January 30, 2016 (Evangeline)

Life at Hogwarts had somehow become more chaotic and yet serene for Eva. The election discourse was showing no signs of slowing down, and if anything was only ramping up as the May vote drew closer. But Eva could no longer bring herself to care about what the students thought, what petty arguments were being bandied about in the halls. Their voices bounced off of her, leaving her in a bubble of her own thoughts that none could penetrate. None of these hyper-opinionated folks had the faintest inkling of what was truly happening.

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were her parents. She had grappled with this truth for weeks since her meeting with the Minister, and still failed to grasp all of its implications. She studied Harry with a renewed interest – she saw the similarities between them now, but still could not bring herself to accept that he was her father. He felt too much like a stranger, more like a mythological creature to be studied from afar rather than someone engaged with as family. Could he even accept a parental role, if circumstances had been different?

And yet, she saw what a great mentor he could be in his better moments. His skill as a teacher came in the one-on-one moments of instruction, in recognizing the specific traits of a student and getting the best out of them. She couldn't help but feel jealous of Calvin Hopkins, certainly the closest thing to a son Harry had ever had, as he received ample individual help from the professor during classes in addition to his private Auror training. Why didn't Harry do the same for Eva, his actual child? Did he still distrust her, believing Eva to be too like her mother to be granted inside access?

But Harry and Hermione did still seem to care for each other, in spite of everything between them. What was stopping all three of them from dropping all pretenses and being a happy family? Why did Harry harbor such ill-will towards Hermione? Was it hurt pride, from knowing that she had been the one to successfully contain Voldemort? Was it resentment, from Hermione keeping him away from his daughter for the first fifteen years of her life? Or was it truly the Dark magic plaguing his mind, which Hermione intended to find a cure for?

Now that Eva knew what to look for, she did see cracks in Harry's facade every once in a while. He was quite good at reining in his temper before it could rear its ugly head, but it was still obvious when a student rubbed him the wrong way. Whenever Chris or Victoire disrupted a Spell Theory class with their hijinks, for instance, he would always lightly chastise them in a level tone, but it was often preceded with a look of pure hate, as though he was temporarily seized by a malevolent being. And knowing what Krum had taught them about the insidious, almost autonomous nature of Dark Magic, that may not be far from the truth.

She thought back to the request Minister Granger had made of her, to learn more about Harry's true intentions, what he might be after in the Ministry of Magic. But he had not approached her in private for months now, not since their last meeting when they'd watched Archimedes burn. Was he simply too busy with the election? Or was there another reason he was avoiding her – his only daughter?

She decided to confront him after Spell Theory one afternoon, on a day when he seemed particularly irritable. He'd directed the class to practice their nonverbal casting on one another, intervening only to snap at someone or another when they fired an errant spell, or worse, dared to utter the incantation under their breath.

As soon as the bell rang, dismissing them for the weekend, Harry rushed for the door, as he often did these days. He would frequently disappear on weekends, making it impossible to reach him until the following Monday. Eva hurried after him, catching the door before Harry could slam it behind him on his way out of the castle.

"Excuse me, Professor Potter?" Eva asked breathlessly, rushing to keep up with him. "A word?"

"Now is not a good time, Miss Prewitt," Harry said shortly, not bothering to turn back towards her. "I'm late for an important engagement."

"It won't take long," Eva insisted, pulling up level with him until he was forced to pause and look at her. "I was hoping for your guidance on my Ancient Runes project—"

"Take it up with Professor Babbling," Harry muttered tiredly, turning to go again.

"I've decided to do my project about time," Eva quickly added. "After our last meeting, that is."

"And have you learned anything of interest?" Harry asked, sounding less enthusiastic than Eva had hoped he would be.

"N-not yet," said Eva. "Which is why I hoped for some more, well, specific direction. If you could point me towards a point of focus so that I could—"

"Evangeline!" Harry suddenly snapped, causing her to freeze. "I have no intentions of holding your hand through a self-directed project. If you are unable to conduct your own research, perhaps I was mistaken in believing you were worthy of my time. Show some initiative!" And before Eva could process this further, Harry swept away, disappearing down a stairwell without another word.

