The Story of Markus Gates - Year One: Prologue
A/N: Just so everyone is aware, this is my first fan fic ever. I thought there weren't enough fan fics out there about original characters going to Hogwarts at the same time as Harry, and so the story was born. I'd love to be able to see this story through to the very end, but I can't do that without your help. I'll base the frequency of updates and the length of the story based on both the number of hits, and the reviews I get. I take all suggestions to mind, so if you have any serious suggestions, they might be reflected as the story progesses. Moral of the story: Read and Review please. Without further ado...the story of Markus Gates :D
It was late on a dark night, hours after the sun had gone down and the moon had taken its place in the London sky. A stately manor could be seen from the moonlight filtering through the trees in the yard. Two figures could be seen through a window gathered around a newspaper on a table in a room lit by lamplight. They spoke in hushed tones, fearful of waking the baby in the next room. "Things are only getting worse, Diana. Slowly but surely it seems as though all of the magical world is falling to Volde-"
"Hush, darling" the woman replied. "It does us no good to tempt fate and say his name. Have there been any new developments from the Order?" she inquired looking into her husband's eyes.
"Actually, honey, there's something you should know. Albus fears we shall be attacked soon. He thinks someone knows that I'm a part of the Order. How is anyone's guess, but a warning like that is not one to take lightly."
"Oh, Nick!" gasped Diana. "What're we going to do? Poor little Markus is barely 3 months old. How are we to keep him safe?
Nick gave an involuntary shudder at the thought of his first-born and only son being in harm's way. He and Diana had been trying for over 6 years to have a baby, and they had finally been blessed with a beautiful baby boy only to have him be born into one of the worst crises in the history of the magic world to date. Lord Voldemort was in full power and gaining Death Eaters and supporters every day. The magical world was in a state of war, and things were getting so bad it's even begun to effect the muggles.
Diana looked worriedly at her husband, awaiting his answer. While he was lost in thought she took the time to examine him more closely.
It seemed to her like he had aged five years in the last month alone. With all the emergency Order meeting and random fights he had to go to, she had only seen him a handful of times. His black hair had begun to grow white streaks in it now. Several new fine lines adorned his forehead from stress where visible when his shaggy hair wasn't covering it. As tall as he was – and at 6'6" he was tall – he looked so much smaller as he bent over the table absentmindedly scanning the paper with stooped shoulders. Those deep green eyes she loved so much looks so tired from sleepless nights and stress-filled days.
The buttoned shirt and jeans he wore were wrinkled as though he'd slept in them for several days straight, and knowing her husband as well as she did, chances were he only caught a couple hours of sleep here and there and focused on helping others more.
She wished he'd take better care of himself rather than constantly help others without a break, but that same drive and compassion was what drove her to love him in the first place.
"Honey? Diana?"
Startled out of her reverie, she looked up and realized he had begun to say something while she was sidetracked.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I was saying that the best way to keep him safe would be to send him somewhere and bring the rest of the family here to help defend our home."
"Send him away, Nick?" She replied despondently even as she realized it was the best course of action. Of course there was no way they could keep him safe here while constantly worrying about an attack that could happen at any time. But that didn't make the thought of leaving him any easier.
Nick looked at his wife knowing he was asking her to make one of the toughest decisions of her life. He knew exactly how she felt; it was the same for him. His heart was at the thought of having to send his son off somewhere, but deep down he knew it was the best decision for Markus.
Allowing her time to deliberate, he looked around the study, taking in the familiar sight of bookcases lined from ceiling to floor with various works he'd acquired during his travels. He thought of the home he and his wife had bought together after they were married, the kitchen where he'd learned to cook his first real meal, the bedroom he'd taken such care to design, the nursery they'd built together after finally getting pregnant.
And with that his thoughts invariably turned to his son, Markus. He felt awful knowing his son had done nothing to deserve this, but his hands were tied. All that mattered was his safety.
"Nick, are you listening?" Diana repeated.
