Acceptance: Hogwarts Legacy Continued

Chapter 45: Ominis- flashback

Ominis had just gotten back from Diagon Alley with his father, he was feeling uncharacteristically happy, but tried not to let his show. He knew his father could care less about how he was feeling, but there was someone else he went out of his way to avoid showing any sort of emotion towards.

"Little Omi looks like he had a nice trip" a sneer voice came from the corner of the room.

"How many times must I tell you-" his fathers voiced came quickly "Gaunt's do not lurk in corners."

There was a scoff, and he heard Marvolo move his way over to them. He calmed his breathing, and put up his air of indifference he had practiced his entire life. His sadistic brother could take even the most mundane emotions and use them against you. He was evil, and Ominis went out of his way to avoid the cruel man.

"Well Omi, what has you in such a good mood?"

He didn't respond, but continued heading towards the other side of the house leaving that snickering beast behind him. It wasn't a difficult task walking through the manor, he didn't even need his wand to do so. It wasn't that he had lived here his whole life and could find his way around, actually the reason for his ease in mobility was because the building was basically empty.

Contrary to the front the Gaunts put up, they had no money. The pride of Salazar Slytherin had years past squandered the inheritance, leaving future generations in ruin. No other family knew this though, from the outside everything looked as it had always been- his father had made sure of that.

They were paraded around in the nicest clothes, and demanded everything be of highest quality. He also continued his "business deals" as if there was an everflow of gold raining from the fountain outside. Where the head of the house was getting the actual money for these deals Ominis didn't know, he figured it had something to do with the shady people he continued to meet- such as the one from earlier today.

So Ominis moved through the ghost house, making his way to the back courtyard. When he wasn't concealing himself in his room, he spent a lot of his time outside; Marvolo didn't seem like the sunshine. When he reached the doors he pushed through and was met by a warm bath on his face. Although everything was dark to him, the shadow that fell on him in his home made it seem even to the blind boy, that the sunlight shone bright now.

He moved around the garden, which of course was likely in top shape. He knew that their house elf was beyond overworked to keep things up to standard for the appearances of others. As he walked he thought about his day, about his friends finding him at the Inn. He smiled as he thought about the sweet smell of oranges. He let his thoughts continue to drift, knowing he wouldn't allow himself to dwell on them once he re-entered the prison-like walls behind him.

He wandered until he made it to the large structure that sat at the back of the estate and stopped. It felt darker here, and Ominis knew it was because of more than just the covering of trees around him. There was a heavy presence to this building, evidence of dark magic use. This unfortunately was another place Marvolo did often go to- their Vivarium. He knew that the inside was much larger than the walls made it look, not that it mattered much. There was no need for space when every animal inside was kept in cages.

The Gaunts had long collected the different magical species of animals. It was a show of power and status to the other high ranking wizarding families. Ominis never really understood the sentiment even in its insanity. It's not like his family had captured the animals on their own, everything caged in the bars were poached for a hefty price. Maybe at one time the animals had been passed down from generation to generation, but Marvolo had seen an end to any sort of linkage for the animals.

The older boy, being the cruel demonic person that he was, often spent his time torturing the animals. He had tortured everything living within their estate, including the animals, their house elves (which were now down to only one), and even Ominis himself. He now received severe punishments for attempting anything on his brother or their remaining elf, so that left him with the animals (including at one time a pet cat.)

The blind boy had stood witness to the sound of the older boy casting horrible curses on the defenseless animals. When Marvolo found he was no longer able to use his little brother as his dummy, he learned he could inflict almost as much pain by making him be present for the torture of others. So time and time again he heard the cries and screeches of the animals being brought to the brink or death only to be let go, and then tortured again. The younger boy would wiggle in his bands, trying to free himself from the spell the older boy would put him in to make him stay. Eventually though he learned to show no emotions, not giving him the satisfaction.

Once Morvolo had realized he no longer played his little game, he gave up making him stay. Ominis knew though that he continued with the cruelty because his father often complained that they had to keep replacing the different species from time to time. Just the week before they had brought a new Phoenix, apparently in its infant state to allow them more control over it. He thought of the new bird, and pitied its existence in this place, feeling especially sorrowful about the fact that there was nothing he could do.

He headed back towards the house to find solace in his room. No matter where he tried to escape there was evidence of cruelty and darkness from his family at every corner. At least if he waited at the window of his room he could better hear his owl returning, bringing him the real escape he so desperately pined for.