April 2, 2016 (Evangeline)

By the end of spring break, Eva felt as though she'd spent more time in the Department of Mysteries than in Hogwarts itself, despite never physically stepping foot inside it. With a week of no distractions and a Pensieve secured for personal use, Eva locked herself away in the Room of Requirement and began studying Hermione Granger's memory in earnest.

It began, as always, in a cramped telephone box: six teenagers (seven, if you counted the incorporeal Eva) on a grim mission to infiltrate the Department and save Sirius Black. Eva was always struck by how young everyone looked – Harry and Hermione, the same age as her; Professors Lovegood and Weasley; Auror Longbottom; and the redhead named Ron whom she'd never met. After a brief trip through the Ministry foyer and down the elevators, they reached the black marble corridor that led into the Department and made their way inside.

Eva re-watched the memory over and over, studying each room they visited with the Sight, even attempting to gain glimpses into rooms they hadn't accessed. This place was teeming with wild magic, unlike anything Eva had ever seen; symbols she did not recognize wafted beneath closed doors, rushed in and out of rooms as they opened and closed, swirled around odd objects on shelves they passed by without a second glance. She could spend years wandering around through this memory, documenting and studying the magic she saw here, but knew she didn't have the luxury of time at the moment, so she forced herself to carry on.

She followed the group of six from room to room – first the Brain Room, where she'd checked out the Essence of Thought; then the sunken amphitheater with the ominous stone archway at its center; then the Time Room, with its sparkling Time-Turners on the walls (she would return here often); then finally the Hall of Prophecy, shelves lined with swirling orbs of mist. She'd watched the Death Eater ambush several times with her heart in her throat, but once she realized it played out the same every time, she took the time to examine the labels on the shelves, looking for names she recognized. Other than the one Harry picked up, she knew none of the names...she wondered if Professor Lovegood's name appeared anywhere in these halls as a Seer…

Then came the chase, the chaos of escape, as the group splintered in two in their desperate bid to evade the Death Eaters. Harry, Hermione and the Longbottom boy wound up back in the Time Room, followed closely by a group of black robe-clad men. Eva knew what came next, and positioned herself accordingly for the moment she'd come to study. An errant Stunner hit the cabinet that housed the Ministry's supply of Time-Turners, causing them to fall and shatter, then reverse course and mend themselves, and back again, in an unending loop of self-destruction and repair…

Using her Sight, Eva watched as the hourglasses shattered, spilling their enchanted sand upon the floor. She saw the symbol wafting off of the sand, one that seemed distinct from any other magic she'd seen: two broken semi-circles, slightly offset from one another. It was as if the Time symbol she'd been studying had broken into two distinct pieces, yet still comprising a single symbol. An odd paradox, but she supposed it must be, if it represented the magic of time reversal that none could replicate. She'd tried channeling the symbol back in the real world, with no success. Only this sand seemed capable of producing it.

It wasn't long after that Hermione was struck by a sickening purple flame curse that knocked her unconscious and ended the memory. But that didn't matter: Eva had seen what she came to see. And after watching the destruction of the Time-Turners many dozen times, she'd come to a series of frustrating conclusions. One, the damage was irreparable; two, her Sight provided no additional insight into how the Time-Turners themselves operate; and three, she could not replicate any of the magic she witnessed inside the Department. It seemed tied to the objects producing the magic, as though they were crafted from some otherworldly material – much like the Deathly Hallows had been.

Which begged the question: had the Hallows been made in the Department of Mysteries? Although she'd found some success with the inverse time rune, she could not produce the same time-stopping effect on human beings the way the Hallows acted upon Harry. Whatever Babbling had to say in praise of her plant presentation, it had been a colossal failure on Eva's part, who had failed to produce the time-warping effects of the Hallows or Time-Turners that she'd meant to recreate. Realizing she was at a dead-end, Eva began exploring the rest of the Department, searching aimlessly for any kind of clue.

And she had found it in the Death Chamber, with its ominous archway and tattered veil. She quickly realized that there were several things unique about the archway while using the Sight: for one, the magical currents seemed to flow in only one direction in this room – outward. The currents that made up her Sight seemed to all be flowing out of the Veil itself, and never into it – as if it was producing the very magic in the air. What could this mean? Surely this beat-up, ancient artifact couldn't be the source of Britain's magical power…?

For another thing, the stone archway itself was brimming with powerful magic, strange symbols wafting off of it and – in some cases – carved directly into the stone. She recognized the symbol of the Hallows wafting from the stone, and even spotted a faded carving of the broken semi-circles. These were not runes, and did not seem to produce any visible effect, but she had to assume there was some connection between this Veil, the Time-Turners, and the Hallows that she was missing….