"Sorry, love. Looks like I'm a bit off my game tonight too," he chuckled. "So what have you decided?"
"I think it's safest to send him out of the country. Do you remember my friend Ruth? She loved Markus the instant she saw him and I can't think of a better home than with her and David, nor a further removed place."
Nick thought about it a moment. "America is so far though. But it is honestly the best option. You'd have to leave tonight in order to make it there by plane and be able to floo back to help. I'd rather you didn't try and floo with him at such a young age."
With that she drew close, bringing her husband into a loving embrace. "I know, dear," she whispered in his ear. "I'll have to get packed now. What will you do?"
Still holding his wife, he replied, "I'll stay here to hold the fort, plan our defenses, and send owls to my brothers and parents to join us and help. Oh, and to be safe, make sure you stop by Gringotts and allow Markus access to our vault in case something happens."
"You always were such a careful planner," she said grinning. She gave her husband a quick kiss and made to leave, but Nick wasn't done with her and pulled her back for a much more lingering, passionate kiss while his hands began to roam over her body. "Honey!" she giggled admonishingly "if you do that then I'll never leave." With exaggerated reluctance he let her go. She took one last glance at the room before going into the hallway. She walked the few steps it took to reach the nursery and walked in.
She took a moment to admire the soft blue walls she and Nick had painted together along with the various toys littered about the room before going to the crib. He looks so peaceful just sleeping there she thought, looking on his cute little baby form sprawled out on his back with his thumb in his mouth.
I have a job to do she thought and took her wand out her pocket. She muttered a spell and waved her wand, and luggage flew in from the storage room while clothes started packing themselves. She observed the progress and once everything she wanted was packed, released the spell.
She slowly and carefully picked Markus up and transferred him into the red stroller she magically summoned. Satisfied with everything, she walked back to the study to say her final goodbye.
Diana walked through the door and saw Nick still hunched over the paper with his forehead creased in deep thought. He looks so cute like that she thought before clearing her throat to announce her presence.
"Hm? Oh I see you got everything ready. I'll walk you out, love."
And with that they walked out the together, Markus in tow. They proceeded down the stairs while Diana levitated Markus with a silent spell so as not to wake him. At the door Nick looked down at his wife. How he was going to miss her.
"Be safe, love," he said, kissing her on her forehead.
"Always, dear. I promise you I'll floo back as soon as I can. I love you."
"I love you too."
And with that she turned in place and was gone in a pop.
Her first stop was to Gringotts. She popped back into reality just outside the bank, carefully looking both ways to make sure no one hostile was around. You can never be too careful nowadays. Walking into the bank, she passed through the long entryway with vaulted ceilings until she reached the desk at the end. An old goblin sat there writing what she presumed were account balances in what looked to be a ledger.
Looking up he asked, "May I help you? Would you like to access your vault?"
"Actually, I'd like a second key to our vault for my little one here; in case something happens to my husband and I."
"Ah yes, naturally. Key please." He took the key she relinquished and disappeared behind the desk for a moment before reappearing with a replica. "There you are," he said, handing the keys over. "Anything else, ma'am?"
"That would be all." So she turned and hurriedly left, anxious to be off and back again to be with her husband. Once outside, she apparated to the Ministry of Magic to floo off to her childhood friend, Ruth. She knew she'd agreed with Nick on taking a plane both for simplicity's sake and since it was safer for Markus, but she was never the patient type, and time was of the essence.
She walked in through the large double doors and immediately strode to the nearest fireplace, bringing the red stroller with her and grabbing some green floo powder on the way, putting some aside in a bag for the return trip. She paused just before she tossed the rest of the powder in and called her friend's house out.
