How we cite our quotes: (chapter.paragraph)
Quote #1
"Is it true?" said Gaunt in a deadly voice, advancing a step or two toward the terrified girl. "My daughter – pure blooded descendant of Salazar Slytherin – hankering after a filthy, dirt-veined Muggle?" (10.149)
There's something infinitely interesting about the fact that Merope Gaunt, Voldemort's mother, succumbed to love and died of a broken heart. We see how abused she is in the Gaunt household, despite the fact that she is a pureblood witch. There seems to be a history of heartbreak in Voldemort's family. No real love to be found here.
Quote #2
"Again, this is guesswork," said Dumbledore, "but I believe that Merope, who was deeply in love with her husband, could not bear to continue enslaving him by magical means. I believe that she made the choice to stop giving him the potion. Perhaps, besotted as she was, she had convinced herself that he would by now have fallen in love with her in return. Perhaps she thought he would stay for the baby's sake. If so, she was wrong on both counts. He left her, never saw her again, and never troubled to discover what became of his son." (10.179)
Considering her heritage and her background, Merope Gaunt would have been a pretty powerful witch, no? And yet, she couldn't help but fall madly in love with a man she hardly knew but who she saw often. One would think that a witch of her caliber would have been able to control her feelings, to make Tom Riddle, Sr. fall in love with her permanently. But it would seem that the years of abuse and lovelessness that Merope had endured weakened her. Perhaps, then, the need for love and the lack of it is more powerful than magic.
Quote #3
Harry's thoughts strayed to Ginny as they trudged up the road to Hogwarts through the frozen slush. They had not met up with her, undoubtedly, thought Harry, because she and Dean were cozily closeted in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, that haunt of happy couples. Scowling, he bowed his head against the swirling sleet and trudged on. (12.104)
In these scary, dangerous times, it is kind of nice to know that teenagers still get to do fun things like go on dates and that there are real date spots in Hogsmeade. Even wizards and witches crush bigtime. Why do you think Harry is so attracted to Ginny? She seems to us to be quite an independent lady with a mind of her own, quite different from the little girl who used to blush every time Harry was around.