The House of Gaunt

[carodave92]

No: HPFGUIDX 134431

Dave:
> Here's some musings while reading the _House of Gaunt_ chapter:
> 
> -- In the whole scene Morphin speaks only Parseltongue.  Why? 
> Is that all he *can* speak?
<snip>
> -- If the Gaunts are all Parselmouths, why does Diary!Riddle tell
> Harry that the two of them are the only Parselmouths to come
> to Hogwarts since Slytherin himself?  Were the Gaunts homeschooled?
> Maybe after Slytherin's departure all his decendants refused to
> go to Hogwarts on principle?
<snip>


Carodave replies:  I wondered if Morphin ever learned English.  
Mr. Gaunt (I can't remember his name and don't have my book with me) 
doesn't seem overly fond of society, wizard or muggle, and may not 
have seen reason to teach his son English.  

I believe that Morphin and Merope were both homeschooled.  We saw 
the reception that visitors get at the Gaunt home, and Mr. Gaunt 
says that he doesn't read letters that come by owl (can he even 
read?) so maybe when Morphin and Merope are invited to Hogwarts, 
their invitations are simply disregarded...or maybe turned down on 
the grounds that Mr. Gaunt doesn't want them mixing with 'mudbloods' 
(his term not mine!).  If an emissary was sent from the school to 
pick up the children (a la Dumbledore getting Tom Riddle or Hagrid 
getting Harry), the emissary surely would have received the same 
reception as the Ministry official whose memory we saw.

I was wondering - how does Tom Riddle know to speak to Morphin in 
Parseltongue when he arrives at the Gaunt home?  He never even tries 
English but begins in Parseltongue.

Carodave