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{{Individual infobox
{{F.A. Nomination}}
 
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|theme = wizard
{{Wizard_individual_infobox
 
|image=[[File:Hepzibah_Smith.jpg|250px]]
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|image = [[File:HepzibahSmith.png|250px]]
|name=Hepzibah Smith
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|name = Hepzibah Smith
|hideb=
+
|born =
  +
|died = c. [[1955]]-[[1961]]<ref name="death">{{HBP|B|20}} - Hepzibah's death took place ten years before [[Tom Riddle]] visited [[Albus Dumbledore]] to enquire about teaching at Hogwarts. Dumbledore became Headteacher sometime after March 1965 but no later than March 1971. Therefore, Hepzibah died between 1955 and 1961.</ref>
|born=
 
  +
|blood =
|died=c. [[1940s|1946]]
 
 
|marital =
|blood=[[Pure-blood]] or [[Half-blood]]
 
  +
|nationality = [[Great Britain|British]]<ref name="HBP20"/>
|marital=
 
|alias=
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|alias =
|title=[[Madam]] (by [[Hokey]])
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|title = [[Madam]] (by [[Hokey]])<ref name="HBP20"/>
  +
|signature =
|hidep=
 
|species=[[Human]]
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|species = [[Human]]<ref name="HBP20"/>
|gender=Female
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|gender = Female<ref name="HBP20"/>
|height=Mostly short
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|height = Short<ref name="HBP20"/>
  +
|weight =
|hair=Ginger (wig)
 
  +
|hair =
|eyes=Black
+
|eyes =
|skin=White
 
|hidef=
+
|skin =
|family=*[[Helga Hufflepuff]] (ancestor) †
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|family = *[[Helga Hufflepuff]] (claimed ancestor) †<ref name="HBP20">{{HBP|B|20}}</ref>
*[[Zacharias Smith]] (possible)
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*[[Zacharias Smith's father|Mr Smith]] (possible relative)
*[[Zacharias Smith's father|Mr. Smith]] (possible)
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*[[Sally Smith]] (possible relative)
*[[Sally Smith]] (possible)
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*[[Zacharias Smith]] (possible relative)
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|romances =
|hidem=y
 
|animagus=
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|animagus =
|boggart=
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|boggart =
|wand=
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|wand =
|patronus=
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|patronus =
|hidea=
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|job =
|job=
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|house =
 
|loyalty = *[[Smith family]]
|house=[[Hufflepuff]] (possible)
 
|loyalty=*[[Smith family]]
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*[[Hufflepuff family]]<ref name="HBP20"/>
*[[Hufflepuff family]]
 
*[[Tom Riddle|Tom Marvolo Riddle]]
 
*[[Borgin and Burkes]] (through [[Tom Riddle]])
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{Quote|Can you keep a secret, [[Tom Riddle|Tom]]? Will you promise you won't tell [[Caractacus Burke|Mr. Burke]] I've got it? He'd never let me rest if he knew I'd shown it to you, and I'm not selling, not to Burke, not to anyone!|Hepzibah Smith to [[Tom Riddle]] on [[Helga Hufflepuff's Cup]].|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
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{{Quote|Can you keep a secret, Tom? Will you promise you won't tell Mr Burke I've got it? He'd never let me rest if he knew I'd shown it to you, and I'm not selling, not to Burke, not to anyone!|Hepzibah Smith to Tom Riddle on Helga Hufflepuff's Cup|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
 
'''Madam Hepzibah Smith''' (died c. [[1955]]-[[1961]]) was a [[Wizardkind|witch]] who claimed to be descended from [[Helga Hufflepuff]]. Being very rich, Hepzibah was an avid collector of [[magic]]al antiquities, including objects that belonged to the founders of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]; her two most prized possessions were [[Helga Hufflepuff's cup]] and [[Salazar Slytherin's locket]].<ref name="HBP20"/>
   
 
Not much is known of Hepzibah's early life, but as an older woman, she befriended the young wizard [[Tom Riddle]] during one of her visits to [[Borgin and Burkes]]. After Hepzibah revealed her two greatest treasures during one of Tom's visits to her home, Tom killed her and used her death to make the cup into a [[Horcrux]]. Because her [[house-elf]] [[Hokey]], was very old and forgetful, no one doubted that she committed the crime. She claimed to have accidentally put [[Little-known poison|poison]] into her mistress' evening cocoa when in reality Riddle had planted a false memory in her mind.<ref name="HBP20"/>
'''Hepzibah Smith''' (d. circa 1946) was a [[pure-blood]] or [[half-blood]] [[Wizards|witch]] who claimed to be descended from [[Helga Hufflepuff]]. Being very rich, Hepzibah was an avid collector of [[magic]]al antiquities, including objects that belonged to the founders of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]]; her two most prized possessions were [[Helga Hufflepuff's cup]] and [[Salazar Slytherin's locket]].
 
