chosen - harry potter

Chapter 1 - Quiet Summer

"Bertie! It's good to see you!"

"We went to the same school, Will, you could have seen me every day."

"Not when you were snooping around in Restricted Sections and going down trapdoors," Will wrapped his arm around Cassia, ruffling her hair.

"Hey!"

They walked through King's Cross Station among the group of wizard families with their children returning from Hogwarts. Cassia noticed Neville with his Gran, who was dressed quite extravagantly. The Weasleys were walking a bit behind them, and Ron could be heard bickering with the twins.

Cassia smiled warmly as they approached the small cottage she grew up in. It looked the same; brown brick walls with a grey roof, a dark green door, flowers, bushes, and trees covering the outside, and a tall chimney puffing light smoke.

She jumped across the stepping stones, cracking the door and smelling the warm vanilla she remembered so clearly.

The day was spent by both of the kids unpacking, and they only saw each other again at dinner that night.

Cassia talked for the majority of that dinner, explaining the odd year that she had. Will talked about his year as well, but he mostly just went on and on about the new friend that he made, called Cedric.

"So," their mother started, looking at Cassia, "did Dumbledore talk to you? I figured he would."

"Yeah, he did," she replied, her face going a bit pale. "I wanted to talk to him after Harry told me Voldemort said that he wished I made it into the room where he was. I wasn't sure what that meant."

Finn and Wendy shared a look, eyes wide. Will was busy eating a bit of bread.

"And what did he say about that, dear?" Wendy hesitated.

"He said that I'm — I'm powerful? And that Voldemort wanted to be able to control that when I was still young."

Will suddenly looked up, eyes wide.

"Powerful?" he snorted.

"Will, please," Wendy whispered.

"Cassia, dear," Finn said quietly, "I'm not so sure you should hang around with Harry anymore."

"What?"

"Finn that won't solve anything, and you know it," Wendy mumbled.

"Harry is my friend," Cassia snapped, getting up from her seat. "And me getting into trouble has nothing to do with him. That's on me."

"Cass, please sit down," her mother said softly.

"I'm going to my room."

She darted up the stairs, threw her door open, and closed it behind her, sitting on her bed. Crow strode up to her, crawling into her lap and curling into a ball. Her family never argued, so even this minimal conflict was enough to upset her. Not only that, but her father implied that Harry was to blame for her getting in trouble. She could have left at any point, no one was to blame but her. Why couldn't they realize that?

"Love?"

She looked up, quickly wiping her face. It was her mother, holding a plate in her hands.

"I'm sorry, dear," she whispered, handing her the plate and wrapping her arm around her daughter. "I made a cake for you and Will coming home."

"Why did he say that, Mum?"

She sighed heavily. "It's — it's complicated, my dear. This world is an odd one. It is safe, yes, but it is fickle. Voldemort will always be after Harry as long as he can be, and your father just doesn't want you being near Harry to be a streamline for you to get hurt. That's all."