It was the Easter holidays. Cassie was in the library with Thomas doing their Astronomy homework. Cassie dropped her quill as her mind had just been invaded.
She was eleven, the Hat on her head. "Hmm... quite the fighter, aren't you? Very loyal, hardworking, ambitious, intelligent... Hufflepuff? No? Are you sure? Must be a SLYTHERIN!" — Cassie was in her bedroom with Dobby in front of her. She was bandaging his burns and bruises — Cassie was with Cedric, helping him practice — She was in the Room of Requirement on Christmas, 1994. Her first kiss with the red-headed boy — Cassie was in bed, Fred was kissing her—
"Stop it! Get out!"
"Cassie?" asked Thomas, concerned.
Cassie grabbed her things, stuffing her textbooks in her bag on her way out. She traveled up to the Gryffindor common room, meeting the Fat Lady.
"Password?"
"Er... Just let me in just this once," said Cassie, fuming with rage.
"No password, no getting in," she said.
Cassie looked around hurriedly. She saw Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown coming down the staircase.
"You! Do me a favor, will you?" asked Cassie. "Get me in."
"Sorry, no," said Brown. "You've already been allowed access once. If Umbridge— "
"Get me in! I don't care if I can't hear the password!" said Cassie urgently.
Parvati sighed, waved her wand, spoke a word, and the door opened.
"Thanks." She entered and the Gryffindors in the room looked surprised.
"Cassie— "
"Not now, Fred," said Cassie, marching up to the boys' dorm.
She looked for a moment, then heard a voice belonging to Harry Potter. The door opened with a bang. She grabbed Potter by the collar, pushing him against the wall, ignoring the shouts from Ron.
"You little piece of shit, Potter!" she yelled. "I don't go invading your mind, knowing how you feel towards that Cho."
"Cassie!" screamed the voice of Hermione. "What— "
"Think I'm an idiot?" Cassie snarled. "You think I don't know when someone's invading my mind, Potter?"
"'Course not," he said weakly.
"Don't lie to me!" In Potter's eyes, Cassie seemed a lot more intimidating than usual.
She turned to Ron. "What did he tell you?"
"N-nothing," he stammered.
"Come on, he tells you everything," said Cassie.
"You know, the real question is what do you do with my brother when you're alone," said Ron with a small annoying smirk.
"Why don't you mind your own business," said Fred, coming into the room. "We can hear your shouts."
"I swear, Potter, you stay out of my mind or I'll— "
"Miss Malfoy." That was the voice of Professor McGonagall. "What on earth do you think you're doing in the Gryffindor common room?"
"He— "
"I shall escort you to your Head of House and we can sort it out there," said McGonagall. "It's better it's me who's found you than the Headmistress."
With one last glare, Cassie left. She followed behind McGonagall, head down. McGonagall knocked on Snape's door. She walked in as Snape was grading papers.
"Severus... "
He looked up. "Minerva, Malfoy. What did she do?"
"Picked a fight with Potter in the Gryffindor common room," said McGonagall. "Care to explain yourself?"
"Lavender and Parvati let me in," Cassie explained, angry just by thinking about it. "Snape, here, has been teaching him Legilimency, isn't that right? And he's been practicing, invading my mind— "
"That is Professor Snape to you, Malfoy," Snape sneered. "I agree, invasion of privacy like that deserves fifty points from Gryffindor."
"And entering the Gryffindor deserves— "
"No one was seriously injured, unfortunately. Twenty points," said Snape. "That sounds fair."
Professor McGonagall left. Cassie looked at Snape for a moment longer.
"Thanks, Professor," she said. "I managed to block him out before he got too far."
"Your secrets are an important piece of information, Malfoy," said Snape lazily. "It is crucial to keep it locked away otherwise the whole world will know."
:::
Students were standing all around the walls in a great ring. The teachers and ghosts were also in the crowd. Prominent among the onlookers were members of the Inquisitorial Squad, who were all looking rather pleased with themselves, and Peeves, who was bobbing overhead, gazed down at Fred and George who stood in the middle of the floor with the look of two people who had just been cornered.
"So!" said Umbridge triumphantly. "So you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"
"Pretty amusing, yeah," said Fred, looking at her without the slightest sign of fear.
"I've got the form, Headmistress," Filch said hoarsely, waving a piece of parchment. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting... Oh, let me do it now... "
Cassie and Addy glanced at each other, then both looked at him as if he were madder than Sirius.
"Very good, Argus," she said. "You two are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."
"You know what?" said Fred. "I don't think we are." He turned to his twin. "George, I think we've outgrown full-time education."
