September 1, 2015 (Evangeline)

The final day of summer vacation dawned clear and crisp; bright sunny rays streamed in through the windows of Gryffindor Tower. Eva pulled the blinds of the four-poster tighter around her, hoping to sleep in for the last time in what could be a long time once term started the following day. They had plenty of time before the other students returned via the Hogwarts Express for the Welcome Feast later that evening. Eva would meander her way down for breakfast (or lunch) when she damn well felt like it…

But the staff had other plans. The lights of the dormitory flicked on unceremoniously as Ginny Weasley stormed in, eliciting groans from the sleeping girls within. "Everyone up!" Ginny barked. "The Headmaster is requesting that all of-age students report to the Great Hall immediately. Seventh years, with me. And Miss Prewitt, I would advise that you return to your own bed at once."

Eva stifled an embarrassed laugh at this; she'd forgotten about Ginny's magical eye being able to see through the drapes of the four-poster. She wriggled out of Roxanne's arms, lightly shaking the older girl to get up. The other seventh-years were slowly coming to their senses, dragging themselves out of bed to get dressed.

"Why're you putting clothes on?" Roxanne asked groggily, eyeing Eva as they both threw on their school robes. "You're not of-age."

"Technically, in Australia I am," Eva retorted. This wasn't strictly true; the age of consent may be lower in Australia, but she still wasn't considered an adult until she turned seventeen the following summer. But Potter didn't need to know that, and she didn't want to miss whatever was in store for the older students today. So she followed Roxanne and a pair of older girls out of the dorm to follow Ginny.

The seventh-years from the other houses were already assembled in the Great Hall when they arrived, looking just as tired and puzzled as they were. Headmaster Potter was anxiously pacing at the head of the room, approaching as Ginny announced their arrival. He surveyed the group of roughly a dozen students, eyes landing briefly on Eva – did he know what her true age was? - before addressing them all.

"As most of you know, your classmates will be taking the Hogwarts Express from London this morning to return to the castle," he explained. "I have received intel that there may be some...conflict at King's Cross this morning when the students arrive to board the train. The Ministry has pledged resources to protect these students, but I fear it may not be enough to calm the crowds."

Eva frowned at this. She remembered the chaos that had met her and Victoire when they arrived at King's Cross for winter break last year. It felt like violence was just a hair's-breadth away then; could things have really gotten worse since then?

"What does that have to do with us?" asked a Hufflepuff boy.

"I need volunteers to come with me to the station," said Harry. "To make sure we can keep the Muggle protesters under control. In case things...get out of hand."

"I'll go," said Roxanne at once, stepping forward. No surprise there – Eva knew she would never back down from a fight.

"Me too," said Eva at once, stepping up alongside her.

Eventually all of the seventh-years decided it was best not to get on the Headmaster's bad side by publicly refusing to come along, so everyone stepped forward to help. Harry unfurled a length of rope and passed it around, encouraging everyone to take hold of part of it. "Everyone ready?" he asked, gripping part of the rope and surveying the semi-circle of students around him, all doing the same. Harry tapped the tip of the rope with his wand and muttered, "Portus."

At once Eva felt the unpleasant sensation of Portkey travel, as though hooked around the midsection and yanked upwards in a dizzying spiral of light and noise. After a few seconds of disorienting travel, her feet slammed into solid ground again, and she felt Roxanne nearly collapse against her, swearing loudly. Eva looked around; they were inside the Portkey hangar of King's Cross, the same place she'd traveled from to get to Shell Cottage last Christmas.

"Everyone get your bearings," said Harry tersely, glancing out into the terminal, where loud voices could be heard. Most of the students evidently hadn't traveled by Portkey before; many looked like they wanted to be sick, hunched over with their hands on their knees. "Train departs in thirty minutes. Let's get to the platform."

Eva was the first out of the hangar after the Headmaster, supporting Roxanne a little as she recovered from the effects of travel. Eva was struck by just how crowded the station was today, and how angry everybody looked. Hordes of Muggles packed the platforms, shouting obscenities, chanting slogans, waving picket signs in the air. Eva caught glimpses of what they said as they hurried through the crowd: "Hogwarts is hogwash!", "Save our children!", "End witchcraft now!".

It became harder to maneuver through the masses of bodies as they got closer to Platforms 9 and 10. Eva could barely see the barrier leading to Platform 9 ¾ over the heads of protesters, but didn't see an easy way to get to it. "Pardon us, please!" Harry said loudly in a polite tone. Eva saw him subtly flourish his wand, and suddenly it became easier for them to maneuver, as though a passageway had opened up through the crowd for them to advance. She and Roxanne squeezed between bodies and finally arrived at the barrier, where four Aurors stood guard, looking petrified.

