Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======The Gaunt Shack====== =====Location Information===== * **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]]. =====Description and History===== 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 [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring|ring]]. After Morfin was sent to [[Azkaban]] and Marvolo and Merope were already dead, the shack fell into complete ruin. =====Role in the Story===== 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 [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring|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. =====Known Areas Within===== 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. =====Behind the Scenes===== 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)