   
  +
Before Hokey died, [[Albus Dumbledore]] realised the mistake and obtained a true memory from her, but it only showed that Riddle had enquired about Hepzibah's artefacts and was not enough to prove Hokey was innocent before she died.<ref name="HBP20"/>
Not much is known of Hepzibah's early life, but as an older woman, she befriended the young wizard [[Tom Riddle]] during one of her visits to [[Borgin and Burkes]]. After Hepzibah revealed her two greatest treasures during one of Tom's visits to her home, Tom killed her, and used her death to make the cup and locket into [[Horcrux]]es. Because her [[house-elf]] [[Hokey]], who was very old and forgetful, claimed she had accidentally mistaken the poison for sugar when preparing Hepzibah's cocoa, Riddle was never suspected of the murder.
 
   
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
 
===Early life===
 
===Early life===
Very little is known of Hepzibah's early life, but it is likely she attended [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] as a child. It is not clear whether she is a [[pure-blood]] or [[half-blood]] witch; given her claimed relation to Helga Hufflepuff, she cannot have been a Muggle-born.<ref name=HBP436/>
+
Very little is known of Hepzibah's early life. Hepzibah claimed to be descended from [[Helga Hufflepuff]], one of the founders of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]. She was a very old and wealthy [[Wizardkind|witch]] who collected magical antiques. Two of her most prized possessions were a [[Helga Hufflepuff's Cup|cup]] that belonged to her (claimed) ancestor, Helga Hufflepuff, and a [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|locket]] that belonged to [[Salazar Slytherin]], the latter of which she bought at great expense from [[Caractacus Burke]].<ref name="HBP20"/>
 
===Later life===
 
Hepzibah claimed to be descended from [[Helga Hufflepuff]], one of the founders of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]].<ref name=HBP436>''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'', page 436.</ref> She was a very old and wealthy [[Wizards|witch]] who collected magical antiques. Two of her most prized possessions were a [[Helga Hufflepuff's Cup|cup]] that belonged to her (claimed) ancestor, [[Helga Hufflepuff]],<ref name=HBP436/> and a [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|locket]] that belonged to [[Salazar Slytherin]], the latter of which she bought at great expense from [[Caractacus Burke]].<ref>''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', page 437.</ref>
 
   
 
===Meeting Tom Riddle and death===
 
===Meeting Tom Riddle and death===
[[File:Cuupp.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Helga Hufflepuff's Cup]]]]
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[[File:Riddle Hepzibah.png|234x234px|thumb|left|Hepzibah shows Slytherin's Locket to Tom Riddle. Hokey stands with the box containing Hufflepuff's Cup]]
While working at [[Borgin and Burkes]], [[Tom Riddle]] befriended Hepzibah, who doted upon him. While Riddle was visiting her on behalf of Mr. Burke, ostensibly to negotiate the sale of a suit of [[goblin-made armour]] in her possession, she imprudently showed him two of her greatest treasures: Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.<ref name=HBP435>''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', page 435.</ref>
+
While working at [[Borgin and Burkes]], [[Tom Riddle]] befriended Hepzibah, who doted upon him to the extent of having an apparent attraction to him. While Riddle was visiting her on behalf of Mr Burke, ostensibly to negotiate the sale of a suit of [[goblin-made armour]] in her possession, she imprudently showed him two of her greatest treasures: Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.<ref name="HBP20" />
   
When she took the locket from Tom's hands, she caught a glimpse of the greedy red gleam in his eyes, which caused her "foolish smile" and obsessive admiration of the boy to momentarily falter.<ref name=HBP438>''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', page 438.</ref>
+
When she took the locket from Tom's hands, she caught a glimpse of the greedy red gleam in his eyes, which caused her "foolish smile" and obsessive admiration of the boy to momentarily falter.<ref name="HBP20" /> She still decided that his appearance matched his personality, however.
   
