"It's your damn owl." Evangeline Rowans growled as she threw a letter at me before crawling back into bed. It was two in the morning and an owl was persistently scratching at the window until she answered it.
"Lumos." I whispered and pulled myself up in the bed. My wand tip lit up and I closed my eyes against the harsh glare. I recognized the handwriting and pulled the flap of the letter open.
I must have read the letter four times before Evangeline got up again and took it from my hand.
"It's a wedding invite, who's John Duramid, an uncle?" She asked. I was frozen in place.
"Cassie, are you okay, Cassiopeia?" She asked. A strangled sound left my throat.
"Cassie, who is John Duramid?" She asked as she sat on my bed.
"Think about it dumbass, her name is Cassiopeia Duramid, it only makes sense that her Dad would be John Duramid." Tori Yaxley said as she joined us on my bed.
"But, I thought her Mum just died two years ago?" Madison Dolohov asked.
"She did, that's why this is a surprise." I whispered. My eyes watered as I looked at the date of the wedding. I was doing calculations in my head and I knew I wouldn't be able to go.
"So who is Regena Lupin?" Tori asked.
"I've never met her before, have any of you heard of a Lupin family?" I asked.
"Not around here, maybe in England, Tori and I can write home and see?" Madi offered and I shrugged.
"No, I have to go home in three day's, why not be surprised?" I asked and they nodded.
"You can all go back to bed. Professor Rithmancer will kill us if we're late for History of Magic in the morning." I said and the girls reluctantly returned to bed.
Three day's past quickly and before I knew it I was leaving Salem Academy for the first time, making me reluctant.
Being accepted there was nothing short of a miracle at best after what had happened when I was nine. It was where my older brother Ben spent two years before he died at thirteen.
My Mum went there too before moving to England to train as an Auror, where she met my Dad. He was a Ministry worker for the Department of Magical Creatures and together they returned to America after Mum became an Auror.
Mum was twenty two at this point and Dad was twenty four. She fell pregnant with Ben and they married before he was born and Dad bought a farm where he could raise Thestrals.
He was the only one that could see them as his Uncle had insisted everyone was by his side as he died. Ben was born and I arrived four years later.
Three days after my ninth birthday my Mum and Ben died at my hands and ever since Dad has hated me.
I didn't mean to kill them but I couldn't control myself. By the next morning Dad found me in Ohio, the state next to where we lived in Indiana.
I had killed four others that night, all of which were unsuspecting muggles but Dad had covered for me and someone else was blamed for my crimes.
I still woke up with their screams in my head sometimes.
When I arrived home I was greeted with silence until my house elf Dinky found me in the hall with a small smile.
"Dinky missed you Miss. Dinky cleaned your room and laid out an outfit for tonight Miss." She said as she pulled my case
"What's tonight Dinky?" I asked as she opened my room door. There was a nice dress and shoes lying on my bed and she helped me put them on.
"We should go now Miss, Master says we should leave once you are ready." Dinky said and I sighed before grabbing my bag. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed six apples and a raw steak before going out to the stables and grinning at the Thestrals I could now see.
I left the food before running back inside and finding Dinky by the fire place.
"Master says we must floo." She said and threw some powder into the fire.
"Just say Duramid manor." Dinky instructed and I shook my head.
"No, this is Duramid Manor Dinky, that wouldn't bring me anywhere." I smiled at the confused elf.
"No, that is what master says to do Miss." Dinky was getting flustered and I decided to humor her.
"Duramid Manor." I began spinning which confused the hell out of me especially when I appeared in a different living room.
"What the Goblin?" I asked as I waited for Dinky. There was talking and laughter from the next room and I strayed in that direction.
It was a party, and extravagant one at that. I noticed many of the portraits were the ones that usually hang at home and I knew something wasn't right. I was yet to see anyone I knew and I was getting confused.
"Oh, godric sorry." A boy apologised for bumping into me. He had glasses and messy hair. He was breathing like he'd been running and looked about my age.
"Umm, it's okay, you haven't seen John Duramid by any chance?" I asked.
"He's the one getting married isn't he?" The boy asked.
"I think so, is this an engagement party?" I asked and he nodded.
"Yeah, do you go to Hogwarts, I haven't seen you before." He said and I shook my head.
"No, I attend Salem's in Massachusetts" I answered as I looked around and tried to spot someone I'd know.
"James, I have to go soon, Mum only made an appearance because he works for the Ministry." A black haired boy came up behind the boy I was talking to.
"But we didn't even talk to Remus yet and congratulate his Mum." James said and I gawked at him.
"Remus, is the Bride's son?" I asked and they nodded.
"Yeah, Remus Lupin, do we know you?" The new boy asked.
"No, she goes to America." James answered proud to have one upped his friend.
"Oh, right well, it was nice meeting you..." The boy trailed off and I realized he wanted my name.
"Cassiopeia." I answered shortly and began moving when I spotted the familiar head of hair in the centre of the room.
"Well goodbye then." James mumbled.
"Miss, Master wishes to see you." Dinky said and took my hand as she led me through the crowd.
"Master, I found her." Dinky announced proudly as my father turned to face me. He had a beautiful woman on his arm and she looked so happy.
"Cassie, baby, you're here." Dad said and reached out to hug me. I stepped away from his embrace with wide eyes and shook my head.