Finally, she spotted it, several dozen cycles through the memory. It was so faint and hard to see that she almost missed it. There was a thin layer of sand scattered around the Veil, peppering the floor with its chalky-white grains. She saw the same broken semi-circle symbols wafting from it, and knew it must be the same sand that was found in the Time-Turners. And the longer she studied the sand, she noticed it was blowing gently away from the Veil; like the currents of magic, it was almost as if the Veil was producing it, expelling it from whatever was on the other side.

The Ministry may have stopped producing Time-Turners, but this left little doubt in Eva's mind: they still possessed the capability to do so. If this sand was constantly being churned out of the Veil, it must be collected and stored somewhere. What if someone with nefarious aims got their hands on such a supply? But that wasn't even Eva's greatest concern: what was on the other side of that archway, anyway? Was there an intelligent force behind the unseen production on the other side, or simply a naturally-occurring phenomenon? With magic, it was often difficult to distinguish between the two.

Eva felt a strong compulsion to step through the archway, as Harry in the memory seemed to as well. But she knew instinctively what a bad idea that would be. She could see several other ominous symbols swirling around the Veil: the symbol of Death, along with a strong Compulsion Charm that she was certain was causing her to be drawn towards it. The magical currents were also highly volatile, fluctuating between gentle ripples to violent maelstroms, depending on who was interacting with it. Almost like it had a mind of its own, trying to lure people inside it, to explore the mysteries it promised within…

She luckily resisted the urge, and instead dove into the Hogwarts Library for answers. Very few books had information about the Department of Mysteries, but she found a couple interesting tidbits in History of the Ministry of Magic and British Wizarding Crime and Punishment Through the Ages. Both referred to a so-called 'Veil of Death' within the Ministry, which had once been used to execute the most dangerous of criminals, but the practice was discontinued centuries prior. But there was little else about it: where it came from, what it was comprised of. She doubted it was just a simple, man-made torture device: there was ancient magic at play here.

Faced with yet another dead-end, Eva was forced to put her research on pause. She'd briefly mentioned the Veil to Calvin before the break, in the faintest of hopes that he'd ask his Unspeakable mother about it, but her hopes weren't high. Still, she was eager to see him and ask anyway, if only for a break in the monotony of solitary studying.

And that wasn't the only reason she wanted to see him: she'd grown rather fond of his company over the past few weeks, finding that he was not unpleasant to be around in the slightest. She'd long since realized that his posh pure-blood demeanor, which had once repulsed her, was simply a front – Calvin was as insecure and fearful of his future as anyone, and deep down he hadn't a malicious bone in his body. Eva valued people with good character, and Calvin's was unimpeachable. She was still unsure if she saw a long-term future with him, but he was a kind and thoughtful boyfriend, one she genuinely enjoyed spending time with.

After a week straight of lifting food from the Hogwarts kitchens via the Room of Requirement, Eva finally deigned to enter the Great Hall for breakfast, the last morning of spring break. She knew at once that something was off. Heads snapped around at her approach, as though fearful of something or someone; there was a somber mood hanging in the air, a chilly silence pervading the room. Eva tentatively took a seat, wondering what could have happened in her absence from the rumor mill of the school.

"Has something happened?" she asked a group of third-year Gryffindors.

"Been living under a rock, then?" one of them scoffed at her. He tossed a copy of the Daily Prophet at her; she frowned when she saw the date, several days old, but gasped at the headline:

LORD VOLDEMORT RETURNS!

By Lee Jordan, The Daily Prophet

LONDON – Hogwarts Headmaster Harry Potter confirmed in a press conference this morning that the feared Dark wizard, known as Lord Voldemort, has escaped his confinement and is on the loose in Britain once more.

"Today is a dark day for the wizarding world," Mr. Potter said in a grave statement. "After years of believing that the Ministry is keeping our community safe, they have once again failed to contain a serious threat against our well-being. The Dark Lord's escape from custody is a reflection of Minister Granger's failures to keep her constituents safe from harm."

Mr. Potter later elaborated that he was among the group of first responders to Voldemort's break-out of Nurmengard Prison, the infamous wizard's prison in Austria. The group arrived too late to stop the attempt; one Auror, John Hopkins, was gravely injured in the confrontation and is currently being treated in St. Mungo's.

Potter declined to answer questions from the Prophet about Voldemort's return, namely why he was not killed during or after the Battle of London as previously believed. He resolved to "do what [he] already succeeded in doing once" by bringing the Dark Lord to justice as soon as possible.

Minister Granger could not be reached for comment. Questions must now be raised about her handling of the Dark Lord in the aftermath of the war, and the dubious wisdom of keeping him alive in the first place. Can we trust a leader who is unwilling to divulge such critical information from the public?