Eva stood rooted in place, momentarily stunned. That was not the response she'd expected at all. Harry rarely snapped at his students, particularly those he seemed to favor over the others. Had she fallen out of his good graces? Did he truly no longer believe her worthy of spending time with?

Eva's train of thought was interrupted by a loud guffaw nearby. She turned to see Roxanne, standing amidst the rest of the class, laughing openly at Eva's plight. The other students looked as surprised as Eva did, having witnessed the tail-end of her interaction with the Headmaster. Embarrassed, Eva turned and hurried down a side corridor, ducking into an empty classroom in order to get some privacy.

She paced back and forth, suddenly not thinking about Harry, but fuming at Roxanne. What was her problem, anyway? Did she truly get such pleasure from Eva failing to win over the Headmaster, the one time she'd ever consciously attempted to do so? The gall! Eva could not believe how low her opinion of the girl had fallen. Seriously, what had she ever seen in Roxanne that made Eva fall so head over heels? It was like night and day with the cruel young woman she now had to reckon with on a daily basis.

Eva was so consumed in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the door click open and shut again. A voice cut through the haze of her mind: "Erm...Eva? Are you okay?"

Eva wheeled around to see perhaps the last person she wanted in that moment, besides Roxanne: Calvin Hopkins. He was looking at her not with mirth, but genuine concern. Eva's first instinct was to scream at him to get out, but she paused, a wild idea forming in her head.

Harry had set Calvin on her the previous year to spy on her. Perhaps the Headmaster thought there was a spark between them that might lead her to trust him with her secrets. Why should Eva not exploit that same connection and flip the tables on Harry? Calvin was perhaps the student that Harry trusted the most in the castle. If anyone would be privy to what Harry was scheming, it would probably be this boy standing before her.

So instead of shouting at Calvin for his intrusion, Eva crossed the distance between them with rapid steps until she stood right in front of him. Then, to the boy's immense surprise, she buried her head into his shoulder and began to cry.

"I c-can't believe he said that to me!" she sniffled. "I j-just asked for a little help, that's all! And n-now he hates me!"

Calvin stood frozen in place for a moment, clearly stunned by the turn of events. But he quickly adapted, awkwardly wrapping his arms around Eva in a careful embrace, patting her supportively on the back.

"I'm sure he doesn't hate you," Calvin reassured her. "He's just stressed from the election, that's all."

"But that bitch Roxanne Morrison definitely hates me!" Eva spat. "How could she just laugh at me like that? God, it's so humiliating!"

"Don't worry about her," said Calvin. "She's getting on everybody's nerves, trust me. Whatever happened between you two, people aren't taking her side automatically, I promise you that."

"That's not true!" Eva wailed. "All the Gryffindors hate me after I quit the Quidditch team! They all call me a traitor behind my back; I hear them talk. God, why does everybody in this castle despise me?"

"They don't," Calvin said quickly. "Most people don't know what to make of you, honestly. You don't exactly put yourself out there. But there are people who admire you, what you can do. Seriously, Evangeline, don't sell yourself short."

Eva didn't know if Calvin was just saying this to make her feel better. But it worked. Although she was mostly putting on an emotional show, there was harsh truth behind her words – she had felt isolated and alone these past few weeks. And it felt good to know that there were still people that held her in high regard, even if it was from afar.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to unload on you like that," Eva sighed, pulling gently away from Calvin, noticing at once that he seemed disappointed by this. "You don't need to hear about my problems."

"I don't mind!" Calvin insisted. Then, perhaps realizing that he might sound too eager, he offered, "It can always be helpful to talk to someone. Most problems aren't as big as we make them out to be in our heads."

Oh, if you only knew, Eva chuckled internally, imagining how Calvin might react to all she'd learned about her true past in the past month. Instead, she smiled timidly at him. "You're right," she sighed. "Thanks for listening. I feel loads better already."

"That's good," Calvin nodded. He looked like he was working up the courage to say something more, so Eva waited patiently, staring down at her shoes, pretending not to notice. "M-maybe we can continue this conversation sometime? Like, in Hogsmeade?"

