"C'mon, Mark, all you have to do is run through the wall."

Mark looked up at Harry with frightened eyes. Harry sighed.

"Come, we'll do it together," said Harry with a smile and put his hand on Mark's shoulders. They walked towards the wall and Harry saw Mark close his eyes at the very wall. As they walked through, Harry stopped, but didn't take his hand off Mark's shoulders.

Mark opened his eyes, to look at Harry, but then turned and saw the Hogwarts Express and gasped. Harry smiled at his reaction.

Helping the younger onto the train, he climbed after him.

They found a compartment and settled down.

"We're really going?" asked Mark. Harry smiled and nodded. Mark smiled back and climbed over to the seat next to Harry. One hand holding the book he was reading, the other around Mark's shoulders, they waited for the train to start moving.

The comprament door opened.

"Potthead."

Harry looked up. Draco was standing at the door, sneering, both Crabbe and Goyle at his sides.

"Malfoy," said Harry, giving the blonde a sneer of his own. They glared at each other for a while and Draco lost. He motioned for the two gorillas to move and turned to follow them. Just before he left Draco whispered: "Good luck with the internet.'

Harry snorted as Draco left.

"What is wrong with that guy?" Mark asked, arching his eyebrow and sending Harry into fits of laughter.

"And what id wrong with this guy?" Mark asked himself, staring at Harry, who was practcally on the floor by now.

During the ride Ron and Hermione came in.

Harry introduced all of his friends to each other, feeling a bit wary of Ron.

It was slowly getting darker and darker, but Harry and Hermione were getting more nervous than Mark and that was saying something.

Finally Hermione looked at Harry and he gave a firm nod. Hermione clicked on the sign on the computer's desktop. Then it opened a page. With internet.

Harry and Hermione cheered as did Mark. Harry hugged to closest person, who happened to be Mark, that was on his lap.

"Harry, ribs," Mark chocked out, still laughing.

Harry loosened his grip a bit, grinning from ear to ear.

"Mione, we really did it," Harry said cheerfully.

"Yep, Em, we did," she said.

Soon, Hogwarts came into view. Mark gasped at the beauty of it, while Hermione was shaking a sleeping Ron, who hadn't been too careful in eating and was now covered in chocolate.

Harry kept fussing over Mark's robes. Correcting his tie, straightening the hem and collecting unseen cat hairs.

Just before, Mark left for the boats, Harry gave him a quick hug.

"Remember, no matter where the hat puts you, I'll be proud," said Harry quietly.

"Thanks, Harry," said Mark and ran to join the others.

Harry felt pride to see Mark there, looking calm and proud.

"Egnery, Ursula."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Enur, Reeks."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Evans, Mark."

The hat took time to decide. Harry watched as Mark got different expressions on his face, his eyes closed. At first shock that quickly turned to mischief, then horror, pleading, then resigned.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Mark made his way to the table of the snakes. He risked a glance at the Gryffindor table, before he sat down.

Harry was watching him. As soon as they're eyes met, Harry grinned and gave him a thumbs up. Mark grinned back.

At the Head Table, Dumbledore frowned. No one noticed, except for Harry.

If the codger dared to lay just a bad thought at Mark, Harry swore he would do anything. No one would touch his baby brother, even if they weren't if the same blood, they were still family.

Just as all of them began to leave to their dorms, Mark tried to get to Harry, wanting to ask what was wrong, since he had seen him frowning. He couldn't get through all of the hurrying students and thus the problem remained unknown.

For more, Harry hadn't even looked his way before he left!

Mark felt as if it was the end of the world.

Severus billowed through the hallways, searching for students out of bed. As he narrowed his eyes at every tiny sound or shadow, he let his mind wander.

Unknown to Harry— Potter, he had followed him to the park and Diagon Alley. Harry Potter— the boy of mystery.

When the young Mark Evans had been sorted to Slytherin, Potter didn't seem to mind and neither did Evans and yet, when he gave his every-year speech, Evans looked close to tears. Had Potter done something to him while he hadn't seen or maybe he sent a letter with not too happy news or even insults.

Somehow he doubted it. Em– dammit! Potter may have been getting into trouble a lot, but Severus had never seen him bully him. But again, he was Potter.

Suddenly, Severus heard quiet sobs come from a nearby corridor. As he reached it, he saw the small boy, Mark Evans, sitting, his legs close to his chest.

