#Gormlaith Gaunt

[teddyniffler]

Do you think the Gaunt family could ever rejoin modern-day Wizarding Society after everything with Voldermort?

Just some background first for those who haven't read the books or have Hogwarts Legacy: The Gaunts were a super ancient wizarding family - Likely older than the Blacks, The Malfoys -  and they were once directly related to the Potters through the Peverell bloodline, but their side of the Peverell bloodline married first the Gaunts, then Slytherin's family married into them.

This is the very family that guarded the Chamber of Secrets for generations, they were the wizarding family Voldermort came from. To the public, the connection between the Gaunts and Voldermort wasnt wildly known, only Dumbledore and later Harry knew it, however the Gaunts themselves were infamous long before that.

Hogwarts Legacy: Ominis is one of the Gaunts. You can often hear people in the game talking about Gormlaith Gaunt, she lived hundreds of years before Ominis was born and was one of the darkest Witches of all time. She burned alive her own sister, Rionach Gaunt just because her and her husband showed kindness to Muggles.

That's why the people in Hogwarts Legacy say she would skin alive her own mother.

Cursed child: Somebody, -- likely Hermione, with Harry's information, -- wrote a book on Voldermort called 'Marvolo: The truth' which revealed Voldermort's connection to the Gaunt family for the whole world to know. The book was aimed to mock Voldermort, to show just who he really was, not some immortal higher being, but the offspring of a Gaunt. The book was in Hermione's office at the MoM. It's roughtly implied the world now knows more about Tom Riddle and the Gaunts. Harry himself in book 6/7 saw the Gaunts, and he didn't think too highly of them. He called Marvolo a disgusting pig. Marvolo is likely Ominis' older brother.

So with all that, imagine the Gaunts are still out there, say Ominis' descendents have finally came out of hiding and a parents wants a normal childhood for their very normal child, so they send them to Hogwarts. Some teachers currently at Hogwarts like Slughorn, Flitwick and McGonagall fought Voldermort, some like Neville were students during the battle. Hagrid was at Hogwarts with Tom and knew him back then.

Now a Gaunt- A known relation of Voldermort- arrives at Hogwarts, snake in toe and they are openly speaking Parceltounge for all to see. They are technically the heir of Slytherin.

In the offical HP game Magic Awakened, it mentions studies have been done on the chamber now its open and they know where it is. I believe its also confirmed on the old Pottermore pages that experts have explored the chamber, so its very likely the world knows a certain Corvinus Gaunt was the one who protected the chamber of secrets and moved it into the girls bathroom. This lead to the death of Myrtle a hundred years later

(Imagine being a female Gaunt and coming face to face with Myrtle in the bathroom, who now knows it was your family that caused her death...she's not going to let any Gaunt forget that in a hurry)

This Gaunt student will be tought by Slughorn who will likely be on high alert, as he remembers Tom Riddle all too well. Professor McGonagall will likely be watching very closely, as would Flitwick. Hagrid likely won't really be too warm towards a Gaunt, although I think Hagrid may understand and warm up faster.

Then you have people like Hannah Abbot (Nurse at the hospital wing and married to Neville) who directly suffered at Voldermort's hands, he killed her entire family and now she's treating a Gaunt for the common cold and wondering just how this child in front of her is related to that monster.

All of this is going to cause an atmosphere at the school. Slytherin House trying to redeem their general image and rep now find themselves with a walking/talking reminder of what their house used to stand for. A Gaunt sleeping under their roof, the embodiment and daily reminder of Voldermort...

I imagine there would be alot of mutterings. From all the gossip Harry had to endure during the books, I can see this Gaunt may not get a quite moment at school, have no friends or feel welcome. I actually headcanon that during the Sorting, they won't be any clapping, just horrified and mistrusted looks.

I once read that Harry Potter himself comes to Hogwarts from time to time to teach DATDAs for a class here and there when he has time off, so imagine Harry coming and... there's a Gaunt in his new class.

Ouch!

Please remember Harry has just written a book outting them, not only as the wizarding family who protected the Chamber, but also the reason the world had Voldermort.

- for none book readers: The ring Harry had, the one he dropped on purpose in the forrest at the end, that belonged to the Gaunts. It was their personal Hallow, just like how Harry has the cloak. The Gaunts likely want it back.

Marvolo, Morfin and Merope (the Gaunts in book 6) didn't know about the ring being a Hallow, but maybe Ominis did and so does his line. Maybe they know Harry Potter had it last, and now this child is casually trying to catch which rings Harry is wearing on his hand.

That would be an awkward class, not to mention everybody may give this Gaunt a hard time, they would think it funny that Harry Potter is here while there's a Gaunt in the class. After all, most of their parents likely watched Harry killing a certain Gaunt offspring all those years ago.

I imagine being at Hogwarts would not be a pleasant experience for this Gaunt. They could be really nice, a good student, but likely because of their name nobody will want to come near them.

I think the Ministry would be interested in this child. Where/how have they been hiding all this time. What does the family want now? Do they pose a threat to the wizarding world?

If Hogwarts does anything to mark the 2nd of May (Battle of Hogwarts anniversary) I can see there being quite an atmosphere in the Great Hall if there's a Gaunt siting among them. There's children at Hogwarts who were raised by grandparents as their parents were killed by Death Eaters/Voldermort. There's less children still at Hogwarts than they should be because quite a few students died before they could grow into adults. Entire families died and many more became orphans... and there's a Gaunt, a relation to the monster who did all of this among them as they try to remember their uncle who died at 17 to stop Voldermort.

As you may tell, I love thinking about this family, from everything we do know about the Gaunts. I think they've both the victims and the cause of their own suffering. Yes they were considered dark wizards, but not all of them wanted to follow the ways they had been born into, some of them, like Ominis, Noctua, Rionach and then her daughter Isolt all had tried to run from their family. They had tried to escape the House of Gaunt, but some Gaunts, like Corvinus and Marvolo, clearly loved the Dark Arts. They protected the chamber and ensured it stayed hidden, knowing it would lead to death. Marvolo tortured Ominis and enjoyed it.

At the end of the day, one of Voldermort's first victims were the Gaunts. He attacked Morfin Gaunt and used powerful magic to alter his mind, then framed him for murder, leading to Morfin dying. Even Dumbledore himself tried to save Morfin but couldnt in time, as Dumbledore knew he was innocent. No matter how much I love Harry, I do think Harry would have left that out in the book 'Marvolo: The truth' as it likely wasn't the image he wanted for the book. He wanted to humiliate Riddle in death, to show everybody this man was just a man, born from a family that did horrible things.

Anyways, what do you think? Feel free to write down your ideas, do you think a Gaunt could ever be welcome at Hogwarts again or do you think the second the name 'Gaunt' is read out during the Sorting all that is felt is hostility and mistrust towards this student and the invisible family that is hiding somewhere in plain sight among wizarding kind.

