Harry Potter and the Troublesome Evie
By Trephinia Cealyn
Chapter 1 | Silly Birdie
He crept down the corridors of the Malfoy Mansion, a trained assassin. He knew his way around. He knew where to go. He knew all to well, but still he was lost. "Damn you Malfoys!" he said silently. He shook his head. "Might as well leave." He nodded. That was the only choice. He turned and traced his steps, finally leaving the way he came. Exiting the Malfoy Mansion through the back door he stayed just long enough to hear the scream. Then he knew his job was through. Inside the house a terrified Narcissa Malfoy stared at the fireplace as dozens of snakes dropped from, well, nowhere. She screamed again. The assassin sat in the village pub drinking a Butter beer. She had better enjoy the snakes while she could. The next time would be much, much worse.
"Did you take care of it?" a man said sitting on the bar next to the assassin.
The bar was dusty and dingy. The air stank of floors that hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Men incapacitated lay unmoving at tables. The owner moved around shaking the men who were sober enough to apaparte but some of the men weren't waking anytime soon. As the owner passed these men he shook his head sadly and continued his rounds.
This bar was the assassin's favorite. The pockets were easy to pick here and the beer was cheap. The assassin smiled and finished off his beer. He ordered another one before replying. He wasn't paying so he might as well drink his full. "I like to drive my victims insane before I kill them." The assassin swirled his drink in the cup, "Good stuff." He downed it and ordered another figuring the hangover was worth it.
"I don't care how you do it. Just kill her and get it over with." The man spat. He plopped a bag of gold on the counter. "Do you have the papers?" The assassin handed him an envelope the man took it greedily and left. The assassin shook his head at the bad manners and scooped up the gold. He left quietly picking a few pockets on his way out. Not for the money, just to see if he could.
"Ring around the roses." The door to Voldemort's study opened and a tiny figure crept in. The person shut the door quietly.
"Evelyn please… don't bother me now." Voldemort said facing the fire. A girl, 11 or so, stood, her back pressed against the door. She tossed her mass of black hair and her green eyes flashed indignantly. She took a step further into the room.
"Pocket full of poses." She said a tiny black snake sat curled around her neck sleeping.
"Evelyn… please…I don't have time for this…" Voldemort leaned his head against the mantel. Seeing the girl reminded him of something he didn't want to be reminded of.
"Ashes, Ashes." The snake uncoiled a bit and hissed. It had been a present from Voldemort, he hoped that maybe, just maybe, she would be a Parselmouth. He couldn't really tell if she was though. She never acknowledged the snake in his presence and the snake wouldn't talk to him about her. He tried not to let his emotions show but a frown appeared on his face.
"Evelyn… you're not quite sane… please just leave… it pains me to see you like this." He turned to face the pretty girl. She looked away.
"We all fall down." She sat roughly on the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest and backing up to the wall she buried her head into her legs and started to cry.
"No Evelyn… please don't cry?" Voldemort looked stricken. He rushed forward. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms smiling down at her with his serpent like face.
"Daddy?" she looked up at him eyes filled with tears. He stopped smiling and looked at her horrified.
"No, I'm not your father. He's dead." He set her down and turned back to the fire. "…but - but I'll kill the ones who did it!" He turned back to the girl. He pulled her off the floor and cradled her in his arms. "I promised your mother that I would." He carried her out into the corridor. "I promised her I'd avenge his death and care for you… and I always keep my promises." He thought back to last week when he arrived at the Gillian's house only to find his most secret spies killed. Killed by his own people, who thought they actually worked for Dumbledore. Well they did… as spies. Now not only were the best spies gone they were dead leaving him with an insane 11 year old. He carried the girl who had fallen asleep in his arms to her room and set her in her bed. He left quietly and shut the door quietly too. He didn't want to wake her, she needed her rest.
The owl flew in circles. Caught in the bad weather it didn't really know what to do. It knew one thing though. It had to deliver the letter. Had to. Using his night vision the owl steadied itself. It peered through the rain. A house… the right house? Had to be. It's wings beat against the wind and he forced himself to move. Had to deliver the letter. It tapped its beak desperately on the windowpane. Open up. He squawked. Got to deliver letter.
