April 17, 2016 (Evangeline)
Eva had no way of knowing how long she'd been kept inside her magic-deprived cell. There was no sunlight to tell the passage of a day with, nothing to distract her from the stifling darkness all around her. She couldn't even run through her Occlumency exercises without access to the mental magic required. All she could do was stretch to stay limber and meditate, waiting for whatever Harry Potter had planned for her.
Her only reprieve from the sensory deprivation was the occasional appearance of a house-elf, arriving to deliver her food. The first time, she'd been so startled by the faint pop of its arrival that she didn't register what had happened until the elf disappeared, and had to fumble around in the dark to eat off the plate left behind with her bare hands. The second time, she tried to grab the elf to prevent it from leaving again, earning her a Stunning Spell to the face that forced her to eat her meal cold when she awoke. From then on, each elf appearance was preceded by a precautionary Body-Bind Curse to deliver the food safely.
"Winky is sorry for this, miss," one of the elves apologized after one such appearance. "Winky is bound to obey the Headmaster, although she disagrees with this treatment of a student." Then she was gone with another pop, and the Body-Bind lifted, allowing a frustrated Eva to eat her meal and ruminate on her predicament.
What if she tried to harm herself? She had no silverware to work with, but perhaps a broken plate could cause her enough damage to require an emergency trip to St. Mungo's. That 'plan' was quickly squashed as she broke her plate against a wall, only for the shards to promptly disappear. She supposed she could try to intentionally choke on her own food, but most likely an elf would just appear to clear her airway. Without magic, she was well and truly stuck.
Occasionally she could hear faint noises from the Headmaster's Office on the other side of the portrait concealing her cell. She could not make out individual voices or words, and could only imagine what was being discussed. What did Harry have planned with Voldemort? Were he and the Dark Lord truly working together to breach the Department of Mysteries? Eva couldn't imagine that Harry was actually aligned with Voldemort's goals – likely it was just a temporary solution to his Granger problem. But could anyone actually stop the two most powerful wizards on the planet if they joined forces?
Eva ate. Eva stretched. Eva slept. Eva thought, and tried not to think. This was the routine she followed, for what could have been hours, or days, or weeks at this point. She'd lost track of meals, her only indication of the passage of time. She'd all but given up on a reprieve from the solitude. She could only wait for whatever plan Harry had inevitably came to fruition.
She heard voices coming from the office. That wasn't new; likely another meeting called by the Headmaster. But something was different this time: these voices sounded hushed, hurried – afraid. Eva's ears perked up, hoping to catch wind of what might be happening outside her cell. She pressed her ear up against the barrier facing the office, straining to listen. But a moment later, the portrait covering her cell was pushed aside, and she was blinded with light.
Eva hissed and covered her eyes – all that time spent in complete blackness made any source of light piercing and painful. She could hear muffled voices talking in low, urgent tones, but she still could not make out any words. She squinted towards the light source and saw two blurry outlines standing before her, looking at her. She tried to cry out for help, but only managed a parched croak.
"...probably can't hear us," murmured a male voice with sudden clarity, as his wand swished through the air. "There, that ought to do it."
"Eva?" came a familiar, female voice. "Are you alright?"
Eva blinked rapidly, her vision slowly acclimating to the light now streaming in from the office. Standing in front of her cell were Calvin Hopkins and Roxanne Morrison, both looking worriedly at her.
"Calvin? Roxanne?" she groaned. "What's going on?"
"We're getting you out of here, that's what," said Calvin with a grin. "You hanging in there?"
"I guess so," said Eva, sitting up to face them fully. "How long have I been in here?"
"About five days," said Roxanne with a sheepish grin. "But hopefully not a minute longer. Hopkins, think you can break the runes? I'm rubbish at that."
Calvin was waving his wand in slow circular movements over the cell, muttering something under his breath. "It's impossible to see the specific protections in place," he sighed in defeat. "And I suspect your typical hexes and charms won't be able to open the cell."
"Well, with any luck, Potter will underestimate good ol' Muggle elbow grease," Roxanne grinned deviously. She reached into her robes and withdrew a long, metallic object that Calvin frowned at in confusion.
"What is that?" he asked, clearly not recognizing the Muggle tool.
"Nicked it from Hagrid's toolshed during class," Roxanne said proudly. "It's called a crowbar. Sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective one."
