The news of Sirius Black's break-in spread throughout the school, and in the weeks that followed, it stayed among the highest topics of conversation. Everywhere she turned, it was as if Cassiopeia couldn't escape from it. Sirius Black was everywhere, and he was nowhere.
And it seemed that, as hard as they tried, escaping the topic of Sirius Black was nearly impossible for Cassiopeia and Harry. Everywhere they went, it seemed that their classmates were whispering about it, theorizing as to how any of it happened. It was everywhere.
How do you think he got in, past all those Dementors?
What was he looking for?
Where is he now?
The whispered questions weren't the only things that seemed inescapable; there was plenty of speculation to go along with it all, as well.
Fred and George had managed to catch on fairly quickly to the fact that if they wanted to continue taking bets on the entire ordeal, or to even discuss it, then it was best to do it when not in the company of their McKinnon. It had been kept quiet, how ill she had been on the night of the break-in that was becoming legendary. And it was because of that, by some miracle, that her name was staying relatively out of the gossip. But that wasn't making it any easier to listen to, especially not with how often Harry's name continued to arise. The students of Hogwarts were nothing if not perceptive, and the Boy Who Lived had been building quite the reputation for himself within the last three years. Wherever there was trouble, there was almost certainly going to be Harry.
Away from the twins, it had grown apparent that Cass would not be getting so lucky to be away from the discussion. Certainly not when she was in the company of Gemma. After the first week, she had hoped that even if the rest of the school hadn't let it go, that perhaps her friends would have. And, to their own credit, Cedric and Eric had. Cassiopeia had never been so grateful for their disinterest in gossip in her life.
"And I heard," Gemma's voice rang out in its melodic tone nearly a month after the events. "That he broke in to help avenge against You-Know-Who. Everyone who was against him in the war has children in this school now. Rumor has it, he came back to avenge every single family stood against the Death Eaters back then. And-"
Eric groaned loudly, shutting his Arithmancy book with an audible snap before repeatedly hitting his head on the side of the binding dramatically. "Don't you have anything better to talk about yet?"
The four of them had wandered into the library, towards one of the back corners with plenty of floorspace and a desk early in the afternoon; it was a Friday, one of the last of the season before winter would arrive. Cass, Gemma, and the badgers had all been released of classes early enough in the day that they were all eager to enjoy the freedom while it lasted before exams. For Eric, that had meant hoping to get some studying in before homework completely diminished the weekend. Cedric had offered to help, and despite the knowledge that she should have also been attempting to work, the lion was instead trying to enjoy having a moment to relax while it lasted. But for Gemma, however, a pleasant afternoon nearly always included gossip. If there was one thing they'd all grown to realize over the years, it was that their beloved Ravenclaw could not handle silence.
Which was exactly what happened now, as she continued on as if nobody had spoken. "And, I also heard that he only got into the school because he can transform into a frog, and he impersonated that Longbottom kid's toad to get into the grounds. You know how he's always losing that thing, it actually was kind of genius if you think about it. I wonder if Black was in Ravenclaw when he was in-"
"Oh, for the love of Merlin's saggy left nut, shut up. I am actually begging you to shut up." Eric snapped, dropping his books from his head. "I am sick and tired of hearing about that damned break in! And I can nearly guarantee that Diggory and McKinnon feel the same way at this point!" He continued, taking advantage of the fact that Gemma had finally heard him and quit talking. "Not to mention, if Black was a registered Animagus, the Ministry would know what to look for. If he wanted to kill all of the students in Hogwarts aside from the Slytherins, under Dumbledore and with those damned Dementors at every entrance, it would be impossible. And even if he was an unregistered toad, there is nothing to go along with that to say how the portrait in front of the Gryffindor common room was slashed the way that it was."
A stunned silence fell across the group, and Cass and Cedric merely looked at each other in surprise while their blonde-haired Ravenclaw stared at Eric, her mouth opening and shutting like a fish for several moments. It was almost certainly the most that any of them had heard him speak at once, and the speech had absolutely caused Gemma to fall silent and speechless for the first time since any of them had met her.
"Thank you," Eric muttered after a moment, pulling his book back onto his lap and beginning to flip through it to find where he had been. "Finally some peace and quiet."
