TOM RIDDLE Defense Against the Dark Arts / Psychopathic Personality and the
P.S. If you’re a muggle and you’re reading this, please stop and read these keywords. Thanks. Muggle Dictionary Muggle – non-magic person Love Potion – powerful cocktail that causes drinker to become infatuated with the person who gave it to them Parseltongue – snake language Wizard – a man who has magical powers Witch – a woman who has magical powers Death Eaters – a group of wizards and witches who were radical pure blood supremacists, who practiced the Dark Arts with no regards of the law of the Wizarding World.
Introduction Tom Marvolo Riddle, is a half-blood wizard and the one and only son of Tom Riddle Senior, a 30 year-old muggle, and Merope Gaunt, a 26 year-old pure-blood witch. Tom Riddle Senior is from a wealthy family living in the village of Little Hangleton. Right next to their house, lives the Gaunt family, an ancient wizarding family who’s famously known for their violent nature and unstable personalities. Rumors were going around that Merope tricked Tom into marrying her through the use of Love Potion. So when she stopped giving him Love Potion, in the hopes that he had really fallen in love with her or would stay for their child’s sake, Tom abandoned her and their child. Tom was born on December 31, 1926 at Wool’s Orphanage in London. His mother gave birth in the orphanage and died shortly after she gave birth to him. The orphanage did not know anything about Merope, which left Tom bewildered of his family origin and background until he went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
As Tom was growing up in the orphanage, he was already showing signs of dark/evil magic known as the antisocial personality disorder or psychopathic personality. Mrs. Cole, the head of the Wool’s Orphange, recalled that Tom manipulated and abused other children into doing evil deeds or anything he wanted them to do to validate his own superiority (Townsend, 2014). He could also speak Parseltongue to manipulate and use snakes to inflict harm on other orphans. He had also gotten into a few fights in the orphanage where he showed aggressive behaviors such as hanging one of the orphan’s rabbit from the rafters and other “unknown” incidents where the orphans were traumatized into silence (Townsend, 2014). Besides that, theft was one of Tom’s favorite hobbies where he used to steal other orphan’s belongings and hide them in his closet like trophies, which he repeatedly denied when confronted about it (Townsend 2014). Albus Dumbledore, one of the Professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the time, heard the unusual stories about Tom and his extraordinary influence over the other orphans. Dumbledore convinced Tom, who was 11 years old at the time that he was “different” like him and demonstrated his magical power. Tom was not surprised at all with Dumbledore’s revelation and was even eager to learn more about magic. Dumbledore warned Tom that his misbehavior and all the evil deeds he has done in the orphanage would not be tolerated at Hogwarts. He also knew Tom was special than the rest of the wizards and witches he had met but little did Dumbledore know at the time, he just met and “adopted” the most powerful and dark psychopath wizard of all time.
Description of Condition
Strengths/Family Structure Dumbledore brought Tom to Hogwarts in 1938 where he entered as a 12-year-old freshman and was sorted into the Slytherin House. The Slytherin House and the other students sorted in this house will supposedly become Tom’s new family. He excelled in school and was very popular and adored by all the Hogwarts staff throughout his stay. Tom’s brilliant, polite, and perfect model student façade convinced everyone that that was his true personality except Dumbledore. In time, Tom feared and hated Dumbledore because he knew Dumbledore could see through him. Dumbledore took the role as Tom’s father ever since the day he met Tom. He provided Tom allowance so that he could purchase his school supplies and other necessary materials such as robes and a wand. He just truly cared for Tom and only wanted him to take the right path. He cared for Tom like he was his own son. However, Tom did not see Dumbledore’s good intentions. Instead, he tried to avoid Dumbledore as much as he can, as their confrontation would only result into long arguments. The only time Dumbledore could get a hold of Tom is when he calls him to his office, but even sometimes Tom usually would not show up. As time went by, Tom formed a gang of Slytherin thugs who were essentially his servants that he manipulated into committing petty crimes and other misdemeanors. This so-called group of “friends” of his would become the first Death Eaters.
