The Riddle House
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| Harry Potter locale | |
 The Riddle House, as depicted in the Goblet of Fire movie. |
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| The Riddle House | |
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| Location | Little Hangleton |
| Owner | "A wealthy man," according to Goblet of Fire |
| Affiliation | Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort |
| Permanent residents | Currently none, formerly the Riddle family and Frank Bryce |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
In the fictional universe of Harry Potter The Riddle House is the former home of the Riddle family, the paternal relatives of Lord Voldemort (Tom Marvolo Riddle). It first appears in the opening of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as the location of Frank Bryce's murder.
The Riddle House is located in the village of Little Hangleton, and was at one time the finest house in the village. Amongst their neighbours was the "town tramp", Marvolo Gaunt, and his two children, Morfin and Merope. Merope, apparently using a love potion, convinced the young Riddle son, Tom, to marry her in 1925. At some point during 1926, he returned home, claiming to have been "bewitched."
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[edit] The Riddle murders
Years later, in the summer of 1942, after learning the truth about his parentage from his Uncle Morfin, Riddle's son by Merope (Tom Marvolo Riddle) visited the Riddle House and murdered his father and grandparents. He then placed a false memory in Morfin, making him believe that he had killed the Riddles. The Ministry of Magic knew that this was a murder committed using magic, and brought Morfin in for questioning; when he proudly confessed to the murder, he was sentenced to a life sentence in Azkaban, and died shortly afterwards.
Tom Marvolo Riddle's grandfather had been the preeminent landowner of Little Hangleton; he and his wife were disliked by the Muggle villagers, who considered them rude and snobbish. They became a topic of fascinated conversation for some time in the village pub due to their remarkable deaths: all three Riddles had been discovered dead, at the same time, in what seemed to be perfect health.
[edit] Frank Bryce
The locals accused the gardener, Frank Bryce, of the murders; he was the only one with a key to the Riddle House, and there were no other obvious suspects. Although Bryce was never, due to lack of evidence, charged with the murders, he was shunned by the local community, and lived the rest of his life as a recluse, taking care of the grounds of the Riddle House. The Riddle House passed from various owners, until at some point in time a wealthy man - who never lived there - purchased it for what the villagers believed to be incomprehensible tax purposes.[1] Over fifty years after the murders, in the summer of 1994, Frank saw a light coming from inside the house. Investigating it - believing that the local children had started a fire - he instead discovered 'Lord Voldemort' and 'Wormtail' discussing plans to capture a boy named 'Harry Potter' and ensure Voldemort's return. Voldemort, having discovered Frank eavesdropping outside the door, then murdered him.
[edit] Continued use?
Voldemort and Wormtail stayed at the Riddle House for the following year (during the events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), at the end of which Voldemort was resurrected in a churchyard near the house. It is unknown whether Voldemort and his Death Eaters continue to use it as a base of operations.
[edit] References
- ^ [HP4] Rowling, J. K. (2000). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (in English). London: Bloomsbury/New York City: Scholastic, et. al. UK ISBN 074754624X/US ISBN 0439139597. Chapter 1.
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| Towns | Godric's Hollow · Hogsmeade · Little Hangleton · Little Whinging |
| Schools | Hogwarts · Durmstrang · Beauxbatons |
| Homes | Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place · The Riddle House |
| Streets | Diagon Alley · Knockturn Alley · Spinner's End |
| Other | Azkaban · Hall of Prophecies · Hog's Head · Ministry of Magic · Shrieking Shack · St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries · Weasley's Wizard Wheezes · Wizarding world |
