Merope Riddle (cut character)

 MEROPE GAUNT

Biographical information

Full Name

Merope Gaunt

Nicknames

• Squib (by her father)

• Impoverished Girl, Tramp's daughter (by village people)

Born

1907

Died

31 December 1926, Wool's Orphanage, London, England, Great Britain

Blood Status

Pure-blood

Marital status

Married

Nationality

British

Physical information

Species

Human

Gender

Female

Hair Colour

Dull

Eye Colour

Dark Brown

Skin Colour

Pale

Family Information

Children

Tom Riddle † (son)

Siblings

Morfin Gaunt † (brother)

Parents

• Unnamed Mother †

• Marvolo Gaunt † (father)

Grandparents

• Unnamed Paternal Grandfather †

• Unnamed Grandmother †

• Unnamed Paternal Grandmother †

• Unnamed Grandfather †

Uncles/Aunts

• Ominis Gaunt † (paternal uncle)

• Three Unnamed Uncles † (paternal)

• Unnamed Paternal Aunt †

• Unnamed Aunt †

Great-aunts/uncles

Noctua Gaunt † (great-aunt)

In-laws

• Thomas Riddle † (father-in-law)

• Mary Riddle † (mother-in-law)

Grandchildren

Delphini (granddaughter)

Ancestors

• Salazar Slytherin † (paternal ancestor)

• Cadmus Peverell † (paternal ancestor)

• Gormlaith Gaunt † (paternal ancestor)

• Corvinus Gaunt † (paternal ancestor)

Relationships

Romance

Tom Riddle Senior † (husband; unrequited)

Magical characteristics

Powers/skills

• Parselmouth

• Charms

• Dark Arts

• Potions

Wand

Unknown length, wood and core

Affiliation

Residence

Gaunt Shack, Outside Little Hangleton, Yorkshire, England, Great Britain

Loyalty

• House of Gaunt (abandoned)

• Riddle Family (formerly)

Merope Riddle, née Gaunt (1907 – 31 December 1926), was a notable British pure-blood witch, the daughter of Marvolo Gaunt and the sister of Morfin. As a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin, she possessed the rare ability to speak Parseltongue. Merope endured a harsh childhood in a decrepit shack near Little Hangleton, subjected to the mental and physical abuse of her father and brother.

Despite her difficult upbringing, Merope developed an intense obsession with Tom Riddle, a handsome and wealthy Muggle. Following the imprisonment of her father and brother in Azkaban, she took matters into her own hands, bewitching Tom and marrying him, which led to her pregnancy. Unfortunately, a year into their marriage, Tom broke free from her enchantment and abandoned her. Left alone in London, Merope tragically died at Wool's Orphanage shortly after giving birth to her son, whom she named Tom Marvolo Riddle.

In the years following her death, her son, now infamously known as Lord Voldemort, emerged as the most dangerous Dark wizard in history.

History

“Pick it up now! That’s right, eat off the floor like a filthy Muggle. What purpose does your wand serve if you act like a useless sack of muck?”

— Marvolo's verbal abuse after Merope drops a pot

Merope Gaunt lived in a dilapidated shack near Little Hangleton with her father, Marvolo Gaunt, and her brother, Morfin. Due to generations of inbreeding, the Gaunt family was marked by violence, mental instability, and extreme poverty.

In her early years, Merope’s magical talent was minimal, leading to severe mental and physical abuse from her father, who cruelly referred to her as a "disgusting little Squib" among other derogatory names. This abuse created a self-fulfilling prophecy; Merope’s magical abilities were suppressed by her father's relentless cruelty. It is well-known that a person's emotional state has a direct impact on their magical abilities, and prolonged exposure to negative emotions can significantly drain or interfere with them, as Albus Dumbledore pointed out. Therefore, it's clear that Merope possessed untapped magical potential that she had never properly developed.

Once her father and brother were imprisoned in Azkaban, Merope triumphed over her past, and her magical abilities flourished. She showcased significant prowess by successfully enslaving Tom Riddle, either through the Imperius Curse or a love potion, for an extended period. While it is improbable that Merope attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she did possess a wand. It is evident that she learned magic at home or became self-taught through sheer determination.

Merope took charge of cooking and cleaning in her family home, and her mother's fate remains unknown.

Marriage

''The village of Little Hangleton was engulfed in a scandal when the squire's son boldly eloped with Merope, the daughter of a tramp. The gossip that followed was inevitable and fervent.''

