December 20, 2014 (Evangeline)
"Magic has long been believed to be inherent to the witch or wizard summoning it. However, this may be a fundamental misunderstanding of how magic functions within the natural world. It could more accurately be seen as a finite resource existing independent of human interaction, waiting to be mined. When a spell-caster trains to perfect their craft, or uses potions for temporary benefit, they are not in fact getting stronger or becoming 'more' magical; rather, they are becoming more attuned to their sense of the magic around them and their ability to bend it to their will.
"While most potions and rituals can provide temporary gain, others have the potential to permanent alter the brain chemistry of the user. Certain blood rituals have been shown to improve reflexes and magical stamina, for instance, though these have diminishing returns. The Draught of Omniscience can be used to heighten the consumer's affinity for Legilimency and nonverbal casting, though it too has its risks.
"Under the genetic theory of magical ability, such practices do not actually impact the caster's magic directly. Instead it bridges the gap between caster and spell, bringing us closer to oneness with the magic of the natural world. The ability to manipulate magic is still crudely understood and requires precise wand movements, incantations and symbology. But a deeper understanding how of magic is actually summoned may be more beneficial to long-term magical improvement than—"
"Oi, Prewitt! We're gonna be late!"
Eva reluctantly closed The Language of Magic and stowed it under her pillow. She hadn't really been absorbing the words anyway; she just wanted something familiar to center herself. She had been anxious about the Christmas party ever since agreeing to go with Calvin Hopkins, and now the time had come. What did he expect of her? How would the other attendees view her? Did she even deserve to be there at all?
She got out of bed and stood to face her dorm mates. "Ooh, you look nice!" Candace offered, casting an approving eye over Eva's modest beige sundress. "Spin for us!"
Eva hesitantly twirled around for Candace, Amy and Victoire to assess her. "Not bad, Prewitt," said Victoire. "You won't attract many eyeballs, but it's presentable at least."
"Maybe I'm not trying to attract any eyeballs," Eva muttered.
"Good; more for me then," Victoire beamed. She herself was wearing a much tighter and more revealing dress, and she was eager to flaunt it.
"Hey Vic, how did you get invited to the party, anyway?" Amy protested.
"I didn't," said Victoire. "But Chris did, and he invited me as his date. Can't have one half of the Chaos Duo without the other!"
"What a shame that would have been," Eva said sardonically. "C'mon, let's get going."
They made their way out of the dorm and down the spiral stairs to the common room. "Y'know, I may not like the kid, but Hopkins isn't a bad-looking bloke," Victoire said. "I mean, he's no Bolger, but you could do worse. Speaking of which, if you get the chance to introduce me to Mark, you'd better take it."
"You're really going to hit on other guys when you're with your date?" Eva said, incredulous.
"Oh, this isn't really a 'date' date," Victoire reassured her. "Chris and I are just chums. He won't care."
"Huh," Eva said. It seemed to her that Chris didn't get the same memo, because when they descended into the common room, he visibly brightened at the sight of Victoire.
"Hey, Vic," he grinned, nervously straightening his tie. "You look...wow."
"Hey yourself," Victoire sang, grabbing his arm and skipping towards the portrait hole. "Let's go, gang, we have a snake to pick up along the way!"
Eva endured Victoire and Chris's ribbing about going out with Calvin Hopkins all the way down to the Entrance Hall. Victoire was listing all the potential red flags of dating a Slytherin, as though it was an affront to the zodiac system, while Chris was mildly affronted that she was "fraternizing with the enemy", whatever that meant. She was still unsure about her decision to attend the party with him, so it was doing her nerves no favors.
But when they arrived at the Entrance Hall moments later, Eva got the sense that Calvin was even more nervous. He was pacing agitatedly and tugging uncomfortably at the collar of his neatly-pressed dress shirt. He saw the trio approaching and smoothed back his hair before approaching the stairwell. "Hi," he said to Eva, mustering a smile. "You look really nice."
"Thanks; you too," Eva said. Victoire tactfully yanked Chris by the arm down a side corridor so she and Calvin could walk the rest of the way alone.
"First Slug Club party?" asked Calvin as they made their way to the dungeons.
"Yeah," sighed Eva. "I'm a bit nervous. Sounds like they're big networking events."
"Eh, kinda," Calvin shrugged. "Most people know each other by now, and we don't have much in common besides having famous relatives. I'm sure you'll be rather popular tonight, though."
"Me?" asked Eva, suddenly alarmed. "Why?"
"Well...people talk about you," Calvin said hesitantly. "Not in a bad way or anything. They're just curious, is all. A transfer student who shows up out of nowhere and immediately becomes top of the class and the Headmaster's favorite?"
"I'm hardly top of the class," Eva muttered. "And I'm not so sure the Headmaster is all that fond of me half the time."
"Please," Calvin snickered. "We all suspect where that Firebolt of yours came from. Potter may have odd ways of showing it, but he's definitely interested in you; I can tell."
Eva saw this as a prime opportunity to ask a question that had been bugging her for months now. "What did he whisper to you, before our first duel in Legilimency?" she asked.
Calvin hesitated for a moment before answering. "He uh...he wanted me to go all-out to test you," he said flatly. "To try and trick you, to see how you would respond."