Roxanne wedged one end of the crowbar into an exposed corner of Eva's cell. She applied downward pressure, the bar creaking in an effort to pry the enchanted glass cover loose. "There has to be a hinge somewhere," she grunted. "He got you in there somehow, and must have planned to get you out at some point...ah, there we are."
There was a faint chunk as the edge of Roxanne's crowbar found an edge to latch onto. Roxanne began to put all her body weight onto the bar, straining to force the door open. "Hopkins, are you gonna make a lady do all the heavy lifting?" she panted to her cohort; Calvin quickly grabbed the bar himself and began leaning into it as well. Eva could hear faint, splintering cracks in the glass facade; the physical force was working.
"Keep going," she encouraged them. "It's working." The crowbar was near bending with the effort Calvin and Roxanne were putting into cracking the cell open. Finally, with a loud CLUNK, both students toppled to the floor as the glass door was forced open, swinging forward to grant Eva the freedom she so desperately craved.
Eva tentatively crawled out into the office, her legs wobbly and stiff after five days of cramped quarters. Immediately she felt a rush of warmth as magic began entering her body again. She laughed quietly to herself in relief, relishing in the sense of power and purpose it imbued her with. She hoped to never experience such deprivation again.
"Thanks, you two," Eva beamed at her rescuers. She frowned as she saw them getting to their feet, angling themselves away from her, faces scrunched up with sour expressions. "Uh...what's the matter?"
"You may be easy on the eyes, Prewitt," Roxanne laughed, "but the nose is another matter."
Eva realized that she must not have the greatest aroma about her, after five days in a cramped cell with no change of clothes and nowhere decent to relieve herself. She sheepishly cast a wordless, wandless Scourgify on herself to clean up a bit, throwing in an Air Freshener Charm for good measure. "Sorry...not exactly the most sanitary conditions in there," she grinned.
"Don't mention it," said Calvin, looking amused.
"Now, I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything," Eva said, looking at the other two, "but why are you doing this? Last time I saw you, you both seemed to want me in there."
Roxanne and Calvin shared a brief look. "We can explain everything," said Roxanne reluctantly. "But right now we need to focus on getting you out of here."
"Out of where?" asked Eva.
"The castle, for starters," said Calvin grimly. "Hogwarts isn't exactly an Evangeline-friendly zone at the moment."
Eva couldn't argue with that. Surely Harry had informed the students and staff of her 'betrayal', and being caught out of her cell by any professor would surely get her sent straight back inside. "I don't know where my wand is," she said sheepishly.
"Here," said Roxanne, tossing Eva her wand. "You're lucky you're so forgetful, Prewitt. I found it in the Room of Requirement along with this unconscious dolt, when you went dashing off for Lovegood's office."
Roxanne grinned sheepishly at this. She did have a habit for leaving her wand behind; her penchant for wandless magic using the Sight meant she didn't feel the need to have it on her at all times like most other students. It had earned her more than a few reproaches from her professors over the past term, but fortunately it worked in her favor this time. She stowed the wand away in her robes.
"Lead the way, then, my heroes," she said with mock enthusiasm.
Calvin led the way down the spiral staircase on tip-toe, peering out from behind the gargoyle into the empty corridor. "How're we looking, Morrison?" he whispered.
Roxanne was studying a bit of yellowing parchment in her free hand as she assisted a still-wobbly Eva down the steps. Eva gaped at what appeared to be a live map of Hogwarts, complete with every student and staff member's current position in the castle. "Weasley's patrolling the west wing," she muttered; Eva spotted Ginny's name lurking around the Astronomy Tower. "And Krum's near the Entrance Hall, but he's headed for the dungeons. We should have a clear path to the third floor."
"Why the third floor?" Eva whispered. "Shouldn't we be headed for the grounds?"
"No chance," said Calvin grimly. "If we try to exit through the front gate, Potter will be alerted for sure. Luckily, Morrison here knows a few...alternate exits."
Roxanne took the lead now as the three stole their way through the castle. Moonlight was streaming in through the windows; Eva deduced that it must be late at night. They fortunately did not encounter anybody on their winding path through the castle, though they did briefly had to duck behind a tapestry to avoid drawing the attention of Peeves the Poltergeist, who zoomed past them with an armful of ink bottles and a devious expression on his face. "Hopefully that'll keep Weasley off our backs," Roxanne chuckled humorlessly as they resumed their path.
