Amy Benson

Amy Benson was a Muggle girl who lived at Wool's Orphanage in London during the 1930s, at the same time as a young Tom Riddle. She is significant as one of the first known victims of Tom Riddle's cruelty and his early, uncontrolled use of magic to intimidate and harm others. Her story is revealed through a memory that Albus Dumbledore shows to Harry Potter in a Pensieve.

Amy Benson was an orphan residing at Wool's Orphanage. Her life is known only through the recollections of the orphanage's matron, Mrs. Cole, during a visit from Albus Dumbledore in approximately 1938. During a summer outing, Amy and another orphan, Dennis Bishop, were taken into a cave by Tom Riddle. Mrs. Cole recounted that something terrible must have happened inside, as Amy and Dennis Bishop were “never the same” after the incident. She described them as being “funny,” implying they were deeply traumatized. Despite Mrs. Cole's efforts, neither child would speak about what had occurred in the cave. When confronted, Tom Riddle did not deny his involvement but would only admit to having scared them. The event serves as a stark example of his burgeoning sadism and his desire to use his powers to dominate others, even before he understood his magical heritage or attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Amy Benson's fate following this traumatic event is not mentioned in the Harry Potter series.

The novels provide no physical description of Amy Benson. Before the incident in the cave, her personality is unknown. Afterwards, she was described by Mrs. Cole as being profoundly changed and emotionally disturbed. Her refusal to speak about the event suggests she was left terrified and psychologically scarred by whatever Tom Riddle did to her and Dennis Bishop.

Amy Benson was a Muggle and possessed no magical abilities.

No possessions belonging to Amy Benson are mentioned in the text.

• Tom Riddle: A fellow orphan at Wool's Orphanage, Tom Riddle was Amy's tormentor. He used his nascent magical abilities to terrorize her and Dennis Bishop in a cave, an act which marked them as two of his earliest victims.
• Dennis Bishop: Another orphan who was victimized by Tom Riddle alongside Amy during the summer outing to the cave.
• Mrs. Cole: The matron of the orphanage, Mrs. Cole expressed concern for Amy's well-being after the cave incident. However, she was unable to uncover the truth of what happened from either the victims or from Tom Riddle himself.

• Amy: The name Amy derives from the Old French name Amée, which means “beloved.” This name is deeply ironic given her role as a tormented victim of the unloving Tom Riddle.
• Benson: A common English surname meaning “son of Ben.” “Ben” can be a short form of Benjamin (“son of the right hand”) or Benedict (“blessed”), neither of which has a clear connection to the character, though the meaning “blessed” adds to the irony of her story.

The storyline involving Amy Benson, Dennis Bishop, and the cave incident, which is detailed in the chapter “The Secret Riddle” in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was omitted from the film adaptation of the book. Therefore, Amy Benson is a character exclusive to the novel.