#The Gaunts

[emesisresources]

— THE GAUNTS

[girl-named-matty]

Ominis: Therapy isn't enough. I need to go back in time and stop my parents from meeting.

[teddyniffler]

Omi

[legacyshenanigans]

The Gaunts 🐍

Marvolo stepped into the Manor, the mood felt off, something wasn't right, he looked up, seeing his father coming around the corner at the top of the stairs upon hearing the front door open.

Aleister: Your brother has been attacked.

Marvolo: What?!

He ran upstairs, and he and his father entered Ominis's room together. Ophelia sat by his bedside, holding his hand as Ominis lay battered and bruised, passed out.

Marvolo approached the bed, looking down at his brother, a look of concern on his features, before he frowned.

Marvolo: Who did it?

Ophelia: We don't know yet.. He managed to make it back home..But he passed out on the doorstep..

Aleister: When he wakes, we'll see what he knows.. See if he has any clue at all.

Marvolo pat his mother on the shoulder as she watched over Ominis, before bringing his attention to his father.

Marvolo: You and your fucking enemies could have caused this.

Aleister: ME?! *vicious scowl* The NERVE of you, Marvolo! It could very well be one of YOUR fucking beefs with who KNOWS what gang of underground thugs!

Marvolo: Don't you DARE put all this on me!

Ophelia sighed angrily and looked over at them.

Ophelia: Stop it! Both of you! It COULD have been a random attack. We don't KNOW yet..

Aleister and Marvolo looked at Ophelia and composed themselves. Marvolo approached the bed once more while Aleister stood next to Ophelia.

Aleister: We'll find out what we can once he wakes.. If he can't tell us much, perhaps I can extract his memories of the attack. He can't see of course, so there will be no visual memory, but I can listen.. See if I can hear anyone distinctive, recognise any voices, and whatnot.. You can listen to, Marvolo.

Marvolo: *nods slowly* ...That's a good idea... And when we find out who they are?

Aleister: *small smirk* I think you know..

Marvolo: *looks at Ophelia*

Ophelia: *sigh* ...I'm a forgiving woman... But this I can't forgive.. *looks at Marvolo* You'll make them suffer. As I know you will regardless of what's said.

Marvolo: ..Understood, Mother.

~

[lulublack90]

Prompt 27 - Open

@jegulus-microfic August 27, Word count 810

Previous part First Wolfstar part

“Flitsy!” Sirius cheered, scooping the little elf up into his arms and twirling her about. “I’ve missed you, you beautiful elf!” He kissed her cheek wetly. 

“Master Sirius put Flitsy down!” Flitsy screeched, brandishing the wooden spoon in her hand. Sirius promptly put her down after she’d got a few good whacks in.

“Master James, you is back already and with more guests!” She cried out, exasperated. 

“Sorry Flitsy but it’s important.” James apologised and walked past her, leading the small group towards the library. 

“Flitsy has put Master Regulus’s bunny slippers by his usual desk!” Flitsy called after them and Regulus definitely heard her cackle before she disappeared. Why was she picking on him? He hadn’t done anything to her. He shook the annoyance from his head and followed the others to the library. 

“Damn, James, you live like a king,” Marcus exclaimed as they neared the top of the stairs. 

“I don’t,” James muttered. “It’s my parent’s house, I have a flat in London.”

“Oh, alright. So where are they, your parents?” Marcus asked. 

“Dead,” James said gruffly before flinging both of the double doors into the library open. 

“How was I supposed to know?” Marcus hissed under his breath to Remus. 

“Just try to keep your mouth shut, Marcus.” Remus sighed as he followed James into the library. Regulus and Sirius walked in together, leaving Marcus to sulk.

Regulus went up to James and rested his head against his arm. He knew James would probably need some comfort, but he wasn’t sure what to do. It seemed to be enough though, as James leant his head over on top of Regulus's and sighed. 

“Sorry,” James said. Regulus leant in harder. 

“You’ve nothing to be sorry about,” He told him. James moved away, only to wrap his arms around Regulus and draw him in as close as he could get him. 

“I’ve never had a boyfriend like you before, you just seem to know what I need,” James said, burying his head in Regulus’s shoulder. Regulus swallowed and blinked hard. Had James Potter just called him his boyfriend?! 

“I found it!” Sirius cried out, waving a bit of yellowed parchment about before Regulus could respond to James’s words. Sirius skimmed through the long text and began reading aloud from the bit that interested him.

‘So the Ministry called upon Morfin. They did not need to question him, to use Veritaserum or Legilimency. He admitted to the murder on the spot, giving details only the murderer could know. He was proud, he said, to have killed the Muggles, had been awaiting his chance all these years. He handed over his wand, which was proved at once to have been used to kill the Riddles. And he permitted himself to be led off to Azkaban without a fight.’

“Holy shit, that’s it!” Sirius grinned at the others. “There’s a connection somewhere between the Riddles and the Gaunts.”

‘Morfin was arrested and convicted previously for assaulting the head of the magical law enforcement squad, Bob Ogden, while he was trying to prevent Marvolo Gaunt from attacking his own daughter Merope Gaunt,’ 

“James, do you have a pureblood families book? The one with the family trees in it?” Sirius asked, already looking at the shelves behind him. 

“Er, yeah, it’s on one of those over there,” James pointed at a set of shelves in an alcove and Sirius raced to it. James took Regulus’s hand and led him over to Sirius as he pulled the heavy tomb from the shelf. 

He dropped it onto one of the tables and began flicking through the pages until he got to Gaunt. He continued to flick until he hit Greengrass and then flipped back a few pages to the end of the Gaunt family tree.

Regulus peered over his brother’s shoulder and there it was. Merope Gaunt married Tom Riddle and below it connected with a black line. Tom Marvolo Riddle.