Roxanne led the way to a third-floor corridor that looked vaguely familiar to Eva. It clicked when she saw the statue of the one-eyed witch perched in the corner, marking the entrance to a hidden passageway out of the castle. "Dissendium," Roxanne muttered, tapping her wand against the statue. With a clunk, the back side of the statue fell away to reveal a narrow tunnel leading to their safety.
"Ladies first," said Roxanne, playfully shoving Calvin towards the passage first. He rolled his eyes but took the lead, followed by Eva and Roxanne, who sealed the passage behind them. The passage was longer and more cramped than Eva remembered, but luckily she'd grown accustomed to long stretches of time with no discernible change in environment by now. They finally arrived at a ladder leading up to a trapdoor, which Eva knew would deposit them in the cellar of Honeydukes in Hogsmeade.
"Here's hoping the shopkeeper is asleep," Calvin muttered, before ascending the ladder and quietly pushing the trapdoor aside. Luckily that did appear to be the case; they emerged in the dark and dusty cellar, lit only by their wand tips as the trio stole their way up to the main shop. Once it became clear they were alone, Roxanne confidently straightened and strode towards the front door to let themselves out into the main thoroughfare.
"Wait!" Eva hissed. Roxanne paused, about to push the door open. Eva closed her eyes and activated her Sight, which confirmed her suspicions. "There's an alarm ward tied to the front door. Let me disable it before we continue." She plucked at the strand of magic connected to the door handle, preventing the alarm from alerting anyone to their presence. "Okay, now we can go."
"Blimey, it's nice to have the second coming of Potter on our team," Roxanne whistled with appreciation. Calvin merely shook his head in amusement as Eva rolled her eyes.
They exited the shop and stepped out into the chilly evening air. A few stragglers stumbled about near the pubs, but otherwise they appeared to be alone and unbothered. "Now what's the plan?" asked Eva. "I don't suppose either of you has an Apparition license?"
"I flunked my test twice," Roxanne winked. "I can try anyway, if you don't mind losing a few toes."
"No need for that," said Calvin. "We can just call for the Knight Bus."
"What's that?" asked Eva and Roxanne at once.
"Erm...best to just show you," Calvin muttered. He stepped out towards the center of the street and raised his wand arm out, as though hailing for a cab. To both Eva and Roxanne's astonishment, a purple, triple-decker bus materialized out of nowhere, screeching to halt before them. A young wizard in a disheveled purple uniform jumped off the bus landing to greet them.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard," the man said in a bored, rehearsed tone. "I'm your conductor this evening, Michael Corner. How can we help you?"
"We need to get to South Britain," said Calvin. "Quickly."
"And quietly," Roxanne added, earning her reproachful looks from Eva and Calvin and an arched eyebrow from Michael.
"You three Hogwarts students?" Michael asked, eyes narrowing at them.
"No," Eva denied impulsively. This only caused Michael to sneer as he eyed the Gryffindor and Slytherin House badges adorned on their robes.
"We're alumni," Calvin quickly added. "Just headed home after a night at the Hog's Head."
"I see, I see," said Michael with an amused grin that indicated he neither believed them nor cared in the slightest. "Climb aboard."
Eva followed Roxanne and Calvin onto the Knight Bus, which was filled with four-poster beds rather than traditional seats. Each of them sat in adjacent beds, as Michael climbed aboard behind them and signaled to the driver. The door slammed shut behind him, and with a bang, the bus was in motion again, nearly causing Eva to topple over from the sudden force.
"Where to, lad and lasses?" Michael asked them.
"North Caversham Road, in Reading," Calvin instructed the conductor.
"That'll be two galleons apiece," said Michael in a bored tone. Calvin quickly fished through his robes for a handful of gold, shoving it into the conductor's hands. Michael raised an eyebrow at the over-payment, but did not complain, depositing the coins into a receptacle at the front of the bus. He seemed to get the hint, leaving the trio alone for the remainder of the trip.
Roxanne spent most of the trip filling Eva in on everything that had happened after her capture. Eva listened with growing horror as she described Harry's plan to break into the Ministry of Magic and use the Veil of Death to reverse time and prevent Voldemort from removing the Statute of Secrecy. "Will that even work?" Roxanne asked worriedly, looking at Eva with concern.
