Like most people, Harry woke up at different times depending on what he needed to do or what happened the night before. After a long week of school with late nights involving study and homework followed by no pressing plans, he would sleep in a little when he could and go to breakfast later. When Oliver Wood was Quidditch captain and had early morning practices, he would wake a lot earlier than he usually would to join the team. If it was a relatively uneventful week with no pressing need, he woke at a reasonable hour to get what he wanted done, even if that was sitting around and not doing much of anything.
Ron was the type to sleep in more often than not unless he needed to get up early for something. He did enjoy his sleep. Hermione conversely always woke up at the same time and got extra work done before joining them for breakfast or indulged in recreational reading.
Today, Harry woke early without complaint and got ready swiftly. He tried to shake Ron awake and when his friend sleepily told him to let him sleep, he let him do just that. Walking down the stairs, he entered the common room and smiled when he saw Hermione sitting in her favorite chair. She looked up from her book and smiled back.
"You're up early," she said.
"Yeah, I kinda want to talk more with Har-Evan," Harry said, grinning ruefully. "That's going to take some time getting used to."
"Thank goodness you two decided on that," she said. "It'd be odd to call you Harry the First or the Second or what have you."
"He said I should stay Harry despite him being older and having the name longer, since this is my plane," Harry said.
"He sounds very nice, which isn't so strange since he is you," Hermione said. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole different dimension thing. I mean, we know you can time travel obviously, but this is years and from a completely different dimension or plane."
"Honestly, with my life, it's really not that hard to accept it," Harry sighed, making Hermione giggle a little.
"May I join you?" she asked.
"Of course! I'm sure he wouldn't mind at all, especially if he was friends with other you too."
"I certainly hope so," she said, rising and following him from the common room. They walked down the hall and Harry stopped at the door to the guest room and knocked on it a few times.
"Maybe he's still sleeping?" Hermione offered.
"The young man that's staying there?" The two of them turned to look at the painting that hung beside the door. The lioness that sat within nodded pleasantly at them. "He left not too long ago, looking quite famished and eager for breakfast."
"Thanks!" Harry said and he and Hermione left to make their way down to the Great Hall. "He was really happy to eat last night and he ate a lot." He sighed a little. "I can understand that." He missed Hermione's look of soft sympathy and they walked in companionable silence.
When they entered the Great Hall, Harry immediately saw him and snorted and smiled. Evan was sitting at the far end of the table and was working his way through an immense platter of food with gusto. Despite eating voraciously, his manners were impeccable and he handily ignored the curious looks and whispers from the other students in the Hall.
"Hey little bro," Evan said, seeing them and waving a hand. "Come and help yourself. The Saint has outdone himself. I honestly can't remember when I've had a full English like this that tastes this good."
"The Saint?" Hermione asked, sitting next to Harry who sat across from Evan.
"Oh right, so remember Dobby? He's here now, at Hogwarts. And he came up last night and he said that our magic was almost the same," pointing at himself and Evan, "which I think helped convince the others. After making and delivering two mountain's worth of sandwiches, Evan said he's going to call Dobby the Saint of Sandwiches and Socks."
"You can canonize someone?" Hermione asked, looking at Evan with amusement.
"I've done that," Evan said, munching on butter fried toast dipped in runny yolks and daubed with beans. "That's like launching someone out of a cannon, right?" He looked up and his grin and expression softened when he looked at Hermione. "Oh, hey there Hermione."
Hermione blinked at his sudden change and turned slightly shy. "Hello, Hermione, yes as you know." She poked a snickering Harry. "And you're Evan? Or going by Evan?"
"Yeah, I'm liking it the more I say it or think it," Evan said, still looking at her softly. "It's really good to see you." He frowned at the wide-eyed looks that Hermione and Harry gave him. "What?"
"Isn't that your way of saying someone died in your plane?" Harry asked in a whisper.
"Oh, uh, mostly," Evan said evasively. "Not for everyone though. But I mean, doesn't mean I'm not happy to see you though."
"Oh well, thank you," Hermione said, rubbing her chest with a hand. "I mean, I'm glad that you and I were friends in your plane too."
"We were," Evan said firmly and Hermione beamed. He applied himself to more breakfast and looked about. "Speaking of friends and copious amounts of food, where's Ron? Still sleeping?"