"Hogsmeade?" Eva repeated, scrunching up her eyebrows in fake confusion.

"There's a visit to the village scheduled in a couple of weekends," Calvin pointed out. "If you'd like to come with me."

"Oh," said Eva softly. "I see."

"I know we didn't get off on the right foot last year," Calvin said quickly, as though pre-empting her answer of no. "And I feel terribly about it. Can I at least buy you a Butterbeer to make up for it?"

Eva studied Calvin's face. He did look sincere in his offered apology, and she believed that he meant it. She was still cross with him for spying on her, but knew logically that it was Harry's fault more than his own, and that the poor kid would do anything his idol asked of him. Plus, she still owed him for ditching him at the Slug Party last year and then ghosting him for months on end with no explanation.

"That sounds nice," she said, putting on a bright smile. "See you then, Calvin." And she stood on tip-toes to plant a quick kiss on his cheek before quickly heading for the exit. Glancing back before she shut the door on Calvin, she could see that she had the exact intended effect, as the boy stood stunned by the gesture, slowly raising a hand to his face to feel the spot where she'd left her mark. Mission accomplished, she thought triumphantly to herself.

It wasn't until Eva reached the Great Hall for dinner that she remembered the next Hogsmeade visit coincided with Valentine's Day.

Oh, dear Merlin. What have I gotten myself into?


Eva decided against wearing anything too showy for her Hogsmeade "date" with Calvin, opting for a simple sweater and jeans combo. She hoped that there wouldn't be too big of a crowd to witness them departing together; the last thing she wanted was to be thrust back into the forefront of the Hogwarts rumor mill.

Unfortunately, when she descended into the Entrance Hall, there was already a large group of students gathered there, waiting to be checked out by Ginny Weasley at the front doors. Calvin was waiting at the foot of the stairs, wearing an expensive-looking wool cloak, beaming when he spotted her headed his way. He held out a hand for her as she approached; she offered it, and Calvin kissed her knuckles in greeting. She cringed internally, wondering if this was some kind of pure-blood courting ritual thing, but luckily no one seemed to notice.

"Hello, Evangeline," he said. "You look nice."

"You too," said Eva. "Shall we?"

They got in line, waiting to be processed and allowed out onto the grounds to board a carriage. Eva spotted Chris Wood and a few other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team a few spots ahead of them in line; they all gave her nasty looks when she saw who she was with. Gryffindor had been demolished by Slytherin in their match last month, 340-20, and the entire House seemed to blame Eva for the humiliating loss. But Eva couldn't bring herself to care; if anything, they should be blaming Roxanne for her mismanagement of the team that led to her leaving in the first place.

After suffering a few seconds of Ginny glaring at Eva and her choice of date, she and Calvin boarded a thestral-drawn carriage bound for Hogsmeade Village. It was a chilly morning; Eva shivered a bit, wishing she'd worn an extra layer or two. Calvin seemed to notice her discomfort, unclasping his cloak and shuffling closer to her so that she could share it with him.

"Thanks," she muttered. She was a bit uncomfortable being in such close proximity to a boy she barely knew, but Calvin was a consummate gentleman, keeping his hands in his lap and allowing her plenty of space.

"I'll be honest," Calvin said after a few moments of silence, "I'm surprised you agreed to come."

"Why's that?" asked Eva.

"I thought you hated me," Calvin admitted. "After, well, everything that happened between us last year. I betrayed your trust."

"The Headmaster betrayed my trust," Eva corrected him. "I never hated you, Calvin. I just...fell for someone else."

"I see," Calvin nodded. "So is that...are you two…?"

"No, that's over," Eva muttered bitterly. "Roxanne's become cruel and vindictive. I couldn't justify being with someone like that."

"I did try to warn you," Calvin chuckled lightly. "She probably feels backed into a corner, being so close to graduation, and feels like she has to elevate herself over the other Muggle-borns to stand a chance at remaining in the wizarding world."

