November 4, 2015 (Evangeline)

"Runic networks are among the most powerful defenses known to wizardkind. If created properly using Arithmancy properties, they can withstand even the most ardent of magical attacks. Azkaban Prison is one such institution utilizing Runes for defense purposes, preventing basic spell work from breaching the walls of the prison unless a skilled team of curse-breakers works to decode and decommission the network.

"Runes have their limitations and weaknesses, however. They are static by nature, confined to a single location via the stones the symbols are carved into. They are single-minded and can only serve one purpose at a time. As such, every network has a weakness, a choke point that can be identified and disrupted to deactivate all the others. The stronger the network, the more difficult the choke point(s) are to find.

"It is possible to use the Draught of Omniscience in conjunction with runic knowledge to locate choke points more quickly via magical signatures and connections. However, such a use of the Sight can be extremely draining on the user's magical core, particularly if it is a complex runic network being assessed. It is therefore not recommended to use the Sight for longer than two or three minutes to analyze runic patterns without supervision, and it is recommended to keep Invigoration Draughts on hand to restore magical function if use of the Sight is necessary."

Eva frowned, staring down at the short passage in The Language of Magic. Its applications to Ancient Runes were apparently limited, as only a brief handful of paragraphs in the book even referred to the field of study. But surely it ought to be highly relevant? Considering what had happened in Eva's very first Runes lesson last year, using the Sight in combination with runic carvings led to extremely powerful results. And yet, Granger's musings on the subject were incredibly vague and didactic, telling her little that she couldn't learn from a third-year textbook.

But it was the final paragraph that was giving Eva pause. Why did Granger seem so insistent on the draining properties of using the Sight? Eva had never suffered any adverse effects from prolonged usage, and never felt the need to have Invigoration Draughts on hand. In fact, she'd never consumed the potion in her life; her students often indulged in them during periods of stressful study or heavy magic usage, particularly around O.W.L. time last year. She'd never felt the need, even after long hours of continued magical output with the Sight or otherwise. What made her special? Why did magical exhaustion never seem to affect her?

Roxanne wasn't much help on this front, and in fact, she served only to complicate matters even further during their experimental sessions in the Room of Requirement. "I don't understand why I have to keep drinking this stuff," she complained one afternoon as she took another swig of the Draught of Omniscience under Eva's watchful eye. "How come you're able to use the Sight whenever you want, but I only get a couple hours' worth after I drink?"

That was yet another mystery of the Sight that Eva could not explain. She hadn't consumed a single drop of the Draught of Omniscience since the brewing was first completed half a year ago, and yet she'd been able to activate her Sight ever since, whenever she wished. And while Roxanne complained of headaches, nosebleeds and magical exhaustion after just a minute or two of using the Sight, Eva could keep hers going almost indefinitely, experiencing no adverse effects to her physical or magical stamina. What could this mean?

Furthermore, the more Eva thought about it, drinking the Draught of Omniscience had not been her first experience with viewing the odd symbols comprising the magic all around her. She'd successfully countered Calvin Hopkins' Incendio spell in her first Legilimency lesson by recognizing the fire symbol from Granger's book. How had she managed that, if she hadn't yet imbibed the potion that supposedly allowed her to use the Sight?

Her last conversation with Headmaster Potter was also troubling her. She'd done a bit of research into the Deathly Hallows since then, and encountered the triangular symbol that represented them. It seemed to have appeared at various points throughout history, first in connection with the Peverells, then as a family crest for the Gaunt family, and finally as a hate symbol used by the Dark Lord Grindelwald and his followers. Centuries upon centuries of the mark, ever unchanging, its meaning occasionally lost to time but its form unyielding.

Surely the Peverells had experimented with the Draught of Omniscience, had they not? It could not be a coincidence that the symbol used to represent the Hallows also reflected the magical currents they emanated. She doubted the fairy tale version of the Tale of the Three Brothers was accurate; more than likely they had tapped into these magical currents in their efforts to create these objects. How had they managed to stop time itself? What twisted magic had they performed to alter such a fundamental property of life, such that a being like Archimedes would be so utterly repulsed by the Hallows?

