The First Gaunt Scandal
If one had looked at Lady Maia Gaunt, they would have never guessed that she had been the product of almost two centuries of inbreeding. A beautiful girl, with hair of a rich honey and eyes of a warm green; her face only marred by a fleshy nose. She had been also quite healthy, unlike her siblings that didn’t survived childhood.
She had been a self-taught Potioneer, and a talented one. Lady Maia had been the first to theorise about dragon liver’s healing properties, which would be demonstrated a few years later. The British Academy of Alchemy and Potion had wanted to admit her among its ranks despite her young age, while Hogwarts’ Headmaster had offered a scholarship to be followed by the Potion Master Assistant position. Lord Gaunt had opposed both, claiming that neither were a proper place for a witch of the purest blood. To finance her personal researches, Lady Maia had ended up perfectioning and selling beautifying potions to the Pureblood Matrons. That was how Faustus Malfoy had met her.
Cornelia was sure that there was something else but affection in her brother’s praises for the lady.
He was a Malfoy; he saw an opportunity to improve his position and name among wizarding society, he took it. It was him who suggested Lady Maia to patent her beautifying concoctions; it was him who helped her get the paperwork done in such a way that Lord Gaunt could not squander the profit. After all, Lady Maia needed the money to research dragon liver and Occamy eggs—she needed a respectable dowry, if she wished to marry well.
When Lady Maia’s private Gringotts vault held enough galleons, Faustus had made his move.
He had showed Master Malfoy the prospected income from the patents—his own mother, Cassandra Malfoy-Fawley, swore by Lady Maia’s Anti-Greying Hair Lotion. He had recalled the purity of her blood and the prestige of joining Slytherin and Malfoy blood. Not counting on the prestige and wealth that Lady Maia’s researches would bring. Besides, Lord Gaunt had to look for his daughter’s suitors outside the House of Gaunt. Both the Irish and the Gaunt-Peverell branches had died out; the only living male relative was Mr Marvolo Gaunt, Lady Maia’s paternal uncle who also happened to be her maternal grandfather.
It had taken some convincing, but in the end Master Malfoy had visited Lord Gaunt to acquire permission to court his daughter in his son’s name, as such was the ancient custom. The permission was given on the condition that the second-born son would get adopted into the House of Gaunt.
When Lady Maia turned seventeen, the Malfoys lent Lord Gaunt the money needed for her debut, an event that marked the official start of Faustus’ courtship. Cornelia still had the letters that Faustus sent her, detailing his courting and asking what a girl would like as a gift. He had always followed tradition, courting for nine months before officially asking Lady Maia’s hand in marriage.
The betrothal would have been announced on Lady Maia’s eighteenth birthday, with the wedding taking place three years later. It was on that occasion that Cornelia was allowed back at Malfoy Manor, because Faustus had wanted to share the occasion with her. The party itself would have taken place at Malfoy Cottage, that Master Malfoy had graciously lend to Lord Gaunt, Lady Maia, and Mr Gaunt.
Some said that Mr Gaunt did not approve the union, that the Malfoy blood was not pure enough for his taste. Others said he wanted to ensure the Gaunt inheritance and his niece's personal profits into his hands. Some others ascribed the abominable act to the streak of madness running into the family in the last two century.
Nevertheless, it didn’t matter the reason, only the effect.
Marvolo Corvinus Gaunt had violated his own niece and granddaughter, the night before her engagement. Tainted, Maia Gormlaith Gaunt had no other choice but marry her own uncle and grandfather—her rapist—to keep an illusion of honourability.
The Gaunt Scandal’s repercussions echoed throughout the whole wizarding society.
Lord Gaunt cut all contact with his brother. The Ministry of Magic reopened the debate about the acceptable kinship degree between a bride and a groom, passing a law that allowed an union starting from the third degree of kinship. All the Pureblood family turned their back to Mr Gaunt. Even the Blacks, Greengrasses and Lestranges were appalled by his abominable actions.
Six months later, there was a rumour that Maia Gaunt had given birth to a stillborn monstruosity. Three years later, a footnote in the Daily Prophet announced the birth of Morfin Phinehas Gaunt to Mr and Mrs Marvolo Gaunt. That was the last time that a witch or wizard heard anything about Maia Gaunt, with the exception of a rumour that she had died at the age of twenty-six.