Eva set down the paper, looking troubled. This could not be a coincidence – Tom had been safely secured for over a decade, and suddenly he managed to escape just weeks before a crucial election? Something did not sit right with her about this. Surely he could not have managed such a feat unassisted? Had a group of former Death Eaters managed to break him out? She could see no way they could breach Granger's air-tight runic defenses.

Eva's heart suddenly ached for Calvin – no wonder he hadn't written to her all break, if his father was on life support at St. Mungo's. Did Calvin know something more about this incident? Had Potter recruited his father to defend Nurmengard, alone? And why was Potter involved in the first place, if Granger should have been the first alerted to the breach? How was Voldemort's re-capture not the top priority of the Ministry Aurors? It made no sense to her.

But she knew she wouldn't get any answers from the Prophet, which was firmly in Harry's pocket. The only person she really trusted to hear the truth from was Minister Granger, and she didn't know how easily she could arrange another meeting. Eva had to assume the secret Portkey was a risky move that Hermione had only arranged out of desperation, and likely wouldn't be as easy to replicate.

Still, she had to try. After breakfast concluded, she rushed out of the Hall after Professor Lovegood, who had also made a rare appearance for a school meal. "Professor!" Eva called after her. "Wait!"

Luna turned to face her, looking more stressed and grim than usual. "Yes, Miss Prewitt?" she asked placidly. "Have you finished with the Pensieve?"

"What? Er...no, not yet," Eva stammered. "I just wondered...can you tell me anything about the Dark Lord's escape?"

"I am as disturbed by the news as you are," Luna said flatly. "I'm afraid I know nothing more than what the Prophet has reported."

"But surely...surely you know someone who does," Eva said, trying to remain cryptic as students filtered past them. "Could I maybe talk to such a person...just to get some answers…?"

"Is there a problem here, Miss Prewitt?" a harsh voice called from behind Eva; she wheeled around to see Professor Weasley staring at the two of them suspiciously. "I do believe my niece has recovered from her illness...what business do you have with Professor Lovegood?"

"She is simply concerned about this recent news, and wanted to know if my Seer abilities have revealed any truth to the matter," Luna smiled easily at Ginny. "Unfortunately, that is not how my powers work, but I welcome the curiosity into the field of Divination."

Ginny clearly didn't buy this, but she merely pursed her lips and huffed impatiently. "Do take care not to block the hallways," she sniffed, brushing past them on her way back to her office. Eva didn't think they were blocking anything; the Entrance Hall was plenty wide enough to accommodate two people standing still. But she held her tongue until Ginny had disappeared up a staircase and around a corner out of sight.

"Just keep your head down," Luna warned Eva in a hushed tone. "The adults are handling this. The Dark Lord knows how important you are to both Granger and Potter, and it would be unwise for you to wander off in search of answers alone."

"Is the castle safe?" Eva whispered back. "He wouldn't come here, would he?"

"I don't think so," Luna replied. "But keep your wits about you all the same." And she too retreated to her office, leaving Eva alone to think. She hated being kept in the dark, but maybe Luna truly didn't know what was going on – and by extension, Hermione. Luna was right: Eva should be patient and let the adults figure out the best path forward. So rather than follow her instincts to chase down Professor Abbott on the grounds, she headed up to the Gryffindor common room to clear her head.

Eva rarely spent time in the common room these days, preferring the solitude of the Room of Requirement. But right now she craved the company of others, the comfort of companionship with other students who were just as lost and frightened as she was. She settled into a corner table with a book to do some light reading, but mostly just to listen in on whatever conversations were happening about Voldemort's escape.

She regretted this decision almost at once. She'd nearly forgotten the intense political climate that had taken hold of Hogwarts, and something as significant as a Dark Lord's reappearance couldn't dampen that atmosphere. "This is why we need someone strong and decisive like Potter in charge," Roxanne was yapping to anyone who would listen. "He would never have been so lax with the Dark Lord's security."

"And yet, he left the Dark Lord alive," chimed in another seventh-year. "Why d'you reckon he would do that, then lie about it?"

"He never lied!" Roxanne insisted. "He still defeated him, didn't he? Sure, we all assumed that meant he killed him, but that's on us, not him. I'm sure he had his reasons for hiding the truth."

To hide his own failure, maybe, Eva chuckled to herself. But the sudden looks of surprise cast in her direction told her she must have said this aloud by accident.

"Got something to say, Prewitt?" Roxanne demanded from across the room. Eva didn't want to cause such a public scene, but something about the smug look in Roxanne's face made her slam her book shut and turn towards her anyway.

"How do we know Potter was the one to defeat the Dark Lord?" Eva asked. "Granger was there, too. Maybe it took all they had to contain him, and they weren't able to kill him."

"That's not the official account of how things happened," Roxanne retorted.

