Harry didn't elaborate much on Slughorn's memory. He seemed to distrust her and was quite evasive.
Honestly, that boy could be irritating.
Since it was already very late, they parted ways to return to their respective common rooms.
Harry at the top of Gryffindor Tower, and Cassi at its far end, heading down to the Dungeons.
(...)
Katy Bell had returned to the school, and Draco was terrified. To be honest, Cassie was as well. The stress had affected her appetite, just like Draco's. A constant buzzing echoed in their ears, and they felt lost, not knowing how to proceed. Snape had asked Cassie to continue assisting Draco; it was inevitable, and Voldemort needed to fully trust them. The recent anger consuming Cassie almost made her ignore the match against Hufflepuff, but thankfully, Blaze shone as a spectacular striker, securing the victory.
(...)
Cassi was beginning to get worried. Draco wasn't feeling well and had gone to the bathroom, but it had been 20 minutes and still no sign of his return. When she headed to the restroom, she saw Harry coming out with tears on his face. Snape was right behind, holding onto Draco, who was barely standing and leaning weakly. A desperate, high-pitched scream escaped Cassi's lips as she realized Draco's condition. His white shirt was soaked in blood, and his face showed alarming paleness.
Still in shock, she saw Harry with an expression of guilt and pain, but she couldn't think straight before delivering a blow to his face. Something cracked, probably his broken nose.
"You idiot!" she shouted in fury, launching herself towards Harry, but was stopped by Snape.
"It was an accident, I didn't mean to..." Harry mumbled, his face pale.
"We need to get to the hospital wing," Snape said hastily, taking the lead. "I'll deal with you later, Potter. Don't you dare leave."
Cassiopeia followed closely behind the professor, feeling a hollow ache in her chest. Madame Pomfrey seemed as horrified as she was when she saw Draco. The nurse rushed to help him, while Snape explained the spell used and the counter-curse applied. The spell seemed to be something like 'sectumsempra,' and although Draco would be left with scars, he could alleviate the effects with a potion immediately.
Cassie refused to leave the room, staying by Draco's side, holding his hand. Madame Pomfrey had given up arguing with her many years ago and simply accepted her presence, handing her some bandages to assist, which Cassie did promptly.
Harry narrowly escaped expulsion but was given detention for the rest of the term. The entire Slytherin house made their dissatisfaction clear, expressing anger whenever they crossed paths with him in the corridors. Cassie, honestly, didn't have the energy to defend him from his peers. Draco had confessed that he intended to use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry, and despite that, she still harbored resentment for him not trusting her with Slughorn's memory.
Chaos reigned, but at least Slytherin won the House Cup with a resounding victory of 316 points to 60 against Ravenclaw.
Then, to make matters worse, Narcissa stormed into the corridors of Hogwarts, cursing Dumbledore with every possible name for calling her so late. Narcissa had learned of the incident because she had asked Kreacher to inform her, which only fueled her hatred.
"He should be expelled!" Narcissa exclaimed again, pacing back and forth in the hospital wing, displaying her agitation.
"Mother, I was at fault too. I drew my wand first," Draco argued, already tired of the discussion.
"Regardless," she emphasized once more.
"Love, please calm down," Cassie stood up, feeling dizzy as Narcissa paced nervously.
"Look, Draco is fine. Ready to get into more trouble," she said gently, nodding her head towards Draco, who playfully flexed his biceps, despite his evident struggle.
Narcissa forced a reluctant laugh but then burst into tears and embraced Cassie tightly. Cassie returned the hug, doing everything she could to comfort the older woman.
"If it eases your mind a bit, I broke Harry's nose," she whispered softly into Narcissa's ear.
"Nice punch, by the way," Draco chimed in, his eyes slowly closing.
"Sleep, dear. You need to rest," Narcissa said softly, walking over to him and caressing his cheek. It didn't take long for Draco to close his eyes, too exhausted to fight against sleep.
Cassie walked the corridors alongside Narcissa. She would have to return to the mansion, but both were walking unusually slowly, savoring every moment. Their pinky fingers brushed gently, intertwined as they walked.