[witchyafterdark]

So the deeper I go into the Gaunt family lore, the more I realize that it's not as straight forward as the HP canon make it seem. Like, what happened to Rionach Gaunt who's the mother of Isolt Sayre (the founder of Ilvermorny), and does that mean they're from the "main branch" of the Gaunt family? Cause it seems like there are at least two branches of this house, and I'm starting to think that maybe Ominis belongs to the secondary branch. 🤔💭 It seems like Ominis might belong to the Irish branch of the House of Gaunt, cause Marvolo and the rest seem to be English but I don't know yet.

The only "clue" I have is that when you go to Hogsmeade, there will be townspeople who talk about how a certain "Gormlaith Gaunt would skin her own mother..." and how cruel of a witch she was. So, if this narrative is present in this universe, it kind of makes sense that Ominis might belong to the Irish sect of the Gaunts.

Yes, this is open for discussion. I may also make another post for this one if I get enough info and evidence.

[orqheuss]

☆*: .｡.Wand headcanons.｡.:*☆

Warning: long post! Deep discussion of characters and their personalities ahead

I have been thinking extensively about Ominis and Sebastian's wands and which would suit them the best since they are currently unknown in canon.

As we know from Harry Potter lore, wand cores and woods have the most sway in how not only the wand itself would behave, but also what kind of person the wand owner is and how they will use it. With that being said, we know the personalities of the boy's quite intimately, but we know absolutely no information about their wands besides what they look like, and even then in some scenes they look vastly different.

For this research I used stills from the game when we get close ups of their wands, as well as the Harry Potter Wiki, the Wizarding World website, and a funky weebly website that someone made for a class all about wandlore (I know, not really a reputable source, but it has a but ton of information that can be backed up via the other websites I mentioned) to gather my research.

This was all just a late night info spiral that the ominis discord server helped me with, lol (message @finalgirllx if you would like to join! we have fun)

I am by no means saying my word is law or that you can't have your own opinions. This is just what I think fits them best. I do not own the characters or the Hogwarts Legacy game.

I tried to keep this as spoiler free as possible. No huge plot spoilers are shared.

Now with the formalities out of the way, let's dive in.

We'll start with Ominis, because he has, arguably, the most interesting wand.

My headcanon: Horned Serpent horn core, blackthorn wood, 10 3/4 inches, brittle flexibility

I'm going to go section by section and explain my reasonings. First, the core.

Horned Serpent horn core: While a very, very rare core, it is an exceedingly powerful one that leans towards not only the ties it has to Ominis' family name but also his strengths and weaknesses.

There has only been two wands created with a Horned Serpent horn core in Harry Potter lore, and they belonged to the adopted sons of Isolt Sayre, the founder of Ilvermorny, or the North American school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

According to the lore, Isolt is a direct descendant of Morrigan, a famous Irish witch, and Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts, thus making her of Gaunt heritage. Her parents were murdered when she was young by her aunt, Gormlaith Gaunt, whom was unhappy with her sister's muggle-helping ways. Gormlaith then kidnapped the girl and kept her captive for a number of years before Isolt was able to escape and flee to America on the Mayflower. There she befriended a Horned Serpent, and when her adopted son's were of age she had their wands fashioned with a sliver of the horn from her serpent friend.

So, why does this core fit Ominis?

As I said, it's properties directly line up with what we know about Ominis' wand in the game. Sebastian states that it is "almost sentient" and is able to help him navigate around the castle and the outside world with little problem. This fits the Horned Serpent horn because, according to the Harry Potter wiki, "[t]his core was exceptionally powerful, sensitive to Parseltongue and vibrated when Parseltongue was being spoken, and could warn their owners of danger by emitting a low musical tone." Because of Ominis' blindness, he likely has exceedingly strong hearing, thus making the low musical tone of the Horned Serpent horn a likely culprit for his wand's echolocation abilities. Not only would this wand core run in the Gaunt family, but it would also connect to Ominis' ability to speak Parseltongue.

As a side note, Salazar Slytherin had a basilisk horn core in his wand and is said to have passed it down when he died, so it would stay in the Gaunt family. Having a core so similar to Slytherin's, and most likely Ominis' father because he would be the next in line to get the wand, would please his family greatly.

Blackthorn wood: As we can see in the game and in the reference picture, Ominis' wand is a dark grey, nearly black color. This in itself narrows down what possible wood it is, as there isn't many dark wand woods known in the lore.

Below is an image of blackthorn branches.

The coloring matches, but what about their personality?

According to the Wizarding World website, this is the description of blackthorn wood:

Blackthorn, which is a very unusual wand wood, has the reputation, in my view well-merited, of being best suited to a warrior. This does not necessarily mean that its owner practises the Dark Arts (although it is undeniable that those who do so will enjoy the blackthorn wand’s prodigious power); one finds blackthorn wands among the Aurors as well as among the denizens of Azkaban. It is a curious feature of the blackthorn bush, which sports wicked thorns, that it produces its sweetest berries after the hardest frosts, and the wands made from this wood appear to need to pass through danger or hardship with their owners to become truly bonded. Given this condition, the blackthorn wand will become as loyal and faithful a servant as one could wish.

This fits with one of the first things we find out about Ominis and his personality-- he starts off as standoff-ish, brash, and, for a lack of a better word, "thorny." After getting to know him in the game, though, we find out that his harshness is just a defense mechanism due to his past and his protectiveness of his friends. Thus, the berry analogy. He himself goes through an incredible "danger or hardship" at the hands of his family, making the blackthorn tree a kindred spirit for him.

Unfortunately wand length and flexibility don't make much of a difference in wands, but there is still a little bit of information about them. I'm basing most of this information (the wand length at least) on fanon decided lore.

10 3/4 inches: Wand length is primarily based on the height and stature of the wizard. In very rare cases, witches and wizards of incredibly sour dispositions will get small, stubby wands (6 inches or below) but that doesn't fit in this situation. According to the Harry Potter Wiki, nine to ten inch wands are "[v]ery standard, and very formal," and "[t]ypically, wizards of average height (5' 6" - 6' 0") will have wands in this size range." Since most of the fandom agrees that Ominis would be around the 6'0", 6'1" range, this would fit his build. I added the 3/4 just to be a bit spicy.

Brittle flexibility: Because neither website really has information about the flexibility of wands, this is taken mostly from the weebly page on wandlore. According to the Wizarding World website, "[w]and flexibility or rigidity denotes the degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the wand-and-owner pair[.]" I have also heard that it is based again on the witch or wizard's personality, so I used both instances here.

Basically, the more flexible the wand, the more flexible the witch or wizard would be in stressful situations, but also the more likely your wand would be to accept a new owner if it were to be won in a duel.

Brittle fits Ominis the best because of it's description on the wandlore class website:

A wand with this flexibility tends to attach itself quickest to owners who have insecurities, and its level of loyalty is often dependent on how loyal the owner is to it. Should it become very loyal to its original owner, new owners often won't get the chance to earn the wand's loyalty before it breaks. Brittle wands are best suited to subtle and delicate magic, such as transfiguration and non-verbal spell-casting. Because they break easy, their owners should be careful to avoid magic that is unnecessarily flashy or explosive, especially if the wand also has a dragon heartstring core. Owners with this wand flexibility are usually contemplative, clever, and somewhat cynical; they tend to be an "underdog" type of person and perhaps even a little bit unlucky, which could lead them to becoming resentful of their more successful peers. If a brittle wand owner perseveres and manages to get over their insecurities, however, he or she will often become a "great success story" that never ceases to amaze and inspire others.