Eva immediately felt bad about asking the question, seeing how Calvin could see it as a sleight against his ability. "Sorry," she stammered. "I mean it when I say I got lucky that time."
"Maybe, maybe not," Calvin winked. "But you can't fool me with that humble act, Prewitt. I think you're holding out on us."
"If you say so," Eva chuckled, rolling her eyes.
They arrived at the classroom where the party was to be held, and they could hear music wafting in from inside. Slughorn met them at the door, beaming at the sight of them.
"Ah, Mr. Hopkins, Miss Prewitt!" he greeted them jovially. "And you've come as a pair? Well, I suppose that's alright, though the intention was to bring a date from outside the club."
"Sorry, Professor; I didn't know," Eva said at once. But Slughorn didn't seem too bothered.
"Not to worry, not to worry," he winked. "I daresay you two make a good match! Enjoy the party." And Slughorn waddled off to attend to his other guests.
Eva looked at Calvin, who was lightly shaking his head in bemusement. "How do you do that?" he asked her.
"Do what?"
"Get into trouble with the professors and talk your way out of it," he smirked. "It seems to be one of your many talents."
"I don't mean to break the rules," Eva shrugged. "Usually it's only when I'm unaware of them."
"See, I think that's what you want everyone to think," Calvin grinned. "You might play innocent, but you know how to get what you want by sweet-talking the right people along the way. Very Slytherin of you, if I do say so myself."
"That, or I'm just needlessly reckless and seek trouble around every corner," Eva teased right back. "Very Gryffindor of me, don't you think?"
"Touche," Calvin laughed.
They made their rounds through the party, and Calvin introduced Eva to several of his Slytherin friends. A few of his Quidditch teammates were present, and they all begrudgingly shook her hand and nodded politely without a word. It seemed that Chris was not the only one chagrined at the two of them fraternizing with the enemy.
Eva was happy to see several of her own Quidditch teammates also present. She and Calvin walked into their circle as Slughorn was congratulating them on their recent victory. "...A splendid effort, well done," he said. "Some fabulous saves you made out there, my boy. Wood, isn't it? Did your father play Keeper as well?"
"Yes, sir," Chris said proudly. "Oliver Wood. He played fifteen seasons for Puddlemere. Just retired last spring."
"Yes, of course!" Slughorn beamed, clapping his hands together. "He was before my time at the school, I'm afraid, but I do recognize the name. Your father must be very proud. And yours as well, Mr. Bolger! Splendid work on the bats."
"Thank you, Horace," said Mark Bolger with a polite nod. Eva was surprised at the use of the professor's first name, but Slughorn seemed positively tickled about it.
"Excuse me, Professor?" asked Greg Darby, whose date was holding tightly onto him as though he were a prize catch not to be relinquished. "I was hoping you could enlighten me about something. Why is it that the Ocular Restoration Potion is banned in Quidditch?"
"Ah," said Slughorn sagely, looking delighted by the opportunity to flex his potions knowledge. "I can see how that would be of great interest to you, Mr. Darby."
Greg nervously adjusted the wire-rim spectacles on his nose. "A Healer recommended it to me, but I didn't want to jeopardize my Quidditch career," he muttered.
"Rightly so," Slughorn agreed, taking a generous bite of treacle tart before continuing. "You see, while that particular potion does restore perfect eyesight, it also has a few side effects. Notably, a permanent increase in ocular reflexes for the drinker. Most Quidditch leagues consider this an unfair advantage, so it is banned for use."
"Rubbish," Greg grumbled bitterly.
"I quite agree; it is an outdated rule," Slughorn nodded sympathetically.
"Pardon, Professor?" cut in Victoire, looking curious now. "Did you say the potion provides permanent improvements?"
"Oh, yes," said Slughorn. "It is rare, but certain potions do have the ability to alter brain chemistry and physical attributes permanently."
"Like the Draught of Omniscience, sir?" Eva added without thinking.
Slughorn's reaction was immediate and violent. He began to sputter and cough, spraying treacle tart everywhere; students rushed to his side to check on him. "'M alright, 'm alright," Slughorn sputtered. "Just took too large of a bite, I'm afraid." But Eva felt the heat of his stare afterwards...he was clearly troubled by her innocuous question.
Fortunately her gaffe went unnoticed by the other students. She and Calvin chatted with the other athletes for a while, recounting the recent match. Eva was still troubled by Slughorn's reaction, but she turned to Calvin to take her mind off of it. "Do you plan to pursue Quidditch after school, too?" she asked.
"Oh, no," Calvin shook his head. "I'm only doing it for extra-curriculars. Father thinks it will look good on my resume someday."
"You know what you're going to do, then?" Eva asked.
"I'm going to be an Auror," said Calvin confidently, puffing his chest out proudly. "Just like my father. Professor Potter has been giving me private tutoring to prepare. He says I'll be a natural."
"Your dad was an Auror?" asked Eva. "Did he serve under...well, you know…?"
Calvin's expression darkened at this line of thought. "The Dark Lord?" he surmised. "Yes, technically he did. But his department mostly dealt with higher-profile security threats, not rounding up Muggle-borns."
"I see," said Eva. "I didn't mean to accuse—"
"No, it's alright," Calvin waved her off. "I know Slytherin House has a reputation, but we aren't all blood bigots. My parents are traditional enough, but they didn't buy into all the Dark Lord's rubbish. They just went along with it to survive. A lot of folks did during the war."
