Harry could not face the Weasleys.
They had all, of course, expressed gratitude for his seeing Mr. Weasley being attacked at the Ministry of Magic. He had not been able to admit that it was less an instance of him being witness to the attack, but instead being thoroughly involved in the attack. So, while they gathered in the kitchen, always waiting by the fire for more news from St. Mungo's, Harry was in the tapestry room, trying to work his mind around all that had happened over the last few days.
"The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black," a voice read off. Harry stood still as his godfather crossed the room to join him. "I was so glad to get away from them all."
Harry stood looking at the wall. A name jumped out at him, written under a face that looked very familiar. But, no, those eyes were dark, not vivid purple, and the nose wasn't quite right and her smile was cruel.
"Bellatrix Lestrange. My cousin," Sirius said, his voice full of distaste. Harry's stomach roiled, remembering all of the articles in the newspaper about the Death Eater's crimes.
"You're related to her?"
"All the pureblood families are related in some way. We're rather a small group. That may explain her madness," he said, gesturing at the woman. The gesture drew Harry's eye downward.
"The Malfoys too? Really?"
"And the Weasleys, not that you'd find them on here. Too many blood-traitors," Sirius joked. Harry frowned as he traced the line from Lucius and Narcissa to Draco, but there was no Evanna.
"Evanna isn't on here," he said. Sirius frowned.
"That's strange. The tree always immediately recorded any Pureblood Black born while my mother was alive-why you don't see Tonks on here, she's something like a first cousin once removed-but perhaps the spell died with her," he shrugged. "I'm sure you could do without staring at her face for a little while."
Harry went red. "I-I don't think that will be an issue, Sirius," he said. At his godfather's raised eyebrow, he continued. "We-well, Ginny kind of set us up in the Room of Requirement after the last DA meeting and I tried-I thought she liked me too-but when I tried to kiss her, she ran away."
Harry was ready for his godfather to laugh. He had figured that would be the appropriate response to the situation, which was why he had decided not to tell Ron, even before Mr. Weasley had been attacked. He could only imagine the kind of ribbing he would get from the twins.
But instead of laughing, Sirius looked worried.
"Harry, far be it for me to judge the younger members of my family," he said, "but I want you to be careful. It is hard to get out from the influence of one's parents."
"You did," Harry said.
"I had James, and Remus, and all of Gryffindor Tower to show me how," Sirius said in a gentle voice. "Who does she have?"
"Me," Harry insisted. "She has me."
Sirius gave him a small, sad smile. "Harry, I think you have quite enough on your shoulders without adding that as well."
"You're wrong," Harry said. "Hermione has been insisting Evanna was evil for years. But she's saved me over and over."
Sirius lightly traced the lines of the Slytherin family tree with a finger, landing on a face that looked almost identical to his own. Harry read 'Regulus Arcturus Black: 1961-1979'.
"When we were children, we were mistaken for twins more times than I can count," Sirius said wistfully. "I was always the wilder one-Regulus wouldn't hurt a fly. You don't know how many times he would scoop up a bug to take it outside before our mother could have the house-elves kill it," he said. "I tried, Harry," he said, unbearable sadness. "I tried to get him out of our parents' influence. But, he was just too enmeshed in it all, and he paid for it with his life."
"But you still tried," Harry pushed.
Sirius gave a wry smile. "Yeah, Prongslet. I still tried."
Harry's dreams deposited him into a grand dining room that night. He waited at the front of the room, lounging in the throne-like chair at the front of the room. Just behind him, his most faithful stood still as a predator and his snake coiled at his feet ready to strike. He smirked as the prisoner was dragged into the middle of the room, a hood over the man's head as he struggled.
The figures standing around the room in Death Eater masks were illuminated as the door swung open. A small figure stood silhouetted there, dark hood pulled up to hide her face in the shadows. The girl had been full of more surprises than he had anticipated, not all of them good. But, if his instincts served, she was also more powerful than he had dared hoped. And tonight ought to cement her loyalty to him.
The girl stood in the middle of the room, just behind the hooded man, and her wand slipped out from its sheath. Harry smiled cruelly.
"Lucius Malfoy," he said. "My most slippery friend."
At a nod, the petite executioner ripped away the hood from the man's face. He saw her steel herself, barely repressing her flinch. The man was gaunt, paler than he had ever been. His head was completely bald and even bloody in some parts, where his hair had been carefully harvested. This was happening sooner than Harry might have liked, but for his other plans to come to fruition… Well, a Slytherin always had a back up plan.
"My-my lord-please-"
The man's voice was hoarse. Harry snarled.
"It is not me you should beg, Lucius," Harry's voice was high and cold. "The one who lays claim to your life stands behind you."
Lucius turned, eyes wide. Then, he seemed to relax.
"You don't have the strength, girl," he sneered.
There was barely a movement and the barest hiss of a curse and Lucius was screaming, writhing on the floor. Harry grinned in Voldemort's body as the girl in front of him stood utterly still as her tormentor screamed.
Finally, panting Lucius turned back to him, pointing a shaking finger at the girl. "My lord, you do not understand how this-this-vermin betrays you. She has been-"
Violet eyes flashed with fear and anger under the hood. Harry sneered at the man on the floor; as if he was not already aware of the man's failings and how the girl had strayed because of them. But, it was no matter: She would not stray again.
"I know exactly what she has done," he hissed lowly. "As I know what you have done to her Lucius. You were honored with being given guardianship over some of my most precious treasures, and you spat on them and endangered them. One was destroyed completely by your negligence. It is only right that the other destroy you."
Those purple eyes met his again. They were wide, full of fear. Something twisted up in Harry, bile rising in his throat. He rose from his throne at the front of the room. When he reached the girl, he slowly lowered her hood.
