The Dark Days

5. Evan Potter

My senses were out of control, the impression, fear and pain making me sick, and the Dark Mark shining in the sky worried me. As Regulus complained of the unbearable pain he was feeling, laying on the back of his unconscious brother I stood there, petrified in the middle of the district, MY district, my home, which was about to fall under the power of the Death Eathers and whoever was behind all of this. I was terrified. At least Lily and my friends were safe, hurt? Yes, but safe and that's what mattered the most to me, besides the imminent fall of district 4.

I didn't want to admit it, but I was about to give up. My mind was resigned to the thought that there was nothing I could do to save our home. I sat next to Lily, who was still unconscious and watched her for a while, her perfect face, pale skin that I loved to see everyday, her auburn hair, always perfectly styled, and with an unimaginable scent.

My mind started to travel back in time, giving me fast images of all of our moments together, and just seeing her laying there, unconscious, brought tears to my eyes once again.

I remember the first reaping of The Hunger Games last year, we were all dressed in blue, honoring the sea that surrounded us. My father standing there in his neat suit, next to the rest of the parents of the District. My brother was right next to me, I could feel his breath in that deathly silence that reigned around the courthouse. I was shaking, actually, both of us were.

Suddenly the doors of the palace opened, and the woman we always saw on the news of the Capitol, before Caesar took her place, came out from them. She was dressed in pink, from head to toe and a white cat accompanied her.

— Welcome!! This is the first year of the Hunger Games, if you see, in these bowls we have the names of every teenager between the ages of 15 and 22 years old — she said enthusiastically. I could not wait until this torture finished — Each district will send two tributes, one boy and one girl to a battle to death where courage, sacrifice and bravery will be measured.

— Out of courtesy, — she said with melodious voice — Ladies first!

She walked to the bowl that was placed on the left side of the stage and pulled out a tiny parchment, then went back to the podium and with a clear voice she said:

— Sonorus! — to amplify her voice — On the ladies side... Cho Chang!

A girl who was really close to Lily burst into tears, accompanied by two peacekeepers who escorted her to the stage where the woman was standing.

— And now for the boys! — she said, almost singing.

She took another parchment with those bony and pale hands. Then she opened it and clearly said:

— Evan Potter! — the world came down on me. I wanted to die. I wanted to jump over the peacekeepers and kill them all, but I couldn't cause that kind of scene because many people would pay on my behalf.

— Come on, dear! — the woman said.

I didn't notice when they took him from my side, my poor brother who had just turned 15. I was crying so hard, I didn't know what to do. My mind was blank and I stood there petrified, as if the world had been reduced to us.

Suddenly I heard noises behind me, and that's when I saw my father, battling against the peacekeepers in a 5 to 1 duel. His eyes were wide and his face red with anger.

— AVADA KEDAVRA! — the closest peacekeeper furiously screamed and my father fell dead to his feet, his gaze lost, leaving his last breath in this filthy world.

I rushed and fell next to him, my throat was burning from all the screaming and so were my eyes, from all the tears.

— FATHER! WAKE UP!! YOU CANNOT BE DEAD, YOU CANNOT DIE!

All of a sudden I felt a pair of delicate arms hugging me and helping me stand up, I looked behind me and there she was, I got lost just by seeing her eyes, I felt as if everything would be ok, that my father was still alive and my brother had not been chosen at the reaping.

— Come on, we have to say goodbye to Evan — Lily said, trying to calm my anger and sadness.

I took her hand and let her lead me through the main doors of the palace, where three peacekeepers escorted us down a wooden staircase to a small and empty room where my little brother was.

— You have three minutes! — said one of the peacekeepers, locking the door behind us.

Lily gave me space to be, maybe for the last time, with my brother. I hugged him as hard as I could, and we stood like that for the three minutes. We didn't talk, we only looked at each others eyes and that way I told him how I felt, and that everything would be ok. Suddenly the peacekeeper opened the door and dragged us out, and that's when I saw my brother for the last time.

I never liked to remember that day, but I couldn't help it when I saw Lily. So I kept staring at her until a voice distracted me and took me back to reality.

— James! — Regulus whispered, who was already recovering from the pain — We need to go back home, Bellatrix is still out there and we don't know what she's capable of.

I nodded, still with Evan's memory in my head. I carried Lily and so did Regulus with Sirius. We ran as fast as we could, my legs claiming for some rest but that was something we couldn't do until we were safe. We got to the Black house, where Lucretia was waiting for us with sore eyes from crying.

— Son! — She screamed in panic — Come here, we have a lot to talk about.

Inside we left Lily and Sirius to recover in the living room.

— What happened? — Was the first thing she asked — What happened to Cissy?

Reg and I looked at each other and I noticed he was getting pale. Another painful memory to add to this awful day.

I shook my head and Lucretia crashed down, sobbing on the couch. I didn't know what to do or say so as she asked, I told her the story of that hell of a night. When I finished Lucretia's face was neutral, I understood right away, it was a lot of information to process.

After we talked for a while about Narcissa, she sent us to sleep to Regulus's bedroom, saying that she would take care of Lily and Sirius.

That night I had hundreds of nightmares, I dreamed of the district burning in flames, of Lily being killed by a masked Death Eather and also of Evan, again, though I felt good for a moment but it wasn't a happy dream.

First there was Evan, dressed all in white, I don't know why it reminded me of dad. Then his face turned into a grimace of pain, and that pale white turned into a bloody red. I couldn't move, so the torture of that nightmare was to stand there and watch the horrible scene of my brother bleeding to death.

I woke up sweating and my heart beating to an impossible speed, my head hurt and tears were falling from my eyes. All of a sudden I felt a small and cold hand touching my bare chest and a beautiful voice that said:

— Come on, leave those thoughts aside and rest — I felt how my body instantly relaxed, I felt calm and in my mind there was only an image of Evan, but the one that I remember, smiley and happy.

When I lay down again I found myself face to face with Lily, who was watching every single feature of my face. Her face was decorated with a small reassuring smile. I smiled back at her and she got a bit closer, colliding her lips with mine and wrapped me into one of her endless hugs where I felt as if the world had stopped spinning.

Then she put her head on my chest but never took her eyes off my face. I had my eyes completely closed but I could feel her strong gaze penetrating me. Then her hand began to slide down my hair over and over again.

— I love you — I whispered, only for her to hear.

— And I love you.