Noctua...
Relationship: Ominis Gaunt & Noctua Gaunt
Summary: For his seventeenth birthday, Ominis receives a very unexpected present… A letter informing him that he has inherited his Aunt Noctua's house, and all the memories that go with it.
Word Count: ~2.5k
Author's Note: This one-shot was really important for me to write, so I really hope you'll like it!💚
Warnings: Remembrance of a lost one
Dear Mister Gaunt,
In the name of the Wizengamot, it is with great regret that I remind you of Noctua Gaunt’s passing.
I am writing to you as the executor of your aunt's will to inform you that, before her passing, she appointed you as the fortunate and only heir to her Gringotts vault, and house in Manor Cape. Now that you are of legal age, these assets rightfully belong to you.
To proceed with the official transfer of the property and funds, I will wait for you in Headmaster’s Black office on Monday morning, so that we can discuss the details and the steps to follow.
Best regards,
Ernest Hawkworth
It was the umpteenth time Ominis was rereading the bloody letter with the help of his wand. He had never expected to receive such a poisoned gift on his seventeenth birthday. "'Fortunate heir'"... What a ridiculous thing to read. Who in the world would be happy to learn that a member of their family had died? Someone cruel surely... Or simply anyone other than him in the Gaunt family. Any income was good news for them, whatever the context.
Ominis sighed dejectedly, and tucked the letter away in the inside pocket of his jacket. It was Monday morning. He had better get to Headmaster Black's office.
Mechanically, his feet carried him towards the Gargoyle Corridor, and led him up the stairs. He barely had time to knock on the wooden door before it flew open.
“Ah! Mr. Gaunt!” An unfamiliar man hurried to shake his hand enthusiastically. “I’m Ernest Hawkworth. Thank you for coming.”
“Of course…” Ominis answered idly. “Mr. Black is not with you?”
“No, no. He simply guided me here and left, claiming he had more important things to do, which I have no doubt he does.” Hawkworth explained with a wide genuine smile that could be heard in his voice.
“Typical Black…” Ominis muttered under his breath unintelligibly.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing.” The Slytherin student quickly replied, before changing the subject. “How did you want to proceed to the transaction, Mr Hawkworth?”
“Well, to start with, I need to show you your aunt's house.” Hawkworth suddenly looked embarrassed. “If you see no objection to… taking m-my arm, I'll apparate us to Manor Cape.”
Ominis knew that this abrupt stuttering had nothing to do with anything other than the fact that he was a Gaunt, a highly reputed family considered to be royalty by the other Purebloods. Hawkworth was probably intimidated by the idea that he was about to touch one of the Slytherin heirs.
Ominis did not bother to reply, restraining himself from rolling his eyes. He simply placed his hand on the man's arm as lightly as possible.
A second and a loud crack later, Ominis found himself in the middle of a radically different scenery.
The first thing he noticed was the melodious trill of birdsong. With each chirp and whistle, he felt a sense of tranquillity wash over him, as if the birds were welcoming him to the only place he had ever called home.
He looked up at the sky, taking a moment to savour the gentle breeze of the countryside brushing against his skin with a soft, comforting touch. It carried with it the faint scent of grass and flowers, a fragrant perfume that filled his senses and invigorated his spirit. Ominis inhaled deeply, taking in the earthy aroma of the land, feeling a deep connection to the natural world around him.
With each step he takes, the man becomes more attuned to the beauty of his surroundings, the sights, sounds, and scents of the countryside enveloping him in a sense of wonder and awe. In this tranquil moment, which awakened all the memories of the moments spent in the house that had enchanted his childhood.
“Well, here we are!” Hawkworth announced eagerly. “There are just a couple of things left to sort out. Don't worry, it won't take much longer.”
“That's all right…” Ominis automatically replied in a dreamy tone.
“First of all, here's the key to your aunt's Gringotts vault... which is now yours. All the arrangements have already been made with the goblins on your behalf.”