And what were these currents in the first place? Eva hadn't the faintest idea of how to even begin researching the phenomenon when no such literature about them existed. The closest thing she had was Granger's own book, published eight years prior, and now that Eva had begun to experiment herself, she was woefully aware of how much information was withheld. Did Granger know more than she was letting on in The Language of Magic? Or had even she herself not explored the full potential of the Sight?

The closest thing Eva found in relation to the phenomenon was in her research of leylines. They were theoretical sites of high magical concentration, of which several were rumored to exist around the world. None had ever been witnessed or documented personally, but there were four theorized to exist in Europe: one in Greece, one in the Swiss Alps, one in the Balkans, and one on the British Isles. How would one even go about finding one, let alone sensing its presence? Should Eva attempt to locate one herself using the Sight? The writings on leylines were so vague, and the prospect of finding one so daunting, that Eva quickly dismissed the idea, as intriguing as it was.

There was so much to chew on, so many mysteries to unravel, that Eva couldn't hope to tackle everything. She would focus on her project for Professor Babbling and hopefully find answers as she went along. She knew she wanted to experiment with time somehow, but how could she apply that to Ancient Runes? What would even happen if she carved the Time symbol into a runestone? That would be her first area of study when she found the time to begin experimenting.

For now, many other things consumed her time, not least of which was the N.E.W.T. level course load in all her classes. Even though it was not an exam year, Eva's professors seemed keen on taking up every bit of her free time with homework assignments and research projects. Only Babbling took pity on her, exempting her from most of the busy work her classmates were subjected to. That alone wasn't enough to lighten Eva's load significantly, and she felt like every waking moment since the start of term was spent eating, attending class, and studying, with little time for anything else.

Eva also had to make time for Quidditch amidst all of this. She attended tryouts on a sunny Saturday afternoon, which were conducted by Roxanne, the newly-appointed Captain of the Gryffindor squad. "Alright, listen up!" she announced once the gathered hopefuls had arrived on the pitch. "We have multiple returning players this year, so if you're here to try out for Keeper, Beater, or Seeker, tough luck. We have two openings at Chaser, though, so if you want to join the team, that's your best bet."

A few younger students deflated at this news. Eva looked around at the other returnees; Chris Wood would remain at his post defending the goals, while Roxanne and Mark Bolger would man the Beater bats. Only Janelle Macmillan remained from last year's Chaser squad, with Darby and Young having graduated. Eva also spotted Bruce Davis among the hopefuls in the crowd – the now fourth-year who had been moved to reserve last year to make room for Eva. He looked grimly determined to prove himself more capable this year.

And he certainly did so. He was among the first batch to try out, demonstrating that he'd gotten much better over the past year. He seemed to have had a growth spurt over the summer, and his physical command of his broom was far better. His passes were accurate and his shots powerful; he was one of the few to get multiple goals past Wood during the shootout trials. Eva had no doubt that he would secure one of the two Chaser spots.

The second spot looked far more up in the air, however. A couple candidates stood out to Eva from the dozen or so who tried out for the position. One was a third-year Muggle-born student by the name of Tamika Jensen who showed surprising natural talent for the sport despite her lack of experience. She lacked raw power and speed, but was incredibly crafty on a broom, able to spin out of trouble and make the correct pass when necessary. A second-year boy also impressed with his tryout: Owen Clearwater, Candace's little brother, who was still undersized but clearly had practice on a broom. Eva wasn't sure if he could keep up with the older kids in a live match, but he was clearly destined to make the team as soon as his body caught up with his apparent affinity with the sport.

Once the last students had completed their tryout, Roxanne quickly appointed Bruce Davis to the team before deliberating on the last slot. "I have it narrowed down to two students," she announced to the nervous hopefuls. "I want to see how they fare in a scrimmage situation. Jensen, you pair up with Davis; Weasley, you and Macmillan."

Eva's eyebrows shot up as Victoire Weasley excitedly mounted her broom alongside Tamika Jensen for their final test. Her tryout had been subpar; she was not a natural talent on a broom, and her passing and shooting had been average at best. She had managed two shots past Chris, though Eva suspected he had let them in to appease his temperamental girlfriend and head off a future argument. Owen Clearwater looked deflated as he left the pitch along with the other rejects; Eva watched him go sadly, wishing she could have seen him perform in a pressure scenario. But it was Roxanne's call, and she must have seen something in Victoire that she hadn't.

