Marlene McKinnon

[lucca4]

I have a few questions concerning Marlene .

Firstly, how close do you think she was to the Marauders/Lily? Lily mentions crying over Marlene's death, but...maybe I'm imagining it, or reading into things, but I thought she would have been more sad if she was actually a close friend of Marlene's.

Was Marlene even in the same year as the Marauders &co?
The McKinnons were named as some of the "best" wizards and witches, skill-wise, but does that necessarily mean that they were older?

We know she was in the Order, but was she an Auror? Side note on this one...this may seem like a stupid question, but were all Order members Aurors? I didn't think so, but that does seem to be the trend.

Has JKR mentioned what House she was in? Blood status? I forget if the McKinnons were an old, prestigious family or not.

Thank you much!

[Sapphire at Dawn]

Firstly, how close do you think she was to the Marauders/Lily? Lily mentions crying over Marlene's death, but...maybe I'm imagining it, or reading into things, but I thought she would have been more sad if she was actually a close friend of Marlene's.

I always think this, and sometimes point it out to reviewers who place Lily and Marlene in the same year. I don't think that Lily would be so hardened to death and sorror that she'd only cry for an evening when she heard the girl she'd known for ten or so years had died. I think that Lily and the Marauders only knew her from the Order and weren't particularly close, because otherwise I imagine Lily being more upset at the news of her death.

Was Marlene even in the same year as the Marauders &co?
The McKinnons were named as some of the "best" wizards and witches, skill-wise, but does that necessarily mean that they were older?

I'd forgotten they were described as that. I've already said I don't think they'd be in the same year, and going by that description, I'd say that they were older, just because if Marlene was younger, she'd have to be very young and I don't think a teenager could get the reputation as one of the best. Also, the use of the phrase 'the McKinnons' makes me think that they're a married couple. We know that the Death Eaters killed her whole family, so either that means husband and children, or parents and brothers and sisters.

We know she was in the Order, but was she an Auror? Side note on this one...this may seem like a stupid question, but were all Order members Aurors? I didn't think so, but that does seem to be the trend.

It is common to see quite a lot of the original Order as Aurors, and it's become sort of cliche. There are only two Aurors in the second Order, plus the retired Moody, so that's not a lot. In the original one you've got Moody and the Longbottoms. I think that if the majority of people in the first Order were Aurors, the lack of them in the second one would be noted somewherer. But, really, you've got a free rein. I'd recommend not because it is rather cliche, but there's no real evidence to suggest she wasn't.

Has JKR mentioned what House she was in? Blood status? I forget if the McKinnons were an old, prestigious family or not.

Nope, as far as I know none of this has ever been mentioned. You've got a free rein again here.

Sarah x

[memish]

Well, when Lily reads the letter doesn't it just say "the McKinnons" were killed, not specifically Marlene? So, that could mean her and her parents, making her more Lily's age. Or either way, it could have been her parents who were "the best witch and wizard" of the age.

I also agree it seems she and Lily were not close, becuase while Lily seems terribly sad, she doesn't seem distraught or falling apart or anything, which it's likely someone would be if they were best friends or close classmates.

[Equinox Chick]

I also agree it seems she and Lily were not close, becuase while Lily seems terribly sad, she doesn't seem distraught or falling apart or anything, which it's likely someone would be if they were best friends or close classmates.

Hmm, but remember they were becoming hardened to death. They lived amongst it and they were under threat themselves. I think Lily was possibly quite close to Marlene, perhaps because they were both parents. I'm not suggesting that Marlene and Lily were best friends (along with Alice and Emmeline who always get put in Lily's dorm *snort*) but I think we need to take a look at the times they lived in.

Plus she probably wouldn't say in a letter to Sirius exactly how she's feeling. She tells him she 'cried all night' which is actually quite a long time and a lot to admit to. If it were someone she barely knew, I don't think she'd admit to that.

It's Moody who mentions (in OOTP) that marlene was killed ('they got her whole family'). She was the Order member. It's Lily who refers to them as The McKinnons.

Where is the phrase about them being among 'the best wizards of their age'? Is it specifically about the McKinnons, or is it about Order members in general? I agree that a teenager wouldn't be described as 'the best of their age'

I don't know if she was an Auror, but the Ministry was pretty much infiltrated by DE's at that stage so I doubt all the Order members would have been Aurors. Might be nice to have her as something different.

~Carole~

[Gmariam]

Where is the phrase about them being among 'the best wizards of their age'? Is it specifically about the McKinnons, or is it about Order members in general? I agree that a teenager wouldn't be described as 'the best of their age'
~Carole~

I agree with Carole's assessment - she's great with dates and characters from that era! It's inevitable that the Potters knew the McKinnons (I always assumed it was Marlene + Husband + Kids) because they were in the Order together and probably worked missions and fought together. Whether they were close is up to the author. Whether they were the same age is also up to the author, but I think someone has already pointed out that it's a bit cliche to have every female JKR mentions from that era be from the same house and year as Lily. There were other houses in the second order, why not the first? And I think someone mentioned in another Marauder-era thread that it would be a bit fool-hardy of Dumbledore to stock his Order with nothing but twenty-somethings, so some of those names we always use have to be older than James and Lily. For example, the Longbottoms were almost certainly older because they were already established Aurors.

As for the comment about the best wizards of their age, here's what Hagrid said to Harry:

No one lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some of the best witches and wizards of the age - the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts - you were only a baby an' you lived.

So the McKinnons (however you create them) were apparently quite powerful wizards, as were the Bones and Gideon and Fabian Prewett. Lots to work with there.

~Gina