Jade here. What's happening peeps? That wasn't really a cliffhanger last chapter but I know a few of you are ready to tear out your hair in frustration. So without further ado…

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

Warnings: More confusion. Some mild language.

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Ghosts

Chapter Eleven

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"It can't just be a coincidence!" Harry exclaimed as he sat across from Hermione and Ron who were both leaning against a tree. It was after classes and they hadn't really gotten a chance to discuss the latest development in his situation. "Helen Evans?"

"Why isn't her last name Potter?" Ron questioned.

"Because…because…" Harry searched desperately for an answer. "Maybe they thought she'd be in more danger…so they gave her my mum's maiden name…"

"Potter's a pretty common last name." Hermione pointed out. "So is Evans. I mean, I suppose someone could have made the connection but still…I'm not sure this really all makes sense."

"Did Luna actually meet her?" Ron still seemed confused. "I mean, if she did, then it was pretty stupid of her not to tell her that you're looking for her…"

"Luna says that she only talked to her for a moment. So she must be real." Harry realized what he said when Hermione and Ron both blinked and gave him odd looks. Had he said that just to confirm that to himself? Helen Evans was real.

Why wouldn't she be?

"Okay," Hermione frowned. "Nobody said she wasn't real, Harry."

"I know that." Harry snapped, although his heart wasn't quite in it. "It's just…how come I can't run into her? Why does she always disappear? Does she know who I am? I know she's seen me…"

"Maybe she doesn't want to jump to conclusions." Hermione offered. "She's probably driving herself crazy."

"You're right." Harry felt a little assured. "This castle is huge. I'm sure we'll run into each other any day now."

"I'm glad I don't have any long lost siblings." Ron announced. "Can you imagine if there were more Fred and Georges in the family?"

"It would probably be more exciting during the summer." Ginny's voice made them all look up. She was standing there, apparently having forgiven them, and at her side was Draco, who was trying to appear very apathetic to the whole thing—as though he had merely wandered over because he was bored. "Are you guys talking about Harry's sister?"

"How did you know?" Ron looked amazed.

"Have you met her?" Harry immediately began questioning her. "Where? What did you talk about? Does she think I'm her…?"

"Calm down." Ginny put up her hands. "I've never even seen her. Draco told me."

"He did?" Harry looked at the blonde-haired young man.

"It's my fault. He was asking about some girl in Ravenclaw when I caught up with him." Ginny shrugged. "I forced it out of him."

"You were…helping?" Harry blinked.

"I knew you and yours couldn't possible do it yourselves. So I decided to bestow you with the honor of my help in the matter." Draco tried to look as superior as possible. "I couldn't find out anything about her."

"Her name's Helen Evans." Harry informed him. "Luna told me."

"Lovegood's helping? Well, I don't know why I even bothered when you have such brilliant minds on the case." Draco rolled his eyes. Then he looked at Hermione and Ron. "And you two think she's real?"

"Well…I've never seen her…" Hermione admitted. "But if Harry says he saw her…"

"Ah, loyalty, you should all be Hufflepuffs." Draco commented before clearing his throat. "I'll get out of your hair now…" And he started to walk away.

"No, come sit with us." Hermione suddenly invited him, surprising everyone else in the process.

"Hermione!" Ron hissed.

"Ron, do try and be decent." Hermione gave him a look and although he didn't look happy, he didn't protest any further.

Draco sat down rather warily and Ginny plopped down happily beside him.

"Have you asked Dumbledore about her?" Ginny asked.

"No." Harry sighed. "I'm sure he has better things to do. Besides, why didn't he tell me before?"

"That's something I've been wondering about." Draco ventured. "Dumbledore didn't tell you that you had a sibling, no one else seems to have either…she suddenly shows up and only a few people seemed to have ever spoken to her. There's something a little off about this whole thing."

"Maybe she's more like a cousin." Hermione theorized. "On your mother's side. Her name is Evans…most of the transfer students are from America. Do you know if your mother had family in the States?"

"No one's ever mentioned it." Harry shrugged. "But he has my father's eyes."

"Maybe that's just a coincidence." Ginny ventured. "I'm going to find her though."

"You are?" Ron looked a little skeptical.

"Yeah, I'll get it out of her whether or not she's Harry's sister." Ginny grinned confidently. "You guys always get to play detective, let someone else have a turn."

Harry glanced up at Draco, who was looking right back at him. They glanced away after a moment.

"Isn't there some sort of student registry?" Ron turned towards Hermione.

"I could ask. McGonagall probably knows all the new students." Hermione snapped her fingers. "Why didn't I think of asking her?"

"Because every time we see her she's giving us loads of homework." Ron joked and then he got a pained look on his face. "I haven't finished any of her assignments for tomorrow."

"Oh Ron." Hermione groaned. "Come on, let's go do your homework, I'll help."

"I should probably start on mine too." Harry stood up, brushing grass off his robes. "Especially if Hermione's in a good mood and she's helping us…"

"I have things to do." Draco stood up as well. The two boys looked at each other hesitantly. "Well…see you."

"Yeah." Harry nodded and then followed his friends, feeling stupid. Ginny was the last person to leave. She had things to do to, like figure out this Helen Evans and find out once and for all who she was.

