Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the world they live in. They belong to JK Rowling and anyone else she's given the rights to. I do own Cassandra and the plot.
Notes: I know I should wait until I'm finished my other chapter story, Myths of the Flood, but this idea has been begging to be written for days now and I just couldn't put it off any longer.
Prologue
Severus Snape shivered violently as he walked down the dank hall that led to the prisoner he was to visit. Albus Dumbledore was by his side, striding along, as if being in the halls of Azkaban didn't bother him in the least. Dementors glided by, paying only the slightest bit of attention to them, but Snape still felt cold every time one slid past. He didn't have very many happy memories to give them and he wasn't willing to give away what little he still considered happy.
"I despise this place," he hissed, intent on letting Dumbledore just how much he hated being roped into the trip. He wasn't a friend of the prisoner they were visiting, he had never met her, but Dumbledore thought it was be a good idea for him to come. Snape had no idea what kind of reasoning there was behind this thought, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was get the visit over with and leave.
"You haven't even told me why she is in here," he said, striding along quickly to keep up with Dumbledore.
The Headmaster smiled at him. "Apparently she kidnapped and murdered Remus Lupin."
Snape stopped in the middle of the hall. "Are you mad? Why in Merlin's name are we going to visit a murderer? Not just any murderer . . . Lupin . . . when did this happen?"
"I said apparently," Dumbledore reminded him. "I don't believe for a second that she would dare hurt him."
Snape rolled his eyes. "Not another one . . . please Albus, you don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"On the contrary, Severus," Dumbledore said, "I know Cassandra quite well and I can guarantee you that she didn't do it."
"You're not planning what I think you're planning," he said dully.
Dumbledore's smile widened. "She's an unregistered Animagus. A grey mare, if the rumours are correct."
"Oh no, Albus . . . no, no. You simply cannot break a prisoner out of Azkaban. If anyone were to find out you would be thrown in here yourself. She's been convicted of a crime-"
"Unfairly convicted," Dumbledore said. "Remus has been missing for nearly six months now, but the Ministry hasn't bothered trying to track him down. Cassandra was the last to see him and in the eyes of the Ministry, that automatically makes her guilty. She's being imprisoned for the murder of a wizard no one is really sure is dead."
"I understand that, Albus, but there must be some other way," Snape protested.
"She's been here for three months, Severus," Dumbledore said softly. "She can't keep her mind safe the way Sirius could. She'll be gone within another month. Reserve your judgement until you see her."
Snape drew in a deep breath, but nodded and slowly continued their trip down the hall. He dreaded seeing the girl with every step that he took, he didn't want to take part in this. Surely Dumbledore knew the risk he was taking by helping to break out this woman. Snape tried to argue that it was insane, the stupidest thing he'd ever heard, but somewhere in the back of his mind another voice spoke up.
*You know he's right,* the voice said. *Dumbledore knows things you can't possibly imagine. Just trust him.*
So Snape continued the long walk, trusting in the Headmaster that walked by his side.
They arrived at the last cell, the lanterns and torches above them barely throwing enough light through the magically enhanced glass door for them to see who was inside. Snape squinted, peering into the shadows and for a long moment he was afraid that she had already escaped.
He saw her finally, leaning against the wall of her cell with her legs crossed. One hand was out in front of her, casually pawing at the air like there was something hanging in front of her face. Her dark hair was lank and dirty, hanging around her face in greasy clumps and her grey eyes were expressionless.
"Are you sure she is not already beyond help?" Snape whispered.
As he spoke, her pale eyes focused and she stopped pawing at the air.
"I know you," she whispered, cocking her head at them. "Do you know me? Can you tell me who I am? I seem to have forgotten." Her eyes went past them, staring at something only she could see. "You there . . . stop moving like that."
"She is very far gone," Dumbledore whispered. "Much worse than last time."
"Can you see them?" she asked, staring up at the ceiling of her cell. "Can you count the stars with me? I always lose track and never remember where I stopped. Four thousand, six hundred and ninety two, I think, but there must be more." Her voice changed and a smile crossed her dry lips. "I like the constellations . . . they're pretty. I don't like the Dark Lord though, he's in the sky at night and that can only mean one thing." She nodded fiercely, her bright eyes wide. "Sirius is in the sky, did you know?" Her eyes went up to the ceiling again. "He tells me things about you and about Remus."
"We can't help her," Snape said, stepping away.
Cassandra leapt forward and pressed her hands against the glass. "Sirius is very loud. Shush Sirius! Be quiet now, I'm talking to these nice men."
"Do you remember me?" Dumbledore asked.
A shy smile crossed Cassandra's face. "Of course . . . you're Dumbledore. You were Headmaster when I went to Hogwarts. You taught my mum too." Her head whipped around to stare at the back corner of her cell. "Sirius! Don't make me come up there again. Just be quiet." She turned back to them and giggled softly. "He's always so noisy, but I like the company."