"Probably," Harry grinned.
"Ah let him, he could use the beauty sleep," Evan chuckled and Harry laughed with him. He looked at Hermione as she served herself eggs and toast and tomatoes. "You're taking all of this in rather well."
"It is very strange," she admitted. "But Harry made a good point earlier, that with his life and luck, this sort of thing just happens and it's not that odd to accept."
"Yup," Evan and Harry said together and looked at each other with surprise before grinning identically.
Hermione smiled with them, enjoying the sight and their happiness. "And I mean, I have read and watched things that explored dimensional travel so it's not a completely alien topic."
"I tried to grow a goatee once, looked awful sad to say," Evan sighed with faux morosity.
Hermione laughed brightly at that. "Oh, but then you'd be the evil version!"
"I don't get it," Harry said, watching them laugh.
"It's from Star Trek," Hermione explained. "They had a Mirror Universe where the characters were the opposite of the main ones and one of them had a goatee."
"You and some of the others would tell us fun stories and things like that," Evan said, turning quiet for a moment. He shook his head and literally shrugged his darker thoughts away. "But yeah, facial hair was pretty bad. Sorry little bro," he said with some kind of sympathy.
"Really wasn't ever thinking about that," Harry snorted.
At that moment, Ron walked into the Great Hall and once seeing them, came over. "I know, you tried to wake me up," he said, sitting down beside Harry. He looked at Evan. "Wow, you really do look just like Harry but older."
"Funny how that works," Evan grinned, looking at Ron with warmth. "It's really good to see you too pal." He frowned at Harry when Ron gave him a panicked look. "What have you been saying?"
"I only said that you said that to a few and that's how it felt," Harry replied. "And that you might answer questions but it'll depend."
Evan sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, you're not wrong. That can wait until after breakfast." They continued to eat and then the rustling of feathers and the flapping of wings heralded the arrival of the owls. An explosion of colors and barks and hoots filled the air as the owls swooped down to the tables, looking for their targets.
"Hi Hedwig," Harry said, greeting his snowy owl as she landed daintily in front of him. His smile disappeared as he looked across the table and noticed Evan's expression.
Evan looked like he had seen a ghost, and not just one of the ghosts of Hogwarts. His eyes were huge and he looked at Hedwig with undisguised pleasure and want, a look of wonder on his face. "Hedwig," he breathed, looking at her.
Hedwig turned her head and looked at him lazily before her own eyes popped open too. She gasped, head whipping back and forth to look at the two Harrys, the younger and the older. She flapped her wings and took a back step and turned to face them both at the same time, turning her head back and forth. She leaned close and stared at Evan, eyes slightly narrowed with suspicion before she turned back to Harry with a clear look of disbelief.
Evan had reached out but halted when she looked at his hand and then back at him. "Right, sorry," he apologized, face red. "This is your Hedwig, not mine. I just, I really missed her, and…well, I'm sorry."
Hedwig tilted her head at him and then waddled close to him, her eyes peering into his before she bonked his head with hers, barking gently. She nuzzled him, cheek against cheek, and Evan's expression blossomed and he laughed and gently petted the owl.
"Nothing's happening to you this time," he whispered, just barely being heard by Harry and the others. His eyes glinted and he offered her a very large rasher of bacon and she immediately started to munch on it happily, sitting down and plumping up beside him as she chomped. She cheeped with a full beak when he piled more bacon on a fresh plate and put it in front of her with egg and toast as well.
"I guess this proves it even more," Harry said, still a little rattled by Evan's reaction but enjoying how happy he looked at that moment, and how indecently happy Hedwig ate beside him. "No way Hedwig would react like that if you weren't you."
"A valuable metric," Evan said, still smiling broadly. He put more food on her plate and continued to eat, still looking at her from time to time. The owl soaked up the attention and the food with shameless pleasure.
Eventually they finished eating and Evan led the trio out onto the grounds, waving jauntily to groups of students who stared and whispered. Instead of flying off, Hedwig joined them, sitting on Evan's head much to his delight and pleasure. They walked out onto the sunlit grounds with the autumn wind blowing around them. They eventually stopped when Evan did, beside the Black Lake and under a willow tree.
