The door burst open and three men forced their way into the small flat. They wore dark clothes and overrobes, aiming with their wands. The flat was pleasant, furnished with comfortable looking things and a few decorations here and there. Framed articles hung from the walls and the most ornate looking piece was a large writing desk that sat before a window that looked out over the city.
"Look for her," one of the men ordered and the other two nodded. They spread out through the flat, kicking doors open and throwing things about. The leader cast a few spells and frowned, eyes never ceasing.
"Is she here?" one of the others asked after they searched the flat.
"Has to be. We put down anti-apparition charms and blocked the Floo," the leader growled. "We kept an eye on the place when she came in and she hasn't left. She has to be in here somewhere. Keep looking. In a few minutes, we'll burn the whole place down just to be sure."
Their heads whipped around and wand arms raised when a knock was heard. The front door shook a few times from the gentle but loud knocking from the outside.
"Pizza Delivery," a voice called through the door, making the three men relax for a moment.
"See? She must have ordered food and was waiting when we came. She still has to be here," the leader hissed quietly.
"Hello?" the delivery person said, calling out once more. "Delivery! You'll want it while it's still hot."
"Answer the door and get him out of here, however you need to," the leader said to one of the others.
The other man tucked his wand in his pocket and opened the door, revealing a young man standing there. "Yeah," the man grunted.
"You're D.D. Eater?" the delivery man asked, looking incredibly bored.
The intruder shot a confused look behind him at the leader who nodded hurriedly. "Yeah, that's me," the man grunted.
The delivery man grinned, suddenly no longer looking bored. "Glad to hear it." He opened the pizza box he was holding and a sudden flash of intense light burst forth from it, blinding the three men within the flat who threw their hands up and shouted in alarm and pain.
Evan bodily kicked the man at the door, hitting him directly in the chest and driving him back as well as driving the air from his lungs. He murmured an incantation and threw the pizza box at the man closest to the door. The cardboard transfigured in mid-air, growing teeth and claws and it wrapped the now fang-filled gaping maw around the man and bit hard, chewing and biting as the man started to scream, clawing at his face to try and rip the box off.
By then the leader recovered somewhat and sent a stream of spells at Evan, missing most of them due to the spots in his vision. Evan blocked them with a shield spell, kicking the door behind him shut. He deflected a red spell into the man he kicked and the man grunted in pain before going limp. Another flick of his wand sent the limp man flying at the leader who tried to dive out of the way but was clipped by his former ally, tumbling to the ground. Then it was his turn to go limp when Evan stunned him.
Evan looked around the flat, eyes searching for more threats, ignoring the third man's muffled screaming as he was still being mauled by the transfigured pizza box. The screams stopped when Harry stunned him too and then dispelled the magic around the pizza box, making it go still. Evan looked around the flat carefully, casting a revealing spell and a searching charm before he nodded.
"Rita? You here?" he asked.
A tiny beetle flew out from behind one of the framed articles and with a pop, Rita landed on her feet. She gaped at the three downed men before looking at Evan with grateful eyes. "You came!"
"Well yeah," Evan said, raising an eyebrow. "I told you, I look after those that help me."
"I mean I knew you did for the Malfoys and figured you'd like me more than them at least," she said. She frowned when he waggled his hand.
"I'm kidding," he grinned when she pouted.
"I'm going to write whatever you want forever," Rita said, shivering slightly as she looked down at the men. "They were going to kill me! Even at my worst, no one sent people to actually try and kill me!"
"He's getting desperate," Evan said quietly. He shook his head. "Let's get you out of here. Do you have somewhere else to stay?"
"I'm a well-paid journalist but I'm still a journalist," she said dryly.
Evan snorted. "Right. I think I can find you a safe place. You might have to be on extra-good behavior though."
"Whatever I need to do, I'll do." Rita glared at the downed men. "And now it's personal. I'm going to figure out who these bastards are and hang their dirty laundry out for everyone to read."
