A few thoughts: IMO to Voldemort his own immortality was his top goal, the second one was being recognized as 'the greatest sorcerer inthe world' (COS), and genocide came lower in the list. Nor do I think he could have possibly sustained a belief in the inherent superiority of purebloods over other wizards after meeting his pureblood relative Morfin Gaunt. So IMO only after his trip to the cave with Kreacher, when he believed to have placed a Horcrux under the most effective protection he could devise, did the war escalate to the levels described by Arthur and Sirius in GOF, of weekly attacks that brought the Ministry to a state of disarray (leading to Crouch's harsh measures). Before that its scale was much smaller because Voldemort wasn't taking that many risks. I believe that earlier he focused mostly on Dumbledore's political supporters (so yes, there was fear of him and his name and there were elopements - but only within a narrow segment of wizarding society) and on killing people he could use for his inferi (the disappearances). I can't imagine the Ministry lasting 11 years of intensive attacks, nor do I imagine wizarding society and economy surviving. Also, if we place the cave trip during Christmas break of 1978 (with Regulus dying in early 1979) then the quantum leap in the scale of the war explains why Harry's year has so few students than normal (reconciling the conflicting evidence about the size of Hogwarts student body and possible size of wizarding society).
In this case we know Regulus did not expect to be signing on for genocide - there wasn't much of one going on.
His belief that Lily could have Sorted into Slytherin may have been based on Eileen's belief that Riddle may have been a Muggle-born. If so this rules her out as anyone who was in any way close to Riddle. She knew him as the heroic student who caught Hagrid and later became Head Boy but no more. (The theory she promised to raise her child to serve Tom or anything of the like is out.)
However after SWM Lily does accuse him of calling everyone else of her birth 'Mudblood'. Probably not within her hearing.
As an adult, not only does he not use racist language or race-based insults (unless you consider him telling Harry his perception of Legilimency as mind-reading is 'thinking like a Muggle' as such), but he talks of matchboxes in front of the entire dueling club, thus revealing his familiarity with Muggle devices.
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Re: Part III
Date: 2009-08-06 04:44 pm (UTC)In this case we know Regulus did not expect to be signing on for genocide - there wasn't much of one going on.
His belief that Lily could have Sorted into Slytherin may have been based on Eileen's belief that Riddle may have been a Muggle-born. If so this rules her out as anyone who was in any way close to Riddle. She knew him as the heroic student who caught Hagrid and later became Head Boy but no more. (The theory she promised to raise her child to serve Tom or anything of the like is out.)
However after SWM Lily does accuse him of calling everyone else of her birth 'Mudblood'. Probably not within her hearing.
As an adult, not only does he not use racist language or race-based insults (unless you consider him telling Harry his perception of Legilimency as mind-reading is 'thinking like a Muggle' as such), but he talks of matchboxes in front of the entire dueling club, thus revealing his familiarity with Muggle devices.