As for Faustus Malfoy, it took him fifteen years before he married. Foolish, romantic witches blabbed about him grieving for his lost love, but Cornelia knew that her brother had merely spent these years enjoying his boys until their mother wore him into marriage.
Of course, Cornelia didn’t tell Mrs Riddle the whole story.
She was careful to keep out any reference to Magic, and she glossed on the fact that Mr Gaunt was his wife’s maternal grandfather—the mere idea of an uncle and his niece was enough to appal Mrs Riddle. In any case, it felt good to spit some poison on the man who humiliated her family and stole her little brother’s woman.
“Now I understand,” Mrs Riddle said at last, holding her now-cold tea with both hands.
Cornelia arched an eyebrow. “Pray, do you mind to tell me?”
“How a pretty little thing as Mrs Gaunt ended up with that old pervert!" Mrs Riddle replied with a scoff.
"You knew her."
Mrs Riddle sipped her tea, twisting her mouth. "Yvette, bring us some fresh tea—Only from afar, Cornelia. I often saw her with her basket on the way to the village. Last time she was seen, she was quite pregnant: the official story is that she died in childbirth, however..." She leant forward, lowering her voice. "Some still claim that her husband beat her to death out of jealousy. Well, as I said she was pretty and some men have a wandering eye."
Something in the pinchness of her tone told Cornelia that Squire Riddle's eye did wander in Lady Maia's direction.
"How desperate that poor girl—Merope, right? —must have been!” Mrs Riddle continued. “That man is a beast, and his son is even worse: I wouldn’t be surprised if they had abused the daughter in the same manner as her poor mother! If only Tom, bless his good heart, hadn’t kept it to himself… we would have helped poor Merope stay safe and reconnect with her mother’s father.”
“You are right, there were other solution to help Miss Gaunt than a—” She almost said Muggle. “—a kind-hearted young man like your son marrying her.”
Probably one of the Pureblood Matrons could have sponsored Merope Gaunt, or provided a safe place to stay. Not a marriage, though. Considering the strike of madness running into the family, Cornelia doubted that any respectable Pureblood wizard would have married Miss Gaunt, despite her blood and her mother’s personal inheritance.
It took one instant too long for Mrs Riddle to react, she who usually grasped every chance to praise her family. She placed the teacup on her lap and gently squeezed Cornelia’s free hand.
“Of course, but what is done is done and I cannot, in my good heart, abandon that—poor girl after learning the extend of her misery. I would be heartless to kick poor Merope and Little Thomas out in the streets! So, if you could leave me Lord Gaunt’s address or telephone number, Thomas may inform him that his granddaughter is safe and taken care of now.”
The glim in Mrs Riddle’s eyes reminded Cornelia of when Faustus talked about Lady Maia. There was greed in there, but the only thing that a Muggle could have any use of the Gaunts’ possessions is a title, gotten in the times when the family considered the Muggles no different than House Elves—a useful inferior creature. Lady Maia’s daughter couldn’t access to her share of the money before turning twenty-one—if she died first, then the same would apply to her son. Before then, any withdrawal needed Faustus’ approval, as he had been named guardian. As for Gaunt House, it had strong Muggle-repelling wards around it.
“I am afraid that would be impossible,” Cornelia said, sipping the new tea. “Lord Gaunt passed last November.”
Mrs Riddle gasped. “Oh, the poor thing!”
Even without Magic, even without being a Legilimens, Cornelia could guess the thoughts in Mrs Riddle’s mind. Her daughter-in-law had turned from a tramp to the destitute heiress of a title and of a small fortune. Cornelia didn’t know Muggle law, but the Riddles would likely try everything they could to strip Morfin Gaunt of whatever he had. Of course, the idea that Slytherin Locket and the Peverell Ring ended in Muggle hands didn’t sit well with her, but what better revenge than seeing a wizard’s greatest fear come true?
A smirk grazed her lips.
A shame, indeed, that Cornelia wouldn't see the face of Marvolo Corvinus Gaunt when a new scandal would fall upon him.