Chapter Two
"..van! Evan!"
He made a sound in the back of his throat and frowned, but he didn't see anyone who cold possibly be calling him. No one was there, besides himself, and the last he checked, books didn't talk unless they were online or on cassettes/CDs. He shrugged and turned back to the anatomy text book.
"..re. Lemme just-"
His eyelids were pried open and a bright light was shined into them.
"Aarrrgh!" His hands clapped over his hazel eyes and he winced when the suddenness of the action made the pain in his back flare up again. Need to change the bandages, he thought as he rubbed at his- Wait... I can't rub my face while in the cupboard without-
He opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar room, with green and blue seats, a glass door, and- "Harry!" His twin was wearing a black robe and a pointed cap, and next to him were two vaguely familiar children in identical clothing. His eyes narrowed. "Where...?"
Harry sighed, green orbs rolling from behind wire-frame glasses. "Hogwarts Express, Evan. Remember?"
"Ah. Yes. That." He blinked a few times. Oh. Hermione and... Neville! he recalled. It was dark outside. "We're here, then?"
"We're almost there, Evan, so we decided to wake you. After all, you don't want to get Sorted while half-asleep! I heard that the Sorting's actually a test that you do in the Great Hall, before they start the Welcome Feast, and-"
Evan looked over to his twin to see Harry trying to hide a smile. Keeping his face schooled never was one of his strong suits.
"Oi, I can hear you, you know!"
"Oh, really?" he twinspake in a light tone that betrayed his insincerity. "Oops."
"A test!" Neville's grip on his familiar tightened, and Trevor the Toad let out a croak. "But- but I don't know any magic! I'm almost a squib! I'm going to fail. I knew this was too good to be true."
Evan could feel his face shift as he looked at the toad, but he drew his gaze to the panicking boy, so as to not alarm Neville further. "Relax," he said, and heard an echo. A quick glance to the right informed him that he and Harry were, as they were prone to do, speaking at the same time. Together, they continued, "the Sorting 's not really a test."
Hermione gasped. "You must be joking! Everyone I asked said it was! I've spent all summer studying for it!"
"It's really not a test." Evan could feel the train slow to a stop and reached for his trunk. He shrank it and shoved it in his pockets.
"You see," Harry said, "Evan found out that people prank first years by making up outrageous stories. We heard one about fighting a troll, even."
Evan's voice was a bit muffled as he retied his neck tie into a bow, but he picked up where his twin left off. "The school really just has this hat, the Sorting Hat, that looks at how you think and puts you into houses based on that."
"Together, the twins finished, "So don't worry."
Harry had Evan straighten his tie for him while Hermione and Neville processed this information. But while Hermione seemed to relax minutely, murmuring something about study guides and summer homework, Neville seemed even more dejected. "What's wrong Neville?"
The other boy just shook his head. After a moment, he opened his mouth to answer-
A prefect- not the redheaded one from earlier, opened the compartment door and rushed them outside, telling them to leave their luggage.
"Never mind," Neville muttered. Harry frowned.
Hermione turned to ask what Harry and Neville were talking about but became quite distracted. "Evan, what did you do to your tie?"
"I tied it."
"Then why is it..." The two began to bicker, though Evan was faintly smiling.
Harry's frown deepened at this, though he couldn't say why. "Should we do something about them?" he wondered aloud. Neville just shrugged and grabbed Trevor, hands faintly trembling.
The four preteens made their way off the train, Evan and Hermione still arguing about his uniform.
"-still, you should have-"
"Hermione, today is only the Welcoming Feast. I won't be penalized for not wearing the entire thing uniform correctly. Beyond that, there are no rules stating th-" From the corner of his eye, the redhead saw something move and his voice trailed off. He turned.
He had recalled that the carriages for the older students weren't horseless, of course. It had been a plot point during one of the latter books. Evan just hadn't quite remembered how disturbing the usually invisible horses were when one could actually see them. As he watched, one of them turned to face him, eyeless sockets meeting his gaze. It tossed its bony neck and neighed. He shivered, but couldn't look away.
"-an? Evan!"
Someone shook him. "Hm?"
He turned his head to meet the worried faces of his brother and their companions- though Hermione looked more upset than anything. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." Evan's back twinged a bit when someone bumped into him from behind, but he ignored it and asked, "Do you see them too?"
"See what?"
"The horses."
And now Hermione looked worried. "Evan," she said softly (or as softly as one can on a crowded train platform), "the carriages are horseless. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Anyway," he started walking again and they moved to keep up with him, "we should probably find the other-"
"Firs' years!" Hagrid's voice cut through the crowd. He was walking towards the crowd carrying a lantern and wearing that many-pocketed coat of his."Firs' years, this way! C'm on now, firs' years don' be shy! Follow me!"
