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Anyway Evan has more pressing matters to attend to; like telling Natalie's parents the truth.
Why couldn't anything in Evan's life be simple for once?
Chapter Seven: Revelations
Evan was standing outside Natalie's parent's house, nervously wiping his sweaty palms against his trouser legs.
"Don't worry Evan, it's just like last time when you came over…well no it isn't…look, listen to me Evan, you're still the same person my parents met before and they loved you!" Natalie said.
"I have a feeling they won't be as accommodating tonight, seeing as I'll be telling them that I'm not Evan Black but a world-wide famous wizard!" replied Evan skeptically.
"Don't. Worry. Evan!" Natalie said punctuating each word.
"Okay…well then, here goes nothing…wait!"
"What's up?"
"Which is which, I mean is your Mum a witch or is your Dad a wizard?"
"Mum's a muggle, Dad's a wizard."
"Oh, okay, just making sure," and with that Evan raised his finger to the doorbell.
Ding dong…
The door was pulled open sharply. On the other side stood Grace Hawkins; Natalie's mother.
"Hello Natalie, Evan! Come in, come in. Dinner's ready, I'll just go get it out. Now then into the lounge you two," Grace said cheerfully, ushering them in.
"I'll help Mum." Natalie offered.
"Okay then. Evan, dear, Michael's in the lounge…"
"Thanks Mrs. Hawkins."
"Tsk, how many times must I tell you Evan!? Call me Grace." She scolded.
"Alright then Grace," said a laughing Evan.
Natalie and Grace went through the door on the first right of the hallway, with Evan following. Once they entered, the ladies turned left while Evan turned right; towards the lounge.
"Hey Mr. Hawkins…" said Evan once he sighted the said person sitting on a lazy boy watching the football.
"Evening Evan…I'm pretty sure I just heard my wife telling you off before about calling her Mrs. Hawkins…need I repeat that?"
"No, no need Michael," Evan replied laughing again.
"Well then, come in, sit down. Do you want a drink?" Michael offered.
'Yeah, alright then. Just juice thanks.'
Michael poured Evan and himself a glass of orange juice each.
Handing Evan his glass and returning to his seat, Michael took the chance to speak.
"Evan, I want to thank you for what you've done for Nat, and I mean this by looking at her for who she is, not what she is…" Michael said sincerely.
"Michael…I proposed to Nat because I fell in love with the person she is and I'm ashamed at my behavior the previous night, I really am sorry." Evan replied, equally as sincere.
"You did what anyone else would've in your position would've done…Grace fainted when I told her," said Michael chuckling…Evan joined in.
"Michael…" Evan began. Should I tell him now…no I'll wait 'til Nat and Grace are here…after dinner then…
"Yes Evan?"
"Err…don't worry."
Michael looked at Evan suspiciously. "Are you sure? Evan, is there something you want to tell me?"
"No…yes…yea there is," Evan admitted with a heavy sigh, "but how about later? Grace needs to hear this too…"
Michael looked as if were just about to ask Evan a question but thought better of it.
"Dinner's ready!" came the voice of Grace, it was followed by; "Hurry up you two!" from Natalie.
"Well then, come on Evan, my stomach's rumbling."
Laughing the two men made their way into the dining room.
"Wow…Grace, this looks delicious!" exclaimed an awestruck Evan.
Upon the table were dishes upon dishes of some of Evan's favorite foods, just waiting to be eaten. It was enough to make him drool.
"Don't just stand there gawking. Come on, sit down then." said Natalie.
Once everyone was seated, they tucked into the mouth-watering food, enjoying the leisurely atmosphere and each other's company.
They got through desert; a rich chocolate cake then went to the lounge with glasses and a bottle of very expensive white wine.
Natalie and Evan sat together on the long sofa, while Michael sat diagonally opposite them on his lazy boy and grace curled up on an armchair opposite her husband.
"Again, congratulations to you both! Awwww, my baby girl's all grown up now," cooed Grace.
"Muuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmm!" Natalie whined looking affronted.
Michael laughed but his laughter subsided quickly. Evan was laughing too; looking happy. Michael was confused, he was not only a wizard but he had a rare ability; Michael was an empath. He could sense emotions from people around him but the strange thing with Evan was there was no emotion that Michael could sense from him. This confused him to no end. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now!
"Ummm, Evan?" Michael asked warily.
"Yea Michael?"
"You wanted to tell me and Grace something before…what is it?"
"Oh," Evan looked worried. Glancing at Natalie, she gave him a reassuring nod and squeezed his hand gently.
Taking a deep shaky breath, Evan began.
"Well…ummm…I'm not who you think I am…"
"What? What do you mean Evan?" Grace quizzed, looking confused.
"Well…I'm a wizard for one thing…"
"What!" roared Michael, "you're a wizard and you let Nat get upset the night before because she thought you were going to leave her! Why the hell did you do that for?"
"Dad!" called a surprised and disapproving Natalie. "He had his reasons for acting like he did, he explained them to me last night, and I accepted them. Give him a chance at least so he can explain!"
Evan looked at Natalie in awe and gratitude.
"Err…yeah, cheers Nat. I know what I did was disgusting but it was hard for me to hear that the women I loved is from the world I've been trying to run away from for about five years…" said Evan.
"What do you mean?" Grace asked.