The team split into two squads of four, with Eva guarding the opposite goalpost while Roxanne and Bolger faced off on the bats. Eva couldn't help but feel that Roxanne had created rather lopsided teams; she was not much of a match for Macmillan's aggressive play, while Davis was far from the ideal partner for young Jensen, as the two under-classmen struggled to get any kind of offense going against the much larger and more experienced opposing Chasers.

Eva was also shocked by the raw aggression Roxanne showed in her Beater duties. She was swinging the bat harder than Eva had ever seen, forcing poor Tamika Jensen to drop the Quaffle to defend herself multiple times. Victoire scored a couple quick goals on Eva after the opposing Chasers failed to put up a solid defense. The scrimmage came to an abrupt end when a furious Bludger from Roxanne's bat connected with Tamika's face, causing her to retreat from the pitch in tears, blood pouring from the poor girl's broken nose.

"Congrats, Weasley, you're on the squad," Roxanne informed an excited Victoire once Jensen had scurried off for the Hospital Wing. "Practices will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon."

Eva was quick to congratulate her very first Hogwarts friend for making the team, but something didn't sit right with her about the tryouts. She waited until Victoire and Chris had retreated to the castle to celebrate in private, before confronting Roxanne on the way to dinner. "What was that about?" she demanded.

"Sorry?" Roxanne said innocently. "You saw what happened. Weasley scored two goals and Jensen scored none."

"She was obviously outmatched!" Eva laughed. "And you looked like you were trying to murder the poor girl."

"If she couldn't handle being targeted by one Beater, she wouldn't last in a regulation match," Roxanne shrugged indifferently. "Maybe I did her a favor."

Eva didn't see things that way. Did Roxanne have something against the girl? Or was she simply playing favorites towards Victoire, whom Roxanne had grown closer to thanks to the redhead's proximity to Eva? Did Roxanne believe that she was doing this to make Eva happy, by putting her friend on the team? She didn't want to rush to conclusions or make any accusations that could set Roxanne off. She seemed more stressed than usual lately, under the strain of N.E.W.T. preparation and an increased course load, so Eva didn't press the issue then and there.

Eva also had her own studies to worry about, leaving her with precious little time to spend with her girlfriend. She badly wanted to drop Potions, the one subject she could not use her Sight to cut corners in and that she doubted she would utilize in her future career. But she was rewarded for her perseverance with an invite to Slughorn's first Slug Club party of the new term. She invited Roxanne, naturally, but to her surprise, she had declined, citing a desire to get some overdue homework done. Eva doubted this was actually the case; more than likely, Roxanne didn't care for the kinds of people who attended the Slug Club parties, and Eva couldn't rightly blame her.

So she attended the party stag, arriving as a third wheel to Chris and Victoire's couple. "Ah, Miss Prewitt!" Slughorn greeted her cordially. "I hear you've been accepted into Spell Theory this term; congratulations are in order. And I hear Professor Babbling has you doing self-study as well?"

"Yes, sir," Eva said, grinning politely. "I'm just flattered to be considered."

"Oh, always with the modesty!" Slughorn chuckled loudly. "We both know you're brilliant beyond your years; why hide it? This is no place for such meek reservation. Wear your accomplishments loud and proud! I want to hear you boasting of them to your peers tonight!"

"Will do, Professor," she nodded, though that was the last thing she wished to do. Talking herself up was not something that came naturally to her. But her fellow students didn't seem to share this sentiment; the Slug Club was full of talented individuals who were quick to espouse their own academic achievements and lofty aspirations. She settled for roaming the room, indulging in conversation after conversation with students eager to share their life story and boast about where they planned to be after graduation. She was of half a mind to sneak out early…

"Hey, Evangeline!" a friendly voice called from across the room. Eva turned, heart sinking as she saw Calvin Hopkins waving her over. He was surrounded by a group of similarly posh pure-bloods, mostly Slytherin but with other houses sprinkled in. Eva warily made her way towards them.

"Hello, Calvin," she said neutrally.

"So tell me," said Calvin loudly, so that all around him could hear. "What's going on between you and Roxanne Morrison?"