There are points in the argument both for and against Ominis' insecurities controlling his personality, but this particular wand flexibility fits both extremes well. If he leans more on the insecure side, the wand would attach itself quite quickly to him and would remain loyal as long as he was loyal to it, which is a given since he needs it to navigate the world. Ominis was likely a closed off and insecure child when he was young, so it would fit that a brittle wand would attach itself to him quickly. In the game, we see Ominis is careful and sure with his wand work, so I don't think the brittle nature of the wand would come into play, especially with his and Sebastian's love for confringo.

The main thing that connects this flexibility to Ominis is the description of the owners personality, stating that they would be "contemplative, clever, and somewhat cynical" even an "underdog" type. Ominis is the definition of these three terms, and it can be argued that because of the biases surrounding his last name, as well as his disability, he could be considered an "underdog." Ominis is contemplative in most of his dialogue, wanting to see all sides of an argument before making a decision one way or another. He is incredibly clever, often twisting arguments in his favor and throwing words back at the person debating him. As for cynical, there just isn't a better word for how he treats the MC when he passes them around the castle. Every single one of his voice lines is some thinly veiled insult.

Next, let's explore Sebastian's wand-- easily one of the most identifiable wands in the game.

My headcanon: Dragon heartstring core, yew wood, 9 1/2 inches, unyielding flexibility

Same process as Ominis' wand. Here we go!

Dragon heartstring core: In medical science, "heartstrings" refer to the chordae tendineae of the heart, which connect the papillary muscles to the tricuspid and mitral valves so they can open and close as the heart pumps blood between atrial and ventricular chambers (I had to research this lmao, I am not a science person). It's possible that this is where they get the core from in a dragon, but there isn't enough information about dragon anatomy in canon lore to be sure.

Wand cores are connected to the strength of a witch or wizard's magic, as well as the type of magic that they are more likely to lean towards and the type of magic that the wand will be adept with.

Dragon heartstring is one of the three "supreme cores" that are sold in Olivanders. The description of the wand core on the Harry Potter Wiki is as follows:

Dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most magical power, and which [are] capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tended to learn more quickly than other types. While they could change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bonded strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tended to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it would not incline that way of its own accord. It was also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental.

Don't be swayed, I did not just pick this because of its proclivity towards dark magic. Yes, Sebastian is the one that teaches the MC the unforgivable curses, but this in itself matches the personality traits he exhibits from the very beginning: confidence (to the point of arrogance at times), and loyalty. Sebastian himself states that he leans more towards "fiery forms of magic" after he teaches you the blasting curse, so it would make sense that his wand core would need to be able to handle this kind of spell work. One that is "flamboyant" and "temperamental" would fit this the best. Not only this, but before the MC arrives at Hogwarts, Sebastian was the best duelist there, so he would need a wand core that picked up magic quick and was able to keep up with his competitive nature.

Yew wood: Yes, another thing that leans towards dark magic, but hear me out. Sebastian's wand color is very light, making the options for the possible wood types he would have just as sparse as Ominis'.

Wand woods are connected to the owners personality, diving down past the surface level and often discovering the most innate personality traits of the witch or wizard that owns it.

Below is an image of yew wood.

At first, I thought Sebastian's wand could possibly be aspen, but upon looking at the coloring of that wood versus yew, yew seems to be the closest in color. Aspen wood is often compared to bone because of how pale white it is, but if you look at the picture of Sebastian's wand, it has some warm undertones that make it a different hue than ivory.

Back to the personality. Here is what the Wizarding World website says about yew wood:

Yew wands are among the rarer kinds, and their ideal matches are likewise unusual, and occasionally notorious. The wand of yew is reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death, which might, of course, be said of all wands; and yet yew retains a particularly dark and fearsome reputation in the spheres of duelling and all curses. However, it is untrue to say (as those unlearned in wandlore often do) that those who use yew wands are more likely to be attracted to the Dark Arts than another. The witch or wizard best suited to a yew wand might equally prove a fierce protector of others. Wands hewn from these most long-lived trees have been found in the possession of heroes quite as often as of villains. Where wizards have been buried with wands of yew, the wand generally sprouts into a tree guarding the dead owner’s grave. What is certain, in my experience, is that the yew wand never chooses either a mediocre or a timid owner.

I'm not going to go into any heavy spoilers, but if you know, you know.

Sebastian is absolutely not a mediocre or timid wizard-- quite the opposite. He tends to lead with his heart rather his head, diving into battles before thinking through a strategy or jumping feet first into an argument before hearing both sides of the issue. He is fiercely loyal and protective of those he cares about, which can be seen in how he talks about not only Anne but also Ominis. His main motivation through the entirety of the game is finding a cure for his sister's curse, and he quite literally goes to outlandish means to achieve his goals. He is described as an accomplished duelist (we don't really see that, but let's chalk that up to the companion mechanics of the game and not his actual skill) and he is proficient in curses of all nature. He is the definition of a morally grey character-- not quite a hero, but also not quite a villain.

Again, for wand length and flexibility I will be using a mix of canon and fanon lore because of how scarce the information is on these sections of wandlore.

9 1/2 inches: As I said earlier with Ominis' wand, nine to ten inches is the common length for most wands. Since Ominis and Sebastian are, in fanon lore at least, similar in height (Ominis slightly taller than Sebastian in most fanfictions and fanart), I kept them close in length. Most agree that Sebastian is likely around 5'10", 5"11", so a wand slightly smaller than Ominis' but still within average length would fit best. Again, the half inch is just to be spicy.

Unyielding flexibility: Same as before, most of this information was taken from the wandlore weebly.

The word "unyielding" in itself describes Sebastian's personality. As previously stated, he is incredibly stubborn and hardheaded when he wants to be, and we see that often in the game.

The description for an unyielding wand is as follows:

A wand of this flexibility finely tunes itself to its original owner's preferences and doesn't stray from those preferences, even in the hands of a new owner; the new owner will just have to get used to it. It is particularly good for combative and healing magic. Unyielding wand owners tend to be very confident in themselves and/or in the things they believe in. They tend to be intelligent, somewhat cynical, and usually have well-defined principles that they will not stray from ever. Sometimes, this combination can lead to arrogance because of them insisting on how right they are without considering other points of view or whether or not they might be wrong.

Sebastian is a confident young man. He himself names him the best duelist in the school, and he prides himself on his knowledge of the wizarding world, both due to his proclivity to research and the fact that his parents were professors. In the game mechanics, particularly the bits that did not make it into the final game but were still in the code, there are a few lines for him that lean towards the possibility that he could heal the MC if our health got too low, thus adding the possibility that he was skilled in healing magic and combative magic. Sebastian's principles are defined from the very beginning of the game, stating that he would do anything for his friends and family, as well as was not afraid to break the rules to get what he wanted. He can be a bit arrogant at times due to this confidence, but for the most part it comes off as endearing.