“Sirius, you’re a genius!” James cheered, picking him up like Sirius had done to Flitsy when they arrived and spun him around. 

“Ahhh, Prongs put me down!” Sirius yelped. James eventually put him down and grinned broadly at him. “Thank Merlin, that you have a knack for remembering useless information that turns out to be very useful.” 

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Sirius mumbled, sticking his hand out and fumbling for Remus’s hand. 

“Not so funny now is it!” Flitsy appeared in the doorway and stuck her tongue out at Sirius. Regulus felt a warmth for the highly stung little elf that he hadn’t before as she told them she’d set out snacks in the drawing room for them for after they’d finished messing up the library. James lifted Regulus's hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. Regulus swallowed as the words James had said to him came flooding back. Boyfriend. 

Next part

[mrsnerdygirl]

Sixteen year old Tom Riddle stood frozen in front of the destroyed house . It was scary , dark and abolished , just like his life , his soul , this was his legacy . He approached the huge house , noticing the dead snake on the doorframe , that was hanging there , its eyes opened , two dark slits , warning everyone who dared to try and enter the mess , that his mother used to call home , or at least he thought she did . Tom had never met his mother , he didn’t know what she looked like , nor how her touch felt , how her voice sounded , but that was amazing . Words couldn’t describe how mad he was with her, how much rage he held against his birth giver . For some reason though , his rage towards his mother couldn’t compare to the many emotions he held against that man , that man that was the reason he is Tom Marvolo Riddle .

When he entered he met his uncle , the man that without knowing it had changed his life . He went there to take a piece of that bloodline with him , the bloodline that would end soon , because he couldn’t continue it, not with the curse on his back , not with his own name following him around , like a ghost whose destiny was to hunt him . He came out knowing where his father lived , knowing that a piece of his own DNA was alive , breathing every day , knowing that Tom existed , never bothering to look for him . “Of course not , thought the young boy , he wouldn’t look for the witch’s son.”

He was so close to his blood , to his living relatives . He never knew how his mother looked like , but when he left the Gaunt house, the ring of Salazar Slytherin tightly wrapped on his hand , he knew, nothing like him , because Tom and his father shared more than their name , they shared a face . As he went up the hill , he hoped that the mad man was wrong , that he was mistaken , because Tom couldn’t think of a worse curse than having to live with the image of that muggle .

He stood in front of the mansion , it was beautiful , well kept , the opposite of the house that stood not too far way . He gazed through the window , looking at the grant entryway , filled with expensive souvenirs. He opened the door , and put a silencing charm on himself , insuring that whoever occupied the house wouldn’t be able to hear him . On that richly decorated hallway , stood young Tom Riddle , gazing back at his own face . On top of the grant staircase hang the portrait of a boy , who must have been his age . He sat on a chair , in the middle of his haughty looking parents . They were like all the rich people Tom had met , haughty , wealthy , rude and full of themselves , so sure on their riches , that they forgot about everything else . They were not on the level of the pureblood families , the children of which he associated with . Tom stared in his own eyes , painted perfectly on the boy’s face , no not just any boy , his father , the man who abounded him , who left him alone in poverty , to suffer while he ran off to his rich family .

The curse was real , he shared the same filthy blood , name and face as the muggle . Without knowing why he went through the wooden door on his right , where he clearly heard voices . The drawing room matched the outside of the house , rich looking , impressive even . Three heads turned his way . The older man , who he saw in the portrait got up first , like his wife and son , still in his dinner clothing , looking shocked and angry : “Who are you ?” , his voice was loud , harsh and rude . Without thinking much about it , he lifted his wand , and a shiny lightning came out , hitting him straight to his chest . The woman screamed , but soon , not even a second later , she too dropped dead , eyes opened , staring at the ceiling . “Mother ? what have you done ? what in the bloody hell are you ? “ , Tom stared at eyes as dark as his , at features the same as his , he never cared about his looks , not until he realized he could use them to get what he wanted , but for some reason now he was angry at the looks of this man . His “father “ raised his hand , and Tom noticed a wedding band . Perhaps he was engaged , perhaps married, and that just made him madder , because someone got to have this man in his life , a child got to have this man , when all Tom wanted as a kid was for his dad , or a relative even , to come and take him away forever . Someone like him , who understood his ideas , because they were the same , they were just like him . He waited for so long , not knowing that the hero he wished for didn’t care , the hero had forgotten about him , hadn’t bothered thinking beyond the muggle village . Tom smirked at Tom senior’s expression , and this time he spoke , feeling the wave of power radiate through his arm to the wand ; “Avada Kadavra “ .

It wasn’t the first time he used the spell , it wouldn’t be the last , but it surely felt different . He killed his father’s family , his own blood , made a Horcrux , separated a part of his soul once again , and blamed Morfin Gaunt for everything . He walked away from the houses ,leaving Little Hangleton behind , together with his family history , vowing to build a name for himself , one that would have nothing to do with his past , one that people would fear and would recognize as great and powerful , one that would be his and his only .

So , i dont know how accurate this is but in my opinion, Tom didnt know his dad lived in the village, because noone knew who his dad was , so noone could have told him about it . I think he just went in the village to see his mum's house as well as get the ring . I also think that he didnt want to kill him uncle to make the Horcrux , but i dont know who he was planning to kill , maybe a muggle and then frame his uncle ? Anyways so yeah that was my version of what happened to the Riddles .

[profoundmakerdreamerss-blog]

You know what's scary to think about? How inbreeding caused the gaunts to basically die out. How black madness is so prominent — and one or two more generation they might end up where Gaunts were (if they continued the marriage in family for a “pure bloodline”). Imagine, in a world where Voldemort actually won, and if we follow the theory of Voldemort wanting to destroy the world; just imagine, purebloods basically killing themselves by following this line of marriage — Imagine, how horrifying the results would be as they slowly die out.