A shiver ran down Eva's spine at this question, noting the curious looks upon her from the gathered students. She hadn't experienced any kind of discrimination for seeing a girl thus far, but would have been foolish to never expect it. "We're dating," she said simply, trying not to assume the worst.

"Going well then, is it?" Calvin pressed, a disarming smile on his face that didn't fool her for a second.

"Great," Eva said shortly. "So if you're waiting around to play rebound, don't hold your breath."

A few snickers followed this statement, but Calvin appeared nonplussed. "Apologies if I was giving off that impression," he continued. "I only wondered what it's like dating a Nosebleed."

"A what?" asked Eva, frowning at the odd moniker.

"A Nosebleed," Calvin repeated. "You know, someone who turns their nose up at their own blood."

Eva's eyes narrowed at this odd remark. "And whose blood is she turning her nose up at, exactly?" she demanded.

"Well, her Muggle parents, of course," said Calvin. "There's two types of Muggle-borns, you see: those who defend their heritage, and those who turn their backs on it. Morrison's the second type."

"Congratulations, Calvin," Eva said coldly. "You've found a clever way to discriminate against Mudbloods without even having to use the slur. Hell, you've even invented your own."

"It's not like that!" Calvin laughed, throwing up his hands in self-defense. "No one's saying Morrison's blood is any less 'pure' or whatever. She's a witch just as much as you or me. But she seems awfully keen on distancing herself from her roots, wouldn't you say?"

"And why wouldn't she?" Eva retorted. "Dunno if you've noticed, Hopkins, but there's a war brewing outside this castle. The Muggles don't take too kindly to us at the moment."

"Exactly," said Calvin. "And all the Muggle-borns in this castle are going to be faced with a choice. Do they stick to their family back home, or their wizarding family?"

"That's incredibly ignorant, Calvin," Eva huffed. "The Muggle-borns don't want a war any more than you do. They want both of their families to be safe."

"I didn't say it was an easy choice," Calvin shrugged. "But it will be a necessary one. There will be no neutral parties. It's us vs. them, and they'll come after Morrison just as much as they will you or me."

"So what's the issue, then?" Eva demanded, taking a threatening step forward towards Calvin. "What do you care if Roxanne doesn't like her parents? Isn't that good for you?"

"That wasn't my question," Calvin smirked. "I just wondered how it affected things between you. Given that you're a pure-blood and all."

Calvin had no way of knowing this was not the case, but Eva wasn't about to correct him. Instead, she drew her wand and pointed it threateningly under his chin. "It's none of your goddamn business," she growled. "There's more to our relationship than our blood status and who our parents are. If that's the only thing you care about in a partner, then piss off and find another ignorant witch to dote on."

"What's the meaning behind this?" Slughorn boomed, hustling over to the scene; many heads had turned to view the growing confrontation between Eva and Calvin. "Miss Prewitt, may I kindly ask you to lower your wand against another student?"

Eva reluctantly did so, continuing to glare daggers at Calvin, who eyed her warily but made no indication that he felt threatened. "It's my fault, Professor," he said coolly. "Just a political discussion that got a bit heated, that's all."

Slughorn hummed with displeasure at this news. "Dark days lie ahead, Mr. Hopkins," he said cautiously. "I would hope that everyone here recognizes that and doesn't attempt to divide us. We are all on the same side here."

"Couldn't agree more, Professor," said Eva, stalking away from the group without further comment. What the hell was Calvin playing at, anyway? Why would he make such a public spectacle out of his 'innocent' question about Roxanne? Was he trying to embarrass Eva, or discourage her from dating a Muggle-born given the political climate? Even if it was well-intentioned, and he was trying to help Eva avoid associating with someone with less social clout than herself.

But that was precisely what Eva liked about Roxanne. She didn't play the social game; she wasn't trying to rub shoulders with high society to get ahead in life. Everything about Calvin (and nearly everyone else in the Slug Club) rang as false to Eva, as though their every decision and relationship was carefully sown in order to reap benefits far off in the future. Eva didn't want to live her life that way. She wanted to spend time with people she liked, people who valued her for who she was, not what she could do for somebody else in the future.