As the game goes on he grows more cynical of the world and of the MC, often stating that they do not share the same opinions like he once thought and that they don't care about Anne and finding a cure for her curse. His tendency to not sway in his opinions and his insistence that he is right and everyone else is wrong grows tenfold around the winter mark. Because of this, no matter how many people are arguing that he is going down a dark path, he does not back down.

As both Ominis and Sebastian say, Sebastian Sallow does not back down from a fight, and he needs a wand that agrees with this belief system.

These are my headcaons! If you made it all the way to this bit, please don't be afraid to share your thoughts and personal headcanons for the boys and their wands!

Thanks for indulging me and my ramblings, lol

[lulublack90]

Prompt 28 - Library

@jegulus-microfic August 28, Word count 681

Previous part First Wolfstar part

The Potter family library was an absolute mess by the time they were done with it. The five of them had dragged book after book off the shelves searching for any mention of the Gaunts. Remus found that they’d once owned Salazar’s Locket, but it had been sold by Merope in London. 

“Probably to Borgin and Burkes,” Regulus mused aloud. They’d have paid a good price for it. 

“Then there was Slytherin’s actual wand,” Marcus said in awe, reading from one of the wand maker’s books for some reason. “It says here that Gormlaith Gaunt had it but his niece Isolt Sayre stole it and, wow, she and her husband founded Ilvermorny! It says she was buried with the wand and a snakewood tree grew over her grave and apparently the leaves have magical properties. Well, that’s the wand gone as well then,” Marcus shrugged and shut the book. 

“They also had a ring,” James added, reading from the thin book in his hand. “It is said to be a gold ring with a black stone inset and rumoured to carry the Peverell coat of arms. Pretty sure I’m related to the Peverell’s as well, you know,” James frowned. “As far as anyone knows, it never left the family, so Morfin might still have it,” Sirius shook his head. 

“They wouldn’t have let him keep anything like that in Azkaban. More likely it was given to his next of kin, if he even still had it by then.”

“His next of kin being Tom Riddle,” Regulus said after Sirius had finished talking. 

“Have we found where the residence is yet?” Remus asked. “It would probably be a good starting place.” 

“Erm, hang on, I swear I saw something earlier,” Sirius said, throwing scrolls over his shoulder and tossing books onto other tables. “Ah-ha, here it is. It’s just outside somewhere called Little Hangleton.”

“Then that’s where we’re going next,” Regulus declared, gathering all the different texts together and putting them in his pocket. 

“How are you doing that?” James asked, as Regulus stuffed a heavy tome into his pocket that shouldn't have been able to fit. 

“Undetectable expansion charm mixed with a weightlessness charm. I thought it might come in useful,” Regulus shrugged. 

“Brilliant,” James smiled at him warmly. Regulus felt a hot blush spread across his cheeks at the praise from his boyfriend. His ears began to burn at the thought of being James's boyfriend. 

“Master Regulus, will you's be wanting your bunny slippers for your trip?” Flitsy said from the doorway, holding up the squashy pink slippers. 

“Hey, I gave those to you James,” Remus grumbled as Regulus dashed forward to take them from the elf, glowering at her the entire time. His face bright red now, he put them in his pocket so she’d stop using them against him. 

“Ahahahahahaha,” Sirius barked out a laugh at the slippers. “Of all the things for you to wear,” He snorted at Regulus. 

“Master Sirius, will you's be wanting your lucky underwear?” Flitsy piped up again, holding up a pair of bright orange briefs with CC written on them in big white overlapping letters. 

“Hey!” Sirius squawked as he pelted across the library to snatch them from her hands. “Traitor,” He told the elf. 

“Nuisance,” Flitsy spat back, sticking her tongue out. 

“Love you,” Sirius grinned at her. 

“Love you's too, Master Sirius,” Flitsy rolled her eyes at him and stuck out her cheek for a kiss which Sirius more than happily gave her. “Master James, do you's know when you’s becoming back again?” She asked, arching a brow. 

“Definitely in six days, it’s the full moon. But I’m not sure if we’ll be back before then or not. Sorry Flitsy, I’ll try and send word if we’re coming,” He tried to placate the elf. 

“See that you's do's, Master James,” And she slammed the door on them. This time Regulus definitely heard her cackle. 

“Shall we go find this Gaunt place then?” Sirius asked the group. Remus pulled out a map and found Little Hangleton, and they prepared to leave.

Next part

[boxdstars]

Thinking about how surreal it would be for any Ilvermorny transfer student to go to Hogwarts, because Ilvermorny was founded by the witch Isolt, and her no-maj (muggle) husband! Blood purity as a concept seems like it would be entirely disregarded in the north american wizarding world as a whole because of this. Like, how are we going to whine about “purity” when a literal non-magic wielder helped to instate the very school itself!

Ilvermorny students would show up like “wow. blood purity is such an archaic concept, so glad it’s not really a thing anymore :)” and then be floored at the behavior from some of the most well off purebloods at the wizarding worlds most prestigious school. Much to think about 🤔

I also find the Gaunts influence being in America very interesting, with Isolts estranged aunt, Gormlaith Gaunt who basically kidnapped her, ultimately leading Isolt to flee to America to begin with. Ilvermorny lore is so fascinating there’s so much to play with, even in the HL era!

oh and also this:

[ominis]

I was walking around Hogsmeade with Ominis and when we walked past someone, they said “Gormlaith Gaunt was the type who would have flayed her own mother.” Why would you remind him of that right in front of him 😭

[the13thtraveler]

The True History of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

With the new wizard game recently released, I wanted to share a re-write of the history I created for Ilvermorny before JRK got her mitts into it. My version has been re-done to conform more with what canon I could use (Houses, location) but attempts to make it better. FYI I am not First Peoples so hopefully my representations of them were respectful. And as always, much love to @americanwizarding for inspiring me to make my own American canon (and letting me use some of their own creations for my canon too).

Born in 1603 Elias Sayre was the youngest child of William and Rionach Sayre, an Irish Pure-Blood Family. The Sayre’s traced their history back centuries and counted among their ranks the legendary witch Morrigan on William’s side and Salazar Slytherin on Rionach’s. While they did not share the same level of rabid blood supremacy as other members of their extended family did, the Sayre’s were not the type to mingle with Muggles and Muggle-Borns.

Elias’ first disappointed his family when attending Hogwarts as he was sorted into Hufflepuff, breaking the long tradition of Sayres being proud Gryffindors. His time at Hogwarts was unremarkable as he did not try out for Quidditch and excelled at charms and transfiguration over battle magic and curses. Most of his family wrote Elias off as a black sheep and expected nothing much from him except to not embarrass the family name. Unfortunately Elias failed at this too.

Graduating from Hogwarts in 1619 he traveled to London and took up with the Muggle-Born community there. Elias became a strong advocate for Muggle rights including votes for Muggle and Magical women, abolition, and general equality. While his parents were able to overlook his bleeding heart approach, his extended family could not bear to extend him the same courtesy. His great aunt, Gormlaith Gaunt, especially hated Elias viewing him as a blight on the family tree. It was when Elias made a public proposal of marriage to a Muggle woman that Aunt Gormlaith took matters into her own hands.