"Yeah, well the official account was that the Dark Lord was dead and gone, and now look what's happening," Eva fired back. A few students chuckled appreciatively at this barb, causing Roxanne to look even more furious.

"How dare you question Potter's accomplishments?" said Roxanne. "He brought us into a new era of peace single-handedly. And now Granger's dragging us back into the dark ages."

"Don't believe everything you read in the Prophet, Morrison," said Eva coolly. "They've only ever been loyal to the highest bidder." And she calmly returned to her book, leaving Roxanne to stew by the fireplace.

Eva was pleased to see that not everyone agreed with Roxanne anymore: the cult of loyalty towards the Headmaster seemed to be slipping somewhat, and dissent was becoming more common among students. Gone were the days of being bullied into silence for daring to criticize Potter. People could see now that he was fighting a losing battle, and they wanted to end up on the right side of history.

Later that evening, Eva waited patiently in the Entrance Hall for the incoming students to arrive from Hogsmeade Station after a week away with their families. She spotted Calvin among the crowd, trudging toward the castle with a dour expression on his face. She ran forward and engulfed him in a hug, which he half-heartedly returned.

"How are you doing?" she asked, concerned. "I heard about your father. Is he okay?"

"All things considered," Calvin shrugged. "They've placed him in a magical coma until they can diagnose his injury. The Healers can't identify the hex cast against him and are unsure how to treat it."

"I'm so sorry," Eva muttered, guiding Calvin towards the Slytherin table and sitting beside him at the end of the bench. "If there's anything I can do, let me know."

"I appreciate it," Calvin said with a sad smile.

"Oi! No lions allowed!" a Slytherin seventh-year sneered as he spotted Eva sitting amongst the green and silver-clad students.

"We'll talk soon, okay?" Eva said apologetically. And she gave Calvin a quick peck on the cheek before returning to the Gryffindor table, where she faced a similarly frosty reception from her peers. Eva may have started her relationship with Calvin for underhanded reasons, but she felt like he was truly her only friend in the castle at the moment. She ate dinner in silence, hoping to find time alone with Calvin later in the week to work through the latest developments.

But that time became difficult to come by. In his first address to the students that evening, Harry Potter assured them that they were safe in the castle, and that additional security measures were being put in place around the school. No one was to wander the grounds unattended; students were to travel with their classmates to each lesson and meal, then return to their common rooms immediately after. No one was permitted to walk the halls alone, unless escorted by a prefect. This meant that Eva only got to see Calvin during lessons she shared with the Slytherins, and in the fleeting moments between classes in the halls before a professor came along to shoo them off to their next destination.

Still, Eva would not be deterred. She decided to skip Arithmancy one afternoon to join Calvin for his free period in the library. Madam Pince kept a watchful eye over the students studying in the space, but Eva and Calvin managed to slip into a back table behind some bookshelves and raise a Privacy Charm to speak more freely.

"What happened between your dad and Professor Potter during the break?" asked Eva, not beating around the bush. She didn't know how many more times she'd be able to get Calvin alone to ask him the burning questions weighing on her mind.

"Erm...I don't know exactly," Calvin muttered. "All I remember is my mum waking me up one morning and rushing me to St. Mungo's to see him. That's when I found out about all the Nurmengard business that happened the night before."

"And you didn't see Potter at all before then?" Eva pressed. "He didn't come by your place at all over the break?"

"Honestly, it's all a bit fuzzy," admitted Calvin, rubbing his brow tiredly. "What with worrying about my dad in the hospital, everything else before that is a bit of a blur."

"I understand," Eva said patiently, and she dropped the subject, but something still seemed off to her. She'd gotten to know Calvin's mannerisms fairly well over the past few weeks, and he was rarely this scattered and disjointed. Sure, he was in a stressful situation with his father, but did that excuse such forgetfulness, such spaced-out behavior? Even his professors had taken notice, reprimanding Calvin a number of times throughout the week. What had gotten into him?

Eva didn't want to press too hard, but she could feel time slipping away with each passing day. Professors Lovegood and Abbott were both absent from the castle one day with no explanation; Eva wondered if perhaps they had left to join Granger in some mission to stop Voldemort. She felt a slight sense of panic growing within her, a feeling of hopelessness that she couldn't shake. Somehow she felt that some horrible truth eluded her, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

She decided to get to the bottom of the matter straight away. "Will you meet me in the Room of Requirement tomorrow afternoon, after lunch?" Eva whispered as they were shuttled out of the library towards the Great Hall.

"But how?" asked Calvin in a hushed tone. "I won't be able to get all the way to the seventh floor without someone seeing me."