Eva's gut reaction to this remark was anger, but the more she thought about it, the more spot-on his comment was. He wasn't being prejudiced against her blood purity – he was empathizing with her position that forced her into the actions she chose.

"You were right," said Eva, and it wasn't even a lie. "It's just painful to see her act this way, when she was so nice to be around before."

Calvin chuckled at this. "Interesting to hear you say that," he said. "Before you came along, I don't think anyone gave her the time of day. She got on everyone's nerves, and she never had a problem with saying the things nobody else wanted to say."

"That's what I appreciated about her," said Eva. "She didn't care what people thought about her, and wasn't afraid to confront people she had a problem with."

"An admirable trait," Calvin admitted, "but not one that's looked kindly upon in the wizarding world. She probably realized that no one would hire a Muggle-born who has no problem with addressing the inequalities in pure-blood society."

"So you agree that our society is unequal?" asked Eva, surprised to hear such an admission from a pure-blood.

"Oh, yes," Calvin nodded fervently. "I'm lucky that my family was wealthy and politically neutral enough to survive the war. That's all it came down to in the end, according to my father. He paid off the right people to avoid pledging loyalty to the Dark Lord and kept our reputation intact once the war ended. All the families that managed to do that are now the most powerful people in Britain."

"Huh," said Eva; she hadn't known this about the Hopkins family before. She had assumed that all wizards and witches living in Britain at the time had to pledge loyalty and contributed to the persecution of undesirable members of society. Now she realized that perhaps it was more complicated than she thought.

"Anyway, for what it's worth, I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and Morrison," Calvin went on. "I never got on with her that well, but she seemed to make you happy. That makes her alright in my book."

"Appreciate it," Eva nodded. She didn't really feel like hashing out her relationship with Roxanne with Calvin. But it did feel good to have someone in her corner, so to speak, especially when it felt like the entire castle was against her these days.

The carriage deposited them beside the small bridge that led into Hogsmeade. Calvin offered his arm, and Eva took it, partly to continue enjoying his body heat in the frigid cold. "The Three Broomsticks, d'you reckon?" Calvin asked. "Ought to be nice and warm in there."

"Sure," said Eva, teeth chattering. Truthfully, she'd even take Madam Puddifoot's if it meant getting out of the cold. Luckily the pub was not yet full to capacity, and they managed to squeeze into a corner table at the back of the pub, mostly concealed from view, with enough privacy to have their own conversation amidst the chaos around them.

Calvin returned from the bar with two Butterbeers, sliding his seat close to Eva so they could hear themselves talk. "I've always meant to ask," he shouted over the din, "what were your parents like? If you're comfortable talking about them, I mean."

Eva opened and closed her mouth a few times at this question. She could only laugh internally at the absurdity of her parental situation – she was technically a half-blood posing as a Muggle-born posing as a pure-blood, and she had to make sure she had her story straight. Calvin did not know that her true parents were Harry and Hermione, or that her once-believed-to-be parents were Muggles. No, she had to continue her Prewitt lie, which she now knew was a ruse by the Headmaster in its own right.

But she figured she could slip some truth into things anyway. "My dad was a strong dueler," she said, not-untruthfully. "He was renowned locally for some of his feats in combat, and was also a strong flier on a broom. My mum was wickedly smart, top of her class. Especially gifted in Runes and Charms."

"I see," Calvin nodded. "You seem to take after them well. They died in a potions accident, did they not?"

"Yeah," Eva said awkwardly. Then, continuing to tell half-truths, she added, "My mum was trying to brew something to help my dad. He was ill, you see. He had a mental condition that was causing him headaches and mood swings."

"Oh...sorry to hear that," Calvin muttered.

"It's all right," Eva nodded, deciding it best to change the topic. "How about your parents? Your dad's an Auror, right?"

"He is," Calvin nodded, straightening in pride. "Second in command to Commander Longbottom in the department."

"Very impressive," Eva nodded politely. "And your mother?"

"She also works at the Ministry," Calvin explained. "But she doesn't tell me much about her job."

"Why not?"

"She's an Unspeakable," said Calvin. "Works in the Department of Mysteries."