"About bloody time," one of them said when they saw Harry approach. Eva recognized him as Neville Longbottom, an Auror she had met at the Ministry. "We called for backup an hour ago, and nobody from the Ministry's showed up."

"Well, backup's here now," Harry said grimly, motioning to the motion-sick seventh-years following along behind him. Eva saw Neville arch an eyebrow in surprise at the sight of the students, looking variously shell-shocked and motion-sick, but said nothing.

"I reckon we'll need to make a path for students to get through from the main entrance," said Neville, motioning in the direction they'd just come from – the direction with all the people crowding the space.

"Right," said Harry, turning to his gathered students. "We're gonna form two rows, three feet apart," he announced. "Pick a partner, stand opposite them, and keep the crowds back."

"What if they don't want to move?" asked a timid Ravenclaw girl.

"Then you bloody well make them," Harry scoffed, twiddling his wand in his hand as though to remind them they had magic at their disposal. "Pair up!"

Eva and Roxanne of course partnered together, standing with their backs to each other and a small gap between them to allow students to pass through. Harry positioned the other students around them, similarly back to back, creating a short little tunnel through the crowd leading to the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. Eva therefore found herself face to face with a crowd of angry Muggles, screaming obscenities are her, cursing her family name, denouncing her as a demon.

"You lot deserve to burn in hell for what you've done!" a red-faced woman of about forty screeched at Eva, small droplets of spittle spraying across her face.

"I'll fucking kill every last one of you filthy heathens!" a stocky man bellowed, causing the Ravenclaw girl to Eva's left to tremble in fear.

"P-protego," the girl stammered, raising a weak and flickering shield to block the incoming debris being hurled at them by protesters.

"Shield Charms won't work against Muggle attacks," Eva reminded the girl, hoping the refresher from Transfiguration class would help soothe her. "Try Impedimenta or Depulso."

"Right," the girl sighed, nodding gratefully to Eva. "Depulso!"

The rest of the row of students followed her lead, using Banishing Charms to send the flying objects back from where they came from. This also had the unintended side-effect of staggering the Muggles at the front of the pack backwards, angering them further.

"How dare you use your witchcraft on me?!" an indignant woman screamed, lunging forward to grab the offending student; Eva quickly sent a Tripping Jinx to knock the attacker to the ground, but she was merely replaced by another, equally angry Muggle to continue the tirade of insults against them.

Slowly but surely, younger students made their way through the makeshift tunnel between the defenders, shepherded through the barrier by Harry and Neville. Eva glanced up at a nearby clock on the wall: 10:38 AM. Can we hold this position for twenty more minutes? she wondered. She felt that at any moment there could be a great surge of bodies towards them and they wouldn't be able to hold all the Muggles back. She even tried using her Sight to improve her awareness of the situation, but with no traces of magic in the crowd before her, it was effectively useless.

Eva tried to contain her use of magic, which seemed to enrage the Muggles further, but found it a necessary tool to keep the crowds at bay. She was firing Banishing Charms and Freezing Charms left and right to block projectiles and keep unruly protesters in line. Okay, we can do this, she thought to steady herself. Just a few minutes more. She could hear Roxanne shouting behind her, firing spells and insults back at the crowd in equal measure, holding her own. The stream of students was thinning; surely soon the last of them would make it onto the platform and they could follow suit. Just a few minutes more…

Then she heard it. A piercing cry from somewhere in the back of the crowd, just out of sight: "Citizens against witchcraft!" And a heavy object was hurled into the air, aimed to land directly amidst the Hogwarts students. A round, black object with a burning rope at the end of it.

A bomb.

Eva acted without thinking. She aimed her wand at the object, channeling all of her Transfiguration knowledge into a single cast. The bomb sprouted fins and narrowed into a cylindrical shape; the fuse became an engine, propelling the makeshift rocket forward. Eva directed the rocket over the heads of the crowd and up, up into the vaulted ceiling, far out of harm's way, where it exploded in a shower of sparks and debris.

The loud bang echoed through the cavernous space, hushing the entire room and bringing the station to a standstill. Eva hastily Vanished the falling debris before it could land on anybody as all eyes aimed upwards, wondering what had caused the commotion, many not realizing the danger they'd almost faced…

"Enough."

The sonorous voice rippled through the silenced crowd as Harry stepped forward, suddenly looking tall and authoritative and angry. He stepped in front of Eva and whipped his wand; with a sound like a crack, the Muggles were forced backwards several feet, exclaiming in surprise and anger. "Go home now," Harry ordered the crowds in a menacing growl. "Or you may never get the chance to again."

The crowd sized up this threat. Everyone present knew who Harry was, what he'd done, what he was capable of, and decided to take him at his word. They slowly trickled out towards the exit, some continuing to hurl expletives and vulgar threats at the students on their way out. Harry turned to face his terrified students, looking concerned but still full of ferocious energy.

