A/N: Here is the next chapter! We now officially meet our heroine.

Just to clear up any confusion, in the last chapter, the women gathered were not trying to resist the Romans, they were just trying to keep their heritage safe. At that point in history, the time for resistance had come & gone. They were merely trying to keep their line going.

(More of that will be explained later in the story.) Please let me know how you're enjoying it/any questions you have/theories you come up with. I intend to go all the through Evanna's 6th year (Harry's 7th), so we've a long way to go before all the mysteries are solved.

"Again!"

Evanna Belinda Malfoy brushed the hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail out of her face before turning back to her father.

"Do I really have to?" she whined. The blonde man narrowed his eyes before sending a red curse her way. She dodged, but not quite in time to miss the hornet sting. Her hand began swelling almost immediately as tears sprung unwillingly to her eyes. She was allergic. He knew she was allergic.

"Strike back, Evanna!" he ordered.

"But, Father, I-"

He didn't say anything, but sent another hex at her. This time, she dodged it fully and sent back her own curse. He gave the barest hint of a nod and continued flinging spells at her. Each spell, her reactions slowed as her breathing became more and more labored and her tongue became heavy in her mouth.

"Father! Evanna!" a voice sounded inside the house. Her father frowned.

"We're done for today," he said and with a wordless flick of his wand, Evanna could breathe again, the swelling in her tongue and hand all but vanishing. "Go and see your brother."

Evanna nodded, ever playing the good daughter just as Lucius played the good father. She followed him into the Manor, demurely wiping the sweat from her brow with a towel on her way in. Her brother was waiting with their mother in the entryway of the Manor home, practically bouncing with excitement.

The two siblings were dissimilar in every way. Draco was already beginning to get that stretched out, lanky look that teenaged boys had, whilst Evanna was so short that many assumed her to be several years younger than her brother rather than barely a year. His silver blonde hair was slicked to his head with gel, her untamed black curls were slicked to her head with sweat. His eyes were the steely grey that was expected of a Malfoy; hers bright violet. Their father chided him and berated him constantly in public; he all but beat Evanna in their training sessions in private.

"Look, I was the second in my year, first in Slytherin, Father!" Draco was saying excitedly, handing a roll of parchment over to their father.

"Second? And who was first?" their father drawled. Draco's face fell.

"Hermione Granger," he mumbled, not quite meeting anyone's eyes.

"Hmm… Granger?" their father mused. "I've not heard of that name. What family is she from?"

Muggleborn. Evanna wasn't quite sure where the thought had come from, but she could feel the dread rolling off Draco in waves.

"She's not," Draco mumbled.

"Diction, Draco," their father snapped. "I do not abide mumbling."

"She's muggleborn, father," Draco said more clearly. It seemed to break a dam. "She's an annoying little know-it-all that all the teachers favor just because she's friends with stupid Harry Potter and-"

"The heir to one of the great families of Wizarding Britain was outdone in school by a first-year Mudblood?" their father said in a low voice. Evanna winced, knowing how cruel their father would be.

"Draco! Darling, what are you still doing in those wrinkled school robes?" their mother said. Narcissa was all warmth and sunshine to Lucius' dark iciness. "And, Evanna, you must get out of those dirty training clothes and into some proper robes before dinner."

"We were just discussing what a credit Evanna will be to Slytherin House next year, after such a disappointing year," Lucius said slyly, eyes trained on his son. "After seven years to lose the House Cup… And a Gryffindor Mudblood top in the year…"

"Oh, don't use such uncouth language in front of the children, Lucius," Narcissa said. Draco was shooting Evanna dirty looks. "Go along, children, go get changed. Dinner will be ready shortly."

Both children were shooed away by their mother up the stairs, Draco muttering all the way.

"Don't know why Father is always so bloody enamored with you," he mumbled. "Just watch-I bet you won't even be in Slytherin."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Evanna snapped, rounding on her brother at the top of the stairs. He looked at her, wide-eyed.

"I didn't say anything!" he replied. Evanna narrowed her eyes at him.

"It's not my bloody fault that instead of studying you were off trying to lure Harry Potter into duels and all the rest you kept writing letters about!" she said, ignoring him completely. "And Father is far from enamored with me! So just keep your bloody thoughts to yourself!"

"But I-"

Evanna turned and stomped off, ignoring Draco completely. The thought of being in the same House as him at Hogwarts was horrible. The thought of being in the same House as all the Malfoys before her was even worse.

Come September, she would not be Sorted into Slytherin. It was simply too terrible to bear.