The House of Gaunt
Over the the next week, Hermione remains angry over Harry using the Prince's notes. She suggests that the "Prince" may be female, based on the book's handwriting, but Harry retorts, "How many girls have been Princes?" Ron is also angered, because even though Harry has offered to share, Ron is unable to read the tiny handwriting and has to rely on textbook formulas. Professor Slughorn, of course, believes Harry is among the best Potions students he has ever taught.
Harry arrives at Professor Dumbledore's office for his first lesson, after dodging a tipsy Professor Trelawney in the hallway. Dumbledore explains that they will try to determine Voldemort's intentions, based on Dumbledore's previous investigation. Dumbledore has shared all he knows with Harry; now they are embarking on guesswork and supposition. Dumbledore produces a vial containing memories from Bob Ogden, who worked in Magical Law Enforcement. Dumbledore pours the contents into his Pensieve, and he and Harry enter.
Bob Ogden arrives near Little Hangleton village and turns down a path. As he approaches a ramshackle cottage, a young wizard with several missing teeth and small, dark eyes staring in opposite directions appears and challenges Ogden, speaking in Parseltongue. The wizard jinxes Ogden before he can state his business. An older wizard appears and addresses the younger one as Morfin. He identifies himself as Mr. Gaunt, and says Ogden should have announced himself. Ogden replies that a message was sent by owl post; Gaunt responds that he does not read letters. When Ogden says he is there about Morfin, Gaunt invites him in. Inside, Merope, Gaunt's teen-aged daughter, is in the kitchen. She has a plain, heavy face, and, like Morfin, her eyes stare in opposite directions.
Ogden says Morfin jinxed a Muggle, whereupon Merope drops a pot. She fumbles a spell to pick it up and slams the pot into the wall. Ogden repairs it for her. Gaunt taunts Merope, causing her to blush fiercely. Ogden says Morfin has broken Wizarding law, and produces a summons. Gaunt demands to know if Ogden realizes just who he is talking to and shows him a ring he says bears the Peverell coat of arms. He also shows Ogden Merope's locket, claiming it is Salazar Slytherin's, and they are his descendants. Ogden retorts that their heritage has no bearing on Morfin having Jinxed a Muggle. Ogden reads the summons, breaking off when horses are heard approaching outside. In Parseltongue, Morfin says it is the Muggle that Merope fancies and the one he Jinxed. Gaunt demands to know if Merope is chasing a Muggle. When she does not answer, he attacks her; Ogden defends her and is attacked in turn by Morfin. Ogden escapes, crashing into the two riders on horseback as he runs for the road. Harry and Dumbledore exit the memory.
Harry wants to share this with Ron and Hermione; Dumbledore agrees, but warns against spreading it any further. As he leaves, Harry notices a cracked ring sitting on a spindly table, the same ring Dumbledore wore when they visited Slughorn, and the same ring Marvolo Gaunt was wearing in the memory. He asks if Dumbledore has had it long; Dumbledore says he acquired it recently, near the time he injured his hand. But he turns aside further questions, and sends Harry to bed.
If another student was using the Prince's textbook, Hermione, who is a Prefect, would likely have confiscated the book and reported them. However, she says nothing about Harry, and instead voices her disapproval directly to him, although she knows it will have little effect. This is a typical behavioral pattern for Hermione, and only once has she reported Harry for something. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, she informed Professor McGonagall that had Harry received a Firebolt broom from an anonymous donor (who she suspected could be Sirius Black, then believed to be trying to murder Harry). Although Hermione was motivated by genuine concern over Harry's safety rather than preventing him engaging in mischief, her actions resulted in a severe backlash and months of estrangement from Harry and Ron, causing Hermione much anguish. Although Hermione staunchly believes in obeying school rules, she fears Harry and Ron's retaliation even more, causing her to overlook their frequent, although minor, misconduct. However, even though Hermione remains disapproving of Harry for using the Half-Blood Prince's notes, and resents Harry outperforming her in Potions class, she says nothing and actually becomes quite curious about the Prince's identity. This has also subtly changed the Trio's relationship. Ron and Harry have usually sought out Hermione for help or information, although they occasionally had to suffer her disapproval for their academic laziness. Now Harry has another means to find the information he needs, at least regarding Potions.
Dumbledore's private lessons are not what Harry expected. Rather than learning new magic, he is to view Voldemort's past through other people's memories. Exactly how this can aid Harry is still unknown, but learning more about his enemy may help defeat him. Studying the Gaunts has provided clues about Voldemort's own personality. Although they had sunk to a low social status and lived in poverty after previous generations squandered the family fortune, the Gaunts still considered themselves superior based solely on their bloodline's descent from Salazar Slytherin, and therefore expected preferential treatment. This is similar to Voldemort's own attitude. The Gaunts apparently felt little need to educate or cultivate themselves, although the sad, pathetic (and physically unattractive) Merope secretly yearned for a better life, despite her severely limited prospects. When she fell in love with the Muggle, Tom Riddle, she used a love potion (or similar enchantment) to entrap him and escape her abusive family and abysmal life. Unfortunately, as soon as the potion wore off, Riddle abandoned the pregnant Merope, who, deeply despondent and either unable or unwilling to use magic to care for herself, died soon after giving birth, leaving her son, Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort), to be raised in an orphanage. While Harry, and readers, may see Merope as a sympathetic character, it should be remembered that she used duplicity to trap Tom Riddle, Sr., who otherwise would never have had any interest in her. It is unknown why Merope discontinued using the love potion on him, although perhaps it becomes less effective over time, or she may have hoped that Riddle would come to love her on his own. Although Riddle had every right to leave the bogus relationship, his abandoning an innocent child is inexcusable, if he knew of it; Merope may never have told him that she was pregnant.