Evan made a hand gesture and snapped his fingers before settling down on the ground, sitting against the tree and staring out over the waters. Hedwig climbed down into his lap and cooed happily as he scratched and rubbed her belly, running his fingers through her feathers. Harry, Ron, and Hermione settled down around him.
"What was that?" Ron asked.
"Privacy charm. I don't want people eavesdropping," Evan said.
"You can do that wandless and without incanting?" Hermione asked, impressed.
"You get used to it and you lot will do it well in different ways and with different spells," Evan said. "Or rather you might."
"What does that mean?" Harry asked.
Evan sighed and rubbed his face. "So me showing up and doing things is going to change things, like a lot. Which is what I want. Don't want things to turn out the way they did of course. So me saying you will do something is more like I know you could, but the circumstances have changed so it might not."
"Which is something inherent with time travel or many versions of it," Hermione said, "your past actions affecting your future. I was taught that when I was taught how to use the time turner."
"Right, because you going into your past will affect you in the future when you return to it," Evan nodded. "'Course, I already know a huge thing that's changed, plus another, so there's proof to that." He looked at the three of them. "Which leads me to this. I will tell you some things that happened but only if it applies. I'm not telling you everything because first of all, I don't know everything and I'm having trouble remembering some of it."
"Really? Why not?" Ron asked with a frown.
Evan shrugged. "Director Croatia/Croaker thinks it might be because of the trauma of the travel and the balance of me becoming a smidge younger. I can also say there was a lot of trauma right before I did come back so that probably rattled the memory holder about some, so I buy it. Frankly, I'm glad I've forgotten some things compared to the shite I do remember."
He continued when they looked at each other. "Second of all, me telling you some things won't apply anymore, hopefully, because my goal is to make things better and change things. So there's no reason to fret about it. I don't want you taking my past as your future as if it's set in stone. It's not. Again, because at least one major thing right now is majorly different. That means things will be different in this plane and there's no use me telling you everything that went down in mine."
"I guess that's fair," Harry said.
Evan grinned. "Doesn't matter if you don't think it is. It's what I'm sticking to and I've got the power here, so there."
Hermione gave him a look. "Are you really holding that over his, our, head like that?"
"Sure, why not? I assume it's something an older sib would do," Evan said genially.
"It is," Ron said wryly.
"And since I am you, you'd be doing the same if the positions were reversed, so there," Evan smiled at Harry who rolled his eyes back at him.
"Didn't you just say circumstances impact things and things don't turn out the way they do?" Hermione asked sweetly but gave him a sharp look.
Evan laughed heartily. "I've missed you so much, I don't even care that you're trying to throw my own words at me. I've genuinely missed this."
"What's the major thing that's different?" Ron asked.
"You don't want to know," Evan said, smiling placidly at Ron's glower.
"What about the other thing you said?" Harry asked.
"Oh well Macnair is in prison now and I broke up an illegal animal fighting ring which won't be around to do even worse things in the future," Evan said comfortably.
"When did you do that?" Harry asked and the other two looked equally surprised.
"Last night, early this morning if you want to be pedantic," Evan said.
"You left the school overnight? How?" Harry asked.
"I apparated and yes, according to Hogwarts, A History, you aren't allowed to but you are allowed to if the school allows you to like it does for the current headmaster," Evan said, smiling when Hermione opened her mouth and she closed it, giving him a pawky look.
"Macnair was the guy that came out last year and was going to kill Buckbeak," Harry said slowly. "Right?"
Evan nodded. "He's a real bastard and it was a genuine pleasure dragging his arse to the Aurors," he said with a savage glint in his eyes. "So yeah, he's back in prison and that changes things."
"Are you allowed to do that?" Hermione asked slowly.
Evan snorted. "Yes and no. I had to make an agreement with Dumbledore to 'not punish people for what they will do and have not done it yet'. I said I wouldn't for Voldemort, but will try my best not to for others, even if they deserve it."
The trio had heard how Evan said Dumbledore's name and looked at each other.
"Why don't you like the Headmaster?" Ron asked, frowning again.
"That's between me and him and don't try to suss it out or look too deeply into it," Evan said with a smile but his eyes were hard. "Trust me on that one. Besides, I don't dislike him, but let's just say there's baggage."
Ron looked at Hermione and Harry before turning back to Evan. "I don't know. This is weird. You show up, say all these things will happen, go out and do something, and then withhold information we should know?"