— How Merope was able to bewitch Tom Riddle

At a pivotal moment before her family was sent to Azkaban, Merope fell deeply in love with Tom Riddle, a remarkably handsome and wealthy Muggle, the only child of Thomas and Mary Riddle who lived nearby. When her brother Morfin disclosed this relationship to their father, Marvolo Gaunt, in the summer of 1925, he erupted in rage and physically attacked her. Ministry official Bob Ogden intervened, restraining Marvolo and arresting both him and Morfin, who had cursed Riddle out of jealousy. With her family gone, Merope took decisive action and manipulated Riddle into marrying her. She left a note detailing their marriage as she left the shack, thereafter erasing any mention of her existence from Marvolo’s life.

When Harry Potter learned of these events, he speculated that Merope may have used the Imperius Curse or a love potion on Riddle. However, Dumbledore was firm in his belief that she almost certainly used a love potion, as it aligned with a more romantic notion. He suggested that she could have easily administered the potion while mixing it with water or another beverage. As a result, Riddle became infatuated with her, and they married in late 1925, eloping to London and causing a significant scandal in Little Hangleton.

After a year of marriage, Merope Gaunt became pregnant and made the bold decision to release Riddle from his mental enslavement, having grown weary of living a fabricated existence. Dumbledore contended that she hoped her husband would have truly fallen in love with her by that time or at least remained out of obligation for their unborn child. Unfortunately for her, Riddle did neither. Upon waking to the reality, he experienced a nightmare and fled back to his family home, convinced he had been bewitched. Dumbledore indicated that Riddle probably refrained from expressing this fear directly, concerned about being viewed as insane. Instead, the villagers were told that Riddle had been "taken in," which they interpreted as Merope lying to him about being pregnant with his child.

Sold Slytherin Locket

"On New Year's Eve, it was bitterly cold and snowing—a truly awful night. A girl, just slightly older than I was at the time, staggered up the front steps. She wasn’t the first that night, but we took her in without hesitation. Within an hour, she gave birth to a baby. Sadly, she died just an hour later."

— The night Merope died from heartbreak and long-term suffering

After her husband’s abrupt departure, Merope plunged into a deep depression, forced to live as a pauper in London. To survive, she sold her valuables, including her beloved locket—a treasured family heirloom from her father. In a regrettable decision, she sold it to Caractacus Burke for a mere ten Galleons. This act reveals either her lack of awareness regarding its true worth, a rejection of her painful past, or a determination to break free from her abusive father by prioritizing immediate financial relief over emotional reminders.

Fueled by heartbreak and shattered dreams, Merope resolutely stopped using magic following Riddle’s abandonment. She was so engulfed in despair that she refused to raise her wand to protect her own life. Dumbledore noted that her magical abilities may have been weakened by her depression and unrequited love for Riddle, but it’s clear that she was in control of her choices in that moment, choosing to withdraw completely from her powers.

Childbirth and Death

On New Year's Eve in 1926, Merope confidently approached the front steps of an orphanage, prepared to give birth to her son. She instructed Mrs. Cole, an employee at the orphanage, to name him Tom after his father, Marvolo after her own father, and Riddle as his surname. Mrs. Cole remarked that Marvolo was a "funny name," questioning whether Merope had come from a circus.

Tragically, Merope passed away unexpectedly within an hour of giving birth. Her final words declared her wish that her son would inherit the looks of his father, a hope that Mrs. Cole agreed with, affirming that Merope was not regarded as beautiful. The fate of Merope's body after her death remains a mystery.

Post-mortem

"Merope Riddle chose to die, even though she had a son who depended on her. It's important not to judge her too harshly, Harry. She endured immense suffering, and she simply did not possess the courage that your mother did."

— Dumbledore to Harry about Merope's choice to die

Years later, her own son would struggle to believe that she had ever been a witch, especially after witnessing her succumb to death—a fate all mortals face. However, he could not ignore the evidence of her witchcraft when he discovered there was no record of 'Tom Riddle' in the history of Hogwarts. Clearly, she had been too consumed by depression to wield her magic after Riddle abandoned her, leaving the impact of her abilities behind.

His perception was that his father had chosen to marry Merope willingly, only to abandon her upon discovering her true nature as a witch. While Merope had the option to fight for her life, she ultimately chose death, putting aside the needs of a son who desperately required her. This tragic decision even prompted Harry Potter to feel a reluctant sympathy for Riddle. Merope’s son would grow into a figure of unimaginable darkness—the notorious Lord Voldemort.

Albus Dumbledore posited that had Merope fought to stay alive and offered her son the love and affection he deserved, Voldemort might never have emerged. Nevertheless, neither Dumbledore nor Harry harbored resentment toward her. They recognized that her suffering and absence of inner strength meant she could not be held accountable for her son's descent into darkness. Ultimately, her son, while scornful of her perceived weakness, took the life of her husband, driven by the misguided belief that he was avenging her death.