One for sorrow, two for mirth, Three for a wedding, four for a birth, Five for silver, six for gold, Seven for a secret not to be told. Eight for heaven, nine for hell, And ten for the devil’s own sel’.
- Augurer’s traditional rhyme
In the beginning there is only one man with dreams of immortality. Lord Voldemort he calls himself, and bids his friends call him by this new name. They say the name solemnly.
And when he turns away, they laugh up their sleeves.
Then one of them has an idea. We are respectable young men, he says, fine upstanding citizens of this land.
Why do we not use this unknown with pretensions to greatness to meet our own ends?
The four consider his proposition. One joins for wealth. One joins for power. One joins for the rest. The last joins because it is the first who proposed it.
Five for silver and a bright future.
Then comes six, a family friend of the first, from a different land where dark and light magic are all the same. He will bring them magic and magicians from this land, where knowledge that is secret here is traded openly and loudly debated in the conference rooms of their Ministry.
Seven is a sad crow indeed, a young man in ragged clothes, snarling and raging at the world - met with a tragic accident not a few years ago and in a moment went from a bright young thing to nobody in particular, outcast and tramp.
Seven brings eight with him. Snarling and raging, ready to do the bidding of the others as long as they have blood, blood and more blood.
Nine joins out of fear, to save his children from the coming darkness.
Ten joins because if he is to be a butcher, then he would make such a butchery that it would go down in song and story.
Ten crows for the devil himself.
While The One, their noble leader is gone - finding magic that the world has long since forgotten, marked only in old stories crones tell children to scare them into behaving, for himself - they gather in silence and slowly build. An empire, a fully fledged war machine to set in motion when The One returns.
And as they gather in silence, wizarding Britain continues, oblivious, blissfully happy, not knowing that in a few years their world will be plunged into a war the like of which they have never seen.
For now, all is well, as the crows simply gather and watch.
It’s so quiet, she says, out of the blue and Lucius starts, so quiet. Like a tomb. A grrreat big marble tomb, now that he is gone.
Do you know what zey told me? she asks him, Dragon pox. Dragon pox! Ha. I told zem, he’s never had a day’s illness in his life. Strong as an ox, that one. Dragon pox, dragon pox, dragon pox. No no no no no. It is something else.
Lucius raises his eyebrows, something else, mother?
She rolls her eyes, blessed Cernunnos, have you no imagination?
You mean, Lucius hesitates, Nobby Leach?
No, she shakes her head decisively, not Monsieur Leach. He is not smart enough, creative enough. Besides he is entirely too honorable. Very much brave - eh, Gryffindor? Oui. If it was legal maybe a duel, but not so. This is something else.
She does not notice the way her son has gone very still. The way his knuckles turn white before he forces himself to relax.
Oh? He asks her.
Poison, Lucius. I do not - he would not tell. But he knewsomething. I know it - oh do not ask me how, it’s always like that with you and your English, how and who and where and why, I do not know, I just knowit. It wasn’t natural. You know it. You saw it. Say it.
Lucius pauses and then takes the plunge, Yes.
It is the work of a cunning mind. Smart and ruthless. Like these, how do you call them? Eh, your house, mon cher. Slytherin? Oui. But we are all from Slytherin here, are we not?
He nods weakly and forces himself to breathe evenly.
Lucius - she stretches her hand out and grasps his hand - Lucius my son, mon cher. You loved him, did you not?
How could I not? he answers simply, gently rubbing her fingers, not allowing himself to think.
Thenfind them, Lucius. Find them. Hurt them. Hurt them as they hurt us. Please,for me. Your maman.
He lifts her hand and presses his lips against her fingers, Of course maman, he murmurs.
She does not see how he holds his left arm stiff by his side as he leaves the room.
Voldemort’s Generals: Fenrir Greyback, Angry Young Man.
Bitten with the bug, anger - not a bug, not a disease, anger - at fifteen.
Turned weapon at seventeen.
It could be tragic, but it isn’t, not quite. After all, tragedies are the province of princes and kings. Rich men with places to go. Tragic, all the things he could have been. Poor boys have nowhere to go. Poor boys made poorer have nothing left to lose.
Or for that matter, win.
