After all the unexpected excitement at the World Cup, when Evie and Hermione got back to the Diggory cottage, all they wanted to was sleep. They dragged their bags into the kitchen and sighed as they sat down.

Amos sighed and looked up at the three teens resting to gain the strength to continue on to their rooms. "I'll have to go into the office today."

"What?" Cedric looked up at him.

"Why? You're on holiday aren't you?" Evie continued.

"Yes, but with all that's happened, an elf got a wand, Mr. Crouch's own elf? Something is wrong here. I'll need to check in and make sure no more magical creatures have gotten ideas and such." Amos rubbed his tired face. "Best not delay, I'll change and then be off."

When he left the kitchen Hermione let out a huff.

"What is it?" Evie sighed.

"I don't like the way your father talks about elves. I don't like the way he talked to Winky in the forest. It's like he sees them as lesser."

"Well of course he does." Cedric looked at Hermione bemused. "He works in a department of the Ministry designed to keep magical creatures 'in their place'." Cedric quoted.

"He's right, Hermione. What did you expect of my father? He grew up in a very traditional household." Evie rubbed her tired eyes and yawned.

"So that makes it right?" Hermione rounded on the siblings.

"Look, I'm not happy with the way Dad handled Winky either, but I also know that all of this has put a lot of stress on him. Seeing that mark, it brought back all sorts of terrible memories for him. You know my mum died at the hand of Death Eaters. How did you expect him to handle a situation like that?" Evie began to get defensive.

Hermione looked at her friend sadly. "You're right, I'm sorry." Hermione sighed. "Oh gosh, I've been very insensitive, haven't I? I didn't even ask you if you were okay." She turned to Evie looking really upset.

"It's alright, that Mark scared you too. Honestly, I never knew my mum, so as much as I want to say it stirred up terrible memories for me, all it did was make me sad. I'll never know her because of them." Evie sighed.

Amos came down soon after and left. Cedric decided to go get some sleep. Just as Evie and Hermione were getting up to do the same, there was a knock on the kitchen door. Evie opened it to find Harry and Ron.

Harry said he needed to tell them something and they all went up to Evie's room. Harry began at once to tell him of his hurting scar and the nightmare he'd had about Voldemort. Hermione and Ron acted exactly as Evie would've expected them too, she, however, just stayed silent the whole conversation. What her friends didn't know was that the moment Harry started talking, her heart had begun racing. Her palms began to sweat, and Evie suddenly found her breathing was a bit labored. She couldn't understand what this meant. She felt guilty, because she couldn't bring herself to speak up about her own pain and the similar nightmare she had, but her mind was a whirlwind of confusion.

"Evie?" She snapped back to the conversation at hand to find all three of her friends staring at her.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked.

"You alright? You haven't said anything this whole time." Harry asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thinking. I wish we knew what all of this meant." She sighed.

"We're all tired, and I think we'd better pick this up later, once we've had a rest and time to think." Hermione suggested. The boys nodded and left. Evie and Hermione saw them out, and as soon as Evie closed the door behind them she turned to look Hermione square in the eyes.

"I need to tell you something, and I need you to remain as logical and as calm as you are able." She said.

"Let's go back up to the room." Hermione answered. Her voice was calm, but her eyes betrayed her. Evie could tell Hermione knew whatever she was about to say could very well be more important than anything she'd ever said before.

Once they were in Evie's room again, both girls sat on the bed and Evie turned to face Hermione. "I had the same dream Harry did."

"What? But that doesn't make any sense. How could you –" Hermione stopped because Evie put her hand up to halt her. "Sorry."

"I don't know how it's possible. I didn't even know we'd had the same dream until he started describing it. I didn't get as clear an image as he did either. I saw flashes of things, not the whole picture. Just bits and pieces of it." Evie shook her head. "But that's not all, my birthmark started hurting the same night in first year that Harry's scar did. It seems like it hurts every time Harry's scar hurts."

