Okay this chapter's really long and took me forever to write, but here it is!
Hope you enjoy!
"I can't believe that just happened!" I said pulling my uniform shoes off.
"I know, I thought she was wonderful! Lavender agrees with me," Rose said. She still had tears in her eyes. Clarissa nodded and dabbed at her own moist eyes.
"Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhh," I avoided looking at them as I searched for my pajamas.
"But McGonagall never cared much for her," Rose and Clarissa scoffed but Ginny continued on, "I always knew she had a heart. And that really was nice of Dumbledore to let Trelawney stay." This time we all agreed.
"That Umbridge woman has got to go!" Clarissa finally said as she threw her long black hair into a messy braid. Rose made a noise of agreement before pulling her sleeping mask on over her eyes and shutting her curtains.
"It's alright though, she'll be gone by next year," Ginny said when her head emerged from the opening in her giant Holyhead Harpies tee shirt.
"How do you know that?" Clarissa asked cocking an eyebrow.
"Because no Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher ever stays more than a year," I answered for Ginny.
"First year he lost his memory, second year he got sacked for being a werewolf, third year he ended up being a Death Eater," I said ticking them off on my fingers.
"I heard the year before we came the teacher died!" Clarissa threw in.
"Oh yeah! I forgot about him, Quirrel, I think his name was," Ginny said.
"He was in cahoots with You-Know-Who too," I stated.
"Hm I guess you're right, Ginny," Clarissa said as she climbed into bed.
"Course she is!" I said climbing into my own bed.
"Like I said," Ginny continued with a yawn, "this time next year we'll have a different teacher. Though, eventually they'll run out of new people to teach us." And with that we all drifted off to sleep.
I rolled over for what felt like the thousandth time that night before falling asleep again. Those red eyes were burned into the backs of my eyelids. It was getting better; at least I was sleeping now. Before I was lying in bed only sleeping long enough to relive that night in the clearing and spend the rest of the night awake, staring at the top of my bed. The next time I awoke that night it was from a different dream. Draco and I were walking through the woods, it was nighttime, but it didn't have that same foreboding feeling I got when I walked through the woods to You-Know-Who in my usual dreams. We weren't talking but I felt as though Draco was mad at me. We finally stopped at the top of a cliff. Draco looked at me sadly, grasped my hands, kissed my forehead, then threw me off the cliff. I woke up before I hit the bottom. I threw my blankets off me, practically tore the hangings off of my bed and started pacing the room. Usually my dreams made sense, or came from something that had happened. I couldn't make heads or tails of that dream, and for some reason after months of dreaming about no one but He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the dream with Draco was the straw that broke the camel's back. I put on the pink fuzzy slippers Rose had gotten all the girls in our dorm for Christmas and a dressing gown then exited the room quietly. I paced the common room once or twice, considering if I would get in trouble for this. I decided it didn't even matter anymore, I needed to sleep and there was no way I could share a bed with Neville or Draco again. With one last sigh I climbed out of the portrait hole and headed towards the hospital wing.
"Cassie! What are you doing out of bed at this hour?" Madame Pomfrey scolded. Poppy and I go way back to my second year when I got a wicked case of the dragon pox. I spent over a month in the hospital wing, and she bestowed upon me the kind of sympathy Grandmamma never would have bothered with. I was a rare case at the school, any other parent would want their child home if they were that sick. I put on my best sad face and even managed to conjure up some tears to well up in my eyes.
"I've been having terrible nightmares since Christmas, I haven't slept at all these past two months." Madame Pomfrey was quick to fret over me. She decided it was too late to get the root of the nightmares tonight and gave me an entire bottle of Dreamless Sleep potion.
"Take two teaspoonfuls just as you're getting into bed, that should do the trick. You know, Draco Malfoy- a fifth year, do you know him? - just came to me yesterday with the same complaint, he said the potion worked well though. I do hope you get some sleep, dear." I smiled and gave her a quick salute as she handed me a piece of parchment allowing me to be out of bed after hours, before I returned to Gryffindor.
I slipped back into bed and took the required amount of Dreamless Sleep potion. I never stood a chance, the next thing I knew it was morning and I had never felt more rested in all my life.