Harry arrives at Professor Dumbledore's office for his first lesson, after dodging a tipsy Professor Trelawney in the hallway. Dumbledore explains that they will try to determine Voldemort's intentions, based on Dumbledore's previous investigation. Dumbledore has shared all he knows with Harry; now they are embarking on guesswork and supposition. Dumbledore produces a vial containing memories from Bob Ogden, who worked in Magical Law Enforcement. Dumbledore pours the contents into his Pensieve, and he and Harry enter.
Bob Ogden arrives near Little Hangleton village and turns down a path. As he approaches a ramshackle cottage, a young wizard with several missing teeth and small, dark eyes staring in opposite directions appears and challenges Ogden, speaking in Parseltongue. The wizard jinxes Ogden before he can state his business. An older wizard appears and addresses the younger one as Morfin. He identifies himself as Mr. Gaunt, and says Ogden should have announced himself. Ogden replies that a message was sent by owl post; Gaunt responds that he does not read letters. When Ogden says he is there about Morfin, Gaunt invites him in. Inside, Merope, Gaunt's teen-aged daughter, is in the kitchen. She has a plain, heavy face, and, like Morfin, her eyes stare in opposite directions.
Ogden says Morfin jinxed a Muggle, whereupon Merope drops a pot. She fumbles a spell to pick it up and slams the pot into the wall. Ogden repairs it for her. Gaunt taunts Merope, causing her to blush fiercely. Ogden says Morfin has broken Wizarding law, and produces a summons. Gaunt demands to know if Ogden realizes just who he is talking to and shows him a ring he says bears the Peverell coat of arms. He also shows Ogden Merope's locket, claiming it is Salazar Slytherin's, and they are his descendants. Ogden retorts that their heritage has no bearing on Morfin having Jinxed a Muggle. Ogden reads the summons, breaking off when horses are heard approaching outside. In Parseltongue, Morfin says it is the Muggle that Merope fancies and the one he Jinxed. Gaunt demands to know if Merope is chasing a Muggle. When she does not answer, he attacks her; Ogden defends her and is attacked in turn by Morfin. Ogden escapes, crashing into the two riders on horseback as he runs for the road. Harry and Dumbledore exit the memory.
Harry wants to share this with Ron and Hermione; Dumbledore agrees, but warns against spreading it any further. As he leaves, Harry notices a cracked ring sitting on a spindly table, the same ring Dumbledore wore when they visited Slughorn, and the same ring Marvolo Gaunt was wearing in the memory. He asks if Dumbledore has had it long; Dumbledore says he acquired it recently, near the time he injured his hand. But he turns aside further questions, and sends Harry to bed.
If another student was using the Prince's textbook, Hermione, who is a Prefect, would likely have confiscated the book and reported them. However, she says nothing about Harry, and instead voices her disapproval directly to him, although she knows it will have little effect. This is a typical behavioral pattern for Hermione, and only once has she reported Harry for something. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, she informed Professor McGonagall that had Harry received a Firebolt broom from an anonymous donor (who she suspected could be Sirius Black, then believed to be trying to murder Harry). Although Hermione was motivated by genuine concern over Harry's safety rather than preventing him engaging in mischief, her actions resulted in a severe backlash and months of estrangement from Harry and Ron, causing Hermione much anguish. Although Hermione staunchly believes in obeying school rules, she fears Harry and Ron's retaliation even more, causing her to overlook their frequent, although minor, misconduct. However, even though Hermione remains disapproving of Harry for using the Half-Blood Prince's notes, and resents Harry outperforming her in Potions class, she says nothing and actually becomes quite curious about the Prince's identity. This has also subtly changed the Trio's relationship. Ron and Harry have usually sought out Hermione for help or information, although they occasionally had to suffer her disapproval for their academic laziness. Now Harry has another means to find the information he needs, at least regarding Potions.
Dumbledore's private lessons are not what Harry expected. Rather than learning new magic, he is to view Voldemort's past through other people's memories. Exactly how this can aid Harry is still unknown, but learning more about his enemy may help defeat him. Studying the Gaunts has provided clues about Voldemort's own personality. Although they had sunk to a low social status and lived in poverty after previous generations squandered the family fortune, the Gaunts still considered themselves superior based solely on their bloodline's descent from Salazar Slytherin, and therefore expected preferential treatment. This is similar to Voldemort's own attitude. The Gaunts apparently felt little need to educate or cultivate themselves, although the sad, pathetic (and physically unattractive) Merope secretly yearned for a better life, despite her severely limited prospects. When she fell in love with the Muggle, Tom Riddle, she used a love potion (or similar enchantment) to entrap him and escape her abusive family and abysmal life. Unfortunately, as soon as the potion wore off, Riddle abandoned the pregnant Merope, who, deeply despondent and either unable or unwilling to use magic to care for herself, died soon after giving birth, leaving her son, Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort), to be raised in an orphanage. While Harry, and readers, may see Merope as a sympathetic character, it should be remembered that she used duplicity to trap Tom Riddle, Sr., who otherwise would never have had any interest in her. It is unknown why Merope discontinued using the love potion on him, although perhaps it becomes less effective over time, or she may have hoped that Riddle would come to love her on his own. Although Riddle had every right to leave the bogus relationship, his abandoning an innocent child is inexcusable, if he knew of it; Merope may never have told him that she was pregnant.
No comments:
Post a Comment