"I'll open a passage into your dorm," said Eva. "It'll appear inside your wardrobe." It was an interesting quirk of the Room that Eva had discovered recently: as long as she left instructions before leaving the Room, she could enter it from wherever she wished at a later time. All she had to do was wish for an entrance to appear – usually from her dorm room – and she would be granted access. She ought to be able to extend that ability to Calvin's dorm as well.

"Alright," Calvin nodded, and they went their separate ways. Eva didn't know exactly what she planned to do, but she had to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. She had a suspicion that the Hopkins family was at the center of whatever had happened with Voldemort, and Calvin's odd behavior disconcerted her.

The following day at lunch, Eva asked for a prefect to escort her back to the common room, complaining of stomach cramps. She headed straight for her dorm and, after ensuring none of her classmates were present, climbed through her wardrobe and through the makeshift passageway beyond, finding herself in the Room of Requirement. It was equipped with two cozy armchairs in front of a warm fireplace – she hoped Calvin would find this to be a soothing environment to open up to her.

A few minutes later, another passageway opened up in the wall, and Calvin climbed through. "Sorry I'm late," he grinned. "Prefect got a bit nosy when I asked to go to the dorm."

"That's alright," said Eva nervously, standing to greet him.

"So, what brings us here today?" Calvin asked with a sly grin. Eva realized with a start that she hadn't explained her intentions, and that they were completely alone for the first time since they'd begun dating. Best not to lead him on.

"Can we sit and talk for a minute?" she said quickly. "There's something I need to discuss with you."

"Oh," said Calvin, looking a bit concerned by her tone. "Sure, Eva." And he sat in the armchair opposite hers, looking at her intently. Eva brought her chair closer and sat herself, just a couple of feet away from him.

"Do you trust me?" Eva asked, peering up worriedly into Calvin's eyes.

"With all my heart," he said without hesitation, eyes searching hers.

"Will you let me see into your mind?" she whispered. "I promise I won't try to be invasive. I just need to see something."

Calvin fidgeted nervously, but he eventually nodded. "Alright...but be gentle, Prewitt," he said with a grin. She chuckled too, but then steeled herself for the task at hand.

"Legilimens," she whispered as she peered into his eyes. She simultaneously slipped into Calvin's mind while activating her Sight, which momentarily disoriented her with the cacophony of magic and memories swirling around her. She forced herself to focus on the latter, moving backwards in time through Calvin's most recent thoughts. She realized with a jolt that many of his more vivid memories involved her: a small laugh here, a gentle touch there. He was enamored with her, that much was clear. She could feel his embarrassment at this revelation, so she quickly moved on, searching for something else…

She arrived at Calvin's train ride back to Hogwarts at the end of spring break. Moving backwards, she watched him say good-bye to his mother, visit with his father in St. Mungo's, hear the news from an Auror early in the morning...then, nothing.

Eva frowned. There was a large gap of Calvin's memory missing, spanning nearly the entirety of his spring break. She went back a bit further, watching his train ride to London in full detail, before trying again to access his memories at home. But they would not yield. Whatever had happened that week leading up to Voldemort's escape, Calvin had no recollection of it. She tried to brute-force her way through the block, but nothing emerged from the darkness…

"You're hurting me," Calvin mumbled; Eva quickly pulled out of his mind, causing him to release a sharp exhale and blink rapidly.

"Sorry," she muttered. "But Calvin...you're missing memories. Why can't you remember anything that happened at the beginning of your spring break?"

"Dunno," Calvin said, scratching his head. "Maybe it just wasn't that memorable after what happened to my dad."

Eva pondered this further. "Wait...didn't you say the Headmaster came over for dinner that week?" she asked.

"No, he didn't," Calvin denied. Then, thinking about it more, he frowned. "Wait, that can't be right. He said he'd come over Monday night. My parents even owled me the week before to confirm it. Did he cancel?"

"What did you eat that night, if he didn't come?" Eva pressed.

Calvin scrunched up his face trying to remember. Eventually, he gave up. "There's just nothing there," he admitted. "After getting off the train and returning home, it's all blank."

"Calvin," Eva said slowly, mind working through the possibilities and settling on only one possible outcome. "I think somebody cast a Memory Charm on you."

Calvin's eyes went wide. "Me?" he said, bewildered. "But why?"

A sinking feeling was developing in Eva's stomach as she began to theorize who might have done it, and why. She had a bad feeling she knew exactly who it might have been, but didn't want to jump to any conclusions just yet. "Will you give me permission to look, one more time?" she asked. "I'll be careful this time, I promise."

"Alright," Calvin sighed nervously. She once again activated her Sight and entered his thoughts, but this time, she focused more on the magic swirling through his brain than the memories themselves. She zoomed past the collected memories of herself and the tail-end of Calvin's break, before finally arriving at the mysterious blank stretch of time he couldn't recall.