"Everyone okay?" he asked. The students nodded; Eva looked up and down the row and was relived to see that everyone appeared to be shaken but alright.

"Good," said Harry, glancing up at the clock on the wall. "Now, the Hogwarts Express leaves in five minutes, and it should be perfectly safe. I suggest you all hop on board to return to the castle. I have to sort out some business here first, but I will see you all for the feast tonight. Take caution, everyone." And without another parting word, he turned on his heel and strode away, off to find Neville and the other Aurors.

"That was a brilliant transfiguration," said the Ravenclaw girl, turning to Eva; she'd been the only one close enough to see it. "How did you know to turn it into a rocket?"

"First thing I thought of," Eva shrugged. She hadn't yet processed the fact that they had come half a second away from being ripped apart by a Muggle explosive. She could have just Banished it away from her, but doing so would have killed or maimed scores of Muggles towards the back of the crowd. She had never performed such a complex transfiguration so quickly before; even the practical exams in the subject were more lenient than that, giving students as much as a full minute to perform simple tasks. But she didn't have long to ponder this, as Roxanne grabbed her arm and pulled her through the barrier towards the train before it disembarked.

The Hogwarts Express was buzzing with urgent conversation when Eva and the seventh-years boarded. Students were exchanging stories of their harrowing journey through the King's Cross terminal; Eva couldn't help but notice that most of their account of events was greatly exaggerated. Several asked the older students what was going on; Eva merely reassured them to take their seats and that everything was fine. She and Roxanne found Victoire and Chris in a half-full carriage with a few other Gryffindors and led the way inside, shutting themselves in and casting a Muffling Charm on the door to quiet the noise.

"What a mess," Roxanne huffed, collapsing into the nearest seat as the train began to rumble to life and pull out of the station. "Hope the Aurors manage to apprehend the right people."

"Eh, it could have been worse," shrugged Victoire, already halfway through a carton of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans. "It's like this every year, really."

"I doubt it's been this bad before," Eva frowned. She declined to mention the bomb, not wishing to contemplate what may have happened if she hadn't acted in time. She doubted Victoire would be as nonchalant about the attack if it had gone off as planned…

A small hand tugged on Victoire's sleeve. "Victoire, can I go sit with the other first-years now?" asked a timid silver-haired girl. Eva realized with a jolt that this was Dominique, Victoire's younger sister, finally old enough to attend Hogwarts for the first time.

"Only if you call me by my real name," Victoire smirked, putting on a haughty French accent for her sister's amusement. "Mother eez not 'ere to correct you."

"Fine...Vic," Dominique giggled.

"Actually, maybe it's best if you stick with us, Dominique," Eva said cautiously. "Just...just in case."

"What, you don't reckon there's gonna be more trouble?" Chris piped up, looking concerned. "Did the Headmaster say…?"

"He just said to be cautious, that's all," Eva sighed. "He promised that the train was safe, but you never know." Part of her wondered if Harry had assigned them to the train in case of further trouble en route to Hogwarts, but she did not share this suspicion aloud.

"Blimey, must be serious then," Victoire exhaled. She shifted slightly in her seat, and Eva noticed that she and Chris were holding hands. "What?" asked Victoire with a sly grin, following her eyeline. "You think you're the only one who's allowed a summer romance?"

That succeeded in breaking the tension in the carriage. They spent the first portion of the trip exchanging stories from their respective summers. Victoire and Chris claimed not to remember how or when their relationship started, but Dominique helpfully supplied that they'd been arguing about unfolded laundry one moment and snogging on the couch the next. Candace Clearwater recounted her holiday to New York to visit her American cousin, while Eva and Roxanne filled everyone in on the happenings at Hogwarts over the past two months.

"What about you, Amy?" Eva asked, turning to the timid Amy Burton to her left. "How was your break?"

Amy hadn't spoken once since the train departed and looked troubled by something. "My parents almost didn't let me go back to school," she whispered.

"What?" asked Candace, looking alarmed. "Why not?"

"Our neighbors found out I was a witch," Amy muttered, looking ashamed. "Caused a bit of a stir, to be honest." Amy gave them an abridged version of her upbringing: her Muggle parents had accepted her when she got her Hogwarts letter, but they insisted on keeping it secret from their friends and family. They'd kept up the charade successfully for five years, but apparently someone had witnessed her mother picking up Amy from King's Cross last June and put two and two together, spreading the news throughout the neighborhood.

"They begged me to enroll in a local high school, to convince everyone it wasn't true," said Amy. "But I couldn't do it. Now my parents are considering moving away for their safety, and they blame me for it."

