Tom

Tom
Biographical information
Born	c. 1920 or earlier
Nationality	British
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Hair colour	Bald
Skin colour	Light
Magical characteristics
Boggart	Lord Voldemort
Patronus	Non-corporeal
Affiliation
Occupation	Leaky Cauldron landlord
Loyalty	Leaky Cauldron Albus Dumbledore

Tom: "The usual, Hagrid?"

Rubeus Hagrid: "Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business."

Tom: "Good Lord, is this — can this be —? Bless my soul. Harry Potter... what an honour. Welcome back, Mr Potter, welcome back."

— Tom meeting Harry Potter on 31 July 1991

Tom (fl. 1938—1990s) was a British wizard, who was the landlord, innkeeper, and barman of the Leaky Cauldron. He was very friendly with many wizards and witches that passed through the pub to get to Diagon Alley. He had run the Leaky Cauldron for a long time, and had the pleasure of meeting Harry Potter and former Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge on more than one occasion. It is likely he had met other celebrities and political figures in the wizarding world, such as Albus Dumbledore, since his pub leads directly into Diagon Alley. He was very old by the time Harry Potter knew him, as he was mentioned by Dumbledore in the late 1930s to Tom Riddle.

Biography

Early life

Tom was likely a pupil at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and studied there from the age of eleven until he left, and eventually became barman/landlord of the Leaky Cauldron some time before 1938. It is possible that Tom encountered Tom Marvolo Riddle (later to be known as Lord Voldemort) on his way to Diagon Alley for the first time, as Albus Dumbledore had told Tom Riddle to ask for him to get there. Riddle's profound distaste for his given name was, in part, due to it being so common, and meeting the landlord would not have negated this opinion in any way.

1990s

During the 1990–1991 school year, a wizard went to the Leaky Cauldron to chat with Tom when the wizard saw the Muggle Artefact Smuggler.

Tom's awestruck reaction to meeting Harry Potter in 1991

On 31 July 1991, when Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid passed through the Leaky Cauldron on their way to Diagon Alley, Tom greeted Hagrid like an old friend, or, at the very least, a regular. Other witches and wizards who were there at the time (including Doris Crockford, Dedalus Diggle, and Quirinus Quirrell) began introducing themselves to Harry, before Hagrid managed to get him away from all of them.

Harry is reunited with Hedwig

In the summer of 1993, Cornelius Fudge (then Minister for Magic) asked Tom to keep an eye on Harry Potter while Sirius Black was on the loose until he was due to return to Hogwarts.

In the summer of 1996, the Leaky Cauldron pub was almost completely empty, aside from Tom and Rubeus Hagrid, who greeted Harry Potter when he arrived there. Tom and Harry acknowledged each other, but did not have time to speak, as Harry was busy on Hogwarts business, with Tom gloomily returning to wipe glasses.

In early July 1997, Tom attended the funeral of Albus Dumbledore and watched as his body was encased in the White Tomb.

On 1 May 1998, Tom was greeted by Bellatrix Lestrange (who was really Hermione Granger using Polyjuice Potion) while on her way to Gringotts in Diagon Alley, and was surprised by how polite she was towards him.

Post-Second Wizarding War

Tom passed away or retired during the next 19 years, since Hannah Abbott eventually took over as landlady and lived at the inn with her husband, Neville Longbottom.

Physical appearance

Tom was described by Harry Potter upon sight as old, "quite bald" and that he resembled a toothless walnut.

Magical abilities and skills

"Tom clicked his fingers, a fire burst into life in the grate, and he bowed himself out of the room."

— Tom performing wandless magic

• Nonverbal and wandless magic: Tom was capable of casting simple wandless and nonverbal spells, such as lighting a fireplace.
• Charms: Tom was capable of producing a non-corporeal Patronus, a clear mark of superior magical ability as well as being able to cast simple charms like the Fire-Making Spell successfully.

Etymology

Tom is diminutive of the name "Thomas" which means infidel or unfaithful. It was used as a formal male given name. It also means "twin".

Behind the scenes

Tom as depicted in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

• It is quite likely that J. K. Rowling intentionally gave him the same first name as Tom Riddle, as the fact was commented on by Albus Dumbledore. While it is unknown if Riddle ever met the Tom who managed the Leaky Cauldron, he was annoyed by being pointed out they had the same forename. Tom Riddle disliked the fact that "Tom" was a common men's name, being those of his father, and his grandfather, and desired to be known more independently.
• Tom was portrayed by Derek Deadman in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and by Jim Tavaré in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
  • The two known portrayals were quite different: In Philosopher's Stone, he is shown to work as the inn's barman and is straight-backed, but in Prisoner of Azkaban, he is clearly the innkeeper, as in the books, and appears to be a hunchback.
    • From the in-universe part of it, one can argue that they may simply be separate characters who happen to be namesakes.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, when the Death Eaters pass their way from the Leaky Cauldron to Diagon Alley to kidnap Garrick Ollivander, it is unknown if Tom or a different associate was at the Leaky Cauldron.
• Tom Wren, the actor portraying Draco Malfoy in the Melbourne Princess Theatre production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, also portrayed Tom the barman of Leaky Cauldron, voicing him when the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child read aloud Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 5 (Diagon Alley) together, organised by Bloomsbury Publishing for the 2021 Harry Potter Book Night.
• Tom appears in the Game Boy and GBA versions of the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In the GBA version, when Harry and Ron Weasley missed the train, Harry asks him for any Floo Powder so he and Ron could get to the Burrow and take the car.
• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4:
  • If one plays as Tom, and jumps while standing still, Tom will stumble upon landing and go forward several steps.
  • Tom can be unlocked in the first level of Year 1. First, you have to have unlocked the Reductor Curse. Then, in Gringotts, after you unlock the doors in the mainroom, use Reducto on the chest on the right. The one on the left holds Mr Ollivander.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Console and Game Boy versions)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)