During Cassi's vacation, she had the opportunity to go back to Brazil with her mother. It was a delightful experience to be able to return to Castelo Bruxo.
Noctua made her train tirelessly every day in defensive spells and Occlumency. Cassiopeia didn't quite understand why her mother seemed so concerned that she master these skills before returning to Hogwarts. But she supposed it was just to take advantage of the fact that Brazilian wizarding laws are different, and in Brazil, she wouldn't have to worry about leaving a trace.
She also maintained regular correspondence with her friends and with Minerva.
Draco continued to insist that Cassiopeia spend the next year's vacation with his family. Draco's invitations were constant, but she politely declined them, explaining that she already had established plans with her mother.
Despite her refusal, Cassi secretly considered the possibility of accepting the invitation someday. Narcissa proved to be persistently persuasive, and she wasn't sure if she could resist the woman for much longer.
Seraphina and Morgus were getting along very well; the snakes had become friends. Although Morgus' temperamental nature could be challenging at times, Seraphina was notably patient and understanding.
Noctua was still very angry with Cassi for becoming an Animagus without supervision. Cassiopeia knew how dangerous her actions had been, but she was confident in her abilities. At least Sirius wouldn't have to bring her back from the dead.
She was duly registered at the Ministry of Magic, which sparked numerous questions and admiring looks. It was a rare and impressive achievement to become an Animagus, and the fact that a 14-year-old child had accomplished this feat on her own was astonishing.
As for Minerva, she didn't know whether to be irritated or extremely proud. After Snape ratted her out, Minerva scolded her and then showered her with worried hugs. Her nickname didn't change, though, as Sirius had thought. To Minerva, Cassi would always be "Kitty."
Oh, Sirius, they exchanged letters whenever they could. Sirius never signed his name in case the Ministry intercepted the letters, so they adopted another signature.
Dear Cassiopeia
Thank you for your last letter, the bird was enormous, it could barely fit through my window. I must inform you that this is not an owl, and its bite really hurts.
Things are the same around here. I'm still hiding in the corners, I still need to stay in the shadows for now.
I hope that soon I can show you the family houses, they belong to you, I checked at Gringotts. As for the Quidditch Cup, don't worry. I will talk to Noctua to get you out of this unfounded punishment.
I miss your little fox-like laughter.
Padfoot.
Cassi always smiled at Sirius' letters, and how he vehemently complained about Trovão.
She had just arrived at the Weasley family residence. The Burrow, as it was called, proudly stood amidst verdant hills, its crooked structure and uneven windows exuding a sense of warmth and charm. The house was a lovely blend of magic and practicality, with colorful flowers adorning the garden and a welcoming porch that seemed to invite visitors.
Upon entering through the front door, Cassi was immediately enveloped in a comforting and lively atmosphere. The air was filled with the aroma of Mrs. Weasley's delicious home cooking, and the sounds of laughter and conversations echoed through the cozy living room.
Mrs. Weasley, a kind and welcoming woman, warmly greeted Cassi, treating her as one of her own children.
The living room was adorned with comfortable armchairs and a crackling fireplace, where family photographs and decorative objects were proudly displayed on the mantelpiece.
As they climbed the stairs, she discovered that Hermione had also arrived on the same day, and the two friends couldn't contain their excitement. They hurried to wake up the sleepy boys, who were already late for breakfast.
Harry seemed to be having a restless nightmare, and Cassi gently woke him up. Meanwhile, Hermione, with less patience, addressed Ron in an energetic voice to hurry up.
"Hermione? Cassi? When did you guys arrive?" Harry asked sleepily, still recovering from the shock of the nightmare.
"We just arrived," Cassi explained, checking Harry's temperature. "Nightmares?"
"Yes," Harry replied, still breathless.
"And you, Harry? When did you arrive?" Hermione asked.
"Last night," Harry replied.
Ron woke up startled by Hermione's screams. "Blood and thunder!"
"Honestly! Get dressed," Hermione scolded as she descended the stairs.
Cassi chuckled and said softly, "Come have breakfast," following behind her friend.
Since the boys slept in late, the group ended up being late to arrive at the Portkey.
"Hey, Dad, where are we going?" Ron asked, confused, as the group followed Mr. Weasley.
"To the top of the hill. Keep going," Mr. Weasley replied.
"Arthur! It's about time," an excited man declared.
