He fell.

Evanna watched wide-eyed as Lucius Malfoy fell to the ground, no life left in his eyes. Evanna didn't feel sad, didn't feel relief, didn't feel happy or proud or free or powerful or any of the things her father had described himself as feeling when he had freed himself from his source of pain.

She felt… nothing.

She looked and looked and looked at the man who had raised her, trained her, tormented her, torn her from her loved ones with his bald and bleeding scalp, eyes glassy, all life taken from him. Yet she could not bring up one ounce of emotion.

Her father stepped in front of her and lifted her chin.

"You've done well, child," he hissed in Parseltongue.

"Thank you, Father," she hissed back. Her voice was dry, toneless.

With an indulgent nod, the Dark Lord turned back to his followers and raised his voice.

"Remember this," he said. "Any who would stand against my heir, stands against me. A slight against her, a raised wand, is also raised against me! And she, like myself, will punish those who dare to cross her!"

Evanna closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose. She would kill more people, that's what he was saying. She would point her wand and say those words and watch the flash of green and the light reflected in their eyes and them crumple and fall never to rise again because of the power from her wand, her words. She would speak, and people would die.

The Death Eaters around them knelt and crawled to first Voldemort's feet, and then to Evanna's own as they kissed the hem of their robes and apparated away with orders not to tell anyone of what had occurred. Before long, it was only Evanna and her birth parents. And the body. As Bellatrix walked to join the Dark Lord's side, Evanna could not help but feel what an odd family portrait they made in that moment.

"What happens now?" Evanna asked. "With him gone… Don't we lose a lot of our influence and funds?"

The Dark Lord smiled. "You do not need to worry yourself on that, child," he said. "I make sure my followers serve me even in death."

Evanna was not satisfied by that answer. "But he-"

"Deserved his punishment. Even at the end he sought to undermine you, believing me to be unaware of my own heir's actions," her father's voice was a sibilant hiss. Evanna's eyes widened and when she looked down she did not see Lucius, she saw herself, crumpled and lifeless lying on the floor…..

"Another follower of mine convinces me that your…. Shortcomings should fall on Lucius' head. I understand the desire to surround oneself with powerful people who are loyal to you. And I believe this infatuation with Potter can be used to our advantage."

Evanna felt a small thrill of fear run through her as her mother gave her a dark look.

"I-I don't understand," she stammered.

"We shall discuss it further before you return to school. For now, go on to bed. Tomorrow, I shall teach you to fly," he said. Evanna frowned, unsure of how to react.

"I know how to ride a broom-"

"No, I will teach you how to fly without a broomstick," he said. "Now, go on."

Evanna nodded, racing off to her room, heart racing in her chest. She did not hear her birth parents conversation in the hall.

"She is infatuated with Potter. Has been friends with Potter," Bella said, her tone disbelieving. "The boy who represents everything against you."

"Do not think on it, Bella-"

"It was bad enough that the brat made her appearance on the night you were snatched from me, that she-"

"I said do not think on it."

This time, Voldemort's voice was low and dangerous, leaving no room for argument. But, Bella had always been special.

"I do not want to see you betrayed again, my lord. Especially not by your blood."

"She won't betray me," he said. "Harry Potter was nothing more than an escape from the life she lead here. A rebellion against her tormentor. Their friendship was always doomed to fail-the great Harry Potter could never abide the power, the Dark Magic my daughter possesses. Today, her tormentor is dead because of me. Today, I became more than her sire." With a sharp kick, the body of Lucius Malfoy was face down. "Today, I became her savior."

When Evanna reached her room, she went into the bathroom and turned on the water as hot as it would go before she shucked off the black robe and the assassin's dress. When she was bare, she stuck a tow into the water and hissed at the sensation before sinking all the way in. Even as steam rose around her, she still felt nothing.

"I killed a man today," she said out loud.

There was no response.

Slowly, she scrubbed at her skin, her mind far away from that tub in that Manor. Far away even from the dining room and the body crumpled on the floor. Instead, she imagined herself on that windy hilltop, praying her dreams would come that night, that her ancestors would affirm her choice, would explain everything….

Evanna stayed in the tub until it went from scalding to lukewarm. And when she finally slept that night, the only thing haunting her dreams were glassy grey eyes.

Harry POV

"Like hell are you teaching my godson anything!"

Harry wasn't quite sure how many more surprises he could take in a week, from Evanna running away to him, to Mr. Weasley's attack, to Lucius Malfoy's death, and now this. Professor Snape was meant to teach him some sort of mind magic that sounded infinitely more complex and less cool than Evanna's version of it.

When Harry had woken from his dream of Lucius Malfoy, Sirius had immediately sent for Dumbledore who coached Harry through removing the memory of the dream so that it could be viewed in a Pensieve. Harry could not help but feel it was a great betrayal to Evanna, who had always expressed fear of the Headmaster, even if Harry never quite understood her aversion to the grandfatherly man. So, though Harry had agreed to give it to him, he had only done it with the promise from Dumbledore that he would not show it to the entire Order.