Challenges Tom is currently 20-years-old and on his last year in Hogwarts where he finally discovered about his mother’s family origin. He visited Morfin Gaunt, his uncle, who he was very disappointed upon meeting him. Morfin told Tom about his father and how he abandoned him and his mother, which infuriated him to the point that he wanted to seek revenge. Tom resented his father very much that he even changed his name to “Lord Voldemort” because he hated that he and his father had the same name. At this point, Tom could not control his emotions any longer that he took his uncle’s wand and used it to murder his father and his paternal grandparents with the Killing Curse. He covered up his crimes by altering his uncle’s memory and set him up as the culprit. However, Dumbledore knew it was all Tom’s doing and is now thinking of ways to deal with him. Dumbledore asked for Minerva McGonagall’s help. She is a professor and a family nurse of health and transfiguration in Hogwarts who will help Tom and Dumbledore find the right path.
Tom Riddle Through the Years Developmental Stage: Intimacy vs.Isolation Tom is in his early adulthood where most people usually “form lasting relationship or a commitment to another person, a cause, an institution, or a creative effort” (Townsend, 2014). Tom is full of anger and hostility and resentment towards his father at this moment and has no room for anything else. He is fully consumed by his ambition and evil plans to conquer and lead the Wizarding World. According to Townsend, “Failure to achieve intimacy results in behaviors such as withdrawal, social isolation, aloneness, and the inability to form lasting intimate relationships. Isolation occurs when love in the home has been deprived or distorted through the younger years, causing a severe impairment in self-esteem” (2014). This truly reflects Tom’s situation. He only put a good-boy façade to cover up his evil symptoms and to go under Dumbledore’s suspicious radar. Even though Tom has his Death Eaters, he does not consider them as friends or family but more of a group of servants that he can easily replace. Tom did not grow up in a family at all, nor did he receive any love from any of his family members. Dumbledore came in his life at a later time when Tom already embraced the monster inside him. Developmental Stage: Ego Integrity vs. Despair (Townsend, 2014). Dumbledore, one of the greatest wizards of all time, is in his late adult life. At this time, he has achieved many great milestones in the Wizarding World. He has been very successful in his career his whole life that even until now that he’s 105 years-old, he’s still working as a professor at Hogwarts. He surely knows how impactful his contributions are and it is evident that he’s fully accepted the way his life turned out.
Developmental Stage: Ego Integrity vs. Despair Morfin, a 65 year-old wizard, has a “sense of self-worth and self- acceptance” as he has been very successful in his career as well (Townsend, 2014), Even though he didn’t achieve great milestones like Dumbledore, he was still successful in his business venture.
Bioecological Systems Theory Microsystem The Riddle Family consists of 3 members: Tom Riddle, Merope Gaunt, and Tom Riddle Sr.. They never properly lived as a family as Tom Sr. left Merope when Tom was still in Merope’s womb. Tom grew up in Wool’s Orphanage where he was later taken and “adopted” by Albus Dumbledore, who is currently 105 years old. Tom then moved to Hogwarts where he lived with Dumbledore and other fellow wizards and witches. Tom is already suffering from antisocial personality disorder even before he entered Hogwarts but he put on a façade to hide his condition from everyone especially from his father figure, Dumbledore.
Mesosystem Tom is currently on his last year in Hogwarts where he was able to gather himself a group of Slytherin thugs who were essentially his servants that he manipulated into committing petty crimes and other misdemeanors. This so-called group of “friends” of his would become the first Death Eaters. The fact that he put on a model student façade, all the staff and students in Hogwarts thought highly of him. He was adored and treasured the most by Professor Horace Slughorn. However, his relationship with Dumbledore at this time is deteriorating, Tom is embracing his dark side and psychopathic personality even more than ever. They had many arguments between them regarding the signs and symptoms of his condition, which made Tom avoid Dumbledore even more. His relationship with his uncle, Morfin Gaunt, was terrible as well as he hated the fact that he was even related to him and used him to cover up his crime. As far as Tom’s father and paternal grandparents, he killed them, as he was enraged to the fact that his father abandoned him and his mother.