"I'm sorry, Amos. Some of us had a sleepy start," Arthur explained, looking at Ron and Harry. "This is Amos Diggory, everyone."
Suddenly, a boy jumped down from a tree.
"And this handsome young man must be Cedric, am I right?" Arthur asked.
"He's cute" Hermione whispered to Ginny and Cassi.
"Decent," Cassi simply replied, recently realizing she prefers witches over wizards.
"You'd only find him attractive if he had boob's," Ginny joked, making Cassi laugh.
"We don't want to be late. Come on, find a good spot," Diggory requested, pointing to a boot.
"Why are we all gathered around this boot?" Harry questioned, still confused.
"It's not just any boot, my old friend. It's a Portkey," the Weasley twins explained.
"What's a Portkey?" Harry asked, even more confused.
"Just hold on tight, Potter," Cassi smiled at her friend.
"Is everyone ready?" Arthur Weasley asked. "On three. One, two, three."
Suddenly everything started spinning, and they were transported through the skies.
"Release it, boys."
"What?!" Hermione asked, terrified.
"Just let go," Cassi said with a laugh, releasing and momentarily getting lost in the air.
Cassiopeia quickly regained her balance and gracefully descended to the ground.
"Smooth ride, isn't it?" Diggory asked, patting Cedric's back.
"Look at this! Well, kids, welcome to the Quidditch World Cup," Arthur shouted over the joyful noise.
The campsite was filled with wizards and witches from various cultures and backgrounds, all gathered in one place. The atmosphere was lively and filled with energy, with people wearing clothes of different styles and colors, reflecting their unique traditions and customs.
The land belonged to a Muggle family, so the wizards pretended normality, but Cassi came across a series of magical tents that, despite trying to appear Muggle-like, were ridiculously obvious.
One of the tents immediately caught her attention. It was a large black and white tent with a spacious yard in front of it. In the yard, magnificent peacocks were elegantly tied, proudly displaying their plumage.
The sight of Lucius Malfoy's albino peacocks came to Cassiopeia's mind, making her wonder if Draco and Narcissa might be present at the campsite.
The Weasley tent, although appearing small from the outside, turned out to be surprisingly spacious upon entering. An expansion charm had been cast, providing a comfortable and cozy environment for everyone.
Inside the tent, there were neatly made beds and scattered suitcases, indicating that everyone would have their own space to rest. The environment was adorned with colorful curtains and scattered cushions on the floor, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
"Girls, start unpacking," Arthur requested as Ginny and Hermione teased each other about Cedric.
"Ah, I see, both of you have a crush on the Hufflepuff," Cassi mocked.
The Gryffindor girls looked at each other for a moment before attacking Cassiopeia with pillows.
"That's cheating! Two against one!" Cassi shouted amidst the attack.
"Very sarcastic now, snake girl?" Hermione asked amidst laughter.
With that, Cassi raised her hands and knocked down the two with a silent spell.
"Actually, yes," she taunted with a mischievous smile, laughing at the open-mouthed expressions of the girls.
As the group of friends explored the area, they spotted familiar faces among the families. Oliver Wood, Harry's former Quidditch team captain, was there, as well as Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff student, and further ahead, they saw Cho Chang, a beautiful girl who played as a Seeker on the Ravenclaw team.
Cho waved and smiled at Harry, who was so surprised that he ended up spilling water on his own clothes while trying to wave back. Cassi and Hermione couldn't help but laugh.
To distract them from the embarrassment, Harry quickly pointed to a large group of teenagers they had never seen before.
"Where do you think they're from?" Harry asked. "They're not from Hogwarts, are they?"
"They must be from some foreign school," Ron suggested. "I know there are other schools, but I've never met anyone who studied at them, except Cassi. Bill had a pen pal from Castelo Bruxo in Brazil... That was years ago... and he wanted to do an exchange there, but Mum and Dad didn't have the money to fund the trip. The girl got really offended when he said he wasn't going and sent him a cursed hat. His ears shrunk."
"Ha! I bet it was Madame Leffay. She's quite temperamental," Cassi added with a sweet smile.
"What does she teach?" Hermione asked curiously.
Cassi smirked mischievously before answering, "Potions," swaying her cloak in an imitation of Professor Snape, which made the whole group laugh.