"Grab your essentials and let's take these guys to the Ministry and the Aurors, then let's get out of here," Evan said. He bound the men magically and mundanely while Rita packed a bag.
"Did you ask if they were D.D. Eater when you arrived?" Rita asked as they were getting ready to leave. She sighed when he nodded. "Let me guess, something Death Eater?"
"Dead Death Eater," Evan said, grinning at her snort. "What, not everyone's clever with words like you. Let's get out of here. We can get something to eat after dropping these guys off. I have a craving for pizza now for some reason."
"You know what, so do I," she replied, looking at the man who still had the pizza box wrapped around his face.
-0-
"Welcome back," Dumbledore said when Evan walked into his office. "I hope everything went well?"
"Yup," Evan nodded, chewing on a slice of pizza. "Pizza?"
"Thank you," Dumbledore said, accepting a slice. He smiled when Evan put a large slice on Fawkes' food dish and the phoenix sang happily, nuzzling Evan before munching. "You arrived on time, obviously."
"Yup. Took them down, and then dropped them off at the Aurors. Two of them are your typical bully-boys but the leader was another Ministry official, one that worked with the Floo Department." Evan grinned at Dumbledore's groan. "Yup, so that one is being shaken up as we speak."
"Just as well, the Floo network is vital," Dumbledore said. "And Miss Skeeter was unharmed?"
"Pissed as hell but physically fine," Evan nodded. "She found out their identities while we were doing the processing and already wrote out a few articles in her head to rake them over the coals. She also has another one condemning the Ministry for their lack of drive to address the current threat and state of affairs properly."
"I am sure they will be quite biting," Dumbledore chuckled. "Which will serve us well, as well."
"She's at Grimmauld now. Sirius was fine with it after she signed a contract regarding good behavior," Evan said, smiling as he chewed.
"Done for the best I am sure," Dumbledore said sagely. He chewed thoughtfully. "I am seeing a resemblance to the prior war," he said slowly.
"Riddle sending people out to kill and kidnap others? He did that a lot during the Second War too," Evan said, eyes narrowing. "He's getting desperate. He needs to show strength even while he's in a much worse position now."
"He is very much diminished," Dumbledore nodded. "He still has a core of followers, but some of his best and most ruthless are now with him, so his position is not as stable as he likes. You are right however. With what Miss Skeeter was doing to his other followers, he had to try and silence it to appear strong."
"It's a good and a bad thing," Evan said moodily. "I mean, don't get me wrong. It's better that he doesn't have the support from his followers like he did before. He's weaker because of it. But because he's weaker, he's going to be more erratic while also hiding more. He's drawn his head in like a turtle and since we don't have any direct access to any of his current people, we don't really know what his plans are for sure."
He bit into another slice of pizza and chewed angrily. "I don't want this to be drawn out. Let him build strength, strike out, and rinse and repeat until one side makes a costly mistake. That'll lead to unnecessary blood being spilt from innocents and our side."
"I agree," Dumbledore sighed. "We will need to lure him out."
Evan nodded. "I thought about dangling the prophecy in his face. He really wanted that before and went through great lengths to get it." Evan stopped eating and looked at the stone floor, lost in the memories of the fight at the Department of Mysteries, and the resulting consequences.
Dumbledore watched him closely. "I believe we may be able to use that," he said slowly. He cleared his throat. "Before we continue to plan for that, there is something I would like to address with you."
"Oh? What's that?" Evan looked up, no longer lost in the past. He gave Dumbledore a curious look. He looked even more intrigued when Dumbledore opened a concealed drawer and removed the former Horcrux ring. "Wow, you must really want to wear that."
Dumbledore chuckled. "I did want it, but to not wear per se." He gripped the large black stone that sat on the top and gently but firmly twisted, popping it out of the mount. He then looked down at it for a long moment before he offered it to Evan.
Evan took it and looked at it curiously, his eyes narrowing as he looked at it. It was small and oddly shaped but felt even odder. It was cold in his hand, far colder than it should have been, and it seemed to throb in his hand ever so slightly, as if it were beating. "What's this?" Evan asked, still looking at it.