"Come off it, Amy, I'm sure they're overreacting," Victoire consoled her. "Your folks will be just fine." But a chill ran down Eva's spine, reflecting on just how similar her own story was to Amy's. Images flashed through her mind of her parents' home, vandalized by C.A.W., of her parents' bodies decomposing on the couch. Eva and Roxanne exchanged concerned looks – they both knew that the pure-blood students would never understand the difficulties that Muggle-born students faced in their home lives.

Conversation quickly turned back to less unpleasant topics to take their minds off the perils of the outside world. And fortunately, as Harry had promised, the rest of their trip to Hogwarts was uneventful, with nary a stop or a hint of protests anywhere along their route. Eva had often wondered if the train's route was magically protected from Muggles, much like the location of Hogwarts itself was – surely there must be some kind of enchantments happening to avoid other trains in their path. In any case, they pulled into Hogsmeade Station well ahead of schedule as the sun was beginning to dip low over the lake, and students began to disembark the train.

"Firs' years over here!" boomed the familiar voice of Hagrid from the station. "Firs' years with me!"

"It's alright, Dom," Victoire reassured her little sister, urging her over towards the towering half-giant. "We'll see you for the Sorting."

"B-but what if I fall in the lake?" Dominique stammered, looking fearful.

"Then the giant squid will gobble you up in an instant," teased Roxanne. "Best keep all your limbs inside the boat."

"Don't listen to her," Victoire scoffed. "The squid might toss you around a little, but it would never eat a student. Probably."

"Probably—?" Dominique began in alarm, before she was ferried along in the stream of first-years following Hagrid down to the boathouse. Eva and the older students laughed watching them go.

"Shame you never got that experience yourself," Roxanne mused as they boarded a thestral-drawn carriage. "Must be one of the few in the entire castle not to do it."

"We didn't even have a lake at Willoughby," Eva laughed. "Though it was common to haze the first-years by convincing them they had to climb the cliffs to get up to the Owlery, when the staircase was hidden 'round the other side."

"Anyone fall for that?" asked an amused Victoire.

"Oh, sure," said Eva. "Though the Headmistress told everyone to stop when one kid broke seventeen bones falling over forty feet." That sobering image kept them all quiet for the remainder of the trip up to the castle.

The Headmaster was already seated at the High Table when the students poured into the Great Hall for the Welcome Feast. He was speaking tersely with both Weasley professors, who looked equally stern and agitated. Eva wondered what had transpired after the Hogwarts Express departed – had the Ministry arrived to assist in the aftermath? Had they apprehended the person who threw the bomb? In fact, all of the professors looked worried – in stark contrast to the students, who were none the wiser, chatting excitedly and awaiting the start of the feast.

Hagrid led the first-years in through a side door shortly after, each marveling at the majesty of the hall around them. Dominique looked nervous but no worse for wear; another boy towards the back of the pack was less lucky, drenched head to toe and wearing a sour expression. Eva wondered why nobody bothered to use a Drying Charm on the poor kid, but figured it was a part of the ritual (and would go a long way towards generating goodwill with his housemates).

Nobody warned Eva how long the Sorting would take. Ginny Weasley called off name after name to sit on the stool and wear the Sorting Hat, eventually tottering down to their assigned table. "Bigger class than usual this year," Roxanne muttered, generating a groan from Eva. She started to nod off halfway through, eliciting an elbow in her side from Victoire just in time to watch Dominique get sorted into Gryffindor as expected. After "Zimmer, Elena" was placed in Hufflepuff, Harry finally stepped forward to the podium to give his customary start-of-term speech.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts, everyone!" he announced. "I know many of you may be concerned about the incident at King's Cross this morning, but I want to assure everyone that you are all perfectly safe at Hogwarts." Eva noted that the professors still looked dour and worried as he said this – she wondered just how true this was. Hogwarts was Unplottable, of course, but could a determined Muggle militia find their way around that issue?

"Additionally," Harry continued, "I want to thank the students who stepped up and assisted at the station when called upon. Twenty points will be awarded to each for their bravery." A shower of rubies, sapphires and topaz descended into the House hourglasses, with Gryffindor taking a slight lead. Eva noted the lack of Slytherin emeralds – no Muggle-born snakes in seventh-year, apparently – and also caught the eye of Calvin Hopkins, looking bewildered by this development. House jealousy perhaps, or something more?

"I urge you all not to worry about the political happenings outside these castle walls," said Harry. "Term will resume as scheduled tomorrow, and we look forward to a safe, incident-free year. Best of luck to all of you in your classes." And with that mercifully-short speech, Harry took his seat at the high table, and food appeared on the tables, indicating the start of the feast.