Eva had given such a scenario a great deal of thought during her isolation in the cell. "The short answer is maybe," she admitted reluctantly. "But it's far more likely that he triggers an apocalyptic event across the entire planet."
"Oh, is that all?" Calvin added sarcastically. The scenario was dire enough that none of them laughed at the quip.
"We'll have to find some way to stop him," Eva muttered, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "I have some ideas, but we can discuss it another time."
They arrived at their destination soon after: a quiet, upscale neighborhood in Reading. Calvin, Eva and Roxanne stepped off the Knight Bus onto the street, and after a sarcastic salute from Michael Corner, the bus disappeared into the night with another loud bang. "Where are we?" asked Eva, looking around. "Your parents' house?"
"No chance," Calvin chuckled. "A safe house my dad set up during the last war. Mum's the Secret-Keeper, but she told me about it last year in case...well, things got bad again."
Calvin led the way down the street to an empty lot in between two nice cottages. "The safe house is at Number Twenty-five, North Caversham Road, in Reading," said Calvin aloud. Eva wondered what the point of such an announcement was. But to her amazement, a building was materializing before her eyes, filling the once-empty lot. Now before them stood a lavish two-story abode, looking far more cozy than she'd anticipated for a so-called 'safe house'.
The girls followed Calvin inside the home, which looked just as luxurious as the outside. "Blimey, Hopkins, how loaded is your family?" Roxanne chuckled.
"My dad had four siblings, all of whom were killed during the war," Calvin said grimly. "We're the last of the Hopkins line, and all the family gold fell to us. Believe me when I say we'd trade our entire inheritance to get them back."
"Oh," said Roxanne, deflated. "Sorry."
"It's all right," Calvin shrugged. With a wave of his wand, lights flicked on all around the house, illuminating the space fully. "We should be safe here."
"Your parents won't come looking for you here?" asked Eva. "Considering you broke out a wanted spy and fled the school?"
"They wouldn't compromise the safe house before coming to talk to me directly," said Calvin. "I'll contact Mum in the morning and explain things. She's never been fond of Potter to begin with."
"And your father?" asked Roxanne pointedly.
"Still in St. Mungo's," Calvin sighed. "He's stable, but they still can't figure out what he was hexed with."
"It was a house-elf spell," Eva blurted out suddenly, remembering the memory she'd glimpsed in Calvin's mind. "Some kind of lightning charge."
Calvin's eyebrows shot up at this. "I'll owl the Healers straight away," he muttered. And he made off into an adjoining room, no doubt to pen a letter to the hospital.
Eva turned to Roxanne, who was eyeing her with an odd expression. "Well, I guess we're in bed together now," Eva remarked dryly. Roxanne looked nervous as she considered her next words carefully.
"I owe you an apology," Roxanne muttered. "I've treated you horribly in recent weeks."
"You thought I was spying for the Minister," Eva shrugged. "Technically, you were correct."
"That's not all," Roxanne sighed. "Before all of that. I let stupid politics get between us. Potter tricked me into believing...well, that doesn't matter. I was an idiot. You were the person I cared about most, and I cast you aside like you were nothing."
"You also treated a lot of others poorly," Eva pointed out coolly.
"Yes, I did," Roxanne admitted, swallowing hard. "I'll owe them all apologies as well once this is all over. I know I don't deserve a second chance with you, but can you ever forgive me? For acting like a bully and a child?"
Eva considered Roxanne's apology. She could tell it was sincere, could see the pain in Roxanne's eyes as she implored her to understand. "You really hurt me, you know," she said. "You abandoned me when I needed you most."
Roxanne could only nod, staring contritely at her feet.
Eva extended her hand towards Roxanne. "Apology accepted," she said. Roxanne looked up, surprised, but smiled and shook Eva's hand gratefully.
"Any chance we can go back to being friends?" Roxanne asked hopefully.
"I think we can manage that," Eva nodded. "Breaking me out of Potter's clutches goes a long way in my book." They shared a smile at this.
Calvin returned from the other room, presumably having sent off his letter. "Well, I'm headed to bed," he said, stifling a yawn. "Shall we reconvene in the morning?"
"Or the afternoon, perhaps?" Roxanne suggested, indulging in an even bigger yawn.
"Bedrooms are all upstairs," said Calvin. "Pick out any one you like."
