CASSIE AND DEAN MET UP WITH the trio and Neville as they went to change into their robes. She got to know from Granger how Malfoy had come by for his annual train taunting visit and informed the crowd in the coach that he was aware of whatever surprise the Weasleys and the Ministry had been keeping from them. Not only that, Draco hadn't hesitated to remind the group how his father only spoke to higher ministry officials, unlike Arthur.
"Arthur knows about this!" Cassie had defended, "He just wants us to actually enjoy the surprise instead of spoiling it for us!"
"I know, Cassie, I know," Hermoine nodded, sighing as she folded her jumper and tucked it under her arm, following Cassie out of the door.
This time instead of heading back to their coach, Cassie and Dean went ahead and sat with the group, sharing their newfound friendship stemming from Frank Sinatra and Oasis when the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station.
As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Hermione bundled up Crookshanks in her cloak and Ron left his dress robes over Pigwidgeon as they left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.
"Hi, Hagrid!" Harry yelled, seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the platform.
"All righ', Harry?" Hagrid bellowed back, waving. "See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!"
"How very optimistic to hear for a kid who just got charted off to a magical boarding school," Cassie sassed to Dean, who chuckled, shaking his head as the two pitied the shivering first years.
"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," said Hermione fervently, shivering as they inched slowly along the dark platform with the rest of the crowd.
A hundred carriages stood waiting for them outside the station. Cassie smiled at the Thestrals pulling the carriage heading to run her hand over one of its cold skin.
"You can see them too?" Neville asked. He had followed her on noticing her make direct eye contact with an animal only he believed he could see.
Cassie nodded sadly, resting her head on the Thestral's skeletal reptilian face, breathing softly.
"Beautiful creatures Thestrals," Cassie said, meeting the animal's pupil-less eyes, "I was never a fan of Care of Magical Creatures, but these wondrous creatures never seemed to satisfy my curiosity. They have a very sharp eye and even sharper memory. They never forget a person once having made a connection with them,"
Neville carefully raised his hand and softly patted the Thestral, almost shivering at how cold its skin felt. The creature immediately flapped its wing, starting the boy, making him run behind Cassie only for her to chuckle and say,
"It's protecting you, Neville. It saw you feeling cold so it's stopping the rain from falling on you,"
"Oh," Neville breathed, coming out from behind Cassie and under its wing. The Thestral then nuzzled on Cassie's neck, making her giggle.
"It likes you," Neville remarked, after looking down from studying the creature's wing.
"Us. It likes us," Cassie corrected.
"Oi, Cassie!" Ron shouted, pushing his head out of the carriage, "Come on, we're leaving. You too, Neville!"
The two nodded, bowing to the Thestral before running into the carriage. The girl quickly cast a drying spell on everyone (who were extremely grateful to not shiver as the cold cloth clung onto their body).
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𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 | f. weasley
Fanfiction( the golden trio era ) the one in which the prankster finds his peace in the girl with secrets ❝She's the exception. She has and always will be; not because she's the most powerful witch of her age. It's because she is too unique to be like the...