"Mhmm," Eva said noncommittally, suddenly uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken.
"What about your parents?" asked Calvin. "What was life like in the Australian wizarding world back then?"
"I need to use the little girls' room," Eva said abruptly. "I'll be right back." And she left a bewildered Calvin behind as she bee-lined from the room in search of a bathroom.
Victoire was quick to join her once she located one. "You alright, Prewitt?" she asked, concerned. "If that slippery little snake did anything untoward, I'll hex him back to third year—"
"It's not that," Eva sighed, splashing some water in her face. "Just feeling a bit overwhelmed in there." She felt out of her depth among these people, the upper-crust of the student body – most of whom, she now realized, were pure-bloods. Would Slughorn have invited her if he'd known her true blood status? Would Calvin have asked her out if he'd known? Hell, would Victoire even be her friend? They might all claim to be reformed from the old worldview, but the coincidences were starting to pile up….
"Right, then; I'm off to seduce Bolger again," Victoire said after a moment's silence. "Gonna have to up my game to pry him away from that seventh-year bimbo…"
"Hey, Vic?" Eva said uncertainly. "Will you stay with me? At the party, I mean? I feel a bit sick."
Victoire dropped the silly act at once and returned to her friend's side. "You got it, Prewitt," she said, giving her a reassuring pat on the back.
And to her credit, Victoire didn't leave her side once for the remainder of the party. Eva felt far more at ease around her and Chris, laughing at their stupid back-and-forth banter, taking solace in their private disdain towards the prim-and-proper behavior of their peers. She felt a bit bad for Calvin, who resorted to following the trio silently around the room and occasionally giving her a polite smile. But she didn't belong in his world. She wasn't the person he thought she was. And she didn't have the heart to tell him as much.
Finally, mercifully, the party drew to a close, and the students began to migrate towards the door to return to their common rooms. "One moment, Miss Prewitt," said Slughorn before Eva could escape. "I'd like a quick word before you go." She followed Slughorn into his office, where he shut the door and immediately rounded on her.
"Where did you learn of the Draught of Omniscience?" he demanded.
"Erm...from a book," Eva said, deciding that was truthful enough.
"No book taught on this campus references the Draught," Slughorn frowned.
"It must have been a textbook from my old school, Willoughby," Eva said quickly. "I apologize, sir, I didn't know it was a taboo subject."
Slughorn studied her expression for a moment. Then, he exhaled slowly, rubbing his forehead. "I am under strict orders from the Headmaster," he said, "to report any student who asks about the Draught. The curious thing, Miss Prewitt, is that only four students have dared to bring it up in all my years here. And you are the first pure-blood to do so."
"R-really?" asked Eva, her curiosity piqued.
"It is a highly volatile and dangerous potion," said Slughorn. "It has the potential to irrevocably damage the brain if brewed incorrectly. It contains a banned ingredient that has been known to cause psychosis and even death in the consumer."
"Essence of Thought," Eva confirmed. "What is it, exactly?"
Slughorn again appeared shocked by her knowledge on the subject. "I suggest you do not pursue this matter further, Miss Prewitt," he warned her. "Even for academic purposes. I will decline to tell the Headmaster about this meeting, but you must promise me this."
"Okay," Eva said immediately. "I promise. I apologize, sir."
Slughorn looked immensely relieved by this. "Good, good," he said. "I admire your curiosity, Miss Prewitt, though be aware that it might get you into trouble someday. Enjoy your holiday."
Slughorn opened the office door, and Eva hurried out towards the exit. She had no intention of ending her research, of course, but it was a good reminder that she must keep it a secret from now on. She drew quizzical looks from Calvin, Chris and Victoire as she rejoined them, but she just shrugged and offered them nothing. She couldn't trust anyone in the castle. Potter had eyes everywhere.
"Thanks for coming with me," Calvin said when they reached the Entrance Hall and the other two had departed ahead of them. "It was fun."
"Yeah, no problem," Eva said uncertainly.
Calvin regarded her curiously for a moment. Eva thought he might be working up the courage for a kiss, but if he was, he decided against it. "Have a good night, Evangeline," he said, bowing courteously. "I hope we can continue this another time."
"Good night," Eva bowed back, and she turned to make the long trek up to Gryffindor Tower. She felt bad for icing Calvin out like that, especially when he'd done nothing wrong. She just knew that she would wind up disappointing him in the end. Clearly he thought she was more special than she was in reality. Maybe he saw her as a nice pure-blood girl he could take home to Father and earn his approval. But that wasn't Eva. Her life was a chaotic mess, and she didn't need to burden somebody else with it.
Eva was perplexed later that night when Victoire asked why she hadn't packed her trunk yet. It seemed that she had missed the memo about being invited home to the Weasleys for Christmas holiday; she'd been mentally preparing for a quiet two weeks alone in the castle. But Victoire would not take no for an answer, so the next morning she found herself lugging her things down to the Hogsmeade platform and boarding the Hogwarts Express to London.
