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"I think there is something trying to get out of your wardrobe."
Albus Dumbledore to a young Tom Riddle[src]

This was a wardrobe which was owned by Tom Riddle during his time at Wool's Orphanage as a young orphanage in his youth.[1]

History[]

"The wardrobe burst into flames. Riddle jumped to his feet; Harry could hardly blame him for howling in shock and rage; all his worldly possessions must be in there. But even as Riddle rounded on Dumbledore, the flames vanished, leaving the wardrobe completely undamaged."
Harry Potter seeing the memory of a young Tom Riddle[src]

When Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, was a boy under the age of eleven, he was housed in an orphanage in London in the 1920s-1930s. It was during his early years that he began to use preliminary magic and used these uncommonly powerful skills to bully other children at the orphanage. Riddle was described as cruel and dominated over the other children. He was a tyrant among them, operating in secret so that no one could ever catch him in the act.[1]

Riddle also began to steal items from other children. He kept these stolen objects in his wardrobe and prized them as though they were trophies. There were many toys such as yo-yos among Riddle's collection.[1]

In 1938, Albus Dumbledore visited the orphanage and was introduced to young Tom Riddle who thought he was a psychologist, doctor or asylum official (a paranoid response to the fear of getting in trouble for his bullying behaviour). Dumbledore proved that he was a wizard by setting the wardrobe on fire, and then freezing the flames to prevent its destruction. Dumbledore then caused the stolen objects kept in a box to rattle, which forced Riddle to take the box out and empty it.[1]

The objects in the wardrobe were supposedly returned to their rightful owners with apologies by instruction of Dumbledore, who clearly explained to Riddle that he would know if he did or not. Afterwards, this wardrobe mostly contained clothes or was left empty. Riddle would not have stolen from his fellow orphans again now that he was forbidden to use magic under wizarding law while he was still under-age.[1]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 13 (The Secret Riddle)
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