Caractacus Burke

Caractacus Burke was a wizard and the co-founder of Borgin and Burkes, a notorious shop in Knockturn Alley that specialized in unusual and dangerous Dark Arts artifacts. Though a minor character who appears only in a memory, Burke played a pivotal role in the story of Lord Voldemort's rise. He employed a young Tom Riddle after his graduation from Hogwarts and was instrumental in Riddle's acquisition of two artifacts that would become Horcruxes: Salazar Slytherin's Locket and Helga Hufflepuff's Cup.

Burke's early life and Hogwarts history are unknown. His primary known activities are related to his career as the co-proprietor of his shop. Together with his partner, Mr. Borgin, Burke established Borgin and Burkes at number 13B Knockturn Alley. The shop gained a reputation for dealing in sinister and valuable magical objects. Burke was a shrewd appraiser and businessman, always seeking to acquire rare items for his collection. After Tom Riddle's graduation from Hogwarts, Burke hired him as a shop assistant. While the Headmaster at the time, Armando Dippet, was surprised by Riddle's choice of employment, Albus Dumbledore suspected that Burke and Borgin were well aware of Riddle's true nature and saw his charm and talent as a valuable tool for persuading witches and wizards to part with their heirlooms. Burke's most significant recorded act was his visit, along with Tom Riddle, to the home of Hepzibah Smith, a wealthy but elderly witch. Burke had learned she was a descendant of Helga Hufflepuff and was eager to purchase her two greatest treasures: Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket. Burke offered a mere ten Galleons for the locket, an offer Hepzibah Smith found insulting. Though he left empty-handed that day, the visit allowed Tom Riddle to see the artifacts. Two days later, Hepzibah was found dead. Riddle, who had murdered her, modified the memory of her house-elf, Hokey, to make her confess to the crime. Burke subsequently purchased both the cup and the locket from Hokey for a “pittance,” showing no scruples about the suspicious circumstances of Hepzibah's death. What happened to Burke in later life is not documented.

Caractacus Burke is described in Dumbledore's Pensieve memory as a “little man” with a comb-over hairstyle that did little to conceal his bald patch. His personality was defined by greed and opportunism. He was an unscrupulous businessman whose primary motivation was profit. This is demonstrated by his insultingly low offer for Slytherin's Locket and his readiness to acquire both the locket and Hufflepuff's Cup for a fraction of their worth immediately following the convenient death of their owner. He seemed to value artifacts not for their history or magic, but for their monetary value and rarity, viewing Hepzibah Smith's sentimental attachment with disdain.

While Burke's specific duelling or spell-casting abilities are unknown, he was undoubtedly a skilled appraiser of magical artifacts, particularly those with a dark nature. His knowledge allowed him to instantly recognize the significance and authenticity of Salazar Slytherin's Locket. He also possessed sharp business acumen, which allowed him to run a successful, albeit disreputable, enterprise.

• Borgin and Burkes: As co-owner, Burke held a stake in the shop and its extensive and dark inventory.
• Salazar Slytherin's Locket: He briefly possessed the locket after purchasing it from Hokey. It is presumed he sold it to Tom Riddle, or that Riddle acquired it from the shop's inventory.
• Helga Hufflepuff's Cup: Like the locket, he acquired the cup from Hokey under dubious circumstances before it passed into Tom Riddle's hands.

• Mr. Borgin: Burke's business partner in establishing and running their eponymous shop. Their shared interest in the Dark Arts and profiting from them formed the basis of their partnership.
• Tom Riddle: Burke was Riddle's employer. He recognized Riddle's persuasive abilities and exploited them for his business, tasking him with acquiring valuable items. In doing so, Burke became an unwitting (or willfully ignorant) facilitator of Riddle's transformation into Lord Voldemort, providing him access to future Horcruxes.
• Hepzibah Smith: Burke viewed her as a target for a business transaction. He showed little respect for her, focusing only on acquiring her heirlooms for as low a price as possible.

• Caractacus: The name of a historical 1st-century Brittonic chieftain who famously resisted the Roman conquest of Britain. This could allude to a character who operates outside the established norms of society, much like a dealer in the forbidden Dark Arts.
• Burke: A common Irish surname. The verb “to burke” means to suppress something secretly or to murder someone by suffocation to sell the body for dissection, a term derived from the 19th-century murderers Burke and Hare. This etymology is deeply fitting for a character who profits from dark deeds and the suspicious death of Hepzibah Smith.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Caractacus Burke is omitted entirely. The memory shown to Harry Potter by Dumbledore features only Tom Riddle visiting Hepzibah Smith alone. Dumbledore's narration simply states that Voldemort murdered her and took the locket and cup, removing Burke's role as the catalyst and opportunistic beneficiary from the narrative (film).