"Oh Harry!" Mrs. Weasley enveloped the boy in her arms. "Dumbledore finally agreed to let you come!" she pulled him towards the door.
"My trunk?" he said, but Vernon was already on it. Glad the boy was leaving he even helped him pack. Dursley secretly wished the Weasley's would take the boy in but he noted their shabby appearance and multitudes of children and knew it was just a dream. They couldn't afford Harry. Of course Dursley didn't know about Harry's tiny fortune.
"Here it is." He shoved the trunk towards the twins. "And good riddance." He showed them, a bit gruffly, out the door and slammed it. Finally, the boy was gone for the summer. Peace and quiet.
"Well that was pleasant." Fred said sardonically. He and George carried the heavy trunk.
"What a jolly fellow." George said smiling. He slipped with his end a bit.
"Didn't even get to give them a toffee." Ron said. He helped the George with his side of the trunk.
"Ministry cars?" Harry said in wonderment. "How did you get the Ministry to give you cars?"
"Didn't you hear?" Mrs. Weasley asked excited. "Arthur is the new Minister!" she exclaimed happily and continued on, "Isn't that splendid?" Harry nodded, happy that now Ron could afford decent robes, but looking at Ron's robes he knew that the Ministry wasn't paying them that much more. He climbed into the car after Ron, Fred, and George had loaded his trunk into the back of the car. Mrs. Weasley climbed in after them. "Off to the Burrow then?" Harry nodded. He was headed to his favorite place with his favorite people. Could it get any better?
"Evelyn." Voldemort called. The girl entered the room. She had her hair pulled back from her face but the curls threatened to spring free at any moment.
"Yes Voldie?" Voldemort flinched. Why did he let her get away with that? Oh right, because she's mad. He nodded at the owl.
"There's a letter for you." The owl flew over towards her prancing happily. It landed on the arm she held out.
"A letter?" Evelyn said clapping her hands together. "For me?" she untied the burden from the owl and gave his head a pat. "Good owlie." The owl flew over to a coat hanger and waited patiently to deliver the reply.
"Well what does it say?" Voldemort said impatiently. He had business to attend to and as much as the little girl amused him she was annoying.
"Tsk, tsk Voldie shouldn't pry into Evie's busyness." Evelyn opened the letter slowly. She read the contents and smiled. "Heh, heh… Voldie not gonna be a happy birdie when he sees this." She shook her head and the smile grew. "No, no, no not a happy birdie at all."
"Evelyn… what does the letter say?" Voldemort said standing. He hated when people kept secrets. Absolutely loathed it.
"Voldie not gonna see that letter. Nope nopie… not gonna set his eyes on this letter." She ran out of the room and down the stairs.
"Evelyn!" Voldemort followed her angry. "Get back here. Give me that letter."
"My letter mine!" she said from the stairs. She jumped the last couple of steps. "All mine silly birdie. Silly Voldie." He flicked his wand and the girl stopped, she looked at him putting on her meanest face. It was all Voldemort could do to not laugh. "Not fair Voldie. Evie no got pretty stick. Not fair! Mean birdie!" he strode down the stairs and snatched the letter from her hands. He read it quickly. "Voldie no play nice! Voldie no play nice at all."
"Interesting, a letter from Hogwarts. I don't think so." Voldemort threw the letter on the floor. He looked at the girl sternly. "No Evelyn."
"Evie wants to go. Evie want stick. Evie want magic. Little birdies no stops Evie." She stared at Voldemort. "And make Evie move."
He flicked his wand and she smiled. "Alright Evelyn." He picked up the letter and smiled evilly. A flicker of thought crossed Voldemort's face. "You can go."
"Good Voldie." She reached for the wand preparing to grab it from his hands and use it. "Now Evie get stick." He pulled his hand away.
"I'll put you under care of that Malfoy child." He said walking up the stairs musing aloud to himself. "Draco is his name, I believe."
"Dracky?" She looked up at him holding the letter to her chest eyes shining brightly. "Dracky? Evie gets Dracky! All to Evie's self!" she ran up the stairs after him. "Birdie to kind!" She threw her arms around his waist. "Thanksies Daddy." Then she ran to her room before he could even begin to protest.