If you are a fan of the Harry Potter franchise, you may have heard of the upcoming video game Hogwarts Legacy, which is set in the late 1800s at the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry. In this game, you will encounter many characters, some of whom have a connection to the events and characters of the original books and movies. One such character is Ominis Gaunt, a Slytherin student who has a dark and tragic past, as well as a surprising relation to the most feared dark wizard of all time: Lord Voldemort.
Who is Ominis Gaunt?
Ominis Gaunt is a pure-blood wizard and a member of the House of Gaunt, a family that traces its lineage back to Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts and a notorious advocate of pure-blood supremacy. The Gaunts were known for their involvement in dark magic, their inbreeding, and their cruelty towards Muggles and Muggle-borns. Ominis was born blind, and no spell could cure his condition. He used his wand, which he described as “almost sentient”, to guide him around.
Ominis was not like his family, however. He hated the Dark Arts and refused to participate in his family’s sadistic practices, such as torturing Muggles with the Cruciatus Curse. This resulted in him being abused by his own parents and siblings, who saw him as a blood traitor and a weakling. Ominis developed a pessimistic, distrustful, and sarcastic personality as a result of his trauma.
Ominis had one ally in his family: his aunt Noctua Gaunt, who shared his disdain for the Dark Arts and his curiosity about Salazar Slytherin’s legacy. She tried to explore Slytherin’s Scriptorium, a hidden chamber that contained secrets about the founder’s magic. However, she died in her attempt, leaving Ominis devastated.
Ominis attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1886 to the 1890s, where he was sorted into Slytherin House. He befriended another Slytherin student named Sebastian Sallow, who was also interested in Slytherin’s secrets. However, Sebastian was more reckless and ambitious than Ominis, and he wanted to use the Dark Arts for his own gain. Ominis often clashed with Sebastian over their different views on magic, morality, and power.
Voldemort, also known as Tom Riddle, was born in 1926 to Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle Sr., a Muggle. Merope was Ominis’ cousin, as they both had the same grandfather: Marvolo Gaunt. Marvolo was born before 1890, possibly around the same time as Ominis. Marvolo had two children: Morfin and Merope. Morfin was a violent and unstable wizard who killed Muggles and was sent to Azkaban. Merope was a timid and abused witch who fell in love with Tom Riddle Sr., a wealthy Muggle from Little Hangleton. She used a love potion to make him marry her and ran away with him.
However, when Merope became pregnant with Tom Riddle Jr., she stopped giving Tom Riddle Sr. the love potion, hoping that he would love her for real. He did not, and he abandoned her when he found out that she was a witch. Merope gave birth to her son at an orphanage in London, where she died shortly after. She named him Tom after his father, and Marvolo after her father.
Tom Riddle Jr. grew up in the orphanage, unaware of his magical heritage. He was a brilliant but cruel boy who discovered his ability to speak Parseltongue (the language of snakes) and to control animals and people. He received his letter from Hogwarts when he was eleven years old, where he learned that he was a wizard.
At Hogwarts, he was sorted into Slytherin House and became an outstanding student. He also learned about his ancestry from Salazar Slytherin and the House of Gaunt. He despised his Muggle father and his weak mother, and he sought to create a new identity for himself: Lord Voldemort. He also became obsessed with finding Slytherin’s Scriptorium and unlocking its secrets.
He eventually succeeded in locating the chamber, where he found a mysterious artifact: the Eye of Slytherin. This was a powerful magical object that could enhance one’s abilities or corrupt one’s mind, depending on how it was used. Voldemort used it to create Horcruxes: pieces of his soul that he stored in various objects, making him immortal. He also used it to create his army of followers: the Death Eaters.
Voldemort became the most feared dark wizard of all time, who waged a war against the wizarding world, seeking to eliminate all those who opposed him, especially Muggles and Muggle-borns. He was finally defeated by Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, who was the only one who could destroy his Horcruxes and his body.
Conclusion
Ominis Gaunt and Voldemort were cousins, but they had very different personalities and goals. Ominis was a victim of his family’s dark legacy, but he resisted it and tried to find a better way. Voldemort was a product of his family’s dark legacy, but he embraced it and tried to make it worse. They both had a connection to Salazar Slytherin and his Scriptorium, but they used it for different purposes. Ominis was a tragic hero, while Voldemort was a ruthless villain.
