Tom Riddell

Tom Riddle was born on December 31, 1926. He is the son of Tom Riddle Sr., a Muggle (not a wizard), and Merope Gaunt, a witch descended from Salazar Slytherin. His mother died shortly after birth, and Tom grew up in a London orphanage, where he already showed signs of dark magic and cruelty. Tom Marvolo Riddle was born on December 31, 1926, in a London orphanage. His childhood was lonely, cold, and marked by a lack of affection and belonging. Below, I detail the most important aspects of that period:

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🕯️ Birth and family origin

Father: Tom Riddle Sr., a wealthy Muggle (not wizard) who lived in Little Hangleton.

Mother: Merope Gaunt, a witch and direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin.

Merope was in love with Tom Riddle Sr. and, according to the books, tricked him using a love potion.

When the potion wore off, Tom Riddle Sr. abandoned her.

Desperate, Merope gave birth in the London orphanage and died shortly after, leaving the baby completely alone.

Tom never met his parents or learned the truth about them during his childhood.

He was raised by orphanage employees, who described him as a strange, reserved, and cruel child with others.

From a young age he showed unusual magical abilities, long before he knew he was a magician:

He could make objects move on their own.

He tortured other children or scared them with accidental magic.

He controlled animals (such as snakes) with ease.

💬 In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore visits the orphanage to offer him a place at Hogwarts. The headmistress, Mrs. Cole, tells him that Tom had done some disturbing things:

He hung a rabbit from a hook “just to see what would happen.”

He took two children to a cave where “something so terrifying happened that they never wanted to talk about it.”

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🪞 Early personality

As a child, Tom already showed traits that would later define his adult character:

Extreme pride: hated depending on others.

Emotional coldness: unable to empathize with the pain of others.

Need for control: He liked to dominate those around him.

Fear of weakness: He despised vulnerability in himself and in others.

Fascination with his uniqueness: he loved discovering that he was “different,” “better” than others.

Dumbledore, upon meeting him at just 11 years old, noticed this arrogance and warned him that uncontrolled power can destroy its possessor.

During his time at Hogwarts, Tom Marvolo Riddle was considered an exemplary student: intelligent, charming, and disciplined on the surface, but with a deeply ambitious and manipulative nature. Below, I detail his behavior, relationships, and development within the school.

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🧭 1. Income and House

Tom entered Hogwarts in 1938, at the age of eleven.

The Sorting Hat placed him in Slytherin, a house founded by his ancestor Salazar Slytherin.

Although he didn't know it at first, that connection to his ancestral lineage became an obsession as he grew up.