- "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?"
- — Frank's final words to Voldemort
Frank Bryce is a character in the Harry Potter book series. He is a Muggle gardener who works at the Riddle House. After serving in the Second World War, he tends to the Riddle family's garden until they are murdered, a crime for which he is wrongfully arrested. He returns to work at the house until he is also killed by Voldemort half a century later.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Frank fought in the Second World War and when he returned home to Little Hangleton, he had a stiff leg and a dislike of crowds and loud noises. He secured work at the Riddle House where he was a gardener. He lived in a cottage on the grounds. The cook often tried to talk to Frank and offered cups of tea, but he always declined and wanted to be left alone. She thought he was rather unfriendly.[2]
Death of the Riddles[]
In August 1944, the Riddles were murdered by their son and grandson, Tom Riddle. Frank had noticed Tom walking nearby that day. The police could not figure out what happened and arrested Frank for the murders because he was the only person who had a key to the house. He was taken to the police station in Great Hangleton where he kept repeating he was innocent. He gave a description of Tom to the police, but they couldn't find any trace of him. They decided that Frank had invented him. Due to the strange nature of their deaths, the police couldn't prove that Frank did anything to the Riddles and had to let him go. He returned to his cottage on the grounds of the Riddle House. Even though he was free due to the lack of evidence, the villagers still thought he was guilty.[2]
Later life[]
Frank worked for the next two families who lived at Riddle House but both left after a short period of time. The house fell into disrepair, but he stayed in the cottage. Eventually, a new owner who used the house for tax purposes without living there paid Frank to do the gardening. In elderly age, Frank was deaf and his leg was stiffer than ever.[2]
The garden was starting to overgrow, but he kept trying to keep it tidy. He had trouble with local boys who kept throwing stones at the windows of Riddle House and riding their bicycles over the lawn. On a dare, they broke into the house and laughed whenever Frank run out with a stick to chase them away. He thought they did it because they thought he was a murderer and wanted to hurt him.[2]
Death[]
On a night in August 1994, he woke up with leg pain and put the kettle on in the kitchen to refill a hot water bottle. He looked outside and noticed there were lights on in the windows of the Riddle House. He thought it was the local boys causing trouble and decided to confront them. He opened the door and walked up the stairs to find the intruders at the end of the passage. He heard Voldemort talking to Peter Pettigrew about their plan to kill Harry Potter and confessing to the murder of Bertha Jorkins. Frank wanted to stop them killing Harry and decided to walk down to a telephone and report what he heard. However, before he could leave, Nagini slithered past him to tell Voldemort he was standing outside the door.[2]
Voldemort ordered Pettigrew to invite Frank into the room, where he proceeded to ask him if he heard everything. Frank took offence to being called a Muggle, though he didn't understand what it meant and was confused. He tried to tell Voldemort he had a wife who knew he was up there but he knew he was lying. He then tried to bravely tell Voldemort to face him like a man, but he replied he was more than that. When the chair with Voldemort on finally turned around, Frank screamed in horror at his mutilated body before he was murdered with the Killing Curse.[2]
- "He was a real wizard, then? Killed me, that one did... You fight him, boy..."
- — Frank Bryce's shadow to Harry
Harry had a very vivid dream of Frank's death via his scar on his forehead. In June 1995, Voldemort was reborn and he duelled Harry. Due to the twin nature of their wands, they created Priori Incantatem. Frank's shadow reappeared in Little Hangleton graveyard and he saw that Voldemort truly was a wizard. He and the other shadows helped Harry defeat Voldemort by distracting him. Harry then fled the graveyard.[2]