August 28th, 1995

12:32 P.M

"And you're sure you have EVERYTHING?" Jean asked for what had seemed like the millionth time as she skipped down the stairs on Eavan's heels, arms wrapped full around books and other school supplies that had yet find a home in her bags. Eavan blew a small raspberry but smiled as she hopped the last step to turn a sharp corner into the large Parlor of the mansion. With Jean tossing the books with a grunt upon the couch, she was earned an even louder grunt followed by a curse as they fell upon a lounging Logan; Eavan finally scanned her items hopefully for the final time.

"Jesus Christ what are they teaching you there?" Logan groaned as he shifted the books from his aching lap and onto the cushion beside him, tossing a snarl toward a smirking Jean who was busing herself in securing Eavan's luggage trunks, the red haired teen letting out a quiet laugh.

"I've been there four years Logan, you should have noticed by now that the books have slowly gotten bigger." Eavan smiled and did a once over on her academic books needed for the new year, taking note that she need just two more that she could pick up from Diagon Alley.

"Okay I really think I have absolutely everything."

"Did you count that?" Scott asked upon arriving, pointing a finger toward the large Grey Owl that was perched in his cage with a padlock secured in place. The Owl in question turned toward Scott and gave a much disapproved hoot before ruffling his large body, rattling the cage loudly.

"Yeah like I would leave Thorin here with you guys, you would have so much fun with him." Eavan rolled her eyes and took out her wand and held it over her many books and school equipment that had failed to make it into her luggage trunks. With a small wave she happily watched as everything shrunk to the size of an American Penny, able to be scooped up and placed into the small side satchel she wore across her body.

She loved magic.

Looking away from her bag and toward the giant birdcage, she stared into the large and intense gold gaze of her owl. With a wave of her wand, the padlock snapped open and fell to the ground. With the cage now unlocked the large owl butted it open and flapped once toward his owner's outstretched arm; perching gently before grazing the tip of her nose.

He has been with her since her first year, found caged outside Eeylops Owl Emporium and looking as evil as sin. The owner had warned her that he had been sold and returned several times before they gave up and had him be a shop owl but she took a liking to him for his largeness and his colors . . . and also the store was crowded with new first years, like herself, snatching owls left and right so she really had no choice.

He was an ass.

A giant jerk to her for two years; dropped her mail mid-flight before reaching Hogwarts, bit her, screeched in her ear and ignored her every word but she still admired him. Soon he returned the favor; all it took was patience; a lot of damn patience and lots of treats.

"You know the drill, friend. I'll see you later tonight." With a scratch to his large belly and a tap to his yellow beak, she waved the window open and the owl took flight and quickly flapped outward. "Be safe."

Charles wheeled himself into the parlor as quietly as he could just as Thorin beat his silver wings and disappeared out of the open bay window. Blue eyes twinkled happily as he watched Eavan gently cup the rest of her belongings and toss them into her bag before shrinking the large owl cage as well, smiling at whatever Jean and Logan were telling Scott; something along the lines of him being an X-man and afraid of a bird.

He was just content in watching the few minutes of bliss as Eavan got her school items together, her robes folded and placed into her trunk and just enjoyed the peaceful excitement he could see on her face. Following last year's incident with the tournament and the death of that boy who was also an acquaintance of Eavan's, she was melancholy when she returned home for the summer break. For a few weeks not even letter from her friends could lift her spirits.

He remembered that day some months ago and Thorin pecking at his office window at an early hour in the morning; so early that Charles was not seated in his chair yet. With his telepathy he had opened the window and Thorin didn't hesitate in beating in and landing with a thud on Charles' bed; breaths huffing quickly in hisses through the letter he had clutched in his beak.

He read the letter a few times and frowned with each pass over. She was close to the Diggory boy; friends even though they shared different houses. He remembered in a previous letter that Cedric had asked her to the Yule Ball that was a part of the tournament and in this letter she expressed how she regretted saying yes to another boy before Diggory ever asked. She also had mentioned that when Harry returned, he was going on about a name of a man that she wasn't allowed to say or write and she spoke of the distraught fear he expressed upon returning that unnerved Eavan though not as drastic as seeing her friend deceased on the floor. She was too young for that, they all were.