But ever since Calvin's comments at the Slug Club meeting, she found herself paying closer attention to Roxanne's political affiliations. She continued to read the Prophet every morning, occasionally making disparaging comments about something she read there, most to do with Minister Granger. "She's out of her depth," she said on more than one occasion. "She may be smart, but she doesn't know how to take care of her own. She's wasting time on Muggles when she should be focusing on bettering the lives of witches and wizards like herself."

Eva always kept her own opinions out of these conversations, sensing that the entire student body was becoming more politically-aware than she'd ever seen them. Conversations about the current events outside the castle were frequent in the halls now, where students used to merely gossip about who was dating whom and which heartthrob had given an interview to Witch Weekly. Most seemed to be of similar mind to Roxanne, criticizing Granger's lack of strong leadership, and Eva did not want to put a target on herself by coming to the Minister's defense. She remembered her very first conversation with the Headmaster, and the decision to disguise herself as a pure-blood – it seemed that Potter had foreseen such a hostile political environment and sought to protect her from it.

There were a few Granger apologists in the castle, most of whom were Muggle-borns. Eva wondered just how many supporters the current Minister had, because anyone who vocally showed their support for her were effectively shunned by their peers. Poor Tamika Jensen was one of the first victims of this phenomenon; after proudly proclaiming her support for Granger in the common room one evening, her four-poster had been mysteriously vandalized and her bag seemed to split open at inopportune times in the halls, sending her things flying across the stone floors.

Could that have played into Roxanne's decisions with the Quidditch team earlier that month? Calvin's taunting words kept replaying themselves in her mind, and Eva couldn't shake the truth of what he was implying. Was it as simple as the fact that Jensen was a Muggle-born and Victoire Weasley was pure-blood? Did Roxanne really seek to distance herself from her heritage and 'prove' that she was a proper witch? It was an unpleasant thought, one that Eva instinctively wished to reject, but she couldn't deny the possibility.

As with the Slug Club meeting, the most vocal about current events were the pure-bloods, who were also the most ardent supporters of the Headmaster. Eva was forced to endure such an environment every week in Spell Theory class, which Harry taught, and the subject of conversation was often anything but the material. "Do you reckon you'll ever run for Minister, Professor?" a Hufflepuff boy asked him one afternoon.

"You'd win for certain over Granger!" chimed in Chris Wood, earning an eager nod of assent from Victoire seated beside him. In fact, the entire class seemed to be in agreement with this sentiment.

"It's encouraging to see young people so engaged with local politics," Harry smiled cryptically. "However, I'll make no comment on it at this time. There is no need to poison our discussions with toxic rhetoric."

That's rich, Eva scoffed internally. Harry sure hadn't been holding back in the Daily Prophet; every other day they quoted him with some scathing critique of Granger's handling of some crisis or another. If his intention was genuinely to not rile up political discourse, he was doing a piss-poor job at it. Half of the student body at Hogwarts read the Prophet, and those that didn't heard all the critical details from those who boldly parroted Harry's talking points in the halls and common rooms. Everyone knew precisely where he stood on Minister Granger – the only question was what he was willing to do about it.

She thought back once more to her last private meeting with the Headmaster and their discussions of time. Did they play any role in his decisions? Would he be too consumed with his private research to consider a career in politics? Or, on the other hand, had he brought Eva in the fold precisely so that his research could continue in his stead as he ran for office? He was after something, that much was clear – he was readying himself to go after it, whatever it was. Would becoming Minister aid him in this goal, or hinder him? Was Granger an obstacle to his goal? Or was removing her from power the goal in itself?

Why had she not insisted on speaking to Minister Granger when she arrived at the castle over the summer? It had been her best chance at getting some of the answers that plagued her. She had been too shocked by her discovery, the revelation that she and Potter were romantically linked, to consider finding another way. Should she write a letter seeking answers? How much should she reveal about herself? She worried that she might be expelled if she admitted to stealing Essence of Thought from the Department of Mysteries to the Minister herself.

But her curiosity was too great, so that night she pulled out a quill and roll of parchment to compose a letter. She had to choose her words carefully, knowing that her letter was likely to be screened by half a dozen people before ever reaching Granger's desk. After a few scrapped drafts, this was the letter she eventually sealed and sent off with a school owl the following morning:

Dear Minister Granger,

My name is Evangeline Prewitt, a sixth-year student at Hogwarts. I have read your teachings in 'The Language of Magic' and am eager to learn more about some of the topics you discuss in greater detail. Can you point me to any texts that would help me further my understanding?

