1981

The following events occurred in the year **1981**:

## Events

### July

* The McKinnon family (including Marlene McKinnon, an Order of the Phoenix member) are wiped out by Lord Voldemort.
* Dorcas Meadowes is killed personally by Lord Voldemort in attempt to avenge Marlene McKinnon.
* Harry Potter's first birthday

### September

* The eighty-third Wizarding Schools Potions Championship is held.
* Peter Pettigrew replaces Sirius Black as the Potters' secret keeper. Within a week, Pettigrew (secretly a Death Eater) betrays the Potters' whereabouts to Lord Voldemort.

### October

* 31 October:
	+ Violet Evans' first birthday
	+ Lord Voldemort kills James and Lily Potter, but his Killing Curse rebounds off infant Harry Potter, causing the Dark Lord to lose physical form and Harry to gain a lightning-shaped scar and become a Horcrux.
	+ The First Wizarding War ends.
	+ Horace Slughorn's fish dies.

### November

* 1 November (Tuesday):
	+ Fall of Lord Voldemort celebrations take place in the wizarding world, including in places like Kent, Yorkshire and Dundee. They almost get caught by Muggles during the partying.
	+ Sirius Black is arrested for the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles. In reality, Pettigrew killed the Muggles, faked his own death and went into hiding. Black is sentenced to Azkaban, without a trial.
	+ Willow Evans and Remus Lupin become Harry James Potter's guardians when they refuse to bring him to 4 Privet Drive as demanded by Albus Dumbledore.
	+ The Ministry begin their hunt to bring the Death Eaters to justice.
* Horace Slughorn retires from his post at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
* Severus Snape is appointed Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

### December

* Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jnr are arrested for the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom. The Longbottoms are committed to St Mungo's and their infant son Neville is taken into the care of his paternal grandmother, Augusta Longbottom.
* Peter Pettigrew is unjustly awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class for his confrontation with Sirius Black which along with his severed finger is posthumously given to his mother.

## Alternate Timeline Events

### October

* 31 October:
	+ A skirmish ensued at St Jerome's Church in an alternate reality of 31 October 1981, where Delphini, intending to bring back Lord Voldemort, took on Harry Potter and his family.

## Births

* 13 February: Luna Lovegood to Xenophilius and Pandora Lovegood.
* 11 August: Ginevra Weasley to Arthur and Molly Weasley.
* Colin Creevey to Muggle parents Mr and Mrs Creevey
* Zacharias Smith (uncertain)

## Deaths

* Edgar Bones, his wife, and their children
* Dorcas Meadowes
* Caradoc Dearborn
* Fabian and Gideon Prewett
* Adalbert Waffling
* Benjy Fenwick
* July: Marlene McKinnon and her family
* July: Dorcas Meadowes
* 31 October: James and Lily Potter, Francis the fish.
* 1 November: Twelve Muggles

## Behind the scenes

* 4 July: Actor Paul Davies, who played a Death Eater in Template:GOF, and in Template:DH, is born.
* 25 September: Actor Matt Truman, who played a Ministry of Magic Worker in Template:COG, is born.

## Notes and references

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1. ↑ Paul Davies at the Internet Movie Database