"Sirius Black?" Snape asked.
Cassandra's eyes widened. "Do you know Sirius? He's quite lovely." She pressed her face against the glass and contorted it, then giggled again. "Isn't that funny? It's my favourite- SHUT UP SIRIUS!" she screamed suddenly, scrambling for the back corner of her cell. Her fists pounded on the walls and soon blood was streaming down her arms. "I did not hurt him! You know that! You know that, so just shut up!"
"Cassandra!" Dumbledore said sharply and she stopped her movements. "Come back here."
She obeyed, tears streaming down her pale face. "You know I didn't hurt Remus, don't you Dumbledore?"
He nodded. "I know."
A smile crossed her face. "I still have a happy thought. One happy thought. It's what keeps me safe."
"Couldn't keep you sane," Snape mumbled crossly.
"I love him," she murmured. "I would never hurt him. I want him home."
"I know you do, Cassandra," Dumbledore said. "I'm going to help you find him."
Her grey eyes widened again. "Will you really? Sirius keeps promising he'll help, but he never does!"
"We'll help," Dumbledore promised. "I want you to do something for me."
Cassandra nodded eagerly.
"Turn into the mare," he instructed. "Turn into the mare and follow Severus out of here. He'll take you back to Hogwarts while I deal with the Dementors and the ministry. You'll be safe there and we can start working on our plan to find Remus."
"I can do that," she whispered, turning away from them and beginning to strip off her clothing.
Snape's eyes widened and he turned away at the same time as Dumbledore whirled around.
"I suppose insanity makes you less modest," Snape mumbled.
Dumbledore fixed him with a steady gaze. "Take her back to Hogwarts. Promise me that you will."
Snape nodded. "I promise."
Behind them, a heavy hoof pawed at the glass door. Dumbledore turned with his wand and began to recite a complex incantation that would leave him exhausted for hours afterward. Within minutes the door began to lose it's magical properties and soon enough Snape could pull it open.
The beautiful grey mare nuzzled him gently and he stared grimly at the Headmaster. What they were doing was a risk to everything they had ever achieved, but he would do it. If Dumbledore wanted to help her, then Snape would follow him to the ends of the earth in order to do it.
"Be safe," Dumbledore whispered.
Snape nodded, then started back down the long hall with a mare at his side.
End Prologue
Notes: I know I should wait until I'm finished my other chapter story, Myths of the Flood, but this idea has been begging to be written for days now and I just couldn't put it off any longer.
Prologue
Severus Snape shivered violently as he walked down the dank hall that led to the prisoner he was to visit. Albus Dumbledore was by his side, striding along, as if being in the halls of Azkaban didn't bother him in the least. Dementors glided by, paying only the slightest bit of attention to them, but Snape still felt cold every time one slid past. He didn't have very many happy memories to give them and he wasn't willing to give away what little he still considered happy.
"I despise this place," he hissed, intent on letting Dumbledore just how much he hated being roped into the trip. He wasn't a friend of the prisoner they were visiting, he had never met her, but Dumbledore thought it was be a good idea for him to come. Snape had no idea what kind of reasoning there was behind this thought, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was get the visit over with and leave.
"You haven't even told me why she is in here," he said, striding along quickly to keep up with Dumbledore.
The Headmaster smiled at him. "Apparently she kidnapped and murdered Remus Lupin."
Snape stopped in the middle of the hall. "Are you mad? Why in Merlin's name are we going to visit a murderer? Not just any murderer . . . Lupin . . . when did this happen?"
"I said apparently," Dumbledore reminded him. "I don't believe for a second that she would dare hurt him."
Snape rolled his eyes. "Not another one . . . please Albus, you don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"On the contrary, Severus," Dumbledore said, "I know Cassandra quite well and I can guarantee you that she didn't do it."
"You're not planning what I think you're planning," he said dully.
Dumbledore's smile widened. "She's an unregistered Animagus. A grey mare, if the rumours are correct."
"Oh no, Albus . . . no, no. You simply cannot break a prisoner out of Azkaban. If anyone were to find out you would be thrown in here yourself. She's been convicted of a crime-"
"Unfairly convicted," Dumbledore said. "Remus has been missing for nearly six months now, but the Ministry hasn't bothered trying to track him down. Cassandra was the last to see him and in the eyes of the Ministry, that automatically makes her guilty. She's being imprisoned for the murder of a wizard no one is really sure is dead."
"I understand that, Albus, but there must be some other way," Snape protested.
"She's been here for three months, Severus," Dumbledore said softly. "She can't keep her mind safe the way Sirius could. She'll be gone within another month. Reserve your judgement until you see her."
