what does it mean?

[Hermione]

On p. 2 og GoF it says, "...a maid had entered the drawing room to find all three Riddles dead." I later mentions that "all three" of them are Mr. and Mrs. Riddle and their adult son Tom.

On p.3 it says the only one seen near the house that night was "a teenage boy, a strange, dark-haired and pale."

Who are these people? Is the dark haired boy Harry Potter? Or a teen aged Tom Riddle? And who are the Riddles, Tom Sr. and his parents?

How does all this play into the plot?

[Boing]

Yup, you got it, Meredith. The three people in the house are Voldemort's dad and grandparents, so that's why there is a Tom in the house (Voldemort was named after his dad). And the teenage boy is Voldemort as a teenager.

So that's supposed to let you know that Voldemort killed the whole family - Tom Sr. (his dad), and his dad's parents. It emphasizes his hatred of his father as well as his ruthless nature . . .

[Padma Patil]

That pretty much summerizes it.

I know I was pretty confused when I first read it. But it couldn't be Tom Jr. and his parents, impossible.