“Thank you.” Ominis placed the golden key in his pocket, taking no notice of it.
“And finally, you just need to sign this paper to finalise the inheritance.”
Ominis took the quill that Hawkworth handed him, and signed at the bottom of the parchment. Admittedly, Ominis could not write because of his deficiency (yes, he considered his blindness as such, just like the rest of his family had always done). As a result, he had always used a Quick-Quotes Quill, or asked someone else to write for him. However, once he was older and more mature, Ominis learnt to write his own signature by himself.
“Congratulations, Mr. Gaunt! You are now officially the owner of this delightful residence.” Hawkworth grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. He had found a brand-new sense of confidence, which even allowed him to pat Ominis on the shoulder. “May I take you back to the castle?”
“No, thank you. I'll stay here.” Ominis replied, taking a step back to put an end to this unwelcome contact.
He heard the man in front of him take in a sharp breath, “Very well, then. I won't keep you any longer. It was an honour to meet you, Mr. Gaunt.”
Ominis gently touched the stones of his aunt's house – which he still struggled to accept as now his own. Each stone, cold and ancient under his fingers, seemed to whisper anecdotes of the past, of days filled with laughter and the quiet hum of magic that once filled these rooms.
As he traced the rough texture, the ivy that climbed the walls reached out, tenderly tickling the back of his hand, as if nature itself was trying to comfort him, to bridge the gap between the loss he felt and the legacy he had inherited. It was a small, almost imperceptible connection, but in that moment, Ominis felt a little less alone, surrounded by the lingering presence of his aunt and the life she had cultivated in this magical place.
Hesitant to enter his childhood refuge, Ominis chose instead to wander towards the garden, finding solace in the idea of being closer to nature before confronting the memories housed within those stone walls. On his way, he caught a few wild branches in the face and heard twigs cracking under his feet, a testament to the many years spent without Noctua's care for her plants.
Despite the pitfalls, Ominis continued peacefully towards the lake. The smell of humidity and the soft murmur of the water's gentle eddies... seemed to call out to him, to urge him closer.
With a deep breath, he sat at the water's edge, slipping off his shoes and socks to touch the water, its icy caress sending a shiver up his spine. The cold sensation on his feet jolted a memory loose—a memory of a younger version of himself by this very lake, with his aunt by his side. At the time, he truly could not understand why his aunt had insisted on taking him to an unknown place, something that terrified him, given that he did not yet have his wand to guide him.
He had complained the whole way there, and upon touching the water, he had burst into tears, overwhelmed by the cold and a sudden fear of the unknown depths. His aunt had scooped him up, comforting him with her laughter and assurances that there was nothing to fear. He could still feel her breath against his ear when she whispered that she was right there with him, and that even though he could not see it, the world was too beautiful not to explore it.
Sitting there now, feet submerged in the chilly water, Ominis could not help but smile tenderly, because he now agreed with her. Even though his aunt was gone, her lessons and love continued to guide him, teaching him that it was okay to be scared and that there was strength in facing one's fears, just as he was doing now, one step at a time.
And just like that, his aunt’s words once again gave him the strength to face his current fear. He cast a drying spell on himself, put his shoes back on, and strolled back to the house. He stood still as he faced the front door, before taking a deep breath.
With a mixture of trepidation and curiosity, Ominis finally summoned the courage to open the door and cross the threshold. Stepping into the living room, he was immediately enveloped by a wave of nostalgia and melancholy. The room was a shrine to his aunt's life, filled with her belongings and memories that seemed to echo with her presence.
Ominis put his wand away in his pocket and moved forward, holding his hands out in front of him to avoid bumping into furniture, as he used to do when he was only a young child.
First, he came into contact with the worn armchair by the fireplace, where she would sit and read late into the night. watch him, while she lent him her wand and taught him the spell that allowed him to see the outline of the objects surrounding him (the one he still used to this day). It was the first time he had really discovered the world, and it was entirely thanks to her. It was she who had created the spell. Just for him.