Sometimes, sometimes he wonders why he serves when clearly, he is powerful in a way that none of them are - ponces, prancing about in their silk and tweed robes, princes. Princes who will command armies, when he, with all his power, with all the fear he wields, will only ever be a weapon. When with a bite he could take all of their princely realm away. Make them a tragedy.
Perhaps that is what makes him content. With one swift stroke he writes tragedies. That is a rare talent. A poor boy’s only talent.
So he takes his anger instead and turns it into a weapon. They call him bloodthirsty? He shows them how bloodthirsty he is. A monster? They do not know how monstrous he can be.
Tragic. He turns them all into tragic figures because he cannot be one.
Revenge is sweet, but for now, blood is sweeter. One day, one day he will remind these princes of the power he bears.
Till then, he contents himself with snarling at their patronizing outstretched arms - good boy, go kill, kill, kill.
(Princes never worry about their weapons turning on them. Pity. Some weapons have wills.)
Okay, I honestly don’t get it when some of you guys say that without Regulus the horcrux would’ve been destroyed sooner.
Like, do you think he was supposed to somehow forsee that almost 20 years later someone might have thought of doing the same thing, and hence should’ve decided against swapping the lockets? Have you ever met anyone that far-sighted? Because I haven’t. You just do what you have to do, here and now. (At least he wasn’t a procrastinator 6.6)
And if anything, it was Dumbledore who’d managed to discover the cave but failed to realise someone had already been there. Not saying it was necessarily his fault, but it definitely wasn’t Regulus’ fault either.
I guess what I’m trying to say is blame the circumstances and not someone who tried his best and basically died, hoping that it would help Voldemort’s “match” defeat him in the future.
That’s it. I needed to make this clear. Thanks for your attention. Bye.
I’ve been toying around with the idea of Marlene McKinnon and the McKinnon Family. Seeing as the McKinnon Clan were all killed by Death Eaters during the First War, I imagined the family would’ve been well-connected and held various positions at notable wizarding institutions.
Murdoch III & Isabelle McKinnon
Murdoch Sr. and Isabelle met at Hogwarts in their first year but didn’t spend much time together as he was in Gryffindor and she was in Hufflepuff. Murdoch Sr. was a half-blood. His mother was a Muggle and his father was a Reporter for the Daily Prophet. Isabelle hailed from the Pure-Blood Nott Family; growing up surrounded by members of the oldest and most noble wizarding families (including James Potter’s parents). Murdoch was a bookish, yet amiable goof, while Isabelle was the charismatic and outgoing popular girl. They spent many weekends “studying” together before Murdoch Sr. worked up the courage to ask her out on a proper date to Hogsmeade. They dated while at Hogwarts, but broke-up right before graduation. Isabelle’s family didn’t approve of a half-blood for a husband. Consequently, Murdoch worried he wasn’t good enough for Isabelle. After a chance encounter in Diagon Alley, they reunited and got married. Isabelle rarely spoke to her parents after her marriage. Both Isabelle and Murdoch worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. Isabelle worked for the Wizengamot distinguishing herself with her astute research and writing abilities; pioneering and expanding many wizarding laws. Murdoch worked as an Auror and, eventually, became Head of the Auror Office. They were loving parents who expected quite a lot from their children (achievement-wise). After a nasty encounter with some Death Eaters, Murdoch Sr. accepted an early retirement from his job, but he took up a column in the Daily Prophet speaking out against Voldemort and his followers. After Murdoch’s retirement, Isabelle would continue to work as a chair member of the Wizengamot; sending many of Voldemort’s loyalists to Azkaban. In July of 1981, the McKinnon Clan gathered to celebrate Murdoch Sr.’s 64th Birthday. During this birthday celebration, Death Eaters attacked and killed the whole McKinnon Clan. Murdoch and Isabelle died fighting at each other’s side protecting their family.