She was pale in the flickering candlelight, her face utterly devoid of feeling. But that was fear in her eyes, those eyes that denoted her rare power, a rare power that he could harness to his plans. He could harness the fear, too.
"What do I do?" she asked softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Harry leaned forward and hissed in Parseltongue. "You know the spell, Evanna."
Evanna looked up at him and gave a single nod before raising her wand, a slight wavering to the movement as she placed the point of it between Lucius' eyes. Her eyes were pure stone as she cast the spell.
"Avada Kedavra."
Harry woke with a start, his stomach roiling. In a moment, he was leaning over his bed and vomiting everything he had eaten that day. He heard Ron wake, as though from far away, cursing as he ran out of the room. When he came back, Sirius was with him, vanishing the mess and conjuring a cool cloth in moments.
"Harry, Harry, what's happened?" Sirius said, wiping Harry's hair back from his sticky forehead.
Harry gulped as he looked at his godfather.
"I think," his voice was so hoarse. He cleared it. "I think Lucius Malfoy is dead."
Severus POV
Usually, it was the Dark Lord who called for Severus in the middle of the night, not the Headmaster. But, now he had been summoned by Dumbledore in the middle of the night for the second time in less than a door opened before Severus was even able to knock on it.
The Pensieve was sitting out, the Headmaster seeming to hold onto it to keep himself standing. Severus approached carefully.
"Headmaster?"
"How long, Severus?" he said in a low voice.
"Pardon?"
"How long Severus? How long have you been lying to me?"
The Headmaster whirled around to face him with speed that belied his age. His normally twinkling eyes were fiery with rage.
"Voldemort's child," he hissed. "You have been harboring her in my school for the past four years. I watched her act on her father's Parseltongue orders tonight, watched her wearing some sort of self-fashioned crown, as she stood like a queen in a room full of Death Eaters. "
Severus' mouth went dry. The game was up. He had devoted his life to protecting two children, children of women he loved, from his two masters who were equally dangerous. And, it seemed, he had failed in one.
"The Dark Lord placed all of us under oath," he said. "We were not to speak the identity of his heir."
"That does not explain you deliberately misleading me, Severus," the Headmaster said in that soft voice that spoke volumes as to how angry he was. "You are meant to protect the students of this school-to protect Harry Potter-or have you forgotten Lily?"
Severus clenched his jaw. "Evanna is innocent."
"No, Severus, she is not," the Headmaster said. "She killed tonight, on her father's orders."
Severus' eyes widened. "Who?"
"I question your status as a spy, given that you do not already know," the Headmaster scoffed. "Distrusted by both sides, lying to both masters."
For once, Severus found himself not fearing his master. "Who did she kill?"
The old man took the barest step backwards, so slight that Severus would not have noticed it at all if he had been anyone different. The two wizards stood locked in silence for several moments.
"Lucius Malfoy."
Severus froze at that. Lucius Malfoy…. Dead. And at Evanna's hands. His mind was racing with all the implications.
"Voldemort killed his father when he was not much older. That she has already done so speaks volumes about his influence," Dumbledore said, leaning heavily on the Pensieve. He looked his age for once. "We must find a way to end this threat-"
"Evanna is no threat, she is an innocent girl," Severus asserted.
"Did you not just hear me, Severus? The girl is fourteen and a murderer!"
"And the man she killed has been her tormentor since the day she was born!" Severus exploded. "She is not her father!"
"She is on the path to become worse than him!"
"Then perhaps, Headmaster," Severus snarled, "you could show some mercy to your Slytherin student who has lived in hell all her life and we won't have such a threat!"
The Headmaster regarded him for a long while.
"I know the mistakes I made in the past, Severus," he said in a low voice.
"Then learn from them."
The Headmaster very slowly came from around the Pensieve and took a seat behind his desk. Severus refused to take his usual spot.
"Do you still hold to your promise to protect Lily Evans' son?"
"Always."
Severus did not add that his protection ended where Evanna Malfoy was put into danger.
"Very well," Dumbledore said, heaving a great sigh as he steepled his fingers on the desk. "We came by this information by way of Harry Potter's dreams. I fear his connection with Voldemort is growing stronger. We cannot wait until he returns to Hogwarts-you will begin training him tomorrow."
Severus wondered just when he had grown so used to these sudden changes in fate. What had happened to the awkward teen so terrified of anything happening outside of his carefully constructed plans? Some may have credited his ease to his life of spying; he would have credited it to teaching hormonal teenagers.
"Very well, Headmaster," he said tightly.
"You may leave," Dumbledore said without really looking at him. "I have a lot to consider."
"You aren't considering exposing her, are you?" Severus said in a dangerous tone.
"I cannot endanger my students-"
"You have before," Severus spat.
The Headmaster glared at him. "I cannot endanger my students, but I also cannot allow her to remain at her father's side to become even more corrupt and powerful."
"Who, exactly, gave you the right to be judge and executioner to a fourteen year old child?" Severus said. "I warn you, Dumbledore, you will regret it if any harm comes to that girl."
Before the Headmaster could respond, Severus had turned on his heel and left the office, slamming the door behind him. When he arrived to his quarters, he could hear the sounds of a teenaged boy sobbing.
"Shh, it'll all be alright, Draco," he heard Narcissa's voice.
"She killed him, Mother. She killed him," the boy was repeating over and over. Severus realized the boy was likely in shock, fear and grief warring within him. Before Severus turned the door, he turned to go to his personal lab. When he arrived, he did not pick up a single ingredient, did not light a single cauldron fire.
"What have you done, Evanna?" he murmured to himself.
His question echoed in the stones.