Mathers family

"*My son's left us. Not just now, but when he left for that school, ten years ago.*"
—Danny Mathers about his son, Antoine

## Family heritage

### Notable family members

* Antoine Mathers †
* Danny Mathers
* Sabine Mathers (née Dauphin)

## Affiliation

### Loyalty

* Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
* Dumbledore's Army

**Mathers** is the surname of a family that started out Muggle. In 1981, however, a wizard, Antoine Mathers, was born into the family. When the Muggle-Born Registration Commission was set up by the Ministry of Magic following Lord Voldemort's takeover on 1 August, 1997, Antoine was forced to go on the run, refusing to register on principle. He was killed by Snatchers on the run on 19 October, 1997, and his body was discovered by muggles in Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire a few days later.

## History

### Recent History

A boy named Antoine Mathers was born into this family on 12 February, 1981, in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He was a muggle-born wizard. He began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in September 1992, where he was sorted into Ravenclaw House.

#### Second Wizarding War (1994-1998)

Antoine Mathers became a member of Dumbledore's Army in his fourth year at school, having joined because he felt that Professor Dolores Umbridge was not an adequate teacher. Dumbledore's Army was a secret organisation initiated by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley to teach their fellow Hogwarts colleagues proper Defence Against the Dark Arts in 1995. It was founded by Hermione, but taught and led by Harry.

Antoine began dating Aquila Black in 1996. He liked her because she was egregious and funny. She came up with the nickname of "Titou" for him. However, they ended things in August 1997, when it became apparent that he would have to go on the run.

When the Muggle-Born Registration Commission was set up by the Ministry of Magic following Lord Voldemort's takeover on 1 August, 1997, Antoine was forced to go on the run, refusing to register on principle. The public goal of the Commission was to force all Muggle-born wizards and witches to register with the Ministry, then undergo interrogation as to how they "stole" their magical power from "real" wizards and witches. In truth, the Commission was a deeply prejudicial institution, that focused its resources on degradation and imprisonment of Muggle-borns. Dolores Umbridge was the head of the commission.

The Commission in fact forced Muggle-borns to turn themselves in, sending Snatchers against any who tried to avoid them. Some people pursued by Snatchers, such as Dirk Cresswell and Ted Tonks, did not survive the encounter. Antoine was killed by Snatchers on the run on 19 October, 1997, and his body was discovered by muggles in Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire a few days later.

On 22 October, 1997, Antoine Mathers's death was announced on Potterwatch. Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Aquila Black heard the announcement and were stunned. Antoine had been a member of Dumbledore's Army, and his death was especially a blow to Aquila, who had, dare to say, loved him. Soon afterwards, a message was painted on the wall right below "DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY" and "STILL RECRUITING:" *"REMEMBER TITOU."*

Antoine's death affected Aquila so much that she felt the need to visit his parents, Danny and Sabine Mathers, after the war. What she found there was not the family that Antoine had described: a happy father, who did all he could to support the family, and a humming mother who cooked and nestled about the kitchen, thinking of her homeland in the French countryside. Rather, what she found was a small, dilapidated little house, and a middle-aged, alcoholic father who offered her a drink when she walked through the front door. When the two got to talking, Aquila quickly discovered that Danny did not love Antoine as he had described. When she talked to his mother, Sabine, the woman broke down entirely, sobbing, and Aquila soon realised that the family that Antoine had come from was broken. She suspected that it was like her own, which only made things worse because she knew that Antoine had been in complete denial.

## Known Members

* **Antoine Mathers** (12 February, 1981 - 19 October, 1997) - He began attending Hogwarts School of Wizardry in 1992, but was forced to drop out before his sixth year to escape the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, who were rounding up muggle-borns like him. He was killed by Snatchers in Charnwood Forest in October 1997, aged sixteen.
* **Danny Mathers** (fl. 1997) - He was the father of Antoine Mathers and married to Sabine.
* **Sabine Mathers** (fl. 1997) - She was the mother of Antoine Mathers and married to Danny.

## Etymology

Mathers is an occupational name for a mower or reaper of grass or hay, deriving from the Old English pre 7th Century "moethere".