 
Two days later, she was found dead; a [[Little-known poison|little-known lethal poison]] was found mixed with her cocoa. Riddle was never suspected; Hepzibah's [[house-elf]], [[Hokey]], confessed to having mistaken the poison for sugar, for which her fate is not revealed.<ref name="HBP20" />
[[File:Salslyloc.jpg|thumb|left|100px|[[Salazar Slytherin's Locket]]]]
 
Two days later, she was found dead; a lethal and [[little known poison]] was found mixed with her cocoa. Riddle was never suspected; Hepzibah's [[house-elf]], [[Hokey]], confessed to having mistaken the poison for sugar and mixing it in, for which her fate is not revealed.<ref name=HBP438/>
 
   
 
===Post-mortem===
 
===Post-mortem===
However, [[Albus Dumbledore]] tracked Hokey down several years later and extracted a memory from her that cast doubt on her guilt. The cup and the locket had also gone missing;<ref name=HBP439>''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', page 439.</ref> they became two of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]'s [[Horcrux]]es, with Hepzibah's death as the murder used to turn the cup into a Horcrux. This would be another step in his rise to power.
+
[[Albus Dumbledore]] tracked Hokey down several years later and extracted a memory from her that cast doubt on her guilt. The cup and the locket had since gone missing;<ref name="HBP20"/> they subsequently became two of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort's]] [[Horcrux]]es, with Albus Dumbledore believing that Hepzibah's death was the murder that transformed the cup. This would be another step in his rise to power, and pursuit of immortality. Hokey's memory was insufficient in proving her own innocence, so the truth behind Hepzibah's death was not known to the general public.<ref name="HBP20"/>
   
  +
Hepzibah's murder was ultimately avenged when Riddle was killed in the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].
==Physical appearance==
 
{{Quote|...An immensely fat old lady wearing an elaborate ginger wig and a brilliant pink set of robes that flowed all around her, giving her the look of a melting iced cake. She was looking into a small jeweled mirror and dabbing rouge onto her already scarlet cheeks with a large powder puff, while the tiniest and oldest [[house-elf]] Harry had ever seen laced her fleshy feet into tight satin slippers|Description of Hepzibah Smith|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
 
   
 
==Physical appearance==
In [[1996]], Dumbledore and Harry viewed Hokey's memory of Hepzibah's meeting with Tom Riddle where she revealed the cup and locket. In the [[Pensieve]], Harry's assessment of Hepzibah was that she was an enormously fat, wealthy woman with an ornate ginger wig. She was wearing a set of lustrous, flashy pink robes that flowed all around her and made her look like a melting iced cake. She wore satin slippers that were too small for her pudgy feet, laced by her house-elf Hokey<ref name=HBP433o>''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, page 433.</ref>. Hepzibah appeared to be quite vain and excessive, as when Harry saw her she was looking at herself in a jewel-encrusted mirror while putting rouge on her cheeks. She was very interested in valuable objects and antiques, as demonstrated by her possession of Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup. Hepzibah Smith appeared to go to great lengths to appear attractive and much younger than she really was, and to try and impress Riddle during his visits to her home.<ref name=HBP433o/>
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{{Quote|...An immensely fat old lady wearing an elaborate ginger wig and a brilliant pink set of robes that flowed all around her, giving her the look of a melting iced cake. She was looking into a small jewelled mirror and dabbing rouge onto her already scarlet cheeks with a large powder puff, while the tiniest and oldest [[house-elf]] Harry had ever seen laced her fleshy feet into tight satin slippers|Description of Hepzibah Smith|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}In [[1996]], Dumbledore and Harry viewed Hokey's memory of Hepzibah's meeting with Tom Riddle where she revealed the cup and locket. In the [[Pensieve]], Harry's assessment of Hepzibah was that she was an enormously fat, wealthy woman with an ornate ginger wig. She was wearing a set of lustrous, flashy pink robes that flowed all around her and made her look like a melting iced cake. She wore satin slippers that were too small for her pudgy feet, laced by her house-elf Hokey. Hepzibah appeared to be quite vain and excessive, as when Harry saw her she was looking at herself in a jewel-encrusted mirror while putting rouge on her cheeks. She was very interested in valuable objects and antiques, as demonstrated by her possession of Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup. Hepzibah Smith appeared to go to great lengths to appear attractive and much younger than she really was, and to try and impress Riddle during his visits to her home.<ref name="HBP20" />
   
