This was a fun chapter to write! Cedric and Professor Moody are such fun characters, and I love delving into the mystery behind Cassi's origins. It's not as simple as you might think from the story title! I can guarentee that there are some major plot twists ahead!
Meanwhile, Quidditch, S.P.E.W. and Cedric, as promised!
Disclaimer- Harry Potter characters, settings and plots belong to J.K. Rowlings. I only own Cassi and my own plot additions.
Chapter Three
Since Moody hadn't ordered Cassi to return to DADA, she took the chance to escape from the rest of class. After making sure that Neville was safely in the infirmerary, she snuck out of the castle and began looking for an nice, isolated spot. It was a beautiful day and winter would be along far too soon, making it impossible to write out of doors. She wasn't going to waste this chance.
As she walked along the path at the front of the school, she saw the bright flags of the Quidditch pitch fluttering above. She hesitated for a moment. Due to the Triwizard tournament, the Quidditch season had been canceled. This meant that of all the places on the school grounds, it was most likely to be deserted. Delighted at the realization, she picked up her robes and scurried down the path towards the pitch. Even though the nearest bench was up several flights of stairs, and she would no doubt miss lunch, she didn't mind letting her stomach rumble if it meant that she got a chance to write.
Her story- the one about the unicorns- had been sadly neglected ever since her mother had called her down to the kitchen that fateful night. Since then Cassi had been so busy settling into the wizarding world that she hadn't found a spare moment for her writing.
Besides, having seen real unicorns, she had somehow lost the urge to write about them. They hadn't lost their magicalness, but somehow she didn't think that anyone at Hogwarts would get the point. If she wanted to write something really interesting, she could write about televisions and microwaves and set a murder mystery in the Muggle world. But somehow that didn't seem very interesting either.
She pulled out her writing notebook and quill pen and drew the feather poiny softly across her cheek. She love writing with a quill pen. This was an ordinary one, but she hoped at some point to find a magical one would automatically correct her spelling mistakes. She had heard Fred and George Weasley talking about one, so she knew they must exist.
After a moment's thought, she bent over the book and began scribbling. It wasn't brilliant, but…
"Interesting place for homework."
"What?" She glanced up quickly, nearly dropping her quill. Cedric Diggory was hovering in front of her, his broom expertly mounted. "Oh. It's not homework."
He raised his eyebrows. "You write for fun, then?"
"Um…" she felt her face growing warm. "Yes, I do. I want to be an author someday."
"Really. And they put you in Hufflepuff?"
The corners of her mouth twitched. "I know. They say I should have been in Ravenclaw, but…"
"Don't worry," he said. "You belong with us. I can see it in your face."
Oh dear. This wasn't helping matters.
"Am I in your way?" she asked, noticing for the first time that the rest of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team members were filing out onto the field.
"No, not at all. We're just doing a bit of practice to stay in shape. I just wondered why you were up here by yourself."
She shrugged. "It's a beautiful day and it's nice to get alone when I'm writing. I'm not sulking or anything."
"Good," he grinned. "Cassi, isn't it?"
"Yes."
He held out his hand. "I don't think we've properly met. Cedric Diggory."
"Yes, I know."
It was his turn to flush. "Yes, well…They do make rather a fuss over me, don't they? I'd rather they didn't."
"You don't like the attention?"
"Not really. It's mostly girls anyhow and- I don't really need that."
Because he had Cho already, of course.
"Hey Diggory!" one of the other players called to him. "Are we going to play or not?"
"Yes, I'm coming!" He shouted back. Then, to Cassi, "I hope we're not disrupting you."
"No, of course not," she assured him. "I'd like to watch, actually. I've never seen a Quidditch game before."
"Never? You weren't able to make it to the World Cup this year?"
"No. I didn't find out that I was a wizard until August 31st."
"Really? Rotten luck, there. It was an amazing game. Viktor Krum- you've heard of him, haven't you?"
She shook her head.
"Krum is the Bulgarian seeker. One of the best Quidditch players in the world. Some of his moves were- well, he's phenomenal."
The team was calling to him again.
"Blast, I had better go. Do look Krum up though, won't you? It's worth knowing something about Quidditch, if you're going to be at Hogwarts."
"I will," she called after him, as he sped away to join his friends.
Despite the slight chill in the air, she felt deliciously warm. Cedric Diggory had talked to her! He had asked about what she was doing, and he had encouraged her to learn more about Quidditch! At the moment, there was certainly nothing she'd like better.