And it certainly was not the only time that Ominis had felt such gratitude towards his aunt, for not far away there was a library full of books written in Braille. It was Noctua who had taught him to read in the same way as blind Muggles, because it was essential to her that her nephew should be able to acquire an education from a very young age.
As he moved through the room, Ominis ran his fingers over the familiar objects placed on the shelves. Only souvenirs that Noctua had brought back from her various expeditions to the four corners of the Earth, and which she took great pleasure in recounting to her nephew afterwards to lull him to sleep at night.
Every object held a story, a piece of his aunt's past that she had carefully preserved… but he knew that not everything was there. His aunt's research was missing.
He knew he would find it in her study, which happened to be the room Ominis dreaded the most, out of fear it would bring back too many memories and shatter his heart with grief all over again. Still, he climbed the stairs to go there, and a sense of unease settled in his chest. The weight of anticipation mingled with apprehension, each step a reminder of the memories waiting for him behind the door.
With a trembling hand, he pushed open the door and stepped inside, the air heavy with the scent of old books and dried herbs. The room felt frozen in time, untouched since his aunt's passing, a silent witness to her tireless pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
Instinctively, his hands reached out for her desk. To his greatest surprise, he felt parchment under his fingertips. With a mix of curiosity and trepidation, he reached out and picked it up, his heart pounding in his chest.
He unfolded what appeared to be a letter, and took out his wand, guiding its tip along the lines…
My dearest Ominis, my little boy,
If you are reading this letter, it’s unfortunately because my curiosity and my research into Salazar Slytherin have gotten the best of me. I have always been fascinated by the history of our ancestors, but I fear that this time, my enthusiasm for the past has led me a bit too far.
I am writing these words to you, my dear child, because it is important for me that you know why I have chosen you as my sole and only heir. You might still be young, but your soul carries a wisdom and a purity that I haven’t found in any other member of our family. While many have let themselves be corrupted by greed, pureblood supremacy, or the desire for power, you have always followed your heart, staying true to your moral values and that integrity that so defines you. It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that I know my belongings and my research, but also my hopes and dreams for a better future, could not be in better hands than yours.
I fondly remember all the moments we have shared. Your first steps into the world of magic, your eyes wide with wonder when you finally saw how the world was shaped. You were so wise, so shy, and yet already so determined to do what is right. Your tenacity, even when faced with the greatest challenges, has always impressed me. You were that little boy with a stubborn temperament, the one who refused to be walked over, all while maintaining a softness and kindness that made you so special in my eyes.
Today, as I write these lines, my heart is heavy at the thought of not being able to meet the handsome young man, wise, intelligent, and accomplished that you surely have become. I have no doubt that you have grown to become an exceptional person, upholding the values we have shared and that I have tried to teach you.
My last advice to you, my dear nephew, is to never lose sight of who you truly are. You are a Gaunt, and you have strong convictions and a heart of gold. So, yes, you are a Gaunt, but it does not necessarily have to be a fatality. Stay true to yourself and show the world that not all descendants of Slytherin need to be feared.
Take care of yourself, my child, and always remember that you have within you the strength and wisdom to change the world.
With all my love,
Your aunt who loves you the most.
Ominis's tears flowed uncontrollably, falling onto his hands. He put the letter down for fear of soaking it and destroying one of the only things he had left of his beloved aunt.
Despite his deep sorrow, Ominis was suddenly overcome by an unshakeable determination. He vowed to himself to carry on his aunt's legacy. Armed with her research and her unwavering belief in him, he knew that he could face whatever trials awaited him. He felt a deep sense of connection to her, as if she were still there, guiding him with her love and her wisdom through this new chapter of his life… even from above.
She was the one who had shown him the world... so he was going to give his heart and soul to making it a little more like she had dreamt.
“You can count on me, Aunt Noctua… I’ll do it for you. I’ll make you proud. I promise.”
