Mrs. Cole

Mrs. Cole was a Muggle and the matron of the London orphanage where Tom Marvolo Riddle was raised. Her sole appearance is in a memory Albus Dumbledore shows to Harry Potter. Her account of Riddle's childhood provides crucial insight into the early development of the boy who would become Lord Voldemort, revealing his nascent cruelty, isolation, and unusual abilities long before he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Mrs. Cole was working at the orphanage on New Year's Eve when a young witch named Merope Gaunt stumbled to their door. Mrs. Cole attended to Merope, who gave birth to a son within the hour and died shortly after. Before passing, Merope instructed Mrs. Cole that the baby was to be named Tom for his father and Marvolo for his grandfather. Mrs. Cole dutifully named the boy Tom Marvolo Riddle. She described Riddle as a strange child from the start; he rarely cried as a baby and, as he grew older, frightening incidents began to occur around him. Though she could never prove his involvement, she shared several stories with Albus Dumbledore when he visited in the 1930s to offer Tom Riddle a place at Hogwarts. These incidents included:

• Billy Stubbs's rabbit was found hanged from the rafters after an argument with Riddle.
• Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop were left terrified and refusing to speak after Riddle lured them into a cave during a summer trip.

When Dumbledore visited, Mrs. Cole was initially suspicious, believing he was from a lunatic asylum or there to complain about Riddle. Worn down by the summer heat and a “spot of gin,” she was quickly won over by Dumbledore's polite demeanour and his magical refilling of her gin bottle. She then provided him with her full account of Riddle's strange and troubling childhood, expressing her relief that Riddle was finally leaving the orphanage, as he frightened both her and the other children. She also showed Dumbledore a box of items Riddle had stolen from other orphans, which included a yo-yo, a silver thimble, and a tarnished mouth organ.

Mrs. Cole is described in Dumbledore's memory as a “thin and harassed-looking” woman with a “sharp-featured face.” Her personality is that of a stern, no-nonsense caretaker who is nonetheless overwhelmed by her charge, Tom Riddle. She attempts to be firm with Dumbledore upon his arrival but is easily flustered. She has a fondness for gin, which she drinks to cope with the stresses of her job. While she tries to present a professional facade, she is clearly frightened by Riddle's unnatural behaviour and is perceptive enough to know he is behind the “nasty incidents” at the orphanage, even without proof. She is ultimately relieved to have him taken off her hands.

As a Muggle, Mrs. Cole possessed no magical abilities. However, she was a direct witness to nascent, uncontrolled magic from a young Tom Riddle and later to a controlled piece of magic from Albus Dumbledore when he refilled her gin bottle.

• Box of Stolen Items: Mrs. Cole kept a cardboard box containing objects Tom Riddle had stolen from his fellow orphans. This collection of “trophies,” which included a yo-yo, a silver thimble, and a mouth organ, served as early evidence of Riddle's compulsion to collect souvenirs from his victims, a precursor to his creation of Horcruxes.

• Tom Marvolo Riddle: As his primary caregiver for eleven years, Mrs. Cole's relationship with Riddle was defined by fear and suspicion. She found him deeply unsettling and was aware of his cruelty towards other children. She made no attempt to hide her relief when Dumbledore came to take him away.
• Albus Dumbledore: Mrs. Cole was initially wary of Dumbledore, but his calm and courteous manner, combined with the magical refilling of her gin, quickly earned her trust. She became a cooperative and vital source of information about Voldemort's youth.
• Merope Gaunt: Mrs. Cole was the last person to speak with Merope Gaunt. She acted as a midwife of sorts during Tom Riddle's birth and fulfilled Merope's dying wish regarding her son's name.

The surname Cole is a common English name, likely derived from the Old English “col,” meaning “coal” or “charcoal.” This plain, earthy name reinforces her status as a Muggle and grounds the grim reality of the orphanage in a mundane, non-magical context, providing a stark contrast to the magical world Tom Riddle was about to enter.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Mrs. Cole is portrayed by actress Amelda Brown. The scene in which she meets Dumbledore is largely faithful to the book, though condensed for time. (film)