In all, the entire letter was quite short and described that day very briefly but one sentence at the bottom caught his attention and he reread it plenty of times and his heart had swelled.

If you don't mind can you meet me at the platform when the train arrives? I don't want to be by myself too long and I'll just be ready to see you and go home.

He kept that promise and had personally picked her up at the platform, sitting and waiting for the young teen girl just as she had asked of him. He could see the many forlorn faces, hear the sad thoughts of all the children as they departed the train and start the hunt for their parents but he wasn't prepared for when he saw Eavan. Her hair in a messy ponytail, the silver white strands zig zagging through her tresses and even falling toward her shoulders showed how mentally exhausted she was. Her thoughts were no more better, all jumbled with memories and voices that were going a million miles a minutes that made his head begin to ache and a sigh escape his lips.

This year had been a rough year and rough wasn't even strong enough. Though the only thing that could be referred to as strong was the hug that he was given when her sad eyes had found him and her feet brought her to him.

Charles let a sigh escape as he opened his eyes from the reverie, in truth many strange occurrences have happened at this school over the few years she has been attending but this death, this was a first of that caliber. She had come to him a week or so later, to confine in him the guilt she felt in not bringing him back when she knew full well that she easily could. One of the main things that he tried to teach her over her years with him is that she cannot save everyone, no matter how badly she wants to. He had taken notice that no new white strands had emerged and he was thankful that she was at least putting her own mortality first. He could read in her mind the voice of hers berating her about not saving him as well as for being too scared and weak to do so in front of the schools and over the summer holiday, he made it his mission to ease that guilt.

Finally wheeling himself into the parlor and earning their attention, Eavan's green eyes found him they glimmered with a fondness that was no stranger. "Professor Xavier, I was just about to come find you."

Charles smiled and shook his head. "I could hear you mentally list everything twenty-something times from across the mansion and decided to seek you out myself." His blues eyes grazed over the trunks that held her clothing and books to her bag at her hip that carried her other belongings.

"You have everything, yes?"

Eavan rolled her eyes. "Yes sir I'm positive I do, Jean has been helping me since 7:30 this morning."

"That's good, that's good." He cleared his throat. "And the Weasley's know that you are coming by floo?"

"I'm sure." Eavan looked up at the large clock just at hit 12:55 P.M. She told Molly she would be there at One P.M and not a second later. "Speaking of, I must get going. I don't want to be late." Eavan grabbed her large luggage trunks and ran over to the fire place, tossing them in before she pulled a loose marble brick from its spot, revealing a small cauldron of fine white powder. Stepping before the large fireplace that Dumbledore had paid a nice visit to in her second year; she fisted a handful of the powder.

"The Burrow!" She called out and tossed the Floo into the unlit Fireplace and stepped back just as green flames encased her luggage and erupted with loud crackle before they died down, showing that the luggage had disappeared.

"I never get tired of seeing that." Logan smirked. "Let's throw Scott in and yell something in gibberish."

"Go to hell Logan." Scott seethed and the parlor erupted into fits of laughter that Eavan was sure to miss. With a smile to her lips and smile gleaming in her green eyes, she looked at the clock and saw it read 12:58 P.M.

She has to go.

"I love you guys." She choked just like every year when it's time for to her leave. She scanned their faces and noted one was missing. "Please tell Storm that I'll owl her as soon as I can." Tears welled familiarly and Jean walked over and gave her a hug.

"Of course we will and she wanted to be here to see you off, just know that."

"I know that." Eavan whispered and hugged the equal red haired woman back tightly just as she whispered in the teen's ear.

"Take care of yourself and you know where we are if you need us."

Eavan nodded against Jean's shoulder and squeezed once more before stepping into the fireplace. She eyed everyone and gave them a smile, lingering on Charles for few seconds longer before taking a handful of powder from the Cauldron that Jean now held.

With her held high and a loving nod thrown toward her former teachers, she cleared her throat.