That was news to Eva. She perked up at the mention of the Department, the place that Harry was supposedly so interested in. Maybe this was her chance to learn more about what he was after…

"Really?" she said in genuine awe. "I've always wondered what goes on in there. Has she ever told you stories about the things she's seen inside?"

"Never," Calvin lamented. "Not for lack of me trying, of course; I'm as curious as anyone. But all she'll say is that it's full of really dangerous magic that could destabilize the entire planet if it isn't treated carefully."

Eva nodded slowly, planning her next move carefully. She didn't want to sound too eager, like she was prying, lest she say too much and Calvin run off to the Headmaster to inform him. "I heard that Professor Potter went into the Department once, as a student," she said. "He fought Death Eaters inside."

"Yeah, he told me about it once," Calvin chuckled. "Something about locating a prophecy between him and the Dark Lord. But he's as tight-lipped about it as my mother; I can't get anything out of him about what he saw inside."

Eva remembered that she still had Hermione's memories of that very event, hidden away in her school trunk in her dorm. She still needed to find a way to view it, either by using the Pensieve in the Headmaster's office or by finding another one she could use without risking detection. She was burning with more questions about Calvin's mother, but knew it was best to take it slow, to not seem too invested in the topic so early. So she shifted gears.

"Did Potter tell you that during one of your private lessons?" she asked. "He's giving you Auror training, isn't he?"

"He is...or at least, he was," Calvin said. "Used to be twice a month, but we haven't met since the new year. I imagine he's too busy with the election going on, and I'm too afraid to ask him when our next session will be."

"Afraid?" Eva frowned. "Why's that?"

"You saw what happened when you tried to corner him the other day," Calvin chuckled. "He nearly tore your head off! Haven't you noticed how high-strung he is lately?"

"Yeah; what's up with that, d'you reckon?" Eva asked. "Just election stress?"

Calvin looked around them briefly to ensure that they weren't being eavesdropped upon, then leaned in closer to Eva. "My dad has a friend in the Department for the Commission of Public Elections," he muttered. "Apparently they've been conducting polls around Britain to see where people stand on the issues. They've shared their findings with the Daily Prophet, but the editor refuses to publish them."

"Why's that?" asked Eva.

"He's losing," Calvin said glumly. "Granger's out-polling him by ten to fifteen percent, and growing. He has strong support among pure-bloods, but the half-bloods and Muggle-borns prefer things the way they are. If anything, all the strong language he's been using in his campaign speeches have made things worse."

"Really?" asked Eva, surprised. "But it seems all anyone ever talks about is Potter, and how great he'd be at the job—"

"Apparently it's a vocal minority," Calvin shrugged. "Most of the Muggle-borns work outside of the wizarding world these days, so we rarely hear from them. A lot of them probably feel like they owe Granger for what she did during the war, behind the scenes, to keep people like them safe."

"Can you blame them?" Eva chuckled.

"Not really," Calvin shrugged. He hesitated for a moment, glancing around their table again, then said, "Granger saved my father's life, during the Battle of London. He may support Potter politically, but he says the Hopkins family owes her a life debt, and he intends to repay it some day."

"Really?" said Eva, eyes widening. "And he doesn't think voting against her contradicts that?"

"Potter's done a lot for our family too," Calvin pointed out. "Like I said, he's been tutoring me since third year, and he and my dad have grown close in the meantime. It's not like losing the election means her life will be in danger."

Perhaps, Eva thought to herself. Hermione seemed adamant that whatever Harry was after in the Department of Mysteries could have cataclysmic results for everyone. It was a sobering reminder of why she had agreed to this date in the first place.

"Potter invited me into his office last term, you know, to help with some of his research," she admitted. "He's studying time."

"Time?" Calvin asked, frowning. "What about it?"

"Not sure," Eva shrugged. "You know he has this phoenix, Archimedes? He was studying its rebirth cycle to see how time reacts to the death process."

"That's odd," said Calvin, frowning. "He's never mentioned anything like that to me. And why did he ask for your help?"

