Henry Evans

Chapter 6

Henry was paranoid now. He wasn't stupid enough to think maybe Barty had good intentions. All he had to figure out was what he wanted to do to him.

"You alright, Henry?" Sirius asked. "You look a bit peaky."

"Fine." Henry mumbled and poked his potato boredly.

"You look sick." Lily fussed and pressed a hand to his head. "No temperature."

"I'm not sick. I've never gotten sick in my life." It was one of the things Henry was most proud of. Tom caught every mild cold that swept through the orphanage.

"Never?" Ron said disbelievingly. "Not even a fever when you were a baby?"

"Matron said I didn't." Henry shrugged. "They have to document every illness we've ever had. In case adults want to know if the child is sickly."

"That's surprisingly efficient." Remus acknowledged.

"Matron has her faults but she's damn good at getting people to adopt us." Henry shrugged. "I've had quite a few meetings but Tom sabotages them."

"That's not right!" Hermione said, outraged. "Why should he rule your life?"

"I don't mind. I don't want to leave him anyway. I'd probably sabotage them myself if Tom didn't do it for me."

"Don't you want a family?" Ginny asked.

"I have one." Henry shrugged. "Me and Tom. We're all the family we need."

"If you say so..."

Henry finished his food and pushed away from the table. He glanced out the window nervously as if expecting Barty to be pressed up against it but there was nothing there.

"I'm tired." Henry said shortly. "Good night."

He disappeared up the stairs leaving a confused silence behind him.

—

Henry shut the door to his room and sighed in relief.

"This is a nice room you have here."

Henry almost screamed but he got a hold of himself and slowly turned around. "How did you get in?"

"That Weasley one left your window open. Truly careless of him." Barty said with a grin. "So how are you doing?"

"Please leave me alone." Henry said, pressing his back against the door.

"But hardly anything this interesting ever happens. How old are you?"

Henry considered screaming but Barty would either hurt him or disappear and Henry would look crazy. "Just turned fourteen."

"So you're the same age as Harry Potter. So you can't be his younger brother."

Henry had nowhere to back away to when Barty began stalking towards him.

"And we would know if he had a twin. So it raises the million galleon question. Who are you?"

"Henry." Henry said shortly.

"Henry what?" Barty asked impatiently. His tongue flicked out and Henry shivered in fear.

"Henry Potter." Henry whispered.

"Liar." Barty hissed.

Henry whipped around and yanked the door open and ran out the door.

He almost catapulted down the stairs when a pair of steady arms.

"Woah woah Henry what's wrong?" Sirius said in shock.