She had been in such a hurry she hadn't even realized she had no idea what to say to her friend after a month without talking from the distance. Diana wasn't exactly the type to show up at someone's house unannounced, let alone appearing suddenly in someone's fireplace through using floo powder. To make matters worse, Ruth wasn't even a wizard, just a squib. And as if couldn't get any worse than that, her husband, David, was just barely aware of the existence of the magical world, though he took the news rather well for a muggle. Well might as well do this like taking off a band-aid, fast and quick she thought and threw the handful of floo powder in the fire and yelled, "Ruth's house," while picturing it in her mind. She grabbed the luggage and stroller in hand and stepped into the fire that had turned green, praying that Ruth and David were home.
It was just getting late: the sun had only been down an hour and Ruth was already preparing dinner for David in the kitchen so it'd be ready once he was home. Which should be soon she thought, glancing at the clock. Increasing her pace, she suddenly sneezed out of nowhere. Thinking someone must have thought of her, she put the finishing touches on the meal just as she heard a car pull into the driveway.
She took off her apron and headed for the door, glad it was relatively cool out which was unusual for a summer night in Southern California. She hears someone fumbling keys in the lock, muttering as they attempted to open the door. Seconds later, David appeared, tired but smiling, arms wide open. "Where's my favorite girl?" he asked, pulling his wife into a warm, loving embrace.
"Welcome home, David. Supper's ready dear," she replied kissing him lightly on the lips. As he made his way to the dining room table, she shut the door behind him then followed him in with the food and wine. "Chicken salad and your favorite wine is on tonight's menu," Ruth announced, placing the salad down before pouring a glass for each of them.
They began to eat, and she asked him about his day. She heard the neighbor's child crying next door and was reminded of her old childhood friend Diana's child, Markus. He had been such a cute baby when she saw him just after he was born, sparking the want for a child of their own. She pushed the thoughts of him away from her mind though, she missed him dearly, but it was hard to make the trip to London often, and thinking of him reminded her that she hadn't had children yet. Ever since they had moved to California for David's work she'd talked to Diana much less.
After they finished up their meal, they retired to their living room to watch the news. While Ruth curled up against David on the couch listening to the weatherman drone on about hot days in the coming week, they were startled by a loud crack. They looked for the source of the sound, and as soon as they looked at the fireplace behind them, they were slightly blinded by a bright flash of green light followed by a couple thuds.
Blinking several times so they could regain their eyesight, they looked behind them. Nothing could have shocked them more than seeing a very haggard Diana with luggage and a stroller in tow.
It took several more moments to get over the initial shock, and before Ruth could blurt anything out, Diana pre-empted her smiling with "Hey Ruth. Long time no see, huh? Hi David."
A few moments later Ruth finally found the words to barely whisper, "Diana, what're you doing in our fireplace?"
"Well now that's a bit of a story dear, and quite frankly you should probably help David over there before his eyes pop out of his head. I might be a good healer but there're some things even I can't fix," she joked.
Ruth looked over at David, and sure enough he was sitting there working his jaw with no words coming out, eyes ready to leave his face.
"Hope you don't mind if I invite myself in since neither of you seem very capable of speaking ." And with that Diana stepped out of the fireplace and strode into the living room, checking the red stroller before plopping down on the opposite couch.
It suddenly hit Ruth that Diana had brought a stroller with her. "Is that Markus in the stroller?" she squealed.
"I see you've gotten your voice back, Ruth" Diana chuckled "but yes, it's him. There's a lot we have to talk about."
David had finally regained some sense of omposure and was recovered enough to ask, "What's the big idea Diana? You know I like you, but it's not like you to just go dropping into other people's houses…literally. What's happened?
Diana sat there picking at some invisible string in her skirt before finally answering. "Ruth, David. The magical world is at war. There is a powerful dark wizard bent on conquering us all and making us his followers, whom he calls Death Eaters, while wanting to kill all muggles. I don't know if you remember, but my husband, Nick, is a part of the Order of the Phoenix, one of the few organizations actually trying to stop him anyways. Well the leader of the Order warned Nick that the death eaters somehow got word that he's a part of the Order and are probably going to be coming for us at any moment. So we wanted Markus to be safe from harm while we defended out home. I didn't know where else to take him. I know how much you both love him and that you still haven't been able to have a child, so I was hoping you would take care of him and something were to happen to us, adopt him and be his parents. I understand it's so much to ask from you but there's no one I trust more than the two of you. Will you please help me?"
