Madilin VanCourt: A Marauders Fanfic [COMPLETED]

He Who Must Not Be Named

It started in October, the endless attacks against muggles and muggleborns started in October. Tho school year started out fine, we had normal classes, normal days, nothing was out of the ordinary.

But around mid October, during breakfast, dozens of owls came in to drop off the mail. The Great Hall was awash with whispers and hundreds of students fearfully read the Daily Prophet. An entire section of the subway had collapsed and there were forty two deaths. The crash had been caused by Lord Voldemort and his followers. I tried to hold back tears as I read my fathers name in the list of confirmed Death Eaters.

That was just the beginning. Over the next few weeks, news about attacks kept coming in. All people were talking about was Lord Voldemort. Soon people wouldn't even say his name because they thought it would bring death on them.

At the beginning of December, the headmaster had decided that The Daily Prophet and other newspapers would be banned from Hogwarts to try and calm the hysteria. People snuck in more papers though. They had family members send in copies or they purchased them at Hogsmeade. By Christmas time, visits to Hogsmeade were banned and we were encouraged not to wander around the grounds.

The most recent attack was on an apartment building in Diagon Alley. It was in a poor part of the neighborhood and the only people who lived there were muggleborns for the most part.

I saw other children sob in the halls as they read their family members names on the list of the dead. Soon rumors began that even the Ministry had been infiltrated by Death Eaters. It was almost February when my mother and Mikey's names appeared on the official registry of Death Eaters.

On Febuary ninth I was called to the Headmasters office. "Have I done something wrong sir?" I asked, nervously.

"Not at all my dear, I have called you here to inform that your family home was raided on Monday. Your younger brother was taken away and will be placed in the Wizarding Foster System for Children in Need until you are old enough to choose to become his legal guardian." He said. His voice was very deep and commanding but I could sense deep sadness and even abut of sympathy in it.

I didn't say anything for a little bit. I just sat there in shock for awhile. "Am I aloud to request a guardian for him now?" I asked. "I have an Uncle Wilson. I don't know if he's still alive but he would be a good legal guardian for now. Or maybe Andromeda Tonks, she's a little busy with her new baby but she might be able to take him." I blabbed on.

"I have set up an appointment for you to meet with an agency woman on Thursday. I assumed you would have some things you'd like to ask her." He said.

"Thank you sir" I stood up and turned to leave but then I sat back down. "I have one more question sir."

"What would that be?"

"If they raided my house, is my family going to Azkaban?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"No, in my opinion Lord Voldemort has such a tight hold on the ministry I don't think there will be any Death Eaters put in Azkaban." He said sadly.

I nodded in understanding and left his office. Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were waiting for me outside.

"Are you in trouble?"

"What did you do?"

"Did he find out that you helped us put stink bombs in Filch's office?"

"Sirius shut up no one knows that was us!"

"Everyone knows that was us."

Voices barraged me and I shushed them quickly. "My parents home was raided last night. Now my brother is in foster care and I have to decide who will take care of him until I graduate Hogwarts." I said.

That shut them up and they looked down at the ground. I leaned against the wall behind me and slid down it so I was sitting on the floor. Lily followed suit and sat down on my left side. Then Sirius on my right, James sat down next to him and Remus date on the other side of Lily. Peter tried to squeeze in between Sirius and James but eventually he gave up and sat next to Remus.

Lily had out her hand to me and I took it. She squeezed it and gave me a reassuring smile. "My parents had to go into hiding. The school sent out a letter to the parents of muggleborns and half bloods urging them to leave England. Mine didn't want to leave me so put a charm on them. I convinced them that their life's ambition was to go backpacking across Russia." She said.

"I'm so sorry Lily, I didn't know." I said shocked.

"It's okay, I'm glad I told you guys." She said.

Sirius pulled a newspaper out of the pockets of his robe. "They updated the Official List of Death Eaters today. My mother and father were on it from the beginning but today was the first day my brother was on it. He didn't come back to school at all this year. I've been checking the list everyday since the attack in October. He's only fifteen years old."

I grabbed Sirius's hand and I rested my head on his shoulder. "I remember what that feels like." I said.

"We're here for you Sirius. You're basically family to most of us." James said and put one hand on his shoulder. "

Professor McGonagall walked by and looked at us oddly. "Why are the six of you loitering outside the headmasters office?"

"I'm sorry Professor, I just received some bad news. We can leave though." I said. "That would be preferable dear seeing as the Minister of Magic is meeting with the headmaster in just a few minutes." She said. With that, we all got up and hurried toward our common room.

We climbed through the portrait hole and sat down in the common room next to the big fire place. Not many people were in the common room so we stayed there for hours talking as loud as we wanted. Peter went on a trip to the kitchens and came back with a bunch of butterbeers. I was sitting on the floor with my back pressed against the couch when Sirius walk over and put his arm around me. I didn't push him away though, I just leaned in closer to him and took another sip of butterbeer.

James raised his glass and said loudly. "To Mady! I wish you luck on your meeting with that bitch from the adoption agency." Everyone laughed and raised their glasses.

"Thanks." I said. "With all the family I've lost, I could use some good friends."