She marveled at the sheer simplicity and elegance of the train. She was certain it possessed select enchantments for speed and avoiding other trains on the track, but otherwise it was just a normal train. She found it somewhat ironic that the Headmaster was so against the use of Muggle technology on campus, yet student transportation was the most mundane and Muggle mode of transport imaginable. She and Victoire spent the majority of the trip playing Exploding Snap and laughing over classmate drama until they finally arrived at King's Cross Station.
Eva and Victoire joined the queue of students waiting to exit the platform, but a station agent stopped them just shy of the barrier to greater King's Cross. "Hold here, please," the man said sternly, pressing a finger to his ear as though listening to an invisible earpiece. Eva gave Victoire a quizzical look, who simply rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Okay, quickly now," the agent ushered them through. Eva and Victoire passed through the invisible barrier, and were immediately met with a chaotic scene. Several station agents on the other side were physically restraining a mob of about fifty people, yelling and screaming at the students exiting Platform 9 ¾. Eva strained to hear what they were shouting over the din:
"Please, let my child through, he's special too, I swear it!"
"You lot think you're better than the rest of us? Piss off!"
"Go back to where you came from, you freaks!"
"It's like this every time the Hogwarts Express comes through," Victoire sighed as they fought their way through the crowd. "They tried making the schedule a secret, but word always gets out anyway. Bloody Muggles can't mind their own business." They shied away from the tangled mass of desperate bodies and fast-walked away from the area.
Victoire led the way through the station until she spotted her parents, waving wildly and speeding up to meet them. Her father was a tall and handsome redhead, though he bore visible scars that marred the right side of his face. Victoire's mother, on the other hand, was a gorgeous French witch with silvery-blonde hair, and she smiled radiantly as her eldest daughter jumped into her arms.
"Mum, Dad, this is Evangeline Prewitt," said Victoire once she had extricated herself. "Eva, this is my mum and dad."
"Nice to meet you," Eva nodded. "Thank you for having me."
"We've heard a lot about you," smiled Victoire's father, offering his hand. "You can call me Bill."
"And I am Fleur," said the mother, leaning down to embrace Eva in a warm hug. "I 'ear that you are perhaps related, non? Family eez always welcome with us."
Eva laughed uncomfortably, now feeling doubly guilty for lying about her true name. She doubted Victoire would have cared if they were actually related or not, but it was yet another reminder of the duplicitous life as a pure-blood she was living for seemingly no reason.
Bill led the way not to the parking lot, but to a secluded wing of the train station guarded by two heavy-set wizards. "Identification, please?" one of the men asked him. Bill responded by drawing his wand and flourishing it above his head, producing a set of numbers. The guard checked it against a list on his clipboard, then nodded and waved the family through.
"Where are we?" asked Eva, as they walked past a row of tables, each containing odd trinkets and objects.
"Portkey hangar," explained Victoire. "It's either this, driving a Muggle car, or Apparating. Trust me, this way is the most pleasant."
They gathered around a table labeled with their designated number, upon which sat a crumpled metal coat hanger. "On three, then," said Bill, and they all hovered their hands over the object. "One...two...three!"
Eva touched the object, and felt a jerking sensation behind her naval as the Portkey whisked them away. She felt herself spinning uncontrollably, hand glued to the coat hanger, until her feet crunched into what felt like sand. Looking around, she found herself on an idyllic coastline, with a picturesque two-story cottage just up ahead.
"Welcome to Shell Cottage," Victoire said proudly. She and her parents began walking towards the cottage, where Eva saw two younger children emerge from inside. One was a girl of about ten, with the same silvery locks as her mother; the other, a rambunctious six or seven-year-old boy with the same flaming red hair and freckles as his father and eldest sister. Victoire rushed forward and swept her two siblings up in a tight hug.
"Vicky's home, Vicky's home!" the younger girl exclaimed excitedly.
"You will call 'er by 'er proper name in thees house," Fleur chastised her. "It eez Victoire." The way she pronounced the name, with her florid French accent, made Victoire visibly gag.
"You make it sound so pretentious," Victoire complained, before putting on her best mock-French accent. "Vic-twaahhh. Blech."
The two younger kids spotted Eva hanging behind and tugged on their older sister's sleeve. "Is this your new friend?" the boy asked.
"Yes, this is Evangeline, but she prefers Eva," said Victoire. "These are my siblings, Dominique and Louis. I petitioned for Dom and Lou, but Mother insists."
"There will be no preposterous nicknames 'ere," Fleur said proudly. "Please, Evangeline, come in."
Victoire's younger siblings were eager to give Eva the grand tour, showing her around the kitchen, living room, and their bedrooms. Eva marveled at the interior of the home; she'd never been inside a private wizarding residence before. There were moving portraits on the walls; Louis had Quidditch posters in his bedroom, players zooming in and out of sight through them. Dominique proudly showed off her closet of lovely dresses, which sparkled and shimmered at the touch.
Later they took her down to the beach, where the younger kids ran along the shore and splashed through the waves lapping at their feet. "We have this whole beach to ourselves!" Louis informed Eva. "From here to the rocks over there!"
"What's on the other side of the rocks?" asked Eva.
"That's where the Muggle kids play," Dominique answered, sounding a bit disappointed by this fact. "Mother and Father won't let us play on that beach."