Hearing Hokey praise her mistress's appearance as "lovely", [[Harry Potter]] concluded that Hokey's contract said that she must "lie through her teeth" when asked this question, as she was a long way from lovely in Harry's opinion.<ref name=HBP434o>''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', page 434.</ref> She was described to have a "foolish smile" in [[Tom Riddle]]'s presence, which faltered when she caught a momentary glimpse of his true nature.<ref name=HBP438/>
+
Hearing Hokey praise her mistress's appearance as "lovely", [[Harry Potter]] concluded that Hokey's contract said that she must "lie through her teeth" when asked this question, as she was a long way from lovely in Harry's opinion. She was described to have a "foolish smile" in [[Tom Riddle]]'s presence, which faltered when she caught a momentary glimpse of his true nature.<ref name="HBP20" />
   
 
==Personality and traits==
 
==Personality and traits==
  +
{{Quote|I think you’ll like this even more, Tom. Lean in a little, dear boy, so you can see... Of course, Burke knows I’ve got this one, I bought it from him, and I daresay he’d love to get it back when I’m gone...|Hepzibah unwisely showing Tom Riddle [[Slytherin's Locket]]|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
Hepzibah was a hoarder of antiques, as her house was so full of objects that Harry wondered how she could move around.<ref name=HBP434o/> She was also very proud, to the point that she didn't tell anybody where she had hidden her antiques.<ref name=HBP435/> However, she wasn't intelligent, as she foolishly showed off her two most valuable treasures to Tom Riddle, not realising at the very least that he would harm her to take them for himself. Highly infatuated with Riddle's façade of a polite and handsome young man, Hepzibah was completely oblivious to the dark greedy look on his face, until the last moment she saw him, at which even she could not ignore the red gleam in his eyes.<ref name=HBP438/> She was also very conceited, and believed that she was very pretty, something [[Harry Potter]] found that she was far from.<ref name=HBP434o/> Due to her naivete and conceit, Dumbledore described her as a "poor and besotted old woman".<ref>''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', pages 439-440.</ref>
+
Hepzibah was a hoarder of antiques, as her house was so full of objects that Harry wondered how she could move around. She was also very proud, to the point that she did not tell anybody where she had hidden her antiques. However, she was at times unintelligent, as she foolishly showed off her two most valuable treasures to Tom Riddle, not realising that he was someone who would harm her to take them for himself. Highly infatuated with Riddle's façade of a polite and handsome young man, Hepzibah was completely oblivious to the dark, greedy look on his face, until the last moment she saw him, at which even she could not ignore the red gleam in his eyes.<ref name="HBP20"/>
  +
  +
She was also very conceited and believed that she was a beautiful woman, something [[Harry Potter]] found that she was far from, and despite giving the act of being pleasantly surprised that Tom brought her flowers, she already prepared an empty flower pot beforehand, as though expecting the flowers. Due to her naïveté and conceit, Dumbledore described her as a "poor and besotted old woman".<ref name="HBP20" />
  +
  +
Despite her vanity and conceit, Hepzibah was not a cruel or unkind woman and though she could be sharp with her house-elf servant, she did not appear to mistreat her in any way. This was somewhat unusual as house-elves were generally treated with disdain or indifference if not outright cruelty by most wizards.<ref name="HBP20"/>
   
 
==Relationships==
 
==Relationships==
 
===Tom Riddle===
 
===Tom Riddle===
  +
{{Dialogue a-b|Tom Riddle|I brought you flowers.|Hepzibah Smith|You naughty boy, you shouldn’t have! You do spoil this old lady, Tom... Sit down, sit down...|Tom Riddle manipulating Hepzibah|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
[[File:TomRiddle.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tom Riddle]].]] Hepzibah first met [[Tom Riddle]] when the latter worked at [[Borgin and Burkes]]. Tom was a very handsome and clever young man. At first, he appeared to be friendly with Hepzibah, flattering her and making her feel pretty.<ref name=HBP434o/> However, it was obvious that he was kind to her only because he wanted to take from her [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket]] and [[Helga Hufflepuff's Cup]], in order to make them into [[horcrux]]es. When Hepzibah showed those treasures to Tom, she saw a red greedy gleam in his eyes; she initially thought it was just the light, but then she realised it and was frightened, but by then it was too late.<ref name=HBP438/> Two days later, Tom Riddle killed Hepzibah in order to take the two valuable objects by spilling poison into her cocoa.<ref name=HBP438/>
 
