# Costume Trouble



## darkskies582 (Jul 20, 2005)

I'm going to a costume party for Halloween this year. I've done lots of costumes over the years (i.e. hobbit, elf, vampire, ghost, Disney characters...) but I was thinking about going as Tom Riddle from the Harry Potter books. ( as in when Voldemort was still in school) the only problem is.. how do I get other people to differentiate between Harry Potter and Tom Riddle ( or other Hogwarts people) without a name tag that says "Hello My name is..." I've had several ideas ( such as a Slytherin scarf with intials TMR sewed in... 
Any ideas?
Thanks


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

How about carrying a blank diary with the TMR on the cover, if people ask what it is, you tell them it is your magic diary, if they want to see it, show it to them and tell them it holds all your notes and thoughts from school. The scarf should help, besides the initials i would put a snake, or make the scarf it self look like a long snake . In the end, people will either know how Tom Riddle is, or they won't. Maybe a house pennant as well. 
Don't forget to brown-nose, his character did a lot of that. If you are going with someone else, maybe they could go as Hagrid, the victim of Tom's lies.
Make sure that your forhead is in plain view and that you have no scar like Harry.
Make sure that your glasses, if you wear them, don't resemble Harry's.
Just thoughts from the cheap seats
FontGeek


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## darkskies582 (Jul 20, 2005)

I like your idea about the diary... After the sixth book I can just say I'm creating a horcrux ( if you haven't read the sixth book yet.... read it..) Of course, that may make people run away from me ( that is if they have read Harry Potter) My family always have intresting Halloween costumes... one year my sister went as a cat from Cats... and my mom went as Hester Prynn from the Scartlet Letter.. Thanks for the post FontGeek


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

Take a good rubber snake along with you, remember that he (Tom) is a parceltongue.
He was a mudblood/halfblood and didn't really do anything that spectacular as a young student (other than getting Hagrid kicked out). The costume is only as good as the peoples knowledge of the character, regardless of the props you bring, they need to have an idea who he is to understand the props and costume.
FontGeek


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## CatMean (Jul 5, 2004)

Right. The robe will definitely be very important to distinguish you as a Potter series character, while the green accents on your sweater, or patch will place you in Slytherin house. I'd recommend carrying a snake like FontGeek said, it can be your "basilisk". Remember, he said it only obeys "me". Other than that, just look surly and mean, carry the diary, and if you can find bloody writing on the wall, stand in front of it.

How about a snake tattoo of some kind? It's not official in the book but I'm sure you can have artistic license given that it's halloween.

Some pictures for visual reference:
http://brilliance.christiancoulson.co.uk/images/TomRiddle4.jpg
http://www.harrypotterfanzone.com/media/figures/riddlebig.jpg
http://www.legofigs.com/images/harry_potter/Tom_Riddle_Slitherin.jpg
http://www.rosedreams.net/tombasilisk/tombasiliskf90.jpg


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## ragdoll_sally (Jul 8, 2005)

Acctually, the "hello my name is..." nametag might be kind of funny, especialy if you write the name in calligraphy.


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

Taking Ragdoll Sally's idea one step further, you ought to talk to the guys at hauntedportraits.com, they do the lenticular prints, sometimes called holographic prints, the image changes as you change the angle of viewing. See if they will do a name badge with the "Hi My Name Is..." and have the two names with the letters shuffling around between them. this would make your badge start by saying one name, and as the angle of view changes the letters appear to float around and reshuffle to read the other name. King of magical looking and a perfect effect for the way Tom got the name of Lord Voldermort. I doesn't hurt to ask them, the worst they could say is no, and you would be right where you are now.
They can keep the background art the same so that you could have the Slitherin coat of arms or logo stay constant along with a parchment texture, and only the letters floating around. I would also use the Harry Potter lettering styles for doing this. They are very readable and very recogniseable as well.
If you need the artwork for this, PM me. I can set up as many variables as the guys at HauntedPortrait need.
FontGeek


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## pirategirl (Jul 9, 2005)

Ok Um Hello hun Prefect Badge???
Remember Tom was a Prefect, Head Boy, top of his class. SO a Mr. Know It All that was really smarmy. Buttering the teachers up as well as his fellow students. Cause he didn't want anyone to know the real him, unlike Draco Malfoy.
Oh and dear... you might want to redye your hair darker too. And also instead of the rubber snake, get one of those that move... you hold it and it moves slightly... they are usually plastic or wooden. You can get one at the Flea Market that is near by.
Plus of course wear the green and actually if you reread the first book each of the characters is "Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags" page 66 paper back American version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.


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## darkskies582 (Jul 20, 2005)

thanks guys for all the help... I think I know what I'm going to do... (not entirely sure but I have time... )
Happy Halloween!
(is it 48 days??)


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

For the known Horcrux's, you had the diary, the ring that Dumbledor got (gold with a large black stone), the original pendant (not the one Dumbledore and Harry found), and possibly the serpant (from Chamber of Secrets). If this is for a party, keep in mind that you really don't want a ton of junk to have to carry around.
Don't forget that he started the "Death Eaters" while he was a student at Hogwarts, so wearing their tattoo might do well.

If you wanted different characters from the books, how about going as Tonks? Or the second Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Quirrel(sp), you could do the turban with a rubber mask underneath it for Voldemort, and do the stuttering routine. Maybe the Divination teacher with the crystal ball, star charts, cards, tea leaves, etc.
All kinds of possibilities.


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