And that's where she saw it. A foreign magical signature, imprinted upon his brain. She couldn't explain how or why, but she knew instinctively that this imprint didn't belong, that someone else had placed it there. Like a padlock, keeping anyone from viewing what was hidden away within.

"What do you see?" asked Calvin nervously.

"I see the Memory Charm, I think," Eva muttered. "I wonder if I can…?" And she reached out with her magic, lightly tugging at the magical imprint, as if testing whether it could be ripped off like a band-aid. Calvin reacted violently to this, nearly wrenching himself free of her presence in discomfort.

"Oi, watch it!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry," Eva said again. The imprint had settled back over the memory, its nefarious hold unwilling to relinquish its prey. But Eva had briefly caught a glimpse of the true memory underneath – it was not erased, merely suppressed. Perhaps, if she could move the imprint aside for a moment, she could view the memory…?

"Calvin? I have an idea," said Eva nervously. "But it might be painful. Will you let me try?"

Calvin didn't need to vocalize the fear he felt at this statement; Eva could feel it in his mind already. But the fear was quickly replaced by grim acceptance and resolve. "Make it quick," he sighed after a moment.

Eva returned her attention to the foreign imprint. She began carefully tugging at it, doing her best to ignore Calvin's subtle groans of discomfort. The Memory Charm was stubborn, clutching onto his mind for dear life...whoever had cast it was determined to keep it in place.

But she started getting glimpses of the true memory underneath. Calvin helping his mother prepare dinner...Harry Potter arriving for the meal...discussions of politics…

"Eva, you're hurting me," Calvin grunted.

"Just a few moments more," Eva promised. She was getting closer now; she could feel the Memory Charm doing its best to resist her, to conceal the truth. But she kept pulling on the imprint, peering into the memory beneath. Conversation had turned now to the Veil of Death...Calvin's mother had told Harry it was a leyline...oh, Merlin, what could that mean if he tried to tamper with it…?

The scene shifted abruptly, and Eva saw herself standing outside Nurmengard Prison. At first she thought she'd suddenly traveled into her own memory, but moments later she realized the horrifying truth. Harry, Calvin and his father, breaking in...Harry making his excuse to separate from the group…

"Oh, no, he didn't…" Eva breathed.

"What is it? What do you see?" Calvin moaned through gritted teeth.

But Eva could only watch on in horror as Calvin's father was felled by a nasty curse from the elf...Calvin witnessing Tom's escape...Harry's betrayal…

"Please, make it stop!" Calvin yelled in pain.

The last thing she saw before Calvin's Occlumency barriers slammed into place was a vision of Harry, eyes glowing red, standing over him with a green-glowing wand pointed between his eyes. Eva was lurched backwards by the force of Calvin's defenses, her chair nearly toppling over.

"Bloody hell," she wheezed. "Did you see what I—"

But Calvin's head was lolled forward in his chair, shoulders slumped in exhaustion. Eva rushed back to his side, tilting his head back, but Calvin was unconscious, eyes vacant and unfocused in their sockets. A wave of horror washed over Eva: Have I damaged his brain? She didn't know what long-term repercussions could come from attempting to remove a Memory Charm. He appeared to be breathing, at least, so she did not fear for his immediate life.

But there were other pressing concerns weighing on her in this moment as well. Harry had deliberately freed Lord Voldemort. He knew that Eva had been studying the Veil of Death, and was now looking into its properties himself. She didn't yet know what these two things had in common, but she knew it could mean nothing good. He was dangerous, and he had to be stopped. Hermione Granger had to know, and fast.

But how to inform her? Eva could try to make a run for Hogsmeade and find a way to London, but she didn't know how to Apparate and would likely set off a dozen alarms by trying to Floo away from the castle. An owl message didn't seem fast enough, and she had no way of knowing if outgoing mail was being monitored. But how else could she pass along such an urgent message?

Professor Lovegood.

Her office wasn't far from here – one wing over and a few flights of stairs, but Eva could reach it within a few minutes at most. Luna would know what to do. She could arrange some sort of message or Portkey to the Ministry. As long as someone with responsibility knew the truth, that was good enough for Eva.

So she left Calvin where he was, intending to come back for him later. She burst through the door into the seventh floor corridor, taking a moment to gather her bearings before launching herself down the hall. She took every shortcut and secret passageway she knew, attempting to reach her destination as quickly as possible…

Eva rounded a corner into the East Wing, and nearly flattened a group of Gryffindors walking in the opposite direction. "Sorry!" she muttered as she sprinted past.

"Ditching classes, are we, Prewitt?" came a familiar, mocking voice – that of Roxanne Morrison.

"Piss off," Eva spat back. She rounded another corner, leaving the group far behind. She didn't have time for petty distractions. This was too urgent to slow down and explain herself.