[pleiades-7]

Rip Tom Riddle 😔 You would’ve loved Ethel Cain. He’s so family tree (intro) coded.

He was so obsessed with heritage, with receiving what he imagined he was owed. He spent years imagining his father to be the magical parent. He placed what little hope he might’ve had, or rather, a certain amount of belief, in this false truth. To eventually find out the reality, by tracking down the Gaunts. Who were insignificant, pathetic worms. The dirt beneath his feet. He found his muggle father living in luxury, in a mansion at the top of a hill. He learned that his father left his mother, that his father had known all these years that he was out there. No repentance would have been enough. It was an unforgivable offense. And so he struck. He took his father’s life and it still did not cure the aching yearning chasm now poisoned by a vicious rage. It was his mother. His fragile, abused, very nearly squib, mother. The magic he so revered was a product of the magic that had flowed through her veins. Her cursed veins. The great serpent, the only object of his birthright, would have been hers too. The language he speaks that so many fear, she would’ve spoken. It was his mother. His mother who had left him in a muggle orphanage. Which he, at 16, might’ve now understood. How could she leave him with the Gaunts? She could never, she would never have done so. She imagined she was doing the best she could, by placing him in the muggle world. Where his father might find him, should the desire ever occur. His mother who died.

He cannot escape the qualities of the Gaunts with their impulsivity. Their belief that in their grandiosity, nothing can overcome them. A penchant for violence.

Listen- he had daddy issues. Really very bad. But I think you could argue that his mommy issues are worse 😭

Ignore the quality please 🙏 tumblr butchers it

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

On the topic of Harry Potter meta, do you have any ideas as to how exactly the Gaunt family line managed to keep going? I’d imagine there were very few to no outsiders willing to marry in, especially after the family was impoverished, and they seem to have run out of cousins to marry by Marvolo’s generation.

Incest.

Very close incest.

Due to Tom Riddle having the parselmouth gene, it seems to be rare but dominant (kind of like albinism). What this means is that, to keep the gene for sure 100% guaranteed in the family line and not lose it in the grandchildren generation, the Gaunts have to have children with someone else who has the gene. (If they married outsiders, their kids may or may not have it, but probably with their grandchildren it will fade).

Which is going to be either a cousin or probably a sibling.

And of course the lack of money and education does not seem to help by the time we hit Merope's generation.

[girl-named-matty]

Introducing The Gaunt family-

‘Why can’t I produce a male heir? 😭’

My brother in Christ your family tree is a circle.

[emesisresources]

— THE GAUNTS

[girl-named-matty]

Mr. Gaunt: You are not good enough for my son. Sebastian: You aren't good enough for your son. Mr. Gaunt: Excuse me? Sebastian: You heard me.

[teddyniffler]

In the Shadow of Friendship Forever

Ominis and Anne sent Sebastian to Azkaban for his own good. Their friend and brother had changed from the kind boy he once was, and they regretted their decision ever since. They are desperate to have Sebastian back and are willing to do anything, anything. Ominis will even become the monster he vowed he was not. The Fall of the House of Gaunt. How did the ancient House of Gaunt, once among the wealthiest, most powerful, and most dangerous families in the wizarding world, become the desperate souls depicted in The Half-Blood Prince? How did Sebastian's life sentence to Azkaban trigger the downfall of the heirs of Slytherin...

Chapter 37: Marvolo Gaunt (a03)

There were a few things Marvolo Gaunt was sure of. The first were things were incredible unfair in the world, or at least his world.

Sure, his family were blessed with blood purity and strong magic, and they were a handsome lot, but he was the most beautiful of them and they all knew it.

It was such a burden to be this beautiful. He carried all the best genes from his family’s bloodlines. The rare darker hair gene could be traced back to Slytherin’s own blood, rather than the Peverell’s, which was all that mattered in his eyes. He didn’t really know much about the Peverell family, he didn’t really care to know. He knew only that they were skilled wizards, very powerful and were renown enough to have their coat of arms on many of the family herlooms in the house.

He was proud to be from their line, due only to the ability to out date all over pure blooded families. The Gaunt family was very ancient. If Marvolo was being honest with himself, he didn’t see why the Peverells were so important. What exactly did they do?

They hadn’t produced males to kept their own name, instead they married a daughter to a male Gaunt and carried on that name forever more. Not even the Slytherin name had carried on, they had also married into the Gaunts. Now that was a name to be proud of.

The Gaunts ruled this world and this world was his. Now Slytherin on the other hand, Slytherin was so much more interesting to him, it was thanks to Slytherin after all that his family could talk to snakes. Whenever a Gaunt was born, like him, bearing the Slytherin genes more than the Peverell’s, they were clearly of the superior blood among very superior wizards. So then, why was it only his mother who dotted on him, and not his father, the one who really mattered?

His mother had lovingly stroked his soft black hair when he had been a child, she had never stroked Ominis’, she preferred him out of her sight with the nursemaid.

It was Marvolo who was the pearl of his mother’s eyes, her favourite son. It gave him more fuel to hurt Ominis, who clearly missed a mother’s touch. While his mother’s affections were nice, he guessed, it was his father’s approval he really wanted, yet his father only had eyes for Ominis. Eyes for the blind runt of the family over him, the perfect son, the strong son, the son who had everything going for him. Marvolo scowled.

All summer after his brother’s seventeenth birthday, Ominis and their father had spent time shut up in father’s office, hour after hour passing. Day after day. Week, followed by week. What had they been talking about that was taking all this time? Whenever he tried to drop in on his father, he was always asked to leave by the House Elf on guard. It angered him so much he was tempered to murder the house elf, just to make his point. He was infuriated, he was clearly superior to Ominis in every single way, why was his father ignoring him?

