Ginny Weasley unknowingly received Tom Riddle's diary when Lucius Malfoy, a notorious Death Eater, secretly slipped it into her school supplies cauldron at Flourish and Blotts in 1992.
The Diary's Path to Ginny
The transfer of Tom Riddle's diary into Ginny Weasley's possession was a calculated and malicious act by Lucius Malfoy, setting the stage for the perilous events of her first year at Hogwarts.
1. Pre-1981: The Diary with Lucius Malfoy
Before Lord Voldemort's first defeat in 1981, the diary, a dangerous magical artifact and a Horcrux containing a fragment of Voldemort's soul, was passed to the Death Eater Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy, an influential pure-blood wizard, kept this dark object hidden for over a decade.
2. Summer 1992: The Encounter at Flourish and Blotts
In the summer of 1992, as students prepared for the new school year, the Weasley family, including Ginny, was shopping for school supplies at Flourish and Blotts, the wizarding bookstore in Diagon Alley. It was during this busy period that Lucius Malfoy encountered the Weasleys. Malfoy harbored a deep disdain for the Weasley family, particularly for Arthur Weasley's work at the Ministry of Magic advocating for Muggle rights, and saw an opportunity to cause trouble.
3. The Deceptive Transfer
In a moment of chaos and distraction within the crowded bookstore, Lucius Malfoy, unnoticed by Ginny or her family, stealthily slipped the diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron of school supplies. Ginny, a new first-year student, was completely oblivious to the sinister object now mixed with her legitimate school purchases. This act was a deliberate and cunning maneuver by Malfoy, designed to introduce the powerful dark artifact into Hogwarts, re-open the Chamber of Secrets, and thus discredit Arthur Weasley and Albus Dumbledore.
Key Details of the Diary's Transfer
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Previous Owner | Lucius Malfoy |
| Recipient | Ginny Weasley |
| Location of Transfer | Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley |
| Year of Transfer | 1992 |
| Method | Slipped unnoticed into Ginny's cauldron of school supplies |
| Ginny's Awareness | Unaware at the time of transfer |
| Malfoy's Intent | To cause chaos at Hogwarts, re-open the Chamber of Secrets, and discredit Arthur Weasley and Albus Dumbledore |
Impact of the Diary
Once in Ginny's possession, the diary began to exert its dark influence. As a Horcrux, it gradually possessed Ginny, compelling her to write in its pages and, under its control, to re-open the Chamber of Secrets. This led to the petrification of several Muggle-born students and other dramatic events depicted in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, until Harry Potter ultimately destroyed the Horcrux.
