Well, unless the theory I floated in my 'Minding the Gap' essay actually has grounds, the facts we *have* suggest that Tom, off in his orphanage for the summers had no access to the information that he was fishing for.
Yes he probably did spend some time with his classmates over the summers, but until he came across the term and knew what he was looking *for* he wouldn't have any idea where to look.
What fits with what we were given in HBP is that Tom came across the same reference that Hermione did some 50 years later -- which appears to be the only reference to the subject left in the library, and decided to investigate it. Sluggy gave him the basic summary and disavowed all personal knowledge. He also tried to head him off at the pass by letting him know that he wouldn't find that information at Hogwarts.
It also reads that Tom, now having been given a clue of a procedure that would further his attempt at immortality, started chasing the possibilities to the wrong person, off the top of his head, which resulted in frightening Slughorn out of his wits, and, belatedly warning Tom to shut up about it and back off. A bit of further consideration would probably have had him thinking of checking the Room of Lost Things for further information. If he had in mind what he was looking *for* in that room when he was pacing in front of the door it wouldn't have been a protracted search.
Admittedly, by the time the trio is at Hogwarts, those books are safely in the Headmaster's office, but when Tom was there, Dippett was Head and I'm not sure that he's have wanted them in *his* office. Indeed, Albus may not have retrieved them until after Tom showed up after his years away from Britain to ask for the DADA post.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-02-08 02:54 am (UTC)Yes he probably did spend some time with his classmates over the summers, but until he came across the term and knew what he was looking *for* he wouldn't have any idea where to look.
What fits with what we were given in HBP is that Tom came across the same reference that Hermione did some 50 years later -- which appears to be the only reference to the subject left in the library, and decided to investigate it. Sluggy gave him the basic summary and disavowed all personal knowledge. He also tried to head him off at the pass by letting him know that he wouldn't find that information at Hogwarts.
It also reads that Tom, now having been given a clue of a procedure that would further his attempt at immortality, started chasing the possibilities to the wrong person, off the top of his head, which resulted in frightening Slughorn out of his wits, and, belatedly warning Tom to shut up about it and back off. A bit of further consideration would probably have had him thinking of checking the Room of Lost Things for further information. If he had in mind what he was looking *for* in that room when he was pacing in front of the door it wouldn't have been a protracted search.
Admittedly, by the time the trio is at Hogwarts, those books are safely in the Headmaster's office, but when Tom was there, Dippett was Head and I'm not sure that he's have wanted them in *his* office. Indeed, Albus may not have retrieved them until after Tom showed up after his years away from Britain to ask for the DADA post.