The Girl Who Protected [3]

Year 5 - 12

"Hello, Harry Potter. Cassiopeia Reid." Luna's voice spoke. The pair had walked into the forest after seeing a Thestral flying above the trees. As they walked, it reminded Cassiopeia that she'd never explained the Thestrals to Harry. Luna was there, stroking one of the threstrals.

"Your feet. Aren't they cold?" Harry asked, looking at Luna's bare feet.

"A bit. Unfortunately, all my shoes have mysteriously disappeared. I suspect Nargles are behind it." Luna replied.

"Do you want a pair of my shoes? I could make them your size." Cassiopeia offered.

"No, it's okay. I wouldn't want to take your shoes." Luna replied.

"Please, I insist." Cassiopeia replied.

"Alright." Luna replied. Cassiopeia then waved her wand and summoned a pair of her shoes. They were small glittery pumps that Cassiopeia thought were Luna's style. She waved her wand to make them like new before putting them on the floor. Luna stepped into them carefully and watched as they magically were made a slightly bit bigger. They then fit perfectly and Cassiopeia waved her wand again.

"I've casted a spell, they won't go missing." Cassiopeia replied.

"Thank you, it means a lot." Luna replied.

"You're welcome, Luna." Cassiopeia replied. Luna nodded and then looked back to the Thestrals. Cassiopeia reached up and stroked one.

"What are they?" Harry asked.

"They're called Thestrals." Luna replied. "They're quite gentle, really, but people avoid them because they're a bit..."

"Different." Harry finished after Luna trailed off. The one Cassiopeia was stroking then moved to walk off. "Why can't the others see them?"

"They can only be seen by people who have seen death." Luna replied.

"So, you've known someone who's died, then?" Harry replied delicately.

"My mum. She was quite an extraordinary witch, but she did like to experiment... and one day, one of her spells went badly wrong. I was nine." Luna replied.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Luna." Cassiopeia replied.

"Yes, it was rather horrible. I do feel very sad about it sometimes, but I've got dad. We both believe you, by the way. That He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named his back, and you fought him and the Ministry and the Prophet are conspiring against you and Dumbledore." Luna replied.

"Thanks, it seems you're about the only ones that do." Harry replied.

"I don't think that's true." Luna replied, throwing an apple to a Thestral. "But I suppose that's how he wants you to feel."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, if I were You-Know-Who. I'd want you to feel cut off from everyone else, because if it's just you alone, you're not as much of a threat." Luna replied, looking to Harry and Cassiopeia. Luna then reached back into her bag and took out a piece of meat. Throwing it forwards, the baby Thestral ate it quickly.

~*~

Harry and Cassiopeia walked back up to the castle, letting Luna have some time alone.

"I don't get something." Harry spoke.

"What?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Well, when I was one, I saw my mum die. Surely I should have been able to see the Thestrals?" Harry asked.

"No, Harry. You see, when your mum died, like you said, you were only one. At this age, you may have witnessed the death, but your mind wouldn't have understood that she was dying. All you saw was the green light. For all you knew she was just falling down or sleeping. The mind of your one-year-old self wouldn't have been able to know. Meaning that it hadn't unlocked that part of your mind that allows you to see the Thestrals. When you watched Cedric die, you knew he was dying. You watched him die and knew it." Cassiopeia replied.

"Could you see them before Cedric?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I could." She replied.

"When?" Harry asked.

"Christmas of first year." Cassiopeia replied.

"Who did you see die?" He asked.

"My grandfather." Cassiopeia replied, repeating the lie that she'd told anyone all those years ago. Even though this was the pretence she had to keep up, she would never forget her first murder. The small muggle boy in the dungeons of her house all those years ago.

"Sorry." He said.

"That's alright." She replied.

"I think I'm going to tell McGonagall." Harry told her. Cassiopeia looked to him in shock.

"Yeah?" Cassiopeia asked.

"I think I should tell someone, and why not my head of house?" Harry replied.

"Go for it. Keep me out of it, please." She told him. He nodded.

"I won't mention you, at all." He replied.

"Thanks." She said, walking with him still. As they split off, Harry made his way to see Professor McGonagall while Cassiopeia walked to the Great Hall. Walking in, she made her way straight to Draco- who smiled as he saw her coming. Sitting beside him, Draco pulled her in for a hug, which she gratefully returned. He kissed the side of her head before bringing her into the conversation they were having- what was their favourite animal.

~*~

"Pardon me, Professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?" Professor Umbridge's voice rang out from the hall outside the Great Hall. As everyone heard the conversation, they made their way into the hall to see Professors Umbridge and McGonagall speaking.

"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students, you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices." Professor McGonagall replied.

"So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom, Minerva." Professor Umbridge spoke, stepping up a step- trying to make herself as tall as the other Professor.

"Not at all, Dolores." Professor McGonagall replied, stepping up a step too, so that they're normal height. "Merely, your medieval methods."

"I am sorry, dear. But to question my practices is to question the Ministry and by extension, the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty." Professor Umbridge replied.

"Disloyalty." Professor McGonagall repeated, stepping back down a step in shock. The other Professor stepped up a step and addressed the students that had gathered to watch the argument.

"Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action." She spoke to everyone, but at the last moment her sights locked on Harry. She then moved her sights to Cassiopeia, at this Cassiopeia knew she was in for more detention- she just hoped Lyra wasn't brought into it as well.

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Thanks for reading

-Zoe