A NIGHTLY STROLL
"Oh my," gasped Cassiopeia as she looks up from her book, shocked. "As in the Sirius Black is Harry's godfather?!"
"Ssh!" Hermione shushed her, "That's what he said."
"No way." chuckled Cassiopeia.
"Actually," shrugged Hermione, "We knew after Harry went into the Pub and eavesdropped."
"The time I left you guys?"
"Yep..."
"Damn," muttered Cassiopeia. "I should've been there so I could've sipped all the drama."
Hermione scoffed, shaking her head as she continued scribbling on parchment. "By the way, would you like to come with us later? We're going to Hagrid's."
"Uhh...sure."
•••
Cassiopeia leans on the tree, arms crossed as she watches the half giant, who wears a huge, hairy brown suit and perhaps the ugliest yellow and orange tie, stands knee-deep in the shallows of the Black Lake, skipping stones.
As he turns, the four of them catches a brief sight of his eyes, red with tears. He looks at Cassiopeia, who smiles sweetly at him.
"Hello, Hagrid."
"What is a Malfoy doing here?" asked Hagrid, narrowing his eyes at the girl.
"I invited her to come with us." said Hermione.
"Don't worry, Hagrid." said Harry, casting a brief glance at Cassiopeia. "She's different from her family."
"A little bit." She muttered, soft enough that the others couldn't hear.
Hagrid sighs and nods, then he looks away.
"Well," Hermione pursed her lips. "How'd it go, Hagrid?"
"Buckbeak liked London..."
"I meant the hearing." Hermione pushes.
"Oh. That. Well, I got up an' said my bit—You know, how Buckbeak was good Hippogriff an' as long as yeh treated 'im with respect, he's treat you the same." Hagrid explained, "Then Lucius Malfoy got up an' said his bit."
Cassiopeia grimaced at the mention of her father's name as Hagrid continued.
"You know, how Buckbeak was a deadly dangerous beast that no teacher in their righ' mind would expose their students to..."
"And...?" Hermione dreads it. Hagrid slings another rock into the water. "You mustn't blame yourself, Hagrid."
"Draco." said Ron, turning to Cassiopeia and then to the others. "It's him the Committee should punish. It's him they should send off to the forest. Not Buckbeak. No offence Cassiopeia."
"Oh none taken of course, I wouldn't mind him being sent to the forest."
"Buckbeak's not going back to the forest..." sighed Hagrid, as he swallows a lump on his throat.
"Where is he going, Hagrid?" questioned Hermione.
"He asked fer the worse, yeh see, Lucius Malfoy did. An' the Committee granted it." Hagrid throws a rock, which didn't skip but instead was plopped into the water. "Buckbeak's been sentenced ter death."
Cassiopeia blinked. "What?"
"Couldn't you talk to your father to try and stop it, Cassiopeia?" asked Harry, turning to her.
She struggles for words, "I-I don't know if I can—"
"You could at least try!" Hermione looks at her with a pained look on her face.
"I will. I will try..."
"You can't." said Hagrid, "It's too late. It's goin' to happen soon."
•••
"Ow!" Draco looks at Cassiopeia angrily, who threw at book on his head as she entered the Common Room, fuming. "What was that for?"
"Buckbeak has been sentenced to death now, you bloody idiot!" Cassiopeia grabbed a jar of flowers from the nearest table. "It's all your fault because your arse really needed attention!"
"Why should you care?" asked Draco, giving her a cocky look. "He's just some useless creature that looks strange."
"There are no such thing as strange creatures," Cassiopeia narrowed her eyes. "Only blinkered people!"
She takes off the flowers from the jar and placed it on the table. "Saving these flowers for your funeral."
She was about to throw it to Draco, who's eyes widen in fear, when she felt someone grab her wrist, stopping her from injuring her brother.
"Cassiopeia," said Blaise. "Enough."