"Five years ago…that would've been around You-Know-Who's death…" Michael said and with that he drew out his wand and pointed it directly at Evan's face, shocking everyone. "If you value your life, Death Eater, I advise you don't move!" Michael spat venomously.
"DAD, NO!" Natalie screamed, as she placed herself between the two most important men in her world. "He's not a bloody Death Eater! You ex-Auror's are too paranoid! Evan is anyone but a Death Eater, You-Know-Who killed his parents, why the hell would he be a Death Eater!?"
Grace looked as if she was about to faint, Natalie looked determined, Michael looked suspicious and Evan was devoid of any expression.
"Please Michael…I'm not a Death Eater…I'm not even Evan Black…I'm Harry Potter."
"…no…you can't be. You can't be him…he left the wizarding world…" Michael looked shocked.
"…five years ago," Evan finished for him, "I left the wizarding world over five years ago."
"Oh Merlin! How…how do I know you're not lying?" Michael asked, his paranoia returning.
"Like this…" Evan replied, and with that his body glowed white momentarily before his appearances changed once again to Harry Potter.
Grace screamed. "Evan?" she asked uncertainly.
"It's actually Harry…but you can still call me Evan if you get confused," Harry said kindly.
After taking in Harry's appearances; the raven mop on hair (the Potter trademark), his emerald eyes and finally the infamous scar, Michael was gob smacked.
"Holey Mother of sweet Merlin!" Michael exclaimed, "You're really Harry Potter!"
"Yea, I am." Harry said sadly. Natalie patted his knee comfortingly.
"Harry Potter…you're really Harry Potter! Oh Merlin, Harry Potter is in my house and he's gonna marry my daughter…I need a drink." Michael said absently to no one in particular.
Harry and Natalie were both looking at him amusedly.
"Dad," Natalie said, "I hope you're not going to go all hero-worship on my fiancé now…"
"What…" Michael began distractedly, "no…no…of course not…"
"You know…I really don't know whether to laugh or band my head against a wall…" Harry stated.
Natalie was just about to answer when she was cut off by Grace.
"Could someone please tell me what the hell is going on!" she yelled, shocking everyone at her sudden outburst. "I mean, one minute Evan, Harry…who-ever you are, is about to get his head blown off by my trigger-happy husband, then my husband goes into a semi-state of shock! I'm just a little bit confused here, is this a wizard thing…someone please explain to the poor little lost muggle over here!"
"He's Harry Potter…" Michael said in shock.
"Yes dear, I got that. Now what I don't get is what's so special about Harry Potter? Not that you're not special Ev…Harry," she added motherly.
"Grace, hun…do you remember about a month before Nat's first birthday…I came home drunk saying things like; 'he's gone' and things like that?" Michael asked, slightly more into it than before.
"Uhhh…oh yeah, I remember that…you picked me up and swung me around a bit saying; he's gone, he's really gone. This is about that Dark Wizard that was killed five years ago isn't it?"
"Yea, that's it. Did you ever wonder why I did that? It was because You-Know-Who first rose to power in 1970 but he was defeated in 1981 by a baby, by Harry Potter!" Michael said excitedly.
"What! You…" Grace stuttered in shock looking at Harry wide-eyed, "You defeated that guy when you were a baby?"
"Err, it actually was my mother. When she sacrificed her life for mine, she left an ancient form of magic on me that protected me from the killing curse. Making the curse rebound on Voldemort, but who knows…that's what Dumbledore told me anyway. Inadvertently, it could've been my own dormant magic kicking in" Harry admitted awkwardly. Natalie was going red-faced trying not to laugh at her parents.
"That's not all though," Michael started again; it was obvious that he had huge respect for Harry, "when You-Know-Who came back again in 1994, Harry fought him then when he was only 14! Then, five years ago, Harry fought Him even though…well… yes, Harry defeated Him five years ago."
"What, what happened?" Grace asked looking at Michael, then to Natalie and finally Harry.
Harry sighed and answered. "…even though I was framed for a crime I didn't do and sentenced to prison for life, until Voldemort decided to bring the war to me that is."
"But…but why?"
"Because all the bloody evidence pointed to him, but they refused to believe him even when he was under the influence of a truth serum. Those assholes!" Natalie snarled hatefully.
"Oh my…" Grace replied at a loss at what to say.
"You're a good person, you know that Harry…sorry about the whole Death Eater thing before…I fought in the war and…I didn't like what I saw from the Death Eaters. You truly are a hero Harry, nobody else could've come out of Azkaban and still kill You-Know-Who then not break a couple of noses…" Michael stated.
"I was in such a hurry, I forgot to" Harry replied humorlessly.
"Well, now we're got that all cleared up…who's up for a re-fill?" asked Natalie swinging the wine bottle in front of her.
"Yea sure, I'm gonna need that now…" Grace said
"Harry…on behalf of Grace, Nat and myself, I'd like to say one more thing…"
"What's that?"
"Welcome to the family!"
Author's Notes: Phew, finally got this chapter up. I'm really sorry I didn't get it up earlier, it's just that my computer has a virus on it so I got to send it away to get fixed but I lost the first version of this chapter so I had to re-write the whole thing…bugger. I've got huge plans for the rest of the story, you can count on seeing all the original characters in future chapters and there'll defiantly be Ashley Wilson making a come-back in the story. Huge, huge thanks to all my readers and reviewers! The next chapter should be up in a week or two.
Fire-Pawz