Yes, his father had got him his job shadowing the Minister for Magic himself, with the promise of being groomed for the job in later life, but Marvolo hated it, it was dull and boring, with old bugger Spavin ranting to him about Centaurs and their clear attempts to assassinate him.

Marvolo played his role, acted surprised, applauded the old git as he recounted (for the 10th time that week) how he outsmarted the Centaurs’ latest plans that clearly didn’t exist. An acorn landing on the floor near him? The Centaurs. A twig snapping? The Centaurs. Secretly, Marvolo sided with the bloody Centaurs. He would like to assassinate the old man too. To add insult to all of Marvolo's injuries, he had to make the old git cups of tea all day. What was he? A House Elf? He was from the House of Gaunt! Marvolo wanted fun, he itched for it and a government job was not his idea of fun, no matter what role it led to in the end. So he amused himself with spiking the tea with sleeping droughts and sending the old man for a nap while he drafted up new radical laws that would better pure-blooded society. Spavin would gladly sign them believing they were his own plans, so senile he was. So far, Marvolo had gotten a few little things passed that suited him well. He had often wondered if he could disband the Auror office, who had often rained on his parade (or tried too), but sadly no such Bill had managed to be passed yet. One even got returned to the office for clarity from the offended Auror's office, which he burned to cover his tracks. Sometimes he would leave the office, leaving Spavin out cold at his desk, today was once such day. Rather than spending his time bored in the office, Marvolo wanted to go for a walk.

The second thing he was sure of, was muggles were easy to bend to his will. As he strolled through the streets of York, the small city near to his home, he watched as the muggles walked past, wearing their silly little hats (The latest fashion) while dishing out jinxes to any muggle who might look at him wrongly. How dare they judge him for not wearing a hat also. So far he had made various muggles trip over their own feet, one fall in front of a horse and carriage, which sadly stopped before it crushed the filthy thing, various hiccupping and other minor issues. He used a stinging hex as payment when a few vagabond children came to him to beg for food and he paused on the side of the street, wondering if he should burn down the workhouse the rats had crawled out from, to show the little lice crawling freaks how wrong they were to approach a Gaunt. In the end, he decided not too - yet. Muggle or not, did they not realise he was the closest to royalty they will ever come across?

As he walked the endless ancient streets, hexing and jinxing as he went, he was visited by nostalgia for those lovely times as a youth, when the Gaunts went for family shopping sprees in Knockturn Alley, buying the goods on sale. There was no purpose to his visit to York today, he just wanted time away from the office and he wasn’t yet ready to return to the House of Gaunt and his father’s suffocating expectations of him. Father did not like it when Marvolo left ‘work’ early. You couldn’t call it work, if Marvolo wanted to roll his eyes all day and make tea, he would find employment in a tea house down Diagon Alley.

In fact, Marvolo wondered why he had to work anyway, his family had enough money to never work, that was kind of the whole point of money. His father just sat in his study or toyed with people all day, he didn’t have to don a positive attitude each day as he delt with a bloody old codger. He didn’t understand it, Marvolo had killed for his father, he had tortured people for his father. He did things that used to wake him up in the middle of the night screaming, back when he was a young teenager at Hogwarts. He did everything and more that was asked of him, yet somehow he was not on the same level as Ominis. His little brother who cried when asked to torture muggles. Ominis who would likely cry when asked to open the chamber. Ominis was almost at blood traitor level weakness. But somehow, Marvolo had fallen under his younger brother in terms of rank and appreciation. But how, and why!

The magical community in York watched him carefully, actually having the audacity to make and maintain eye contact with him. Marvolo perched on the curb outside the minister, a truly lovely place of muggle worship, were they learned of the evils of witchcraft without even knowing the guy they worshipped had been a wizard himself. York, a place where not even a hundred years ago they had hung a woman down at the castle on suspicion of being a witch. These people were backwards, uncultured and ignorant. The worst sort of muggle.

He stood up straight and crossed himself mockingly, just like the muggles do as a man in muggle ritual robes came out of the grand building, the man nodded at Marvolo, only seeing a young man paying his respects, but then he felt great pain as Marvolo’s hex hit him. The man yelped in pain and doubled up, no doubt thinking something was wrong with his stomach - serves him right for starting witch hunts, Marvolo thought – just as another wizard walked past them. Marvolo stared them right back, challenging him to say anything, which the wizard didn’t. The man broke eye contact long before Marvolo did and Marvolo’s bright brown eyes followed the wizard, making it quite obvious he was being stared at.

As expected, nobody wanted to mess with him. Everybody was afraid of him! He was in his early twenties and already they feared him. Why couldn’t his father see this? Sometimes the elder Gaunt was just as blind as his youngest son. “That’s right, walk on.” Marvolo called after the wizard who had picked up pace to get away from him. The Gaunts were known in this area, it was their home turf after all, but they were just as welcome here as anywhere else. Which was nowhere among these common half bloods and Mudbloods. Oh jealous, it was such an ugly trait. They wanted what his family had.

He walked through the maze of tiny narrow alleys before emerging onto his favourite street, an ancient street known as the Shambles, because what better name to give a street so narrow, sloped and crooked. Wizards had been brave to enchant the street so that the buildings didn’t fall down, during the dark ages at the height of magical hatred. It was very obvious it was all held together by magic, but the local muggle population at the time credited themselves for creating this. However, that wasn’t the only reason Marvolo liked it, the tea houses down this one street were the best in the city, and half were run by wizards.

Today, Marvolo wanted to wind them up, he was hoping for a fight to blow off some steam, so in full view of his fellow wizards, he went and entered a muggle tea shop, using his wand to confound the servers into giving him a free cup of tea, and then a second. He sat outside, on a little table that he had conjured, blocking most of the tiny path so those around him had to squeeze past each other. There were a lot of dark looks, a few tuts, some outrageous remarks from the muggles and from Marvolo’s wand, a few hexes cast. Marvolo felt no hesitation in flouting the law right in front of other wizards. What were they going to do; Call the Aurors? Marvolo laughted out loud at his own thoughts.