Harry still wasn't quite sure why he had asked for the promise. For one, there was nothing he could do to stop Dumbledore from sharing the memory. For two, he still did not know what to make of the dream. He knew that Lucius Malfoy was an evil man, that he had hurt and abused Evanna over and over again. For that alone, he could not be upset that the man was dead, never mind that he was also a very influential Death Eater. But, for Evanna to have killed her own father on the orders of Lord Voldemort… Well, it left Harry feeling very unsettled.

"The Headmaster has insisted Harry learn Occlumency for his own sake, as well as the sake of the entire war," Professor Snape was saying, a sneer fixed on his face.

"I am not letting you muck about in Harry's mind!" Sirius shouted. "I don't give a f-" he glanced at Harry "-flying hippogriff what Dumbeldore says about it, I am his godfather!"

"Don't you see there are more lives at risk here if the Dark Lord is allowed unchecked access to the boy's brain? There are people who could die-children who could die-"

Harry's eyes met his Professor's in that moment and he understood exactly what child could die if her secrets were exposed. He set his jaw and turned to Sirius.

"It's alright, Sirius," he said. "If Dumbledore thinks I need to learn this-well, I probably need all the training I can get if Voldemort is after me, yeah?"

Sirius seemed to deflate a bit and Professor Snape gave a triumphant smirk that made Harry instantly regret what he had just said.

"If I hear of one time of you upsetting him or hurting him in any way-"

"I doubt Dumbledore's leash reaches that long," Professor Snape sneered. Sirius snarled.

"I'll be okay, Sirius, really," Harry said quickly. "I've been putting up with his shite for five years now."

Sirius did not seem altogether placated. "I'll be right outside the door after your," he said the last word like it was something disgusting, "lesson."

Then, Harry was left alone with his Potions Master, the one person, he realized, who might be able to provide answers about the previous night's events.

"Is she okay, sir?"

"I don't communicate in teenaged monotone," the Professor quipped, though his eyes were shifting.

"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about," Harry pressed. "I watched as Evanna killed her father on Voldemort's orders."

"Don't say that name," Professor Snape hissed. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Then tell me what happened! Tell me if she is okay, if she is a Death Eater-"

"No. Ms. Malfoy will never be a Death Eater," Professor Snape said in a voice softer than Harry had ever heard it.

Something in Harry's gut lurched at that. "But why-"

"We have just established, Potter, that your open mind-as full of cobwebs it may be-is a danger to us all. What makes you think I will continue to discuss sensitive information with you?"

Harry frowned. "I just-"

"Time is of the essence in this matter, Potter," the professor snapped, giving Harry a glimpse of just how worried the man was. "Now brace yourself-legilimens!"

The times Evanna had read his mind, Harry had never realized it until after the fact, when Evanna would say something out loud that she had no right to know. But, this-legilimency-was different. It felt like Snape was ripping through his mind taking and discarding memories as he pleased. Harry was flying for the first time. Evanna was demanding he live after the wound from the basilisk. Sirius was offering him to come live with him. Harry caught Evanna as she stumbled outside the Yule Ball in that beautiful dress.

"You're not even trying, Potter!" Professor Snape shouted as Harry landed back inside his body.

"Well you haven't exactly told me what to do!" Harry shouted back.

"Clear your mind! Throw me out! Do anything but nothing!"

And he was in Harry's mind again. Harry was cutting Ron free in the lake. He was grabbing onto the Triwizard Cup, bleeding, as Evanna held it out to him. The dementors were attacking Dudley. Evanna was so close to Harry's face that he reached out to kiss her.

"Fool," Snape snarled as Harry came back to himself. "Useless, hormonal, teenage fools."

"Nothing happened!" Harry protested, though he was unsure why.

"I can read your memories and feelings like a book, Potter, and though she is a little more restrained, I cannot imagine this being hidden from the Dark Lord for long," the professor snarled. "If it is still a secret from him."

"Why would he even care?" Harry demanded. "She's the daughter of a now dead Death Eater, I get it. But if she is not going to be a Death Eater herself-"

"You are showing your ignorance, Potter, if you believe the Dark Lord does not keep track of who you care about," he said. "Which is why if you don't learn to guard your mind, it will not mean only your death."

Harry was silent at that. Snape then tossed a book on the table.

"Read chapter one and practice clearing your mind before bed. I will be back in two days time to see your progress."

When Harry rejoined the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione upstairs, Ginny was immediately on him.

"Fred and George overheard something about Evanna?" she demanded. "Is she hurt? What happened? Can you convince Dumbledore to bring her here? She's not safe in Malfoy Manor-she's never been safe there!"

Harry ran a hand through his hair and made a decision: It was not his place to share that Evanna had killed her abuser. He would talk to her at school and figure out what was going on, but he would not expose her any more than he already had.

"She's safe, Ginny," he said. "But I don't think she'll be coming here."