Cole

Mrs. Cole was the matron of the orphanage where Tom Marvolo Riddle lived before attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is described as being skinny, and harassed-looking, with a sharp-featured face. She was also an experienced drinker.

Matron of Wool's Orphanage
For most of her life Mrs. Cole was matron to a childrens' orphanage.

New Year's Eve of 1926
Mrs. Cole was a young woman when Merope Riddle, no older than herself, stumbled into the orphanage on New Year's Eve of 1926, heavily pregnant with a baby boy and ready to give birth.

At first, she thought that Merope must have been from the circus seeing as she had such a strange name. Once Merope had given birth she was starting to lose the will to live, but in her last moments she instructed Mrs. Cole to name her newborn son after her husband, Tom Riddle Sr., and her father, Marvolo Gaunt, before she died. Mrs. Cole followed her instructions and named the baby boy Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Tom Riddle's childhood
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

- I must admit to some confusion receiving your letter, Professor Dumbledore. In all the years Tom's been here hes never once had a family visitor. There have been incidents with the other Children. Nasty things.

As Tom grew up Mrs. Cole noticed that he was different then the other children, as a baby he rarely cried, and when he got older she started to notice that "nasty" things seemed to happen to children who bothered him. For example when out on a day trip, two children disappeared with Tom and were never the same when they came back.

"In all the years Tom's been here, he's never once had a family visitor."

- Mrs. Cole to Albus Dumbledore when visting Tom Riddle.

Later on in her career in 1938, Mrs. Cole was visited by Albus Dumbledore, who had come to tell her that the late Merope's eleven-year-old son, Tom Marvolo Riddle, had been accepted to Hogwarts School. This news came as a surprise to Mrs. Cole, but she allowed Dumbledore to visit Tom Riddle in person in his room at the orphanage.

Riddle ended up going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and received a magical education there. Riddle returned to the orphanage for the summer holidays, but after finishing his education at Hogwarts, he left forever and eventually became the most dangerous Dark Wizard who ever existed (aka Lord Voldemort).

Later life
It is unknown if Mrs. Cole was still alive during the events of the First and Second Wizarding Wars, or if she had passed away by the time Voldemort was finally defeated.

Behind the scenes

 * Mrs. Cole was portrayed by British actress Amelda Brown in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)

Notes and references
Mrs Cole