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Harriet Moore was the adoptive aunt of Tessa Gray. She lived in New York and raised Tessa and her son, whom everyone else knew as her nephew, Nate.

History[]

Before Harriet was born, her older sister Elizabeth was kidnapped by faeries and replaced with Adele Starkweather, a Shadowhunter. They grew up together, believing they were real sisters.[1]

At one point, Harriet became engaged and was pregnant with their child. However, her fiancé died before the wedding. To save her sister the shame of it being known that she consummated her marriage before it had taken place, her sister Elizabeth raised the child, a boy they named Nate, with her own husband, Richard Gray, as if he was theirs. When the Gray family left London and moved to New York, they took Harriet with them.[2] It's not known if Harriet knew of what the family was running away from.

When Elizabeth and Richard died a few years later, Nate and her niece Tessa were put in her care. Harriet raised Tessa well and as if she was her own, and Tessa always felt that Harriet was like a mother to her.

Meanwhile, Harriet never managed to tell Nate that she was his mother. Guilty about her lies, she let him get away with whatever he had wanted and had spoiled him. She had told Tessa that Nate was innocent of the world, and they did what they could to protect him. Eventually, however, through some of Elizabeth's journal entries found in her jewelry box that Harriet kept as a sewing box, Nate found out that he was Harriet's son and began to resent her for keeping it from him.

Through Axel Mortmain, Nate was able to find work in London. Sometime after, he sent them a box of poisoned chocolates, knowing that Harriet would be the only one to eat them. Harriet died soon after, her death appearing as if it was due to some fever.[3] This was both his revenge on her and, at the same time, to force Tessa to leave New York for London.

After Nate's death, Tessa had a dream, where she apologized to Harriet for what happened to Nate. Harriet insisted that it was Nate and her own fault.[2]

Personality[]

Harriet is described as practical and sensible. She had strong opinions and morals which Tessa took guidance from. However, she had also been secretive—hiding the truth of Nate among other secrets. While she spoiled Nate, it seems to have been more out of guilt rather than favoritism; an example of her possibly being guided by emotions.

Physical description[]

She had blond hair and blue eyes. Tessa remarked that she greatly resembled her son if one knew to look for the similarities.

Appearances[]

References[]

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