I have been asked to complete a self-study research project for Professor Babbling's Ancient Runes class. I have researched numerous topics but have yet to See anything that I wish to experiment with further. I understand you are proficient in the subject yourself; any pointers for someone like myself?

The Headmaster speaks highly of you. I understand you are under a great deal of political pressure at the moment, but I hope you are well. I saw you in the castle over the summer and attempted to speak with you in the Headmaster's Office, but it seemed that you were preoccupied, so I did not disturb.

I hope to one day meet with you to express my gratitude for inspiring me to push my magical limits.

Hoping you are well,

Evangeline Prewitt

Eva felt satisfied that her letter would pass inspection by any random intern who screened it without raising any red flags. It seemed innocuous enough on the surface, but anyone with more intimate knowledge of The Language of Magic would recognize the hidden references that suggested that she possessed the Sight. She also acknowledged hearing what had happened in Potter's office that day over the summer, which she hoped would not fluster Granger but make it clear that she wanted insight into their odd relationship.

Is that too pushy? Eva wondered to herself as she returned to the Great Hall from the Owlery for breakfast. Why would she deign to tell a random transfer student anything about her personal life? Regret started to creep in as she took her seat at the Gryffindor table beside Roxanne. Was it too late to retrieve the letter? Could she somehow write a retraction to convince the Ministry intern to throw out her previous letter before it reached Granger's desk? Anxiety settled in her stomach like a rock, and she wondered if perhaps she had successfully gotten herself expelled after all.

But her fears were soon alleviated as the morning post arrived in the form of a flurry of wings overhead. Owls swooped over the tables, dropping letters and newspapers in front of their recipients. Roxanne absentmindedly unfolded her copy of the Prophet and skimmed the headline, abruptly choking on her mouthful of eggs and dropping her fork with a loud clatter. Curious eyes turned towards her, but soon other outbursts of surprise were erupting from around the Hall as students laid eyes on the Prophet for themselves.

Eva craned her neck to get a glimpse of Roxanne's copy. Her mouth fell open at the headline article:

POTTER ANNOUNCES RUN FOR MINISTER OF MAGIC

by Lee Jordan, The Daily Prophet

Harry James Potter, vanquisher of the Dark Lord Voldemort and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has announced his intention to run for the highest office in Britain this coming spring.

"It has become clear that Hermione Granger is unfit to deal with the growing Muggle threat plaguing magical society," Potter said in an exclusive interview with the Prophet. "She has served this country well through a brief era of peace, but a stronger hand is now needed to deal with the looming prospect of a new war."

Potter's remarks come on the heels of a fresh wave of attacks by Muggle insurgent groups, led by General Beckett of the hate group Citizens Against Witchcraft. He vows to put a stop to the violence by strengthening the Ministry's defense capabilities and doing away with Granger's recent social policies regarding Muggle well-being.

"If the Muggles wanted our help, they would have made that clear by now," Potter continued. "Granger's efforts have fallen on deaf ears, and it's time to pull the plug on her disastrous policies and focus on the people she was meant to protect: her fellow witches and wizards."

For more on Potter's promises should he win the election, see pg. 7.

"About bloody time!" Roxanne said jubilantly. "Potter's going to steamroll her!"

"Hear hear!" said Chris Wood in agreement.

Meanwhile, across the room, a group of Slytherin students, led by Calvin Hopkins, had gotten to their feet to face the Head Table. They began applauding, whistling and cheering Harry's name as the Headmaster watched on, bemused. Several other Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors followed suit, with the majority of the students showing their vocal support for Harry Potter.

Well, Eva thought morbidly, looking upon her fellow cheering students with trepidation, at least Granger ought to be too busy to care about my letter now…


A/N: Apologies for the slower uploads lately. I had to take time off of writing to meticulously plan out the remainder of the fic, because we are quickly approaching the revelation of very important information that will alter the trajectory of the story forever. Stay tuned for some much-needed answers to questions I've been teasing you all with for so long!