Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter Thirteen: The Secret Riddle Summary & Analysis

By the time Harry arrives at Dumbledore’s office the next night, the school is abuzz with rumors about Katie Bell. Harry passes the gargoyle to find the professor sitting before his Pensieve and looking “unusually tired.” He says that while Katie is now recovering, she’s had a lucky escape – had she touched the necklace with an ungloved hand, she would have died instantly. It was only Professor Snape who was able to stop the curse from spreading.

Harry repeats his suspicions about Draco to Dumbledore, but the professor merely says that he will perform a thorough investigation into the incident. He turns the subject to Merope Gaunt, saying that after her husband’s abandonment she was left alone in London with her infant son. He knows this because Caractacus Burke, one of the founders of the infamous antiques store, told him that Merope sold him her locket from Slytherin, naively accepting a tiny price.

Harry is indignant that Merope didn’t get more for the necklace, and wonders why she didn’t use magic to help herself. Dumbledore suggests that her despair at Tom’s abandonment sapped her powers, to the point where she couldn’t stay alive even to save her son. Seeing Harry’s distress, he asks if he’s actually feeling sorry for Lord Voldemort. Harry points out that Merope had a choice to die, unlike his mother, but Dumbledore warns him against judging her “harshly” – Merope was never as courageous as Lily.

Now, Dumbledore draws Harry into one of his own memories, in which he visits a grimy London orphanage to invite one of its charges, Tom Riddle, to attend Hogwarts. Although she’s initially distrustful, the overlooked matron Mrs. Cole opens up about Tom’s history. Merope gave birth in the orphanage and died an hour later; Tom has been strange for his whole life, frightening the other children and seeming to be responsible for many “nasty incidents,” although it’s impossible to catch him misbehaving. She won’t be sorry to see him go.

Mrs. Cole takes Dumbledore to Tom’s room, where he sits in front of the pale, arrogant boy and explains gently that he’s come to take him to a special school. Tom is immediately convinced that he’s being sent to an asylum, and protests that he never did anything to anyone. However, when Dumbledore says that Hogwarts is a school for magic, he seems to gain Tom’s respect; the boy boasts about being able to move things with his mind and “make bad things happen to people who annoy me.”

Tom demands that Dumbledore “prove” he’s a wizard, so the professor points his wand at the wardrobe, inside which something starts rattling. Reluctantly, Tom takes down a small box which contains various toys stolen from other children. Dumbledore warns that such behavior is not allowed at Hogwarts, and demands that Tom return the possessions. The boy agrees, but seems neither embarrassed nor contrite.

Dumbledore explains that since Tom has no money, Hogwarts will provide his robes and supplies. Tom quickly rejects the professor’s offer to help him shop, instead asking for directions to Diagon Alley. When Dumbledore mentions that the Leaky Cauldron’s barkeeper shares his name, the boy wrinkles his nose – he doesn’t like the fact that there are so many Toms. Quietly, Tom says to himself that his father must have been a wizard; if his mother had magic, she wouldn’t have died.

As Tom bids the professor farewell, Harry and Dumbledore step out of the memory, discussing Tom’s extreme readiness to believe in his own uniqueness. At the time Dumbledore had no idea what he would grow up to become, but he was disturbed by “his obvious instincts for cruelty, secrecy, and domination.”

Dumbledore also points out Tom’s disdain for his own name, which shows his core desire to be “different, separate, notorious.” Like his adult incarnation, the young Riddle prefers working alone to accepting help from anyone. These days, even the most prominent Death Eaters aren’t really Voldemort’s friends or confidantes.

Lastly, Dumbledore remarks that even as a child Voldemort was addicted to “trophies” from his exploits. He says this characteristic will prove important later. Before leaving, Harry asks why Dumbledore is no longer wearing Marvolo’s ring, but the professor just waves him away.