Cassiopeia bit down on her lip to keep from grinning at the incident, or from doing something that was sure to make Eric uncomfortable. She could have hugged him for getting the topic of Sirius Black to quit, if only for a moment. In any other circumstance, she would have, if for no other reason than to try getting back to her old self. The one who jokingly caused her friends discomfort. But with the extent to which he'd just gone, somehow, she resisted.
It was the first and potentially only time that any of them were ever going to see Gemma Farley silent.
"So," Cass spoke up after a moment, to which Gemma turned her attention from the silent pouting she had been doing, while Eric continued to pore into his book. "Same routine as always before the match tomorrow?"
Life sprung back to life in Gemma's green irises immediately. "Well, obviously." She said, her trademark smile returning into place. "It's tradition, Gryffindor. If we don't hold it up to support our beloved Seeker here, then clearly we are doing something wrong."
Cedric glanced up from Eric's notes then, eyebrows raised slightly with the hint of a grin on his face. Cass winked at him before Gemma began speaking once again.
"Nervous for the first game of the season, Ced?"
"No more than usual," he replied, stretching his legs out on front of him and repositioning to rest on how elbows. "If anything, I'm mostly concerned about who my biggest fan here will be supporting tomorrow."
"Oh, that's right!" Gemma exclaimed, "it's Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff, isn't it? Scarlet and gold against black and yellow...hm. Our dear McKinnon is going to have to choose her loyalty for the kickoff of the season this year."
Cass rolled her eyes at the remarks, "I can be plenty supportive of both, thank you very much."
"And I'm sure that the twins and Lee Jordan will have support covered for the lions anyways," Gemma grinned. "Good thing, too. I'm going to need help keeping someone in the spirit of supporting his house tomorrow."
The lion and her badger both laughed as Eric looked up from his work once again, bickering between him and Gemma breaking out in the next moment. For one fleeting moment, everything felt right. Exactly the way it used to be.
The morning brought with it an ominous and grey sense of dread. Rain pattered down against the windows, echoing throughout the tower when Cassiopeia finally brought herself to wake up. Gryffindor tower, particularly the dormitory itself, was comfortably cozy. Between the heavy blankets draped across the beds, with the scarlet curtains that surrounded each individually, and the large fire pit that stood in the center of the dorm, the last thing that could be said was that it was cold. And yet, as soon as she took one look out the window once she'd finally begun to move, a chill swept over it.
"Great day for a Quidditch match," she grumbled to herself as she went about preparing. Cass knew well enough, after five years in Hogwarts, that Quidditch was played rain or shine. Hell, there had been instances where they had played with ice sleeting down onto all of them. All it had taken was few charms put onto the viewer posts by the professors and the onlookers had been safe. The only time that she could remember ever having a game cancelled had been the previous year, and even then, weather hadn't been the issue so much as Hermione Granger having been petrified.
She could admit, she held a great deal of respect for the Quidditch players of Hogwarts, particularly the Gryffindor team. While her twins and Harry were not nearly as fanatical about the sport as Oliver, they were dedicated.
If she had ever been capable of flying a broom without embarrassing herself, she was sure that she would be apart of it too.
It didn't take very long after that for her to get ready, pulling her house robes on before tying the Hufflepuff scarf she'd stolen from Cedric years ago into a knot around her neck. There was no hope of doing anything to her unruly mass of black curls, so instead she opted to just let them hang over her shoulders as she slipped her wand into an inside pocket of her robes. Upon assuring that she was ready, Cass left her dorm and made her way into the Common Room, where some of the first years had huddled in front of the fireplace. Creeping past them, she began the long voyage from the Common Room down to the Great Hall.
Reaching the Hall, it came as no surprise that Harry, the twins, and the rest of her House's team was nowhere to be found. It may have been over an hour until game-time, but she knew Oliver well enough to know that he would waste no minute of valuable pre-game time. Cedric seemed to have already headed down to the field as well, after a brief scan across the Hall to look for him. Letting out a sigh as she realized she wouldn't get to wish any of her boys luck before the game, Cass slid onto the bench at the Gryffindor's table next to Hermione.
"Oh, good morning, Cass." She smiled warmly towards the older lion, lifting her head from the book she had propped against a jug of milk.
Cassiopeia returned the gesture, "Ancient Runes are keeping you busy, I suppose?" She asked, reaching for a nearby platter of scones to begin creating her plate of breakfast.