The three of them trudged up the stairs and separated into different bedrooms. Eva eyed the adjoining bathroom, relishing in the idea of a long, hot shower after days of wallowing in her own filth. But that would have to wait until tomorrow. She pulled off her robes and flopped onto the bed with the last of her energy, falling asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow.
When Eva next woke, it was approaching late afternoon – she needed a good restful sleep after nearly a week of cramped confinement in her cell. She indulged in a long shower before dressing and wandering downstairs, where she found Calvin and Roxanne sitting around the kitchen table, sipping tea. But they weren't alone. Joining them at the table was a stern, older-looking woman that eyed Eva warily as she entered. Eva recognized the woman, though they had never met – she had glimpsed her in Calvin's memories.
"You must be Mrs. Hopkins," Eva nodded politely.
"And you must be Evangeline," said Mrs. Hopkins, nodding in turn. "I've heard many interesting things about you recently."
"Good or bad?" Eva asked with a sheepish smile.
"Well, let's just say I was shocked to see my son step through the Floo this morning," the woman said with a wry grin. "He arrived roughly three minutes after Potter's Patronus explaining how you two were on the run together."
Eva and Calvin exchanged a nervous look. "I can explain—" Eva began awkwardly.
"Calvin told me enough," said Mrs. Hopkins, holding up a hand to stop her. "Considering you saved my husband's life and uncovered the truth about Potter, you don't have to explain a thing."
"So I take it you aren't handing us in to the Headmaster?" Eva asked hopefully.
Mrs. Hopkins actually laughed at this sentiment. "He can pry your location out of my dead body," she said sharply. That caused all three teens to sigh with relief.
"Has Roxanne told you what he's planning?" Eva asked nervously.
"Yes, and frankly, it doesn't surprise me much," Mrs. Hopkins muttered, taking a long drink from her teacup. "Based on the conversation we had last month, and the protections Granger has been raising in the Department recently, I expected it might come to something like this."
"You knew Potter was planning to break in?" asked Calvin, surprised.
"Of course," Mrs. Hopkins scoffed. "Security has never been tighter at the Ministry. Even we Unspeakables have to pass through half a dozen checkpoints just to get to work. It's obvious she is preparing for an invasion."
"You should know that the Aurors plan to defect to Potter's side," Roxanne chimed in. "Not to mention the Muggles."
"And the Dark Lord," Eva muttered glumly. "Assuming Potter is able to get him under control."
Mrs. Hopkins regarded this information with alarm, then laughed hollowly again. "So it's Harry Potter, the Dark Lord, the Aurors, AND a Muggle army trying to break in," she confirmed. "And Granger hopes to defend it how, exactly?"
"We have Eva on our side," Calvin declared confidently. "She can do things with magic I've never seen before."
"And we'll be there to cover her back," Roxanne growled with conviction.
Mrs. Hopkins looked at them all with alarm. "Under no circumstances are you to go anywhere near the Ministry!" she gasped. "Three teenagers in the middle of a war zone? I cannot allow it!"
"I'll be an adult in two weeks," said Calvin defiantly. "And if Eva's going, I'm not letting her go alone."
"Me too," said Roxanne firmly. Mrs. Hopkins' gaze whipped around to Eva.
"I have no choice, ma'am," Eva said apologetically. "It's my parents we're talking about. I'm a part of this whether I like it or not."
Everyone stared at Eva after this revelation. "I thought your parents were dead," Calvin asked quietly. Roxanne nodded in agreement.
Eva sighed, then launched into an abbreviated version of her true childhood history as told to her by Hermione Granger during their last meeting. Calvin and Roxanne looked progressively more shocked as the story went along, and by the time she finished, they were staring slack-jawed at her in disbelief.
"Bloody hell...you're practically British royalty!" Roxanne breathed in awe. "No wonder Potter was so obsessed with you from the start."
"Oh, Merlin, I was dating the Headmaster's daughter!" Calvin said with sudden dismay. "No wonder he was so tough on me this term...stopped treating me like his own son…"
"Look, it doesn't matter, alright?" Eva said crossly. "It doesn't change anything about who I am. Roxanne, you of all people should know that we shouldn't be judged by who our parents are." Roxanne looked grim at this reminder, but nodded slowly at the sentiment.
"Why, who are your parents?" Calvin asked suspiciously, looking at Roxanne.
