Squib On The Run (sequel to Squib In The basement)

57. Breakout

Saying goodbye to Harry at the end of the holidays, was the hardest it had ever been.
Normally Cassiopeia felt bittersweet, because even though she was going to miss Harry, she knew he was going to have an amazing time at Hogwarts.
But things were different this time around, because Harry had been banned from doing all the things he loved. So, school was no longer the place that he wanted to be at.
Despite this, Cassiopeia still did her best to put on a brave face and encourage him to return to Hogwarts with his friends.

With Harry and the Weasleys gone, 12 Grimmauld Place returned to being the quiet prison it had been before.
Cassiopeia decided to use this alone time to research everything she could on Occlumency, using the extensive Black family library.
And in the evenings she would practice staring at herself in the mirror, making her face go blank and unreadable.
Snape had told her she would need a clear mind, and patience if she wanted to succeed at Occlumency. So she practiced every single day, hoping to be perfect by the time Easter came around, and Snape could test her.

Cassiopeia's skills were tested much earlier than she had anticipated when 10 high security prisoners escaped Azkaban and returned to Voldemort's side.
An emergency meeting was called, and all of the Order sat in the dinning room at Grimmauld Place, discussing recent developments.
While Sirius shouted his frustration aloud, Cassiopeia kept her thoughts to herself, refusing to let any emotions show.
On the outside she appeared unbothered, but on the inside, she was raging.

"Why didn't you warn us this was going to happen? What's the point in having a super secret spy in Voldemort's inner circle, if you're not going to do anything useful? You should have told us that Voldemort was planning on breaking out 10 of his favourite death eaters from Azkaban, because then we could have stopped him!" Exclaimed Sirius, as he glared daggers at Snape.
"I was not privy to this information, for the dark lord keeps many secrets to himself. I did not know there would be a prison break out, until said prisoners turned up at a meeting, by the dark lord's side" Snape said calmly.

"I thought you were supposed to be one of his most trusted followers. You're not much good to us if you can't warn us when bad things like this are going to happen" mocked Sirius.
"Sirius, please control yourself. Even if Severus had been able to warn us, it would not have done much good. We wouldn't have been able to stop the break out, even if we wanted to. We couldn't have just turned up at Azkaban prison, and joined in with the Dementors guard duty. Besides, even if we had the numbers for something like that, we could not have acted out such a plan, as that would have alerted Voldemort that there was a spy in his ranks. We need to keep Severus's secret agent status a secret" Dumbledore said calmly.
"Of course. We wouldn't want to put little Snivelus in danger" Sirius mumbled under his breath.

"Sirius, you're not helping" Cassiopeia sighed.
"She's right. It's at times like this that we must all band together" encouraged Dumbledore.
"If we fight amongst ourselves, we stand no chance. Especially now that Voldemort had regained 10 of his most powerful death eaters. His forces greatly outnumber our own, even more than before... Dumbledore what is our plan?" Asked Cassiopeia.
"The same as before I'm afraid. We keep under the radar as much as possible, and we have to keep recruiting. We must also do everything we can to ensure that Voldemort does not gain access to the hall of prophecies. The only thing that is stopping him from kick starting the second wizarding war, is the fact that he has not heard the whole prophecy. He will not launch an assault, until he has heard it, as he fears that is where he went wrong last time. So, it is our job to keep it from him" announced Dumbledore.

"That's it? That's your big plan? Just continue hiding and hoping, putting off the inevitable, for as long as possible?" Questioned Sirius.
"Yes. We need as much time as possible" answered Dumbledore.
"What good is time? We need a plan of attack. Now that people like Bellatrix are walking free again, you can bet there will be more deaths and disappearances, just like before. We need a plan to stop him, before he regains too much power"  insisted Sirius.

"Time is more important than you realise, brother... If the prophecy is to be believed, then Harry is the only one who can stop Voldemort, and he's not about to do that any time soon. He's just a kid. Harry needs time to learn and grow, so that one day, he will have the power to stop Voldemort, once and for all. And if time is what he needs, then it is what we can give him" announced Cassiopeia.
"She's absolutely right. Nothing can be achieved by us rushing into things. So, for now all we do is sit and wait" added Dumbledore.

Once the meeting was over, Snape held Cassiopeia back, as he wished to speak to her privately.
"I must say, that was impressive" he said quietly.
"What was?" Frowned Cassiopeia.
"You. While your brother shouted and threw his emotions around the room, like a child, you stayed composed the whole time" praised Snape.
"I have a lot of practice at holding my tongue"
"I'm sure... I can also tell that you are trying to implement Occlumency techniques. I wasn't  sure if a Squib like you would be able to achieve any results at all. But while you were sat in this room, not making a sound, you were almost impossible to read".

"Really?" Quizzed Cassiopeia, not believing what she was hearing.
"Yes. To any casual observer, you appeared completely emotionless and unthinking. I can bet that no one in that room knew what was going through your mind" replied Snape.
"What about you?" Asked Cassiopeia.
"I am a different matter entirely, for I am a trained Legilimens. Reading peoples minds comes as naturally to me as breathing" admitted Snape.

"So, you could still see everything I was thinking?" Sighed Cassiopeia.
"Not exactly. At first glance, I got nothing from you, but when I pushed deeper I did see some things. It is very hard to keep your mind as blank as your face, when you are in a conversation with multiple people. Especially when the topic of conversation regards ones own family... I saw flashes of Bellatrix in your mind" revealed Snape.
"Of course you did. It's hard for me to think of anything else. My own cousin has escaped from Azkaban. A cousin I once loved and used to get along very well with. I know she has done some terrible things, but at the end of the day she is still family, and a part of me would love to see her again"
"Than cannot happen".

"I know that. I'm not a foolish child. I know I can't have contact with anyone who is not fighting alongside me in this war... But a girl can dream" said Cassiopeia.
"Dreaming is something you cannot afford to do. When in the company of other people, you must keep your mind blank. Think of nothing and no one. Don't try and recall old memories, and never let your mind wander. With a little bit more practice, I'm sure you will become a very skilled Occlumens. Much better than than useless godson of yours, who seems to wear his emotions on his face, just like your pigheaded brother" replied Snape.

"Don't judge Harry too harshly, he has a lot going on right now. He's just a teenager, who's body is currently full of hormones. He is also being tortured regularly by that awful Umbridge woman, and he's trying to study for his upcoming OWL'S. For him, Occlumency might not be at the top of his to do list" admitted Cassiopeia.
"Well it needs to be. If he wants to stop the dark lord from invading his mind again, then he needs to try harder" insisted Snape.

"I know. Look, I'll write to Harry and try and encourage him to put more effort in his Occlumency classes. But I cannot guarantee that he will listen to me" admitted Cassiopeia.
"He cares a lot about your opinion, so maybe a letter from you, will give him the inspiration he needs to work harder. But, I'm not going to bet my life on it... Goodnight Cassiopeia, I'm sure I will be forced to see you again very soon" sighed Snape.
"I'm sure you will. Goodnight Snape" replied Cassiopeia.