"Ah, that's too bad," Eva said sympathetically. But she knew from first-hand experience why Bill and Fleur would set such a restriction. Eva had faced relentless bullying from her schoolmates once it was discovered she was a witch; it was an unpleasant experience she wouldn't wish upon any magical child. Isolating them might seem harsh in the short term, but it would save them years of pain and resentment before they could attend Hogwarts.
"Hey Vicky, where's Chris?" asked Dominique innocently. "Is he visiting us soon?"
"No, his family will be in Spain this holiday," said Victoire. "Why are you so interested in Chris?"
"Because you're in loooove with him," Louis cut in, as Dominique giggled approvingly nearby.
"Am not!" Victoire said hotly. "He's my closest mate. Tell them, Eva."
"Oh yes, they are madly in love with each other," Eva said with a straight face. "She and Chris are going to get married and have a lot of babies." Victoire glared daggers at her while her two siblings devolved into delighted giggles at this 'revelation.'
On the whole, Eva thought her holiday at Shell Cottage was one of the more pleasant she'd ever had. Her fondest Christmas memories had been when she was very young, before magic had forced a wedge between her parents and herself. She enjoyed their company when on break from Willoughby, but there was still a distance between them, an invisible barrier that prevented them from being as close as they once were. She couldn't talk to them about her school work, for example – hearing Bill and Fleur ask Victoire questions about her Hogwarts studies was a foreign concept to her, and she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. She wished her parents had taken such an active interest in her life and aspirations…but there was no point in ruminating on such things any longer.
Victoire must have told her parents a bit about Eva's past, because they asked her a lot of questions about her own life. "How's Hogwarts treating you, Evangeline?" asked Bill during dinner one night. "That must have been a hard transition."
"It was alright," Eva shrugged. "Vic was – I mean, Victoire was a big help, showing me around and introducing me to people."
"I spent one year at Hogwarts, in my seventh year," said Fleur. "It was 'orrible! Ze British are so cold and unwelcoming to foreigners. I 'ope you showed them 'ow powerful we can be."
"Eva's the smartest witch in our class," Victoire said proudly. "I reckon she's the best in the whole school. Did I tell you she beat Calvin Hopkins in a Legilimency duel on her first day?"
Bill's eyebrows shot up at this. "Hopkins, the son of the Auror?" he whistled. "Nicely done, Evangeline. Are you looking to join the force yourself?"
"What, like the Aurors?" Eva asked. "Erm...I hadn't really considered it, to be honest."
"You should start thinking about it," Bill told her seriously. "Next term is when your Head of House will meet with you for career advice. Never too early to start thinking about what you'd like to do after school."
Eva had never considered being an Auror, but something about the idea intrigued her. Her only thought towards her future in recent months had been to track down her parents' killers, and that might be an ideal profession to help her on this quest. But she didn't love the idea of a career in fighting, not when she preferred to avoid conflict at all costs. The Auror Department was best left for people like Calvin, who were poised and confident in what they wanted. That didn't describe Eva at all…
"Perhaps you can 'elp our Victoire decide on 'er career," Fleur said, casting a judgmental eye on her eldest daughter. "She 'as not given it serious thought."
"I already told you, I know what I'm gonna do!" Victoire protested. "I'm gonna work with the house-elves in the Hogwarts kitchens! Free food for life!"
"As I said," Fleur huffed indignantly, "serious thought."
Before Eva knew it, Christmas morning had rolled around. Louis had woken up the whole house at the crack of dawn by sneaking downstairs and unwrapping his present under the tree: a toy broomstick, charmed to hover only a couple feet off the ground. He spent the ensuing hours speeding through the house and laughing riotously, while Fleur glared daggers at her sheepish but proud husband. Dominique was similarly enthralled by her own gift: an enchanted makeup set that changed colors every few seconds. This time it was Bill who looked apprehensive, while her mother excitedly showed her how to use it.
Victoire was excited for Eva to open her present, which turned out to be a special padding for Quidditch that wrapped around her ribcage. "Supposed to protect against Bludger hits," she explained. "Plus, it makes you look like you have more going on in the curves department, if you know what I mean."
"Great, thanks Vic," Eva rolled her eyes as Dominique giggled appreciatively at her expense.
Eva gave Victoire her gift next, a self-help book titled Fifty Foolproof Tips to Charm the Wizard of your Dreams. "Wicked!" said Victoire. "I reckon I'll have Bolger drooling after me in no time!"
"Sure you will," Eva laughed. She'd skimmed the book beforehand and saw that most of the tips dealt with altering one's own expectations of what the 'wizard of your dreams' really was, and hoped Victoire would take the subtle hint.
Eva was also pleasantly surprised to receive a gift from Victoire's parents. She gasped as she unwrapped the small box and pulled out a glittering ruby pendant necklace. "Recovered it from an Egyptian tomb for my job," Bill explained. "Victoire mentioned it's your birthstone, plus you're a Gryffindor, so it seemed only fitting."
"Wow, thank you," Eva breathed as she fastened the pendant around her neck. It was also the color of her old school house, Ignus – she'd always viewed red as a soothing, familiar color.
"It looks beautiful on you, dear," Fleur smiled. Eva smiled back in gratitude.
Victoire was eager to get away with Eva that afternoon and try out her own gift from her parents – a magic radio set that could tune into any station around the world – but Fleur insisted that the girls help her prepare the kitchen. "We are 'aving guests tonight," Fleur said sternly when Victoire whined about being roped into it. "Your aunt and uncles will be 'ere in a few hours."
