Tom Riddle's Diary
A cursed journal that drains life from its writer and manifests a memory of Tom Riddle.
Tom Riddle's Diary is a magical object that appears in the Harry Potter novels and film adaptations. It is a Horcrux, an object used to store part of a wizard's soul. The diary originally belonged to Tom Marvolo Riddle during his time at Hogwarts in the 1940s.
Quick Facts
- Creator
- Tom Marvolo Riddle (Lord Voldemort)
- First appearance
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Destruction method
- Serpent's venom
- Status
- Destroyed
Lore & Background
As she weakened, the diary nurtured a memory of Tom Riddle from fifty years prior, allowing him to emerge as a physical projection. In Chamber of Secrets, Ginny Weasley is possessed by the fragment of Riddle's soul in the diary, which compels her to open the Chamber of Secrets.
Reader's Guide
This artifact functions as a Horcrux, an object used to store part of a wizard's soul. The creation of a Horcrux requires one to commit a murder, which 'rips the soul apart'. After the murder, a spell is cast to infuse part of the ripped soul into an object. It is highly resistant to standard magical attacks. Horcruxes must be destroyed with basilisk venom, the Sword of Gryffindor, or some other powerful means.
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Elsewhere in Harry Potter
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