Chapter 7
The next day I kept an eye as I saw Ginny. She was interacting with a strange girl. A blonde Ravenclaw who had the strangest earrings from what I could see. Ginny waved to me when she saw I was looking, I waved back.
'She looks better. But I need to keep a closer eye on her.' I thought, flicking a glance to Ron.
We were supposed to be in Herbology for the last lesson of the term, but a blizzard showed up overnight. Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes. It, apparently, was a tricky operation she didn't want to entrust to anyone else. Especially now that Colin and Mrs. Norris were Petrified in the Hospital Wing.
So after breakfast, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I were in the common room. Hermione and Ron were playing wizards chess while Harry fretted next to the fire. I caught a glimpse of red hair and when I looked up Ginny was calmly walking out of the common room.
Something about how she walked and looked gave me an uneasy feeling. I stood up.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.
"To the library. I want to double check something." I tried to keep my shoulders from shrugging.
"Oh okay." Harry started to pace again.
I tried to keep my shoulders from shrugging. I didn't want them to know I was lying. As I walked away I tried to keep my pace even, I didn't want anyone to be suspicious of me.
As soon as I left the common room I looked over the banister to see Ginny was still walking at a leisurely pace. I tried my hardest to run after her softly. My shoes would hit the ground louder than I wanted so I finally just took them off. I left my stockings on so that they would soften the sound of my feet.
I made sure to keep Ginny a few yards ahead me so that I can easily hide if she randomly turns around. But I lost her somewhere on the second floor. I don't know how I lost her, but I did. I looked everywhere and couldn't think of where she could have gone.
After sometime of looking for Ginny I gave up and turned around a corner and threw a hand over my mouth. Nearly Headless Nick was floating in the air… but only he was black and laying down six inches off the ground. As I stepped closer I saw that his head was off and his face had an expression of shock.
I choked back a cry when I saw Justin Finch-Fletchley laying on the ground. I was crouching down next to him when I heard footsteps coming down the corridor. I looked up in fear and Harry stared at me.
He had just a few moments to look over the scene and then he looked back at me.
"Cassie-" He looked concerned but then a door slammed open and Peeves sprang out.
He didn't see me.
"Why, it's potty wee Potter!" Peeves cackled, bouncing around Harry.
I slowly got up, but instead of running I stayed where I stood. This was not going to look good for either of us. Especially since I still had my shoes in my hand.
"What's Potter up to? Why's Potter lurking-?" Peeves was somersaulting around and stopped halfway.
He spotted me standing in between Nick and Justin.
"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!" Peeves bellowed.
I flinched as door after door flew open in the corridor. I stayed near Justin, not wanting him to get stepped on. I had to fight to stay where I was before McGonagall threw a spell in the air and restored the silence.
"Everyone back into your classrooms now." She ordered.
I had ended up crouching over Justin to protect him from the feet. I had started to hear whispers over my head.
"Potter is controlling the monster. What if Zwart is the monster?"
"Zwart and Potter must be collaborating with the monster."
I kept my head down, focusing on Justin's brown eyes before I felt Professor Flitwick's small hand on my arm.
"Zwart we can take it from here." He said.
I nodded and finally scooted back away from Justin. I gave a shaky breath as McGonagall walked over to me and got down next to me as I sat in the corridor, my head between my legs. My hair had gone white from the shock of what I found.
Ernie Macmillan was sneering at Harry. And Harry was looking anywhere but at us. I finally got up off the floor and helped McGonagall up as well.
"I found them first. Harry showed up moments after I did." I said.
Macmillan turned his sneer into a look of disbelief as he looked at me, "don't try to protect him!"
"It's the truth." I said firmly, looking up at Harry who was finally looking back at me.
"That is just-" Macmillan started.
"That is enough. Mr. Macmillan, fan Sir Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. We don't need all the students gawking at him." McGonagall conjured a large purple fan and handed it to the Hufflepuff.
Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra carried Justin up to the hospital wing. I barely noticed Peeves being dismissed by McGonagall but he had been.
"This way Potter, Zwart." McGonagall said when we were finally alone.
"Professor, I swear I didn't-" Harry's voice was strained.
"This is out of my hands, Potter." She said curtly.
I kept my distance from Harry as McGonagall escorted us to a familiar gargoyle statue.
"Lemon drop." McGonagall's voice was strained as well.
The gargoyle stepped aside and the staircase started move up. I chuckled dryly at the theatrical effects. Harry gave me a strange look.
"I didn't know it moved. I just walked up the stairs." I explained quietly.
Harry nodded stiffly as McGonagall stood one step higher than us. Harry was looking anywhere but at me. I closed my eyes and let my body sag for a little bit.
'How am I going to explain this to anyone?' I shook my shoes lightly.
"Miss Zwart, why are you holding your shoes?" McGonagall asked.
I opened my eyes to see she had half turned so that she can look at me.
"I thought someone was following me. So I took off my shoes in hopes they wouldn't hear where I was going." I said before I could think.
'That's pretty good.' I gave myself a mental pat on my back.
Harry's eyes narrowed but McGonagall seemed to believe me. I met Harry's gaze and saw in the reflection of his glasses that my hair was white. So I changed it back to the pink color I had decided to keep.
At the top of the staircase, Harry's face got paler. I wanted to stand closer to him, but he was clearly unhappy with me. McGonagall rapped in the door with her knuckles and then she turned around and left us. I let Harry enter first, since it was his first time being in Dumbledore's office.
I walked up to Fawkes, who was looking like he was going to die soon. I started to gently him pet the top of his head. Harry wandered over to where the sorting hat was sitting and put it on.
"You should just get on with it." I whispered to the phoenix.
Fawkes crooned weakly to me.
Harry suddenly threw the hat back in its place suddenly and walked slowly towards me and Fawkes.
"The last thing my luck needs is that bird to die." Harry said.
Fawkes burst into flames at the moment.
I pulled my hand back and just started to giggle as Harry looked at me in shock and just hung his head. My giggles turned into full blown laughter.
Dumbledore chose that moment to come in and I was bent over, still laughing.
"Professor!" Harry gasped as I quieted my giggles. "Your bird - I couldn't do anything - he just caught fire -"
Harry was astonished when Dumbledore smiled and I knelt by the pile of ash on the floor.
"About time too." Dumbledore gestured to Harry to stand closer. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on."
"Fawkes is a phoenix." I said as an ugly newborn bird head poked out from the ashes.
"Phoenixes burst into flames when it is time for them die and are reborn from the ashes." Dumbledore said as he conjured up two chairs in front of his desk.
"It was quite a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day, he's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."
I tilted my head to the side when he stressed 'faithful'.
Just as we all got settled into our chairs, the door burst open and Hagrid came in. I noticed he had a dead rooster in his hand.
"It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" Hagrid was urgent. "I was talkin' ter him seconds before that kid was found, he never had time sir -"
I sank in on myself a little. Harry had someone to defend him, I didn't.
"- it can't've bin him, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to -" Hagrid was clearly agitated.
"Hagrid, I -"
"An' even though I didn' see Cassie, I know she couldn' have done it either!" Hagrid suddenly added.
I looked up at him in shock.
"Yeh've got the wrong kids, sir, I know they would never -"
"Hagrid!" Dumbledore said loudly, cutting off Hagrid. "I do not think that Harry and Cassie attacked those people."
I gave a noticeable sigh of relief.
"Oh." Hagrid's arms fell limply to his side.
Rooster feathers fluttered around him and onto Dumbledore's desk.
"Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster." Hagrid gave a sheepish nod and then left Dumbledore's office.
"You don't think it was me, Professor?" Harry repeated, hope in his voice.