I had to go to Divination with Clarissa and Rose because Ginny had taken a stance against it just like Hermione. We had to find the new classroom Divination was being taught in, but when we walked in I wasn't sure it was a classroom at all. It looked as though we were standing in the Forbidden Forest. By the end of the class all I really learned was that centaurs were very proud creatures with a superiority complex and nothing is etched in stone. This class was going to be easy because if we weren't seeing what Firenze said we should he attributed it to our inexperienced human eyes.
"What do you reckon Firenze meant about us being between two wars?"
"Isn't it clear? It has to do with Harry!" I continued walking ahead trying to ignore Rose and Clarissa's loud whispered comments on the way to Potions. Obviously it had to do with Harry; maybe they weren't as dense as I had always thought.
I sat beside Ginny and grinded my teeth at all of Snape's snide comments just waiting for the assignment. We went about silently but once everyone slipped into their own quiet conversations Ginny asked, "So how was Divination?" Colin and I discussed with Ginny how Divination was still as much of a waste of time as before, but at least now we weren't marked off for not seeing.
"I mean hey, we're only human." Colin laughed at my joke, but Ginny didn't really get it. We went back to not really talking, which is what allowed me to hear the conversation of the Slytherin girls at the next table over.
"Poor Draco Malfoy, he says he hasn't been getting much sleep," the dirty blond, Elle, cooed.
"Well I hear he's been shagging Parkinson to fix that!" the second, Tricia snickered.
"Oh don't say that!" Elle said sadly.
"Ugh!" I threw the next ingredient into my cauldron a little too hard causing some of the potion to splash out and burn a small hole in Colin's notebook. Ginny and I laughed but she gave me an odd look.
"Do you hear them? Draco hates Pansy! It can't be true!"
"Why do you care?" I shrugged it off and said, "I don't." But I did. No one was worse than Parkinson, and I knew Draco did hate her. If what Tricia said was true I'd be very disappointed in Draco, and somewhat disgusted. But we weren't exactly on speaking terms anymore, which hurt me more than that dumb rumor.
"Okay your turn," whispered Ginny. We sat crossed legged on my bed facing each other with the curtains drawn around us.
"Alright," I sighed, then I scrunched up my face very typically as I concentrated. I didn't concentrate on a specific memory as much as a specific feeling. I could feel my insides swell and my stomach flutter, a huge grin stretched across my face.
"Expecto Patronum," I whispered with some force. All of a sudden a great glowing wolf with pure white fur erupted from my wand and sat itself on its haunches right between Ginny and me. Ginny jumped back and despite our efforts to not wake our roommates she let out a squeal.
"You did it Cassie! Oh Merlin! What is that like an arctic wolf? Oh it's so clear, ugh I'm jealous, what memory did you use?" Ginny rambled as I shoved my head out of the curtains to make sure no one was stirring. The glowing wolf blinked its huge gray eyes at me once then disappeared leaving the two of us staring at the spot where my patronus had sat.
"Now I really need to get a full bodied patronus so Harry doesn't gush all over you," Ginny sighed.
"Yeah, I'll just half-arse my patronus 'til you get it down and then maybe knock out Cho Chang while I'm at it," my best friend and I laughed and decided it was time to give our D.A. practice a rest.
"G'night," Ginny yawned as she slid back into her own bed.
"Night, and don't think about Harry too much tonight, you talk really loud in your sleep. 'Oh Harry! I would love to go on a broomstick ride with you!'" I grinned just before Ginny threw a pillow at my face. I shut the hangings around my bed after tossing Ginny's pillow back. I thought of sleeping in Neville's arms once more and flicked my wand allowing the furry wolf to curl itself around me and rest its head on its massive paws. I reached out to pet its soft head but it was like trying to pet smoke. I sighed and fell asleep with its warm glow enveloping me.
"Can anyone tell me what an animagus is?" McGonagall asked the morning after I had discovered what my patronus was. I couldn't focus at all because I had this weird bubbly, overjoyed feeling from nailing such a difficult spell. I spaced out and twirled my wand in my fingers it wasn't until maybe ten minutes later when my attention was brought back to class.
"Cassie, what is that you're doing?" I looked lazily over to Luna who I shared a desk with. I had no idea what she was talking about, I wasn't even sure if I had been awake all of class.
