The Crimes Of Merope Gaunt: Voldemort’s Family History In Harry Potter Explained

The Harry Potter books dived into Lord Voldemort’s tragic family history, but the movies left this out entirely. Though the story of how Tom Riddle came to be born didn’t affect the outcome of his rivalry with Harry Potter, it supported the themes the Dark Lord represented. The villain descended from powerful wizarding families, and this served to demonstrate how the preference for pure blood could be damaging to the wizarding world. This was primarily seen in the tragic life and crimes of Voldemort’s mother, Merope Gaunt, who suffered due to her family’s pride—something that extended to her son.