"Ron-" Harry protested, giving his friend a hard look.
"You want to do this?" Evan asked pleasantly, giving Ron his full attention. "You really want to go down this path?"
Ron bristled a little, staring back. "Yeah, why not? Just saying it's weird and how do we even know if you're who you say you are? Anyone can look like anyone. And yeah you appeared and handled the fake-Moody and say a lot of good things, but what's your deal? What are you getting out of this?"
"Ensuring Harry doesn't go through the shit I did," Evan said, still sounding pleasant but giving Ron a very hard look. "Because no one deserved that. And I'm also going to do as much good as I can while doing it."
He raised his voice when Ron opened his mouth again. "I know why you're doing this; you're just looking out for your mate and it's good. But you better make sure you really want this before you start it. I'm not pulling punches here."
"We have a right to know," Ron said.
"A right," Evan repeated. He snorted deeply. "Fine. You want to know what the other major thing is? It's this. The fact that you and Harry are talking right now."
"What?" Harry asked, looking at Ron before looking at Evan. "What do you mean?"
"In my time, I had to compete," Evan said, leaning forward. "No one but Crouch Jr knew how my name got into the Goblet and while they cared to a degree, it didn't matter. I had to compete, a 14-year-old kid against three Champions that were more-or-less adults and knew way more magic than me. And overnight, the whole school turned on me save for one person. Everyone hated me because they thought it was a ploy for me to get attention and fame when I didn't want fucking any of it!"
Evan pointed at Hermione who looked horrified. "She was the only person that stood by my side. She believed me. No one else fucking did. Everyone turned on me calling me a cheat, a liar, a gloryhound, called Cedric the 'real' Hogwarts Champion, and it took me barely surviving a frankly horrifying situation for any of that to change."
"Bullshit!" Ron shouted, face red. "I wouldn't turn on Harry!"
"You didn't turn on me but you turned away! You were so tired of being in everyone's shadow, that it was the drop that tipped the bucket over. You thought I lied to you about it and I didn't try to include you. You didn't believe me!" Evan said, eyes bright with pain and memory. "And I was an equally stubborn shit and refused to talk to you for the longest time because I was pissed that you didn't believe me! And Hermione was caught in the middle between two hard-headed hormonal idiots!"
Harry stared at Evan and then stared at Ron. His stomach clenched and his heart ached painfully. He did not ever think before that Ron would ever act that way, though he knew Ron did have his own feelings about his place in his life and family. Of course Harry wanted to share all he had with the Weasleys. They had shown him nothing but kindness, a sense of family, and what was gold compared to that? A wealth he had but did not want for a wealth he desperately craved.
Yet hearing the agony in Evan's voice, his sincerity, gave a weight to his words and Harry could only gape at them, not wanting to comprehend a possibility of his time without one of his best friends.
Ron's face was an odd mixture of crimson and paleness as he looked at Harry guiltily, and turned his ire back at Evan. Hermione's head turned like Hedwig's did early, going from person to person constantly as if on a swivel. Hedwig had puffed up at Evan's rise in volume and temper and gently nipped his finger, calming him.
"And yes, we eventually made up," Evan said, leaning back and taking a deep breath. "After I survived that first task and you apologized and so did I in our stupid boneheaded way."
"That's good," Ron said shortly, face returning to normal color.
"But that year, this year, was the year things really went to hell," Evan continued. "The whole year sucked, I got tricked into being used for a dark ritual at a…graveyard." He looked off into the distance before he shook his head again and turned back to them. "Voldemort got a body back, the first of many people died, and things kept getting worse and worse until I finally ended it and ended up here."
He pointed at Harry. "But that was the Ron in my plane, not this one. So don't take this personal. This Ron hasn't done it and won't." He groaned and palmed his eyes. "Fucking hell. I'm not telling Dumbledore I said that." He snorted and shook his head. "But yeah, you see, me telling you that is going to mess with your head. You're going to try and overcorrect and act differently and it's still going to negatively impact you. There's a price to knowing things and it's way more nebulous when they didn't even happen yet so that's why I asked if you wanted this." He stared at Ron and Harry and both boys nodded slowly.