"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," said George lightly.
"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" asked Fred.
"Definitely," said George.
And before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said together:
"Accio brooms!"
There was a loud crash. Fred and George's broomsticks, one still trailing the heavy chain and iron peg with which Umbridge had fastened them to the wall, stopped sharply in front of the twins, the chain clattering loudly on the flagged stone floor.
"We won't be seeing you," Fred told Professor Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick.
"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch," said George, mounting his own.
Fred looked around at the assembled, silent, and watchful crowd.
"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley — Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," he said in a loud voice. "Our new premises!"
"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat," added George, pointing at Professor Umbridge.
"STOP THEM!" shrieked Umbridge, but it was too late. As the Inquisitorial Squad closed in, Fred and George kicked off from the floor, shooting fifteen feet into the air, the iron peg swinging dangerously below. Fred looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd.
"Give her hell from us, Peeves."
And Peeves, who had never taken an order from a student before, swept his hat from his head and saluted.
With the twins' absence, Cassie had much quieter days without the twins around. Fred would send letters every week and Cassie would always find time in between her studies to write back.
When her N.E.W.T.s arrived, she became more anxious. The written part was the easiest, though it took a whole two weeks to complete it. The practical exams had taken up to one week to get through every subject.
By the time the exams were finished, the news of Potter's venture to the Department of Mysteries was the talk of the school. Except, instead of praising him, students were more concerned knowing he was right — the Dark Lord was back.
When Cassie read the Prophet, it wasn't too much of a surprise to her. And then she saw the page with her father on it. He was sentenced to Azkaban, caught during the fight.
Staring eyes, conspiracies, and theories were everywhere Cassie turned. The voices went in her ear, but they never seemed to come out the other way. Fear. Anxiety. Nothing could stop what she was feeling. She needed the one with who she felt secure.
On the brighter side, Umbridge had left Hogwarts, to the relief of everyone. Cassie boarded the Hogwarts train and stayed inside the prefect's carriage, going out to patrol on her turns.
"Cass." Thomas shut the door behind him. "We're almost there so I think we're done. Er, let's have a drink."
Thomas opened his trunk and pulled out a bottle and two glasses. Cassie didn't question it. He poured the firewhisky into the glasses and put the bottle away.
"To another year gone!"
"To the riddance of Umbridge!"
Their glasses clinked together and they both drank.
"I'm sorry about your dad," said Thomas.
"He was dangerous," said Cassie with hardly any emotion. "He should... He should be locked up."
The train came to a stop.
"Excuse me."
She grabbed her trunk, though she struggled with it. Thomas helped her, grabbing the handle. Their hands brushed against each other and Cassie pulled it further.
"I've got it, thanks," she said quickly. "Bye."
When the ticket inspector signaled that it was safe to walk through the magical barrier between platforms nine and ten, she walked through it.
A group of people stood there to Cassie's surprise. There was Mad-Eye Moody, looking quite as sinister with his bowler hat pulled low over his magical eye. Tonks stood just behind him, her hair a deep shade of purple, gleaming in the sunlight.
Next to Tonks was Lupin, wearing a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers. At the front of the group stood Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, dressed in their Muggle best, greeting the trio and their daughter.
"Cassie!" Tonks called, waving her hand.
Cassie walked over to them saying "Hi" once she got closer. "Didn't expect the whole Order to be here."
"Hey, you all right?" asked Tonks.
"Yeah," Cassie nodded.
She hugged Fred tightly when she stepped away from Tonks. He kissed the top of her head. In the distance, she saw her mother hugging Draco. She caught her mother's eyes, then looked away immediately.
"Is that... alcohol?" asked Fred.
"Thomas offered," Cassie explained. "I know, I know what you're going to say, but I've only got eyes on you."
Fred kissed her again, but from the views of the others, it was as if they were full-on making out.
Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat. Cassie looked at her cautiously. She never accepted it, but she couldn't do anything about it, especially now that they were both legal adults.
Cassie turned to Tonks. "So, I'm not staying at your parents anymore."
"Why not?" asked Tonks.
"I'm thinking of getting an apartment," said Cassie. "It'll be somewhat near the Leaky Cauldron. I can always, you know, visit."
"Why not live with me?" asked Fred. "Mind as well. We've got a flat upstairs."
"I don't think George'll like me there," said Cassie. "And I don't think your mum would either."
"I... don't mind," George said quietly. "I mean, as long as I don't hear noises— "
"Okay!" said Fred at once, laughing nervously. Cassie turned pink.
"So it's settled then!" said Fred happily. "You're living with us!"
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A/N:
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