The Sayres and the Gaunts had a substantial fortune between them and Gormlaith used some of the money to hire mercenary wizards to murder her nephew Elias. What Gormlaith (and Elias’ parents) did not know was that Elias was a Seer, a mage with the power to see the future. Elias had witnessed his Aunt’s betrayal and so forewarned withdrew a large amount of money from his family’s Gringotts account and fled England for the new world on the easiest ship to board: the Mayflower. Giving the fake name of Elias Story, Elias traveled across the Atlantic to hopefully find a new life in the New World.

During the long journey Elias realized that he would find no friends or allies among the Puritans and so the 18 year old fled Plymouth Colony for the western wilds of Massachusetts. He had heard about the various native tribes that lived in the Americas, but seeing how they were treated by the colonists led Elias to be fearful of them and so for three years he avoided all contact with anyone, hiding himself with his magic. Elias made his home atop the tallest point in Massachusetts, Mount Greylock, in a stone cottage well protected from detection both magical and mundane. He christened his new home Ilvermorny after his own childhood home, and was determined to make it a place of hope and love like he had never known.

During his isolation Elias learned about and even befriended several magical creatures of the region. He had a few polite conversations with Pukwudgies, had pet and ridden a Snallygaster, and beheld the magnificent migration patterns of the Thunderbird. The Thunderbirds held a special place in Elias’ heart as they used Mount Greylock as a roost during their travels across the continent. While at first weary of him, the Thunderbirds grew to trust Elias and he was able to harvest some of their tail feathers for study.

It was during one of his foraging expeditions that Elias came upon a group of No-Maj Mohican hunters (No-Maj is the American term for Muggle, short for No-Magic) who were being set upon by a Hidebehind. This beast had already killed several of the party as its pelt and natural invisibility made it almost impossible for No-Majs to fight it. Elias however made short work of the monster and dispatched it with his magic. The hunters, while obviously and rightly suspicious of a European with magic, thanked Elias and asked him to accompany them to speak with their chief Etow Oh Koam. It was with great trepidation that Elias agreed.

Elias found that he had little to worry as he was warmly welcomed by the Mohican tribe of western Massachusetts. Etow Oh Koam had three children who were all No-Maj-Born and was delighted to learn that there were other practitioners of magic from other parts of the world. This moment would be life-changing and some would argue world-changing as Elias’ eyes set upon the chief’s daughter Tahawus. It was love at first sight for both and Elias would make a point of meeting with the tribe as often as possible to have a chance of meeting Tahawus. The perfect opportunity provided itself for Elias to visit often, for Etow Oh Koam suggested a trade of magical knowledge and Elias was all too glad to accept.

While Elias had never before made a wand he knew of the process and already possessed a wide range of magical supplies. North America was full of new magical creatures from the dragon-like Snallygaster to the noble Horned Serpent. Elias had collected a sizable amount of suitable cores and so for a whole month made five wands for the Mohican’s magical members. Widely accepted as the first American made wand, the wand of Red Maple and Horned Serpent Horn that Elias presented to Tahawus was said to be as powerful as it was beautiful. Elias had poured his heart into it and offered it as a token of his love, which was happily accepted. When Elias asked Etow Oh Koam for his daughter’s hand in marriage the chief was confused for Tahawus was in fact two-spirit, they were one of few who though born of one gender preferred the social customs and responsibilities of the other. Elias was unfazed and history records his reply as simply “my heart has never led me astray”. Tahawus, who had been frightened that Elias would respond with revulsion and horror, was said to have produced magic of such beauty and joy with their wand that those who witnessed it believed that the spirits themselves were blessing the happy couple. They were soon married and Tahawus moved in with their husband Elias into their cottage.

Their marriage was a joyous one and as they could not have children of their own they adopted two young Mohican mages whose parents had died due to a magical disease. Elias and Tahawus took care of Alawa (girl) and Ahanu (boy) as if they were their own, and Elias taught them the ways of wandwork and European magic. It was here Elias found his calling and began offering his knowledge to all magical members of the tribe as well as those from neighboring tribes that had pacts with the Mohican. For all of them Elias made wands and taught them spells of protection and concealment so that they might preserve their own tribes from No-Majs coming to steal their lands. Elias found a use for the stolen money he had brought with him and purchased land on Mount Greylock for himself. 

Alawa and Ahanu had always been enchanted by their father’s stories of Hogwarts far across the ocean and so desired to have their own version here. Elias agreed and so Tahawus suggested they each found their own house, not named after themselves but after their favorite magical creatures. Fierce and fiesty Alawa chose the Wampus, calm and thoughtful Ahanu chose the Horned Serpent, kind and gentle Tahawus chose the Pukwudgie, and adventurous and wise Elias chose for himself the Thunderbird. For a while the school flourished among the native tribes of the region until a magical explorer stumbled upon the cottage after fleeing a Hidebehind. Amazed by what he saw he traveled back to the Colonies and shared his information. Not long after this tales of a school of magic hidden in western Massachusetts reached the ears of magical colonists up and down the coast and soon Elias found European families petitioning him to educate their children too. Realizing what was happening Elias and Tahawus used their magic to grow their home from a humble cottage into a large castle atop a mountain. While it would undergo numerous renovations in the coming centuries Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would open its doors officially in 1630, becoming the first European styled school of magic in North America.

Unfortunately, word of the school passed beyond the Colonies and back to the old world. When Gormlaith Gaunt heard the tale of a young man Elias who was married to a two-spirit (a Native American and a No-Maj-Born at that!) she became apoplectic with rage. Horrified that this indignity would destroy the name of her family she herself set off to the New World with the intention of hunting down her nephew, destroying him and his “unnatural” family, and ensuring that his legacy never be tied to the Sayre or Gaunt names. She disguised herself as William Sayre and traveled to the new world upon the Bonaventure, after which she stole into the American wilderness and headed north to Massachusetts.

It was on a late summer night in 1634 when Gormlaith Gaunt reached Mount Greylock and Ilvermorny. Traveling up she called out to her nephew, lying that she had come to seek forgiveness for her earlier transgressions. In his kindness Elias stepped out to see her and then she struck. It is said that the battle lasted for almost an hour. As soon as Gormlaith attacked Elias, Tahawus burst from their home roaring with rage and joined the battle, along with their adopted children. While they fought four against one, Gormlaith proved herself stronger and more dangerous. Elias and Tahawus fought to not only stop her but to protect their children, and Gormlaith used that against them. Targeting the children with a dark curse Elias threw himself in front of them taking the full brunt of the blast which almost killed him. One down Gormlaith moved forward for the kill, and that is when the Thunderbirds arrived. Witnesses to the battle from afar noted that the early stages looked like a thunderstorm atop the mountain, and that its finale was like a storm of fury and rage. Called by their supernatural sense for magical danger the Thunderbirds swarmed Mount Greylock and with a mighty and collective flap released a bolt of lightning so powerful and so concentrated that it reduced Gormlaith Gaunt to dust in a moment. All that remained of the wicked Aunt was a charred stick that had been her wand and a few twisted bits of jewelry.