"So like I said, I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen," Evan said softly. "I'm going to make sure Harry gets the life he deserves. I'm going to stomp Riddle into the ground and make sure he stays there with all of his supporters with him for good this time. And finally, I'm going to compete in the TriWizard for real to prove that I can do it on my merit if I was the same age and had the same relative knowledge as the other Champions."
"Thank you," Harry said. "Really."
"What's family for?" Evan grinned. "Aside from inflicting mental damage on each other in various forms?"
"I feel like I should be concerned with how you say that," Hermione said with mild disapproval. She snorted too. "Then again, my extended family are rather horrifying so there's that."
"I can't really let you do everything though," Harry said. "It sounds like you've been through hell already. I have to help."
"We've gone through a lot with fuck all for help," Evan said. "You can sit back and enjoy things for a bit." He snorted richly. "But then again, I know you like I know me and therefore I know you'll get stuck in somehow so we'll figure it out when it happens."
He turned and smiled, snapping his fingers. "Hey Dobby!"
"Hello Master Evan! Hello Master Harry and Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger!" Dobby had appeared and stood to one side respectfully and approached when Evan dropped the charm and waved. "Dobby thought Master Evan would like a sandwich."
"I would love a sandwich, thank you Saint Dobby!" Evan took the offered sandwich and bit into it without reservation. "Mmm, that's good. Thank you so much."
Dobby beamed. "You are welcome! Oh, before Dobby forgets. The Headmaster has requested for you to come to his office to meet the other Champions officially and to be told about the Tournament proper."
"Ah, right. Okay, I'll go." Evan reluctantly gave Hedwig back to Harry and fed her a piece of his sandwich. "Better go talk to them then. I'll see you three later." Evan walked back to the castle, eating solidly and Dobby popped away with a wave, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting there by the lakeside, the only sound being the lapping of the waves against the shore and Hedwig munching on her bite of sandwich.
"I know what you mean now," Hermione said softly. "About him having had a rough life. He hasn't told us much but from what he has, it really happened."
Harry nodded, watching his form shrink into the distance and go into the castle. "I believe him."
Ron looked uncomfortable. "I don't want to," he said quietly. "But…he's not wrong." He looked at Harry with a pained expression. "I really did think for a moment that you somehow managed to put your name in the Goblet."
Harry felt a twinge of pain and displeasure before he squashed it down. "I guess I can't blame you," he said, smiling a little at Ron's hopeful expression.
"I'm glad we're still talking and stuff though," Ron said eagerly.
"Me too," Harry smiled.
"Boys," Hermione smiled.
-0-
"Ah, welcome Mister Potter," Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, gushed when Evan walked into Dumbledore's office. The others were there already: Cedric, Dumbledore, Fleur, Maxime, Viktor, and Karkaroff as well as a scattering of other professors from the three schools. "And here is the Fourth Champion!"
"I still do not believe that it is fair," Karkaroff said, standing a fair distance away from Evan.
"Have you tried asking the Goblet to reconsider?" Evan asked, giving Karkaroff a very large and wide smile. "Renegotiate perhaps?" His smile widened when the Durmstrang Headmaster snorted and pointedly ignored him.
Ludo coughed awkwardly. "Well let's not get hung up on the minutiae. I mean, yes it should be three for TriWizard but a fourth Champion adds even more excitement to things. Four is a more round number so it'll be even more interesting!"
He coughed again as Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor gave him flat looks and he continued hurriedly. "Anyways, here is what to expect in the near future. We will be having a Weighing of the Wands ceremony next week where Britain's Ollivander will inspect your wands and make sure everything is ready. The First Task to test your abilities and intelligence and skills will be November 24th. You will be tasked to overcome a great obstacle to retrieve something very valuable. And that is the only hint you will get! You of course will be able to prepare for it to the best of your abilities. After the Task's competition, you will be given a clue to the next. Any questions?"
There were none. Fleur and Viktor began to talk to their respective heads and professors in their different languages and Evan turned to Dumbledore first. "I have a question about the other thing for you."
Dumbledore looked at him curiously before nodding. "Of course. Perhaps after I speak with Cedric and get him started?"
"Sure thing. I think there'll be a talk between us after anyways so I'll pop back up after that." Evan started to leave the office.
