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harry potter - If we dismiss Voldemort's magical knowledge, is he an intelligent person?


In a previous question there was a debate as to whether Voldemort is a genius or not. Here is some evidence towards his magical intelligence:




  • Possessed a power beyond almost any wizard in known history, and since magic has a lot to do with knowledge, he must have had greater magical knowledge than any wizard in known history.





  • Left Hogwarts with "top grades in every examination he had taken".




  • Is very loquacious: He inspires fear and loyalty in his followers. Also leaders in general need to be smart in order to make intelligent decisions. (Not sure if speaking Parseltongue makes you loquacious...)




Obviously he possessed knowledge regarding magic that far surpassed almost anyone in the Harry Potter universe. However if we discount his magical knowledge, does he possess an extraordinary intelligence that isn't a result of his lust for magical knowledge? There is certainly evidence of poor decisions made by him, are there examples outside of magical knowledge that show he possesses superior intelligence?



Answer



Yes, the Dark Lord is intelligent apart from his magical knowledge. He is cunning and crafty, as evidenced by his behavior after first regaining a body at the end of TGOF.


He stayed hidden, building alliances, gathering his forces, and intentionally creating an air of mystery and fear.



He was also able, quite apart from magical ability, to plot a way to snatch Harry from under Dumbledore's watchful eye, by planting a spy at Hogwarts, who would ensure Harry's victory and transportation to that graveyard. That took planning, thought, and showed that he was quite intelligent.


He was able to fool teachers as a youth, hiding his true nature from all but Dumbledore, but never slipping up enough to give even Dumbledore proof of his involvement in events like the ones that happened while Tom was at school. The worst of those events, Tom was able to successfully frame an innocent fellow student.


The books are chock full of examples of Voldemort's intelligence. His false charm, cunning, and planning, all done masterfully to hide his true aims are evident from his youth until his demise.


His downfall, like all evil geniuses, was overconfidence in his own abilities. This isn't a lack of intelligence, it's simply human nature.


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