"My father is Lee Beckett," Roxanne said with a groan. Calvin processed this information silently for a moment, then burst out into sudden laughter.
"And you two were an item?!" Calvin guffawed. "I bet both of your fathers were thrilled with that pairing."
"Considering that they're working together now, I'd say they are indifferent on the matter," Eva said bitterly. Calvin abruptly stopped laughing at this, realizing this was indeed the case, and fell into pensive silence.
"I'm afraid none of this makes much difference," said Mrs. Hopkins, who had listened patiently from the corner during all this talk. "Perhaps Evangeline can slow Potter down, but if he reaches the Veil, we may indeed be doomed."
"But what is the Veil, exactly?" Calvin asked. "You've never talked about it before."
"That's because it is one of Britain's oldest and most important secrets," said Mrs. Hopkins. "It isn't proper to speak of it so openly."
"With all due respect, ma'am, I think we're well past that point," Eva chuckled. "We should at least know what we're up against, if the fate of the world depends on it."
Mrs. Hopkins considered this, then gave a heavy sigh. "Very well," she muttered. "Let me find some parchment; I'll draw up a schematic."
"No need," said Eva, drawing all eyes to her again. She closed her eyes, envisioning the Veil as she'd seen it many times in Granger's memory. She had spent enough time with the Pensieve that she knew precisely how its magic worked, to the point that she could replicate it without the object itself. Using her Sight, she drew on the required magic and plunged the kitchen into darkness; a moment later, it re-materialized as the Death Chamber in the Department of Mysteries, as though they were standing directly inside the room itself.
"Bloody hell, Eva!" said Roxanne, leaping to her feet. "How did you do that?"
"This is...remarkable magic, Evangeline," Mrs. Hopkins muttered in appreciation.
"Told you she's special," Calvin said with a touch of pride. Eva did her best to ignore the praise.
"The sand," she said instead, pointing to the fine granules sifting along the stone ground. "It's what was used to produce Time-Turners, correct?"
"How did you—?" Mrs. Hopkins began, but quickly decided it wasn't worth belaboring the point. "Yes, it was. But since the program was discontinued, we've been ordered to collect the sand and destroy it."
"So there is no way to re-create the devices," Eva nodded; it made sense. "But the sand must come from somewhere, yes? The Veil can't simply be creating it – there has to be something on the other side."
"It's not that simple, I'm afraid," Mrs. Hopkins sighed. She stood from the table and cautiously walked up towards the stone archway, regarding it with equal measures of reverence and fear. "Many years ago, experiments were conducted to see what's on the other side of the door. None were successful. But we have our theories."
"You call it a door, for one," Eva remarked. "So you do believe there is something on the other side."
"Of that, we have no doubt," Mrs. Hopkins nodded. "Legend has it that the Peverells created the archway to pass through the leyline and study its properties from the other side. Not all Unspeakables believe this, of course – it's been nearly a millennium with few records to account for it."
"But you believe it?" asked Calvin, intrigued.
"I didn't until recently," Mrs. Hopkins admitted. "When Potter suggested that he possessed them...it lent a lot of credence to the idea."
"The Hallows?" Eva confirmed. "He has them; I've seen them."
"That is...troubling," Mrs. Hopkins sighed. "Centuries ago, the Ministry managed to get hold of the Cloak, after one of the Potter ancestors loaned it to them to get out of a corruption fine. When they brought the Cloak into the Death Chamber, the Veil reacted...violently to its presence."
"Violently?" asked Eva, confused. "So you do believe they are connected somehow?"
"The symbol of the Hallows has been carved into the archway for centuries," Mrs. Hopkins shrugged, pointing out the carvings before them. "Some believe the Hallows were made from materials found beyond the Veil, or from the archway and curtain itself. I don't know the truth of the matter myself. But if Potter walks into the Chamber with all three, I shudder to think what will happen."
"Will the Veil repel the Hallows?" asked Eva.
"Oh, far from it," said Mrs. Hopkins grimly. "According to our records, as soon as the Unspeakable holding the Cloak entered the Chamber, he was strongly compelled to run through the Veil. It was as if it called to him, beckoning him and the Cloak home. Fortunately he was subdued, and the Cloak removed from the room, which calmed the Veil."
"Do you think it's possible he could survive the Veil if he has all three Hallows?" asked Eva.