Muggles may be beastly, but they made a good cup of tea. Taking out his wand, he confounded his way to a free meal, which was brought out to him at once. The witch and wizard who ran the pub at the very top end of the Shambles eyed him warily as they greeted punters at the door, quickly getting them into the building and away from him. The mudblood who ran her families' chocolate shop was doing all she could to protect people walking past Marvolo as he sat eating food he never paid for.

Marvolo made a great show of sipping his tea, as he knew the wizards here were the blood traitor type. He felt they needed reminding of his family’s presence in the area. He finished his meal and still no fight had come looking for him.

He was bored, maybe he should do something to get his father’s attention, something better than pointless muggle baiting. He stood up, maybe he should go to Godric’s Hallow and wind the Potters up? Yes, that would be nice. He did love taunting them, they were always so strangely uptight in regards to the Gaunts. He had never been to Godric’s Hallow before, but everybody knew there was always a Potter to be found there.

Maybe they were worried the Gaunts were going to inform fellow wizards that both families were related. As if Marvolo would be proud to be related to blood traitors, no matter how distant. Oh no, that secret was never coming out on both sides. He apparated right there with a loud CRACK, in the middle of the street, leaving the wizards of York to hastily wipe the memories of the Muggles who had just seen a young man vanish before their very eyes.

He landed on the war memorial, right in the centre of Godric’s Hallow with a loud CRACK and he stood there, muggles nearby stopping dead in their tracks as a youth appeared out of thin air. They pointed up at him, but Marvolo took no notice of them. His eyes were fixed on a cottage with a thatched roof. Something about it told him that magic had a home here. Whoever lived there would likely have the straw enchanted so it wouldn’t set on fire, perhaps he should put that theory to the test. Yes, burning roofs off would certainly provoke everybody and get him noticed. Marvolo had a big smile on his face, his body coiled almost like a snake ready to strike. “Come out.” He muttered, daring them to heed his challenge. He waited.

It wasn’t long until what he wanted materialized in front of him. A man slowly approached him from a back door of another cottage this one a little back into a street. He was walking carefully while not letting Marvolo out of his sight, the man had black messy hair that stood up in all directions and hazel eyes framed behind glasses, the typical signs of the Potter family.

Inferior wizards, from their knobbly knees to their poor eye sight. The Potters were less than the Gaunts. It was hard to believe they shared common ancestry when comparing these to his own family. ‘My my, this is what happens when you allow muggle filth into your blood.’ Marvolo thought. ‘It takes your magic away and allows muggle conditions into your family.’

The man was now level with the war memorial. He was looking up at Marvolo as if he couldn’t quiet believe what he was seeing. A Gaunt, in Godric’s Hallow where the Gaunts were not meant to come. They was a reason why the Potters never stepped foot in Little or Great Hangleton. They had an uneasy, unspoken truce where each family kept away from the other.

In his hand, he held a carefully concealed tip of a wand. He would use it if needed, but he would prefer not to spill Gaunt blood, it would only complicate matters more and anyway, this Gaunt was just a stupid kid. Oh yes, it was one of the Gaunt children, the oldest by the looks of him.

It wasn’t as if it were Master Gaunt himself who had appeared, as that would have been a different matter entirely.

“Ooooh” Marvolo sang down to him from atop of the memorial, having seen the wand tip sticking out of the sleeve. “Scary.” The man was around the same age as Marvolo’s father. His name was Henry Potter, the current head of the Potter family.

“Hello cousin Harry!” Marvolo called, a big grin spreading on his face as he made a mock bow. “Beautiful village you live in.” “You have no business here, kid.” Henry Potter said, making Marvolo chuckle at being called ‘kid’. “Is that how you greet your cousins?” Marvolo taunted. He knew the Potters ignored their distant relation to the Gaunts just as much as the Gaunts did theirs. “We are not cousins.” Henry said simply. “We share no blood.” “Yet our family tree says otherwise.” Marvolo taunted down to him. “I can find Henry Potter on there. That’s you, no? Next down is a Flea.” “A thousand years ago, maybe, we shared blood, but no more.” Potter said, ignoring the taunts against his son “Go back to your father, boy.” “Where’s your son anyway, where is little Fleamont. Where’s the Flea?” Marvolo asked gleefully.

He slowly leaped into the air and slowed down his decent by pushing the air up under his feet. He glided down from the war memorial, floating down slowly, allowing his cloak to ripple around him in the air for added effect.

“Your father has been teaching you some tricks?” Potter said, watching this Gaunt flying down to him. A typical party trick this family was known for. Other people said the Gaunts didn’t need broomsticks in order to fly and part of it was true. They had a way of levitating in the air without needing a wand. It wasn’t flying exactly. “Oh yes.” Marvolo answered. "Father has learned me spells you would never dare to use." "Dark Magic is not to be praised." Henry Potter said. "Why are you here Marvolo?"

Marvolo beamed that Potter knew his name! “Why, I haven’t seen dear Flea in ages, I have fond memories of snapping his bones and putting him in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, as I’m sure you remember all too well, he’s not dead is he? You haven’t stood on him or hit him with a newspaper?” “Of course he’s not. State what you want or leave, your kind is not welcome here. What does the House of Gaunt want?”