"No, Harry, I don't. And I don't believe Cassie has anything to do with the attacks as well." Dumbledore said somberly, waving his wand and making the feathers vanish.
"But I still want to talk to you two." He said as Harry gave a sigh in relief.
Dumbledore paused, he looked between me and Harry. He put the tips of his fingers together as he stared over his half-moon spectacles.
"I must ask you, Harry, Cassie, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he finally said in a gentle voice. "Anything at all."
I looked down.
'We're brewing a polyjuice potion in the second floor girls bathroom. Harry can talk to snakes. I think Ginny has something to do with the attacks. But I don't have proof.' I thought to myself.
"No there isn't anything." I said, finally looking up at him.
"Nothing at all." Harry agreed, giving a glance in my direction.
Dumbledore gave us one finally look before nodding deeply.
"Very well. I recommend you both return to Gryffindor Tower together, you never do know what's behind the corner." He said, but he looked at me when he said it.
'Dumbledore is a cryptic. Oh boy, it's a clue for our situation.' I sighed as we both stood up.
"Harry." Dumbledore called just as we reached the door.
"I'll wait outside." I tilted my lips up in a half smile and stepped out the door.
I figured that would be a good chance to put my shoes back on. Harry wasn't in there for long. I barely had time to put my left shoe on when the door opened again and Harry just stared at me.
I slowly stood up and we both stood on the stairs as it spiraled it's way down.
"What were you really doing with your shoes off?" Harry finally asked as we entered the empty corridor.
I closed my eyes and breathed just a for second.
"I was following Malfoy. I thought that if I followed him, I would be able to see him open the Chamber, but I lost him. I took off my shoes so that he wouldn't hear me following him." I lied, keeping my shoulders as still as possible.
"Why didn't you just say that when you left the common room?" He asked.
"I honestly did go to the library. I wanted to check if 'A History of Magic' was in. I was hoping it would be in so that Hermione could check on the Chamber of Secrets she thought she read in it." I said.
'I need to be careful with my lies.' I grimaced when Harry didn't look at me.
We didn't say anything the rest of the walk to the common room. When we entered the room Hermione and Ron had managed to pull us both to the side and they questioned us what had happened. Harry, thankfully, didn't say anything about where I was before.
"When I found Ernie in the library, Cassie was already leaving so we were walking back together when we ran into Hagrid. And then we found Nearly Headless Nick and Justin.." Harry explained.
I put my shoulder against his and he pushed me away.
"Blimey." Ron ran his hand through his hair.
"Yeah." Harry and I both agreed.
The sign up sheet for Christmas was passed around again. I passed it to Neville, who quickly signed it.
"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left." Ron told us as he skimmed the paper. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."
"No kidding." I agreed as I drank my orange juice.
Harry had started to talk to me again, I don't think he believed my Malfoy story. And I was okay with that. I would eventually tell him the truth. I just needed to prove to myself that I was wrong about Ginny.
As we left the Great Hall to go to our classes before the end of the term, Fred and George had jumped up from their places and started to guide us to where we were going.
"Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through!" They started to shout as they pushed other students out of the way.
Harry had a slight smile on his face, and that made me feel better about the growing situation.
All day, we had Fred and George to guide us. George would sometimes take a moment to just walk next to me. He didn't know the full story, which I was grateful for since I didn't want him to avoid me.
My heart had started beat harder when I'm around him and I noticed I giggled more rather than laughed. I think he started to notice to because he was more comfortable with throwing his arm around my shoulders and he would grin when I pressed closer to his side. I was still twelve years old though, and I really wanted to wait until my third year of being at Hogwarts to look at him as a prospective boyfriend… But since it was only two more months until my birthday…
That night after dinner, Harry and I were helping each other with essay's when Percy had started a lecture.
"It is not a laughing matter." Percy said coldly.
"Oh get out of the way Percy." George rolled his eyes as he dropped a pillow next to Harry and I and laid down, putting it under his chest so that he could listen to our conversation.