"Have you ever heard of the Deathly Hallows?" Dumbledore asked. "Did your Dumbledore ever speak to you of them?"
"Not really," Evan said. "Wait, I remember Hermione reading us a story from a book she got from our Dumbledore though, after he died. Three brothers made three artifacts of immense power." He blinked. "Is this supposed to be the Resurrection Stone?"
"I believe it is," Dumbledore said quietly.
Evan stared at him. "And you believe in them? The Hallows?"
Dumbledore held out his wand and with an encouraging nod, watched as Evan took it. Evan rolled it around in his fingers and he noticed that the wand and the stone both felt oddly similar though the wand seemed warmer than it should. Both seemed to resonate with one another, a subtle tingle that could just barely be felt.
"And this is the Elder Wand?" Evan asked slowly.
"I also believe it is. It has a very long history and eventually came into my possession," Dumbledore said quietly. "In my youth, I spent a long time studying and researching about the Hallows. The Wand, the Stone, and the Cloak. It is widely believed that several families could draw connections of blood to the three brothers. And it would only make sense that such items were passed down within the family, save for the Wand since its history is more bloody and it was claimed time and again by the victors."
Evan looked at the wand and the stone in his hands before putting them on the table. He then reached into his beaded bag and removed a cloak that shimmered as it moved. He put it on the table alongside the other two items and he looked at them for a long moment with Dumbledore. "I never thought that the cloak felt weird in any way," he said after some silence. "But with them here, they do all feel…similar."
Dumbledore blinked, his face creasing into a smile of wonder. "Incredible," he said softly. "I have always dreamed of this moment, but to see it now, it is an honor." He looked at Evan. "You never had the wand or the stone in your plane?"
Evan shook his head. "But…now that you mention it, this does look a lot like the wand that Voldemort used a lot at the end," Evan said, looking at the Elder Wand.
"Would you like to use it?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Evan.
Evan held the wand again and after a moment, shook his head and returned it to Dumbledore, handle first. "No thank you. I can feel the power in it but…I prefer mine."
Dumbledore took the wand back gravely but looked at Evan proudly. "A testament to your character, to return offered power."
"Or I'm stubborn and prefer what I have because I don't like change," Evan said, grinned.
Dumbledore smiled. "Also a testament to your character."
"Sure, that's a nice way to phrase it." Evan put the cloak back in his bag and patted it. "So, what are we addressing by the way?"
"You."
Evan snorted. "Figured. What about me? My stubbornness again?"
"In a way." Dumbledore looked at Evan with blue eyes full of emotion. "Before we continue, I think it is important that you forgive yourself."
Evan rolled his eyes. "I'm not beating myself up over how I'm acting here, think we've gone over that enough."
"We have, and knowing you more now, I can see why you act in such a way." Dumbledore smiled wryly. "Which will not prevent me from naysaying some of your more dubious responses, but I can understand."
"I'm glad we have that now, it's refreshing," Evan grinned.
"Quite." Dumbledore turned serious once more. "What I mean, is that you must forgive yourself for what transpired on your plane." He held a hand up when Evan opened his mouth to protest. "Evan, Harry, I was a witness to your pain and your memories in the cave and when I…looked at your memories that were caught in the Thought-Web. You were put into a terrible position and you did your best, but you punish yourself for it. You hold onto the pain and castigate yourself with it. I have re-examined your actions and behavior since arriving to this plane and it is clear how desperate you are."
"Can you blame me?" Evan said, sitting back and glaring at Dumbledore. "You've seen some of what I've gone through and let me tell you, there are way worse memories that I don't want anyone to see."
"I believe you," Dumbledore said sadly. "And I do not blame you."
"So how am I supposed to go on then? Huh? It was my fault."
"No, it was not."
"I didn't stop him fast enough! He got away with too much!"