"You may not be strictly a student currently," McGonagall said as he walked past her, "but…if you wish to speak to someone about anything, my office door is open to you. Harry, no, Evan." Her eyes popped open as Evan hugged her tightly and she returned the embrace.
"Thank you McGonaMum," he said warmly, making the others gasp or stifle reactions and her eyes opened even wider. "I'll pop by later with tea. I'd love to chat with you!" With a cheery smile he left the office, leaving a flabbergasted McGonagall behind.
"McGonaMum?" Flitwick repeated, looking up at McGonagall with deep amusement.
"I do not think I have ever been called that by anyone, not even that one's father or godfather," McGonagall said, struggling to scowl through a smile. "I cannot say that I dislike it, however."
-0-
After some time, Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor descended the staircase, leaving Dumbledore's office together. They had just walked down the hall for a bit before a whistle drew their attention. Evan waved at them from an unused classroom, sitting on a desk and chewing on something. "Come on in," he said, swallowing a mouthful of pork pie. "Figured we might as well get this out of the way."
The other Champions looked at each other before walking in cautiously, turning to look as the door closed behind them and Evan snapping his fingers lightly. "Privacy charm," he explained at their look.
"What do you mean 'get this out of the way'?" Cedric asked, looking at Evan curiously.
"I figured you three had some questions and I'll answer them to the best of my ability to answer questions," Evan said glibly as he bit into another pie.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" Viktor asked, not even hiding his suspicion or curiosity.
"That's me," Evan grinned. "Going by Evan now though to not confuse things with this Harry though."
"From another time and plane?" Fleur asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Yes and yes," Evan said. "Also, just real fast, it's really nice seeing you three again."
The others exchanged a look. "So you've competed before?" Cedric asked.
Evan nodded. "Yup, like how Harry would have if I didn't show up. A 14-year-old against you three. Wasn't the best thing to do. But now I'm your age roughly with more knowledge so it'll be a bit more even now."
"Save for the fact that you already know what is to come," Viktor said dryly.
"Well things might be different. Some things have already changed," Evan said with a light shrug. "But I mean, it's not that much of an advantage. Knowing what's coming and being able to do something about it are two different things and with how much cheating that goes on during the tournament, the advantage would be fleeting in a way."
"Cheating?" Cedric repeated.
"I bet those two already have plans set up with their schools about how to ferret stuff out and combat it," Evan said without heat, pointing at Fleur and Viktor.
"As if you did not," Fleur replied coolly. "Or will not."
"I got through with luck and some help with literal evil," Evan laughed, surprising them. "The first time around. This time, I'm going to rely on myself." He popped the rest of the pie in his mouth. "But in the interests of fairness, and I'm pretty sure the first Task is the same, I'll tell you all this now. We're going to each go against a dragon. A nesting mother. We have to steal a fake egg. She's going to try and kill us because she's a nesting mother."
"No way," Cedric gasped as the other two blanched.
"Way," Evan replied.
"How do we know you are telling the truth?" Viktor asked, his eyes narrowed.
"You don't," Evan said blithely. "You only have my word that I'm not lying. As far as I see it though, these are your options." He held up a finger, "I'm lying, trying to mess with you. You freak out, overprepare, and get wrongfooted when the task is actually something else. You don't perform as well, I perform better, and I come ahead."
He held up a second finger. "Alternatively, I'm telling the truth in the interest of fairness because I want this to be a fair tournament. I want to beat you all fair and square to prove that if I were of equal standing, which I more or less am now, I would've had a good showing and done well. And I do want to win, and I do want to beat you all fairly, to prove that I earned it.
"So which is the accurate interpretation?" Evan shrugged. "I don't have anything to gain from lying to you. In fact, I try not to lie as much as I can." He flexed his right hand a few times. "It's up to you if you want to believe me or not. I promise I won't take it personal."
He straightened, his posture changing, his expression growing cold and sharp. The change immediately put the other three on edge and they looked at him with newfound wariness. "Let's make one thing clear though, this is between you lot and me. Don't fuck with Harry. You fuck with him, it becomes personal. And when things get personal, I don't hold back. We clear?"
When they nodded, he relaxed, growing merry once more. "Brilliant! Looking forward to getting to know you all better and having a good competition." He held up a plate of pork pies. "Anyone want one?"
"Where did you get these?" Cedric asked before taking one. Fleur looked at them and shook her head and Viktor took one without question.