The box continued to gradually fill up over the next half hour. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with wizards, clearly important ones. When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, arrived, he enthusiastically greeted Harry and Cassiopeia.
"Pleasure to see you again, Minister," Cassi politely said with a brief nod.
Fudge paternalistically shook Harry's hand, asked how he was doing, and introduced him to the wizards around.
"Harry Potter, you know," he said loudly to the Bulgarian Minister, who was wearing splendid black velvet robes adorned with gold and apparently didn't understand a single word of English. "Harry Potter... Ah, come on, you know who the boy who survived You-Know-Who's attack is... I'm sure you know who he is..."
Cassi intervened in the man's discomfort and translated the interaction for the Bulgarian. The Minister seemed very surprised. The wizard, finally finding someone who understood him, responded to Cassi eagerly.
"Naǐ-nakraya, tozi chovek me zabǎrkvashye." The Minister said exasperatedly, which made Cassi laugh softly.
"Cassiopeia Gaunt, priyatno mi e da se zapoznayas vas, ministǎr." she extended her hand.
"Nero Obalonsk," the man replied with a broad smile, returning the handshake.
"Minister Fudge se opitva da vi predstavi na Harry Potter, momcheto, koeto otselya." Cassi said, gently pushing Harry forward.
As soon as the man saw Harry's scar, he began applauding and shook Harry's hand as well.
"Knew we'd get there in the end," Fudge said, relieved.
"I'm not good with languages, I need Bartemius Crouch in these occasions. Thank you for that, Mrs. Gaunt," Fudge said.
Cassi laughed at that. "No problem, Minister."
"I didn't know you spoke Bulgarian," Hermione whispered, surprised.
"I'm polyglot, Mione," Cassi simply replied.
Before Hermione could ask more questions, the Minister exclaimed, "Ah, here comes Lucius Malfoy," with a wide smile.
Then, Lucius Malfoy, Draco, and Narcissa gracefully approached the group. A shiver ran down Cassi's body as her eyes met Narcissa's. She had always had a weakness for that woman. Cassi's hands tingled, as they always did when she was near her.
"Ah, Fudge," Mr. Malfoy said, extending his hand to the Minister of Magic as they drew closer. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Nor our son, Draco?"
Fudge smiled and bowed politely to greet Narcissa. "How do you do, how do you do?" he said cordially before turning to another wizard present. "And let me introduce you to Mr. Oblask."
"Obalonsk, sir," Cassi quietly corrected.
"Well, the Minister of Magic from Bulgaria, and anyway, he doesn't understand a word I'm saying, so it doesn't matter. Thank Merlin, our dear Mrs. Gaunt has been helping me with the translations."
As the greetings continued, Cassi felt three pairs of gray eyes fixed on her. Draco, excitedly, quickly approached, pulling Cassiopeia into a hug.
"Cassie!" he exclaimed with a wide smile.
"Draco!" Cassi smiled fondly.
However, the smile on Draco's face soon turned into a look of disgust as his eyes turned to the other members of the group.
"So, you declined my invitation for this?!" he taunted, wrinkling his nose as Narcissa was doing. As if he smelled something foul.
"Don't be rude, Malfoy," Cassi scolded, knowing Draco had a special talent for drama.
"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," Cassiopeia greeted with a gentle smile.
"Mrs. Gaunt, what a pleasure," Lucius said, smirking.
Cassi turned to Narcissa, extending her hand in greeting. The woman held it firmly and pulled her into a warm embrace, surprising the group of Gryffindors. For a brief moment, Narcissa's aristocratic facade faded, revealing a genuine smile.
"Finally, good to see you again, love," Narcissa whispered in her ear, making her shudder.
My heart might just jump out of my mouth with how fast it beats around this woman.
She allowed her eyes to wander over Narcissa's dress and ended up fixating on her cleavage, unable to look away. Something Narcissa clearly noticed, judging by her cat-who-caught-the-canary smile.
"And let's see who else you know... Arthur Weasley, I imagine?" It was a tense moment. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy exchanged glances, and Cassi remembered the last time the two had met, it had been at Flourish and Blotts bookstore. They had almost gotten into a fight like bickering monkeys.
Lucius's cold, gray eyes scanned Mr. Weasley and then the line he was in. His gaze carried a mix of superiority and disdain.
"For Merlin, Arthur," he said quietly. "What did you have to sell to afford seats in the Minister's box? Surely your home wouldn't have fetched that much?"