  +
[[File:Tom_Marvolo_Riddle_(HBP_promo)_1.jpg|160px|thumb|left|[[Tom Riddle]], her murderer]]
 
Hepzibah first met Tom Riddle when the latter worked at [[Borgin and Burkes]]. Tom was a very handsome and clever young man. At first, he appeared to be friendly with Hepzibah, flattering her and making her feel pretty. However, it was obvious that he was kind to her solely for the sake of business and was interested in inheriting her fortune. When Hepzibah showed two treasures — [[Slytherin's Locket]] and [[Hufflepuff's Cup]] to Tom, she saw a red and greedy gleam in his eyes, as he saw such invaluable items being worthy of being his [[horcrux]]es; she initially thought it was just the light and felt genuinely afraid of him when she glimpsed his true nature, but by that point her fate had already been sealed. Two days later, Tom Riddle killed Hepzibah in order to take the two heirlooms {not just the locket, but the cup as well} by spiking her cocoa with a little-known poison, which he framed her house-elf for, much to her despair. He had no remorse for killing her, did so out of his greed (as opposed to his father), and in a cruel irony, he even used her death to transform the cup into his [[Horcrux]].<ref name="HBP20"/>
   
 
===Hokey===
 
===Hokey===
  +
[[File:Hokey.png|thumb|160px|right|[[Hokey]], her loyal [[House-elf]]]]
Hokey was Hepzibah's house-elf, who was tiny and very elderly. Hokey most likely performed tasks typical of a house-elf. Harry Potter observed that one of her tasks was to flatter her mistress; he suggested that she must have been lying "through her teeth" when she called Hepzibah "lovely".<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'', pages 433-434.</ref> Their relationship was one typical between a witch and her servant. After Hepzibah's death, Hokey claimed responsibility, and as she was "old and confused",<ref name=HBP438 /> the Ministry labeled Hepzibah's death an accident.<ref name=HBP439 /> It was through Hokey's memory that Harry Potter observed the events which took place involving Hepzibah and Tom Riddle. It was Dumbledore who was able to secure the memories before Hokey passed away.
 
  +
{{Dialogue a-b|Hepzibah Smith|How do I look?|Hokey|Lovely, madam.|Hokey flattering her mistress|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
 
 
Hokey was Hepzibah's house-elf, who was tiny and very elderly. Hokey was likely to have performed most tasks typical of a house-elf. Harry Potter observed that one of her duties was to flatter her mistress; he suggested that she must have been lying "through her teeth" when she called Hepzibah "lovely". Their relationship was one typical between a witch and her servant, though Hepzibah did not appear to mistreat or dismiss Hokey like other wizards with house-elves. After Hepzibah's death, Hokey claimed responsibility, and as she was "old and confused", the Ministry labelled Hepzibah's death an accident. Given the typical devotion and loyalty house-elves displayed towards their masters, Hokey was presumably devastated by her mistress' death and guilt-ridden by her (unwitting and framed) role in it. It was through a memory of Hokey's that Harry Potter observed the events which took place between Hepzibah and Tom Riddle, secured by Dumbledore before Hokey passed away.<ref name="HBP20"/>
===Smith family===
 
[[File:Zsmith_002.jpg|thumb|[[Zacharias Smith]].]]
 
Hepzibah may also be related to [[Zacharias Smith]] and [[Zacharias Smith's father|his father]], and thus the entire [[Smith family]], although this is unconfirmed.
 
   
 
==Etymology==
 
==Etymology==
 
The name "Hepzibah" is a variant of Heftsi-Vah or Heftsi-Bah, a Hebrew female name meaning "my delight is in her".<ref>[http://www.behindthename.com/name/hephzibah "Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Hepzibah."] Behindthename.com, 2011.</ref> Heftsi-Vah was the wife of Hezekiah and the mother of Manasseh, kings of Judah, according to 2 Kings 21:1.<ref>[http://bible.cc/2_kings/21-1.htm "2 Kings 21:1."] Bible.cc, 2011.</ref> This name may allude to the nature of Hepzibah Smith, regarding her interest in ancient valuable artefact collections. It can also allude to the will of Lord Voldemort in killing her to split his soul and steal Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.
 