"Is Artie coming?" asked Louis excitedly.
"Yes, your cousin is coming," Fleur sighed to her son, who looked tickled by the news.
"Does this mean I get to meet your other mysterious aunts and uncles?" Eva asked as the two of them set to chopping vegetables for the evening stew.
"Just the two you've already met, plus Uncle Percy and his wife," muttered Victoire. "Trust me, they're the biggest killjoys alive. Uncle Charlie's out of the country somewhere, and the other two...well, we don't talk about the other two."
"Really?" Eva frowned. "Why not?"
"The war tore our family apart," answered Bill, who had wandered into the kitchen to refill his drink. "My parents were killed in a raid, and my brothers…" But he broke off, a pallid expression overcoming him. He cleared his throat and quickly filled his glass before departing. Eva gave Victoire a questioning look, but she shook her head to quash the unspoken question.
The first guests arrived later that afternoon: Uncle Fred, flanked by a tall and slender witch and a boisterous boy of about eight. Eva marveled at the apparent strength of the Weasley gene; aside from Dominique, all the cousins bore the flaming red hair of their fathers. Little Artie was just as freckled and ginger as Fred was, despite his mother's dark complexion and hair.
"Ah, Miss Prewitt!" Fred beamed when he saw Eva. "This is my wife, Angelina. She's a Quidditch player herself, you know."
"I've heard great things about Gryffindor's new Seeker," Angelina beamed as she shook Eva's hand. "Perhaps I'll have to come out for a match this spring."
Artie disappeared with Louis almost immediately, both of them looking positively mischievous as Fleur anxiously watched them rumble up the stairs. The door opened again soon after, and two people Eva had never seen before entered. The man was tall, thin and starting to bald; the woman was reserved and uptight. "Percy, Penelope, glad you could make it," Bill greeted them, shaking his brother's hand, though Eva sensed tension between them.
Eva shook hands with the new couple moments later. "You are in Gryffindor with Victoire, then?" asked Penelope. "How is my niece doing? Candace?"
"Oh," said Eva. "Erm...good. Always getting top marks in all our classes." Penelope gave an approving sort of jerk of the head at this before retreating with her husband to the living room. Eva saw what Victoire meant at once: in stark contrast to the rest of the Weasley family, Percy and Penelope didn't seem like the most charismatic or exciting individuals.
Fortunately, it seemed Uncle Fred was more than up to the task of entertaining the table as they gathered around the table for dinner. He regaled the younger children with tales of Hogwarts, and they hung on his every word, clearly riveted by the allure of the school. "No fair that I have to wait 'til next fall to go," Dominique pouted. "It's so boring here!"
"Well, you'll have to study hard when you get there," Fred told her sternly. "I'll be quizzing you on the seven secret passages in and out of the castle before your first year is over."
"Dominique will not participate in such shenanigans," Fleur glared at Fred, who merely winked playfully back at her.
"I'm not so sure Uncle Fred will be the best role model," Bill said teasingly, giving Fred a half-hearted punch on the arm. "I've heard stories of the Twin Terrors in their student years...you two were absolute menaces." Fred did not object to this, instead chuckling lightly in reminiscence.
"You have a twin?" Eva asked excitedly without thinking. At once she regretted it; Fred's expression soured, and he awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Erm...yeah," he said. "Perce, be a lad and pass the salt, will you?" The conversation quickly moved elsewhere, and Eva mentally kicked herself for once again putting her foot in her mouth. We don't talk about the other two, Victoire's words echoed in her ears...she should have known better than to bring up such a sore topic.
Halfway through the meal, the door opened again, bringing in a stiff winter breeze and a surly young witch. "Sorry 'm late," Ginny slurred, clumsily shutting the door behind her. She carried with her a hefty box of liquor, which Bill promptly confiscated from her and brought into the kitchen; it appeared that Ginny had already broken into her own supply.
"Fashionably late as always, sis," said Fred jovially, giving Ginny a hug as she found a seat at the table. Percy also stood to greet his sister, but Ginny made a point of ignoring him, walking straight past him to an empty spot beside Victoire. Eva watched on curiously, but wisely held her tongue this time as the conversation awkwardly picked up again.
Dinner was pleasant enough after that, with Bill sharing stories of his code-breaking adventures working for Gringotts while Percy spoke dryly about his administrative job in the Ministry. Nobody noticed Louis and Artie's absence from the table until the latter ran into the room screaming bloody murder; Louis had somehow managed to light his eyebrows on fire doing god-knows-what upstairs. After a few hasty spells, many spilled tears and a generous dab of Essence of Dittany to the forehead, Fred and Angelina begrudgingly bid the group farewell, taking a sniffling Artie with them.
Louis and Dominique were sent to bed soon after, and the table consisted of just the adults plus Eva and Victoire, chatting casually and breaking into Ginny's stores of alcohol. Victoire surreptitiously tried to snare a gobletful of Firewhiskey for herself, but one severe look from Fleur discouraged her attempt.