"Miss Lestrange!" My head snapped to the front to McGonagall who had definitely been a cat just moments before. "What in Merlin's name did you transfigure into that?" She pointed almost disgustedly at the space on the other side of me. I turned away from Luna and looked at where I assumed would be just my backpack. I was actually nose-to-nose with a rather solid white wolf. It huffed hot air in my face and my jaw dropped as it let its tongue loll out of the side of its long snout. Figures McGonagall wouldn't be happy, cat people.
"That's my patronus Professor," I said as dumbstruck as her. Ginny started shaking her head vigorously at the next table over. McGonagall didn't say anything. She checked her watch and said, "Class dismissed. Miss Lestrange, my office?" There was a chorus of ooooo's when I grabbed my backpack and pushed in my chair as Luna whispered she'd see me tonight at the D.A. It didn't even occur to me to dismiss my patronus, so I walked into McGonagall's office, wand in hand, with a large wolf at the hem of my robes.
"Miss Lestrange this cannot be your patronus, look at it, that is a real wolf. Who taught you this?" The wolf sat itself in front of me but slightly to my left. Its head rose up above my hip and its tail wrapped around behind my feet, I could just feel its warmth radiating off of it. It rolled its head back as though getting ready to howl but instead fixed its gaze on me.
"I taught myself…to do a patronus. If that's not what this is then I don't know what I did." I couldn't help but look at the wolf. Its fur, so white I couldn't tell whether or not it was actually glowing, was nearly the same color as my hair and its eyes were precisely the same shade of dark gray as mine. I had the urge to pet it again. Its fur looked so soft that I was completely expecting to feel it but once again my hand went straight through it and the whole animal disappeared like smoke. I heard McGonagall gasp from behind her desk. I pocketed my wand before tearing my gaze away from where my wolf had been to look at her.
"I have never, in all my years, seen or heard of a patronus acting in such a way. It was so strong and you are so young. Up until now I didn't even think you were all that good at magic." I made to object but shut my mouth. McGonagall looked absolutely lost. She came back around her desk and took my hand and patted it.
"Best not to let on that you can do…that. Professor Umbridge may ask a lot of questions I'm sure you wouldn't want to answer."
"But what about all the people in class who saw?" I questioned.
"Oh it's not the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws you have to worry about, now off to class, I'll write you a note." The fact that McGonagall just implied that Slytherins (surely not Hufflepuffs, they just weren't in that class with us) couldn't be trusted made me smile. I decided it best to be a little more careful with my wand from then on.
"Harry, guess what Cassie did in McGonagall's class today!" Michael Corner called once the door to the Room of Requirement shut behind him, Luna, Ginny, and me. Harry who had been talking to Neville looked up expectantly.
"She made a full-bodied patronus!"
"It looked quite real," Luna added as she glided over to a stack of pillows to sit on.
"Really?" asked Harry, who looked extremely delighted. He clasped a hand on my back. "What was it? Would you like to show everyone?" It was then that I realized that we had been the last of the D.A. to arrive and that Seamus Finnegan was a new member.
"I, erm, sure." Neville nodded in encouragement and smiled with thumbs up. I grinned back and waved my wand the way Harry had taught us, "Expecto Patronum!" The white wolf leapt out of my wand and trotted a circle around me before sitting itself at my side. It once again looked absolutely real, pink tongue hanging out over its teeth, gray eyes staring up at me. But in the dim light of the room I could see that it was in fact glowing.
Harry bent over so he was even with my wolf. It licked his face and at the contact disappeared. Harry laughed.
"Curious, I've never seen a patronus that wasn't all silver. Your memory must be really strong." I couldn't take my eyes off of Neville I could see he was blushing and I could tell I was too. He knew. Ginny stepped up, "I can do it too, er maybe not that good. But I can." I looked at Ginny but she wouldn't look at me. Harry put his hand on her shoulder and she smiled. I immediately knew what was coming.
"Expecto Patronum!" A silver horse galloped through the air before landing on the stone floor and silently continuing its gallop around the room. People tried to move out of the way but those that didn't make it the patronus just ran through like a ghost. My patronus couldn't even be touched. I didn't want the attention but now that Ginny had stolen it away from me I couldn't help but feel jealous. We continued practicing our patronuses and only Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and I had full-bodied patronuses we could conjure more than once. Neville was having a tough time and I was trying to help him come up with happy memories without directly telling him to think about me. All of a sudden the door to the room flew open we were all alarmed because everyone was here except Marietta. I didn't see who it was until a little house elf, who seemed to get all of Hermione's knit hats, was giving us warnings. Umbridge was coming, someone had told. Harry looked back at all of us and our scared faces.
