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"Marlene McKinnon, she was killed two weeks after this was taken. They got her whole family."
Sirius Black to Harry Potter[src]

Marlene McKinnon (d. July 1981) was a witch and member of the original Order of the Phoenix. She fought in the First Wizarding War and was murdered by Death Eaters, along with her family.[2] The McKinnons were later described as being one of the families Voldemort and his followers completely wiped out.

Biography

"No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts"
Rubeus Hagrid telling Harry Potter about Voldemort's murder of the McKinnon family[src]

Marlene was a member of the wizarding McKinnon family,[4] which, according to Hagrid, consisted of some of the best witches and wizards of their age, implying that Marlene too was a very accomplished witch.

Order of the Phoenix

Marlene in a picture of the original Order of the Phoenix, two weeks before her death

During the First Wizarding War, Marlene McKinnon became a member of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation led and founded by Albus Dumbledore, in order to oppose Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. She fought in several battles of the First Wizarding War.[2] The McKinnons were said to be one of the families killed off by Voldemort, as Rubeus Hagrid told Harry in his first year, when pushed to discuss the matter.[4]

Marlene and her whole family were murdered by Death Eaters in July 1981.[1] Igor Karkaroff implicated Travers as one of the people who was involved.[5] "Mad-Eye" Moody pointed Marlene out to Harry Potter in a photo of the Order that was taken two weeks before her death.[2]

Etymology

"Marlene" is a name of Germanic origin, and is a blend of the names "Maria" and "Magdaline", which mean "star of the sea" and "of Magdala" respectively. The name "McKinnon" is Scottish, an Anglicised version of the Gaelic name "Mac Fhionghuin", meaning "fair born" or "fair son". It is also translated as "love".

Behind the scenes

  • Although the McKinnon family is mentioned throughout the book series, as well in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Marlene is the only member of the family who has been identified as working for the Order.
  • Lily J. Potter says in her letter to Sirius Black that she cried all night when she heard about the McKinnons' deaths, and she attributes Peter Pettigrew's melancholy to the same reason, which might suggest that Lily and the Marauders were close to Marlene and/or her family.
  • It is unknown why the McKinnons were all together when they were killed or how they were related to each other. It is possible that they were a nuclear family living in one household and consisting of parents and young children (in which case, Marlene might have been either a mother or an older daughter to the family) or that they were brought to one location by an unidentified family event, known to the Death Eaters who killed them.
  • An early manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone depicts Rubeus Hagrid informing a Muggle minister named Fudge about the kidnapping of two characters called "Angus and Elspeth McKinnon" by Lord Voldemort, who wished to turn them to his side. It would seem that this scene was replaced by the first chapter of Half Blood Prince, and that both characters were conflated into Marlene. However, the final text does make references to "the McKinnons", implying a family beyond Marlene, so it is quite unclear if they do exist in canon or not.[3]

Appearances

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 7 images related to Marlene McKinnon.

Notes and references

  1. 1.0 1.1 In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 10 (Kreacher's Tale), we see that Lily Potter wrote a letter not long after Harry Potter's birthday. She stated that Peter Pettigrew visited "last weekend" and appeared to be "down, but that was probably the news about the McKinnons", implying that they had died not that long ago in July 1981.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 9 (The Woes of Mrs Weasley)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Harry Potter: A History of Magic (book) (p. 176–177): early drafts of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – "Ah, well now, we're not sure they 'ave bin killed," said the giant. "He's jus' taken them. Needs 'em, see. 'E's picked on the best. Dedalus Diggle, Elsie Bones, Angus an' Elspeth McKinnon ... yeah, 'e wants 'em on 'is side."
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 4 (The Keeper of the Keys)
  5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 30 (The Pensieve)
Order of the Phoenix
Fawkes WB F2 FawkesIllustration V2 Illust
Founder:
Albus Dumbledore
Leaders:
Albus Dumbledore · Alastor Moody · Kingsley Shacklebolt
Original Order of of the Phoenix:
Aberforth Dumbledore · Alastor Moody · Alice Longbottom · Arabella Figg · Benjy Fenwick · Caradoc Dearborn · Dedalus Diggle · Dorcas Meadowes · Edgar Bones · Elphias Doge · Emmeline Vance · Fabian Prewett · Frank Longbottom · Gideon Prewett · James Potter · Lily Potter · Marlene McKinnon · Mundungus Fletcher · Peter Pettigrew (defected) · Remus Lupin · Rubeus Hagrid · Severus Snape · Sirius Black · Sturgis Podmore
Reconstituted Order of the Phoenix:
Aberforth Dumbledore · Alastor Moody · Arabella Figg · Arthur Weasley · Bill Weasley · Charles Weasley · Dedalus Diggle · Elphias Doge · Emmeline Vance · Fleur Delacour · Fred Weasley · George Weasley · Harry Potter · Hermione Granger · Hestia Jones · Kingsley Shacklebolt · Minerva McGonagall · Molly Weasley · Mundungus Fletcher · Nymphadora Tonks · Remus Lupin · Ronald Weasley · Rubeus Hagrid · Severus Snape · Sirius Black · Sturgis Podmore
Order of the Phoenix allies:
Andromeda Tonks · Augusta Longbottom · Buckbeak · Dobby · Fawkes · Filius Flitwick · Firenze · Garrick Ollivander · Ginevra Weasley · Grawp · Helena Ravenclaw · Horace Slughorn · Karkus · Karkus's wife · Kreacher · Lee Jordan · Luna Lovegood · McKinnon family · Mr Westenberg · Mrs Westenberg · Muriel · Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington · Neville Longbottom · Oliver Wood · Olympe Maxime · Rita Skeeter · Patrick Delaney-Podmore · Peeves · Percy Weasley · Pomona Sprout · Poppy Pomfrey · Sybill Trelawney · Ted Tonks · The Fallen Fifty · Westenberg family · Winky · Xenophilius Lovegood
Other affiliations:
Dumbledore's Army · Forbidden Forest Centaur colony · Headless Hunt · Hogwarts Hippogriff herd · Hogwarts house-elves · Hogwarts ghosts · Hogwarts staff · Hogwarts students · Hogwarts Thestral herd · British Ministry of Magic · Giant colony (Under Karkus's control)
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