The Golden Snitch: Father's Day Event. School: Beauxbatons. House: Barbegazi. Prompt: Mr Nott. Points total: 10.

Warnings: Emotional child abuse(?), child death, character death.

A/N: Wizards are not as medically advanced as Muggles. Also, in the Nott family the first-born son carries the name Theodore, I've decided, because I thought that was canon until I realised it wasn't. That will be all.

Word Count: 1847

my mind is battered and bruised (am I not worth your love?)

Theodore James Nott is two when his first sibling is born. It's the third of July, 1982, and his sibling is Cleo Patra Nott: the first-born daughter of Theodore Markus and Penelope Jane Nott. He meets her once, peering through the cot she is kept in. He watches as his mother sleeps and his father tenderly rocks Cleo against his chest.

The next day, Cleo doesn't wake up, and the doctor gently tells them that Cleo did not make it through the night. She was too weak: but she is better off now. Theodore sits on a bench in the hospital room, watching as his mother cries into his father's shoulder. They can try again in a year, that's what the doctor tells them. Cleo Patra's case is peculiar. It will not happen again.

Theodore is four when his second sibling is born. It's the seventh of November, 1984, and this time he has a brother: Lewis Maxwell Nott. His parents are so happy about Lewis' birth: he can hear them sending messages to their friends through the Howlers they had bought. Soon, they say, you can see him. He's a beautiful thing, they declare, with creamy skin and pink lips. He has his father's colouring, they announce proudly into the letters, and his little fingers wrap beautifully around little Theodore's fingers.

One night they hear Lewis coughing in his hospital bed. It's only three days after his birth, so they haven't left yet. Theodore is reading a book with his father when it first starts. His father glances at his mother nervously, before looking down at Theodore and not saying anything.

The next morning, Lewis is lying down in his cot, not moving. It's like Cleo all over again. The doctors say it's the same disease that got Cleo. They reckon it was left over in the womb, but it should be fine now. Lewis must have taken it all up. It would be safe to try again next year. It will not happen again.

Theodore is six when his third sibling is born. It's the fourteenth of May, and Maxwell Lewis Nott is named after his older, late, brother. Theodore understands more now. He understands that the other siblings are dead. He understands that their deaths have taken a toll on their parents. His father has always wanted a big family. He will not just stick with one child. And his mother can't tell him no.

So they crowd around Maxwell, whose small hands are reaching out to grab his father, whose hand are reaching down to grab him. They are leaving the hospital. It's a good sign, as they haven't left the hospital with a baby before. Other than Theodore, that is, but that happened years ago. This is now.

It lasts until the first of June. Maxwell starts coughing: harsh, violent coughs that shouldn't come out of a baby's mouth. They rush him to the hospital but it's too late. Two days later, he dies.

More people have met baby Maxwell, and they all agree that he was a happy baby. No one had wanted that to happen, and yet it happens. He dies. The doctor says that surely must be the last of it. His father isn't so sure anymore. His mother is already planning for the next baby, to please his father. Maybe one day he can have a sibling that lasts.

Theodore is almost eight when Thana Cleo Nott, his fourth sibling, is born. It's the eighth of January, and Theodore is terrified of what's going to happen next. Will she die too? It seems likely if she follows the trend of his other siblings.

But she's lasted a month and nothing has gone wrong yet. The doctors check up on her every week and say that although there are signs of the illness that took the others, it is probably only showing up as the traces of her siblings are still in the womb. She will not be like them. She will not die.

Theodore spends time in the library, researching the illness that his siblings had. It's called Magicae Contritum, what he discovers to roughly translate to broken magic. The magic doesn't develop properly in the womb, so it goes wild in the body, squashing their lungs until they cannot breathe anymore. The effects can appear from one hour after birth to five years of age. It always ends in death as there's no cure. It doesn't happen often enough for people to consider finding one.

They're unsure what triggers the effects, nor what causes a baby to get Magical Contritum in the first place. People believe it's due to a malfunction in the womb, but there's not much speculation on it. Theodore finds out what he wants to be when he's older: a Healer. One that specialises in child diseases.

It's March when the happy image is shattered. Thana has to go to St Mungo's, and later, on the sixth of March, she dies. His mother is distraught, but she will have that baby. Theodore needs a sibling. He'll be lonely otherwise, even though he has a cousin the same age who he sees. They will try again. The results will be better. The doctor will try next time if it happens again.

Theodore is almost ten when his sixth, and final, full-sibling is born. It's the fifth of March, a day before Thana's anniversary, and Penelope Thana Nott has been named after her. The birth was long: longer than any of the others. Theodore has been to all of the births, and the deaths, and none of them were this long.

Theodore is almost ten when his mother dies.