Evan smiled brightly at the timing. (Hermione was beginning to wonder if the boy was insane. Harry knew his brother was only vaguely sane, and was actually also amused by Hagrid's timing. Neville was too worried to notice.)
"No more'n four t' a boat!" The four went over to the edge of the lake, the twins waving at Hagrid as they settled into a boat. The half-giant waved back, grinning.
"E'ryone in?" Hagrid got into the last boat, managing to fill it up by himself. "Right then. Forward!"
All of the boats began to glide across the dark, glassy surface of the lake. All of the new students were staring at the giant castle, taking in the beauty of it. Even Evan, though he couldn't help thinking, And now, it begins.
Hagrid called for everyone to duck as they neared a vine-covered opening in the cliffside the castle was built on, but he was the only one that needed to. The students were directed to leave their boats once they were inside what seemed to be an underground harbor (the twins helped Hermione and Neville out. "Wait," the chubby boy said. "I 've lost Trevor again!" None of the four could see the toad; it was too dark. Personally, Evan was glad it was gone, but he didn't voice this.) and follow Hagrid through a dark tunnel.
"At last, they walked up a series of stone staircases, coming to a stop before a woman in deep green robes and a black hat with salt-and-pepper hair. Hermione, from where she stood on Harry's left, stopped talking halfway through asking the dark-haired boy if he knew, exactly, the way of thinking that each House had.
"'Ere are th' firs' years, Proffessor McGonagall."
""Thank you, Hagrid," said the woman, apparently a professor, nodding, "I will take them from here."
"She clapped her hands together and the murmuring of the students died down. "Welcome to Hogwarts! In a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you take your seats, you will need to be sorted into your Houses."
"The murmuring started up again and Evan finally noticed that Neville seemed even more nervous than he had been on the train. He nudged him and Neville managed a shaky smile that looked more like a grimace.
The professor moved her gaze over the crowd and the students quieted again as her eyes moved over them. "They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." Her expression flattened a bit at the last one. "While you are here, they will be your family. Triumphs will earn points, rule-breaking will lose them. At the end of the year the House with the most-"
Her explanation was interrupted by a croaking sound. Neville leapt forward to snatch up his toad with a cry of, "Trevor!" before Evan could stop him.
Only when everything was completely quiet did Neville seem to realize how rude that was. "Sorry!" He hurried back to Evan's side.
Professor McGonagall continued her speech and vanished into the Hall, but Evan ignored her and instead pulled the ribbon from his hair. "Here," he whispered, and tied Trevor to Neville. "Should be harder to lose this way."
"Is it true then, what they're saying on the train?" The voice cut above the other students' talking.
Uh-oh.
"Has Harry Potter come to Hogwarts?"
Evan's head snapped up and he moved to stand at Harry's right side. Neville hesitated for a moment and then followed.
Harry, upon hearing his name, had turned to look for the origin of the voice. It belonged to the blond boy who was leaning against one of the banisters, a smug smile pasted on his face. He ignored the whispers of "Harry Potter!" that had broken out among the wizard-raised students and the questions of "Harry Potter?" from the muggleborns. Instead, the boy introduced his companions as "Crabbe and Goyle," and made his way to the front. (At the back of the corwd, another boy- who looked like the prefect that had summoned Neville's toad, down to the red hair and neatly-patched robes- tried to make his way forward too, only to be stopped when everyone around him hissed at him to stop pushing.)
"And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Harry looked mildly alarmed, though few would be able to tell. His alarmed face was a slight widening of his eyes and a downwards turn of his mouth.
Evan rolled his eyes. "Honestly?" Nervous because of this guy?
Malfoy' head whipped around. Neville flinched at the look in his eye, but stayed at Evan's side. "Think my name's funny, do you?" Evan just raised an eyebrow. The blond sneered. "No need to ask yours. Red hair, messy robes, you must be a Weasley. Father said one of them was a girl, though you really aren't pretty to be one. Whoever told him must have been mistaken."
Harry chuckled and Hermione wondered at that until she saw Evan's expression.
Evan was smiling.
It was not a nice smile.
Smiles weren't supposed to look like that, especially without teeth showing.
"I don't find your name funny, Malfoy." The blond took a step back. "I'd've said as much if you had taken a breath instead of ranting. I was only going to say that this," and he gestured to the location, "is hardly the time and place to be making introductions. And-"
Behind them, someone screamed.