Shannon McKinnon
Shannon was her parents’ pride and joy. A stereotypical eldest child, she was a strict disclipinarian with her younger siblings; rushing to tell her parents when they misbehaved. Growing up, she regularly clashed with Marlene who often broke the rules. Shannon had a close relationship with her father. Father and daughter shared a love of peppermint tea, chocolate frogs, and were often spotted on the sofa reading together while the rest of the McKinnon Clan ran wild on the grounds of the family’s estate. Upon her arrival at Hogwarts, Shannon was sorted into Gryffindor and excelled in her all of her classes (except Flying). She became Head Girl and achieved “O’s” on all of her NEWTS exams. After graduation, Shannon trained as an Auror in the British Ministry before volunteering to transfer to the French Bureau. One of the main reasons she transferred was to work without being under the watchful eye of her father (not that the witch would ever admit such a thing). In France, Shannon met and married a fellow Auror in the French office, Alexandre St. Vire. The couple had two children, Claudine and Colette. The St. Vires spent holidays with Shannon’s family in Scotland, but remained most of the year in France. When Voldemort came to power, the St. Vires no longer traveled to Britain for fear of the War. Despite her insistence that they flee the country, her family chose to remain in Scotland. While Shannon travelled to Scotland in 1981 for her father’s birthday celebration, her husband and her children remained in France sparing them from the Death Eater’s attack. Shannon was the first member of the McKinnon Family to die as she was the one to answer the door when the Death Eaters arrived.
Murdoch “Doc” McKinnon IV
Murdoch Jr. earned the nickname “Doc” from his family because of his nurturing and gentle manner like that of a medical doctor. Even as a young child, he showed signs of his innate healing abilities by fixing the broken wings of his family’s owls without the use of a wand or potion. At Hogwarts, Doc was sorted into Gryffindor House. He was a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and helped them win the House Cup two years in a row, but struggled with his grades. On weekends and during his free time, Doc volunteered in the Hospital Wing assisting Madame Pomfrey. It was there, he learned firsthand about professional magical medicine. The one class he excelled at was Potions although Professor Slughorn doubted his true potential. His father wanted Doc to follow in his footsteps as an Auror, but Doc preferred to use magic for healing rather than for enforcement. Even after some disappointing OWLS and NEWTS, he was still accepted for a medical residency at St. Mungo’s (with help from a glowing recommendation letter from Madame Pomfrey). Doc was dedicated to his work but was not one to try and outshine his associates. He kept in close contact with Marlene, but often squabbled with his mother and father about “his ambition.” Doc was the only member of the McKinnon Clan to know of Marlene’s association with the Order of the Phoenix. He often patched up any serious injuries she, or any other members of the Order, received while on assignment. Additionally, Doc was in a serious romantic relationship with Benjy Fenwick. The couple even lived together in a flat in Hampstead. After Benjy’s brutal murder during the First Wizarding War, Doc withdrew from the public eye mourning the death of his partner. He considered dropping his medical residency and refused to assist the Order blaming them for Benjy’s death. Marlene tried to console her brother in his grief, but was too distracted by her revenge plot after their father was attacked by Voldemort’s followers. When the Death Eaters attacked his family’s home, Doc died protecting his youngest sister, Maggie.
Marlene Isobel McKinnon
Marlene was the rebellious middle child who pushed all the boundaries. She was close to her mother and drove her father (and elder sister) quite crazy. She spent time with her Muggle relatives and prayed she would never received her letter from Hogwarts in the hopes she could attend a “normal” school like her relatives. When she did matriculate at Hogwarts, Marlene was sorted into Gryffindor House. She was skilled at Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfigurations; becoming one of Professor McGonagall’s favorite students. Her second year, she became a Beater on the Gryffindor House Quidditch team. Her vicious attitude was infamous at Hogwarts. She was known for bludgeoning opponents within an inch of their lives (much to her brother’s chagrin). In her fifth year, Marlene was chosen to be a House Prefect; a job she did not take too seriously. She became close friends with the younger students in her House like Lily Potter and Dorcas “Cassy” Meadows. Marlene harbored a crush for Sirius Black, but never said anything about it. Instead, the two became friends and schemed ways to get Lily and James together. Later, she served as a bridesmaid at Lily and James’ wedding. After graduation, Marlene was accepted into the Auror program even though her mother pushed her to work for the Wizengamot. Her father, as Head Auror, didn’t approve of Marlene’s wild manner of hunting suspects and tasked her with desk duty. Kept out of the field, Marlene began to work in secret for the Order of the Phoenix at the suggestion of Mad-Eye Moody, her mentor. When Sirius graduated from Hogwarts and joined the Order, he expressed his romantic interest in Marlene and the two began to casually date. Marlene blamed herself when her father was attacked by Death Eaters as she was away from her Auror posting on business for the Order. Soon after her father’s retirement, she quit her position as an Auror much to the dismay of Mad-Eye Moody. She devoted herself to the Order, but was warned by Dumbledore to stay away from Travers, the Death Eater suspected to be behind her father’s attack. Marlene ignored the wizard’s warnings and kept track of the Death Eater. Sirius begged Marlene to drop her vendetta against Travers, but she refused ending their relationship. Two weeks later, Travers and a group of Death Eaters killed the entire McKinnon Family at their home in Scotland. Marlene was the last member of her family to die.