Eva didn't know why her heart was hammering so much. It wasn't as if Harry was actively hunting her, or Voldemort was moments away from attacking the Ministry. But the weight of what she'd just learned created a sense of urgency all the same. Granger needed to know what she was up against, and quickly. Whatever Harry had planned, it couldn't mean good things for her.

Eva arrived at the trap door leading into the Divination classroom. She launched herself up the ladder, pounding on the door. "Professor Lovegood!" she shouted. "Are you there? It's urgent!"

She waited for several long moments of silence. She could hear no footsteps above her, no sign that anyone had heard her call. She pounded a few more times, then even tried the handle of the trap door, but it was locked. "Hello?" she repeated. "Anyone there?"

Still nothing. If Luna Lovegood was indeed in her office, she either couldn't hear Eva or wasn't responding. Eva's mind raced: should she go check the staff room? Perhaps she was out in Hogsmeade for the day? Or should she return to Calvin and transport him to the Hospital Wing?

She never heard the footsteps approaching from below as she contemplated her next move. All she remembered next was the sound of a curse whizzing towards her exposed back, her hands going slack and slipping off the ladder rungs, then blackness.

Eva awoke some time later with a splitting headache. Groaning, she opened her eyes, but her world remained pitched in blackness – whatever room she was in was devoid of light. She sat up, stretching her limbs to ensure nothing was broken...her back was sore, presumably from her hard landing, but otherwise she seemed to be intact.

Eva felt her way around the space, attempting to determine where she was. She quickly ran up against a barrier – it didn't feel like a wall, but some invisible force prevented her hand from passing further in that direction. She found the same was true a few feet on every side of her...she was trapped within some kind of box, barely wide and tall enough to move around in, but not much more.

Eva groped around for her wand, but could not find it anywhere on her person. She attempted to use her Sight to gauge her environment, but nothing happened – there wasn't a trace of magic anywhere within her enclosure. She felt the same clammy, claustrophobic feeling she had in Tom's cell at Nurmengard – clearly this was a similar design, meant to keep her in without being able to use magic to get herself out.

"Hello?" she shouted; her voice reverberated throughout the small space. "Anyone there?"

She heard footsteps nearby, and a moment later, she was nearly blinded by a sudden rush of light into her enclosure. Blinking away the stars in her vision, she looked up to see that she was in the Headmaster's office. Or, more accurately, she was looking into it – she appeared to be in the wall, just behind the desk. Someone was moving aside the back side of a portrait, which had previously concealed her from view.

"H-Headmaster?" she asked timidly. Harry was peering in at her, looking stern.

"Hello, Miss Prewitt," he greeted her cordially. "Although, I suppose we can do away with the subterfuge now? I assume your mother explained the truth to you during your last meeting."

A chill ran down Eva's spine. "I...I don't know what you mean, Professor—" she stammered.

"Enough," Harry said, holding up a hand to silence her. "The time of us lying to one another has now passed. It no longer matters, I'm afraid."

"Then...then let me go," Eva said, confused. "I don't understand—"

She was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Enter," Harry called over his shoulder. The door swung open, and Eva's heart sank at the sight of the two people who walked in: Roxanne and Calvin. The former was holding onto the arm of the other – Calvin was dragging his feet and looked slightly delirious. How long had it been since Eva attempted to restore his memory…?

"Found him," Roxanne announced proudly, pointing a thumb at the boy beside her. "Unconscious in the Room of Requirement."

"And what were you doing in there, Mr. Hopkins?" Harry asked coolly.

"Erm...I don't really remember, sir," Calvin muttered, rubbing his brow. "I think I was with Eva…?"

Calvin looked up at the Headmaster, and caught a glimpse over his shoulder at the back wall. He was startled into a more alert state, suddenly horrified at the sight of Eva in her cage.

"Eva?!" he yelped in surprise. "Sir, I...what is this…?"

"Let me explain," Harry said, holding up a patient hand. "I recently discovered that Professor Lovegood was acting as a spy against me on behalf of Minister Granger. Earlier today, Miss Morrison here discovered your girlfriend attempting to pass information to her, and brought her into custody on my orders. Fortunately, I had already removed the spy from the school, along with Professor Abbott, another traitor in our midst."

"Don't listen to him, Calvin!" Eva shouted in alarm. But Calvin did not react; Harry must have thrown up a Silencing Charm over her cell.

Calvin frowned at this revelation. "But...she would never!" he muttered. "She's loyal to you, sir, I'm sure of it—"

"I'm afraid not, son," Harry said with a sad smile. "I fear she has been misleading you for quite some time. It's my suspicion that she only agreed to date you in exchange for information she could pass along to the Ministry."