Eva was extremely full from the delicious meal and felt rather drowsy, sipping on her eggnog while Bill and Percy got into a heated debate over the regulation of gold. "You and your goblin pals have been smuggling far too much treasure into Britain without declaring it to the Ministry," Percy accused his brother. "Don't deny it! The market is depressed because supply is too abundant. Before we know it, fake Galleons will be flooding the streets."
"You vultures just want a slice of the pie for yourselves," Bill retorted. "Gringotts knows the laws; we know what we have to declare and what we don't. The Drake Act of 1834 stipulates that gold seized from sites known to be plundered directly from Britain do not have to be declared—"
"Don't throw the Drake Act in my face; I practically invented the Drake Act!" Percy sneered, but he looked to be greatly enjoying this totally pointless and dry debate. "It was intended for the old family houses to reclaim stolen property without facing undue tax burdens. You treasure-hunters are exploiting it as a loophole to line your own pockets."
"Don't lecture me about who's lining their own pockets," said Bill, who was also getting into the spirit of the argument. "You've been seizing Gringotts vaults under false pretenses for decades and selling the contents for Ministry profit."
"Those vaults are the rightful property of the Ministry, no matter what your goblin bosses say," Percy scoffed. "The Williamson Decree of 1918 gives the Ministry search-and-seizure rights for vaults connected to illicit business practices. Trust me, I know my laws, Bill; I didn't work my way up the ranks for twenty years without knowing what I'm talking about—"
"Must have been nice," Ginny slurred from her corner of the table.
All eyes turned to her, surprised. "Come again, Ginevra?" said Percy, looking somewhat nervous.
"I said," Ginny said, enunciating each word with an undercurrent of malice, "it must have been nice to work your way up the ranks of the Ministry while the rest of the wizarding world was suffering."
That sucked all the air out of the room; all the adults looked supremely uncomfortable. Percy cleared his throat. "I'm aware that many had it tough," Percy said carefully. "But I had a wife to take care of, a mortgage to pay—"
"And you had no problems working for You-Know-Who?" Ginny spat. "Assisting in his takeover of the entire world?"
"We didn't know at the time that he was behind it all," Percy said awkwardly. "But did it matter? We all did what we had to do to survive—"
"Bill worked at Gringotts overseas," Ginny pointed out. "Charlie stayed in Romania, Fred and George had their joke shop. What's your excuse for selling out to the Evil Empire?"
"Ginny, that's enough—" Bill said gently, but he could not head off the impending argument.
"I could have helped you, all of you!" Percy protested. "I warned Dad that he was being watched, but he didn't listen, and look what happened. I offered you protection and a safe job, Ginevra, but you refused to take me up on the offer."
"I would never cave in to the Dark Lord like you did!" Ginny shouted. "You spineless, cowardly—"
"ENOUGH!" bellowed Fleur, slamming the table and standing to get everyone's attention. Her soft and beautiful features had sharpened into something fierce and bird-like; Ginny and Percy both quieted at once. "I will not 'ave this in my house!" Fleur went on. "If you cannot behave, I must ask you to leave!"
"Fine, I'm done," Ginny huffed, pouring herself another hefty goblet of Firewhiskey. Percy must have noticed this, because he quickly stood from the table.
"I think it's best we head out, eh Penelope?" Percy said nervously. "Thank you, Fleur, for having us."
"Pleasure meeting you," Penelope said meekly in parting to Eva, before following her husband out into the cold night.
"Good riddance," Ginny muttered under her breath once they were gone.
"I think it's bedtime," Bill sighed, standing to join his wife at the head of the table. "Victoire, that goes for you too."
"But I want to hear more!" Victoire protested. Unlike the others, she seemed to be enjoying every moment of Ginny airing out the family laundry for all to see. "I never get to hear about the war!"
"It eez not appropriate for someone your age," Fleur said firmly. "Bed. Now."
"What about Eva?" said Victoire. "She's allowed to stay and listen, and I'm not?"
"I am not 'er mother," said Fleur. "Evangeline can make 'er own decision."
"She'll just tell me everything later anyway," Victoire shot back. Fleur's eyes darted over to Eva, scrutinizing her, and apparently she decided this was true enough.
"Fine," Fleur huffed. "But bed straight after! And you, Ginevra, use discretion. They are only kids."
"Older than I was when I fought my first Death Eaters," Ginny winked. Fleur had no retort for this, instead sweeping up the steps after her husband. As soon as she was gone, Victoire excitedly wheeled around on her aunt, who was downing yet another gobletful of steaming liquid.
"So what was it really like?" she asked in a hushed tone. "The war?"
"Mostly it was just uncertainty," Ginny sighed. "The first few months were hard, when Potter disappeared, but once the Dark Lord deduced we weren't sheltering him he mostly left us alone. Pure-bloods were allowed to go about their business, but there was still the occasional raid. Like my parents." She took another deep drink.
"What happened to Grandma and Grandpa?" asked Victoire. "Mum and Dad would never tell me the full story."
"Not much to tell," said Ginny. "My dad was foolish and tried to organize an Order of the Phoenix meeting, during my seventh year at Hogwarts. The Ministry caught wind and showed up mid-meeting; most of the others escaped, but they didn't. The Prophet said they were sent to Azkaban, but they never arrived there. We all know what really happened to them."
"Sorry to hear that," Eva mumbled. She knew what it was like to lose one's parents, and didn't know that Ginny too had been in school when it happened to her.