Ruth looked over at David and he looked like he was passing out. But he slowly started getting his color back as he processed all of the information. He looked at Ruth and gave her a meaningful glance then a nod. She smiled and nodded back.
We understand, Diana," David began. "We might not know everything, but we at least understand the severity and seriousness of the situation. Everything you said was true and we'd be honored to take care of him, and if it comes to it, we'll adopt him though we don't want it to come to that. There's just one problem: we don't know anything about magic. How's he to grow up?"
"If me or Nick don't return for Markus you must assume we're dead and adopt him and become his parents. All of Nick's family is coming to help us stand against You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. That'd mean we've all passed and he has no family. Raise him as your own and don't even mention magic. However when he is about to turn 11, please take him to London under the guise of a trip. If his magic ability has matured, he'll likely get a letter from a magical boarding school called Hogwarts, where Nick and I went. I don't know what things will be like in the wizarding world at that time, but that'll be the safest place for him to learn and control his powers. I'm so sorry to impose all this on you but I had nowhere else to turn." At this point Diana began to break down into tears.
Ruth got up and put an arm around her. "There, there dear. It'll be alright. We understand everything you've said, so you needn't worry about a thing on our end. I just want you to come back safely. Markus deserves his real family.
Drying her tears, Diana stood up and "I've already stayed too long. I fear I might be too late already if I wait any longer. Just let me say goodbye to my little Markus one last time."
She walked over to the stroller he was strapped into. Miraculously he'd stayed asleep through the whole affair without so much as twitching. She gazed lovingly at his face before bending down, kissing him on the forehead, and whispering, "I love you, my little one. I always will, even if I'm not around. Never forget that."
With that she straightened and walked back over to the fireplace. "Thank you both again. I love you both so much. I hope I can see you again." Then Diana turned, threw the remainder of floo powder in the fireplace while yelling for the Ministry of Magic, pictured it in her head, and disappeared in a flash of green light, leaving her baby Markus behind with her friends.
The moment she reappeared in the Ministry, she ran outside, tears streaming from her face as she ran from the child she'd left behind. The moment she stepped out into the crisp air of London in the early morning, she turned and vanished with a pop.
She reappeared at the front door of her home and strode in. Immediately Nick appeared and saw her face holding her tight and telling her how sorry he was that it had to be this way. As the tears dried up she realized that there were other people around her. She saw her parents among them, and they came to embrace her. Looking to her right, she saw Nick's older and younger brother, as well as his parents.
"No one can be spared to come help us from the Order at the moment," Nick announced. "We've sent Markus away so he'd be safe, and the Order has helped erect various wards and protective barriers. It's just the eight of us left to defend the house and survive for Markus. We don't know when they'll come, so be re-"
He was cut off by a sudden bang from outside the manor. Instantly everyone had their wand in hand, ready to cast a spell. Then there was a bright shimmering light so everyone hurried outside to see what was happening. The barriers erected around the manor were fading away into the morning.
Then an eerie voice was heard, magically magnified. "My good friends, I think it fair you know that I, Lord Voldemort, have seen fit to come here myself. As you all know, there is nothing I regret more than the spilling of magical blood, least of all that of purebloods. So, here is my proposition: join me or die. And I promise you this is the only chance you have."
"Answer me one thing first, coward!" yelled Nick with his wand at the ready. "How did you break the Fidelius Charm? No one can break that, not even you. So how is that it's gone?"
"My dear boy," began the raspy voice "perhaps not everyone is so….loyal to you as you think."
"What are you saying?"
"Enough talk! I grow tired of this; you'll either join me and swear your loyalty, or perish where you stand. What's your choice?"