"Harry's going to be in a hurry to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant." Fred chortled.
"Oh don't." Ginny wailed from where she was sitting.
I looked up at her sharply and she was holding her diary close to her. We all settled down after that, Percy threatened to send a letter to Mrs. Weasley and I rolled my eyes when he said it.
George chuckled at me and I blushed with a grin to him. Harry had a knowing smile on his face when he got up and took his school stuff with him.
"So, I know I said I wanted to wait until next year." I started, biting my lip nervously.
George sat up and put the pillow off to the side, looking right into my eyes.
"But since I am turning thirteen in two months, I figured-" I tried to keep my eye contact with him but he had that stupid grin on his face.
"Oh stop that!" I laughed.
"So in two months, on your birthday. I can take you out on a date?" He asked, his grin softening.
"Yes you can." I nodded.
He stood up so fast, I flinched from the sudden motion and he held a hand down to me. I grabbed it and he helped me up to my feet.
"If that's the case, then you best believe that I will start planning the best first date for you, Princess." He said softly to me, bending down to plant a soft kiss on my cheek.
I am pretty sure my face was as pink as my hair because when he pulled away he laughed with a wink, and he and Fred went up the stairs to the boys dormitory.
"That was lovely." Harry was suddenly at my shoulder.
I didn't jump that time, but I did give him a playful slap on the shoulder while we both laughed.
"What was tHAT ABOUT?" Ron shouted.
We found ourselves alone in the common room, the boys were playing Exploding Snap, while I was reading a book with Hermione. Lockhart had hinted at another quiz and so I had a quill, and Hermione had enchanted the ink to be more like a highlighter, which I appreciated since she and I were both highlighting in our books what we thought was going to be on the quiz.
"I don't understand how you're suddenly all about passing his class?" Ron asked as he put down a card.
"Do you not realize how easy it is to pass? Everything we need to know, is in his books. Yeah I don't like how we're not learning how to defend ourselves against the Dark Arts but it's an easy passing grade." I explained as I highlighted another line about Lockhart wanting peace between the misunderstood werewolves and regular wizards.
"I guess?" Ron rolled his eyes as Harry put down a card carefully.
"I think we're learning a lot." Hermione said, turning a page in her book.
"We know." Harry, Ron and I said just as the cards snapped.
Christmas Eve. I was sitting in front of the fireplace. I had a blanket wrapped my shoulders and I was enjoying the warmth of the fire on my face.
"Cassie?" Ginny's voice asked softly from the staircase.
"What are you doing up this late?" I asked her as she slowly walked over to me.
"I can't sleep." She said as I opened up the blanket so that it could wrap around her shoulders as well.
"What's going on?" I asked once she was settled on the couch.
"I am scared." Her lip quivered.
"Ginny, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on." I pulled her closer to myself.
"I can't." She whispered.
I paused.
I hadn't thought of that. In this world of magic, why wouldn't there be ways to prevent someone from spilling secrets.
"Then throw it away from you." I said.
She pulled away to look at me, her brown eyes huge.
"Whatever it is you're afraid of. Throw it away. It can't hurt you if you can't touch it or it can't touch you. It may be hard at first, but once it's gone you won't be afraid." I explained.
Her eyes watered up and she started to cry softly.
"I'm here." I said as we sat in front of the fire together.
Shout out to alistark94 for favoriting, and following me!
Reviews:
MoonlitWinter: I'm glad you weren't disappointed! And I'm sure your surprised because of Cassie's "I would have shot you in the back" line. I want to try to convey that she's a Gryffindor but she's also got those unGryffindor like traits, like Pettigrew with him turning the Potter's in. But we've also got to remember that she's still a child, and children don't necessarily play fair.
Rafaela Tord: You reviewed the first book and this one. I'm glad you loved the first book! And I hope you enjoy this one as it goes! And don't worry, I update every Sunday!