Eva hesitated, but decided it was best to open up a bit into her own secrets in order to convince Calvin to part with his. "I've been experimenting with the Draught of Omniscience," she admitted. "I got the recipe from Granger's book, and brewed it last spring."

"Bloody hell," Calvin breathed at this revelation. "But that means you had to get your hands on Essence of Thought! Isn't that stuff highly toxic? And illegal?"

"Yes," said Eva. "But it worked, and I was able to use the Sight to witness the magic of the phoenix's rebirth process. Potter hoped I might be able to see something he didn't."

"And were you able to?" Calvin asked excitedly.

"No," Eva sighed. "But I think the phoenix research is a dead-end, anyway. He's trying to find a different way to manipulate time."

"Manipulate it how?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Eva shrugged. She considered telling Calvin about the Deathly Hallows, but decided it best not to lay all her cards out on the table too quickly. If Calvin were to run back to the Headmaster full of questions that only Eva could have put in his head, she might lose Potter's trust permanently.

Calvin pondered this for a moment, then a wry grin spread across his face. "What's it like?" he asked.

"What's what like?"

"The Draught of Omniscience," said Calvin. "Potter's mentioned it in private lessons before, but never allowed me to try it. Does it really let you see magic?"

"Yeah, in a sense," said Eva. "It lets you see magic in the forms of symbols, basically. It's how I was able to counter Potter's Mandarin spell during final exams last term."

"Wicked!" Calvin grinned. "I don't suppose you have any left over, do you? I'd love to try it myself sometime."

"Erm…" Eva hesitated, suddenly unsure. "Well, technically I shouldn't admit that I have any on school grounds, considering it's illegal…"

Calvin nodded understandingly at this. "I don't tell the Headmaster everything, you know," he winked. "I mean it when I say I feel terribly about spying on you last year. I swore I'd never betray your trust like that again."

"I know," Eva nodded. "I'll think about it." She believed Calvin, she really did – he didn't strike her as malicious or deceptive in the slightest. For a Slytherin, he was rather easy to read; he surely had ambition in spades, but his cunning could use some fine-tuning.

Or maybe he was simply too enamored by Eva to consider lying to her? It made her a bit uncomfortable, the way he was so quick to praise her and hesitant to upset her, like he was walking on eggshells around her. But that might just serve her well as she attempted to use him to get closer to the Headmaster and figure out what he was up to. Maybe she should have been in Slytherin after all…

After finishing their drinks, they decided to go exploring through the rest of Hogsmeade. As they strolled the cobblestone streets of the village, an idea struck Eva. "D'you think any of these shops sell Pensieves?" she asked. Calvin seemed surprised by this question.

"I strongly doubt it," he said. "They're extremely rare, and prohibitively expensive. My family has one, but it's centuries old, passed down across many generations."

"There's one in the Headmaster's office," Eva pointed out. "I'd love to try it sometime, but, well...I'm not eager to ask him for anything after our last encounter."

"Can't blame you there," Calvin chuckled. "They're dead useful, and nice to look back at things you might have missed. I think Professor Lovegood might have one? I dropped Divination back in my fourth year, but you could try asking her."

Of course. Eva had been neglecting her ties to Professors Lovegood and Abbott, her only links to Minister Granger. Surely if Hermione wanted her to view the memories, she would be able to provide a means of doing so without alerting the Headmaster. "I might just do that," she muttered.

After uneventful visits to Zonko's Joke Shop and Honeydukes, Eva and Calvin decided to call it quits; it was beginning to snow, and it was far too cold to spend much time outside the overly-crowded shops. They took a carriage back up to the castle, hurrying into the blessed warmth of the Entrance Hall with relief.

Eva stood awkwardly beside Calvin, wondering how best to end their date. She'd had a far better time than she expected, and even found his company rather pleasant. She wasn't sure if she would choose to date him under normal circumstances, but pretending for the sake of espionage wasn't as much of a stretch as she'd believed it to be. But how quickly would he try to escalate things? Did he want the same kind of public affection that she'd given so brazenly to Roxanne in their heyday? Had she set his expectations too high with her spontaneous peck on the cheek during their last meeting?