Exosystem Merope Gaunt died when he gave birth to Tom who didn’t leave any savings left behind for Tom’s future. While Tom Riddle Sr.’s location and living conditions were unknown for the longest time. He did not support his son in any way at all. Dumbledore, a professor in Hogwarts and a father figure to Tom, is the one who provided Tom his needs and other living expenses. Tom is still a student at this time and is unable to work and support himself.
Macrosystem The Wizarding World consists of 50% pure-blood, 40% half-bloods, like Tom and the rest 10% are muggles who demonstrate magical power. Racism against muggle born and half-blood people is prevalent through out the Wizarding World. Even though, there is a Ministry of Magic that protects the muggle, wizards and witches, and the primary governing body that regulates the magical law in the Wizarding World, it does not have much control over the racism issue. Just like in the muggle world, every wizards and witches need to abide by the law. On another note, Winzengamot is the high court that holds different trials for crimes and other conflicts within the Wizarding World. Tom was not completely fond of the Wizarding government as this puts him in danger and at risk of going to Prison of Azkaban, a horrible place where Dementors are constantly sucking prisoners soul out of their bodies. Everyone who uses the Unforgivable Curses, the Killing Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Imperius Curse, will be reported to the Improper Use of Magic Office and will be sentenced to go to Prison of Azkaban and even face death.
Chronosystem 1938 – Tom moved to Hogwarts from Wool’s Orphanage. This greatly impacted Tom’s life, as this was the time when he truly embraced his dark side and psychotic personality without being caught by anyone except, of course, by Dumbledore. Since everyone in Hogwarts is allowed to use controlled magic, he was able to explore the dark arts and magic secretly. 1938-1945 – During his stay at Hogwarts, his relationship with Dumbledore has gotten strained and there is so much tension between them. He no longer had the desire to win Dumbledore over as he already know that Dumbledore know of his psychopathic personality. 1943 – The year where Tom killed his father and paternal grandparents with the Killing Curse. This is when he crossed the line of no return. This is very important because this is his first time he actually acted upon his emotions and killed people.
Problem: Other-directed Violence Tom cannot control his anger and demonstrates that he can physically harm others just like what happened when he killed his father and his paternal grandparents. The fact that he also framed his uncle and felt no remorse or guilt after what he did to his immediate family alarms and troubles Dumbledore, which prompts him in asking McGonagall’s help.
Interventions 1. McGonagall, Hogwarts’ family nurse, will need to help Tom to manage his aggression and to identify the reasons behind his hostility by recognizing triggers and teaching him how to cope with these triggers “by using stop signs, avoiding or escaping from triggering situations” (Chakhssi, Kersten, Ruiter, & Bernstein, 2014). Rationale: This will help the patient to gain greater control over his anger and impulsivity (Chakhssi et. al, 2014). 2. McGonagall will again help establish an emotional bond with Tom as well as coach Dumbledore to reinforce his relationship with Tom by being “transparent, genuine, straightforward, and self-disclosing within appropriate limits” (Chakhssi et. al, 2014). Rationale: This will help to meet the patient’s neglected and most important basic needs such as stability, trustworthiness, fairness and justice, consistency, transparency, and emotional support and attention, which are often not met in psychopathic situations. Besides that, it can help him relieve an “emotionally distressing experience belonging to a complex trauma” (Chakhssi et. al, 2014). 3. McGonagall will need to help Tom control his emotions by using movement therapy, which will help him recognize changes or movements in his body that signals tension is building up and how to intervene it in a timely way, before he reached a point of no return (Chakssi et. al, 2014). Rationale: “Emotion regulation is essential for healthy psychological functioning” (Shafir, 2016). According to Shafir, “through deliberate control of motor behavior and its consequent proprioception and interoception, one could regulate his emotions and affect his feelings” (2016).
Outcomes 1. Tom will be able to control his aggression and not harm others (Townsend, 2014). 2. Tom will be able to discuss his “angry feelings and situations that precipitate hostility” (Townsend, 2014). 3. Tom will be able to “cope more adaptively by delaying gratification of own desires and following [the] rules and regulations” of the Wizarding World (Townsend, 2014).
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