Eva tuned out the excited chatter of the Gryffindors around her, contemplating what the Headmaster had said. Clearly whatever had happened that morning was more significant than a simple protest, and the professors seemed to have reason to believe there was further danger in store. What could it mean? Roxanne had hinted at a possible war with the Muggles in the past, but Eva never took such threats seriously – surely it would be a landslide magical victory. Or would it? The wizarding community had seemed woefully unprepared for the King's Cross incident, and that crowd was rather unorganized and tame compared to what an organized army would look like.

Eva's suspicions were confirmed the following morning, when the owls swooped in over breakfast to deliver morning mail. Eva had taken out a subscription to the Prophet at Roxanne's urging, and her eyes widened as she read the morning headline:

BECKETT CLAIMS CREDIT FOR KING'S CROSS ATTACK

By Lee Jordan, The Daily Prophet

LONDON – Disgraced British General Lee Beckett announced that he was responsible for yesterday's attack on incoming Hogwarts students attempting to enter Platform 9 ¾. He made the following statement in a three minute video, released on an encrypted Muggle network late last night:

"On behalf of Citizens Against Witchcraft, I hereby denounce the existence of Hogwarts School and the indoctrination of British children by the wizard known as Harry Potter. Such a school is an abomination and a threat to families everywhere. We cannot continue to normalize demonic activity and allow our children to fall prey to dangerous ideology. These attacks will continue until our demands are met, and we call on Minister Granger to address our concerns and ensure the safety of our children."

Beckett, a former commander in the British Royal Navy, gained notoriety for his actions in opposition to Lord Voldemort's reign, for which he was awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class. However, he later denounced Potter and Granger's leadership and created Citizens Against Witchcraft, a community outreach program that was quickly denounced as a terrorist organization by the Ministry. Beckett was presumed dead after Aurors arrested the other founders of C.A.W., but he has recently reappeared to continue his inflammatory rhetoric against wizarding practices.

Many in the magical community were quick to criticize Minister Granger for her lack of attention to the threat of C.A.W. "She continues to waste her time in America sucking up to the Muggle establishment when they clearly cannot be appeased," said Hank Lemming, a Ministry employee in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. "She ought to take care of her own before worrying about what the savages want from us."

"It's become clear that Granger does not have witches and wizards' best interests at heart," said Pomona Sprout, a retired teacher residing in Hogsmeade. "I can't imagine letting such an attack on our children happen on home soil. It's a disgrace."

Speculation has already begun about potential challengers to Granger's office when her term ends next spring. Many continue to call for Hogwarts Headmaster Harry Potter to run for Minister, believing he would be the superior choice to— (ctd. on pg. 13)

"What rubbish!" Eva scoffed, tossing the paper aside. "Of course they would find a way to blame Minister Granger for this, when clearly she didn't want this to happen either!"

But Roxanne looked oddly muted as she read her own copy of the article. Eva gave her a questioning look when she finally looked up, sensing that there was something off about her reaction to the story. But her unspoken question was interrupted by the bell, announcing the start of classes for their first day back to school.

Eva dutifully reported to Ginny Weasley to receive her schedule for her sixth year. She had passed all of her O.W.L.'s with ease, achieving Outstanding's in every subject except for History of Magic (which she intended to drop anyway) and Ancient Runes. Ginny signed her up for Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Legilimency, and Potions – the latter of which she only elected to keep to stay on Slughorn's good side. As much as she resented the Slug Club meetings, she knew that she might need those connections later in life and couldn't afford to turn her back on them now.

"You ought to know that Professor Babbling rarely accepts students who achieve less than "Oustanding" in her subject," Ginny informed her sternly. "Luckily for you, she made an exception in your case. I advise you to thank her personally and work extra hard in return."

"I will; thank you, Professor," said Eva, surprised. It was hard to tell what Babbling thought of her most days, but it was a relief to learn that she was willing to give Eva a second chance to continue her education in the subject.

"One last thing," said Ginny, waving her wand over Eva's schedule once more before handing it over. Eva eyed the new block highlighted on Friday afternoons: Spell Theory. "Congratulations on being accepted into the Headmaster's advanced course," Ginny sniffed. "It is an honor you should not take lightly. Now, off you get to Charms; don't be late."

Eva pondered this development as she hurried after the other Gryffindors to Professor Fred's classroom. It wasn't a major surprise, but she had wondered if the Headmaster would allow her into the course that presumably held mostly pure-bloods. Was it a sign of trust from Potter? Had her actions the previous day at King's Cross help to convince him of her worth? She was itching to discuss this with Roxanne, but she had quite the busy schedule herself for her N.E.W.T. year and they wouldn't have many opportunities to cross paths during the week.