Her funeral is a small event. It's just Theodore, his father, little Penelope, and his mum's mum. They all crowd around a light coffin as it is buried next to their other four siblings. Her grave is bigger than theirs, with more words, signifying her longer life. It should be longer. Theodore misses her.

The doctor finally discovers Theodore's mother's womb was incapable of properly growing a magical baby. Instead of producing Squibs, she produced babies with Magicae Contritum: as they had some magical power, but it wasn't developed enough because her womb just couldn't handle it. Theodore's father assumes that it was Theodore's birth that ruined it.

He doesn't talk to Theodore anymore. He feeds him, and even gave him presents for his tenth birthday: a few new robes and some potions ingredients for his Potions. It's not so different from before: after the first few deaths his father began to blame him. It wasn't so noticeable, as his mother's influence helped, but it was there.

Theodore sits in his room, makes his potions, reads his books and waits for his Hogwarts letter. On his siblings anniversaries, he Floo's to the graveyard and places flowers on their graves. Flowers that they never got to know, but still. It's the thought that counts, and he never sees his father there. He's always at home, looking after Penelope. She's quite sickly, but it's not as bad as Magicae Contritum yet.

There's a possibility she doesn't have it. His father is keeping a very close and overprotective eye on her so that she doesn't die by something else. Theodore can't help but think it's pointless.

He gets sorted into Slytherin. All Notts have been Slytherins. Theodore writes to his father telling him the news, before settling down for the night. He will deal with Slytherin politics the next day.

It's two months in before he gets a reply. He never expected one, not really. The other Slytherins all get mail. Pandora Parkinson talks about her mother and her new boyfriend. Draco Malfoy is always talking about his fabulous Manor and his fabulous family. His mother is always sending him letters about how much she misses him. Millicent Bulstrode sometimes get packages from her mother, small things that make sense to no-one that isn't related to them.

Theodore's letter from his father consists of four words: 'don't mail me again.' It's more words than have been spoken to him since his mother's death. Somehow, it excites him.

He has to stay at home over the holiday. His father never invites him back home, but it's fine. He isn't alone: Pandora 'Please-Call-Me-Pansy' Parkinson has to stay as well, as her mother is using the holiday to strengthen her relationship with her new boyfriend. It's fine.

Pansy Parkinson opens the letter she has received before turning to look at Theodore in disbelief. "What?" Theodore asks, narrowing his eyes.

"My mother would like to announce her marriage to one Theodore Markus Nott. Is that your father? Do you know anything about this?"

Theodore turns to glance at his cousin, Millicent, who shakes her head. Her mother hasn't written to her about any marriage either. "I didn't even know my father had found a new partner," Theodore says to Pansy, because it's true.

"Why not?" Pansy's narrow eyes show her disbelief, and she crosses her pale-brown arms.

"My father did not feel the need to tell me." It's also true.

"It says here that they celebrated their wedding on one Penelope Thana Nott's first birthday. Do you have a little sister?"

Theodore is surprised that his sister is still alive. He is not as surprised that they celebrated their wedding on his mother's anniversary. "Yes. I do."

Theodore follows both Millicent and Pansy out of the train. Pansy leads him over to a woman who looks like her, who is standing next to Millicent's mother and his aunt. "It's nice to see you again, Theo," his aunt says, reaching down and kissing his head before turning to her only child. "We must be going now, Millie. I'll see you again soon, Crystal."

They Apparate off, leaving Theodore with Pansy and her mother. "So you're Theodore?" Pansy's mother asks. "You don't look much like your father."

"That's because I took my mother's colouring," Theodore replies. It's the fifth of July, the anniversary of his first sibling, and he's slightly irritable.

"I'm going to take the both of you home. Your father would have come but he has to look after Penny. Such a sweet girl…"

Theodore's eyes darken, so Pansy grabs hold of his hand. This woman shouldn't be allowed to talk about his sister. She doesn't deserve—

He blinks, and then he's home for a lonely summer.

Penelope lasts until her second year before she starts. It's early August and the symptoms are showing again. They're worse than the others, however, as they have been stewing for longer. She lasts an hour before giving up.

The words start then. Useless, worthless, freak. His father hates him more than he did before. It's a never-ending cycle.

When Thomas Theodore Nott, and his twin sister, are born, Theodore knows the hatred is real. He has been replaced by the new son. The son that is likely to survive and not destroy his mother's womb. The new, and better, Theodore. The son of Crystal and Theodore Nott.

His father never meant to dislike him. I think the /abuse/ could've gone worse, but Theodore Markus distanced himself because he didn't want to hurt him. Millicent's mother, Theresa, is Theodore Markus' sister. Pansy is Theodore James' step-sister now. The twin sister of Thomas Theodore is called Calypso Penelope.

~Butter