But to her immense relief, Calvin merely took her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles again. "I had a lovely time, Evangeline," he said. "I hope to continue our conversations again some other time."

"Me too," she said. His speech sounded formal and rehearsed; she wondered once more if this was some kind of courting ritual. But she sensed the authenticity in his words, and agreed with the sentiment. "Let's talk again soon."

Calvin beamed at this. "I look forward to it," he said. Then, with a small bow, he retreated towards the dungeons, with a noticeable spring in his step. Eva could help but smile at this – Calvin was far from her first choice of partner in the castle, but he was a good person, his practiced formality only barely concealing the sheer giddiness he must feel at being with someone he was genuinely fond of.

Eva felt a fresh pang of guilt at her deception, knowing she wouldn't be doing this without an ulterior motive. But hey – who's to say a genuine relationship couldn't blossom from such inauspicious beginnings? She wasn't opposed to seeing where things went with Calvin, once this madness with Potter and Granger was over and done with.

Eva made her way up to Gryffindor Tower – it was still fairly early in the afternoon, and she figured she might as well get to work on some homework. But then she remembered Calvin's remark about Professor Lovegood, and she changed course, heading towards Central Hall to visit the Divination classroom. If she was lucky, she'd be able to pop in, borrow the Pensieve, and bring it to the Room of Requirement unnoticed, without having to answer any awkward questions.

She paused at a fork in the road, unsure of where exactly to go next. She didn't take Divination, and was only vaguely aware of the classroom's location in the castle. Why had she never bothered asking Victoire where it was? She supposed she never had reason to before, and it would only be suspicious to ask now. She spotted a spiral staircase at the end of a nearby corridor, resolving to take it and see where it led—

"Lost, Miss Prewitt?"

Eva froze; Ginny Weasley stepped out from behind a tapestry, arms folded at her. How does she always know when I'm sneaking around?! Eva groaned internally.

"Erm...a bit, yes," Eva admitted.

"Gryffindor Tower is behind you," Ginny frowned. "But I expect you already know this by now?"

"I'm looking for Professor Lovegood's office," Eva confessed.

"Is that so?" Ginny said, narrowing her good eye at her. "And why would that be? Last I checked, you are not enrolled in her class."

"Victoire asked me as a favor," Eva lied quickly. "She's fallen ill, and asked me to check if she missed any homework assignments." The first half was true – Victoire had been confined to the dorms for the past few days with a nasty head cold. Ginny must have known this already, because she grunted in annoyance.

"Down the hall, second staircase to your right," she muttered. "I'll expect you back in your common room as soon as you're finished!"

"Yes, ma'am," Eva nodded. She quickly hustled off down the indicated corridor, hoping that Ginny would not still be waiting for her when she returned. She didn't think she could explain away a Pensieve as part of Victoire's study assignment…

Luckily, as she began to ascend the correct staircase, she heard a deafening CRASH from the hall behind her, as though a great chandelier or some other fixture had fallen to pieces. "PEEVES!" she heard Ginny roar as the professor rushed off to attend to the poltergeist; Eva silently hoped this would provide enough of a distraction for her to reach the Room of Requirement undisturbed…

Eva arrived at the foot of a step ladder leading up to a trapdoor. She hesitated for only a moment before scaling the ladder and knocking on the trapdoor. After a few silent moments, she heard footsteps from above, and the door opened, revealing a pale, blue-eyed face framed by blonde locks.

"Yes?" said Professor Luna Lovegood. "Can I help you?"

"Professor, I'm Evangeline Prewitt," said Eva quickly. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

Luna assessed Eva for a moment, face inscrutable. Then she stood aside, allowing Eva to climb the rest of the way up and through the trapdoor. She found herself in a circular room, filled with small armchairs and tables beset with crystal balls. A faint scent of perfume invaded her senses, causing Eva to wrinkle her nose.

Luna closed the trapdoor behind Eva to give them privacy. "Professor Abbott tells me you've spoken with the Minister," she said simply.

"I have," Eva confirmed. "She gave me a memory to view...from her fifth year, in the Department of Mysteries."

