Lost Innocence

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does.

AN: Captain of the Tutshill Tornados for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition - Round 4

Prompt: Write about the Carrows

Word Count: 1,811 words

"Avada Kedavra!" — Speaking

'Knowledge is power!' — Thinking

~.~

There would always be good and evil in the world. Everyone that was evil would always be known as evil; even if they did not start that way. Every being was born as an innocent, a clean slate. If they were reincarnated, their past life did not matter because they were reborn into a new one with no knowledge of their past and no way for their past to influence their future. Even though someone was born innocent, it did not mean they would stay that way, especially if their family was dark.

The Carrows were one such family. During the time of the first civil war with the self-named Lord Voldemort, the head of the Carrows was one of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters. He and his wife both did cruel and evil acts on his behalf; not that it mattered much since they were waiting for a chance to hurt others. Their children also were inducted into the ranks where they fit in quite nicely. Those children were Alecto and Amycus Carrow.

Their story started out as innocent as one could be and ended in near madness.

~.~

The birth of a child was something special, in the Magical World it was even more so. On one dark evening a woman gave birth to two special young children that would be known throughout the British Magical Isles. The eldest of the twins was a boy who was named Amycus Carrow and the younger of the twins was a girl named Alecto Carrow. Both were the epitome of adorableness.

After the birth of the twins, both the Lady and Lord of the House were left alone with their newly born children.

"Dear…are they not what you envisioned to carry on the Carrow name?" The Lady of House Carrow asked.

Lord Carrow peered at the bundle in his arms, "Yes. They will grow in our vision and bring the Carrow name to the forefront of the Magical World. I have such big plans for you son and your sister."

The Lord stared intensely at his first born as he imagined what the future would be. His House would change to a higher status. His son would gain friends in high places and his daughter would be pure and well kept for the highest bidder.

"You will do me proud son," Lord Carrow whispered with a slight demented smile. "So proud."

~.~

The years passed by and the Carrow twins grew. Their lives were innocent enough at first, they were raised mainly by House Elves as was the custom for Pureblood homes. Their parents did come by many times if only to keep up appearances and to keep the children informed of their status within the house. The children loved the House Elves, they wanted for nothing as they grew by their side. The love between them, though sweet, would come to an end.

"Tilby!" Alecto laughed as the aforementioned House Elf tickled the four year old girl. "N-No stop! Amycus help!"

Amycus smirked as he brandished a fake wand and yelled, "Back you fiend! You shall stop harming the princess!"

The House Elf smiled then responded, "And what is Master to do? Master cannot defeat Tilby. No no!" Tilby stopped tickling Alecto and stood guard over her.

"I will defeat you monster dragon! De-pul-so!" Amycus sounded out as he 'used' the banishment spell at the House Elf. Pretending to be hit, the House Elf flew back and hit the wall, seemingly unconscious.

"My fair lady, I have saved you from the nasty dragon!" Amycus smirked as he stood in front of Alecto and held out his hand for her.

Alecto grabbed his offered hand and was pulled to her feet. "My dashing prince! Thank you for saving me from the tickling dragon!"

The twins both looked at each other then burst out into giggles. Tilby got to his feet and smiled at his two charges. Then the door to the bedroom was smashed against the wall as it opened and frightened the twins so much they jumped in the air.

"What. Is going on here?" A menacing voice sounded from the intruder.

"Master! What can Tilby be doing for Master?" The House Elf leaped to his feet and bowed in front of Lord Carrow.

"What are you doing with my children elf?!" He shouted at the being.

"Tilby is watching Little Masters, Master," Tilby responded, body still bowed low.

"It sounded like you were playing with them elf. Not watching them!"

"F-Father, Tilby was just watching us. I swear!" Amycus interrupted, he did not want Tilby to get into trouble. Both Amycus and Alecto loved the little elf.

"You are now getting my son to lie to my face elf!" Lord Carrow bellowed and kicked the elf against the wall so violently a sickening crack could be heard. He followed the projectile elf and kicked him more while he was down, all the while yelling viciously at him. Once he was done, the elf was a mess of blood and bruises. "Now look at what you have done. My boots are dirty."