"The Burrow!" She called out confidently and clearly, throwing the powder to her feet and watching as her vision of Jean, Logan, Scott and Professor Xavier disappeared with a flash of green flames.


Eavan coughed loudly as she excited the large fireplace from inside the Weasley's home, beating the soot from her jeans and long-sleeved green shirt. Letting one last cough clear her throat she looked up and saw that the living area was empty and also that the house was dark. Green eyes scanned the house and noticed that her luggage was nowhere to be seen either, something wasn't right and it made her stomach do flips that brought on nausea.

"Mrs. Weasley? Mr. Weasley?" She called as she entered into the empty kitchen to see that no dirty dish was in the sink and no magic was cleaning up; like no one had even set foot in here today.

This was strange. Eavan brought her fingers to her lips and let her teeth graze upon her nails, a habit she had picked up during her first wizarding exams, and she continued to look around the large and silent home. Not even Thorin was here.

"Ron? Hermione?" She called up the stairs before backing into the opposite sitting room and poking her head in. "Harry?"

"Where are you guys?" She whispered in dread and crossed her trembling arms.

"Why behind you of course!" A loud pop was heard right at her rear that could have sent her flying from her skin if it were possible. A screech released past her lips and with only one reaction in mind, she whirled around and sent her fist careening into whatever was behind her.

It was Georges face.

Eavan saw red and a frown pulled her lips down most unattractively as she shook her fist with a deep hiss and curse. "You-damn you-Goddamn!" She yelled her southern accent now thick with her rage.

"Damn me? Damn you! That was my perfect nose you git!" George held his hands to his bloody nose while Fred stood off to a distance with his arms wrapped around his abdomen in laughter.

"I told you not to do it, George. She's American and American girls aren't afraid to lash out."

"Well I didn't think she would actually throw a hit now did I?" George grumbled through his fingers as he waited for Fred to cease his laughing and cast a healing charm to throbbing bit of his face.

Eavan groaned and shook her hand once more then popped her fingers. "The hell is going on, where is everyone?"

Fred waved his wand and there was a thick sound of Georges nose being put back into place. The latter twin cried out and gripped his face once more and sat on the couch, pinching his nose bridge in hopes of slowing the blood down.

"Everyone is at Headquarters preparing to head to Diagon Alley then the Platform. Harry got into a bit of trouble in muggle London last night and everyone is waiting for him there, Mum sent us here to fetch you when you arrived since she knew you would be coming here."

"Yeah, fetching an assassin in training." George moaned and released his face once the blood stopped.

"Oh shut up I didn't even hit that hard. What happened to Harry? Is he okay?"

Fred nodded. "He's alright. A dementor attacked him and his cousin, forcing him to use the Patronus Charm in self-defense but they called a hearing and wanting to get him expelled."

"That's bullshit!" Eavan yelled. "They can't expel him for that it was self-defense, even the minister knows this. Where is he now?"

"Dad took him to his hearing and by now- Fred looked at his wrist watch- They should be finishing up soon let's go ahead go, all your things are already being loaded on the train for later." He held his hand out for Eavan to grasp for apparating.

"I do need a couple of book for school that I haven't gotten yet." Eavan said as she followed the twins to the main living room.

Fred nodded. "Don't worry, we need a few things too so we'll stop there and then head to the train."

Eavan nodded and went to grab his fingers but went rigid, scanning the house once more in mild panic that Fred recognized with a laugh.

"Thorin is safe too, we sent Errol out to intercept him and lead him back to Headquarters." Fred looked at Eavan's face narrow and a sigh escape her lips.

"We might as well just wait here for him if you sent out that owl." She grumbled but the twins only laughed and both grabbed her by the shoulders and the second their hands touched her body, she felt like she was being pulled through a taffy pull the way she was being jerked around and stretched. She closed her eyes quickly but it was no use since just as they shut, a force was felt and her vision cleared to see a study room in the Black house.

"I hate that." She mumbled and shook her shoulder then popped her neck.

"You'll get used to it, c'mon! lets go find mum and see if she has any news." With that she followed the ginger boys throughout the house and she finally grasped a calming breath, she was excited to finally see her friends again.