"I don't know," Mrs. Hopkins admitted. "But I do know that in the weeks following that incident, there were reports of dangerous magical activity from leylines all around the world. Deadly earthquakes, floods, weather aberrations. The Veil is unstable enough as it is, and for it to sense all three Hallows in the same room? It could be catastrophic for the entire planet."
"But could Potter actually reverse time, if he succeeded?" asked Roxanne.
"Time doesn't work the way Potter seems to believe it does," lamented Mrs. Hopkins. "Time-Turners are deterministic, with a few exceptions. You can go back to do things that have already happened, but if you attempt to change something to happen differently, the timeline will react and attempt to stop you."
"How can a timeline be sentient like that?" asked Calvin.
"This is magic we scarcely understand," said Mrs. Hopkins, "and part of the reason we stopped producing Time-Turners. As best as we understand, Time itself senses when something is not as it should be, and will attempt to remove the agent of change. There are many recorded instances of a time-traveler meeting their past self and killing themselves out of impulse, thus erasing their own existence and preserving the timeline."
"So you think Potter could accidentally erase himself from existence?" asked Eva.
"Or worse," said Mrs. Hopkins. "He could erase our entire timeline and jump to a separate one, thus dooming two separate worlds to oblivion."
"Wait...so there are other timelines? Other worlds?" asked Calvin, bewildered.
"This is all theoretical and unproven, of course," said Mrs. Hopkins. "Muggle physicists have been grappling with similar problems for decades now. But it isn't a stretch to imagine that Potter passing through that Veil could bring about an apocalyptic event we are unprepared to deal with."
"So he has to be stopped," Eva confirmed.
"Unfortunately, it appears so," Mrs. Hopkins sighed. "The Unspeakables are researchers, not fighters. But if Potter is after the Veil, we will do all we can to defend it."
"As will we," said Calvin proudly, standing beside the two other teens. "I don't care what you say, Mother. If it's as dire as you say, there's nothing you can do to keep us away from the action."
Mrs. Hopkins looked at her son with a sorrowful look in her eye. "Some days I wonder if you should have been in my own House," she sighed. "So headstrong and stubborn."
"You were a Gryffindor?" asked Roxanne.
"Oh, yes," said Mrs. Hopkins with a sly grin. "I may have married a snake and given birth to one, but I'll always be a lion at heart."
Eva released her memory magic and returned the kitchen to its natural state, light flooding back into the room from the setting sun. "Good heavens, I must be going," said Mrs. Hopkins, checking the time. "The Healers intend to remove your Father's coma this evening, and I must get to him before Potter does."
"Tell him I love him," said Calvin, hugging his mother and kissing her on the cheek.
"Thank you for letting us stay, Mrs. Hopkins," said Eva, fervently shaking the woman's hand.
"Thank you dear," said the woman. "And please, call me Farrah."
"See you soon then, Farrah," Eva nodded.
"Unfortunately it appears you will," Mrs. Hopkins said grimly. "If I can't coerce you three to stay put, I must at least insist that you are careful and watch each other's backs."
"We will," Roxanne confirmed, also shaking the woman's hand. Mrs. Hopkins nodded in gratitude, then grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from an urn on the counter and activated the fireplace, stepping through the green flames and disappearing from sight.
The three teenagers stood looking at each other awkwardly for a few moments, the heaviness of their situation weighing on them. "I'm gonna get some fresh air," Eva muttered, striding towards the backyard. Calvin and Roxanne took the hint, allowing her space to be alone. Eva strolled across the back lawn, which was unkempt and shaggy from neglect. She nestled herself underneath a tree and watched the sun dip low in the sky, deep in thought.
Eva felt as though she'd learned a great deal in the past twenty-four hours, and yet nothing had substantially changed. Her goal was the same: stop Harry from reaching the Veil. Would he dare attack her if she stood in his way? Would she dare attack him if he didn't stop? Yes, I would, she eventually decided – he may be her father, but he was still dangerous and unstable. She had forgiven Roxanne for her past mistreatment, but wasn't sure if she could do the same for Harry. Even if his goals involved reconnecting with his daughter, he could have done that already without the threat of annihilating the planet on a wild hunch.