This interrupting thing is starting to get annoying. Evan simply blinked, disturbing smile falling from his face. Harry, on the other hand, jumped. Most of the muggleborn or muggle-raised did.
Oh, Evan thought, ghosts. Cool.
Indeed, twenty or so transparent and pearly-white beings were walking through the air, conversing amongst themselves.
(Malfoy, seeing the redhead's attention move, quickly walked away. "Father said they were idiots and pushovers," he muttered under his breath. Could his father have been wrong about something? No, surely that wasn't possible.)
Harry grabbed his twin's arm. "Evan, I thought you were kidding about the ghosts!"
"Why would I joke about that?" He blinked. "Be careful if you see a green one though. That one's-"
"Dangerous?"
"Mostly annoying, but sometimes dangerous, yes."
One who looked like a fat monk noticed them and smiled. "Hello! You must be new students." The was an awkward pause, in which only a few students managed to nod. "Well, I hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."
"Move along," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting's about to begin." McGonagall had returned, and her appearance prompted the ghosts to leave. "We're ready for you now. Follow me," she ordered the children once the apparitions were gone.
She led the group through the halls and then through an ornately carved wooden door.
Past that door was the Great Hall and, despite knowing what it would look like, Evan was amazed. There were four long tables of golden plates and goblets and (mostly) smiling older students, and upon the elevated platform at the front of the room was another table, only with the teachers instead of students. Candles floated in the air, illuminating the room. Then, remembering something that he'd been looking forward to, Evan directed his gaze upwards, barely noticing that Harry did the same. "Wow."
"It's not real," Hermione said, but she, too, sounded awed. "It's just bewitched to look like outside- I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
"Still looks beautiful though," said Harry, who especially like the effect of the floating candles against the dark sky; the flickering lights almost looked like stars.
Neville probably would have said something, but Evan noticed that he was turning green- probably so nervous that he was trying not to puke. "Relax, Neville," he told him. "You'll be just fine."
The other boy just shook his head.
"You will."
They reached the dais at the front of the room where the teachers were seated and McGonagall told them to wait while the headmaster gave a few announcements that Evan thoroughly ignored. Then he saw McGonagall move, and the Hat began to sing. The words washed over the redhead, indistinct, as did the following applause, for he had just realized something disturbing. Rather, two discomforting somethings.
One: that Hat was about to look into his head, and he had no way of knowing that it would keep his secrets.
And two: the three worst adults in the school were in the room with him, and they were probably staring at his brother and himself.
Suddenly, his wonder at being in the Great Hall turned into dread.
"When I call your name, I will put the Hat on your head and you will sit on the stool to be Sorted." She called the names in alphabetical order, but Evan hardly noticed, as Harry hissed and grabbed his scar.
"Harry?"
"My scar hurts."
"Look at the Hat! Ignore the teachers, remember?"
Hermione tugged on Harry's sleeve, wondering what was wrong, but he only managed a weak smile before she was called./
"Gryffindor!" shouted the hat after a long moment.
When Neville was called, Evan squeezed his hand (the one not tied to Trevor the toad) and Harry clapped him on the shoulder. Still, he was so nervous that he tripped on his way over. After an even longer time than Hermione, the Hat finally shouted, "Gryffindor!" and he raced off, forgetting that the Hat was still on his head.
After Neville returned the Hat and sat down next to Hermione, Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin. Several more children were sorted, notably Lillian Moon to Ravenclaw and Sally-Anne Perks to Gryffindor, neither of whom Evan could remember from the movies or books, and then, it was Harry's turn and the room was filled with whispers.
"Potter, she said?"
"The Harry Potter?"
The last thing Harry saw before the brim of the Hat covered his eyes was Evan, standing tall as if to shield him from the craning heads of the other students. "Relax. You can ask!"
"Hmm? My, but you are difficult. Very difficult. And surprising, too. Legilimancy at your age?"
Legilimancy?
"There's talent- oh my goodness, you've talent. Plenty of courage, too, and not a bad mind either. Where to put you?" Each word in that last sentence felt heavy- as if each was its' own question.
Not Slytherin, Harry thought, gripping the edge of the stool so hard that his knuckles turned white. Not Slytherin.
"Not Slytherin, eh? You've a thirst to prove yourself, and Slytherin could help you be great."
No, he thought. Then he remembered. Gryffindor, please.
"What's this?"
Evan said I could ask. And Evan only lied about the small things, he knew. So, I'd like Gryffindor, please.
