The Gaunt Shack

• Type: Residence
• Location: On a wooded hillside overlooking the village of Little Hangleton, England
• Owner/Residents: The Gaunt family, including Marvolo Gaunt, Morfin Gaunt, and Merope Gaunt
• Key Features: Extreme squalor and disrepair, hidden within a copse of trees, a dead snake nailed to the front door, protected by rudimentary anti-Muggle charms.

The Gaunt Shack was the dilapidated ancestral home of the Gaunt family, the last known descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Located up a winding, overgrown lane on a steep hillside near Little Hangleton, the dwelling was almost completely hidden from view by a dark canopy of trees. The shack itself was in a state of extreme ruin. Its walls were mossy and crumbling, and many slates were missing from the roof. The most disturbing feature of its exterior was a dead snake nailed to the front door, a clear symbol of the family's lineage and their proficiency in Parseltongue. The interior consisted of a single, squalid room that served as the kitchen, living area, and bedroom for the family. The room was incredibly filthy, with grimy walls, a layer of mold on the floor, and an atmosphere of profound decay and poverty. Furnishings were sparse and decrepit, including a rickety table and a few chairs. The shack was the site of a significant confrontation in the summer of 1925 when Bob Ogden, an employee of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, visited to serve a summons on Morfin Gaunt. During this visit, Ogden witnessed the family's poverty, their fanatical pure-blood pride, and their cruel treatment of Merope Gaunt. It was here that Marvolo Gaunt proudly displayed Marvolo Gaunt's Ring and mentioned Slytherin's Locket, two heirlooms that would later become Horcruxes. Years later, in 1943, a sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle traveled to the shack to seek out his maternal relatives. He met his uncle, Morfin Gaunt, from whom he learned the truth about his Muggle father. Enraged, Riddle proceeded to the Riddle House, where he murdered his father and grandparents. He then returned to the shack, modified Morfin's memory to make him confess to the crime, and stole the ring. After Morfin was sent to Azkaban and Marvolo and Merope were already dead, the shack fell into complete ruin.

The Gaunt Shack is a pivotal location in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, serving as the setting for crucial memories that Albus Dumbledore shows to Harry Potter via the Pensieve. These memories provide the essential backstory for Lord Voldemort's origins and motivations.

• Bob Ogden's Memory: This memory reveals the squalor, instability, and violent pride of the Gaunt family. It introduces Harry to Voldemort's mother, Merope Gaunt, and establishes the circumstances that led her to bewitch Tom Riddle Sr.. It also provides the first glimpse of two future Horcruxes: Marvolo Gaunt's Ring and Slytherin's Locket.
• Morfin Gaunt's Memory: This memory confirms that a young Tom Riddle visited the shack, learned of his heritage, and stole the ring from his uncle after framing him for the murder of the Riddle family. This event marks a critical step in Riddle's transformation into Lord Voldemort and the creation of his first Horcrux.
• The Hidden Horcrux: The ruins of the shack were where Tom Riddle chose to hide the ring Horcrux. He protected it with numerous powerful enchantments. It was here that Albus Dumbledore later found and destroyed the Horcrux, though not before falling victim to a deadly curse placed upon the ring, which ultimately led to the withering of his hand.

The shack was a very small, simple structure, but its distinct areas are described in detail.

• Exterior: The shack was located at the end of a dark, nettle-lined lane and was surrounded by a dense thicket of trees. The front door was notable for having a dead snake nailed to it.
• Main Room: This single room comprised the entire interior of the shack. It was dimly lit and filled with squalor. It contained a grimy table, a few chairs, a dirty-looking saucepan by a blackened fireplace, and a general layer of filth covering every surface.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the role of the Gaunt Shack is significantly condensed. The detailed Pensieve memories of Bob Ogden's visit and Tom Riddle's confrontation with Morfin are omitted. Instead, the film depicts Albus Dumbledore visiting the completely collapsed ruins of the shack to retrieve the ring Horcrux. The building is shown as a pile of rubble in a small clearing, rather than a decaying but still-standing structure. (film)