Margaret “Maggie” McKinnon
Maggie was an unexpected addition to the family. She was fourteen years younger than her eldest sibling, and was considered “the baby” by her parents and siblings even after she was grown. Since her parents were older when she was born and she was the last child in the house, Maggie was given free range to do whatever she wanted. Like Marlene, Maggie caused mischief on the moors surrounding her family’s home; causing things to magically blow-up, or whizzing high above the ground on one of her siblings’ old brooms. She got along well with all of her siblings and spent time in France with her eldest sister, Shannon, her brother-in-law, and her nieces. Of an artistic nature, she always carried a sketchbook and would draw sceneries and local fauna on her travels. Taking after her mother, Maggie was sorted into Hufflepuff House when she arrived at Hogwarts. She was inherently shy; preferring the company of the magical creatures on the school’s grounds. Maggie had a few close friends and was generally liked by her professors. She cheered for her sister, Marlene, during Quidditch games even if Hufflepuff was playing Gryffindor. Her dream was to follow in Newt Scamander’s footsteps and become a magizoologist. She worried for her family’s safety during the First Wizarding War and feared Lord Voldemort’s rise. When her father was attacked by Death Eaters while on Auror patrol, Maggie was sent home and spent two weeks with her parents while her father recovered. She returned to school and finished out the semester with high marks. During the summer of 1981, Maggie was training for Quidditch tryouts hoping to become a Chaser for the Hufflepuff House Team. When the Death Eaters attacked, she was outside with Marlene and Doc practicing some Quidditch maneuvers. She tried to use the Floo Network to escape, while her brother held off the attacks, but her efforts were unsuccessful. Maggie was only sixteen when she died.
Because apparently I hate myself and wanted to rip my heart out I found out that the first full moon after Remus Lupin lost everyone important to him in his life including the love of his life and fiancé, Sirius Black was Wednesday 11th November, 1981. This was also the first transformation we can confirm that he endured alone since he was fifteen.
REMUS ahhh; he then faced unemployment and homelessness for the next 13 years, held a job for one year before being forced out because of his lycanthropy (and he was too tired to fight it by that point because he’d suffered so much already. What discrimination protection laws do wizards have?) and then lost the love of his life AGAIN?! AGONY. Then JK Rowling decided to conveniently produce Harry with an orphaned godson. You didn’t deserve what you got you pure sweater-wearing, chocoholic bisexual angel.
Imagine receiving the phone call that your girlfriend and the rest of her family were murdered in the night by Death Eaters, that you were powerless to save the love of your life - the woman you had bought an engagement ring for, whose flat you shared, whose future you had planned with. What was left? What was there to fight for now she was gone?
You swallow hard, deciding to gather her things from your flat and stick them in boxes, so as to not break down into tears everytime you see a rogue sock of hers draped over the laundry basket; you pawn off the silver ring, you put the polaroids you took together into an album and you try to remove her scent from the flat, half-hoping and half-fearing for it to be gone. Knowing you will never smell her sweet lavender oil again, nor wryly smile at her obsessive love for muggle rock bands, or hear the husk of her whisper late at night. It’s eerily silent: the flat, it’s just - not the same.
You realise that you’re the one responsible for organising her funeral as well as her family’s, since no one else is left to mourn them. But you know it’s likely you will be the only one in attendance - with James and Lily in hiding, the rest of the Order on the run. Where can you bury her? How can you mourn her? This vivacious young woman, whose warm palms you can still feel on your skin, whose thumping heart would pulse against your ear when you rested against her chest. The woman who was your world. The woman who was just, here.
Dorcas Meadowes was attacked by Death Eaters in her West London flat two weeks after the death of her fiancée, Marlene McKinnon. Hit by the killing curse, witnesses claim she threw down her wand moments before her death. The Order hosted a joint memorial service in honour of her and Marlene, wands raised to the night sky at the tragedy of two talented young witches, both aged 21, killed in combat.