Snape drew in a deep breath, but nodded and slowly continued their trip down the hall. He dreaded seeing the girl with every step that he took, he didn't want to take part in this. Surely Dumbledore knew the risk he was taking by helping to break out this woman. Snape tried to argue that it was insane, the stupidest thing he'd ever heard, but somewhere in the back of his mind another voice spoke up.
*You know he's right,* the voice said. *Dumbledore knows things you can't possibly imagine. Just trust him.*
So Snape continued the long walk, trusting in the Headmaster that walked by his side.
They arrived at the last cell, the lanterns and torches above them barely throwing enough light through the magically enhanced glass door for them to see who was inside. Snape squinted, peering into the shadows and for a long moment he was afraid that she had already escaped.
He saw her finally, leaning against the wall of her cell with her legs crossed. One hand was out in front of her, casually pawing at the air like there was something hanging in front of her face. Her dark hair was lank and dirty, hanging around her face in greasy clumps and her grey eyes were expressionless.
"Are you sure she is not already beyond help?" Snape whispered.
As he spoke, her pale eyes focused and she stopped pawing at the air.
"I know you," she whispered, cocking her head at them. "Do you know me? Can you tell me who I am? I seem to have forgotten." Her eyes went past them, staring at something only she could see. "You there . . . stop moving like that."
"She is very far gone," Dumbledore whispered. "Much worse than last time."
"Can you see them?" she asked, staring up at the ceiling of her cell. "Can you count the stars with me? I always lose track and never remember where I stopped. Four thousand, six hundred and ninety two, I think, but there must be more." Her voice changed and a smile crossed her dry lips. "I like the constellations . . . they're pretty. I don't like the Dark Lord though, he's in the sky at night and that can only mean one thing." She nodded fiercely, her bright eyes wide. "Sirius is in the sky, did you know?" Her eyes went up to the ceiling again. "He tells me things about you and about Remus."
"We can't help her," Snape said, stepping away.
Cassandra leapt forward and pressed her hands against the glass. "Sirius is very loud. Shush Sirius! Be quiet now, I'm talking to these nice men."
"Do you remember me?" Dumbledore asked.
A shy smile crossed Cassandra's face. "Of course . . . you're Dumbledore. You were Headmaster when I went to Hogwarts. You taught my mum too." Her head whipped around to stare at the back corner of her cell. "Sirius! Don't make me come up there again. Just be quiet." She turned back to them and giggled softly. "He's always so noisy, but I like the company."
"Sirius Black?" Snape asked.
Cassandra's eyes widened. "Do you know Sirius? He's quite lovely." She pressed her face against the glass and contorted it, then giggled again. "Isn't that funny? It's my favourite- SHUT UP SIRIUS!" she screamed suddenly, scrambling for the back corner of her cell. Her fists pounded on the walls and soon blood was streaming down her arms. "I did not hurt him! You know that! You know that, so just shut up!"
"Cassandra!" Dumbledore said sharply and she stopped her movements. "Come back here."
She obeyed, tears streaming down her pale face. "You know I didn't hurt Remus, don't you Dumbledore?"
He nodded. "I know."
A smile crossed her face. "I still have a happy thought. One happy thought. It's what keeps me safe."
"Couldn't keep you sane," Snape mumbled crossly.
"I love him," she murmured. "I would never hurt him. I want him home."
"I know you do, Cassandra," Dumbledore said. "I'm going to help you find him."
Her grey eyes widened again. "Will you really? Sirius keeps promising he'll help, but he never does!"
"We'll help," Dumbledore promised. "I want you to do something for me."
Cassandra nodded eagerly.
"Turn into the mare," he instructed. "Turn into the mare and follow Severus out of here. He'll take you back to Hogwarts while I deal with the Dementors and the ministry. You'll be safe there and we can start working on our plan to find Remus."
"I can do that," she whispered, turning away from them and beginning to strip off her clothing.
Snape's eyes widened and he turned away at the same time as Dumbledore whirled around.
"I suppose insanity makes you less modest," Snape mumbled.
Dumbledore fixed him with a steady gaze. "Take her back to Hogwarts. Promise me that you will."
Snape nodded. "I promise."
Behind them, a heavy hoof pawed at the glass door. Dumbledore turned with his wand and began to recite a complex incantation that would leave him exhausted for hours afterward. Within minutes the door began to lose it's magical properties and soon enough Snape could pull it open.
The beautiful grey mare nuzzled him gently and he stared grimly at the Headmaster. What they were doing was a risk to everything they had ever achieved, but he would do it. If Dumbledore wanted to help her, then Snape would follow him to the ends of the earth in order to do it.
"Be safe," Dumbledore whispered.
Snape nodded, then started back down the long hall with a mare at his side.
End Prologue