The Secret Riddle
Katie Bell is moved to St. Mungo's Hospital in London. With the exception of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Leanne, students are unaware that someone other than Katie was the intended target. Ron and Hermione ignore Harry's comment that Malfoy knows.
Though Dumbledore has remained unseen all day, Harry reports to his office for his second lesson. Dumbledore is there and reassures Harry that Snape, who has more experience with the Dark Arts than Madam Pomfrey, has done all he can to help Katie. Dumbledore also says that Mundungus Fletcher has apparently gone into hiding, but nothing else will be taken from Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore tells Harry that Draco's involvement will be investigated, but their lesson is more important now.
In Dumbledore's previous lesson, they had determined Merope Riddle, who was abandoned by her Muggle husband, Tom Riddle, was pregnant and alone in London. Lacking the will to perform magic to care for herself, she needed money. She sold a gold locket once belonging to Salazar Slytherin to Caractacus Burke, one of the founders of Borgin & Burkes. Watching Burke's reminiscence of the sale in the Pensieve, Harry is outraged that Burke only gave Merope ten galleons for the priceless relic.
In this lesson, Harry enters Dumbledore's memories. The younger Dumbledore had auburn hair and beard, just as long as they are now. Dumbledore visits the eleven-year-old Tom Riddle in a Muggle orphanage. After speaking with the matron, who says Riddle is a strange boy and leaves the impression that she is hoping someone will take him well away, Dumbledore talks to Tom. Initially, Tom thinks Professor Dumbledore is a doctor, come to take him to a sanatorium. Believing that Dumbledore's term, "special," means he should be in an asylum, Riddle prepares to prevent Dumbledore from taking him anywhere. However, when Dumbledore explains that Hogwarts is a school of magic, Tom asks if what he does is magic. Even at the tender age of 11, Riddle manipulated and terrified other children, strangled a pet rabbit, hurt people, and spoke in Parseltongue. Riddle demands proof that Dumbledore is a wizard; Dumbledore reproaches him, saying he must address Hogwarts teachers with respect. Tom respectfully asks, and Dumbledore conjures flames on Tom's wardrobe, and as suddenly extinguishes them. Dumbledore has Tom retrieve his small cache of stolen items and demands he return them to their owners. The young Dumbledore worries about the boy's ambition, his cruelty, his thieving, and his reaction to learning he is a wizard; he resolves to keep a close eye on him.
Back in the office, Dumbledore says he was unaware then that the young boy would become the most feared Dark Wizard in centuries, Lord Voldemort. He then draws Harry's attention to several traits about the young Tom Riddle: he disliked the common name Tom and wanted to be separate from everyone else. He was already very self-sufficient, secretive, apparently friendless, and he liked to keep trophies.
As he is leaving, Harry notices the ring is gone. Harry comments that he would have expected to see one of Voldemort's trophies there, perhaps the mouth organ? Dumbledore comments that the mouth organ was always only a mouth organ.
Though Dumbledore has remained unseen all day, Harry reports to his office for his second lesson. Dumbledore is there and reassures Harry that Snape, who has more experience with the Dark Arts than Madam Pomfrey, has done all he can to help Katie. Dumbledore also says that Mundungus Fletcher has apparently gone into hiding, but nothing else will be taken from Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore tells Harry that Draco's involvement will be investigated, but their lesson is more important now.
In Dumbledore's previous lesson, they had determined Merope Riddle, who was abandoned by her Muggle husband, Tom Riddle, was pregnant and alone in London. Lacking the will to perform magic to care for herself, she needed money. She sold a gold locket once belonging to Salazar Slytherin to Caractacus Burke, one of the founders of Borgin & Burkes. Watching Burke's reminiscence of the sale in the Pensieve, Harry is outraged that Burke only gave Merope ten galleons for the priceless relic.
In this lesson, Harry enters Dumbledore's memories. The younger Dumbledore had auburn hair and beard, just as long as they are now. Dumbledore visits the eleven-year-old Tom Riddle in a Muggle orphanage. After speaking with the matron, who says Riddle is a strange boy and leaves the impression that she is hoping someone will take him well away, Dumbledore talks to Tom. Initially, Tom thinks Professor Dumbledore is a doctor, come to take him to a sanatorium. Believing that Dumbledore's term, "special," means he should be in an asylum, Riddle prepares to prevent Dumbledore from taking him anywhere. However, when Dumbledore explains that Hogwarts is a school of magic, Tom asks if what he does is magic. Even at the tender age of 11, Riddle manipulated and terrified other children, strangled a pet rabbit, hurt people, and spoke in Parseltongue. Riddle demands proof that Dumbledore is a wizard; Dumbledore reproaches him, saying he must address Hogwarts teachers with respect. Tom respectfully asks, and Dumbledore conjures flames on Tom's wardrobe, and as suddenly extinguishes them. Dumbledore has Tom retrieve his small cache of stolen items and demands he return them to their owners. The young Dumbledore worries about the boy's ambition, his cruelty, his thieving, and his reaction to learning he is a wizard; he resolves to keep a close eye on him.
Back in the office, Dumbledore says he was unaware then that the young boy would become the most feared Dark Wizard in centuries, Lord Voldemort. He then draws Harry's attention to several traits about the young Tom Riddle: he disliked the common name Tom and wanted to be separate from everyone else. He was already very self-sufficient, secretive, apparently friendless, and he liked to keep trophies.
As he is leaving, Harry notices the ring is gone. Harry comments that he would have expected to see one of Voldemort's trophies there, perhaps the mouth organ? Dumbledore comments that the mouth organ was always only a mouth organ.
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