Although it was not an O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. year, Eva's schedule promised to be just as grueling as last year's. The material was getting more complex; the Hogwarts curriculum was now certainly more advanced than anything Eva had studied at Willoughby. She had hoped to start integrating her newfound powers from the Draught of Omniscience with her class work, but quickly realized that she would barely be able to keep up via traditional methods as it was. She would have to learn how to carve out time for her extracurricular activities, always a challenge at Hogwarts.

Eva suffered through a long day of introductory classwork, culminating in a double period of Ancient Runes. She was eager to rush off to the Great Hall and reconnect with Roxanne, but forced herself to stay behind and speak to Professor Babbling first. "I wanted to thank you, Professor," she said as soon as they were alone in the thinning classroom. "Professor Weasley told me you made an exception for me to remain in your class."

"Indeed I did," Professor Babbling sniffed, surveying Eva closely. "And I expect you to work twice as hard as a result."

"I will," Eva reassured her.

"I also expect you to continue pushing the envelope," Babbling continued, leaning forward to speak in a quieter tone. "I know you have a natural talent for the subject that isn't reflected on your standardized grades. I want to see more flashes of what you showed me in your first-ever lesson in this class."

Eva remembered the incident on her first day at Hogwarts, when she'd accidentally created a rune so powerful that it ruined several other students' runes around it. "I'll do my best," she nodded, then hurried from the room. She was doubly eager to find Roxanne now and share this interaction – they hadn't talked much about Ancient Runes before, a subject Roxanne never took. It was the subject Eva was most eager to apply her new magical knowledge to, suspecting that she could combine it with Legilimency for powerful results.

But Roxanne was not present in the Great Hall when Eva arrived for dinner. Victoire and Chris waved her over, but Roxanne shook her head, not eager for a full meal's worth of hearing the two lovebirds squawk at each other as they so enjoyed to do. Instead she backtracked to the Entrance Hall, hoping that perhaps Roxanne was waiting for her somewhere they could talk in private.

"Point me Roxanne Morrison," Eva whispered, placing her wand atop her flat palm. It twirled around and pointed straight out the front doors, and Eva followed its lead, pushing her way out onto the grounds and following the winding path down towards the lake. It was a spell she and Roxanne had taught themselves together over the summer, in case they were separated during the day and wanted to find each other after. She successfully found Roxanne sitting beneath a large oak tree by the water, and skipped over to her.

"You're a hard woman to find, Morrison," Eva sang as she got closer. But she quickly realized that Roxanne was not in a joking mood: she was staring morosely out over the water, looking quite glum.

"Not now, Eva," Roxanne muttered, not even looking up from her thousand-yard stare. "Can we do this another time?"

"Not when I know something's the matter," said Eva, taking a seat beside her girlfriend. "You don't have to talk about it, but I'm gonna sit here anyway."

Roxanne clearly appreciated this gesture as they both sat staring out over the lapping waves, the giant squid lazily splashing about in the distance. Eva didn't know how long Roxanne had been out here or planned to be; she was quite hungry and wouldn't mind heading back up to the castle for some food. Just as she considered breaking the silence to suggest as much, Roxanne spoke first.

"Did you know you're not the only person at this school using a fake identity?" said Roxanne.

"Erm...really?" said Eva, eyebrows raised. "Who?"

"Me."

Eva frowned at this. Roxanne had shared select details of her painful childhood with Eva, but always avoided the topic whenever possible. Nothing she'd shared indicated that she would need to change her name, but Eva silently awaited the story anyway.

"My dad was a real piece of work, as you know," Roxanne went on. "Probably would have done something drastic if my mum didn't get me out of the house as soon as my letter came. And I found out later that he got involved in some...community activities against wizardkind."

"Citizens Against Witchcraft?" Eva deduced, earning a nod of confirmation from Roxanne. "How did you find out?" Eva asked. "I mean, considering your mum ceased contact…"

"From the bloody Prophet, that's how," Roxanne laughed. "And this morning was just more salt in the wound."

"How do you mean?"

"Morrison was my mum's maiden name, you know," Roxanne sighed. "The Headmaster suggested I take her name. He didn't think my classmates would take kindly to a Beckett at Hogwarts."

Beckett. That explained a lot of things. Eva knew the name long before arriving in Britain, of course – the Muggle war leader who went rogue and ignited a wave of terror across the nation. She never knew the man had had a daughter, much less a magical one. And why should either of them ever admit it? The father would be accused of teaching witchcraft, while the daughter...well, Eva was quietly grateful for Harry's foresight, as she could only imagine how much more alienated Roxanne would be from her peers if they knew what a monster her father was.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Eva asked softly. "You know you can trust me with anything."

"I th-thought you would hate me," Roxanne blubbered, tears beginning to fall. "When you told me how your parents really died...well, I thought you would blame me for it. Considering my dad started the group that got them killed."