"Did he now? I'll enjoy Sorting your brother, I think. Well, if you're sure, then- Gryffindor!" The Hat shouted the last word to the entire hall, and he managed to take it off with shaky hands. He smiled at Evan, too relieved that his brother had been right to pay attention to the cheering of the other students.
Harry sat down on Hermione's other side, smiling at her and Neville too, before turning to watch his brother.
"Potter, Evan!"
Said boy walked forward calmly as whispers broke out again./
"What?"
"Potter? But I thought they were all killed!"
"Harry Potter has a cousin?"
(Malfoy look almost as though he'd been slapped with a fish. I have to tell Father about this. Then, Oh no. Father said to get on the Boy-Who-Lived's good side. And he'd instead insulted the boy's cousin. His father was not going to be pleased by this.)
He smiled at his brother and then the Hat covered his eyes. Hello.
"Oh! Hello! Hardly anyone ever says that to me, but you already figured as much d- What! No! No, no, no. It simply does not work that way, Mr. Potter- or should I say, Miss Whitmore! You were an adult, you should know better!"
So, I do have to be in Gryffindor to borrow the sword, then? Evan shivered. And I think I prefer Potter, if you don't mind. Despite being Miss Ann Whitmore in a previous life, Evan was Evan. And he was quite alright with that. Having Ann's memories was just something useful- and occasionally depressing or annoying, but mostly useful
"No! Students are not to use weapons in the castle! Why would you even need to- Oh. Oh my. I need to tell someone about this!"
Please don't! Evan inhaled sharply. I'll take care of it, but if anyone else knows, then something bad will happen-
"Worse than a basilisk roaming the castle?! What could- Oh. Mister Potter-"
Call me Evan. You're in my head, after all.
"Evan, you- You- I think I've just lost several decades off my life from this conversation."
Evan frowned. So enchantments do wear out then?
"Alright. I'll lend you Godric's sword; he'd want it to be used for something like this, and your memories say that it's likely to happen anyway. But, Evan, I want you to swear it to me."
I swear that I'll only use the sword to defeat the basilisk, and that I'll return it immediately afterwards, if I am able. He felt a tingle run down his spine.
Unknown to him, several of the teachers jolted, alarmed at the pulse of magic they felt coming from the boy. Dumbledore and Snape both stood up, and McGonagall had to fight the urge to rip the Hat from Evan's head when the Headmaster sat back down.
(Quirrel and his master were simply curious about the display. Very curious.)
"You're expecting to die?"
Eh. I'll feel bad about leaving Harry, but this has to be done. Some things are more important than family, and I cannot afford to be stopped- or for word to get out. He'll manage just fine. He has Hermione and Neville to look after him.
"Young man, I was referring to-"
Oh. Evan blinked. He hadn't considered how he felt about dying again. He also wasn't about to do it with someone listening in. Well... This is more important. Indeed, most of his plan relied upon getting rid of the basilisk early.
"You are possibly the most Slytherin student I've sorted in decades."
Really? He'd had a feeling he would be. All of his Pottermore quizzes were unfailingly serpentine.
"So-?"
No, he smiled, I think not, as interesting as that would be. Hufflepuff, please.
"Really? You're not very much like them, you know."
I know. But... I do want something just for me- somewhere safe and probably quiet to relax, you know?
"I see. I don't agree with you, Evan, especially if they're anything like what you remember, but since your mind is made up. Come speak with me again, but until then have fun in Hufflepuff!"
The room was silent, beyond the clapping of the Hufflepuff table, Harry, Neville and Hermione as Evan made his way over to his House.
After the other students were sorted and Dumbledore, who seemed more like the first actor than that guy who played Gandalf, made a few more announcements, the students were free to eat and mingle with each other.
Harry had a good time of it- tons of food, good company (Hermione and Neville and that nice prefect from earlier kept the others from bothering him) and no more pain in his scar.
Evan did not have a good time. Oh, the food was wonderful (especially the rack of lamb!) and he tried at least a bite or two of everything he could reach, but his company was a bit-
"Are you really a Potter?"
"How do are you related to the Boy-Who-Lived?"/p
"Is it true that Harry-"
So on and so forth.
Honestly, he didn't even have much of a chance to answer- they just kept talking over each other! And they were starting to give him a headache. (And he could feel eyes on him from the direction of the staff table.) To top all of that, his back kept throbbing, reminding him that he needed to change his bandages.
He kept a smile on his face through the rest of the meal, took absolutely none of their words to heart and answered very few of their questions.
Thankfully, by the time the prefects escorted the first years to the dormitories, the others were too tired to keep talking at him.
Frankly, he felt as though he'd made a huge mistake.
Word Count: 3,820
Posted: 3/26/2018
