All rights to J. K. Rowling

Eva stared at the envelope the Headmaster had just given her. It looked ordinary, a plain, clean envelope with a wax seal, as if it wasn't holding the results of the tests she'd taken that would determine the next monumental steps of her life. She blinked and looked up at Professor Longbottom, trying to make sure that this was the correct envelope - she wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but she didn't think it would be so... simple, for a better word.

"Do you want me to leave when you open it?" Neville asked, taking her inaction as a sign for him to vacate his office.

"No! No... I was just trying to-"

"Prepare yourself?"

Eva nodded. "That, and take it in. I think my brain expected such important results to be in something fancier. Maybe a certificate or something..." Neville smiled, remembering his own shock. Eva frowned. "What if I didn't get the results I hoped for? What if I didn't pass?"

"Then you'll continue with your fifth year and try again." Neville smiled reassuringly. "But somehow I doubt that is the case. Your parents were the smartest in my year, and let's not forget the title bestowed upon your mother."

"Professor Longbottom, I'm sure you'll know by now that parental genetics has nothing to do with intelligence or brain capacity. If that were the case, many of us would not be capable of picking up a spoon." Neville chuckled and Eva closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening the envelope. It took her a second to take in the information presented to her on the sheet of parchment before a massive grin burst onto her face.

Neville looked at the results over her shoulder and smiled. "I do believe you beat your mother with those results."

"Outstanding in every exam." Eva breathed, almost in a daze.

"Congratulations Eva, you're now in your sixth year." She grinned at him in response. "Do you know which subjects you want to continue for your N.E.W.T.s? I've got all the textbooks for each subject here, so you can just pick up the subjects you want to take."

"Thank you, Professor." Eva walked over towards the table and looked over the books, she moment to consider which subjects to take. "Defense Against The Dark Arts... Transfiguration..." She mumbled to herself, "Potions, Charms, Ancient Runes, Herbology and Arithmancy." She picked up the books for the subjects and put them in her bag.

"Eva, you have the option of moving into the sixth year girls dorm if you want. Or you could stay in your current one."

Eva furrowed her eyebrows, she wasn't sure she'd be able to stand sharing a room with Castilla – it probably wouldn't end well. On the other hand, when the others in her current dorm find out that she's moved up a year and essentially left them behind, they may shut her out even more than they have and treat her as a traitor. She bit her lip as she thought.

"I'll stay where I am now, but I fear that at some point there will be a problem that will make staying there rather unpleasant."

"That's alright Eva, when things become a problem let me know and I'll move you in with the sixth years."

"Thank you for everything, Headmaster." She said sincerely.

"Enjoy the rest of your night Eva, you'll receive your new timetable tomorrow at breakfast." Eva nodded. "I look forward to seeing you in class." He smiled at her as she exited the room.

Eva went her first class a little earlier than others normally would, deciding that she'd probably disrupt the class if she went in with the others. Arriving early would mean she'd be able to choose a seat that was out of the way of everyone else. Eva walked into the classroom and spotted Professor Burke sitting at his desk.

"Morning Professor." She greeted him.

The professor looked up from the potions essays he was in the middle of marking. "Hello Miss Malfoy, the Headmaster informed me this morning that you would be joining this class. I must say I was rather worried when you didn't show up to any lessons last week, but it makes sense now." Professor Burke smiled at her. Eva smiled back at the kind professor who had succeeded Professor Slughorn after his retirement two years ago. He was far stricter than Slughorn had ever been but he let a few of his more promising students get away with most things. "I'm guessing you won't want to make a big deal out of it?" Eva nodded. He pointed to a seat that was in the corner of the room but was still at the front and had a good view of the blackboard. "That seat isn't taken, and it's out of sight from the students – apart from the ones on that table obviously."

"Thank you, Professor." She rushed over to her new seat and started getting out the books and supplies she might need for the lesson.

A few minutes later, students started to make their way into the class and take their seats. No one noticed Eva until two Slytherins – Cole Higgs and Stephan Urquhart – sat down at her table.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" Higgs asked. His green eyes flashed with confusion as his eyebrows furrowed.

"I-" Thankfully Professor Burke decided to start his lesson at that moment, saving Eva from having to explain anything to the two boys.