It was now Marvolo noticed one of the Abbot family members had come out of a nearby house, glancing at the head of the Potter family. “Hi there!” Marvolo shouted, a hand held up in a wave, not out of friendliness, but acknowledgement that he had seen them. “Awww you have Hufflepuffs in your village? That’s so adorable. I love Hufflepuffs, met a sweet little dear not too long ago. She’s in the hospital now, funny how this keeps happening. Do you know the Smith family are Hufflepuff’s direct descendants? I bet you wish you were a descendent of Gryffindor, but alas, you are not. I guess the Potter family is just not that well connected.” Oh reinforcements! He still could start a fight, he was sure it would be a nice challenging fight for him, but one he was sure he would still walk away from. The Abbots were nothing. He could easy take them out, or use them to distract the Potter family.

“You ask what does the House of Gaunt want? Nothing.” Marvolo said truthfully. “My father wouldn’t waist his time on disgusting blood traitors. What makes you think I am an errand boy?” Marvolo knew that wasn’t true entirely, he knew the Potters apparently had something valuable in their possession, but Marvolo didn’t know what that was. Clearly it must be something good to ward the entire village against the Gaunts, how else had Henry Potter been alerted so fast to Marvolo being there.

“Then why are you here?” Potter asked, “Go back to where you came from boy.” There were a few people watching now, what looked like half the wizarding community had come out, including to Marvolo’s great excitement, Bathilda Bagshot. Now this would be a grand fight and if he played his cards right, he would go down in a history book for there was a historian here to note everything down.

But first, he must weight up his opinions, his plan of attack. He needed to stall them. “Well, why I wanted to see the grave of Ignotus Peverell, of course, why else would I be in this charming cesspool?” Marvolo lied with a smile, no way Potter could deny their connection now. “You know him, he’s my great something uncle. Maybe you could give me a tour, cousin? Isn’t he your great, something grandfather. I will even return the favour by showing you the grave of dear Cadmus, my great something or another grandfather. He’s your great something uncle after all. It’s almost as if we are family!” Marvolo taunted, a song playfully in his words. He spoke in a voice that carried to the wizards watching, good, let them mutter and gossip.

Mr Potter looked infuriated now. Marvolo had no reason why, maybe he was over reacting to the cousin taunt? The Gaunts could lie and brush it off without loosing sleep, but the Potters? Being connected to the Gaunts? Oh scandal of the day.

Now Marvolo thought of it, he wanted everybody to know how related they were. “Come, Cousin!” Marvolo said, slapping Henry Potter’s arm - A dangerous move - and talking even louder, almost shouting now. “I want to pay my respects to dear Uncle Ignotus. I’ve heard so much about him.” Potter was growing more and more furious by the second. Marvolo grew more amused at his ever redding face. “You are not seeing that grave.” He said sternly. Ouch. Marvolo had touched a nerve, it made him grow even more excited. He was almost dancing on his feet, feeling the tension around him.

“Whatever your father is up to, if you don’t leave right now, he will regret sending you here. I would hate for the Gaunts to lose a son, but you are testing your limits somewhat terrible. You know you are not meant to be down here in the west, you were to stay in the north. Are you forgetting who you are talking too? My family is just as powerful and just as ancient as yours. Go home boy.” Marvolo blinked, then recovered in seconds. What was this about not being in the west? This was news to him. Nobody had ever told him not to come to the west, but he had never had a reason, he hated coming south, hated the smog of London. Come to think of it, his father never did come west… “I told you he didn’t send me. I am here myself, I wanted to look around this cosy little place, see dear Fleamount, as we were such good friends back at school, check out the Peverell graves, and-“ Marvolo paused mid taunt. In only seconds of him talking, Mr Potter had pulled out his wand and was holding it right into Marvolo’s neck. Was it something he said? The wand was so deep into his neck that it hurt.

“I told you to go home.” Potter said quietly. “You are not getting anywhere near that grave.” Marvolo quickly got into action himself, his natural instinct kicking in. If only Mori was here, she always warned him of people’s increased heart rates so he wouldn’t be taken by surprise. Marvolo drew his wand too. At the same time, all around him the wizards took out their wands. They were all pointed at him. This was it, the moment, now or never. He drew his own wand up to cast a nonverbal Crucio. He’d have Potter on his knees in seconds. However, it was not Potter who fell down.

Something hit the back of Marvolo and he fell down. He had been hit by a spell cast from behind him, but nobody was there. He was bleeding on his hands from where he had fallen. Then he felt it, his wand being torn from his hand as somebody cast a silent Expelliarmus. Who was casting those spells? He looked around fast but there was nobody behind him and the other wizards watching hadn’t moved.

Unseen by Marvolo, a second, young man from the Potter household had joined his father under a cloak of invisibility. Fleamount Potter, unseen by all, glanced down at Marvolo Gaunt, the one who once bullied him at school. “Nice trick.” Marvolo laughed, feeling his face burn in anger. “What spell was that? Was that a trip jinx? I love those spells, one of my favourite to use on the muggles you all love.” He swore, then got back to his feet slowly. “Is this a way to treat your cousin.” He said, his voice even, but he was shaken by the sudden hit he had taken. “You’re not getting a Christmas card this year.” Not that the Gaunts had ever sent the Potters anything in their mutual long existence.

“Go home, this is your last chance.” Potter said. Marvolo turned to find his wand and limped towards it, but it moved out of his reach as somebody moved it further away from him! Fine, then he would just use wandless magic to retrieve it. He held his hand out and summoned the wand to him, but his focus was broken before his wand even moved by a burning feeling in his fingers. He swore loudly and looked back at Henry Potter. “A stinging hex?” Marvolo asked, looking at the burn now on his bleeding palms. “You tell me to go home and yet you aren’t letting me get my wand.” Potter held out his hand and Marvolo’s wand flew into his hand. Oh the nerve of him! Then he handed Marvolo his wand back. Like Marvolo had been a naughty child being handed back a toy that was taken from him. He snatched it from Potter's hand. He would need to wash it now such filth had touched it.

