Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In today’s video, we’re going
to be discussing Dumbledore, Voldemort, Frank Bryce, and the Goblet of Fire. More specifically-
we’re going to be discussing Dumbledore’s seemingly all-knowing knowledge of all occurrences
that take place in the wizarding world- specifically the death of muggle Frank Bryce.
Frank Bryce was a Muggle who came from and lived in the village of Little Hangleton,
England- the same place where Voldemort’s family was from. As a young man, Bryce served
in WWII, and when he returned home to Little Hangleton he ended up becoming a gardener
for the Riddle family. Unfortunately for Bryce, when a young Tom Riddle finally returned home
to kill his father and grandparents (successfully, I might add), the only person left at the
scene of the crime was Frank. For this reason, he was the primary suspect for the Riddle’s
murder- a crime that he obviously did not commit.
Though Bryce was a primary suspect in the Riddle murders, and though he was initially
arrested- there also wasn’t sufficient evidence that he HAD done it, which meant that he was
able to avoid jail time. However, the townspeople of Little Hangleton treated him like an outcast
from that point onward- unable to believe that anyone else could have killed the Riddles.
"'As far as I'm concerned, he killed them, and I don't care what the police say. And
if he had any decency, he'd leave here.” — Dot, a Little Hangleton resident[src]
After Bryce was released from the police station he returned to the Riddle family grounds where
he lived a solitary, disconnected life in a small cottage. Fortunately- Bryce was kept
on as gardener by the house’s succession of un-named owners.
Bryce lived on the Riddle grounds for many years, however, shortly before his 77th birthday,
Bryce was murdered by Lord Voldemort after Nagini informed Voldemort that Bryce had overheard
them discussing their plans to kill Harry Potter.
"He was screaming so loudly that he never heard the words the thing in the chair spoke
as it raised a wand. There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce
crumbled. He was dead before he hit the floor."
However- Bryce didn’t go out without giving Riddle, the young whippersnapper, some attitude:
"Is that right? Lord, is it? Well, I don't think much of your manners, "My Lord". Turn
'round and face me like a man, why don't you?"
What’s particularly interesting about Bryce’s death however- is that Dumbledore seemed to
somehow know about it. Chapter 23 of Half-Blood Prince mentions this:
“After an interval of some years [from Voldemort's first death], however, he used Nagini to kill
an old Muggle man, and it might then have occurred to him to turn her into his last
Horcrux”
So my question is- how? How could Dumbledore have possibly known about the death of an
old muggle man in a little town?
The answer to this question actually lies in the books- however, it was mentioned much
earlier on- in the Goblet of Fire:
Dumbledore sighed again, and he looked older, and wearier, than ever.
‘The years of Voldemort’s ascent to power,’ he said, ‘were marked with disappearances.
Bertha Jorkins has vanished without trace in the place where Voldemort was certainly
known to be last. Mr Crouch, too, has disappeared … within these very grounds. And there was
a third disappearance, one which the Ministry, I regret to say, does not consider of any
importance, for it concerns a Muggle. His name was Frank Bryce, he lived in the village
where Voldemort’s father grew up, and he has not been seen since last August. You see,
I read the Muggle newspapers, unlike most of my Ministry friends.’
Dumbledore looked very seriously at Harry. ‘These disappearances seem to me to be linked.
The Ministry disagrees – as you may have heard, while waiting outside of my office.’
So, as you can see- the answer to Dumbledore’s knowledge of Bryce’s death isn’t anything
sinister, like a lot of you probably expected (you know who you are, the ones who are convinced
that Dumbledore is evil), he simply read the newspaper.
And that’s it for this video! Leave your video suggestions down below.
Until next time
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live