For that matter, Eva didn't know if she could forgive Hermione for her own role in the deception. She may have kept her distance to protect her, but that didn't mean she had to leave Eva in the dark for her entire childhood. If by some miracle they managed to avert disaster and stop Potter from accessing the Veil, could Eva see herself forming a relationship with her mother after the fact? She wasn't sure, and frankly, it was unlikely to matter. The most likely scenario is that all three of them would be dead within the month anyway.
"Writing your own epitaph, Prewitt?" a sardonic voice called out from behind her; Eva turned to see Calvin walking across the yard to meet her.
"Something like that," Eva muttered darkly, managing a grin, getting to her feet. "Course, it probably doesn't have to be that good if no one's ever gonna read it, eh?"
They both chuckled darkly at this. Eva turned to stroll back up to the house; the sun was dipping below the horizon and slowly bathing the yard in darkness.
"Hey, Eva, can we talk for a second?" Calvin piped up, stopping her. "Just you and me?"
Eva groaned internally; she'd been hoping to avoid this talk. She and Calvin hadn't spoken one on one since Potter revealed her espionage plot to him. "Okay," she said nervously.
"Is it true?" Calvin asked softly. "Did you only date me to get intel on Potter?"
Eva looked up at Calvin. He looked sorrowful and stern, and more than a little stung. She couldn't blame him, but it pained her to see it all the same.
"Yeah, it's true," she admitted. "Granger and I knew he was plotting something, and I knew you were the person in the castle he trusted the most."
"I see," Calvin said, deflating a little bit and looking down at his shoes.
"But listen," said Eva immediately. "I really did value your company. You were a good friend when I badly needed one. And I really came to enjoy our time together, even if I did have ulterior motives."
Calvin looked up again, still looking hurt but a little hopeful at this. "Did I ever really have a shot?" he asked. "Did you ever see a future for us together?"
Eva badly wanted to lie to him. Calvin was a good person she liked very much, and she hated to break his heart. But he deserved nothing but complete honestly from her, after months of deceit. So she could only smile sadly and shake her head. "I'm sorry, Calvin," she said sincerely. "Maybe if circumstances had been different...but no. I only ever saw you as a friend."
Calvin nodded at this; he figured as much. An awkward silence settled between them as Eva nervously awaited what he had to say next. "Well, if spying on me was the only chance I ever got at spending time with you," Calvin finally chuckled, "I guess I can't be too mad at you."
"Don't do that to yourself," Eva implored him. "I really did look forward to seeing you every day. I...we could still spend time together. As friends. If you're okay with that."
Calvin considered this for a moment. Then, a smile spread across his face. "You've got yourself a deal, Prewitt," he said, extending his hand to her. "Or whatever your real name is."
Eva laughed as she shook his hand in relief. "I haven't figured that part out yet, really," she admitted. "But 'Thomas' will do for now. That was the family that raised me."
"Evangeline Thomas," Calvin nodded, testing out the new moniker. "I like it. Not as gaudy as Potter or Granger, at any rate." They shared another chuckle at this.
"Are you two lovebirds gonna stand out there all night?" a chiding voice called out from the house; Roxanne was peering out a second-floor window at them. "This bottle of rum isn't going to drink itself."
"Offering alcohol to minors now, are we, Morrison?" Eva called back, clicking her tongue in mock disapproval. "What would your father say?"
"Probably something pretty racist," Roxanne declared, sticking out her tongue out at the two of them. "Now get your asses up here before I decide not to share after all."
Calvin and Eva grinned at each other and raced back into the house for a night of care-free camaraderie. Now that the ice had been broken between them, the tension dissolved entirely, and the newly-formed trio wiled away the night with raucous laughter and playful banter. Twenty-four hours ago, Eva never would have seen herself spending time with these two specific individuals, and she could only imagine it wasn't the friend group Harry Potter envisioned for her when he brought her to Hogwarts. But right now, there was no one else on Earth she'd rather enjoy her time with.
Eva knew that they were on the brink of what could be a devastating war that destroyed their way of life forever. But just for tonight, she intended to forget her worries and spend time with people she cared about – people she trusted. That was a commodity she would never take for granted again.
A/N: I have to give credit where it's due to the fic 'Blindness' by AngelaStarCat, which was a big source of inspiration with regards to the lore behind the Veil. This story will depart substantially from that fic's interpretation of its origin and properties, but you should definitely give that fic a read either way because it's amazing!