Elias made a quick recovery tended by Tahawus and his children and the winds scattered Gormlaith’s ashes to the four corners of the world. Elias felt such a strong dedication to the Thunderbirds that saved his family that after his recovery he built permanent nesting grounds for them and to this day a flock of Thunderbirds still call Ilvermorny their part-time home.

News of the battle quickly spread and made its way back to England. Elias’ parents were shocked by the brutal actions of Gormlaith, but they were also proud of how their son defended his home and his family. While they didn’t openly approve of his marriage or his views, a letter to Elias arrived a few months after the battle. His parents had written to him an apology for never believing in him and for driving him away. Though they knew they would most likely never see each other again, they wanted their son to know that they were proud of him, proud of the family he loved and protected, and proud of the school he built. Elias would never speak of the letter but it still hangs preserved and framed in the Headmaster’s office to this day. 

Elias and Tahawus lived well into their hundreds, staving off Arcane Governor William Stoughton and his Scourers during the American Wizarding Revolution and witnessing the founding of the Magical Confederation of the United States of America. When they passed away together in 1718 President Charity Wilkinson (Wampus) declared a national day of mourning and remembrance for the two beloved educators. Alawa and Ahanu both went on to form their own families who produced children of magical power. Today, the current Headmistress Isabella Ingersoll is a direct descendant of Ahanu and the Sayre line.

[aboardthebasilisk]

The Gaunt Family tree for my 18th century Golden Age of Piracy AU. I realized the Gormlaith and Isolt saga would be unfolding around this time (or at least be recent history) and if Ominis is sailing around the Caribbean, it would make sense that he'd have some awareness of a cousin also in the Americas at this time.

I added the non-canon character of Braonán Gaunt, brother to Gormlaith and Rionach. This Irish name means "sorrow." I thought it fit in very well with the other two sisters and known Gaunt naming conventions.

Read here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48911182

[witchgaunt]

It makes me chuckle to think that strangers hear Irascibel Gaunt, and they immediately think of Gormlaith Gaunt, but then Irascibel comes stumbling in talking about the possibility of having bugs up her nose, and the strangers breathe a sigh of relief.

[lissiapriv]

cannot emphasise enough my distress at the fact there are only 6 gormlaith gaunt works on ao3

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

So glad you're back! You're one of my favorite blogs in the hphm fandom. (Sorry about your inbox btw :( probably was the horrid pornobots) I was just wondering what you think of Peregrine now? Cause it seems like he was possessed after all so they'll probably redeem him. I find that annoying personally

You are too sweet anon. I'm flattered to be anyone's list of their favorite...well, anything. My anons are what make it all worth it. Otherwise I'd just be talking to myself. Which I could easily do I suppose, but that's not nearly as fun. This made my day, so thank you again.

Honestly, I have no idea what happened with my inbox, but if the pornbots are responsible, I wouldn't be surprised. They are now direct messaging me as well. Not just my inbox but my actual DMs, too. I've messaged Tumblr support about this, (fingers crossed I can get my inbox back? Eh, maybe I shouldn't get my hopes up) So we'll see if that goes anywhere.

As for Peregrine...

Honestly, I'm of a mind to agree with you. For one thing, it's a bit of a cop out. For them to have all this build up to "R," the leader of this game's villainous faction and the main antagonist of the story...for his identity to be one of MC's parents...I do think that was very well-foreshadowed, frankly...but other than the cynical, pessimistic expectation that they'd never follow through with it, there was little to no evidence or foreshadowing that he was possessed. Sure, Dai Ryusaki was set up and it was indicated that he might have some significance or connection with R, but...that's really not the same thing. I was predicting (and I still am) that he was the founder, that he was the first "R." Not that he was our "R," if that makes sense.

But it's more than that. And this is actually going to strike a bit of a personal chord, if you don't mind. Because I have strong feelings about the villainous parent tropes and how they play out. Growing up, it always seemed to me like villainous parents were a dime a dozen, provided they were not actual blood parents. The "wicked aunt/uncle" who raise the protagonist and are a parent in all but name? That was everywhere. Same goes with the wicked step-parents or adoptive parents. Maybe it was just the media I was consuming, but Cinderella, Chronicles of Narnia, Lion King? And yes, Harry Potter has done this a lot. From the Dursleys to Augusta Longbottom to Gormlaith Gaunt. Every single time, the blood parents of these protagonists were romanticized and put on a pedestal, often conveniently dead so that the story didn't have to conceptualize their flaws.

As a kid who had crappy birth parents and was taken in by my aunt and uncle (who later adopted me) this trope has bothered me for as long as I can remember. So anytime a story, especially a children's story, has the guts to make a blood parent the villain, and, y'know, not demonize adoption...I respect them for it. Avatar: The Last Airbender is a good example. Y'know what else is? Matilda. That book/film/show is so weird in so many ways, but at least it completely turn that trope on it's head. And it was so refreshing, in the Potterverse especially, to see the MC's father wind up being the main villain. So if they just walk it back now, if they chicken out...yeah, I'm not happy about that either. I'm intrigued to learn more about Ryusaki, but I am not happy.

[hiddenwashington]

anonymous said : Hello! Do you have any Slytherin canon characters open? Either female or male. Thank you already!

of course , darling ! leta & bellatrix & rodolphus lestrange , tom riddle , lucius & scorpius malfoy , amycus carrow , bloody baron , regulus & phineas nigellus black , gormlaith gaunt , pansy parkinson , severus snape , daphne greengrass , horace slughorn , dolores umbridge , vincent crabbe , gregory goyle , blaise zabini , & there are numerous named ( but undeveloped ) students if you're wanting something more flexible !

[mnalohomorapodcast]

Alohomora 'Episode 212: Ilvermorny - Choo-Choose It!' - is now available! http://alohomora.mugglenet.com/episode-212-ilvermorny-choo-choose-it/

We’re setting course for a whole new world of magic. This week, join Alison, Caleb, Michael and guest host, Nicole, as they journey to the top of Mount Greylock to explore the hallowed (and oddly familiar) halls of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

On Episode 212 we discuss…

→ Ilvermorny: A (Brief Recap) History → No one got the Salem Witches’ Institute joke → Connections to the British wizarding world → What is Ilvermorny Castle like? → Controversy with using Native American culture → Are classes different at Ilvermorny? → Quidditch and Quadpot and wizard lacrosse! → Symbolism of the Gordian Knot → “We choo-choose it!” → Sorting, wands, and Rappaport’s Law → Ilvermorny vs. Hogwarts Houses → Welcome to Ilvermorny (art) → We bid Caleb a fond farewell as a host

To listen to the show, simply click the player below or direct download the episode. You can also subscribe to us on iTunes. For more information about the podcast and to find out how to be on the show, check out our Be On The Show! page.

Skype users can send us a message to username AlohomoraMN. And as always, be sure to continue the discussion below!

