Why Tom left Merope

[quigonginger]

No: HPFGUIDX 147022

On the subject of Merope, Carol wrote:

> > But IMO she was a victim of abuse and neglect who was never taught
> > right from wrong (can you imagine lessons on morality from Marvolo
> > Gaunt?) and never had a chance of meeting and falling in love 
with 
> > a suitable husband.

Ginger, butting in:

May I also add that Merope was on her own for the first time in her 
life without Marvolo and Morfin?

Given the emphasis on maintaining the Slytherin line, I'm sure 
Marvolo had intentions of mating the last 2 remaining heirs of 
Slytherin to produce more heirs.  (OK, maybe "sure" is a but much, 
but I'd put a few galleons on it.)

So Merope is alone without her father for his 6 month incarceration, 
and Morfin is scheduled to get out after 3 years.  Really, she only 
has 6 months to move out.  Where will she go?  How will she get by?  
Who will support her as she doesn't seem to have any job skills?

The handsome Muggle who had captivated her attentions had it all.  
Looks, money, lots of land (everything on the other side of the 
valley, according to Tom).  She only had 6 months to get him to dump 
Cecilia, fall in love with her and marry her and take her away.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  In her case, it was 
wrong of her, but, as Carol pointed out, she didn't exactly have the 
upbringing to learn very good morals, especially about the treatment 
of Muggles.

If we look at her as a desperate person fated to a life of matrimony 
with Morfin, living under her father's roof for the rest of her life, 
who now has a brief window of opportunity for escape, I think she 
becomes more understandable.  Of course, there's no way Tom would 
have fallen for her, but we homely inbred chicks have to dream too, 
don't we?  (Don't worry- I just dream, I'm not concocting 
potions...yet)

Ginger, who feels as though she is being summoned by a certain other 
thread, but has nothing to add to it.