“Take that as your warning and go home.” He said. “Sure.” Marvolo said. He turned around as if he were about to apparate, before quickly turning his wand back on Potter. “Hahaha, as if I were going to go home.” Marvolo laughed cheerfully, throwing a curse at Potter, which he deflected. It was then another spell hit him squarely in the back, winding him entirely and threw him down to his knees. Marvolo let out a moan of pain. “Who is doing that?” He roared, looking behind him. He got back up and as he did, threw a hex at Potter, who raised his wand to attack back. Marvolo threw himself out of the way as behind him, the war memoral exploded. "Ooooh muggle baiting!" Marvolo laughed, as some muggles still watching cried out in alarm. "They can send you to Azkaban for that, you know."

CRACK

Marvolo made to shield himself, but no spell had come from Potter’s wand.

“Now, let us all calm down and not do anything we’ll regret.” Came a voice behind Marvolo that he knew very well.

“Hello father” Marvolo said cheerfully, as if this was not a show down. His father would provide the perfect team up, they could take on all the wizards here with no problem. Whatever anger was on Henry Potter’s face before, it was nothing to the furious expression on his face now as Master Gaunt walked purposely towards Marvolo and Potter, passing inches from the invisible Fleamont, who side stepped to join his father, his wand aimed at Gaunt. He turned his wand from Marvolo and pointed it right at Gaunt.

“You should not be here.” Potter said, holding his wand directly at Gaunt’s heart. “Nor should your son. You know what has been agreed between our families for centuries now, you-“

“I am very well aware, Henry.” Gaunt interrupted cooly and totally unconcerned, or so he looked. “Have I ever paid visit to these parts? Have I ever seen you in my village? I believe it’s a no to both. How about you let this go, Potter?” Gaunt continued. “Foolish and extremely childish errors brought Marvolo here; it shouldn’t have happened and I assure you, it shan’t happen again.”

Potter glanced from Marvolo to Gaunt. Breaking the treaty and flaunting it, then trying to lay down the law? How typical of the Gaunts. However Henry Potter did not want a fight with the House of Gaunt. They may be at the extreme ends of the moral debate, and of light and darkness, but he was wiser and more patient than his very distant relatives. There were muggles around here, still watching, all their memories would need wiping.

In the corner of his eye, he could see the Abbot family looking at him for guidance. He would not risk them, nor any of the wizards gathered here. Godric’s Hallow was a place of peace, where wizards and muggles lived side by side. He would not risk a fight with two Gaunts who would think nothing of using the killing curse on every soul here, in broad daylight too. He also noticed the little bump around Gaunt’s neckline where that cursed snake of his was no doubly hiding in wait. Readying itself to jump out and strike. His son, Fleamont was nearby somewhere, likely just feet from the two Gaunts. He had to protect his son too.

“Fine.” Henry Potter said, happy to just get these two away from every innocent soul in this village. “But heed this, this is just a one off. If any of your kind come to this village again, they will regret it greatly. That’s a promise. If any from the House of Gaunt come here again, it will go very badly for you. No matter how many years pass, if they have your blood…” He let the threat hang in mid air. “Of course.” Gaunt said, as if this were a lovely talk between brothers. “Marvolo, go home.” Gaunt said, almost lazy, but Shiva in his collar could feel the pounding of his pulse, the smell of fear in his pores. She flickered her tongue to let her master know she was here and ready should he need her.

Marvolo hesitated, what was his father doing? This was their time to have a duel, to fight the Potters. They were not afraid to use Dark Magic, they could wipe out Godric’s Hollow right here, right now if they so wished. Yet his father was sending him home? “Father?” Marvolo asked unsure. “Home.” Gaunt said in a dangerous voice. “Now.” Marvolo, very confused and slightly downhearted disapparated home.

Now Gaunt and Potter were staring each other down. Henry Potter casually waved with his hand to let the Abbots know he didn’t need their help anymore and they got to work Obliterating the muggles who had witnessed magic. There were still a few wizards hanging around, but it seemed Potter and Gaunt were not coming to blows. “I have no business here. No need to stay.” Gaunt said to Potter. “No, I don’t think you do at all Gaunt.” Henry said quietly “But make it known to your boy. If he, or any of your family even think for a moment you are getting the cloak, you can keep dreaming. The thing isn’t even in the village right now, so you’re wasting your time being here.” “I doubt that’s true.” Gaunt said. “That was your boy casting spells at mine, wasn’t it? Yet I don’t see him anywhere.” There was a silence.

“Marvolo doesn’t know, he was not here for your cloak. He doesn’t know it even exists.” Gaunt said, anything to keep the peace with this lot. “He wanted to see the Peverell grave. The sign of the Hallows is on there. Don’t take me for a fool-“ “- He was just here for trouble. Anything to wind you up.” Gaunt answered. “My youngest son is getting the ring, only he knows about our inheritance and Ominis isn’t the type to trouble you.”

“I have no interest in your ring or which son takes it after you.” Potter said. Although the Potters didn't fully understand the ring, they agree in private that it was likely to be as dangerous as the wand, and should not fall into the wrong hands. It also surprised Henry to hear the Gaunts were actually being responsible or even reasonable for a change and not reckless. He didn’t know much about the youngest Gaunt boy, he had always kept a low profile and was quiet at Hogwarts. Another young Potter relative at school had already told them the youngest Gaunt was mostly isolated from other students and only had two close friends.

“So happy we could sort this out like gentleman.” Gaunt finished. “You’re no gentleman. You don’t know the meaning. See yourself out of here and don’t return.” Henry Potter said, slowly turning away, as if on que, the other wizards still gathered around lowered their wands. “Yet who lives in the bigger house?” Gaunt called back, as cocky as his son. “Nice cottage, did a Muggle make that?”