"You were unsupported! Not to mention that you were a child when it all started, you were responsible when you had no reason to be!"
Evan snorted. "Yeah, we agree on that. But Riddle marked me as his equal, remember? He did it to a damn baby and so I got the job and well, I had to do it. No one else. What else was I supposed to do?"
"You did your best," Dumbledore said quietly. "You did more than you could have ever been expected to."
"My best wasn't good enough," Evan said quietly, looking away.
"It was," Dumbledore insisted.
"There's proof against that," Evan said acidly, glaring at Dumbledore. "So much proof. Every fucking grave and every friend and innocent I watched die and some of those didn't even get to be put to deserved rest. All of that is proof that I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH!"
His last words came out as a roar and Dumbledore did not flinch, only looking on with sincere sadness for the young man. Fawkes sang sadly, his voice cutting through Evan's. Evan breathed heavily, hands on the desk, having risen to his feet when his voice rose.
"I wasn't good enough," Evan repeated, chest heaving, face burning. "I have to be better now to prevent any of it from happening again. I have to. I can't let that happen again here. I simply can't."
"You were responsible for stopping him, but not responsible for what he did," Dumbledore said softly.
"No, he did all that because I couldn't stop him fast enough," Evan retorted. "No offense Sir, but you weren't there. You saw some things but you didn't live through it. You have no idea how bad it was. You honestly have no room to say otherwise."
"There is truth to that," Dumbledore said without being offended. He looked at the stone.
Evan looked at it too. "No," he said, shaking his head.
"Why not?"
"Would it even work that way? It's not from my plane," Evan said, staring at it.
"We will not know until we try. Magic is rather strange that way," Dumbledore said reasonably.
"Doesn't it hurt them?" Evan whispered.
Dumbledore's heart ached. "I think if it is prolonged and repeated, it can have some impact, yes. But I like to think they would tolerate it for a short time, for you."
"No, I won't," Evan repeated, sitting back, his eyes still not leaving the stone.
"Why?" Dumbledore asked gently.
Evan's lips moved but no sound emerged. "What if they blame me?" he whispered, voice breaking. "I…I…"
"That is a possibility, but I sincerely doubt they would," Dumbledore said gently. "Evan, you said you did not deserve to survive." He hesitated for a moment. He had walked in on a conversation Remus and Sirius were having with what Evan had said over the Winter Holiday. He had gently but firmly asked them to explain and the two men had vaguely said what Evan had said. The two men were very worried about Evan and Dumbledore had also been very concerned as well.
The vulnerability Evan showed in the cave further cemented Dumbledore's worry and concern and he had thought long and hard about how to help. He truly wished to help Evan, seeing a poor young man that had suffered lifetimes, endured horror that no one should. Yet despite all of that, Evan fought on. A true testament to his character.
Dumbledore had sworn to do right by Evan and he knew he wanted to try and help in this way.
After ensuring that the stone in the Gaunt ring was in fact the Resurrection Stone, Dumbledore knew that this would be the best way to help. It was a very large and potentially disastrous gamble, but it could also be the key to help Evan.
"I firmly disagree with that," Dumbledore said. "I think you have done more than anyone could possibly ask of you. You have suffered so much. Endure more than any should. And despite all of that, you continue to fight on. You could easily stop altogether, to ignore the problems and responsibilities. Yet, you do not. You are a consummate fighter, a strong individual. Any can see it."
Old eyes met young ones that were older than they should have been. "I truly believe that they would tell you the same."
Evan said nothing for a long time.
"What if they don't?" he asked in a whisper.
"Then they are wrong and we will do what we must to convince them otherwise," Dumbledore said gently.
Evan gave him a haunted look before looking back at the stone. "This has bad idea written all over it, and I know a lot about bad ideas," he said with a ghost of a smile.
"I cannot believe I am about to say this, and if you say I did I will deny it, but we might as well try and know for sure," Dumbledore said.
Evan looked at him. "That's not very naysayer of you."
