𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 | f. weasley

two

FOR THE NEXT TWO weeks, till Ron and Hermione returned from their respective trips, Cassie and Harry spent their time in Diagon Alley either doing homework or buying the school supplies for the year. As September first neared, both the kids received letters from their respective best friends. They (Ron and Hermione) were set to come and stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the last two days of their summer break and all four would go to the station together to board the train.

Harry couldn't wait to return to Hogwarts but Cassandra wasn't the least excited. If she had the opportunity, she would have dropped out of school a long time back, but Dumbledore had insisted she "stick with the training and plan of action as discussed before". But this year, it wasn't because of her usual superiority reasons, it was because of the return of Sirius Black. Just like the Ministry, she too knew her father would come to Hogwarts, bringing chaos, mayhem and panic with him. But again, her father was not her concern – it was the precautions the Ministry would put. In her guts, she knew that the Ministry was not going to spare any expense on capturing the mass murderer. They might even summon Aurors to patrol the school halls or even worse, have dementors trailing the school grounds. Cassandra shuddered at the mere thought of the cloaked monsters. The memory of that day was etched in her mind like an unbreakable vow. At the young age of three, she had been accidentally attacked by a dementor during one of her trips to the ministry. Thankfully both Remus, her godfather and Alastor Moody, ex-Auror - at that time he was still an Auror. He quit after this incident when the ministry officials defended it by saying that she was a Death Eater's child – had been there and had cast a Patronus charm and pushed the dementor away before it causes too much damage on the little girl.

When the Black had received her exception privileges, the first spell she had requested to learn was the Patronus charm. She vividly remembered Moody chuckling at her enthusiasm and insisting on learning something simpler like Lumos and Nox but Cassandra kept her foot down and refused to learn anything else. She even pleaded with Remus to teach it to her but he was forced to politely let her down. Fed up of being rejected she planned them into tricking them into teaching her. She asked Moody to simply perform the spell which he did, despite being a little confused at her request. Using this memory, she observed his wand movement by replaying the memory over and over again and began practising it. When she finally performed the charm, she discovered her Patronus was a fox. She still remembered her five-year-old self run excitedly to Remus – who was sitting near the fireplace at the Grimmauld Place, his nose buried in a book – and performing the charm for him. She smiled at the memory of his flabbergasted expression when she conjured the Patronus perfectly, that too, on her second try. She remembered him apparating her to Dumbledore and performing the charm once again for him. She remembered Dumbledore's warm smile and him saying 'I agree Remus. She indeed is the exception,' and patting her head proudly. She grinned to herself as the memories of an astounding spread all over Alastor Moody's scarred face, staring at her with his mouth hanging open as he watched the Patronus of the fox running around the hall of Grimmauld Place while Cassie sat giggling on the seat of the piano.

"What are you smiling about?" Harry asked Cassie, snapping her out of her thoughts. She watched Harry walk into her room and took a seat on the edge of the bed, next to her.

"Just some memories of childhood," she replied, shrugging.

"At least you had some laughs when you were a kid," Harry muttered sarcastically. Cassie frowned and grabbed Harry's hand and made him look at her in the eyes.

"Harry, the memory I just had, it was me casting a very advanced spell as my first spell, all on my own. I just smile when I remembered my godfather's surprised face at my performing the spell. And just so you know, I learned it on my own because they refused to teach me that as 'I was too young," Cassie explained, her voice soft and sweet.

"But you are the most powerful witch in Hogwarts!" Harry exclaimed in surprise, "why would anyone refuse to teach you anything?"

"Because I was a five-year-old then Harry" Cassie smiled weakly, "And only after I was able to perform this spell was, I called the most 'powerful witch'. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm not the powerful one, you are Harry. I just know a lot of spells," she said, nudging him on the shoulder, earning a grin from the boy. He hugged the girl and whispered into her ear,

"Thank you, Cassie, for everything. Thank you for always being there for me and never making me wanting to question our friendship,"

"You're welcome," she said, plastering a fake smile. Guilt flooded her stomach, making her feel sick. She didn't want to lie to Harry, but she had no choice. He wasn't ready for all the information she held, not yet. She knew her time was running out; she knew that the clock was ticking faster now that her father escaped. She was going to tell him everything – just not now.