"Oh hell no." Cassiopeia pushed him back, but Blaise grabbed the jar from her hands. She groaned angrily, instead grabbing a pillow and throwing it to Draco's face who smirked.
"I'll get your arse next time, you idiot."
"What about dinner!" shouted Blaise, as Cassiopeia walked up to her dorm room angrily. She didn't reply, only slamming the door shut.
"I guess that's a no, Zabini." laughed Draco.
She plopped on her bed, screamed into her pillow and then grabbed a quill and some parchment, writing her daily letter to her father.
•••
It was silent, her curtains were closed as those around her slumber, Cassiopeia lies awake, unable to sleep from her empty stomach. She groans softly before grabbing her wand, blanket and then walking out of the room as quiet as she can.
She scratches her head as she tiredly walked through the empty hallways with her lit wand in hand.
She didn't even know where the bloody kitchen was.
She just walked and walked, until she reached this small narrow hallway, all the portraits waking up from the light of5 her wand.
"Oi!" A portrait shouted, "turn that off, you're supposed to be in bed!"
"I'm hungry." She narrowed her eyes, "Do you know where the bloody kitchen is?"
"Well, kid, It's not here." said one portrait. "Just continue your walk straight in this hall, two turns to the left and then three turns to the right, you'll see a portrait of a pear and then tickle it."
"Ahh, thank you!"
She continued to walk, looking at the portraits, who spoke angrily at her for ruining their sleep. She dropped her blanket on the floor, so she turned back and grabbed it. As she looked back, she saw another lit wand in front of her face and a pair of green eyes with glasses stare into her soul.
"AH!" She screamed, putting her hand on her heart as she jumped back. It was just Harry. "You! You scared the living daylights out of me!"
"I'm sorry!" Harry bit his lip, "What are you doing out here late at night?"
"Same goes for you." She picked up her wand that fell.
"I was looking for something."
"You know what, I'm not going to ask what." She sighed, "I'm hungry and I need to go to the kitchen but this castle is huge."
"I think it's that way." Harry pointed.
"Yeah, I know." She nodded, "I'm off, and—Holy—Snape is coming!"
"How'd you know?"
"From the map you're holding, idiot." She turns off her wand, muttering the spell. Harry's wand goes dim and they both stand in the dark, they turn to the harsh glare of Snape's wand.
"Potter." He turns to Cassiopeia, who waves her hand. "Malfoy! What are you two wandering the corridors at night?"
"I was... I was... sleepwalking!" stuttered Harry.
"You?"
"Well, I didn't go to dinner so now I'm hungry." replied Cassiopeia, "And I'm about to go to the kitchens when i bumped into this boy right here."
A sneer curdles the corners of Snape's lips, as he looked back at Harry.
"How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter." drawled Snape. "He, too, was exceedingly arrogant. Strutting about the castle—"
"My dad didn't strut. Nor do I." said Harry, "Now, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate you lowering your wand."
'Oh damn, sassy Harry.' Cassiopeia thought.
Snape eyes Harry coldly, Containing himself. He lowers his wand.
"May I leave?" asked Cassiopeia in a whisper as she heard her stomach growl again.
"No!" snapped Snape. {heh} "Turn out your pockets, Potter."
Harry obliges, Seeing the map, Snape's eyes
glitter. "And this. What might it be?"
"Spare bit of parchment..." lied Harry.
"Really?" Snape poises his wand at the map. "Reveal your secret!"
To Harry's horror, words begin to appear. Snape studies him, a sadistic half-smile on his lips. Turns the map his way.
"Read it." commanded Snape.
"Can I please just go to the kitchens? I'm starving!" Cassiopeia whines.
"Be quiet!"
Harry reads the Map. "'Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs offer their compliments to Professor Snape and...'"
Snape narrows his eyes. "Go on..."
"'And request that he keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.'"
"Burnt by a piece of paper," chuckled Cassiopeia. "Would you like some ice on that burn?"
"Why you insolent little—"
"Professor?"