The name "Hepzibah" is a variant of Heftsi-Vah or Heftsi-Bah, a Hebrew female name meaning "my delight is in her".<ref>[http://www.behindthename.com/name/hephzibah "Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Hepzibah."] Behindthename.com, 2011.</ref> Heftsi-Vah was the wife of Hezekiah and the mother of Manasseh, kings of Judah, according to 2 Kings 21:1.<ref>[http://bible.cc/2_kings/21-1.htm "2 Kings 21:1."] Bible.cc, 2011.</ref> This name may allude to the nature of Hepzibah Smith, regarding her interest in ancient valuable artefact collections. It can also allude to the will of Lord Voldemort in killing her to split his soul and steal Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.
  +
  +
== Behind the scenes ==
  +
  +
* It is possible that Hepzibah is related to [[Zacharias Smith]]. Although Smith is a very common surname, both Zacharias and Hepzibah are uncommon Jewish names, and Hepzibah is also known to have had relatives.
  +
* Hepzibah is somewhat similar to [[Helena Ravenclaw]], as they both became fascinated by [[Tom Riddle]], allowing him to get hold of something to turn into a [[Horcrux]].
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
  +
{{Imagecat|Images of Hepzibah Smith}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'' {{1st}} {{Flashback}}
 
  +
*{{HBP}} {{1st}} {{Flashback}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' {{Mention}}
 
  +
*{{DH}} {{Mention}}
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*{{PM}} {{Flashback}}
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*{{WW}} {{Flashback}}
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*{{WU}} {{Mention}}
   
 
==Notes and references==
 
==Notes and references==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}
  +
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Hepzibah}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Hepzibah}}
+
[[de:Hepzibah Smith]]
 
[[es:Hepzibah Smith]]
 
[[es:Hepzibah Smith]]
 
[[fr:Hepzibah Smith]]
 
[[fr:Hepzibah Smith]]
[[ru:Хепзиба Смит]] [[pl:Chefsiba Smith]]
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[[ru:Хепзиба Смит]]
[[Category:1940s deaths]]
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[[pl:Chefsiba Smith]]
  +
[[pt-br:Hepzibá Smith]]
  +
[[Category:20th century deaths]]
 
[[Category:British individuals]]
 
[[Category:British individuals]]
 
[[Category:Deaths by poisoning]]
 
[[Category:Deaths by poisoning]]
 
[[Category:Females]]
 
[[Category:Females]]
 
[[Category:Horcrux victims]]
 
[[Category:Horcrux victims]]
[[Category:Killed by Lord Voldemort]]
+
[[Category:Killed by Tom Riddle]]
[[Category:Murder victims]]
+
[[Category:Smith family|Hepzibah]]
 
[[Category:Wizards]]
 
[[Category:Wizards]]

Latest revision as of 18:52, 22 January 2024

"Can you keep a secret, Tom? Will you promise you won't tell Mr Burke I've got it? He'd never let me rest if he knew I'd shown it to you, and I'm not selling, not to Burke, not to anyone!"
— Hepzibah Smith to Tom Riddle on Helga Hufflepuff's Cup[src]

Madam Hepzibah Smith (died c. 1955-1961) was a witch who claimed to be descended from Helga Hufflepuff. Being very rich, Hepzibah was an avid collector of magical antiquities, including objects that belonged to the founders of Hogwarts; her two most prized possessions were Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Salazar Slytherin's locket.[2]

Not much is known of Hepzibah's early life, but as an older woman, she befriended the young wizard Tom Riddle during one of her visits to Borgin and Burkes. After Hepzibah revealed her two greatest treasures during one of Tom's visits to her home, Tom killed her and used her death to make the cup into a Horcrux. Because her house-elf Hokey, was very old and forgetful, no one doubted that she committed the crime. She claimed to have accidentally put poison into her mistress' evening cocoa when in reality Riddle had planted a false memory in her mind.[2]

Before Hokey died, Albus Dumbledore realised the mistake and obtained a true memory from her, but it only showed that Riddle had enquired about Hepzibah's artefacts and was not enough to prove Hokey was innocent before she died.[2]