"Did she?" said Luna, arching an eyebrow. "I was there too, you know. I was only fourteen."

"You were?" said Eva, surprised. "Were you...afraid?"

"Very," Luna nodded. "But when you spend enough time around Harry Potter, you get used to life-threatening situations. I expect she gave you that memory for a reason?"

"I'm helping her look for something," said Eva. "Something Professor Potter might be after in the Department."

"I see," said Luna thoughtfully. "And what can I help you with?"

"I need a way to view the memory without the Headmaster finding out," Eva explained. "I heard that you might have a Pensieve here that I could use?"

"I believe so," Luna sighed, turning towards the back of the room, which was cluttered with odd-looking trinkets and instruments. "The previous professor, Trelawney, kept one here for her own purposes, but I've never used it. Help me look for it, will you?"

Eva rushed forward to help Luna sort through the chaos of jumbled objects in the corner. They spent several minutes moving heavy objects aside until they found it: a wide stone basin, surely centuries old, but looking no worse for wear. Eva picked it up with reverence, knowing now how rare they were and how carefully she ought to treat it.

Luna sank into the nearest armchair with a heavy sigh, massaging her temple. "Just remember to return it by the end of term," she sighed. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thank you, Professor," said Eva. Pulling out her wand, she shrank the Pensieve until it was small enough to fit in her pocket, then moved towards the trapdoor to hurry off to the Room of Requirement before Ginny Weasley could intercept her again.

But as she prepared to descend the ladder, she heard a faint groan from behind her. Eva turned to see Luna hunched over, clutching her head with both hands, clearly in discomfort. "Professor Lovegood?" she said tentatively, turning back towards the older woman. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, I'm quite alright," Luna muttered. Then, quite suddenly, her head lolled backwards in the chair, and she went motionless. Eva froze; was this normal? Did she need to rush off and find Madam Pomfrey?

But before she could decide what to do next, Luna sat bolt upright again, looking straight at Eva. Except her eyes were not normal – they were milky-white, unfocused. And when she opened her mouth to speak, it was not her usual, dreamy voice, but a guttural and bone-chilling tone that made Eva's hair stand on end.

"History will soon repeat itself," Luna croaked.

"S-sorry, Professor…?" Eva stammered, frozen in place.

"History will soon repeat itself," Luna repeated. "A nation at tentative peace will be thrust into war once more… A new alliance will be forged as an old enemy is reborn…"

"Professor, you aren't making any sense," said Eva fearfully.

"The balance of power will be disrupted forever…" Luna continued in her terrible voice. "But as one door closes, another must soon open…"

Luna suddenly gave a great shudder, shaking her head; when her eyes re-focused on Eva, her powder-blue irises had returned, gazing suspiciously up at her from her sitting position.

"Well?" Luna asked expectantly, her dreamy voice back to normal. "Did you need something else, or are you just going to stand there?"

"Erm…" Eva stammered, heart pounding in her chest. Luna seemed to give no indication that she realized anything out of the ordinary had happened. "No, Professor. Thank you." And she made a beeline for the exit, nearly tripping over the ladder as she descended below the trapdoor and began speeding off, far away from the Divination classroom.

Was that a prophecy? Eva had never heard one before, and was only vaguely aware that they existed. The subject wasn't even taught at Willoughby Academy, considered a 'dubious, speculative art' by her former Headmistress. Her head was spinning as she rushed off to the Room of Requirement, partly to stow away the Pensieve but also to give herself some privacy to think.

By the time she arrived at the seventh floor corridor and ensconced herself within the hidden room, she hadn't come any closer to understanding the mysterious words. Perhaps that was the purpose of prophecies: to be deliberately vague and unknowable, in order to prevent anyone from attempting to prevent them. And why had she been chosen to hear it? Was it a warning meant for her ears only, or was she supposed to tell somebody? Who could she even tell?

All Eva knew for sure was that, if this prophecy were indeed true, then her worst fears would soon come to fruition. A new war was coming. And whether by dumb luck or divine providence, she found herself smack-dab in the middle of it.