"It's like you're both connected somehow." Hermione looked at Evie in awe.

"But that's just it, isn't it? How could Harry and I possibly be connected?"

"What if your birthmark isn't really a birthmark? What if it's a scar?" Hermione suggested suddenly.

"Why would that change anything?"

"Think about it! Your mum was tortured by those Death Eaters right? You said your dad found her barely alive." Evie nodded at this. "And she was pregnant with you at the time. So what if you were also hurt by the torture and that birthmark is actually a scar from what happened to you and your mum?"

Evie stared at Hermione for a moment, then smacked herself on the forehead. "Oh, I'm such an idiot! Why did I not think of that? Of course, that's why I was in the hospital for so long after I was born. I feel like such a fool. Dad always called it my birthmark, so I just never thought it could be anything else." Understanding and relief washed over her, as things all started to fall into place. "But, wait. Why would it hurt then? I wasn't attacked by Vold… oh, honestly Hermione, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"It's probably the dark magic that surrounds him. What killed your mum and scarred you was terrible dark magic. Just like what He did to Harry. There's probably an aura of dark magic around Him."

"This still doesn't explain the dream, does it?" Evie sighed.

"No, no it doesn't." Hermione agreed, as though she had forgotten all about the dream.

"It just doesn't make any sense once you add in the dream." Evie sighed in frustration.

"It's like there's something we're missing. One piece of the puzzle that makes it impossible to solve." Hermione sighed, mirroring Evie's frustration.

"We won't figure it out yet, not without more information." Evie thought out loud. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Well, I think we ought to get some sleep for now, we're exhausted."

"Sounds like a good idea." Evie agreed. Hermione got off the bed and headed for the door. A look of determination on her face. It was her thinking face, the face she always wore when she had decided she would, not matter what, figure out the answer to this problem in front of her. "Hey, Hermione?" Evie called her back. "Don't tell Harry and Ron about this. I don't want to say anything until we understand everything."

"Of course." Hermione smiled before heading to the guest room. Evie settled herself into her bed, and sleep came quickly to claim her.

The rest of the summer passed rather quickly. Amos spent loads of time at the Ministry. That reporter Rita Skeeter, the one who wrote all the overly dramatized Daily Prophet articles, was really making life hard for all the Ministry employees. Every article was something new she'd made up. Evie grew a great dislike of the woman, rather quickly. Amos came home late and exhausted every night, and things as the Weasley house were no better. Mr. Weasley and Percy were gone just as much and came home looking just as worn out. The only real difference was that Hermione had seemingly taken up a new passion, defending house-elves. She was very clear on her stance towards them and made herself heard whenever the subject came up.

It wasn't until the night before they were all due to the Hogwarts Express that Evie even bothered to see what her father had gotten her for school that year. She was double checking that she had everything when she noticed something she hadn't before. She immediately went to the one person she figured would be able to help her.

"Come in." Cedric called when she knocked on his door. She opened it to find him sitting on his bed, reading Quidditch Weekly. She plopped herself down at the foot of his bed, resting her back against the foot board.

"Have you looked over your school list?"

"'Course I did. I went with Dad to buy our things, remember?" Cedric looked at her, setting the magazine down on the bed.

"Right, well, why didn't you tell me we needed formal wear this year? Is that normal? Do you always need formal wear from fourth year on?"

"No, it's completely new. And I didn't tell you, because I didn't think it was a big deal. Why do you care?"

"You know what formal wear signifies?"

"An event that is formal?" Cedric shrugged.

"It's a dance of some sort!" Evie glared at him.

"Alight, sure. Why does that matter?"

"I'll step on somebody's toes! I'll make a fool of myself."

"We've gone to Ministry Christmas Galas all our lives and suddenly you're worried about a school dance?" Cedric laughed.

"Of course I am. Ministry events are for families. We go with Dad and hang out with the other people our age that got dragged there by their parents. But a school dance means, I mean, you go in pairs." Evie blushed.