Fudge, who hadn't been paying attention to the previous conversation, commented, "Lucius just made a generous donation to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries."
Malfoy's eyes turned to Hermione, who blushed slightly but met his gaze with determination.
Cassi felt an absurd urge to defend her friend, knowing exactly what the Malfoy family and other pure-bloods thought of Muggle-borns.
However, under the gaze of the Minister of Magic, she judged that Lucius wouldn't dare say anything. He simply nodded disdainfully at Mr. Weasley and continued to advance toward the empty seats.
Draco gave Harry, Ron, and Hermione a look of disdain. "Come sit with us, Cassi," he pleaded with a pout.
"You'll be more than welcome, dear," Narcissa said softly, staring fixedly at Cassiopeia.
"As much as I adore your company, dear friend, I'm already with a group, and it would be very rude to dismiss them like that. Another time, I'll come to you so we can talk. Is that alright?" Cassi smiled sweetly at both of them, batting her eyelashes.
Does a woman really NEED to be this beAutIful? Her skin looks so soft...Oh Merlin-
Narcissa gave Cassiopeia a piercing look, a devilish smile on her lips, and brushed her fingers against Cassi's cheeks before following behind her son. The intensity of the touch made Cassi shudder, feeling electricity coursing through her body. She looked away, trying to contain the turmoil of emotions that Narcissa's presence stirred within her.
"I don't know how you can be friends with Malfoy," Ron said with a grimace.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't offend my friends in my presence, Ron. I won't allow the same from Draco," she responded firmly.
"Alright, I'll speak behind your back," Ron muttered weakly and received a reprimanding slap for his attitude.
In the next moment, Ludo Bagman entered the Minister's box, interrupting the argument between the two.
"Minister, can we begin?" Ludo asked.
"Whenever you're ready, Ludo," Fudge casually replied.
He pulled out his wand, pointed it at his own throat, and said, "Sonorus?" amplifying his voice over the excitement that now filled the packed stadium. His voice reverberated, echoing in every corner of the stands.
"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the final match of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"
A spectacular fireworks display erupted in the sky, illuminating the night with vibrant colors. Then the rainbow slowly dissolved, and the colored spheres approached and merged, forming a large, shimmering shamrock that hovered over the stands. It seemed to release a golden shower as the awe-struck spectators watched.
"How beautiful!" exclaimed Hermione, thrilled, as the shamrock flew over the Minister's box, causing heavy gold coins to rain down, bouncing off heads and chairs.
Cassi squinted to get a better look and realized that the shamrock was actually composed of thousands of bearded leprechauns in red waistcoats, each carrying a tiny golden and green light.
"Leprechauns!" exclaimed Mr. Weasley, managing to make himself heard amidst the applause and excitement of the spectators. Many f them continued to scramble for the gold coins, searching for them in every corner, even under the chairs.
The game continued fiercely, with Ireland in the lead when Viktor Krum caught the Golden Snitch. The Irish supporters started to get excited, and the celebration spread throughout the stadium.
"IRELAND WINS!" shouted Bagman, who seemed surprised by the unexpected outcome of the match. "KRUM CATCHES THE SNITCH, BUT IRELAND WINS... My word, I don't think any of us expected that!"
"Why did he catch the Snitch?" Ron yelled, jumping up and applauding with his hands in the air.
"He ended the game when Ireland was a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"
"He knew the team wouldn't be able to recover," Harry shouted back, trying to be heard above the noise and applauding enthusiastically.
"The Irish Chasers were too good... he wanted to end the game on his own terms," Cassi concluded.
"That took courage, didn't it?" Hermione commented, stretching to try to catch a glimpse of Krum landing.
The Irish players danced happily under the gold coin shower caused by the leprechaun mascots. Flags waved all around the stadium, and the Irish national anthem echoed at full volume. The veelas regained their radiant beauty but seemed dispirited and sad.
"Well, we fought bravely," a sad voice said behind Harry. Cassi turned to look and saw it was the Bulgarian Minister of Magic.
"You speak our language," Fudge exclaimed indignantly. "And you made me communicate through mime all day long!"
Cassi couldn't help but laugh at the situation and had to bite her lips to control herself.
"Well, it was quite funny," said the Bulgarian Minister, shrugging and winking at Cassiopeia.