Lord Carrow turned with disdain and a sneer on his lips. His eyes found his children, both were holding each other in terror and tears rolling down their chubby cheeks. With another sneer he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

It took a while before the children even thought of moving, when they did a dam burst. They rushed to the downed elf all the while bawling their eyes out crying for Tilby to wake up. The little elf did not wake no matter what they did. It was that moment in time that the two vowed to never love or play with a house elf again. They hardened their hearts and kept away from the help, lest another house elf got hurt.

~.~

Another few years passed for the two young children. Their father took a more active role in their upbringing and started them on academics and magical studies. His teachings were strict, every time they answered wrong he would punish them, enforcing negative reinforcement. Their personalities got colder but they still retained some innocence, they were not tarnished completely. It wasn't until they were only a year away before they entered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that their learning took a dangerous turn.

"No! Amycus! That is not the correct answer!" Lord Carrow reprimanded his oldest son, along with a slap to the back of his head. "Alecto! Give me the correct answer!"

"Yes father." Alecto responded, her eyes subdued in a way of showing submission. "The correct answer is the Cruciatus Curse. The incantation is Crucio."

Their father smirked darkly, "Correct daughter. Now what does the Cruciatus Curse do?"

"I-It. It causes immense pain to the victim by stimulating their pain receptors and leaving no physical injury. The victim will wish for death the longer they are held under it." Alecto answered. She studied vigorously so she wouldn't be punished by her father.

"Correct again Alecto. Now I shall demonstrate the curst for you," Lord Carrow stated, his two children whipped their heads to look at him in horror. Their father raised his wand and pointed it at Alecto. "Since you answered correctly, you can go first daughter of mine."

Alecto's eyes widened in fear and hoped her father was joking. Sadly he wasn't joking as the curse sounded from her father's lips and she was instantly struck by pain so immense she could do nothing but fall to the ground and arch up in pain as her screams bounced off the walls.

"Alecto!" Amycus screamed in terror. He rushed to his sister's side and pounded the floor. "Father please stop! Please father!" Amycus pleaded with his father to stop hurting his precious sister, his eyes teared up as he watched her screaming and begging for mercy.

To Alecto and Amycus, it felt like hours before she was let up from the curse when in fact it was only less than a minute. Alecto was panting and twitching on the floor, her tears continued flowing with no sign of stopping. "Amycus…" Alecto whispered, her eyes seeking her brother for help.

"Now it's your turn Amycus," Lord Carrow spoke, causing both twins to look at one another in terror before Amycus was hit with the curse, causing him to fall in line next to his sister on the floor.

"Amycus…" Alecto whispered again, struggling to grab on to him in her weakened state. Now it was her brother's turn to scream and beg for mercy. It ended as quick as his sister's time under the curse did.

"Clean yourselves up before coming down for dinner. You have one hour." Their father commanded then he swept out of the room, not even caring his two children were crying and in pain on the floor.

As soon as he left the room Amycus and Alecto turned their heads to look at one another and slowly inched their hands to clasp. Their tears were streaming down their faces as they held their hands together for dear life. It wasn't enough that their father beat them, now he was cursing them and with the worst torture curse in existence. No matter what they did, their father would continue to punish them as he saw fit. Their life would be a never ending existence of pain and suffering. No amount of good grades or achievements, nothing would deter their father from doling out punishments.

~.~

Time went on for the two Carrow twins. They entered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and were placed in the House of the Serpents. While their father was delighted with such an achievement he was also disappointed the hat took too long for it to determine the Slytherin House; so they were punished. They were required to come home every holiday and were continuously punished for the smallest infraction.

Time and time again their innocence chipped away before nothing was left but darkness in their hearts and souls. They learned to take the pain with a stoic face and no sound from their lips lest they be cursed longer under the Cruciatus Curse. It wasn't long before their darkness caught the attention of a new budding dark lord.

Dark Lord Voldemort did not even have to persuade the Carrow family into his ranks, they readily accepted his offer in moments. The twins Amycus and Alecto became happy in their new life. Killing and torturing muggles and muggleborn with a smile on their faces was what they were born to do. They understood that now, their lost innocence was necessary. Never again would they question, it was their duty to purge the world of filth.

Two monsters were created and it was only because no one would protect their innocence.

~.~