The Carrows were a traditional family who lived in a traditional house and raised their children in a traditional manner. Everything was ordered, they did nothing for themselves and it was of the utmost importance that everyone understood that this was just how things are. The twins were told that they were at the top of society and that everything they have is because they deserve it, they were then told that people were trying to take that away from them. They were told to hate muggles because they were thieves, unworthy, unevolved, lesser beings. These were the facts of Amycus’ childhood, endoctrination, brainwashing, whatever you wish to call it, bright eyed children do not develop such ideas on their own.
Life was exhaustingly structured in the Carrow household– you would wake up this time, be ready for this time and carry out some painstakingly boring task at this time. Amycus learnt to play the piano, he could speak fluent French, he could ballroom dance exceptionally well by the age of seven and his knowledge of Wizarding politics could exceed that of a man three times his age. These are valuable skills, of course, but this is what his childhood consisted of; rules, orders, lessons and harsh words.
There was nothing soft about the twin’s parents, they were both cold people in nature, raised in the same way they were. They were not warm, they were not a comfort, in fact, they had little to do with their children. His father worked, his mother drunk, the house elf tended to the house and the nanny provided the basic care, she was instructed to do no more than that. He wasn’t paid compliments, he was given blunt ways to improve and when he made mistakes, there was always hell to pay. His father’s office became his least favourite place on Earth and merely looking in the room sends shivers rolling through him. He wasn’t supposed to develop such an ego, that came from the outside, he was treated like a king and so he acted like one, must to his parent’s dismay. Amycus was not supposed to be a raised a good man, he was supposed to be hard-hearted, he was supposed to be a fighter, but they didn’t quite anticipate the lunacy that would come with it. Yes, he grew up to be a desirable pureblood man and the perfect heir, but he was not under any circumstances okay.
∇ - OLD AGE/DEATH HEADCANON
Amycus never anticipated growing old, he expected to die in a blaze of glory, fighting until his last breath. He also never anticipated fearing death and truth be told, he never feared it for him. If he were to die, Alecto would be alone and that thought terrified him more than anything. He didn’t trust anyone else to look out for her, he had never trusted anyone else with his sister. At some point he realised that the cause wasn’t worth dying for and that returning home was far more important. So he did, he didn’t searched for Voldemort after the first war, the Carrows kept themselves safe.
He never anticipated growing old, he expected to die in a blazy of glory, fighting until his last breath, but he didn’t. Instead he died in a cell, he died a prisoner and though he swore he would rather die standing up than live on his knees, he had something to live for and that was far more important than his pride.