"I'd rather go to hell than join you, you bastard!" And as if that was the keyword for that start of the fight, Voldemort and his fifteen Death Eaters flew forward and spells began to fly everywhere.
Diana stunned one Death Eater from the get go and immediately turned and engaged another. She managed to rebound his curse and was ready to move one when she suddenly saw her parents fall to the death curse. "Noooooo!" She yelled in a heartbreaking voice, feeling as if pieces of her heart were falling with their bodies. "I'll make you pay for that you bastards!" Diana began to duel with wild abandon and managed to stun another death eater with a silent hex.
But sadly the Death Eater numbers were winning out. Diana looked to her left and saw first Nick's parents, then his younger brother fall. She looked around for his older brother and saw him walking towards Nick. Diana began to make her towards them, deflecting spell after spell, thinking they'd make their last stand together.
Then the strangest thing happened; it seemed like time slowed and as if Diana was in a dream. She saw Nick's older brother point his wand not at the death eaters, but at Nick. She saw the words form in his mouth, but before she could stop him he yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"
A flash of green light flew at Nick and the last thing she saw on her husband's face before the light of life left his eyes was utter shock and betrayal. Nick's body fell to the ground, cold and lifeless. "What have you done?" Diana screamed. Then suddenly it dawned on her. "You're the one! You sold your own family out! You gave away our home's location to break the Fidelius Charm and allow them in? You son of a bitch! You're dead!" Before he could even raise his wand she yelled, "Expelliarmus!" causing his wand to fly out of his hand.
At this point the Death Eaters had all stopped and were watching the scene play out as Voldemort had ordered. But Diana was beyond caring about any of that. Every fiber of her being, all of her rage, fury, hurt, and agony were directed at one man; Nick's older brother.
She started to circle him while he was glued to the spot with fear. He started to make a move for his wand, but before he could even turn his body, Diana silently used a binding spell to root him to the spot. "Please," he pleaded "you don't understand. I had no choice. This was the only way to ensure everyone's safety. None of this was supposed to happen. I just wanted a better world for our family." He was babbling at this point in an effort to save his life, and she knew it.
"Safety? You DARE talk to me about safety?" she shrieked. "You killed your own brother in cold blood and brought the face of evil into our home! How could you? I'd torture you and make you feel the pain of a thousand deaths but you're not even worth the time!" Rather than use magic, she slapped him in the face. "This is the end for you. I hope you go and burn in hell and try to atone for your unforgivable atrocities there. Avada Kedavra!"
Diana watched the light leave his eyes then collapsed to the ground oblivious to her surrounding in a crying, mourning heap. She felt empty inside, like she was a husk or shell with nothing to fill it. She'd lost everything and there was nothing left for her anymore but the tears.
As she was huddled in a heap, Diana didn't even notice footsteps drawing near. "Come now my dear, this is unbecoming. You're so much stronger than this." Looking up at the source of the voice through bleary eyes, she realized it was Voldemort's red eyes she was looking at, and that he was the one talking. "I am sorry it had to come to this. I'll extend my original offer once more. I can always use more purebloods in my ranks, especially one as skilled as you. What say you?"
Rather than say anything, she began to reach for her wand, but before Diana could even bring her wand to bear at the one who had brought so much death and destruction, he yelled "Avada Kedavra!" As the light left her eyes and her cold body hit the ground, Voldemort muttered, "Tragic. Why must some people be such stubborn fools? The wizarding world has just lost one of its finest, oldest, and most powerful pureblood family; the Gates. They would have made a valuable addition." Waving his wand and using a silent spell, he set fire to the entire manor to dispose of the mess after setting the Dark Mark over it so all may know that no one is above his law or out of his reach.
He then changed to black smoke and flew off with the rest of the Death Eaters before the hint of sunlight even touched the horizon of London.
With this carnage, Markus is left alone in the world, the sole heir of the great Gates family. What shall become of the lad and will he do? So his story begins….