"As you know, I have many faults and we can add some minor inconsistency to the list," Dumbledore said dryly, making Evan snort.
Evan finally picked up the Resurrection Stone and held it in his right hand. With closed eyes, he clenched his hand tight, squeezing it. He felt the air shift around him and when he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by spectral forms. They appeared from the aether, looking as if they had been there for ages. As if they had been standing there unseen and then were now revealed to all. They looked like ghosts yet not, something similar yet different.
Dumbledore blinked, looking around and seeing them too. He gasped as he recognized them, looking so very similar to people he already knew and yet different in subtle ways. They all ignored him, however, their focus on Evan.
Evan moaned, his eyes wide and glistening. He reached out with his open hand at the closest form, touching nothing but air. His voice was hoarse, a wounded keen that cut through the air leaving jagged edges behind.
The ghostly form of Ron Weasley looked at his best friend with a similar expression of pain and joy, of seeing each other once again. He was older than the Ron of the current plane, had scars the other lacked. But he stood there as if he belonged there, looking at Evan with a warm smile. He looked up and down at Evan before grinning. "You got younger and uglier. Sucks to be you."
Evan smiled, a large expression despite the tears in his eyes and the others chuckled and snorted and laughed. "Told you it sucked being me, always did."
"Yeah well, at least you had me around making things suck less," Ron said smugly.
"How are you even here?" Evan asked wonderingly, looking around at them.
"As far as we can figure, your entry into this plane created a connection," Remus said, looking younger and more whole. "When you appeared here, we were able to come here too. It's rather incredible honestly."
"We can go back and forth," Sirius grinned, also looking more whole. "We can see things on either plane and it's really interesting."
Evan looked at them with wonder before his eyes clouded, seeing another approach. "Mrs. Weasley, I'm so sorry-"
The ghostly form of Molly put her hand against his cheek and though he could not feel it, he almost could. "Harry, Evan, don't apologize," she said kindly. "I know you did your best, and it was incredible. I don't blame you. None of us do."
"Always appreciated you avenging us too," Fred grinned.
"Nice attention to detail," George nodded.
"You always fought hard, more than you ever should have," Dora said, hugging him though he nor she could feel it. "We're proud of you, Harry. Bugger. Evan. Gosh, you have to be even more confusing, don't you?" She and he laughed together.
"You do deserve this," Andromeda said quietly. "This chance. You've hurt more than we did, Evan. You absolutely deserve this."
"But I'm still alive," Evan protested.
"At least we could go to our rest," Arthur said kindly. "Sometimes, it is colder and crueler to continue on and not having the rest you deserve."
"And if you resist listening to us, maybe you'll listen to them." Molly waved her hands and Evan fell to his knees when four others approached.
"Mum, Dad," Evan gasped, seeing Lily and James Potter kneeling beside him. He blinked when he saw another pair that looked so like them there too. "Uh…wait, are you Mum and Dad? Or are they Mum and Dad."
"We've decided that we're both," the Lilys said together, eyes full of identical love shining and radiating shared pain.
"It's been a bit strange," the first one said with a smile.
"But a good one," the second said with the same smile.
"Our poor boys," the first Lily said, smiling sadly at Evan. "You're both so strong and brave, but especially you."
"We're proud of you," the Jameses said.
"Thank you for looking after your little brother," the second Lily said, eyes warm. "We always wanted a big family."
"He needs someone looking after him," Evan whispered, staring at their faces, eyes full of want and hunger.
"You did good, Son," the first James said. "You did there, you are here. Don't forget that."
"Seriously," the second James said. "First thing you do when you come here, you stand up and come out fighting. That's a Potter for you. Still doing the right thing, even though it's hard. Don't forget that."
"Why me?" Evan cried out. "I just want it to stop. I want to be with you."
"And we want that too," Lily said mournfully. "But not for a very long time. We want you to live. To live happily and well. Make memories, build stories."
"Then, much later, you can join us," the other Lily said, smiling through her tears. "We'll have forever after together."
