The Wandmaker

The Dark Mark

Medea could not tell for how long she has been knocked out. Her head slightly hurt, and her vision seemed blurred. Her stomach felt twisted, and she could notremember where she was. As she tried to focus on what happened last, she could only remember some blurred scenes of Charlie and a dragon heart. But her memories were too lucid to grasp and floated from her again and again. In that moment it became clear to her, that she had been obliviated.

The witch tried to stand up but could barely manage to stay on her feet. She experienced strong vertigo and immediately threw up onto the wooden floor.

Medea fell back onto the bed she had been laying on, taking in the unfamiliar room. Wooden panelling went halfway up the walls, which were painted in a dark green tone. A small drawer and a sink were the only other furnishings. Only a small, barred window dimly lit the room and allowed some sunlight to fall inside. She fumbled around in her pockets but could not seem to find her wand. Judging by the sun's intensity and emergence, at least 12 hours must have passed. The heartstrings were surely rotten by now and longer usable as wand cores. What a waste of money, Medea thought.

"Hello, you are finally awake!", a sneering voice said behind her. Medea chastised herself for not being wary enough of her surroundings, as she had not heard the door being opened. The man in front of her was tall and lean, his skin was pale, and his head was covered in hair which reminded her of wet straw. He seemed vaguely familiar, but Medea couldn't quite place him.

"Where am I? What happened? Was...", Medea inquired.

"Don't be too curious for now. You are at the family manor and depending on your behaviour, you might get out of here, sooner or later."

"What do you want from me? I can't ..."

An icecold smile formed around the man's lips, as he moved his wand. Immediately, Medeas breath hitched, and her trachea tightened. She grabbed her own neck in desperation, not able to breath.

"You don't seem to grasp the severity of the situation you are in." the man sneered at her, while she sank to her knees, still unable to breath, "I and only I will ask the questions. And you will only speak when spoken to. Are we clear on that?"

Medea nodded in panic, her face slowly turning blue. The man waited a few more seconds, smiling sadistically but ultimately released her from the garrotting spell.

"...and if you behave nicely, I will bring you to see your pathetic whoring mother."

Medea tried to catch her breath underneath her tears, only slowly grasping the danger she was in. The man's movements had shifted his robes slightly and revealed parts of a tattoo on his inner left arm. The witch quickly averted her gaze, she had seen it before: the Dark Mark of the Death Eaters.

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21. February 1982 - Diagon Alley

"Mum, I don't want to go to sleep now!" Medea complained, cuddled up in her unicorn bedsheets.
"I have read to you the hole Tale of Beedle the Bard today, it's really late", Acacia said, planting a kiss on her daughters' forehead. "I will have a stern talk with Florean tomorrow. He is feeding you too much sugar at his ice-cream parlour."

"He said that it's time to celebrate because the Dark Lord is gone now. So, every child gets free ice-cream!", Medea pouted.

"Yes honey, but that was meant for the kids who go shopping here, you live basically next door, you will put him out of business if you eat through all his flavours like a starving Erumpent, you sneaky little witch", Acacia pulled her ear but couldn't really stay serious or mad at her daughter.

Medea began to mimic an Erumpent, or at least what she thought an Erumpent might act like and both started laughing.

Acacia took her daughters hand into hers, while her eyes became teary, as she pulled her daughter into a tight hug. "I am just so happy the war has ended. I was worried sick about you, now we can finally live again, and you can finally have a normal childhood. You will start Hogwarts next year and I am so incredibly happy about that! With all those tragedies... you had to grow up too quick. But they caught the last Death Eater and now..."

Suddenly a loud thumping sound could be heard downstairs and the mothers face immediately turned pale. "It's ... it's probably nothing, but I better take a look.", the older witch said, casting a cloaking spell over her child.

"But mom, you said they caught the bad guys..."

"Shhh, do what we always did and don't make a sound!"

Medea knew exactly what to do during a home invasion. She had been born and raised in the Wizarding War thus far. Her uncle and grandmother had been killed by Death Eaters and out of precaution she had hidden herself a few times already. So the girl got up an lifted her mattress, climbing into a hidden stairwell beneath her bed. Tiny steps led her into a soundproofed nook in the chimney. It was a barren and tight space, only some bottles of water and a bag of floo powder were left.

Her grandfather had placed some of the bricks in an irregular shape, which made it possible for her to climb out of the chimney, onto the roof where brooms were hidden for an escape. But for now, none of that seemed necessary, Florean Fortescue had reassured her that she didn't need to be afraid anymore. The bad guys were gone now.

She could hear her mother talking to someone downstairs, since the soundproofing spell only worked one way. The argument became heated and she could hear some fragments of their fight.

"Please, I am begging you! I never wanted to hurt anyone! It is over now, please just...!" Acacia cried out.

"Shut up you whore! You should have thought about the consequences before you destroyed by family!", an unfamiliar man had raised his voice sharply. Suddenly, nother sound could be heard, as if someone had fallen to the ground.

The next thing Medea heard were screams, horrible wretched screams, almost inhuman. Her mother was yelling and moaning in pain, while the other voices were heard laughing. Simultaneously someone was moving through the house, supposedly searching the rooms for her. Medea was frozen in shock, unable to move out of fear, while covering her ears. But the chilling screams were filling the air, making her blood freeze. The girl would never forget what she heard that night and for several years her nightmares would be filled with the haunting memories. The screams did not stop and continued for minutes.

Suddenly four loud plopping sounds echoed through the house and then ... nothing. The house fell completely silent.

Medea couldn't take it anymore and began climbing up onto the roof. As she exited, the night sky was illuminated by a green light. The huge shape of a skull with a snake moving through its mouth had appeared over their home. The Dark Mark had been cast, signifying the Death Eaters presence.

The girl was too afraid to get on a broom and fly through the horrifying image. She did not know how long she stayed huddled up next to the chimney. But when she was finally found hours later by her grandfather, the traumatized child was brought to St. Mungos with severe Hypothermia, while her mother had disappeared forever.

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Daily Prophet
23 February 1982

Series of Death Eater Attacks continues
Two home invasions were reported to the Ministry of Magic yesterday, resulting in two heavily injured and one missing person.
At around 21:00 o'clock a group of unidentified Death Eaters entered the Ollivander residence in Diagon Alley. The inhabitant, 38-year-old Acacia Garance Ollivander, a secretary at the Ministry of Magic, was surprised and supposedly overwhelmed by the intruders. She has since been missing. The only witness could not be questioned yet.
Only a few hours later, a second attack occurred at the Longbottom residence. The married couple F. and A. Longbottom were ambushed and severely injured. Their live threatening conditions are currently treated by specialised healers. In both cases Rabastan, Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange (neé Black) are the prime suspects. A possible motive is the arrest of Sirius Black a few months prior, who is the latter's cousin.
If you have witnessed these incidents, or know anything about the possible whereabouts, of the fugitives, please contact your local authorities or the Auror Bartemius Crouch at the Ministry of Magic.