The Story of Ominis Gaunt //Hogwarts Legacy

Chapter 1 - 2

Ominis concluded his letter. Having finished the letter he had to write, his stomach felt lighter.
Ominis huffed and breathed. From now on, he would seal the letter, go to the owl house, send it home and all would be well.
Ominis opened his palm and tried to grab the Quick-Quotes Quill that had done its job - but no matter how many times he tried, it slipped through the gap between his fingers. On the contrary, enough time had passed since he had finished saying "t" and yet there was still the sound of his pen's nib dancing. It would have been irksome if a poorly written poem had been added to the end of the letter. Ominis was so angry that he ripped the parchment off the table.
'Incendio!'
　He pointed the wand and chanted, and the paper tip chirped and burned.
　Ominis threw it into the fireplace across the table. There was a crackling popping sound from inside the fireplace, and eventually he realised that the flames had spread to the wood. Ominis also grabbed a quill pen that had stopped moving and set it on fire. Ominis sank into the sofa with a thud.
　Now there was no way to write a letter. I don't care, Ominis thought. Even if I had been able to write it, I wouldn't have dared to send it anyway. Even if I could, who would read my letter in that house? Would I send a reply as evidence that I had read it? Ominis is blind.
　Ominis folded her legs over the sofa and rested her chin on her knees.
　Only four people had ever received his letters: his Aunt Noctua, the twins Anne and Sebastian, and a new student. It was Auntie Noctua who first gave me a Quick-Quotes Quill.
'Please send me proof that you are well while I'm on my adventures.
　In between months of adventure travel, she had sent him parcels of spice-tastic sweets, magical creature straps and amulets in the shape of eyeballs, but she preferred to tell her souvenir stories in person to her nephews. Ominis liked nothing better than to lean back on his knees at her feet and listen to her stories against the crackling of the fireplace in his aunt's room, which was part of the Gaunt mansion. That room was really the only place in the manor where he felt safe and warm.
　Sebastian Sallow, who became a friend of mine when I entered Hogwarts, repeatedly insisted that I should use Howler instead of the Quick-Quotes Quill.
　Anything, he says, because he enjoys the sound of Ominis's serious, aristocratic voice playing loudly from the Howler.
'As an added bonus, they would burst into flames all by themselves after delivering the message.'
　'Nothing could be more interesting,' said Sebastian in a tone of voice.
'I'll open it in front of everyone in the Great Hall. That way, your classmates will know how 'easy to get on with' and 'cheerful' you are."
　On Christmas Day in his sophomore year, he sent Ominis a thick stack of Howler, just to be sure he said his piece of advice. Ominis had intended to burn it in the fireplace when he saw an opening, and now that the giver had been expelled, it was easier to make that decision. However, given his current situation, Ominis felt that now was rather the time to use his gift.
- Will the mail reach Azkaban?
　How would Dementor react if they heard my voice calling out in prison? Imagining the scene, Ominis felt a sudden surge of sadness. He had a quick picture in my mind of Sebastian, who did not even respond to the barking mail and remained motionless, curled up in the corner of his cold prison cell.

　オミニスは締め括った。書かねばいけない手紙を書き終えたことで、胃が軽くなったように感じた。
　オミニスはフーッと息をついた。これから手紙の封を閉じ、ふくろう小屋に行って、家に送れば万事すべてが完了だ。
　オミニスは手のひらを広げて、役目を終えた自動速記羽ペンを掴もうとした───しかし、何度やっても指の隙間をすり抜ける。それどころか、〝ト〟と言い終わって充分な時間がたつのに、まだカリカリというペン先が踊る音がするではないか。手紙の末尾に、下手に詩歌でも書き加えられていたらたまらない。オミニスは腹を立てて、羊皮紙をテーブルから剥ぎ取った。
「インセンディオ、燃えよ！」
　杖を向けて唱えると、紙の先端からチリチリと燃えた。
　オミニスはテーブルの向こうの暖炉にそれを投げ入れた。暖炉の中からパチパチという弾ける音がして、やがて炎が薪に燃え移ったのがわかった。オミニスは紙を失って動きを止めた羽ペンを手で探し当てると、それも火に焚べた。オミニスはどっとソファに沈み込んだ。
　これで、手紙を書く手段が無くなった。かまうものか、とオミニスは思った。書けたところで、どうせ送る勇気はなかっただろう。仮に送れたとしても───あの家で誰が、自分の手紙を読むだろうか。誰が、中身を確かに読んだ証として、返事を送ってきてくれるだろうか───盲目の自分に。
　オミニスは両足をソファの上に折り畳むと、膝を抱えて顎をその上に乗せた。
　今まで自分の手紙を受け取ったことがあるのは、ノクチュアおばさん、アンとセバスチャンの双子、それから転入生の四人だけだ。はじめに自動速記羽ペンを与えてくれたのはノクチュアおばさんだ。
「冒険に出ている間、あなたが元気だって証拠を送ってちょうだいね」
　彼女は数ヶ月の冒険旅行の合間に、香辛料のキツいお菓子や魔法生物のストラップ、眼球の形を模したお守りなどを小包で送ってきたが、土産話の方は甥に直接会って語ることを好んだ。オミニスはゴーント邸の一画にあるおばさんの部屋で、暖炉のパチパチという音を背景に、彼女の足元で膝にもたれかかって話を聴くのが何よりも好きだった。彼が邸宅の中で安心して暖かさを感じられるのは、実にあの部屋だけだった。
　ホグワーツに入学して、友人となったセバスチャン・サロウは「自動速記羽ペンではなく吠えメールを使うべきだ」と何度も主張した。
　なんでも、オミニスの真面目な貴族然とした声が、吠えメールから大音量で流れるのが愉快だからだと言う。
「おまけに、メッセージを届けた後はひとりでに燃え上がるんだ」
　こんなに面白いことはない、と言った口調でセバスチャンは言った。
「僕は大広間のみんなの前でそれを開封するよ。そうすれば、同級生たちが君の〝付き合いやすい〟〝朗らか〟な人柄を知ることになるからね」
　二年生のクリスマスに、彼は有言実行とばかりにオミニスに分厚い吠えメールの紙束を贈った。オミニスは隙を見て暖炉で燃やすつもりだったし、贈り主が退学になった今、それを決行するのは容易くなった。しかし、彼の現状を考えると、むしろ今こそ贈り物を使うべきなのでは、という気がしてきた。
───吠えメールはアズカバンにも届くのだろうか？
　自分の声が牢獄で喚きだすのを聞いたら、吸魂鬼たちはどんな反応をするだろうか。その光景を想像して、オミニスは急激に悲しみが込み上げてきた。吠えメールに反応すら見せず、寒々しい牢屋の隅で体を丸めたまま動かないセバスチャンの姿がパッと頭に浮かんだからだ。