Biography

Early life

Very little is known of Hepzibah's early life. Hepzibah claimed to be descended from Helga Hufflepuff, one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was a very old and wealthy witch who collected magical antiques. Two of her most prized possessions were a cup that belonged to her (claimed) ancestor, Helga Hufflepuff, and a locket that belonged to Salazar Slytherin, the latter of which she bought at great expense from Caractacus Burke.[2]

Meeting Tom Riddle and death

Riddle Hepzibah

Hepzibah shows Slytherin's Locket to Tom Riddle. Hokey stands with the box containing Hufflepuff's Cup

While working at Borgin and Burkes, Tom Riddle befriended Hepzibah, who doted upon him to the extent of having an apparent attraction to him. While Riddle was visiting her on behalf of Mr Burke, ostensibly to negotiate the sale of a suit of goblin-made armour in her possession, she imprudently showed him two of her greatest treasures: Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.[2]

When she took the locket from Tom's hands, she caught a glimpse of the greedy red gleam in his eyes, which caused her "foolish smile" and obsessive admiration of the boy to momentarily falter.[2] She still decided that his appearance matched his personality, however.

Two days later, she was found dead; a little-known lethal poison was found mixed with her cocoa. Riddle was never suspected; Hepzibah's house-elf, Hokey, confessed to having mistaken the poison for sugar, for which her fate is not revealed.[2]

Post-mortem

Albus Dumbledore tracked Hokey down several years later and extracted a memory from her that cast doubt on her guilt. The cup and the locket had since gone missing;[2] they subsequently became two of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, with Albus Dumbledore believing that Hepzibah's death was the murder that transformed the cup. This would be another step in his rise to power, and pursuit of immortality. Hokey's memory was insufficient in proving her own innocence, so the truth behind Hepzibah's death was not known to the general public.[2]

Hepzibah's murder was ultimately avenged when Riddle was killed in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Physical appearance

"...An immensely fat old lady wearing an elaborate ginger wig and a brilliant pink set of robes that flowed all around her, giving her the look of a melting iced cake. She was looking into a small jewelled mirror and dabbing rouge onto her already scarlet cheeks with a large powder puff, while the tiniest and oldest house-elf Harry had ever seen laced her fleshy feet into tight satin slippers"
— Description of Hepzibah Smith[src]

In 1996, Dumbledore and Harry viewed Hokey's memory of Hepzibah's meeting with Tom Riddle where she revealed the cup and locket. In the Pensieve, Harry's assessment of Hepzibah was that she was an enormously fat, wealthy woman with an ornate ginger wig. She was wearing a set of lustrous, flashy pink robes that flowed all around her and made her look like a melting iced cake. She wore satin slippers that were too small for her pudgy feet, laced by her house-elf Hokey. Hepzibah appeared to be quite vain and excessive, as when Harry saw her she was looking at herself in a jewel-encrusted mirror while putting rouge on her cheeks. She was very interested in valuable objects and antiques, as demonstrated by her possession of Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup. Hepzibah Smith appeared to go to great lengths to appear attractive and much younger than she really was, and to try and impress Riddle during his visits to her home.[2]

Hearing Hokey praise her mistress's appearance as "lovely", Harry Potter concluded that Hokey's contract said that she must "lie through her teeth" when asked this question, as she was a long way from lovely in Harry's opinion. She was described to have a "foolish smile" in Tom Riddle's presence, which faltered when she caught a momentary glimpse of his true nature.[2]

Personality and traits

"I think you’ll like this even more, Tom. Lean in a little, dear boy, so you can see... Of course, Burke knows I’ve got this one, I bought it from him, and I daresay he’d love to get it back when I’m gone..."
— Hepzibah unwisely showing Tom Riddle Slytherin's Locket[src]

Hepzibah was a hoarder of antiques, as her house was so full of objects that Harry wondered how she could move around. She was also very proud, to the point that she did not tell anybody where she had hidden her antiques. However, she was at times unintelligent, as she foolishly showed off her two most valuable treasures to Tom Riddle, not realising that he was someone who would harm her to take them for himself. Highly infatuated with Riddle's façade of a polite and handsome young man, Hepzibah was completely oblivious to the dark, greedy look on his face, until the last moment she saw him, at which even she could not ignore the red gleam in his eyes.[2]

