The three women were standing in a graveyard when Evanna spotted them, each in loose flowing white gowns. Standing with them, for the first time, was a man. He stood proudly, tall and wiry, dressed in medieval robes with a long black beard and startling blue eyes.
Evanna walked slowly toward them on shaky legs. The last thing she remembered was a flash of green light and someone shouting "Avada Kedavra". She was dead. She was sure she was dead. She dropped to her knees in front of the goddesses, hoping they would judge her to be true, despite all the Dark Magic she had learned and the awful thing she had done to her brother and the terrible orders from her father that she had obeyed, even though she knew they were wrong and odious….
"Please," she murmured, remembering a prayer that was in the book her mother had given me. "Let not my wrongdoings to others outweigh my good deeds. Be merciful to me, oh mother, let me-"
The mother reached out and gently drew Evanna to her feet, her hand warm and comforting on Evanna's arm.
"You are not dead, my child," the mother said with a smile. "Times are changing fast."
The maiden took Evanna's other arm, imparting strength and hope.
"You are not fallen, my sister," the maiden said with a grin. "Times are repeating themselves."
The crone gently touched Evanna's brow and Evanna felt as though her powers were renewed.
"You are not gone, my dear," the crone said with a grimace. "Times are growing dangerous."
Finally, the strange man moved forward, and the three women moved away from him. He looked into Evanna's eyes and she felt as though he could see to the depths of her very soul.
"You must be ready," the man said, a strange accent coloring his voice. "Do not fail me, daughter."
Evanna woke to someone screaming in pain and a large splash. Her head pounded as she slowly opened her eyes and she breathed in the horrid stench of burning flesh and evil things that crept in the night. Bile burned her throat as she fought the urge to vomit. She turned to her right and nearly screamed herself.
Cedric Diggory was staring at her. Dead.
Evanna bit back a sob, knowing instinctively that she was in more danger than she had ever been in in her entire life. She bit down on her hand to keep herself silent as she heard a whimpering voice behind her.
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe!"
Evanna looked up at the sharp cry of pain she recognized as Harry's. A short ways away from her, Harry had been tied to a gravestone and a stout little man was holding a knife in one hand and carefully cradling… a stump. The man's other arm was bleeding profusely, but it had no hand. Evanna fought the urge to be sick again.
Please let it be dead. Please let it be dead.
The chant from Harry's mind disturbed her more than the hand-less man dripping the blood from his knife into a large cauldron-large enough to easily hold a human child. It began to bubble and boil, spitting out liquid and flames. Evanna watched, entranced by the morbid picture. Lucius had taught her Dark Magic, yes, but this…. This was something even her Lucius Malfoy had stayed away from. This was necromancy-this was the business of the gods that no mortal wizard ought to mess with.
A tall, thin figure rose from the cauldron, naked and white against the black of the sky. Harry cried out in pain, but, for once, he was not able to distract Evanna from what was happening in front of her. She was entranced by the sight, some sort of instant recognition forcing her to watch every horrible, terrifying moment with wide eyes.
"Robe me, Wormtail."
The stout little man was still sobbing and cradling his missing hand, but he did as he was bid, draping the figure in swaths of black robes. Still sobbing, Wormtail helped the… thing out of the cauldron.
"Your arm, Wormtail," the figure drawled, positively radiating power the likes of which Evanna had only felt from Dumbledore.
"Thank you, Master, tha-"
"Your other arm, Wormtail."
The quivering lump of a man offered his left arm with a whimper and the tall man pressed a long, bony finger to a black shape on Wormtail's arm. Both Harry and Wormtail screamed again, but not Evanna. No, Evanna felt a rush of power that made her feel as though she could just as easily raze the world to the ground as she could rebuild, bigger and more magnificent than anyone could have ever dreamed.
It terrified and exhilarated her at the same time.
"Let us see who is brave enough to answer Lord Voldemort's call," the man said in a cool, high voice. "Let us see who is foolish enough to stay away."
That finally snapped Evanna out of her reverie. Lord Voldemort was back. Lord Voldemort was back.
Voldemort is back. Cedric and Evanna are dead. It's all my fault.
Evanna's heart ached hearing those thoughts from Harry, but there was nothing for it now. There were pops of Apparition all around. The likelihood of someone noticing she was still alive was growing with every 'pop'. She had to stay low and quiet as she sorted a way out of this mess. She would not die tonight. Harry would not die tonight. She was determined. And what Slytherins were determined to do, they did without hesitation.
Her eyes landed on the TriWizard Cup. It was a Portkey, already linked to Hogwarts. It could not be too terribly hard to make it take them back, right? She knew the Charm, after all, even if Charms were not her strong suit.
"...Lucius Malfoy…. My most slippery friend…"
Evanna turned at the mention of her father's name. Lucius was on his knees, bowing low before the Dark Lord.
