Merope Gaunt

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Merope Riddle (née Gaunt) (c. 1907 - December 31st, 1926) was a pure-blood witch and the mother of Tom Marvolo Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort. She was a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin and a Parselmouth.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early Life 1.2 Marriage 1.3 Childbirth and Death 2 Physical description 3 Personality and Traits 4 Etymology 5 Behind the scenes 6 Appearances 7 Notes and references

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early Life

Merope Gaunt lived in a shack near Little Hangleton with her father Marvolo and brother Morfin. Generations of inbreeding left the Gaunts violent, mentally unstable, and poverty-stricken. Merope exhibited little magical talent in her early years and was mentally and physically abused by her father as a result. He believed her to be a Squib and frequently derided her for it, calling her a "disgusting little Squib", among other things. This, however, was actually a self-fulfilling prophecy, as Merope's magical abilities were suppressed largely because of her father's abuse. Based on this, as well as the family's poverty, it is unlikely that Merope attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, though she did have a wand. Merope seemed to be in charge of cooking and cleaning in her family home; it is unknown what happened to her mother.

However, Merope's magical ability flourished after her father and brother were incarcerated in Azkaban and she was free from their abuse.^[1]

[edit] Marriage

At some point in her life, Merope secretly fell in love with Tom Riddle, a wealthy Muggle who lived nearby. Her father was livid when Morfin revealed this to him, and attacked her physically, but was restrained by Ministry official Bob Ogden. Ogden arrested both Marvolo and Morfin, who had cursed Riddle because his sister found him attractive. With her family gone, Merope made a play for Riddle.

Although Harry Potter, upon learning of these events, speculated that she might have used the Imperius Curse on Riddle, Dumbledore believed that she probably used a Love Potion because it seemed more romantic. In any case, Riddle became infatuated with her and they were soon married, running away to London together. This caused great scandal in Little Hangleton.

After a year of marriage, Merope became pregnant and decided to release Riddle from his mental enslavement, having grown tired of living a lie. Dumbledore speculated that she did this hoping either that her husband would have truly fallen in love with her by that point or that he would at least stay for the sake of their unborn child. Unfortunately for her, he had and did not. Riddle awoke into a nightmare and fled back to his family's home, saying that he'd been bewitched, although according to Albus Dumbledore, he probably didn't say that exactly, for fear of being thought that he was crazy. The people in Little Hangleton thought that Merope told Riddle that she was having his child, and that was why he married her.^[1]

[edit] Childbirth and Death

After her husband's abandonment, Merope fell into a deep depression and lived as a pauper in London, selling her valuables to survive. Specifically, she sold her locket, a family heirloom, to Caractacus Burke for only ten Galleons, either not knowing that it was a priceless artifact or simply no longer caring. Her heart broken and her dreams in tatters, Merope stopped using magic altogether after Riddle's desertion, not even willing to raise her wand to save her own life (although, according to Dumbledore, her powers may have been sapped as a result of depression).

On New Year's Eve of 1926, Merope entered labour. She stumbled into an orphanage, and gave birth to a son. She told Mrs. Cole, a woman who worked in the orphanage, to name him Tom Marvolo Riddle, after his father and maternal grandfather. Merope died within an hour, hoping he would turn out to look like his father.

Years later, her son would find it difficult to believe that she could have been a witch, as she succumbed to something as mortal as death. It seems she was too depressed to use magic, let alone concern herself with carrying on with her life. Her son would grow up believing his father married Merope of his own free will, only leaving her after discovering she was a witch. Although Merope had a choice, she chose death in spite of a son that needed her due to the miserable existence to which she had been condemned. Merope's son would grow up to become the Dark Lord Voldemort.^[2]

[edit] Physical description

Merope had lank, dull hair and a pale, heavy face with eyes that looked in opposite directions. She kept herself cleaner than either her father or her brother, but was very defeated-looking.^[1]

[edit] Personality and Traits

Merope was physically and emotionally abused by her family, and as a result was timid and miserable for most of her life, traumatized to the point of being unable to perform magic. She grew bolder and happier once Marvolo and Morfin were sent to Azkaban, and displayed enough cunning and magical skill to brew a love potion. She loved Tom Riddle Sr. rather obsessively, given the lengths she went to obtain his affection and her depression after he left her.^[1] Even the responsibility of having a baby to look after was not enough to give Merope the will to live after her husband abandoned her. Having lived an almost entirely miserable life, Merope had no hope left and not enough courage to make her want to keep trying, even for the sake of her newborn son.^[2] This decision had a negative impact on her son's psyche.

[edit] Etymology

Merope is the name of the faintest star in the star cluster Pleiades, named for a daughter of Atlas and Pleione in Greek mythology. This Merope was a nymph who married a mortal, Sisyphus, and bore him a son, Glaucus; some myths say that she is the dullest of the seven stars because she brought shame upon herself for marrying a mortal. Merope Gaunt's marriage to a Muggle may be an allusion to this marriage, as both suffered a resulting "fading away". Also, Merope of mythology was the seventh sister, and seven is the most magically powerful number, perhaps alluding to her incredibly powerful son, who would later plan to split his soul into seven pieces in an attempt to achieve immortality.

[edit] Behind the scenes

• J. K. Rowling has said that if Merope had lived and raised Voldemort, he would have turned out to be very different.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance) (Indirectly mentioned as Riddle's mother)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Appears in flashback(s)) (First identified as Merope Gaunt)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Mentioned as "Voldemort's mother")

[edit] Notes and references