Potter chose to ignore that. Let Gaunt act the fool, they both knew how close this day had come to violence. At the end of the day, both men knew not to cross the other, something their children didn’t. “Big houses are nothing when they crumble and fall. I’ve always said big houses make cold homes. Not like my humble cottage that is filled with warmth.” Potter called back to Gaunt, the final dig. Gaunt just laughed, then disapparated.

Marvolo waited for his father at home, feeling utterly confused and slightly betrayed. Why hadn’t his father fought by his side? They may not have had numbers, but their magic alone was stronger. When his father apparated into the entrance, Marvolo moved towards him. “We could have taken them, right there-“ The rest of Marvolo’s sentence was cut off as Gaunt pointed his wand at him.

“Crucio” Marvolo screamed and the next thing he knew he was on the floor, twitching. He tried to get up to run, but he couldn’t move due to his own body shaking and thrashing. It felt worse than anything he had ever experienced. How could his father do this to HIM? This is what they do to Ominis, not him. The curse lifted as Marvolo gasped for air. “Why?” Marvolo cried, actual tears on his face. His father picked him up and slammed him into the wall, pushing his head back by his hair.

A house elf had just came from a side pantry and slowly backed back in, hoping not be to seen. A look of pure terror on its face as the causal violence happened all around it.

“What in Merlin’s name were you thinking? Are you trying to get us all killed? Listen to me now Marvolo. You don’t provoke the Potters, under any circumstances. Never! You don’t go to their area. Are you trying to damage this family and our power? There’s some things you can ever hope to understand. If you step foot in Godric’s Hollow again, you’re on your own. I will not come save you a second time and your own blood will be on your hands.”

Gaunt threw Marvolo away from him. Not for the first time, Gaunt had hated the fact that Marvolo was his son. He was unhinged yes, but dangerously stupid too.

“Well how was I to know?” Marvolo shouted, rubbing the tears away, feeling his body ache something terrible. “You never tell me anything.” “There’s a reason for that, Marvolo, look in the mirror.” Gaunt said in disgust, then walked away.

He was going to add more warding to the grounds around their home, just in case. He needed to add wards down in the village as quick as possible. If anybody stepped foot in Little Hangleton tonight, he would know. Master Gaunt had always kept a cool and sophisticated profile, but right now his eyes were wide as he dashed up the stairs. "Patrol the path from the hunting shack tonight." He told the house elf hiding in the pantry. Damn Marvolo. He was going to get them all killed if he didn't grow up soon.

He would never admit it, or say it out loud to anybody other than his wife who already knew, and to Ominis who was mature enough to understand, but the Potters were not equal to the Gaunts in power, they were more powerful. The Gaunts had money, influence and power. A very strong bloodline, but it meant nothing because the Potters had allies, an entire network of families who would back them up should the Potters ask them too. The Longbottoms, the Abbots, the Prewett, the Bones, the Weasleys and many, many more. All of Potter's friends hated the Gaunts.

The Gaunts had people who feared them. The two were not the same. It was only fear that made people do things for the Gaunts. Fear and blackmail, not loyalty to the family and that was all the difference. "Tell your sister to come over for a family dinner tonight, bring her husband. Invite Phineas too. I think company tonight would be a nice occasion" Master Gaunt said to his wife walking past her. "Marvolo won't be joining us. In fact, Marvolo doesn't want dinner at all tonight. He needs to lose some weight in that head of his." She understood at once. Tonight, they was safety in numbers.

There was a third thing Marvolo Gaunt was sure of now. As he slowly walked up the stairs after his father left him, his legs trembling, his stomach threatening to empty itself all over these beautiful steps, his muscles aching and throbbing after being tortured, it had hit him. The Potters had not overreacted to him taunting them about being related, what triggered them off was him saying he wanted to see the Peverell grave.

That was just a lie he told, a jest, just to wind them up over their shared origin, he never wanted to see the grave, he had zero interest in it, but their reaction told him quite a lot. They didn't want him anywhere near the grave of the Peverells, but why? What would he find at the grave?

Curiosity flooded his stomach, but the cold rage drowned it out. What was going on in his family that the Potter family also knew about? Mori was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, she had been watching the scene down below, he avoided looking at her as he went past, knowing she would follow him anyway.

Come to think about it. He had never seen any Potter in this area before, and his father had never taken him to the west country. They had been everywhere else. The Potters never were invited to the Gaunt's many lavish parties over the years and it wasn't just because of their fondness for dirty Muggles, was it? They seemed to know they were not welcome here. The time Marvolo had broken Fleamont so badly at school, Hogwarts had written to both families to inform them of what had happened, then his father had wrote to the Potters. At the time, Marvolo had wondered why. Hadn't his half a term suspension from school been enough?

He swore and kicked a random house elf as he walked passed it to vent his feelings.

What was going on here? Some sort of great secret his family knew about, some unknown agreement that seemed to span generations and he knew nothing of it? He knew nothing!

Yet Ominis? Oooh Ominis. He had been selected to learn something Marvolo had not. That’s likely why his father and Ominis had been spending so much time together. What had his father told Ominis that he hadn't told Marvolo?

His mind flooded with acid that ate away at him some more. He would be raging if he wasn't hurting so badly. That was it. That was all the confirmation he needed. He was not the special son after all. It was Ominis.

His disgusting weakling of a brother had somehow stolen his rightful place on the Gaunt throne.

@queenfinehair @myfavouritelunatic @sekkitsu

[legacyshenanigans]

The Gaunt Brothers🐍

Based on➡️ this post ⬅️ Also added an extra scene of them at the boutique, Ominis at the end had me howling. Just Marvolo being a good big bro 💚

[theladyofshalott1989]

AHHHHHHH I'M OBSESSED WITH THIS.

The Gaunts

[actually-mentally-ill]

when im being asked a question, but i was busy daydreaming about __ x y/n