Tom's sitting cross-legged on his bed with Hedwig on his shoulder and Nagini curled up in his lap, all three of them waiting for midnight. Tom grumbles, and asks "How long could five minutes actually take?" Because it feels like forever, he swears its been an hour since he last looked at his clock yet its only moved thirty seconds.
Nagini hisses "Patience, Tom. Soon."
Tom huffs in annoyance, that's…similar to what Evelynn would probably say. He can just imagine it now, her rubbing his shoulders and saying something about the world not bending to his will so easily. Still, its Evelynn's birthday in five minutes or so, and soon enough she'll be out of Wool's forever.
If that blasted clock would ever ring, that is! He's waiting for the Grandfather clock to chime, down in what the Riddles call their Living Room - its massive, easily the size of the Slytherin Common Room, and most people would sooner call it a ballroom.
Hedwig quietly changes into her dragon form - the only way she can communicate with him, as her bond is with Evelynn - and says "My Eve-chick is strong. She's faced worse than what's out there now, Tom."
Tom nods, and says "You've said she's still alive. What if she isn't by the time the bombing ends?" He knows she's immortal, but even she isn't exactly sure how it works, not having wanted to test it out ever. Will she simply not die? Will she die and come back to life? Will she be taken back in time again? She doesn't know, and hasn't been eager to ask - not wanting to entertain the thought of dying and potentially leaving the nice life she's made for herself.
"If there's a bombing, Tom." Nagini says, even as she wraps around him in her version of a hug, "There's every chance there isn't one tonight, or that one is happening in a different part of the Isle altogether."
Tom tries to believe it, he really does…but life isn't that kind to either of them, most of the time. He's pulled out of his thoughts by the clock's chiming, and opens the journal to write down 'happy birthday, Evelynn.' It warms after a minute, and her response comes in quickly. 'Thank you, Tom. Eight in the morning.'
Tom nods, and murmurs "Not a minute later, Evelynn." 'Are you coming here afterwards?'
'I'll need to find someplace to call my 'home' so to speak. For Dippet, if nobody else. After that, I'll get over there fast as I can.'
Tom shakily nods his head - she's right, he knows she's right, she has to have some place to show Dippet and anyone in the Ministry if someone starts asking where she's living. Still, that doesn't mean he likes having to wait to see her again. 'Hedwig says she misses you. And happy…hatchday, she said.'
After a minute, Evelynn's handwriting comes in saying 'I miss you to. Both of you. Can't wait to meet Nagini properly.'
Nagini hisses "Neither can I. From what I've heard, she sounds like quite the girl."
Tom just writes down 'Nagini can't wait.' Honestly, how does he end up finding ladies like this? First the time-traveling Master of Death, now a Maledictus that happens to be stuck as a snake with a serious case of mother-hen syndrome. He's convinced his life couldn't possibly get any stranger.
Wait, dear Merlin, he didn't mean it! No doubt, Evelynn will have some kind of surprise waiting for him when she comes to Little Hangleton in return!
Evelynn gets into Diagon Alley, after Memory Charming Cole to remember her getting adopted by a lovely couple named Jack and Agnes Smythe. Original? Not particularly - but it only needs to last a few hours, a day at most.
Dumbledore, the meddling bastard, was already at Wool's a few weeks ago, looking for Tom - and she's so glad she discretely cast some protective spells on the elder Riddles to keep them from being meddled with as they were leaving - and left in a frazzled huff and the single ugliest suit she's ever seen before. And that includes the Smeltings uniform her aunt and uncle stuffed Dudley into, which was absolutely hideous. Truly, she has to wonder if he's actually color-blind or if its part of his façade - make them think he's a doddering old man, some eccentric but benign grandfatherly figure anyone can turn to. Or maybe its to make them take him less seriously. Whatever the case, he comes up with more and more outrageous-looking robes each time she sees him.
Matches his outrageous delusions, perhaps - she's not ashamed whatsoever to admit she eavesdropped on the conversation between Cole and Dumbledore, and the man was demanding to know where Tom was and that he be returned to Wool's at once and put into his custody. Because he's a very dangerous, troubled young man who needs strict guidance and discipline in order to stay on the right path, they now see, and the Headmaster of the school gave him express permission to become the boy's guardian. A load of Hippogriff shit if Evelynn's ever heard one - oh, wait, she has - but she can't deny one thing: Dumbledore knows how to spin a good lie.