"You mean you bring a date?" Cedric smiled knowingly. "You're nervous you'll embarrass yourself in front of a boy."

"Oh, shut up." Evie scrunched her face.

"Evie, you don't have to be scared."

"That's easy for you to say. Girls will be lining up to be your date. I'm clumsy and awkward; no boy will want to go with me."

"Hey." Cedric said, looking more serious. He moved to sit next to Evie and grabbed her hand, protectively. "You are perfect, and any boy who can't see that is a fool." Evie smiled up at her brother.

"Thanks, Cedric."

"That's what I'm here for. Now go get some rest, we'll be up early for the train." Cedric moved back to his original position and picked his magazine up again.

"Good night." Evie smiled as she made her way back to her room to finish double checking her bag and get some much needed rest.

The next morning Evie came down the stairs to find that breakfast had been made, but her father was nowhere to be seen. Instead on the table was a note. Picking it up Evie read:

Had to go into the office early. So sorry I won't be able to see you off. Go to the Weasleys, they'll see you get to the train on time. I'll owl tonight to check on you. Love, Dad

Evie sighed and sat down at the table. She began eating as Hermione, and then Cedric emerged.

"Where's Dad?"

"Had to go into the office early." Evie pointed to the letter still on the table.

"Hmm, alright, we'd better eat and head over to the Weasley's then." Cedric nodded, filling his own plate with food.

"I hope this all blows over soon. They've been running him ragged at the Ministry." Evie commented.

"Well, let's hope there's not really anything to blow over and that Skeeter woman is just making things up as she goes." Cedric added.

"She really is quite annoying isn't she? Making so much trouble where there isn't any need to." Hermione shook her head.

They finished breakfast on a much higher note then Cedric popped through the floo to the Weasleys. Floo was the best option, as it was raining and they had three very heavy trunks in tow. He told them, he thought it was better he go first so they could let the Weasleys know they were on the way and send the bags through. Hermione went after their trunks, and Evie went last, making sure the house was locked up before stepping into the fireplace.

Bill and Charlie accompanied the group to Kings Cross to say goodbye. They took taxis to the station; Evie would have been excited, had it not been for Crookshanks in a very bad mood clawing her, Ron, Harry and Hermione to shreds. By the time they reached the station, Evie was happy to be out of the taxi, and have the ability to put space between her and that crazed cat, even though it was raining harder than it had been before.

Once they reached the platform they hopped on the train to find a compartment and put their things down. Cedric said his goodbyes to the Weasleys and went off to find his friends. Evie, the rest of the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione hopped back off the train to say a last goodbye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie.

"I might be seeing you sooner than you think." Charlie said as he hugged Ginny.

"Why?" Fred asked keenly.

"You'll see." Charlie smiled. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it. You know, since its 'top secret information' and all."

"Yeah, I sort of wish I was back at Hogwarts this year." Bill stuffed his hands in his pocket wistfully.

"Why?" George repeated Fred's earlier question.

"You're going to have an interesting year." Bill smiled, his eyes twinkled with mischief and Evie could once again see some of Fred and George in him. "I might get some time off to come and see some of it."

"Some of what?" Ron asked, the impatience growing in the three youngest Weasley boys. But just then the train whistled and they had to board again. Mrs. Weasley hugged them all once more then rushed them back onto the train.

Mum, do you know what they're talking about?" Ron asked as they leaned out the window to talk to Mrs. Weasley.

"I suspect you'll know by tonight. It will be exciting; mind you I'm glad they've changed the rules."

"What rules?" All the boys asked together.

"Never mind…behave all of you. You will behave Fred and you George?"She eyed her two trouble making sons.

The train hissed and the pistons began to move.

"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred yelled after his mother, Bill and Charlie. Mrs. Weasley just smiled and waved. They got farther and farther away, and before the train had even rounded the corner she, Bill and Charlie had disapparated.