hc + loyalty
Because Voldemort is merely a mask that Tom has created I’ll answer this question based around Tom. Loyalty requires trust, and I want you to keep that in mind while reading this.Tom has a complicated relationship with loyalty. The average Slytherin is extremely loyal to the few they care about. Obviously, this characteristic doesn’t really seem to apply to someone like Tom. Most people may assume this has to do with his own narcissism, however, I disagree. We are aware that Tom grew up during at time when the world was at its’ knees. For reference, he was born 1926 and graduated 1945 (end of wwii). When he was 3 the stock market crashed (1929) at a time when Great Britain was still recovering from WWI. It wasn’t uncommon for children to become orphans, or be abandoned, because either their parents died at war, starved, or just couldn’t take care of them. Either way, orphanages were overflowing and it only got worse after the second war started. The type of environment he grew up in didn’t promote much trust or loyalty, and the fact that his mother and father basically abandoned him didn’t help matters.So starting at a young age he already had deep seated fears of abandonment and trust. His paranoid tendencies, overthinking people, and general distrust probably started at a really young age and then continued to escalate as he got older.Now, I suppose we can assume that he doesn’t believe in true loyalty in others, or himself, however I ask you to evaluate the facts with me.What do we know?1. He has openly admitted that he expected his Death Eaters to find him after his downfall. He also admired the Lestranges for going to Azkaban in his name.That right there proves that he was able to acknowledge loyalty in others 2. he would never admit any kind of loyalty towards another.However we are shown that under certain circumstances we are shown that he takes an out of character step towards another, always those of use.Ace Rivera: Such as saving Bellatrix in book five, or when he screamed during book seven.I think him not having loyalty towards others is a misconception.I’ve always headcanoned that he sees Bellatrix as his creation.He may not have the capacity to trust others, but he’s capable (and does) trust himself.So, by extension he can show loyalty towards others because they’ve been with him for so long, and shown so much dedication, he automatically associates them as his. In oher terms they are a part of him.Above all else Tom will remain loyal to himself.