He knows how to say what he wants in such a way that people end up agreeing with him or doing what he wants them to do - while she's sure Dippet never agreed to any such thing, Cole doesn't know that. Thankfully, the spell to negate any and all controlling spells she quickly casted on Cole worked, and the woman threw him out. And then Death assured her that he and Lady Magic will run interference to keep him too busy to go back for her - she's quickly going from angry at Dumbledore to a mix of furious and terrified, all at the lengths he's perfectly willing to go to get what he wants. He's tried to Compel Cole into forcing Tom back to Wool's, and under Dumbledore's power completely, either for him to spend all his time with his fellow orphans without his wand - which would theoretically leave him defenseless, since most children end up relying on their wands to the point of being unable to use Wandless Magic without extensive hours of practice - or he'd even Bind Tom's Core and brainwash him.
It actually makes her sick to her stomach, imagining what he might've done to her if she'd managed to resist his spells, or slipped free of them altogether.
The Goblins all seem to freeze simultaneously as she walks up to the nearest Teller, and she quickly gets ushered to Director Ragnuk and Griphook. Griphook calmly says "I had a feeling you'd be arriving, Ms. Peverell. Call it a hunch." Or call it the way the entire Alley seemed to freeze over with the Void's energy five minutes earlier.
Evelynn nods, saying "I like to be prompt, something I've heard Goblins appreciate." Plus, it makes it much easier to stop a meddling old man's plans.
Ragnuk nods, and says "Indeed. I'm going to assume you want us to create an entire identity for you?"
Evelynn nods, and says "I've got an idea for that, as a matter of fact. Why doesn't Ignotus get a second child? A daughter?"
Griphook gives her a toothy smile, and says "I like the way you think, Ms. Peverell. Lets get to work."
About three hours later, they've got all the details worked out beautifully - Evelynn's descended from Ignotus Peverell's daughter, which the story didn't mention for reasons only known to Beedle the Bard. She married into another family in secret, giving up her maiden name and hiding her heritage from all but her family to avoid the attacks and persecution that, even then, were already happening to the Peverells. Attacks for the Hallows and the power some thought they'd gain after Antioch opened his big mouth, persecution for having items of Death and having made some kind of unholy deal with the being…there's plenty of reasons why the Peverell name was better off hidden back then. And her ancestors never retook the name, deeming it safer for the children if nobody outside the family was aware that they were secretly descendants of the infamous Peverell lineage. Until her grandparents took the name when they were married, thinking that it was safe to do so since almost nobody actually believes the Hallows even exist.
And then Grindelwald came along, fully-believing the tales, and that was was the only survivor, thanks to her mother doing a ritual sacrifice, and she was taken to her aunt and uncle's and left there. Until her Hogwarts letter arrived, her relatives freaked and took off for the hills, and Grindelwald found them once more.
Basically…its her actual backstory with a few edits - all the easier to keep it straight in her head, keep it as close to what actually happened to her as possible. 70% truth, 30% lie - and a 'donation' to the bank from the Peverell vault of 5,000 Galleons. She also gets coordinates to a place she owns called Peverell Cottage - though, from the specifications…its no 'cottage' by any stretch of the definition. When she shadows there, the place is actually a massive mansion that puts all the ones she's ever been in to utter shame - even Malfoy Manor when it was still standing, that time they got caught by the Snatchers and taken there. It had gotten raided by some overzealous parties by the time she stayed there for two months, walls blown out and hidden rooms demolished, magical objects destroyed and even the paintings either taken with the French family or burned, but she could tell it had once been the height of 'over-the-top' - and even what it must've been at its prime pales in comparison to Peverell Cottage.
After activating the Wards with her blood and magic at the gate - and, Merlin, they feel every bit as secure as Hogwarts does now, a stark contrast to how she now knows Hogwarts' Wards were in her original time, Dumbledore must've meddled with them for his damned schemes as per usual, not surprising in the least considering all the danger that found her there - she decides to add a new Ward she came up with while on the run, the same kind as her trunk…just much less forgiving. Anyone who tries to force their way past her Wards is going to be begging for death by the time he comes for them.
Anyone she invites will be allowed in, though she wants to work it so that they'll need Portkeys to get past the Wards - like Muggle security badges - but anyone who tries to force their way in? No mercy whatsoever - if they try to break in while she's here, its probably to get to her for one reason or another. If they try to break in while she's not there, they either want to rob her or try to find something to make trouble for her. She's not having another Mundungus Fletcher poking around her home!
The first one was bad enough, especially considering nobody ever bothered to tell her that she legally owned 12 Grimmauld place after Sirius' death.
Couldn't have me leav- no, stop it, that's done and over with, dammit!
She's been trying not to dwell on her past, on Dumbledore's schemes and everything he put her through...but dammit its hard when he's trying all over again.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Evelynn glances around her new home - Merlin, that sounds strange to even think after so long without a place she actually thought of as home, even Hogwarts stopped being her home after the TriWizard Tournament and then the shitshow that was fifth year - and summons a House Elf. A young-ish looking elf appears, greeting her in much the same way Dobby always did - tears, though joyful ones this time, and lots of excitement about there being a new Mistress to serve.