"You deserve this," the other James said. "All of the good to make up for all of the bad."
"We know you do," James nodded.
"Lad, you did good," Ted said, smiling at him. "The world you left behind, it's healing. You did it. You finished things for good. Already they are rebuilding, repairing, thriving. You sacrificed everything for everyone. Magic has a way of balancing things, and it brought you here to give you the life you deserve."
"But you just have to do it again before you get it, annoyingly," Sirius snorted. "But you'll get it. You'll fight the fight, and live happily ever after."
"I did good?" Evan asked, voice small and nearly broken.
"You did wonderfully," Lily said. "And you keep doing so."
Something deep inside his chest broke but instead of pain, he felt relief. A tiny knot of long held pain and grief began to loosen and unravel. He felt something deep within shift and for a moment, he could breathe once more. "Thank you," he whispered, the tears falling down his face.
Dumbledore continued to watch and listen, vaguely feeling like he was intruding on something very deep and private. He had thought about leaving but was trapped there, unable to not be an outside observer. He noticed Fawkes' eyes open wide and he turned, coming face to face with a spectral reflection. He blinked slowly, staring at his ghostly counterpart, his mouth opening slightly.
"Do not fail him, like I did," the other Dumbledore said, looking intensely regretful.
"I will try not to," Dumbledore said quietly.
The spectral Dumbledore nodded and with one last look at Evan surrounded by the shades of the others, disappeared. The encounter went mostly unheard and unseen by the others, for good or for ill.
"You can let us go now, Son," James said, sad but proud. "And never forget that we love you so much, and that we believe in you. We'll always be with you. You deserve this, don't question it."
"I won't," Evan swore.
"So get up, kick his arse, win the tournament, and stop being a moody brooding hen of a bastard," Ron said, earning a smack from his mother while the others laughed appreciatively.
"Fuck you too," Evan grinned, smiling sheepishly as the Lilys and Andromeda tutted at him, though they smiled as well. He rose to his feet and held his hands out, sighing as the shades hugged him and touched him though he nor they could feel it. "I love you all, and miss you so much," he whispered.
"It's only for now, love," Lily smiled. "And we love you so much too. More than you'll ever know." One by one the shades disappeared back into the aether, their smiles the last things to fade.
"Oh say, one more thing," Ron said as he was the last to go. "Just wanted you to know, Hedwig was around for a while but funny thing, a few months ago, she kind of disappeared. Couldn't find her anymore." He winked at Evan. "Weird, right?"
Evan smiled, ignoring the tears on his face. "Yeah, that's weird. Thanks, Ron."
"You're welcome. And Harry, Evan, don't fuck it up."
Evan Harry James Potter laughed, his voice echoing through the room. "I'll do my best."
"I know you will." Ron disappeared completely. "Your best is always good enough."
Silence reigned in the office and although it was only Evan, Dumbledore, and Fawkes, it did not feel completely empty for some reason. Evan opened his hand, staring at the stone. "Thank you, Sir," he said at last. He sounded exhausted, yet freer than he ever did before. "I think I needed that."
"You are welcome," Dumbledore said quietly. "And I wholeheartedly agree with them."
Evan nodded. "What should we do with this?"
"A very good question," Dumbledore said, staring at the stone in Evan's hand.
After a moment, Evan looked around the office before back at Dumbledore. "I think we should let Hogwarts decide. She…she will know what to do."
"I agree," Dumbledore said with approval.
Evan dropped the stone but right when it should have hit the floor, the stone sank into the stones instead. The tiniest of ripples emanated from the point of impact before turning smooth once more. The castle around them shifted slightly before going still once more, and a sense of warmth filled the air. Something unseen, changed.
"So you spoke with your other you?" Evan asked conversationally. He smiled at Dumbledore's surprise. "I noticed but didn't hear."
"We did." Dumbledore coughed a little. "He also told me to not fuck it up." He smiled at Evan's shocked laughter.
"No he didn't," Evan said, coughing and laughing.