"Morning class, as I said last week Mondays will be theory and Thursday shall be application. We're going to focus on Wit-Sharpening Potions first, can anyone tell me what it is?" Several hands rose in the air, Professor Burke frowned a bit, it was unusual not see Eva raising her hand but he didn't dwell on it too much as he assumed she just didn't want any attention today. His eyes zoomed in on Castilla McLaggen who was currently gossiping with the witch who sat next to her. "Miss McLaggen?"

Castilla looked up, looking quite a lot like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "Yes Professor?"

"Could please inform the class about Wit-Sharpening Potions?"

Castilla seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Why it's a potion that sharpens someone's wit of course."

"Miss McLaggen," He pursed his lips together, not looking at all impressed, "You learnt how to brew this potion in fourth year, surely you can offer more than that?" Castilla slumped looking panicked again and struggled to answer – wracking her brain for any more information about the potion apart from the obvious that could be derived from the name. "No? Shame." He paused and picked a student who you most likely teach Castilla a valuable lesson. "Miss Malfoy do you have anything to add?" Castilla shot straight back up and turned in her seat trying to determine where Eva was, her eyes narrowed as if she were a wolf hunting her prey.

Eva winced, she'd really been hoping she wouldn't be called on all day. "The Wit-Sharpening Potion is a potion that allows the drinker to think more clearly, because of this, it can be used as a counteragent to the Confundus Charm. The potion consists of three ingredient: Ginger Root, Armadillo Bile and Ground Scarab Beetles."

"Brilliant, Miss Malfoy! Five points to Gryffindor." He paused as looked down at the book that lay open on his desk. "Now if all of you could turn to page 24, we're going to look at the side effects of the potion."

The lesson continued on and thankfully Eva was not called on again. When the bell rang, signalling the end of the lesson, Eva glanced at her timetable and happily discovered that she had a free next period, allowing her to work on the essay Professor Burke had just set. She packed up her stuff and left a few minutes after everyone else had already filed out.

"Good thing you gave it a while before coming out." Eva jumped and turned to see Higgs and Urquhart waiting for her on either side of the door, both of them had their arms crossed and were smirking at her. "McLaggen looked like she was on a warpath when she left about a minute ago. She'd been waiting for you before realising that she had Divination this period with crazy old Trelawney." Higgs continued.

Eva's heart fell back into a regular beat, she rubbed her eyes and sighed. "What are you two doing? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Nah," Urquhart replied, "Got a free period, guessing you have as well seeing as you took to long to leave."

"What do you want?" Eva asked, wanting to go to the library so she could start her work.

"To know why you were in that lesson, of course." Urquhart chuckled, the dark haired boy's grey eyes glinting with intrigue and a bit of misfit.

"Surely you have better things to do, like playing Quidditch?" She looked at Higgs, hoping that the Slytherin captain would suddenly prefer to be playing the sport instead of talking to her.

The blonde boy's green eyes looked her over, as if studying her. "You passed your O. early didn't you?" He asked her, her eyes widened – he'd managed to guess it so quickly. "Didn't you, Malfoy?" He asked again when she didn't reply.

Eva nodded. "I took them all last week. Got my results yesterday."

"How did you manage to finish the course a year early?" Urquhart looked at her curiously.

"I spent my summer at Durmstrang and Beauxbatons."

Urquhart frowned. "That doesn't sound like a very fun and relaxing holiday."

"I thought it was fun." Eva shrugged her shoulders.

"You need to redefine your definition of fun." Urquhart looked at her pointedly.

"Let me see your schedule." Higgs held out his hands, Eva raised an eyebrow at him but gave it to him anyway. "Salazar you're taking a lot of subjects." He muttered under his breath. "Steph and I could hep you with what you missed last week in everything except Herbology and Artihmancy. Although Steph won't be much help with Ancient Runes as he doesn't take it – opting to do Astronomy instead. Our notes are in the common room though, so we can meet you in the library after we've gathered our stuff."

Eva looked at him in surprise as he handed back the sheet of paper. "Thank you." He offered her a small smile before he and Urquhart made their way towards the Slytherin Common Room, leaving her feeling rather bewildered. She blinked several times before she shook her head to clear it and started to make her way towards the library.