She put her book away and leaned forwards, watching the players on the pitch below. Cedric was clearly the best of them, zooming and twisting with such ease that she could hardly believe he was actually using a broomstick. It was as though he had been born to fly.
Hannah still was giving her the cold shoulder when she finally returned to the school. Wrapped up in her own thoughts, Cassi decided not to question her friend. But it was a bit lonely at supper sitting by herself. She didn't linger over the dessert, instead hurrying back to the common room through the candlelit halls.
"Cassi!"
She turned to see Hermione Granger chasing after her.
"Hello Hermione," she said. "What's the matter?"
"I've been looking for you all afternoon. I haven't given you a chance to join SPEW yet!"
"Er…SPEW?"
"Yes. Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare. Our goal is working towards House Elf freedom, of course. Surely you've noticed how atrociously they're being treated."
Cassi stared at her. "Hermione, I don't even know what a House Elf is."
"Oh. Of course not. They're so downtrodden that no one ever sees them at school. Well, they're basically slaves to wizards. They have to punish themselves if they disobey and it's simply terrible!"
"It sounds…unpleasant."
"It is. Very. So, two knuts?"
"For what?"
"For joining SPEW. You get one of these-" she pulled a small badge out of her bag, "And you can come to meetings, if you'd like."
It wasn't like she could say no to Hermione, not after all she had done. Cassi dug the knuts out of her bag and pinned the badge onto her robe. Then, she got an idea. "Hermione-"
"Yes?"
"Could you teach me to fly?"
"What?" Hermione looked slightly green.
"To fly. You know, on a broom. You've been such a good teacher in everything else."
She shook her head empathetically. "No, I can't. Brooms- brooms aren't my strongest subject."
From Hermione, that was like saying that she only got "Exceeds Expectations" in an exam instead of "Outstanding."
"That's okay," Cassi said. "I don't need an expert. Just someone to get me on a broom."
"No, you really don't want me to teach you. Why don't you ask one of your house Quidditch players?"
A brief image of walking up to Cedric and asking for flying lessons flew through Cassi's mind. But she quickly dismissed it. Cedric was a seventh year and a prefect and would never have the time or wish to teach her.
"I don't think they'd have the time. They're all older and studying for O.W.L.S. or N.E.W.T.S."
Hermione frowned. "Well…I suppose we could ask Harry. He's quite good at flying."
"Harry Potter?"
"Yes. He'd probably do it if I asked him. Have you met him yet?"
Cassi shook her head. She had been rather awe-stricken by the famous Harry Potter, and, apart from Neville and occasionally Hermione, she didn't even really talk to his friends.
"All right, well, come on then," said Hermione. She grabbed Cassi by the robe and began dragging her towards a stairway.
"Where are we going?"
"Gryffindor Common room, of course. I'll have to leave you down the hall, but I can bring Harry out."
"Are you sure that-"
Not looking where they were going, the two girls bumped into a large figure that had appeared rather suddenly out of the shadowy corridor. They both let out startled gasps as the wild moving eye of Professor Moody stared down at them.
"Granger, is it?" he growled. "And Young? What are you doing in the Gryffindor wing?"
Cassi quivered. "We- we were going to talk to Harry Potter, sir."
"Harry Potter?" Moody snapped. "What do you want with Harry Potter?"
"He's my friend," said Hermione, drawing herself up. "And we were going to ask him to give Cassi flying lessons."
He looked curiously at Cassi. "Flying lessons, eh? From Potter?"
"Yes, he's the best in our year," said Hermione.
"Gryffindor seeker, isn't he?"
"Yes."
Moody was still staring at Cassi. "Well, then go ask him, Granger. But Young, I'd like to speak to you."
"With- with me?" Cassi whispered. She'd much rather sneak into the Gryffindor Common Room behind Hermione than face a lecture from Moody. But she hardly had any choice. "Yes, sir."
Hermione looked puzzled, but seeing that Cassi was ready to follow the Professor, she gave a half-hearted smile and ran up the rest of the stairs.
"This way," said Moody gruffly. He turned and stalked down the corridor.
Cassi had to hurry to keep up with him. Despite his bad leg, he was no force to be trifled with, and walked a great deal faster than many of the students.
They stopped at the door of the DADA classroom, which Moody unlocked with a rather large key. He ushered her in, then led her to the room beyond which served as his office.
