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Biographical Information
Died: 1955-1961
Blood Status: Pure-Blood or Half-Blood
Title(s): Madam (by Hokey)
Physical Information
Species: Human
Gender: Female
Height: Short
Eye Colour: Black
Skin Colour: Light
Biography
Madam Hepzibah Smith was a pure-blood or half-blood witch who claimed to be descended from Helga Hufflepuff. Being very rich, Hepzibah was an avid collector of magical antiquities, including objects that belonged to the founders of Hogwarts; her two most prized possessions were Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Salazar Slytherin's locket.
Not much is known of Hepzibah's early life, but as an older woman, she befriended the young wizard Tom Riddle during one of her visits to Borgin and Burkes. After Hepzibah revealed her two greatest treasures during one of Tom's visits to her home, Tom killed her, and used her death to make the cup into a Horcrux. Because her house-elf Hokey, was very old and forgetful, no one doubted that she did the crime. She claimed to have accidentally put poison into her mistress' evening cocoa, when in reality Riddle had planted a false memory in her mind.
Before she died, Albus Dumbledore realised the mistake and obtained a true memory from her, but it only showed that Riddle had enquired about Hepzibah's artefacts and was not enough to prove Hokey was innocent before she died.
"Canyou keep a secret, Tom? Will you promise you won't tell Mr Burke I've got it? He'd never let me rest if he knew I'd shown it to you, and I'm not selling, not to Burke, not to anyone!" -Hepzibah Smith to Tom Riddle on Helga Hufflepuff's Cup
