"There is reason in her head and passion in her heart. She is a true witch indeed."
Albus Dumbledore in 1996, referring to his adopted daughter, Marion Popyngcart
MARION ANN RUTH POPYNGCART
Born c. 1983/4
Marion Popyngcart is one of the controversial figures of modern wizarding history, and a contradiction to one of its most deep-founded stereotypes.
There were five Rowle children, however we know the stories of only two: Marion (b.1983/4) and her older sister Joan (b.1972). What we do know is that Joan was the eldest, with two younger brothers and another sister. However the boys and the girl apart from Joan and Marion died in infancy. These traumas had a deep effect on their distraught mother, Adina Popyngcart but we do not know Thorfinn Rowle's reaction to his children's deaths.
BACK STORY
For the first six years of her life, Marion and Joan suffered physical and verbal abuse: serious enough to send the young Marion into a three-day coma on two occasions. Joan made numerous appeals to the Ministry of Magic once she had started at Hogwarts, however the claims were not looked into on the grounds that Joan could not prove her sister existed because the lack of a birth certificate. Adina did nothing to prevent her children's suffering. Adina was proven, posthumously to have been a victim of domestic violence.
NEGLECT
Notable signs of neglect became visible in Marion later on: her growth was slow and stopped before she had reached maturity and she was prone to dizziness and fainting. This state of near-emaciation would later be a critical flaw.
MURDER
Marion's first exposure to life outside of north Yorkshire was, tragically in May 1990. On the 6th May 1990 (Joan's 18th birthday) Adina was murdered by her husband in front of her own children. After the murder of his wife, Rowle turned on his children and they were forced to flee.
Having arrived at the Ministry of Magic, the sisters were faced by the might of a full and unsympathetic criminal court. Though Joan could speak fluent English (having been educated at Hogwarts) Marion spoke poor English and the court did not understand her Welsh and refused an interpreter.
PREJUDICE
Opinions of suspected Death Eaters and their families varied. The Malfoys and the Blacks were respected and held many important positions, but the Rowle Death Eaters were brawny and had no charm. Fearing that the children would go the same way as their father, goaded by Umbridge and naively advised by Crouch senior, Fudge allowed prejudice to get the better of him. Joan was forced to train to become an Auror, and Marion was sent to live in the care of Albus Dumbledore for three years, after which time she was to join the ranks of the "work experience". Rowle was caught less than a month later and was imprisoned for life.
WORK EXPERIENCE & THE CHILD AURORS
In the Muggle world, work experience is harmless: there are regulations and restrictions on work hours and safety. However, in the wizarding world, work experience was a cover for child exploitation, as Marion would learn. The vast majority of the wizarding world and the Ministry (even Ministers Millicent Bagnold, Cornelius Fudge and Rufus Scrimgeour) were ignorant as to its true purpose and the real number of workers, due to propaganda and cover ups. In 1996, a survey showed that one in five wizarding children were in servitude. During the Death Eater's control of the Ministry 1997-98, this quickly turned into one in three.
The scheme was masterminded by Dolores Umbridge as a way of keeping "unsuitable" (such as werewolves, squibs or giants) out of the work, cutting the wage budget and maintaining the workforce. Child workers fought in both wizarding wars were not eligible for pensions throughout their first 15 years of work. They were kept away from public view; despite having a background job in almost every department: 75% of child workers had no contact with the public. And yet there were children working on the maintenance of the Floo Network, in manufacturing (from Chocolate Frogs to Madame Malkin's Robes) and 230 children worked in Knockturn Alley. Out of Borgin and Burkes' 32 employees, 27 were under 17. 68% of child workers were illiterate.
The under 17 workforce were not allowed senior managerial positions, could not enter politics, had no vote or say in government and were not legally allowed to earn more than 25,000 British pounds per year. And yet you could not do business and not come across a wizarding company that used child labour.
And yet 86% of wizarding adults approved of the system. Because the Daily Prophet supported it: it was an idea to "rehabilitate disadvantaged or abused children and provide helpful work experience through practical education."
A NEW FAMILY, A NEW START
In September 1990, Marion joined Hogwarts and was privately tutored by Dumbledore in preparation for joining the Child Auror Service. Thanks to her sharp mind and natural magical talents, she learned quickly and skilfully. She could read and write in two languages, conjure a Patronus, duel, argue and debate, plot and scheme, charm, keep magical plants and concoct difficult potions. This brief education empowered Marion like no other child worker. Her education allowed her to speak up and speak out.
Meanwhile, Joan was in love. His name was Tom Stanley, who worked with Ludo Bagman. They married in May 1994, and bought a gabled house in the little town of Tetreton-en-Fayre, in Kent, the home of his childhood with his sister, Araminta Stafford (nee Stanley).
For a while they were happy, and Marion found in Tom a brother and a friend.
TRAGEDY STRIKES
A keen Quidditch fan, Tom invited Marion to join him and Joan on a trip to see the 422nd Quidditch World Cup on the 22nd August 1994. However, a disaster happened when the event turned into a full-scale Death Eater riot. Whilst trying to protect some young Muggle children, Tom was attacked. This horrific night became famous in Marion's memory: her first encounter with the Sectumsempra Curse. Unknown to the Death Eater, Tom was a haemophiliac. The wounds could not be healed quickly enough and Tom bled to death.
The next day, 23rd August 1994, Joan discovered she was pregnant with Tom's child. Despite Tom's earlier plan to keep Marion out of danger, she was forced to return to work to provide for Joan and her baby as the Ministry's planned maternity leave was void to Joan as the father was dead. Therefore Joan was on unpaid maternity leave.
It is on this note that Marion brings her diary. The diary is unabridged (though translated from Welsh) and naturally her spelling and other linguistic errors have been corrected.
WHO WAS SHE REALLY?
Sources that knew Marion paint a variety of portraits of her, and the result is a very conflicting picture. Maybe it was just the way that she was: independent, irreverent and spirited that meant people saw her different ways, hence the various opinions. Nobody could be sure who she was really was.
She was slender and graceful.
She was shrewish and emaciated.
She had a beautiful smile.
Her eyes were grey and cold.
She was honest and generous with her time.
She was a calculating schemer.
She was naive and a gossip.
She was wise and noble.
She was foolish, irreverent and faithless.
She was deceptive.
She was witty and clever.
She was ignorant and ill-educated.
She was shamelessly blunt.
She was idealistic. She was cunning. She was devious.
She had a plain face and bad teeth. She was like a spider. She was lovable. The entire Ministry was afraid of her. Impossible.
Perhaps the only way to judge her is to read her story. Maybe the one way to know her is to meet her, to see her life through her eyes. Only then can we judge her and discover the true story of a victimized, spirited and indomitable witch.
