sure he will feel fear.

the books have shown that the prophecy hasnt affected LV's viewpoints at all.

and as for not fearing DD because he cant kill him, i dont think that is possible because ,as DD puts it, death is not the ultimate defeat ,humiliation is.

[Aberforth]

The other thing that occurs to me is pretty far-fetched, but I vaguely remember reading somewhere that in some magical traditions, knowing a person's true name gave you power over that person.

This is in a book by Jonathan Stroud called "The Amulet of Samarkand", where wizards are given new names upon reaching adolescence and their birth names are kept secret. This is not the case in Harry Potter. There is nothing to suggest that wizards change their names in this manner.

Voldemort changed his name because he shared it with his "filthy muggle father" and wanted to have a name that would strike fear into all wizard-kind. I'm guessing that Dumbledore used his real name, Tom, to anger him (possible into making a mistake) and because he knew him as Tom years ago.

[pallas artemis]

The other thing that occurs to me is pretty far-fetched, but I vaguely remember reading somewhere that in some magical traditions, knowing a person's true name gave you power over that person.

I've heard this in other books, most recently Eregon by Christopher Paolini(I think) but I don't if it holds true in HP. After all Harry knows LV real name because LV himself told it to Harry in CoS. If that would give Harry some power over him I doubt Tom would have told him.

[Athena Appleton]

When Dumbledore calls Voldemort "Tom," he's really saying in that one word "I know who you are. I know that you're nothing more than a kid I once taught." While the rest of the wizarding world refer to him in whispers, which could allow Voldy to think more of himself than he probably should, Dumbledore calls him simply "Tom." It means he's not going to allow himself to buy into this inflated alter ego that is Voldemort. He's just "Tom Riddle," a former student, who was very powerful, and very smart, but still human. Voldemort wants to forget that he's human. He wants everyone else to forget that he's human. When Dumbledore doesn't show the fear of looking him in the face and reminding Voldemort that he was once a child, once a student, once a regular person, he's able to do some major psychological warfare.

If a person changes their name, there's something they didn't like about the first name (generally, changing names because of marriage is slightly different). When you change a name, it's like you put your former self behind you, and the name takes on a whole personality of its own. "Voldemort" is a powerful evil wizard feared by everyone. "Tom Riddle" is the mudblood boy who was taught by Dumbledore. Voldemort's inflated ego doesn't want to acknowledge that he was once "Tom Riddle".

[Jotomicron]

Two things:

First - As mentined above, Dumbledore and Voldemort know that death is not the worst. I don't agree with that part of humiliation, though, but it makes me think that, even if Voldemort knows that Harry is the one who can kill him, he will be more afraid of the one who, not being able to kill him, have the knowledge to make him suffer wven more (did it make any sence??? Yeah, I thought it didn't!!!)

Second - Didn't Tom Riddle said Harry that he had changed the name whilst in Hogwarts and used it amongst his closer friends? So, there is some other people knowing VOldemort was once Tom Riddle!

[Jotomicron]

Sorry for the double post, but I have now posted under the
Fawkes theory and came up with this idea:

What is Dumbledore comes from Godric Gryffindor's family? Wouldn't Voldemort, as the heir of Slytherin, fear him just based on this fact?

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

Wow, Athena, well put!

Second - Didn't Tom Riddle said Harry that he had changed the name whilst in Hogwarts and used it amongst his closer friends? So, there is some other people knowing VOldemort was once Tom Riddle!

I always wondered about Voldy's old friends. My take on it is that he killed them because he was paraniod that they would want to take him over, they are Slytherins after all.

[imc130d]

Second - Didn't Tom Riddle said Harry that he had changed the name whilst in Hogwarts and used it amongst his closer friends? So, there is some other people knowing VOldemort was once Tom Riddle!

Yeah, I mentioned them, though not specifically:

A couple of fellow students from his Hogwarts days (including Hagrid, I'd assume)

I should have been more clear that that was the quote I was thinking of. It had also occurred to me that none of those "close friends" are necessarily still alive. Hard to say: as far as I know, the only Death Eaters whose ages have been confirmed by JKR are Snape (late 30s) and Malfoy (early 40s), and I've never seen the actual quote for Malfoy.

I'm also curious about Lucius Malfoy's parents -- if that age for him is correct, his parents may well have been about the same age as Riddle, but we've never seen them. I'm wondering if Lucius inherited Riddle's diary from one of his parents, who were part of Riddle's close circle of friends.

[imc130d]

...and then I realized that I forgot to post what I'd originally intended to, which was that I'm more inclined to agree with Aberforth and Athena about the reason for Dumbledore calling Voldemort "Tom" than with the theory I'd originally proposed. (Which is why I referred to it as "pretty far-fetched" when I originally threw it out here.)

[Alice I]

I'm wondering if Lucius inherited Riddle's diary from one of his parents, who were part of Riddle's close circle of friends.

That makes sense and
i like that theory.

As to why LV fears DD:
Perhaps it is because what everyone in the wizarding world says about DD.
That he is the most powerful wizard of the age.
I know LV likes to believe that he is but the fact remains that while he may be the most feared he is most likely not the most powerful and even if LV won't admit that even to himself. I believe that he still doesn't want to test that theory.

[Nobby]

and remember that DD defeated the last dark lord Grindelwald!

[pallas artemis]

Who knows, maybe Volemort never really was afraid of DD. Maybe he just hadn't gotten that far on his TO DO list:

-create havak -check
-kill Harry Potter - check
-attack Hogwarts
-become immortal

just a thought