The best river in Egypt
People are weird was the conclusion Evan Potter came to when he went from being a beloved hero to a cunning, attention-seeking asshole overnight at the age of fourteen.
First, everyone loved him. People admired him before they even met him. Then suddenly, when his twin brother, who he was clear about hating, was exposed for his ability to talk to snakes, suddenly he wasn’t a role model anymore.
The same went for his third year. When he vanished a boggart in the form of Voldemort, he was brave. He was amazing. But when his brother failed to vanish a creepy, disgusting boggart of their uncle, he was a failure for not protecting his little brother. The same one he was born after.
But Evan didn’t care about all that anymore. He didn’t care that Harry was always there when his reputation took a hit. He didn’t even care that Harry didn’t appreciate everything he did to protect the school.
Sure, he was selfish at times. He had a tendency to take more than his share as a kid, but he was a kid! He was a starving, abused kid! No one should blame him for that.
“You shouldn’t have hid yourself this well.” Evan grumbled, hunched by the window of his room.
Unlike Evan, his brother was gifted in muggle subjects, so he could always hide behind them. While Evan was better when it came to magic, Harry’s knowledge of the muggle world could easily help him hide for months.
“You shouldn’t be so stubborn, Harry. I know you’re good with spells, but you’re so physically weak-”
There was a knock at the door that stopped his sentence.
He turned to see Moony standing with a plate of biscuits. “Evan, you should go to bed soon.”
“No, I have to wait for him.” Evan rubbed his tired eyes. “He doesn’t like the cold too much.”
Moony didn’t give him the same heartbroken expression Padfoot got whenever someone mentioned Harry. Nor did he have the wistfull look Ron got. Or the look of relief Snape got.
Instead, the man looked sad and guilty. Out of the three of them, he had got the closest to getting Harry to open up.
He set the plate of biscuits on his bedside table, then kissed his hair.
“Please go to bed soon, tomorrow will come faster then.”
He didn’t bother answering Moony as the man exited the room, leaving the door slightly open.
Padfoot and Moony refused to let him have his door fully closed, not since Harry went and hid from them.
Not that he could blame him.
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Dolores Umbridge was the worst sort of woman Evan had ever met. Worse than Petunia Dursley. Unlike his aunt, the woman acted like she loved Harry, which annoyed him more than anything.
But ever since Cedric’s death, Evan was finally sure which side his brother was on. And he was sure that the Slytherins in his year could be trusted if something was for Harry.
So when Hermione and Ginny told him Harry would only join the DA if his Slytherin friends could join, Evan accepted.
Much to the shock and bafflement of the Gryffindors, Evan didn’t feel afraid of being betrayed by the Slytherins. Not when Draco Malfoy, their leader, was so gentle with Harry.
Evan watched as the DA members practiced the Expelliarmus spell in the Room of Requirement. While he had accepted the Slytherins into his group, it didn’t mean he or his friends had to help them beyond teaching them.
He refused to go near the Slytherins, even when Theodore Nott struggled.
Unlike him, Harry was willing to help anyone, even if he wasn’t enthusiastic about anything. Not only did he help them in the club, he didn’t hesitate to help them in class whenever he was asked.
Since the school year began, Evan kept an eye on his brother. Even when he didn’t have the energy to engage, which looked like always to Evan, he didn’t refuse to help anyone.
He almost reminded Evan of the old Harry. The brother he knew before magic came into their life. Before he ruined everything.
Evan shook his head as the members snuck out of the Room of Requirement. There wasn’t any use to linger in the past. Especially when the outcome wasn’t his fault.
No. Harry ruined their relationship, so he’d have to work for it back.
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It wasn’t until Professor McGonagall visited the Grimmauld Place that Evan snapped out of his delusion, his desperation. She had brought the enchanted book that held the names of the students currently attending Hogwarts.
Where Harry Potter would be written was someone else.
She also pulled out a letter of resignation from the school, along with a letter from Harry himself that he would be attending school elsewhere.
Moony and Padfoot let out a sigh of relief. “He’s probably going to Durmstrang or Beauxbaton!”
But Even wasn’t sure he believed that.
But he was sure of one thing: that bitch of a brother betrayed him.
He left him behind. Just as he planned years ago with Mrs Honey, before magic was revealed to him.
And the hatred in him burned.