"Oh, yes. It really is a fascinating subject, but with my course load and everything that's been-well, I'm almost always studying anymore."
"You were almost always studying before this year, too. I'll leave you be if it will help. I'm sure you've got some more you want to read through before the game."
Hermione's cheeks burned scarlet for a moment before Cassiopeia grinned, "it's fine, Hermione. Go ahead. We can head over to the field together whenever you're ready to."
A grateful smile pulled at Hermione's lips before she dove her attention back into her book, absentmindedly spooning bites of cereal every now and then. Aside from the faint chattering that filled the Hall, the only noise was the pattering of rain that only seemed to be increasing. With the intensity of the weather, even while still inside, Cassiopeia didn't expect any owls to be arriving with the morning post.
So she was surprised when, weeks after sending Mandra out with a letter for Emmeline, her beautiful tawny came swooping in, landing on the table between platters and dripping with rain water.
"Oh! Good girl, Mandra," she cooed quietly, stroking her affectionately. The owl nipped at her lovingly in return before Cass took the parchment from her leg. As wet as her owl was, the parchment was completely dry; something she was sure was her aunt's doing. A charm of some sort to withstand the weather. She ran a finger over her owl's beak again before Mandra took off, soaring back towards the owlery as Cass unrolled the letter.
My dearest star,
I'm sure that this will take longer than I hope to reach you, so I apologize for any delay there must be. I kept Mandra will me, here in Uagadou with me for a few days once she arrived to give her a bit of rest before sending her back to you.
As for the break in...the Ministry must be keeping it private. I know that I certainly haven't heard anything about it. Please tell me that you have at least told your family. You know how Mary likes to worry.
Darling girl, I'm going to need you to do me a favor. Write back as soon as you have the opportunity, tell me when would be the best time for you to be alone in your common room. It would have to be late at night. Tell me the date, and the time, and wait for me there. Stay near the fire.
And my love, do stay safe.
Emmeline
Her eyebrows drew together as she read over the note, multiple times. It was clear enough that the news of the break-in wasn't known prominently, and it wasn't very surprising. She was almost certain that if the Ministry had said anything, that Mary would have insisted on pulling her home. Yes, she had promised her professor she would tell her family. But it was so difficult to find a reason to, knowing how her godmother would react.
And then there was the fact that, from the looks of it, she would be seeing her aunt. Hopefully sooner rather than later. But how would Emmeline be getting into the school?
And why would she need to be staying near the fire?
Despite her confusion, a sense of relief hit her, if only for a moment. Emmeline had always been the closest she'd had to truly having an aunt. She was her aunt, blood or no blood.
She didn't have any blood family. Not anymore.
Cassiopeia was so engrossed in reading the letter, over and over again, obsessing and trying to mentally decide when the best date to see her aunt would be, that she didn't even notice her friend coming up behind her.
Which was why, when Gemma had draped an arm across her shoulders and sat down beside her, the Gryffindor jumped nearly a foot in the air.
"Somebody's jumpy," Gemma remarked, glancing curiously between Cass and the piece of parchment in her hands. "What is that?"
"Just a note from home," Cassiopeia shrugged nonchalantly, tucking it safely into the same pocket as her wand. As she did it, she made a mental note to herself to store it upstairs before heading to the Quidditch pitch.
To her relief, Gemma simply shrugged it off. "I ran into Eric on my way in. He said he's going to meet us. Or, well, you. I'm fairly certain he's upset with me again."
"No," she gasped dramatically. "Whatever did you do now?"
"I just told him that I hope he goes to the locker rooms first to kiss Cedric good luck for you. And then began to stomp away from me as if he didn't appreciate the insinuation."
The lion shook her head with a laugh, glancing towards Hermione, who had taken to blatantly ignoring a recently arrived Ron, who was stuffing food into his face. "We'll be headed down soon if you two would like to join us."
Hermione looked up from her book, and Ron paused, a fresh piece of bacon barely an inch from his mouth.
"Oh, honestly, Ron. Can't you ever eat properly?" Hermione muttered, glancing towards him for a moment. "I would love to, Cassi. But I'd like to take my book back to my dorm first."