"I would never blame you for that," Eva said firmly. "I don't even blame him, to be honest. He didn't cause Muggles to hate our kind...he just capitalized on it. If it wasn't C.A.W. that did my folks in, it would have been something similar. Don't be stupid."

"I know it was silly to worry about," Roxanne managed to chuckle, wiping her eyes. "But I've just felt so guilty about where I come from for so long."

"Your parents don't define who you are," said Eva. "You can forge your own future apart from them. And I'll help you, if you'll have me."

Roxanne said nothing to this, merely resting her head against Eva's shoulder as silence fell between them again. They continued staring out across the lake, but this time Eva felt a sense of tranquility rather than anxiety. She and Roxanne could comfortably spend time together without a word needing to be said, and Eva soaked in the moment for as long as she could, knowing they would come few and far between in the busy weeks to come.

"I made Quidditch captain this year, by the way," Roxanne mused after some time. "Professor Weasley told me this morning."

"Congrats," Eva grinned. "Guess you'll have to quit lobbing Bludgers at your own teammates for fun during practice."

"Eh, I figure I'll lead through tyranny and fear," Roxanne smirked. "I figure our Chasers might fly twice as fast if they know both teams' Beaters will be coming after them during matches."

"I look forward to seeing that," Eva chuckled, getting to her feet. "I'm going to get some food before dinner ends. You're welcome to join."

"I'm okay here, but thanks anyway," said Roxanne, settling back into the tree trunk behind her. Eva left her behind and trudged back up to the castle alone, but feeling hopeful all the same. She'd uncovered another layer of Roxanne's dark past today, and it had failed to drive them apart; if anything, she felt closer than ever to her.

The rest of the week flew by mercifully fast. Her professors mostly just outlined their expectations for the coming year and assigned preliminary readings to start, but Eva knew their work load would only increase the deeper into the year they got. She didn't get to see much of Roxanne outside of meals, but was happy to see that the older girl looked progressively more cheerful as the week went on. She managed to pull a fast one on Dominique at breakfast on Friday morning, jinxing the first-year's plate to fling food up into the air as soon as she started eating, earning laughter from the entire Gryffindor table (and a weekend detention from a stern Ginny Weasley for the stunt). Eva counted that as progress.

Her final class of the week was Spell Theory, which Eva had mixed feelings about. On the one hand she was fascinated to see what Harry would be teaching his hand-picked group of students behind closed doors, but on the other she worried that it would look eerily similar to the Slug Club meetings she so loathed. Certainly all the most promising pure-bloods would be present, a far different crowd from the ones Eva had found kinship with over the summer.

She walked into Potter's classroom apprehensively, scanning the room for friendly faces. Candace Clearwater was there (but not Amy Burton), as was Calvin Hopkins and his tight-knit group of preppy Slytherin friends. She spotted Victoire and Chris playing footsie at a table near the back of the class and began to make her way over to them, before an unexpected voice called out to her.

"Oi, Prewitt, you gonna leave me hanging?" it sang. Eva spun to see Roxanne eagerly waving with an empty seat beside her. Incredulous, Eva sank into it.

"Potter let you into Spell Theory?" Eva asked, awe-struck.

"Well, don't sound too surprised," Roxanne huffed, feigning offense at the remark.

"But...well, I didn't mean...I only meant that you didn't get in last year," Eva stammered. "And you're not...well, I didn't think Potter…"

"Liked me?" Roxanne grinned. "Me neither. One of life's great mysteries, I suppose. I'm as chuffed as you are, believe me."

Eva was undoubtedly glad to see Roxanne, but she couldn't stop her mind from racing at this new development. She clearly wasn't the only one; curious eyes landed upon the two of them from around the room, surprised to see Roxanne as well. Did the Headmaster change his mind about her? Eva wondered. Is he more impressed with her than he was last year? Or is he just trying to appease me? She felt slightly guilty for that last thought, but couldn't shake the idea anyway. It was no secret that Eva and Roxanne were an item – was this yet another example of the Headmaster showing favoritism to his prized transfer student, making her feel more comfortable in the class?

But she didn't have long to ponder this before Harry arrived to begin the lesson. "Welcome to Spell Theory," he announced to the class. "If you're here, it means you have been specially chosen for showing promise in your prior classes. The techniques that will be taught in this course are highly experimental, and many of you will struggle to grasp them. But for those of you eager to push the boundaries of what magic is capable of, you may find this subject rather interesting."

Candace Clearwater raised her hand from the front row. "Sorry, Professor, but I didn't see any textbooks listed in the course requirements," she said. "Will we be getting them directly from you?"