"We've made significant progress so far," Cassi whispered softly, but then decided to use the spell she had learned from Snape, 'muffliato,' just as a precaution in case anyone was nearby.
"Darling..." Narcissa visibly shuddered. "All this mess... I'm trying to find ways out, solutions," she said quickly.
"Is that what you've been doing in that room?" Cassie asked.
Narcissa didn't answer. Whatever she was plotting, she apparently couldn't risk speaking aloud.
"With Draco in the hospital wing... I'll try on my own," Cassi sighed, and Narcissa's eyes widened.
"No..."
"Don't worry, we have a plan," Cassi reassured her as the older woman gripped her shoulders in panic.
"I..."
"You never wanted any of this," Cassiopeia finished for her. "I know. Neither of us did," she sighed, pressing their foreheads together. "But if we don't..."
Narcissa sobbed, and Cassie felt the older woman gently cup her cheek before their lips met. A kiss filled with tenderness, sorrow, and longing. Without worrying that they might get caught.
"My love... I have to go," Narcissa lamented as she reluctantly pulled away.
"I know. It's okay," Cassi smiled gently as she used her thumb to fix the older woman's lipstick.
"Good luck," Narcissa whispered softly, her voice heavy with sadness before giving one last chaste kiss to her lips and walking away down the corridors.
(...)
A few days later, in the Room of Requirement, Cassie found a potion book. At first, she thought it was just another lost object. Until she opened it and realized it was filled with detailed notes from start to finish.
'Half-blood Prince,' it said on the first page.
"I'm keeping you with me," Cassie murmured to herself as she tucked the book inside her cloak.
(...)
It was the following week, with Draco now recovered, when they used the last bird.
It returned alive, it worked. The cabinet was fixed.
Draco couldn't contain his joy, and neither did Cassi when he lifted her in the air and spun her in his arms.
"We did it, Fox! We did it!" Draco laughed with relief before they embraced.
They were both so absorbed that they didn't hear the secret room's door open.
"Who's there?" Professor Trelawney's voice called, and Draco fell silent abruptly.
Cassie was quicker as she grabbed her wand and cast a stunning spell to throw the professor out of the room.
"Do you think she saw us?" Draco whispered softly.
"I don't think so," Cassie whispered back.
They waited for long minutes, agonizing minutes. Both were breathing heavily as they held hands, united.
The weight of guilt was beginning to settle in both of their hearts. They didn't really want this, any of it. But now it was too late.
The cabinet trembled, and the first Death Eater emerged.
It was Carrow.
Draco tightened his grip on Cassie's hand, trying to raise his chin and hide his panic.
One by one, the Death Eaters entered the room. Then Bellatrix.
She smiled broadly at the two of them.
"Very well, Draco," she said softly as she walked slowly toward them.
"I'm truly impressed, little witch," she murmured in a husky tone as she touched Cassi's cheek.
The cold, electric buzz enveloped her, their magic intertwining, making her fingers tingle.
Cassiopeia both loved and hated the sensation equally.
When the last Death Eater entered the room, they were practically dragged through the corridors.
Carrow left a trail of destruction, laughing as he destroyed suits of armor. Bellatrix broke some windows.
Cassiopeia was trembling violently. Her home, her school, was being vandalized. Her friends were in danger, and she was complicit in all of this. She had helped with all of it.
A strong wave of nausea washed over her. Her ears were ringing as she heard screams echoing through the corridors.
Draco was just as terrified, holding her hand tightly, his knuckles white as he gripped his wand in the other hand.
When they reached the Great Hall, Bellatrix destroyed the windows, chandeliers, and tiles.
"You have to go now, Draco," Bellatrix said, turning to them.
"Go," she commanded firmly, ushering them through the corridors.
Something prickled in Cassiopeia's eyes, but it disappeared before she could identify it.
She recognized some members of the D.A. emerging in the corridors with large groups of students, starting to fight to protect the school.
They moved through the castle, searching for Dumbledore. Dolohov mentioned they had cast the Dark Mark at the top of the Astronomy Tower as a trap for Dumbledore.
The door swung open as Draco kicked it.
"Good evening, Draco," Dumbledore said calmly. He looked pale, weak.