Evelynn clears her throat after a minute, saying "Alright, slow down a minute, please. Is there anyone else here? Any other House Elves, or anything?"
The elf, who introduced himself as Codry at some point between the excited babbling of 'there bes a new mistress to serve!' nods and says "There bes many Elves living in Peverell Cottage, Mistress, serving in different stations. There bes twenty elves that tend the land, making sure it doesn't get too wild or overgrown and keep the gardens neat, eight elves trained in healing that work in the medical room and keep it stocked and clean, four library elves that maintain the library specifically and keep it organized, ten greenhouse elves that tend the greenhouses and keep all the plants, orchards, and crops in good condition and harvesting them, twelve elves that work in the kitchen and make all the food, check to make sure its not poisoned or spoiled, ten cleaning elves that keep the manor clean and ready for the next Peverell. Serving elves have been helping the others since there's been no Master or Mistress to serve, but there bes six Elves that personally serve the Peverells themselves, making sure food is delivered at the right time and making sure they have everything they need. There also be four Animal Elves that take care of any animals that enter the grounds, such as birds, horses, Hippogriffs, and more."
That's 70 elves! Evelynn wasn't expecting that! She thought there'd be…actually, she thought she'd have to figure out how to buy an elf or two.
Evelynn hums, then says "Wonderful, Codry. Would you mind taking me on a tour? Also, where have you all been staying all this time? And how is everything still in such good condition if Peverell Cottage has been abandoned for centuries?"
Codry says "Codry would be honored to take new Mistress Peverell on a tour. Us Elves are descendants of the Elves that served last Masters, and have been following ancestors' orders. There bes a village us Elves have set up, with the permission of last Master, near the garden and orchards."
Evelynn asks "So, you have everything you need already? Food, cl- er, uniforms, medicine if you get hurt, beds, etc.?"
Codry stares at Evelynn wide-eyed, then nods and says "Yes, Mistress, us Elves have everything we need and then some."
"Good. I will not treat you like your worthless when you've done so much that I never knew of until now. If you need anything, just ask."
Codry looks on the verge of tears once more, but forces his voice steady as he says "Mistress Peverell is a good, kind Mistress. Codry will go pick out a Serving Elf to be your Personal Elf."
Evelynn nods, and asks "Could you show me to the Wardstone first? I'll recharge the Wards while you do that." And add her Ward in. And then, most likely, crash - Wards as intricate as these tend to take a lot of power. Good thing she has a lot of power.
Silver lining, she'll actually get to sleep for a change - she's yet to fall asleep since Tom left Wool's and she stayed behind, and she's not sure why. She's got a dozen different theories, but nothing concrete - it could be because she's now sharing a room with a bunch of total strangers, ones who may or may not attack her out of nowhere...but she did that once before with Granger, Lavender, and Parvarti and could sleep just fine half the time. And her insomnia spells didn't usually last two months. Her biggest theory is that it's to do with whatever it is that's happening between her and Tom.
After Codry shows her to the hidden room in the basement, behind the wine cellar in a dark shadow, with a jet-black door - well done, truly, she wouldn't have thought to look for it there - Evelynn quickly writes out in her journal to Tom 'recharging Wards, might not wake up until tomorrow. Peverell Cottage is huge, do you want to see?'
And then she steps up to the intricately-created Wardstone, on a pedestal carved with ancient-looking Runes she's never seen before - she's got to find the library Codry talked about after she wakes up! - and Diffindo's each of her hands to make a deep gash on them so her blood will run freely. She places her hands on the stone and pushes as much magic into it as she can, saying the intricate Latin phrase she came across a few times in the ward book she found in Lestrange Manor - something about her blood and magic activating the wards as a Peverell.
And then she doesn't really remember much of anything else, beyond staggering out of the room, the Wards suddenly seeming to explode with power nearly knocking her unconscious, taking the hand of an Elf she doesn't recognize, and then collapsing on a bed.
AN: Hey, everyone! Next chapter is up! Hope you like it! Yes, Dumbledore is losing his mind over the detail that Tom's now emancipated - can you imagine the look on his face? Priceless! And now he's trying desperately to get him back under control - think of this, though. If Dumbledore's Tom's Guardian, wouldn't that mean he's got to be re-sorted into Gryffindor? Or Evelynn, if he gets to her? Talk about a nightmare, it'd give him the perfect reason to corner them alone - he's just making sure his House's latest member is adjusting, and all, or wants to speak with them as their Guardian/HoH.
Good thing that's not actually in the cards, beyond Dumbledore's schemes anyway.
Anyway, enjoy! More chapters coming soon! Please review!