The Gaunt family (also styled as 'The House of Gaunt') were Lord Voldemort's ancestors and part of Salazar Slytherin's bloodline. Much like many wizards and witches from this lineage, the Gaunt family were pure-blood, and held discriminatory views on the non-magical community. Despite this wealthy and historic heritage, the Gaunts were known to squander their many riches, with the end of the line living out their final years in poverty. Many of the members of this family preferred to speak in Parseltongue (the language of snakes) and frequently practised the Dark Arts. Key members of the Gaunt family included Marvolo Gaunt and his children Morfin and Merope, Voldemort's mother, who died after giving birth.