She barely gets any adoption offers at all, especially not from people who'd be certainly better than staying in the orphanage. Especially not for older children. 

But one chilly morning, there's an unfamiliar face on the orphanage's doorstep. She's dressed smartly - not richly, not quite conservatively, but she wouldn't be out of place in a schoolroom or interviewing as a governess. There's certainly something respectable about her, though there's an uncertain look in her eyes, in the stressed pull of her mouth. 

One of the helpers answers the door. "Hello, ma'am. Are you... here to see Mrs Cole?"

"Yes - I want to inquire about adoption."

"Oh!" She brightens visibly, then belatedly tries to hide that under a facade of professionalism. Don't want to scare the nice lady off. "Come in, please." She steps back to invite the woman in and shows the way to the office, where Mrs Cole, a visibly middle-aged woman is doggedly working down her stack of paperwork. "Someone here to see about adoption, Mrs Cole."

She looks up, takes in the visitor's appearance, and sets her pen down. "Thank you, Nora. Please, sit," she invites.

She does so. "Good evening," she says. "My name is Fay Reynolds."

"Gladys Cole. A pleasure, Miss Reynolds. What brings you to us particularly, if I might inquire?"

"I'm looking for a particular child."

Can't foist one of the troublemakers off then, alas.

"Of course. You have a name?"

"For the parents, and I have an approximate birth date - Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle, and their child would've been born in late twenty six or early twenty seven."

"T- Riddle. Yes, we have a Riddle. Never got the mother's name but she came to us with her newborn on New Year's Eve, nineteen twenty-six. Died just a few hours later, the poor thing."

She looks a bit distantly sad about that. "She was able to give you a name, at least..."

Mrs Cole's smile is slightly strained. "Yes, she did."

"Is the child - well?"

"Oh yes, quite healthy. Never sick even a day."

Hum.

"...What is the process for adoption?"

"Oh, it's quite simple, just a few forms-" that she only has to do a bit of excavating to produce- "and then I can introduce you." Because that way it will be much harder for Miss Reynolds to change her mind about Riddle. Mrs Cole offers a pen.

She takes it, and begins thoroughly reading the forms before filling them out - but doesn't ask to see Riddle first. 

Good. Good. She relaxes slightly.

"You knew the parents, I assume?"

"...Yes. A long time ago."

"I see. I am sorry for your loss." Mrs Cole sounds sincere here, for whatever that's worth.

She just nods.

"How soon do you think you would be planning on taking young Riddle?"

"I have the room now, so - how soon is possible?"

Oh this is working well. She smiles. "Today, if you like."

"...I would."