10 Best Harry Potter Chapters

Book: The Half-Blood Prince

Chapter Synopsis: Harry and Dumbledore journey into the Pensieve and observe a young Tom Riddle.

The chapters involving the Pensieve are amongst the best in the Harry Potter series, and observing Voldemort as a child was nothing short of fascinating.

Rowling excelled in creating an authentic version of a young Voldemort. Rather than portraying him as overtly evil, she instead presented Riddle as selfish yet still fearful, as he was evidently wary of Dumbledore’s power and authority.

Riddle further possessed traits similar to his future self. As well as bullying the children at his orphanage, he stole their possessions and kept them, almost like a souvenir of his wrongdoing. This magpie-like tendency paralleled his pursuit of valuable items to use as horcruxes as an adult. Riddle – just like Voldemort - was also highly independent, and had no desire for close friends or company.

Consequently, despite its relatively slow pace and lack of action, this chapter was an unforgettable look into Voldemort's childhood.