"Not in so many words but the sentiment was there," Dumbledore said.
"Fair enough. I think you and I will get along a little better though," Evan said softly.
"I certainly hope so," Dumbledore said sincerely.
"I think I'll take a break and maybe we can start thinking of our next steps soon," Evan said, looking at Dumbledore. He looked and sounded tired, but the subtle tension that was always there was now gone, something Dumbledore only noticed now with its absence.
"I think that is a very good idea. And I should be able to provide the parameters for the Third Task soon."
"Oh right, the Tournament," Evan remarked, making Dumbledore chuckle. "I'll see you tomorrow then. See you, Fawkes." He waved as Fawkes warbled and did the same, leaving slowly.
Dumbledore sank back into his chair, also suddenly tired but feeling better for it. He rested his hand against the wall. "Thank you," he said to the empty air. He smiled as he felt the stone beneath his hand pulse and the fire in the hearth grew in strength, warming the room once more.
-0-
Evan wandered the halls before coming back to his room and he walked through the portrait door. He smiled when Wisteria flapped to him, holding his arm out so she could land on it daintily. He looked at her closely and she did the same to him, amber eyes meeting emerald ones. She blinked when he did and he smiled.
"Hi again," he whispered. He smiled through his tears at her happy cooing and he hugged her tightly, enjoying the way she fluffed her feathers against his face and how she tugged on his hair. "I've missed you so much," he whispered into her feathers. "Thank you, for coming back to me, for finding me."
He laughed when she bonked her head against his, cooing even louder.
"I love you so much too," he said, eyes bright.
They stood there for long moments before the door opened again, allowing Harry to come in.
"Hey, is everything okay?" he asked as Hedwig flapped to Evan.
"Yeah, actually, everything's great," Evan said. He smiled when Hedwig pecked his arm and he opened his arms again to hug her too. "I, uh, I saw our parents. Yours and mine. In a dream sort of."
"Really?" Harry looked wistful. "That means I can dream about them too, right?"
"Absolutely," Evan said. He rested an arm around Harry's shoulders as the owls sat on his. "They wanted to say how proud of you they are, and that you need to keep taking care of me because I'm a bit more irresponsible."
"Did they really say that?" Harry asked, narrowing an eye slightly.
"Something like that," Evan grinned.
"That's cool," Harry smiled. He sighed. "I hope I can see them in my dreams soon."
Evan tilted his head, feeling Hogwarts around him. "I'm sure you will," he said confidently.
"I'm glad you're feeling better. You feel different," Harry said, looking up at him. "In a good way."
"I do feel better," Evan said. "And ready for what's to come."
"We'll handle it together," Harry said stoutly.
"Yeah we will," Evan said just as stoutly. "Come on, let's get Ron and Hermione and Luna and go to Hogsmeade. Let's eat there and have some fun."
"It's not a Hogsmeade weekend," Harry protested with a smile. "It's not even a weekend technically."
"Ah right, don't suppose I can get away with claiming special treatment as a Champion, huh?"
"I doubt Professor McGonagall will accept that," Harry snorted.
"You should start calling her McGonaMum too," Evan mused.
"She can't quite punish you, but she sure still can for me," Harry laughed. "But maybe I'll try it when you're around so I can push the blame to you."
"Yeah, let's do that. I bet we can annoy her together more than Fred and George."
"What's gotten into you?" Harry laughed harder. "I'm not complaining though."
"Guess I got some weight off my shoulders and well, yeah," Evan said with a light shrug.
"Well, it's a good thing," Harry said happily.
"But you're not wrong that it's not a Hogsmeade weekend. Let's eat here tonight then and I'll go grab us some stuff from Hogsmeade to eat and drink. How's that sound?"
"Brilliant!"
Evan coughed. "Mind if I invite Fleur and her friends?"
Harry beamed. "Not at all. Just know I'll probably make fun of you for it later."
"Well I was already planning on doing that to you anyways, so that's fair."