Cassi was still in the doorway, searching the stairs for Snape.
Come on, Professor, where are you?
"Who else is here?" Draco asked, looking around.
"A question I could ask of you. Are you acting alone?" Dumbledore replied.
"No," Draco answered simply.
Cassie entered the room. Her eyes filled with sadness as she looked at the professor.
"Ah yes, Cassiopeia," Dumbledore nodded slightly.
"I'm sorry, Professor," Cassie said softly, her voice trembling.
"I have more support. There are Death Eaters in your school tonight as well," Draco explained.
"Good, good," Dumbledore commented, as if evaluating a school project.
"Very good indeed. You've managed to bring them into my school. How did you do it?" Dumbledore asked.
But Draco didn't answer; he was still trying to listen to what was happening downstairs.
Cassi was paying attention too.
Shouts and spells were being thrown all around.
"Perhaps you should continue the task without them," Dumbledore suggested. "And what if your support has been repelled by my guardians? As you may have noticed, there are members of the Order of the Phoenix here tonight as well. And after all, you don't really need help... I don't have my wand at the moment... I can't defend myself. It's two against one."
Dumbledore looked at Cassie.
"Well, we have a member of the Order in this room as well," he smiled knowingly.
Cassiopeia sighed as she looked at him sadly. She understood what he was doing.
Dumbledore was waiting for Snape. He was supposed to kill him to spare Draco.
Cassiopeia was the one who answered, trying to help prolong the encounter.
"We had to fix that Vanishing Cabinet that no one has used in years. The one Montague disappeared into last year."
"Aaaah," Dumbledore's sigh was almost lamentful. He closed his eyes for a moment.
"It was a clever idea... there's a pair, isn't there?"
" The other one is in Borgin & Burkes," Draco replied. "And together they form a passage. Montague told me he got stuck in the Hogwarts Cabinet, suspended in limbo. Sometimes he could hear what was happening in the school, and other times, what was happening in the shop, as if the Cabinet shifted between the two points, but he couldn't make anyone hear him. In the end, he Apparated out, even though he had never passed the test. He almost died trying. Everyone thought it was an exciting story, but I was the only one who realized what it meant. Not even Borgin knew. I was the only one who realized there might be a way to enter Hogwarts through the Cabinets, if I fixed what was broken." Draco explained.
"It wasn't easy. Cassi spent Christmas buried in books," he smiled gently before tears welled up in his eyes.
"Very good," Dumbledore murmured.
"So the Death Eaters were able to travel from Borgin & Burkes to the school and help with your clever plan, a very clever plan," Dumbledore continued.
Draco nodded, unable to speak at the moment.
"And you didn't suspect?" Draco questioned.
"In fact, I found out. I was certain it was you."
"Why didn't you stop me, then?" Draco exclaimed exasperatedly, unable to hold back the tears any longer.
"I tried, Draco. Professor Snape has been keeping an eye on you under my orders..."
"He wasn't following your orders, he promised my mother..."
Foolish, foolish Draco.
"Naturally, that's what he would tell you, Draco, but..."
A loud crash and shouts from below, even louder than before. It seemed like people were fighting on the staircase leading to where they were.
"In any case, we have little time," Dumbledore said. "So let's discuss your options."
Options?
"My options!" Draco exclaimed.
"I have no options! I have no choice ! I'm here with a wand about to kill you!"
"My dear boy, let's stop pretending. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it when you disarmed me. You wouldn't have stopped to have a pleasant chat about means and ways," Dumbledore sighed calmly. "You don't want to do this, Draco."
"I have no choice!" Draco cried in a sob. "I have to do this. He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family! He threatened my mother, threatened Cassie. I can't fail!"
Cassiopeia let out a sob.
"I understand the difficulty of your position. Why do you think I didn't confront you earlier? Because I knew you'd be killed if Lord Voldemort thought I suspected you."
Draco wrinkled his nose at the name.
"I didn't dare speak openly about the mission you were given, foreseeing that he might use Legilimency against you," Dumbledore continued. "Now, finally, we can speak openly. There has been no harm done, you haven't hurt anyone, though you were very lucky that your unintended victims survived. I can help you, Draco. I can help both of you."