Listen Now:

| Download

RECAP: EPISODE 211

On this recap we discuss…

→ Raise your wands in memory of John Hurt → Did Dumbledore repair Hagrid’s wand? → Twins and their wands → Harry’s Horcrux messes up everything again

Listen Now:

| Download

[justdacat]

Have you school co-founded by a No-Maj @ Call  No-Majes 'common wandless men' in your school song and blame them for persecuting Isolt when in fact she tried to hide from her aunt who was a witch

[witchgaunt]

"Elvie told her parents about me, and the moment she said I was a Gaunt, they forbade her from seeing me anymore," Irascibel explains. "That and I've...not exactly been very...present the last few months, so she said it was time to end it,"

The shadow of Gormlaith Gaunt looms great and terrible over Irascibel's life, colouring people's perception of her before they've even met her. They expect Irascibel to be a sinister, serpentine thing with a venomous tongue and unfathomable cruelty. People don't give her a chance, and sometimes, more often of late, Irascibel finds herself wondering what it's all for. Perhaps Ominis could shed more light on the pervasive sense of despair that has come to dominate her life of late.

Irascibel just looks sad, sitting with her shoulders slumped in the all-encompassing darkness of her bed.

"It gets tiring, trying to fight. You know that better than most," She laments.

@witchgaunt

continued from here

"She said that? Elvie doesn't want to be with you anymore?" Anne asked gently, more in prompt for some clarification. "And what could your father be possibly be upset at you for this time? Oh, if only he knew how you were already feeling. You and your earnest heart…"

With the curse tearing at her core still in what would otherwise be her Sixth Year, Anne had all the time in the world to rest in this new farm village, that wasn't Feldcroft. Meanwhile Hogwarts and personal relationships had clearly taken a toll on Ira.

If only she could put the last of her own health in a vial, and offer it to her dear friend, and tell Ira to drink up. If only such an inkling could clear the pain all over Ira's conscience.

[sunder-soul]

𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝖉𝖔𝖛𝖊

❶·❷·❸·❹·❺·❻

Chapter One: There's just something about those Riddle murders that doesn't quite make sense... Wordcount: 2.3k Content warning: language, allusions to bigotry.

Permanent Taglist: @jujugentle @weirdowithnobeardo @pearlstiare @fromthehellmouth @whoevenfrickenknows @moatsnow @voidmalfoy @lucys-brain @sunles @arana-alpha @tallyovie @expectoscamander @nothinghcppens @itsjustfics @mikariell95 @suicide-sweetheart636 @toasterking

Name: MORFIN GORMLAITH GAUNT

Age: 46

Wand: fir, 10 ¾ inches, dragon heartstring

Residence: Gaunt Estate, Little Hangleton, Yorkshire

Marital status: -

Offense charge: three counts of murder in the primary degree

Date of charged offense: 1st July, 1943

Offense Detail: prisoner entered the residence of the Riddle family (Muggle, IM-00) and inflicting the Killing Curse (UC-001-1717) upon the three members of the Riddle family present; Thomas Riddle (63), Mary Riddle (60), and their son Tom Riddle (37). Use of the Killing Curse has been confirmed by Prior Incantato (see report DMLE-619-1951-BLE, SA: Robert Odgen).

Date of Testimony: 3rd July, 1943

Prisoner plea: guilty

Sentence: Azkaban, 360 years

Date of Sentence: 3rd July, 1943

You frown.

It’s very late, the candle your desk is barely a stub, the little flame hovering nervously on the surface of a broad pool of wax, and you’ve been copying over these stupid reports to the new, tamper-proof parchment forms for seven hours now – but something is extremely odd about these dates.

“McCollin,” you say slowly. “Did you work this case?”

“Hmm?” McCollin doesn’t look up at the desk beside you, head resting heavily on one hand and his spine curled into a perfect and truly concerning C-shape over his own stack of files. He looks close to passing out right there and then, salt-and-pepper hair a little greasy, scruffy five o’clock shadow, eyes bleary and shadowed.

“Gaunt,” you read, “1943. You were working with Odgen then, right?”

He snorts. “Yeah, I remember that nutter.”

“What happened?”

“Guy was from one of those ancient pure-blooded clans, you know, one of the real fanatical ones, inbreeding and liquidated assets and all,” McCollin yawns, dragging his hand down his face and smearing ink across his whiskered cheek. “Hated Muggles like nobody’s business."

“Yeah he killed three Muggles, right?” you peer at the report.

McCollin nods at the form he's copying. “Went off the deep end one day. Walked right up to their house and murdered ‘em. When they brought him in he was ranting and raving about how they’d had it coming for years.”

“He was arrested, charged, and sentenced within three days,” you say slowly.

He finally looks up at you. “So?”

“That’s the fasted processing I’ve ever seen.”

“The guy admitted to it, kiddo,” McCollin says in deadpan, “he had snakes nailed to his door and his family tree was basically a Christmas wreath.”

“Yeah, but… what made he snap?”

He laughs again, shaking his head despondently as he returns to his form. “You got a lot to learn.”

His tone wants to be fond but it just strikes you as patronising, especially considering the amount of times people have said that exact same stupid line to you. It’s like half the bloody department think being Muggle-born makes you incapable of understanding the subtle and unique intricacies of wizarding culture – as if bigotry and supremacists and assholes are exclusive to the magical world. “What?” you say a little too defensively.

“Families like that… guys like that… they’re not right in the head. Hate Muggles just to hate ‘em, reckon they’re all that’s wrong with the world. Honestly it’s a miracle he didn’t do it sooner.”

You look back down at the report, suspicions anything but assuaged. “Yeah,” you say quietly, “it is.”

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

“Did you ever watch Gaunt’s testimony?”

“You’re still going on about that?” McCollin drawls, heaving the towering box of finished files up a bit as he heads for the lifts.

“I looked him up in Records and the memory’s only available with supervisor permission,” you push, following him quickly. “If you signed me off then I could get Owler to –”

He slams the button and stares at the little golden arrow above the elevator grate slowly sliding towards the basement floor. “And why in Merlin’s name do you want to watch the Gaunt trial?”

You slip your hands into the pockets of your purple Ministry robes. “I’m interested.”

“Interested,” he echoes, shooting you a look. “Is that so?”

“He was processed in three days, McCollin. If it was that obvious he was guilty, it must have been one hell of a trial.”

“It was,” he scoffs as the lift dings and the grate grinds to a noisy open. “Fine, but only if you finish Johan’s quota by five.”

The triumph is impossible to keep off your face and McCollin rolls his eyes at your immediate glee. “I’m on it,” you grin, spinning around and racing back to your desk to get started.

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

“Merlin’s beard,” McCollin mutters, shaking his head at the stack of completed transcripts. “I gotta hold stuff over your head more often.”

“Just sign the slip, McCollin,” you smirk.

He sighs and grabs the quill from your hand, and you hold your breath as he scribbles his initials on the slip. “You’re obsessed,” he drawls.

You seize the slip and round on the lift, heart racing with excitement. “I’m interested.”

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

The trial is absolutely insane.