"There will be no textbooks and no assigned reading in this class," Harry explained, eliciting surprised murmurs from the students new to the class. "Unlike most subjects, Spell Theory is a largely practical field of study. I expect you all to pay close attention in class and apply yourselves to thinking outside the box to succeed."

A few students looked worried at this – the Ravenclaws mostly, Eva noted – while others, namely the Gryffindors, looked eager to try the atypical learning system. She even felt Roxanne perk up at this – the older girl famously hated doing homework and reading from textbooks, and might have a chance to prove herself for once.

"We will be delving into topics that many consider controversial, or even dangerous," Harry went on. "If you succeed in learning the material, you may find you have the ability to manipulate the fabric of magic itself, without need for a wand or incantations."

Many looked excited by this, while Eva felt a slight chill run down her spine. What he was describing sounded eerily like her newfound Sight abilities, which she had gained from the illegal potion that Potter was so eager to keep out of students' hands. So which was it? Did he want students learning the Sight, or not?

Harry spent the majority of the first lesson outlining some foundational magical theory, which Eva recognized as a mix of traditional teachings and principles outlined in The Language of Magic. She noted that Harry was careful not to indicate where said theory came from, treating it all as though it were accepted by academic channels. She wondered if anyone else in the class would recognize the source, though she doubted it – maybe that's why the book was banned on campus, and why there were so few Muggle-borns in the class. Did Potter intend to take credit for Granger's best ideas? She would have to confer with her classmates on this – carefully, of course, without tipping her hand to her true intentions or breadth of knowledge on the subject.

Eva was among the first out of her seat when class was dismissed for the day. Her course load for the weekend was manageable, and she hoped to spend some time in the Room of Requirement experimenting more with the Sight in the days to come. She had never thought to apply basic spell-crafting theory to her explorations of Granger's teachings, but it made perfect sense to her now, and she was eager to try it out for herself. But once again, a voice called out to interrupt her plans...

"Oi, Prewitt!"

Eva turned, groaning internally when she saw Calvin Hopkins approaching her, flanked by his crew of Slytherins. "Yeah?" she asked cautiously, feeling Roxanne tense up beside her.

"Is it true, then?" he asked bluntly. "Did Potter really recruit Muggle-borns to defend King's Cross?"

Eva considered this, noting the curious expressions of the onlookers as well. She'd heard whispers and rumors all week about what had actually happened outside Platform 9 ¾, but didn't realize she was at the center of most of them. "Not everyone in the summer housing program is Muggle-born," she said cautiously. "But yes, he asked for volunteers to help."

"But why?" Calvin asked, frowning. "I was there at the station already and could have helped. All of us pure-bloods were, not to mention our parents. Why would he drag you lot all the way down to London?"

"Got a problem with Muggle-borns, Hopkins?" Roxanne growled.

"Not at all," said Calvin, throwing up his hands to keep the peace. "Just seems odd, doesn't it? He wasn't afraid they would sympathize with the mob?"

"Just because some of us come from Muggle families doesn't mean we support attacks on kids," Roxanne spat. "You should watch what you're implying."

"I apologize if I offended," said Calvin sincerely with a small bow. "Just trying to separate what's being written in the Prophet from reality."

"I wouldn't pay any mind to what that rag is publishing these days," said Eva coolly. "Good day, Hopkins." And she turned on her heel to leave, dragging Roxanne along with her before the older girl could start throwing hexes over her shoulder.

"What a prat!" Roxanne exclaimed. "The absolute nerve, accusing us of supporting terrorists!"

"Yeah," Eva agreed, though privately she thought he had raised an interesting point. Why had the Headmaster involved the summer group in the attack? Surely Potter would have been crucified by the papers if any harm had come to the students he willingly brought with him to London, which very nearly happened. Why couldn't he have recruited help from the older students already present at the station, as Calvin implied?

A chilling thought niggled at Eva's brain that night, one that she couldn't quite shake. She couldn't help but think of something Roxanne had said over the summer: "Of course they have to make some effort with us...the last thing the magical world needs is to make Muggle AND magical enemies." What if this had been a ploy to get the Muggle-borns on Potter's side? What if he wanted them to see the danger awaiting for them in the Muggle world, to convince them that they belonged firmly among those of their own kind? It had certainly worked on Roxanne, who was increasingly agreeing with her fellow Gryffindors about Minister Granger's failings as a leader. What if Potter intended to run against her next spring, and was consolidating support for the vote?

I really shouldn't be indulging in such conspiracy theories, Eva thought to herself as she tucked into bed after a grueling first week. Surely the Headmaster would never endanger his own students for political gain. And yet, that thought continued to fester in the back of her mind, gnawing at her psyche, making her reconsider everything she knew about the mysterious Harry Potter and the silent grip he held over the collective consciousness of the wizarding world.