"Eh, it was a wake-up call," Ginny said nonchalantly. "My brothers were eager to pretend things were normal, but they couldn't after that. It drew a line in the sand – let me know which of them I could trust, and which I couldn't." The way she glared at the back door, where Percy had departed, told Eva exactly what she meant by that.
"What did you do after school?" asked Victoire. "For work, I mean?"
"Odd jobs here and there," Ginny shrugged. "Volunteered at a wizarding orphanage, for all the kids whose Muggle-born parents were killed. Worked at the joke shop for a bit. But I never gave up the fight. I resisted You-Know-Who from start to finish."
"But you didn't join the actual fight until later," Victoire pointed out. "When Potter came back."
"You think we could just stroll up to his tower and start slinging spells?" Ginny snapped. "We had to be smart about how we fought. Protect the right people. Keep an eye on certain enemies. We couldn't take the fight to the Dark Lord until Potter arrived and organized everything. Only then could we make our move."
"You were there when Voldemort was defeated?" Eva asked excitedly.
"In a sense," Ginny muttered. "We were fighting down below, while Potter and Granger went up to the top of the tower to confront him. We didn't see what happened; we just heard a lot of noise. Then after a while, Potter came back down carrying an unconscious Granger and told us the Dark Lord was dead."
"So that settles it, then," Victoire said decisively. "If Granger was knocked unconscious, Potter must have been the one to finish him."
"That's what we all assumed too," said Ginny. "But something changed between them that day. He was always affectionate towards Granger, but after that battle, he kept his distance. Something happened on the top of that tower that changed the way Potter viewed her."
"Like what?" Eva frowned.
"Dunno," Ginny shrugged. "But I always knew Granger was cleverer than she let on. The Death Eaters were afraid of her too during the war. She must have done something that really frightened Potter."
"What did Granger say happened when she woke up?" asked Victoire.
"Not much," said Ginny. "They were both cagey about it afterwards. We all found it odd when Granger announced her run for Minister, and Potter didn't challenge her. It was assumed that he would take over the new government, but he took the quieter job at Hogwarts instead."
"Dad reckons he just didn't want the pressure of being a leader," Victoire offered. "That Potter just wanted a quieter life after the war."
"Bill would say that," Ginny laughed. "But I knew Harry better than most. He had strong opinions about the way the wizarding world was run. The things he told me when we dated...the nights we were alone…"
Ginny took a deep swill from her goblet. Then, unexpectedly, she slammed it back on the table, spraying Firewhiskey everywhere and making both Eva and Victoire jump.
"I waited for him!" she wailed. "I was first by his side when he came back to Britain! But he only had eyes for her. He always did."
Eva and Victoire looked on, stunned as Ginny choked back bitter tears. She got herself together quickly, however, and merely grunted in disgust before reaching for the bottle to refill her goblet.
"But not anymore, right?" Eva asked cautiously. "He's been single ever since the war ended, no?"
"He's married to his work now," Ginny muttered. "Obsessed with his research. Always locked in his study, tinkering with things, or flying off to remote locations in search of something. Like that blasted bird, Archimedes."
"What is he studying?" Eva pressed.
"No clue," Ginny shrugged. "But I have my guesses. I've seen him reading that bloody book of Granger's, annotating it cover to cover. He wants to understand what she knows that he doesn't. That's probably why he's so interested in you." She was staring directly at Eva.
"Me?" Eva asked, puzzled. "Why?"
"Probably because you understand that book better than anybody," said Ginny. "Better than even him, I reckon. Maybe he thinks you're the key to figuring out what he's missing."
"But...I don't understand," Eva frowned. "If he wanted to understand the book better, why not let all his students study it?"
Ginny laughed hollowly. "There is a reason," she said, "that Spell Theory is taught only to sixth and seventh years. Potter hand-picks the students himself, those he's been watching closely for five years. He only lets the most talented students study the book, and even then, it's only students who tend to agree with his worldview."
"Pure-bloods," Eva deduced.
"I never said that," Ginny said, throwing her hands up. "Though it's not entirely false. Muggle-borns are more likely to sympathize with Granger, and Potter doesn't want to give them tools they can use against him later. I doubt your friend Miss Burton will be joining you in the course next year, for example."
But I'm Muggle-born, Eva thought. She of course couldn't say this out loud, but something still didn't add up about the situation. Harry Potter knew that she worshiped Hermione Granger; she'd told him so directly. And yet, he had encouraged her to continue studying the text. Did he not fear Eva turning against him? Why was he so afraid to teach the material to certain students in the first place?
Victoire continued to pepper Ginny with questions, but she became more and more incoherent with each word. Eventually Ginny's head began to loll forward until she rested it against the table, and light snores signaled that she was out for the night. The two girls headed up to their room soon after, though Victoire stayed up late into the night chattering excitedly about what they'd heard. Eva was also interested in the new information, though for very different reasons. She remained awake long after Victoire dozed off, thinking...
What could have happened atop that tower that drove a wedge between Potter and Granger? Was it merely a difference of opinion about the wizarding world that separated them, or something more? What was it that compelled him to stay up late into the night in his office, studying and scheming? Was he truly afraid of what Hermione Granger was capable of?
And did that mean, by extension, that he was afraid of what Eva had the potential to become?
