The Downfall (Theo Nott FF)

1. The Departure

Marilyn West was a stubborn woman. She liked things a certain way and was keen on keeping them as such. She was born into a wealthy Pure-blood family, one that was in cahoots with the Dark Lord. The Wests were a traditional pure-blood family. Everyone in the family was a Slytherin, everyone in the family was a death eater once they reached the age of 20. 

Marilyn was 19 and going on 20. In her 6th year at Hogwarts. She was aware that she was to become a death eater once her birthday approached. Her parents had been preparing her for this duty since she was 15 and old enough to understand the Dark Lord's wishes. 

Marilyn was in her bedroom with her best friend and roommate Pansy Parkinson who had recently become a death eater. 

"I'm telling you Lynnie, that man is creepy. I always knew the dark lord was a powerful old wizard like Dumbledore, but it's like the man has no face" Pansy retorted and she zipped up one of Marilyn's suitcases.

"Even hearing you talk about it makes me squirmy." Marilyn shuddered. 

They were packing up the last of Marilyn's things so that they could make their way to King's Cross Station and board the train. The girls grabbed their luggage and made their way into the kitchen of the West Manor. 

"Alright mother, we're all ready to go" Marilyn stated and her mother, who was sitting at the dinner table across from her husband, Marilyn's father, who was reading the Daily Prophet, made her way to the girls. 

"Right then. I'm going to apparate you girls there. Try not to get sick" She retorted. And with a loud crack, the three women disappeared. 

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Theodore Nott was a stubborn man. Even more so than Marilyn. Theodore's father was also in cahoots with the dark lord. Like many Pure-blood wizarding families, his family were all Slytherins and death eaters. His mother however, was not a death eater. She passed when he was 10. Theo's father was left to raise him alone.. Theo was raised along with the other children of the death eaters. He himself had just become a death eater along with Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson earlier that summer. 

He wondered if Marilyn had also become a death eater that summer. Her birthday wasn't until November but the dark lord had been known to admit the children of the death eaters before they turned the age of 20. Pansy was 19 and wouldn't be 20 until the next year but she was chosen along with Draco and him as soon as Draco turned 20. Nice that the dark lord wanted them all to do it together. If he had nothing else, the dark lord had a sense of community.

Theo was standing on the balcony of his room. He took in the sun and breathed in deeply.  The sun beamed down on him, glowing among his skin, a few freckles poking through his cheeks. Theo closed his eyes, finding peace in the moment. Unfortunately, this was disturbed when he heard a sharp knock at the door. 

"Theodore, Draco and the Zabini boy are downstairs with the floo powder" His father stated from outside the door. 

Blaise Zabini was not a death eater and neither was his mother. However, he had grown up along with Theo and Draco. His mother wanted him to grow up with a community that was similar to a family and although she did not want to become a death eater, she insisted that Blaise grow up around the other pure-blood Slytherin families and she could be very persuasive.

"Right, coming" Theo said as he opened his door and headed to the staircase.

"Theodore wait." His father stopped him in his tracks. "This school year may be tricky. You have to balance your school duties as well as your duties to the dark lord. I expect you to be able to handle these things. Stay close to your friends will you? And don't go mix with the wrong sort of people. I want you to stay safe"

"Sure father" Theo rolled his eyes as he walked away. Who was his father to say anything to him? His father only cared about keeping him in the pure-blood circle. He didn't care about Theo or what he did. As long as he was in the circle with the other pure-blooded Slytherins.

As he made his way down the grand staircase of their home, he heard the voices of his best friends coming from the living room. 

"There he is. The man of the hour" Blaise chuckled as Theo waltzed into the room. He and Draco were standing by the fireplace with their luggages. Theo greeted them with a grin. 

They all grabbed a handful of floor powder and stepped into the fireplace to catch the Hogwarts express. 

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