Morfin Gaunt looks like a Witch Weekly cartoon caricature of a fanatical blood-purist and he rambles in a manic-edged, ceaseless torrent about how much he enjoyed murdering the Riddles as the Wizengamot mutters and blithers disapprovingly for about three hours – but something catches your attention right near the end. Something you can’t help but ask Owler about the second the memory ends and you’re thrown back into the Records Room.

“Who’s Merope?”

Owler’s sallow face looks about as thrilled at your question as he was at your request for the memory in the first place. “Merope Gaunt,” he says in a flat, nasally voice, waving his wand at the Pensieve and sending the memory swirling back into its phial.

“Merope Gaunt?”

Owler’s thin, anaemic lips downturn even more. “His sister.”

You stare at him. It is not at all what you’d expected. “And why did he call his sister a mud-soused, scumsucking slut?”

“Ask your supervisor.”

“He seemed to be saying he killed those people because of Merope, why on earth would his sister be why he –”

“I keep the records, I don’t conduct the investigations,” Owler interrupts with not inconsiderable disdain. “Now if you could please –”

“Did they bring Merope in for testimony?”

Owler gives your continuing presence a very dirty look. “No.”

“Why not?”

He pushes the door to the Records room open and stares at you.

You try to hold your ground but Owler is unrelenting, and you're forced to step past him with a curt sigh. “Right, well, good afternoon, Owler, thanks for –”

The door slams shut behind you.

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

“Get what you wanted?” McCollin smirks as you collapse stony-faced into your chair.

“I forgot how impressively unpleasant it is to talk to Owler,” you mutter, resting your head in your hands. “Did you know about Merope?”

“Merope?”

“Yeah, Morfin’s sister.”

“Didn’t know he had one,” McCollin says disinterestedly.

“He was saying some stuff that made it sound like she’s why he killed those Muggles.”

“Uh huh.”

You lift your head, giving him an incredulous look. “He said she’s why he murdered three people, McCollin. How does that not interest you?”

McCollin throws down his quill and sighs sharply. “Look kiddo, the guy’s rotting in Azkaban, he admitted to the murders, they found the curses in his wand, and he had a memory of the whole thing. What exactly are you hoping to achieve here?”

You can barely believe it. “Why isn’t Merope Gaunt mentioned in any of his trial documents?” you say sharply.

“Either she wasn't relevant to the proceedings, or she's dead, or he made her up,” McCollin shrugs, “like I said, the guy went off the deep end.”

“But why doesn’t it say –”

“Just drop it,” he sighs impatiently, “you have work to do, and I won’t have you wasting clocked time on some case from nearly a decade ago.”

“Come on, McCollin, can’t you admit that it’s weird that –”

“I said drop it,” he says sharply, “don’t make me be the big mean supervisor here, you know I hate it.”

You glare at him. “Fine,” you say through gritted teeth.

It’s almost too easy to pull Morfin’s old file from where it’s still sitting in the refuse pile and subtly charm a copy of it that evening.

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

Merope Gaunt, as far as you can tell, fucking vanished off the face of the earth in 1925.

There’s nothing, no addresses, no marriage or death notice, no registered Floo connections, no DRC calls for gnomes or doxies or even the odd kappa, not a single trace of her after Morfin and their father Marvolo had a stint in Azkaban for assaulting Bob Odgen back in the 20s.

It seems like the second they were locked up, she scarpered.

You sit back in the Archives Hall and let out a long breath, flipping the folder shut dejectedly. Morfin’s file is a thick wad of anti-Muggle hate crimes rivalled only by his father’s, and closer inspection had revealed that the Gaunt family estate sat a cool twenty minutes' walk from Riddle House where the murders had occurred. If Morfin had lived so close to some of the Muggles he hated so much, he’d been sitting on a clear motive for murder for years.

So why suddenly snap?

What had pushed him over the edge?

Why did he cite Merope in his deranged testimony?

Why talk about her in that way?

Where the hell did she go?

There are endless questions and zero answers. Plus, you kind of get the feeling that if McCollin saw you hunched in the Archives after-hours trying to find those answers, you’d get your pay docked.

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

That night, you sit bolt upright in bed with a surge of electric realisation.

Mud-soused… scumsucker…

You’ve heard that language before. You’ve processed about four hundred case files of harassment with that language.

“Idiot,” you breathe, smacking your forehead and falling back onto your pillows with a thump. “Idiot, of course…”

Because that’s the way Pure-blood extremists talk about witches and wizards who've fallen in love with Muggles.

Suddenly, you have a pretty good idea where Merope might have disappeared to the moment her blood-obsessed brother and father were out of the picture, and a pretty good idea of where you might be able to look to find her. Because you’ve been looking in the wrong place.

You’ve been looking for her in the wizarding world.

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

“I have the craziest news for you,” you grin, slamming a silver Sickle on the counter and taking your seat at the bar.

“You say that twice a month,” Mori grumbles, setting your drink down and sliding the coin into his huge, calloused hand.

“It’s true twice a month.”

“It’s true half as much as you think.”

“I found her.”

Mori’s dark brows raise. It makes his gruff face look slightly less intimidating. “The lady from that old case you're into?”

“Yeah,” you beam, seizing your drink and leaning forward. “Started going through marriage certificates, and –”

“You’re telling me that your big-shot Ministry intern arse has been working this thing for a month and you didn’t even check marriage certificates?”

“Not Muggle ones,” you smirk.

Mori takes a glass off the bar and starts to clean it as he peers at you. “Go on.”

“She married the same guy her brother murdered, Mori,” you breathe, glancing around to make sure none of the shady denizens of Moribund’s are listening – it’s not like the bar's regular patrons are so welcoming to your big-shot Ministry intern arse on the best of days considering you’re half-way down Knockturn Alley in the dead of night. “They fucking ran away together!”

“Well, that explains a lot,” Mori mutters.

“Exactly!”

“What are you going to do about it?”

You shrug, taking a sip of your drink and feeling supremely pleased with yourself.

“What, you spent that much time investigating this thing for no reason?”

“Nah,” you say quietly, lips still in a smile. “I have a feeling there’s more to it than this. I still have to find out what happened to her after they got married and her brother murdered his new in-laws.”

“And what’s this guy’s name again?”

You give him a dry look. “You know I can’t tell you names, Mori, I’m pushing the bounds of my contract telling you this much already.”

He shrugs his massive shoulders, casting a wary look around the dark bar. “If you’re looking for people who might know a thing or two about murderers and Muggle-haters, you’ve come to the right place.”

“I’m here to talk to you, Mori, not the murderers and Muggle-haters.”

“You’re here to drink cheap and rant to someone who won’t rat you out to your boss,” he growls.

You give him another grin. “Cheers to that.”

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

You find Merope’s name in a record tome of an old church parish almost by accident. There’s barely any information there, just one name on a huge list of those buried in the pauper’s graveyard less than ten blocks from where you’re sat amongst the looming shelves of the Muggle public archives at that exact moment.

But there is something.

It says she died in a place called 'Wool’s Orphanage' on New Year’s Eve in 1926. It’s not hard to guess why she might have been there, and how she probably died.

Merope Gaunt had a child.

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

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