"No way," Calvin flatly denied. But as he said it, realization seemed to dawn on him, and he stared at Eva in horror. "But, wait...she asked about my mother! In the Department of Mysteries! She wanted to know about the Veil of Death!"

"And did you tell her anything?" Harry pressed.

"No sir," said Calvin, frowning. "But I was going to ask Mother over spring break...strange, I can't remember doing so…"

"Do you have any gaps in your memory, Mr. Hopkins?" Harry asked in a fatherly tone. "Any stretches of time you can't remember?"

Eva realized what he was doing with horror, but there was nothing she could do within her silenced cell. She frantically shook her head no at Calvin, but he was now staring at her with a look of revulsion.

"I can't remember anything," Calvin muttered. "Sir, you don't think…?"

"I'm afraid Miss Prewitt here may have performed a Memory Charm on you, so you would not remember passing her information about this Veil," said Harry definitively.

This is not happening, Eva thought with growing dread. Surely Calvin can't believe this hogwash. But Calvin looked entirely convinced now. He stared at Eva with mingled confusion, betrayal, and fear. Worse yet, with Harry's Memory Charm in place, he would be unable to remember the facts about what had actually happened over spring break. Only Harry and Eva knew the truth, and neither would be informing the Ministry any time soon.

"I remember now," Calvin breathed. "She lured me into the Room and stole the memory, then knocked me unconscious!"

"That's not what happened at all!" Eva yelled with dismay. But it was no use. No one could hear her, and she realized now how bad it looked from Calvin's perspective. Why, oh why had she not explained her intentions to him sooner? Would it have even mattered if she did?

"Don't blame yourself, Mr. Hopkins," Harry said soothingly to Calvin. "Miss Prewitt here fooled everyone, myself included. But she will be dealt with accordingly."

"I can't believe this, sir," Calvin said with a look of dismay. "I never realized...never would have suspected…"

"Why not?" Roxanne sneered. "She's always been a blood traitor. Didn't you hear about the cell phone incident last fall? She's been looking for ways to communicate with Granger all term, I bet."

Lies! Eva wanted to scream. But it didn't matter: Calvin and Roxanne were entirely in Harry's pocket now, and there was nothing she could do to convince them. Hell, if she was released from the Silencing Charm right now, she doubted there was much she could say to sway them.

"I apologize for my lapse in judgment, Headmaster," Calvin said with a slight bow. "I will surely seek someone with better character next time."

"I know you will," Harry grinned, clapping the boy gently on the shoulder. "You are dismissed, Mr. Hopkins. I suggest you head up to the Hospital Wing; Madam Pomfrey can provide you with some potions to help clear your head. And do send your father my best regards."

"Thank you, sir," Calvin nodded, and he turned to leave. He cast one more glance in Eva's direction before exiting – she saw the hurt in his eyes, the anger at her supposed deception. She was powerless to correct him, and could only plead with her eyes, imploring him to seek the truth. But then Calvin was gone, leaving just Harry and Roxanne in the room with her.

"You've done well, Roxanne," Harry said appraisingly to the seventh-year. "I know you must have similarly been shocked to learn of Eva's deception, given your history."

"Not at all, sir," Roxanne said, casting another malicious glare in Eva's direction. "I've known all along that she was a rotten apple."

"Excellent work in bringing her here to me," said Harry. "Do me a favor and keep this quiet from the other students for now, will you?"

"Will do, Professor," Roxanne said with a reverent nod. Eva stared in shock at this revelation: Roxanne had been the one to hex her? How long had she been conspiring with the Headmaster against her? How could Roxanne justify such a betrayal against someone she'd been so close to previously? It filled Eva with sorrow and disgust.

"Dismissed," said Harry. "Oh, and come back tomorrow evening at eight PM. We have many important things to discuss about the future."

"Thank you, sir," Roxanne grinned. And with a final glare in Eva's direction, she turned and exited the office.

Harry turned his attention back to Eva, temporarily lifting the Silencing Charm. "The elves will come by periodically to keep you fed," he said sympathetically. "Just sit tight; this will all be over in a few days."

"You're a monster, Harry Potter," Eva spat at him. Harry physically recoiled from this barb; when he recomposed himself, he glared sharply at her, eyes glowing red with anger.

"You don't understand the sacrifices I've had to make to keep my family safe!" Harry growled at her. "One day, the three of us will be able to live together happily. But first I must do the difficult thing that no one else will."

"We could have been together already, if it wasn't for your ego," Eva retorted. "You don't deserve happiness. You're no father of mine."

Harry looked murderous at this rebuke. But he merely reached for the portrait that had been covered her enclosure and moved it back into position. "You will come around eventually, my love," he said adamantly. "Just wait here while Daddy sets everything right." And he plunged a horrified Eva back into silent darkness, concealing her in the wall once more.