The boy didn't notice him come.

"Mr Evans," he said softly. The boy looked up with huge frightened eyes. He scrambled up.

"I'm sorry, sir. I was just...uh sleepwalking...you know...anyway...I'm sorry, sir," he mumbled quickly, not meeting his eyes.

Severus knelt, so that he was on the same eye-level as the boy.

"Mr Evans, I can tell that it is not the cause."

He sniffed.

"Professor, can you promise not to tell anyone?"

Severus sighed and nodded.

"It's Harry...he used to walk me home whenever he could and always when he could he told me goodnight, but this time he didn't even look at me," he said in one breath and Severus felt anger rise at Potter.

He held his hand out to the boy, who took it hesitantly. Severus began to drag him towards the Gryffindor common room, seething.

As soon as he entered he roared "POTTER!"

Harry who was on the couch, falling asleep behind a book, jumped up, toppled over, landed his cloak in the fireplace, cursed in both English and Parceltongue, stamped out the fire, then looked at the peace-ruiner with a glare. When he saw who it was, his face softened.

"Mr Potter, out. Now!" said Snape, his eyes flashing.

The other Gryffindors followed the group out with their eyes, then shrugged fearfully at each other.

"Mark, Professor, what's going on?"

"I swear Harry, I didn't want to get you into trouble. He was just asking and I couldn't lie. I mean he's my head of house and all—"

"Hush, Mark," Harry said gently and turned to Professor Snape, raising his eyebrows.

"Well Professor?"

Severus merely sneered. "I don't care if you bully students from the other houses, but you will not bully them from mine."

"Excuse me Professor?" said Harry, getting even more confused.

"I found Mr Evans here, bawling his eyes out because the Golden Boy didn't say goodnight to him. But I doubt Potter that it's the true cause."

Harry's face softened. He turned to ignore the Professor and walked over to the young boy, who had silent tears running on his cheeks.

Harry's lips quirked a bit.

"Mark," he said softly. The boy lifted his head a bit and looked at Harry through his overgrown fringe. "You're a stupid, stupid boy."

Mark looked down and Severus was ready to pull the older boys hair out, but Harry wasn't finished.

Harry pulled the boy close to him, holding him tightly.

He let go and sunk to the younger's eye level.

"Mark, you're my little brother, my baby brother. Do you honestly think that the letter I sent was fake? Don't you remember what we talked about before we came?"

"Letter?" said Mark, confused. "What letter?"

Harry frowned. "You didn't get it?"

Just then Ceroth, flew at high speed, almost crashed into Severus, but then landed kn Harry's arm, his beak holding a mouse and the letter still tied to his leg.

Harry glared at the raven and Mark began to laugh. Harry rolled his eyes, but couldn't hold in a small smile.

"Well," said Harry. "At least we know what happened to the letter."

The raven gave a small apologetic craw, but hopped off his arm to give the letter to Mark.

Severus took the letter and opened to read it, ignoring Harry, who was glaring heatedly at him.

It said:

Mark,

We'll probably be getting into different houses and so I wanted to send you this letter, because you will probably be swept away by a prefect with the other first-years. The gryffindor password is Mimbus Mibletonia, so feel free to find me if you need to or want to.

Remember: We are entwined by soul and body from the start and may neither life nor death us part.

Your good ol' bro

Severus looked up at the till glaring H— Potter and begrudgingly gave the letter to the youngest of their trio.

Mark read it and with a beaming smile jumped into a hug, squeezing Harry as strong as possible.

"Mark, ribs," Harry gasped out, but placed his hands around the younger, with a small smile.

Mark sounded muffled from where he buried his face into Harry's robes as he mumbled: "Copycat."

"Harry?"

Harry grunted sleepily. "G'way Mione."

"Harry?"

He was shaken again. Sighing, he opened his eyes and looked into the eyes of Hermione. He unstuck a piece of muggle paper from his cheek and closed some books, in which he had been researching.

"Harry, I found something," said Hermione. She opened the huge tome she held. "This is all about runes."

Harry sighed. He had never read so many books before. He took the tome and let it drop heavily onto the table, as Hermione hurried away.

The tome fell open at a page and Harry stared at it.

"So, now all I have to do to find answers is throw books?" he asked himself.