Chapter 10

I stood there frozen in shock, did not even notice that he was dragging me away from everyone until we were almost outside. I didn't even feel the pain of him cutting off my circulation until I saw my fingers were turning purple. I was still so deep in shock at seeing his face that I didn't even react to how roughly he dragged me along up the road, heading for Hogsemade. Slowly, I could feel the fear trickling into my veins as I noticed the location he had chosen. Somehow we had gotten into the Shrieking Shack, a place no soul had entered since Harry Potter's time here at Hogwarts. The tales of his adventures were stories told to children all over the Wizarding World at bedtime now, instead of the old classics that my grandparents remembered. Finally, I used my free hand to dig down in to my robe pocket. I could feel my wand practically jump into my hand. Fredrick threw me to the floor, and then my wand skidded off to the other side of the room.

"Now, I'm going to teach you a lesson," Fredrick said, pulling off his shirt. My eyes went wide as I realized what he meant.

"Accio wand," I muttered. The wand jumped into my hand and I pointed it at him.

"Don't you dare!" he warned.

"Stupefy," I said calmly. He collapsed at once. I stowed away my wand and Apparated out of there. I ran toward the castle, searching for Zane, Wendy, anyone to help me. I could hear nothing but my heart pounding in my chest, my heavy breathing, and the sound of my feet slapping against the carpet as I ran through the corridors of Hogwarts. I shoved first years and seventh years alike out of my way as I sped on, not caring who cursed at me or shoved back. Finally, I found Zane in the library. I yelled his name and he looked up.

"Cassie? What's wrong? I saw you being dragged away by Fredrick…"

"He's after me!" I shrieked, cutting him off. "Don't let him-" I was pulled away again. He had me. Oh no. He was going to hurt me. Not again! I twisted and thrashed, but he had a firm hold on me. Zane stood up, prepared to confront him, but Madame Pince gave us all a furious glare that meant 'no fighting in my library or else.'

"Come on, its time I convinced you that I am who you want, not this…loser that doesn't have any friends," Fredrick said, leading me away from the library. There was nothing I could do about him taking out his wand and pointing it at my face, for he had already magically bonded me to him. Then he looked at me.

"Imperio," he murmured. Then it all went blank.

Wendy POV

"Where's Cassie? I wanted to tell her I was sorry," I said, piling my plate with food and eating as much as I could. Gaining back all the weight I had lost would be very hard, but I heard it was doable. Erica shrugged and took a gulp of pumpkin juice.

"Beats me," she said. "I last saw her being pulled away from me and Zane by Fredrick. There's lots of secrets around here, you know?" I nodded in agreement.

"Looks like Cassie's not the only one with them," I said, thinking of Fredrick and the murder he committed just before I started at Hogwarts. I was just an innocent first year then. My father was a respectable man, liked by many wizards all around.

"Yeah, can you pass the potatoes? I didn't get enough," I passed the bowl her way, and she took it from me.

"So, what is it exactly about your mom's boyfriend that bugs you so much?" I asked after a minute.

"Everything," she responded. "He never appreciates me, never thinks I'm good enough at everything…and the worst part is he has it all drilled into my head so well that it constantly echoes in my head all day long, and all night until I go to sleep. He says, all the time, that I have no real friends, no one loves me, no one will ever love me…"

"Oh, I remember you saying that now," Zane wandered into the Great Hall and grabbed a roll of my plate, shoving it into his mouth.

"Hey!" I protested. He quickly chewed and swallowed the roll so he could answer.

"Sorry, I'm starving," he said, sitting down next to me. "Have you seen Cassie? She came into the library, panicking about Fredrick and then he came in…I haven't seen her since,"

"Okay, this guy is starting to become a problem," Erica grumbled, stirring her mashed potatoes around on her plate. I looked down at my own food. I still had half my fried chicken left to eat, but I wasn't hungry anymore. Fredrick walked into the Great Hall, looking all smiles, as if he had just been given good news. Cassie followed him, looking as if she were sleepwalking. I narrowed my eyes at Fredrick, trying to get answers out of him. I had been practicing Ligamency lately, and now I could test it. I concentrated on Fredrick's face and suddenly I was inside his head. I watched the last memory, of him magically chaining himself to Cassie and performing an Imperius curse on her.

"You monster," I spat, leaping to my feet.

"I have no idea what you mean," he said innocently. "I haven't done a thing. Cassie chose to be with me, and there's not a thing to be done about it,"

"Who's going to believe that crap?" I demanded.

"Surely whoever you think would find out about who your father really was," he whispered, smirking when I felt the shocked expression on my face. Erica was unfazed, and the only one still sitting. She calmly gazed at Fredrick.

"Honestly, how long do you think you're going to get away with this?" she asked in a bored tone.

"As long as I want, I'm friends with the staff," he bragged.

"All of the staff?" she continued.

"No, but I'm friends with who matters," he replied. "Look, why is this so important? Everything's back to normal, so we can all be happy," Erica shook her head.

"What about McGonagall, huh?"

"So what? She's just some old lady with a pointy hat. She doesn't have any power. Let's get outta here, Cassie, they're being all nosy,"

"I guess this old lady will be giving you a detention," Professor McGonagall said, a stern look on her face. "In my office, now. Leave your little friend behind, she doesn't need to come along," Fredrick sighed and waved his wand so fast the professor didn't' see anything, only him stowing it hastily away. Cassie blinked rapidly and looked around.

"What happened?" she murmured, a confused look on her face. Zane went up to her.

"Cass, you all right?" he asked. She frowned, and shook her head.

"I can't remember!" she said. "I can't remember anything after I left the library. It's all fuzzy and distorted. How long was I here?"

"A few minutes, not long," I said to her. "I used Ligamency, Cassie, and I found out the truth. He put you under the Imperious Curse. We'll make sure he gets caught with all his crimes, don't worry,"

"All of them?" She pulled back her sleeves, and I gasped. Bruises, old and new, colored her skin all over the place. She revealed cuts on her stomach, her neck, and her arms. It was almost as if he had used his fingernails like claws and dragged them across her skin.

"Good God," Zane chocked.