"No, you can't," Draco cried, his hand trembling as he held his wand.
"You don't understand, Professor," Cassie sighed, equally trembling.
"Come to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can imagine. What's more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight and hide her as well. Your father is safe in Azkaban at the moment, and when the time comes, I can protect him too. Noctua might be the hardest... She's a member of the Order as well; she can help retrieve your mother. Come to the right side, Draco... you're not a killer..."
Cassie sighed. Could it be possible? Snape didn't say anything before.
"Draco," she pleaded, "Maybe... Maybe there's a way out."
Draco widened his eyes, lowering his wand temporarily.
"But your mother is with him," he commented in horror.
"I know," Cassie cried. "But she can come up with an excuse. Kreacher can fetch her," she argued.
"Then we'll get Narcissa. The Order can help escort her," she said hopefully.
"There's hope, Draco," Dumbledore smiled gently.
Draco seemed to perk up, a small smile forming on his face. His eyes gleamed with hope.
But suddenly, heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs, and a second later, he was pushed away as the Carrows, Bellatrix, and Fenrir burst into the room, having won the fight downstairs.
No... It's too late.
"Dumbledore cornered!" he exclaimed, turning to Alecto with a laugh.
"Dumb without a wand, Dumb all alone!" she commented with a foolish giggle.
"Congratulations, Draco, congratulations!" Bellatrix said softly behind Draco, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Good evening, Amico," Dumbledore greeted calmly, as if welcoming her to his festive tea. "And you brought Alecto too... how considerate."
The woman gave an angry snort.
"So you think your jokes will help you on your deathbed?" Alecto sneered.
"Jokes? No, no, they're just good manners," Dumbledore replied.
"Finish him off already," Fenrir growled at Draco.
"Is it you, Wolf?" Dumbledore asked.
"You guessed it," he replied hoarsely. "Happy to see me, Dumblewhore?"
"No, I can't say that I am..." Dumbledore sarcastically taunted.
Fenrir Greyback laughed, revealing sharp teeth. A trickle of blood ran down his chin, and he licked his lips, slowly and obscenely.
Whose throat had he torn into?
"You know how I like the little ones, Dumbledore."
Disgusting creature.
"I must understand that you're now attacking even when it's not the full moon? How extraordinary... you've developed a taste for human flesh that can't be satisfied just once a month?"
"You've got it," Greyback said. "Does that shock you, Dumbledore? Does it scare you?"
"Well, I can't pretend I'm not a little disgusted. And yes, I'm a bit surprised that Draco, here, would invite you straight to a school where his friends live."
"I didn't invite him," Draco whispered, his voice trembling. "I didn't know he was coming..."
"I wouldn't want to miss a trip to Hogwarts, Dumbledore," he replied hoarsely. "Not when there are throats to tear, such a treat..."
"Disgusting worm," Cassiopeia spat as he got too close to her face.
The werewolf just laughed at her.
"The princess has sharp teeth. Inherited mommy's cleverness, did she?" he taunted.
"I could tear you apart for dessert..."
"No," Bellatrix interrupted sharply. "Touch her, and I'll use my throwing knives for target practice on you."
Fenrir had the decency to shudder and step away from Cassiopeia.
"We have orders to fulfill."
"Do it, Draco," Bella encouraged more gently.
"Hello, Bellatrix," Dumbledore greeted calmly.
"Good evening, Dumb. Feeling the wind of death?" She taunted in her husky voice.
"Let's go, Draco. Finish this," Amico insisted.
At that moment, the door to the battlements swung open again, and Snape appeared, wand in hand, his black eyes ice-cold.
"We have a problem, Snape," Amico taunted. "The boy doesn't seem capable..."
But another voice had called Snape's name softly, "Severus..." For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading, but Snape didn't respond.
He shuddered just once before pushing Draco aside. Snape stared at Dumbledore for a moment, pain and remorse in his dark eyes as he attempted to hide behind a mask.
"Severus... please..." Dumbledore implored.
Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore. "Avada Kedavra!" he said with determination, his voice slightly trembling. Draco gripped his hand tightly.
A jet of blue light shot from the tip of his wand, striking Dumbledore squarely in the chest. It was blue, not green, as if he didn't intend to kill, and he probably didn't.
Dumbledore paused briefly in midair and slowly fell backward until he disappeared from view.
"Get out of here. Go!" Snape shouted at the two of them, pushing them out of the room.
Cassiopeia grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him, running down the stairs quickly. Both had tears streaming down their cheeks.
When they reached the front of the first corridor, they saw Ron, Minerva, and Lupin, each facing a Death Eater. Further down, they saw Tonks battling a tall blond wizard who was casting spells in all directions, causing them to ricochet off the walls, crack the stone, and shatter the nearest window.
"Kitty!" Minerva exclaimed when she saw her. But then she got distracted and nearly got hit by a Death Eater, whom Cassiopeia sent flying across the room with a spell, knocking him unconscious.
Minerva was momentarily stunned, giving Cassi a grateful look before she regained her senses and hurriedly pulled Draco down the corridor. They narrowly avoided something exploding overhead, raining chunks of wall down on them. Many people were lying on the ground, many seriously injured.
Draco looked around in panic, and Cassi felt a deep sadness in her chest. They had caused this.
A Death Eater was a few meters away from Hermione. Her wand lay on the ground.
Draco was the first to shout, and the spell hit the man in the face. He let out a howl of pain, turned, stumbled, and then fell.
Hermione turned toward the two of them, her mouth hanging open in shock.
They wanted to stay, help. But Snape came running behind them, pushing them out.
Bellatrix was right behind, gripping Cassiopeia's arm as she dragged her along.
They dashed through the corridors, down the hill, and partially into the Forbidden Forest until they reached Hagrid's cabin.
Bella was laughing maniacally before setting the cabin on fire.
Cassi tried to stop her and lunged at the witch angrily, both of them rolling on the ground.
Bellatrix laughed even more, spinning them around so she was on top. One hand was around Cassi's neck as their faces drew closer.
"How wild, little witch," she sarcastically taunted. Her voice was deep, as if she was thoroughly enjoying this.
Then Harry shouted in the distance and tried to hit Snape.
"Go!" he yelled, staying behind.
Bellatrix held Cassi tightly as she pulled her out of Hogwarts grounds, grabbing Draco too as they Apparated.
When they arrived at the mansion, chaos ensued.
Narcissa and Noctua were pacing back and forth in pure apprehension in the living room.
Each rushed towards the two of them, checking if they were okay.
"It was terrible, Mother," Cassie lamented, remembering the bodies of some fallen friends in the corridors. Guilt was slowly consuming her.
Narcissa cautiously approached Cassi to do the same check she did with Draco, practically shoving Noctua aside before hugging Cassi tightly. Her face buried in her neck, her hands clutching her curls.
Her mother gave her a side glance, arms crossed impatiently.
Bellatrix stumbled over to a chair and plopped down with a huff.
"We lost some Death Eaters," she casually commented. "Draco didn't have the guts to continue. Snape was the one who killed him."
Narcissa sighed in relief. Draco wouldn't be punished.
"Can I hug my daughter?" Noctua asked irritably.
Narcissa arched an eyebrow. "Of course," she said in a tone so monotone that her lofty sarcasm couldn't even escape it.
Cassi rolled her eyes at both women as she hugged her mother properly.
"He will want to see you both. Both of you," Bellatrix commented, examining her own nails.
Noctua shuddered and held Cassiopeia tightly.
When would this nightmare end?
(...)
Cassiopeia wrote a letter to Minerva explaining everything. She described how Dumbledore had tried to recruit Draco into the Order, promising protection for Narcissa and Lucius. How he would have accepted before the Death Eaters invaded the room.
She apologized for everything, explained that they were on the right side. Hoping that Minerva would understand they were against Voldemort but had to play along with the Death Eaters.
She asked to meet when possible for a better explanation and begged her godmother to trust her.
When she finished, she entrusted the letter to Kreacher and asked him to deliver it directly into Minerva's hands, and only Minerva's.