She was also very conceited and believed that she was a beautiful woman, something Harry Potter found that she was far from, and despite giving the act of being pleasantly surprised that Tom brought her flowers, she already prepared an empty flower pot beforehand, as though expecting the flowers. Due to her naïveté and conceit, Dumbledore described her as a "poor and besotted old woman".[2]

Despite her vanity and conceit, Hepzibah was not a cruel or unkind woman and though she could be sharp with her house-elf servant, she did not appear to mistreat her in any way. This was somewhat unusual as house-elves were generally treated with disdain or indifference if not outright cruelty by most wizards.[2]

Relationships

Tom Riddle

Tom Riddle: "I brought you flowers."
Hepzibah Smith: "You naughty boy, you shouldn’t have! You do spoil this old lady, Tom... Sit down, sit down..."
— Tom Riddle manipulating Hepzibah[src]
Tom Marvolo Riddle (HBP promo) 1

Tom Riddle, her murderer

Hepzibah first met Tom Riddle when the latter worked at Borgin and Burkes. Tom was a very handsome and clever young man. At first, he appeared to be friendly with Hepzibah, flattering her and making her feel pretty. However, it was obvious that he was kind to her solely for the sake of business and was interested in inheriting her fortune. When Hepzibah showed two treasures — Slytherin's Locket and Hufflepuff's Cup — to Tom, she saw a red and greedy gleam in his eyes, as he saw such invaluable items being worthy of being his horcruxes; she initially thought it was just the light and felt genuinely afraid of him when she glimpsed his true nature, but by that point her fate had already been sealed. Two days later, Tom Riddle killed Hepzibah in order to take the two heirlooms {not just the locket, but the cup as well} by spiking her cocoa with a little-known poison, which he framed her house-elf for, much to her despair. He had no remorse for killing her, did so out of his greed (as opposed to his father), and in a cruel irony, he even used her death to transform the cup into his Horcrux.[2]

Hokey

Hokey

Hokey, her loyal House-elf

Hepzibah Smith: "How do I look?"
Hokey: "Lovely, madam."
— Hokey flattering her mistress[src]

Hokey was Hepzibah's house-elf, who was tiny and very elderly. Hokey was likely to have performed most tasks typical of a house-elf. Harry Potter observed that one of her duties was to flatter her mistress; he suggested that she must have been lying "through her teeth" when she called Hepzibah "lovely". Their relationship was one typical between a witch and her servant, though Hepzibah did not appear to mistreat or dismiss Hokey like other wizards with house-elves. After Hepzibah's death, Hokey claimed responsibility, and as she was "old and confused", the Ministry labelled Hepzibah's death an accident. Given the typical devotion and loyalty house-elves displayed towards their masters, Hokey was presumably devastated by her mistress' death and guilt-ridden by her (unwitting and framed) role in it. It was through a memory of Hokey's that Harry Potter observed the events which took place between Hepzibah and Tom Riddle, secured by Dumbledore before Hokey passed away.[2]

Etymology

The name "Hepzibah" is a variant of Heftsi-Vah or Heftsi-Bah, a Hebrew female name meaning "my delight is in her".[3] Heftsi-Vah was the wife of Hezekiah and the mother of Manasseh, kings of Judah, according to 2 Kings 21:1.[4] This name may allude to the nature of Hepzibah Smith, regarding her interest in ancient valuable artefact collections. It can also allude to the will of Lord Voldemort in killing her to split his soul and steal Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.

Behind the scenes

  • It is possible that Hepzibah is related to Zacharias Smith. Although Smith is a very common surname, both Zacharias and Hepzibah are uncommon Jewish names, and Hepzibah is also known to have had relatives.
  • Hepzibah is somewhat similar to Helena Ravenclaw, as they both became fascinated by Tom Riddle, allowing him to get hold of something to turn into a Horcrux.

Appearances

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 6 images related to Hepzibah Smith.

Notes and references

  1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20 (Lord Voldemort's Request) - Hepzibah's death took place ten years before Tom Riddle visited Albus Dumbledore to enquire about teaching at Hogwarts. Dumbledore became Headteacher sometime after March 1965 but no later than March 1971. Therefore, Hepzibah died between 1955 and 1961.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20 (Lord Voldemort's Request)
  3. "Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Hepzibah." Behindthename.com, 2011.
  4. "2 Kings 21:1." Bible.cc, 2011.