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Hermione couldn't pretend she wasn't skeptical about this whole thing. However, it was important to Harry and she thought she might as well help out. Maybe once they discovered that this girl wasn't really his sister; the whole thing would be put to rest.

He doesn't want to admit it, but I can tell even he's doubting what he saw…

Well, it's time to lay this to rest once and for all.

"Professor?" She entered Professor McGonagall's study. Professor McGonagall looked up.

"Yes, Miss Granger? Did you need anything?" Professor McGonagall inquired. Hermione was well aware of the fact that Professor McGonagall favored her a little more than some of the other students but she had never really exploited it.

"Um, I've lent my Transfiguration book to one of the transfer students but I left a page of notes in there by accident that I need for Potions." Hermione lied quickly. "A girl named Helen Evans…everyone says she's in the Ravenclaw common room. Is there a way you can call her down to your office?"

"Of course." Professor McGonagall opened a scroll of parchment and began quickly scanning down the list of names. "I'm sorry, did you say Helen Evans?"

"Yes." Hermione nodded.

"Are you sure that's her name?" Professor McGonagall inquired.

"Quite sure." Hermione stood on her tiptoes to try to read the list.

"This is a list of all the transfer students." McGonagall handed it to her. "In alphabetical order according to their last names…"

Hermione looked down at the list, specifically to the 'E's.

Eastre, Evelyn

Emeric, Ichabod

Ezekiel, George

"But…she's not on here." Hermione stated slowly and looked up to meet McGonagall's eyes.

"That's why I think you didn't get the correct name." McGonagall began rolling up the piece of parchment. "I didn't recognize it myself and I take pride in learning all the students' names.

"Helen Evans doesn't go to this school."

Hermione whirled around and rushed out the door. McGonagall called after her but she didn't stop to explain. She had to find Harry immediately.

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Harry was walking back from the library, where he'd just been grabbing some extra books for his essay in Transfiguration. Ron was waiting for him to get back and Hermione said she was off to ask McGonagall about Helen Evans.

He was almost too excited to speak. Even if she was only some cousin, that would be great too. But he knew it. He knew deep inside himself that Helen Evans was his sister.

Something made him glance over.

On the opposite end of the corridor he'd been walking past, she was standing there. Helen Evans, looking at him with that same expression. Slightly surprised and unsure. Harry turned suddenly and started to run down the corridor after her. For a moment, she just stood there.

Then she suddenly walked down the hall, disappearing from sight.

"Wait!" He called after her, running as fast as he could. "Wait! Helen!"

When he rounded the corner, he saw her disappear up a flight of stairs.

"Helen!" But she didn't stop. He chased up the stairs after her and she kept disappearing behind yet another corridor, even though he could have sworn that she wasn't running.

Finally, he rounded a corner and she was just standing there, her back turned away from him. She'd just stopped in front of a window.

Harry couldn't help himself; he rushed over and hugged her, burying his face in her hair. She was a little shorter than him. But he'd caught her. He'd caught his sister. She stiffened immediately.

"Stop running away from me." He pleaded with her in a whisper. "Are you scared? What are you scared of? I'll protect you. I promise. Just talk to me."

There was a moment of silence and she didn't relax at all in his embrace.

"H-Harry?" A tentative whisper. Except that he knew this voice. He pulled away.

She turned around and he knew now that it wasn't her. It was Ginny. She looked confused.

"Harry?" She took a step towards him and he backed away, feeling horrified with himself.

"I thought…I thought…" Harry looked all around but he didn't see any sign of his sister. "I was following her and then I thought it was…"

"You thought I was her? Your sister you mean?" Ginny tilted her head to one side but she looked worried. "Harry, you look…weird. Are you okay?"

"I…I don't know." Harry began to feel dizzy. "She was just here."

"No one's been up here this whole time. I've been waiting for Luna." Ginny shrugged. "We were going to study Potions together."

"But she was just here! I saw her!" Harry insisted.

"Look, Harry, just calm down, okay?" Ginny started to reach towards him but he batted her hand away.

"I don't want…just…what's going on? Why can't I find her?" Harry felt like crying. "Why is she avoiding me? She was here…she was here…"

"Harry, I'm the only one here." Ginny's voice was calm but he could tell her mind was going a million miles a minute. She thought he was crazy. He could just hear it in her voice.

"I'm not crazy!" Harry insisted, backing further away.

"Harry!" Ginny's voice called out in warning but it was too late. He'd taken another step back but had forgotten there was a staircase behind him. He stumbled backwards and fell down the stairs.

When he hit the bottom, his head made a sickening cracking noise when it hit the stone landing. Ginny screamed but as the blood flowed out of his head, all he could think about was the mirage of his sister and why he could never seem to catch it.

Where are you…Helen?

I think…I'm dying…

If you're a ghost, I want to be a ghost too…

The world went dark for Harry, just like the night fall at the end of a very long day.

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What's going to happen next? I can't really say. I'm sure some of you are probably a little bit confused but that's okay. Just take it all in stride. Fun fact time! Ichabod Emeric and Ezekiel George are original characters of mine! No, they won't actually be making an appearance in this story or anything, they're just from novels I'm writing. Fun facts…so yeah, tune in next time. I think it'll be interesting. Please review!