Ron had begun mumbling incoherently through mouthfuls of food, trying to finish off his breakfast, completely oblivious to the look that Gemma was giving him from over Cassiopeia's shoulder.
"I'll go up with you," Cass offered. "I have something I want to make sure stays dry as well." She turned back towards Gemma, "you'll be alright waiting down here with Ron for a minute while we run up, right?"
Gemma glanced from Ron to Cassiopeia questioningly for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Of course. Just hurry, we don't want to spend the whole game trying to find Eric."
By the time they had reached the pitch, the rain was coming down in sleets, so heavy that it was nearly impossible to see even from the ground.
"Oh, I do hope Harry will be alright in this." Hermione worried as they took the long walk to the top of one of the viewer posts.
Thunder rumbled loudly from up above as they climbed, and even though they were still undercover for a moment longer, the rain began pounding down even harder. Gemma shared one look with Cass before she was tugging the hood of her robes over her head, grabbing Ron by the arm to continue guiding him as a means of keeping him from continuing to stop and stare at her. The wind continued to roar loudly, seeming to shake the entire post as it did so, causing them all to stop for a moment in their steps.
Finally, they reached the top and found Eric, taking place around him.
"Took you long enough," he practically had to shout over the wind as Cassiopeia settled on one side of him, Gemma on the other; the third years had taken place on the row right in front of them, beside Neville Longbottom.
"Little Weasley kept stopping," Cass called back, pulling her own hood up in an attempt to prove even a slight big more warmth to herself. "And walking from the castle down here in this weather wasn't exactly a picnic."
"And that would be why I came out here earlier. Well, that and to make sure that Wood hadn't maimed our Seeker to better their chances out in this."
Hard as Cass wanted to attempt to defend her House-mate, she couldn't. "Let's just be happy he had more self control than that."
"What?" Eric shouted over the pounding rain, and Cass simply shook her head. Far down below, barely visible throughout the violent sheets of rain, the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams were entering the field, mounting their brooms. The game had begun.
Even as high in the air as the entire school was, it was nearly impossible to see what was happening through the rain. Even hearing Lee Jordan's legendary and infamous commentary was nearly impossible with as quick and hard as the wind was blowing past them. It was beginning to seem miraculous that the stands hadn't blown over yet.
Barely an hour had passed before the teams were all lowering to the ground. Robes of scarlet and yellow were barely visible throughout the sheet, and it wasn't until Ron turned a moment later to ask where Hermione was that they noticed she was even missing.
The rain continued beating down, only seeming to get worse the longer it went on.
"Surely they'll postpone the game if it gets any worse than this." Gemma shouted out, completely drenched, just as the rest of them.
"They never postpone Quidditch." Cassiopeia's voice rang back, watching down curiously towards the field. A moment later, Hermione returned, beaming proudly.
Ron and Cass gave her both a curious look as she settled herself in the group once again. Within minutes the game had restarted once again, and both teams were rising into the air once again. The rain had finally come to a steady pace, continuing to come down heavily. The match had barely been restarted for ten minutes before a fresh crack of lightning illuminated the entire field. Ron shouted, and Hermione gasped, and Cassiopeia followed their gaze to see Harry's broom drop before he regained himself.
In the next second, a bright yellow speck began approaching on Harry, and Gemma began screaming. Cass could feel her heart still pounding in her chest for Harry's slip before she allowed herself to let her eyes focus on Cedric, having finally found him. The entire stadium was cheering, and despite the pounding roar of the rain it was easy to hear the cheering. Until it stopped.
It was instant, the unmistakable feeling of illness that spread over Cassi's body as the stadium began to fell silent. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that it was the Dementors; it felt exactly the same as it had on the train. But she felt so terrible, the crying was getting too loud for her to function. Her arm grabbed hold of Eric's arm somehow. Minutes passed slowly, feeling much more like hours before a pure white glow began to spread around the entirety of the pitch. Slowly but surely, humanity began to return to the stands. Cass slowly began to feel back to normal.
Just in time to see Harry's body, as it rushed violently towards the ground at a rapid speed.
A/N: And there we go, a new chapter for you guys! Things will definitely begin moving a big faster now, and this ball is going to really get going as Cassiopeia's sixth year. I'll be back with a new update soon, and as always reviews, feedback, and the like are extremely appreciated! Love you guys! x.