A.N. — Hey, look! I'm not focusing on the grisly part of a character's life for once. This poor old lady went through a lot already. So I decided to built up her rich haughtiness instead.
21. Hepzibah Smith
She felt duty-bound, as a descendant of one of the four Founders, to caretake their legacy. Having wealth at her disposal just made her self-imposed mission that much easier.
Splashing her gold around at disreputable establishments like Borgin and Burkes was, in effect, thumbing her nose at those who could only peddle valuable wares, rather than collect them. Talking over sleaze like Caractacus Burke, throwing her (literal) weight around, put those beneath her squarely in their place.
The young Tom Riddle alone was spared this disdain. Perhaps, in him, she could cultivate her successor. After all, Hepzibah had the means.