Snape turns, sees Lupin standing in the shadows. "Well, well. Lupin. Out for a little walk in the moonlight, are we?"
"Harry? Miss Malfoy? You two all right?"
"That remains to be seen. I've just now confiscated a rather curious artifact from Mr. Potter." Snape hands Lupin the Map. "Take a look, Lupin. This is supposed to be your area of expertise."
Lupin takes the parchment, which now displays a rather unflattering caricature of Snape and a pair of potions.
"Clearly, it's full of Dark magic."
"It's parchment." states Cassiopeia.
"I seriously doubt that, Severus." said Lupin. "It looks to me as it it merely insults anyone who tries to read it. I suspect Zonko Product. Nevertheless, I shall pursue any hidden qualities it may possess. As you say, it's my area of expertise. Come, you two."
"Malfoy stays with me, she's in my house and I am her Head of House."
"I would like a small chat with her too, Professor." He shakes his head, aa Cassiopeia's face lights up. "Come now."
•••
Harry walks aside a fuming Lupin, who grips the map fiercely.
"I don't know how this Map came to be in your possession, Harry, but I'm astounded that you didn't turn it in. Did you ever stop to think that this -- in the hands of Sirius Black -- is a map to you?"
Cassiopeia looks at Harry who walks silently. Lupin can barely contain his anger.
"Your father didn't set much store by rules either. But he and your mother did give their lives to save yours." He said. "Gambling their
sacrifice by walking about the castle unprotected, with a killer on the loose, strikes me as a poor way to repay them. I won't cover up for you again, Harry."
Lupin enters his office, tosses the map on his desk, and begins to sort through some papers. Harry lingers briefly in the doorway, absently eyes the waxing moon that glimmers beyond the window, then starts to turn away. Cassiopeia follows him, wrapping the blanket around her tighter.
"Professor," Harry calls, Lupin looks up. "Just so you know, I don't think the map always works. Earlier, it showed someone in the castle. Someone I know to be dead."
"And who was that, Harry?" asked Lupin, only half-listening.
"Peter Pettigrew." replied Harry. Cassiopeia frowns. Lupin hesitates ever-so-slightly, then returns to his papers.
"Very well." He nodded, he approached Cassiopeia, handed her two bars of chocolate and three crackers. "Have this, I heard you were hungry."
"Oh my, Thank you so much professor."
"I'd like you two to return to your dormitory now. Oh and Don't take any detours."
As Harry and Cassiopeia look back, Lupin taps the map.
"If you two do. I'll know."
"Thank you again, Professor." Cassiopeia waves, opening the crackers and the biting them as Harry and her walk out of the classroom.
It was awkward as the sound of Cassiopeia crunching was the only thing that can be heard. The moonlight shined through the windows of the hallway, so they didn't need to use their wands.
Cassiopeia hands Harry a bar of chocolate. "Want one?"
"No thanks." He shakes his head. "Quick question, you knew what 'burn' was. It'a a muggle reference."
"Oh yeah." She nodded, "I know lots of them."
"How?"
"Uhh...During summer break, I don't really do much at home." She shrugged. "I would leave the Manor secretly with the help of Dobby. I would go to Muggle playgrounds, Places as well. Yeah, my parents never knew."
"Oh..." he nodded in understanding. "You're really different from your family."
"I get that a lot..." she sang, then chuckled. "I tend to be so. Its because I am educated and read a lot of storybooks."
"How does that work?" questioned Harry, a small smile visible on his face.
"I don't even know, I just said that to sound cool." She laughed, "Well, I guess we part here. Night! See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, See you." He smiles, Cassiopeia chuckles before she messes up his hair even more and then winking. She skips back to the dungeons, leaving Harry staring at where she stood shaking his head and messing up his hair too.
Omg im so sorry this was a bad chapter, It's like 3am right now in the Philippines and I am literally half asleep while writing this so this chapter is probably shiiiit 💀🤚