"My Lord, I have awaited your return most anxiously. I have listened to every rumor, each whisper-I have trained your-"
"There have been plenty of rumors, and more than whispers," the Dark Lord hissed. "But no matter. The Dark Lord is merciful and will forgive-"
"Thank you, Master, thank-"
"Thirteen years I have spent in exile. Thirteen years service I expect from you before I forgive."
Lord Voldemort paced around the circle of his followers, pausing at a gap.
"Rodolphus and Bella should be here," he murmured, a strange softness to his voice. "My most loyal servant. They will be rescued from Azkaban soon enough."
A chill went down Evanna's spine. Even in her own House, her insane aunt had been feared. She had to get herself and Harry out of there.
She wriggled her wand out of the holster she had received as a birthday gift and pointed it at the Portkey, focusing on Hogwarts with all her might.
"Portus," she murmured as loud as she dared. Nothing happened Behind her, the Dark Lord had finally acknowledged Harry, challenging the boy to a duel. She kept one ear out, hoping to catch a moment where she could grab Harry and go. Of course, that plan only worked if she could get the damned Portkey to work. She stabbed her wand at it again and again.
"Crucio!"
Harry's screams were nothing like they had been when Wormtail sliced his arm open. Evanna found herself frozen, hearing those screams. Memories of training with Lucius haunted her, and some morbid part of her mind questioned if she had sounded quite so wretched when she had been tortured.
"Have you had enough, Potter?" the Dark Lord hissed. "Come and stand to meet your death! Be brave like your father!"
Evanna pointed her wand at the Portkey again, panic filling her. "Portus!" she hissed, pouring all her magic into it. The Cup glowed blue and she turned toward the crowd of Death Eaters, gauging how far away from Harry she was and trying to find a way to get to him.
The boy in question had taken refuge behind a gravestone, but Lord Voldemort was edging closer and closer to his hiding place. Evanna shrank back, a deep-seated terror taking control of her movements. The Dark Lord had nearly reached Harry's hiding place.
Harry!
The boy's green eyes widened and he jumped out from his hiding spot, facing the Dark Lord head on. Evanna saw surprise in the Dark Lord's red eyes, but also a sort of odd admiration. The Dark Lord valued valor and honor, even if he sent his men out to murder.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Evanna's heart lurched, ending somewhere in her throat as she watched the spells fly toward each other. Harry was going to die. Harry was going to die.
The spells collided mid-air in a spectacular show of light that blinded Evanna, and the Death Eaters too, forcing them all onto their knees. She heard voices and shouts, but could barely see for the supernova of Light Magic that thundered in front of her. She squinted, struggling to find Harry in the glow. It was like a dome of light in the graveyard, rays of power bouncing everywhere, driving anyone who came near back. Farther away from her, she could see Lord Voldemort in his black robes, screaming his fury, but closer to her-
Harry was standing, that much she could see, fighting to maintain a tight grip on his wand. The Death Eaters had recovered from the initial blast and were now circling the dome of light, looking for weaknesses to get to their master.
Bright spirits, like the ghosts of Hogwarts but more blinding, like a muggle avenging angel, surrounded Harry, saying things Evanna could not quite make out. She watched in fascination as more and more spirits appeared. Harry shouted over top of all the noise.
"NOW!" he roared.
The spirits all gathered around the Dark Lord, preventing him from immediately going after Harry, as the Boy-Who-Lived sprinted toward Evanna. Spells started flying from everywhere, the Death Eaters doing their best to stop a fourteen year old boy.
"He is mine!" the Dark Lord roared from behind.
It was now or never. Careful not to touch the Cup with her bare skin, Evanna ran out from her hiding place.
"Harry-over here!" she screamed running toward him. His eyes widened.
She's alive!
Her yell had brought all of the Death Eaters' attention to her as they started firing spells at her as well, one grazing past her shoulder and gouging out a huge chunk of her long hair. She shot several spells back at them, as did Harry. A pang of pride went through her as she watched him fire off the Blasting Curse, perfectly driving a Death Eater off of him.
"After them!"
"Cedric-We have to get Cedric!" Harry shouted. Evanna nodded, pointing her wand over her shoulder.
"Accio Diggory!" she shouted. She caught the sleeve of the body, doing her best not to retch. A boy who went to school with her-dead.
As she and Harry would soon be if they did not get out of that graveyard.
Harry reached her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and grasping Cedric's arm as well. Evanna activated the Portkey, just in time to hear the Dark Lord's scream of fury as his Killing Curse missed again. Then, there was a jerk behind her navel and the graveyard was gone.
A/N: A little shorter than my past several chapters have been, but I did not want to completely regurgitate the graveyard scene, just touch on certain points of it that would affect our heroine. Thank you for all your reviews! I'm guessing two more chapters before we hit the summer before Order of the Pheonix. Please read and review!