Despite her fear, Cassi couldn't help being interested in the many objects littering the room. She guessed that most of them had something to do with Moody's job as an Auror- she recognized a sneakascope, for instance. And there was a rather curious mirror on the wall. It didn't reflect the room, but rather some shadowy figures moving beyond. Although- it was odd. For a moment Cassi could see her own face quite plainly in it. Then, it vanished.
"Now," said Moody, drawing out a stool. "Take a seat."
She perched on it rather hesitantly.
"Something to drink?"
She shook her head.
"Good girl. I myself never drink anything that I haven't poured out with my own hands." As if to illustrate his point, he pulled out a hip flask and gulped down a large portion of the contents. Then, recapping it, he turned back to Cassi. "Now, you probably have a lot of questions, don't you?"
"Well…"
"Go ahead. Ask them. It's the least you're entitled to after being sent away like that."
Cassi blinked. Moody sounded almost- sympathetic? "Anything?"
"Yes. I might not choose to answer it now- but ask anyhow."
"Well-" she took a deep breath. "If I'm a wizard like everyone else here, why wasn't I sent a letter when I was eleven?"
Moody nodded. "Thought you might ask that. There's no reason to panic. It happens every now and then that- for whatever reason- a young wizard is placed under a concealing charm that prevents their existence being known. You've heard of the Fidelius Charm?"
"Hermione mentioned it. Only the secret keeper knows of the object or place's existence, correct?"
"That is correct."
"But how could that be applied to me? I certainly haven't been a secret."
"You, Cassiopeia Young, have not been a secret. However, your name is not Cassiopeia Young. The Fidelius Charm was placed upon your real name, your wizarding existence, in which case, it is to that name your letter would have been sent and thus, lost."
She stared at him. "My name isn't Cassiopeia?"
"Oh no, your name is Cassiopeia. But it isn't Young."
"But- my parents-"
"Are not your parents. You are the natural born daughter of a long line of pureblooded wizards."
Cassi felt the room tilting slightly around her. One of her hands reached out and clutched the edge of Moody's desk for support. "I'm…adopted?"
Apparently Moody took it as a rhetorical question, because he merely gestured towards the previously offered glass. "Are you sure you wouldn't take a drink?"
She shook her head mutely. She hardly knew what to think. She ought to have known- even Hannah had guessed. But her parents had always treated her like one of their own. They had loved her and raised her and given her the same care and education that they had given the rest of their children. Apart from her different coloring, she had never had the slightest reason to feel herself anything but one of the others.
And now, in one moment, her entire world had turned upside down. She had thought that discovering she was a wizard was strange…but it was nothing compared to this!
"But why…why did they never mention…" She looked at Moody. "They were under a curse, weren't they? That's why they let me go so quickly when you came."
He nodded. "Smart girl."
Her voice caught. "Do they- do they even remember me now?"
Moody looked at her sharply, then began tapping the desk with his hard knuckles. "There's more at stake here than one family. You were hidden to protect your life. Even now the school records you under your Muggle name to protect your identity. We can't risk that for your personal happiness."
"But why am I so important?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly there was a pop and a green head appeared in the fireplace. It was Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff. Cassi jumped.
"Floo network," grunted Moody.
"There you are, Cassi!" said Sprout. "Granger and Potter are looking for you. You are to meet them on the second level near the painting of the Vanishing Waterfall."
"Yes, Professor," Cassi stammered.
Sprout vanished.
"Hmm," said Moody. "Potter, eh?"
"Yes. But Professor- what about-"
"Questions later. I have work to do now." He rose and began shuffling papers on his desk.
"But my parents! My real parents-"
He spun around on her. "Are not to be mentioned! These are dark and dangerous times, Cassi! You must say nothing of this conversation to anyone- not even Dumbledore! Now-" He shuffled to the door and yanked it open. "Good night."
Cassi stood up shakily, still looking hopefully at the professor's gnarled face. But the rough features remained stony, and she knew that she had gotten all the information possible out of him. "Good night," she whispered.
He slammed the door behind her, leaving her alone in the dark hallway. And alone she certainly felt. Even that day in King's Cross she hadn't felt so deserted.
Because then, at least, she had a family, even if they had left her in a hurry. She had an identity and a name.
Now she didn't even know the names of her real parents- much less, her own.
All she had was Cassiopeia, the name that tied her to the dreaded house of Slytherin and the mysterious family of Black.
Stay tuned...Nocturnal adventures coming next!