"Saint Dobby. He's the best," Evan said, already eating another one. "Right, I have a meeting with the Headmaster. Later!" He left the room, snapping his fingers as he went, still holding onto the plate.
"Is he, how you say, mad?" Fleur asked, looking at the open door. "Not right in the head?"
"I do not believe he is," Viktor said, biting into the pie and looking at it appreciatively. "He is dangerous, but he believes in what he says. I feel that."
"I mean, we know time turners are a thing," Cedric said slowly. "But those don't go back years or forward and well, coming from a different dimension? Hard to believe." He bit into the pie he took as well.
"Is he like the other Harry?" Fleur asked, looking at Cedric.
"I don't know Harry all that well," Cedric said, shrugging slightly. "He's a good Seeker, brilliant flyer. He's…had a rough time of things here." He winced. "Two years ago, people thought he was the Heir of Slytherin and was siccing a monster on Muggleborns. No one really was nice about it until well after things ended and he was proven innocent too."
"Small wonder he is protective," Viktor said with approval. "Well, I will believe him. He does not smell of dishonesty and he will be a worthy opponent." He finished the pie and left with Cedric and Fleur following not far behind, lost in their own thoughts.
-0-
"How can I help you?" Dumbledore asked when it was just him in the office and Evan returned. He was sitting at his desk when the young man walked in and tossed a pie to a happy Fawkes who ate it noisily.
"When did you start researching about Riddle?" Evan asked. "Trying to figure out his history and interviewing people to do so?"
"At the end of last year," Dumbledore said honestly. "After the events of Peter's return. After learning that he was the one that betrayed your parents and Sirius, I thought it would be good to investigate Tom's history and try to divine his actions based on his past."
Evan's eyes flickered and he suppressed a growl. "Right, makes sense. Do you remember interviewing a Ministry official that confronted the Gaunts?"
"Vaguely," Dumbledore said, looking surprised. His brow furrowed. "I will have to do some memory searching, but I think I do recall something of that nature."
"Try to figure that out," Evan said. "One of the things that would have happened this year is that Riddle turns the TriWizard Cup into a Portkey through Crouch Junior as fake Moody, and I got taken to a graveyard. Riddle does a ritual involving the bones of his father to get a new body back. That and my blood and Peter's hand."
Dumbledore grimaced. "I think I have read about that ritual and it is a very Dark one. Why do you ask?"
"Pretty sure the father's bones are buried close-by to where the Gaunts were," Evan said.
Dumbledore nodded. "So if we can find this location, we can potentially find him if he is near."
"And maybe mess up the ritual materials and make it harder for him," Evan said.
Dumbledore frowned at that but nodded. "At the least, make it so he cannot use them in such a way."
"Yeah, that's what I said," Evan said. He grinned at Dumbledore's look.
"I will do that soon," Dumbledore promised. "Oh, and Amelia contacted me before the Champion meeting. Sirius' trial has been set. I have gotten into contact with him and Remus and I will be personally escorting him to the Ministry to ensure he comes to no harm."
"Hey, that's great! Harry'll be so excited," Evan said, looking pleased.
"And you as well, I am sure," Dumbledore said, looking up at him.
"Well of course, Sirius deserves it as does Harry," Evan said. "And Remus gets some closure too. Speaking of, have you found a new Defense professor?"
"No, I have not," Dumbledore said wryly.
"Hire Remus again," Evan said. "Tell him that a werewolf is a lot better than an escaped criminal and Death Eater."
Dumbledore snorted. "That would help a lot if he were to accept again. I will make the offer."
"Good. He's a good one." Evan turned to leave.
"Do you have any questions about the Tournament?" Dumbledore asked.
"Not right now, maybe later, depending," Evan said as he walked to the door. "Thanks for asking though." He stopped at the door. "Well, will you look at that."
"At what?" Dumbledore asked, looking around.
"Seems like I still trust you a little bit, Sir," Evan said genially. He bowed and left the office entirely, leaving a bemused and slightly exasperated Dumbledore behind.
Dumbledore turned to look at his phoenix who finished his pie and was looking very pleased and satisfied. With a wry snort, Dumbledore reached into a drawer and took out a slim notebook and paged through it slowly, looking for something written within.