"Well don't just look at me! RUN!" We all took a millisecond to look at each other before running full speed for the door. Ginny caught up with me and screamed "We'll never make it to Gryffindor!" I grabbed her hand and led her in the opposite direction. "Library! Library! It's still early!" I looked around, Neville was standing looking lost in the corridor and I could hear people coming towards us from the opposite direction.
"Neville!" I scream-whispered. I waved at Ginny telling her to keep going before I grabbed Neville and shoved him in the boys' bathroom just down the hall. This left me out of breath and alone panting just around the corner from the Room of Requirement.
"Well, well, well, how far the mighty have fallen." Draco sneered as he rounded the corner, wand pointed at my throat.
"Oh Draco! Fancy seeing you all the way up here on my evening run," I said casually while doing some false stretches. I pressed my palms against the cold stone and leaned forward to stretch my calves when Draco grabbed my wrist and dragged me down the corridor.
"I'm bringing you to Umbridge. We already caught your precious Potter." He spat out Harry's name and I just knew I couldn't get away with this.
"But," pant, "I haven't," pant, "done anything wrong!" I said trying to free myself from Draco's grip but his hand was able to wrap completely around my thin wrist.
"I'm tired of taking your shit and covering for you, we're done, Cassie." I didn't know what to say so I just walked behind him going over the words in my mind. What did I do to deserve this? If this was about the night with You-Know-Who, I just couldn't understand. Right afterwards we had needed each other, then we get back to Hogwarts and Draco hates me more than ever.
We stopped in front of a statue that fit the description Harry had once given me.
"You're taking me to Dumbledore?!" Draco grinned maliciously at me. That was when the statue leapt aside, revealing a spiral staircase down which came Umbridge, the Minister of Magic, Professor McGonagall, a huge black man with an earring, a shorter man with gray wiry hair, a guilty looking Ravenclaw, and Harry.
"Alright Miss Edgecomb, go down to the Hospital Wing to get those boils taken care of," said a red-faced Umbridge. Marietta turned to me long enough to squeak and run away towards the infirmary. I looked to Harry and the men I assumed were aurors who all looked terribly shocked, then to McGonagall. She had her lips pursed and looked extremely perturbed, then quickly mouthed, "Don't say anything," before returning to her sullen look. Draco looked pleased as Umbridge turned to him.
"What have you got for me, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco raised my wrist as if I were a trophy to flaunt.
"Just like you said Professor, she was out of breath not far from the room."
"Wonderful," Umbridge said rubbing her fat hands together. Harry looked guilty and McGonagall looked scared. I finally succeeded in tearing my arm from Draco's grasp. I gave Harry a wink when I knew Fudge and Umbridge weren't looking.
"I was out on my evening run professor."
"In your uniform?" Umbridge asked, eyes bugging out of her head, as if she had expected me to confess everything.
"Well you required that we wear it properly at all times," I said smiling innocently.
"You are out after hours, Miss Lestrange!" I checked my watch.
"Fourth year curfew isn't for another hour," I responded condescendingly. Oh I was going to get it. "If you are going to charge me unjustly, Professor, then I demand to speak to Headmaster Dumbledore." The Minister laughed and then said rather happily, "Dumbledore's gone, little girl, and Professor Umbridge is the new Headmistress. Just signed the order myself." I laughed nervously.
"Wait- what?!" Draco and I said together. Draco was smiling, I was not. Neither were Harry, McGonagall, and one of the aurors.
"Yes, and I have proof that you were part of an anti-Ministry renegade group called 'Dumbledore's Army.' Am I mistaken?" Umbridge asked bitingly.
"Yes." Umbridge smiled. "You are mistaken." Her faced dropped into an amused grimace.
"How so Miss Lestrange?" That was just what I needed, a mention of my name in front of the Minister.
"Do you know who I am?!" I shouted. "I am Cassiopeia Lestrange! I come from the most revered Pureblood lines in Europe! And do you see this?" I swung the black family pendent in front of her fat face, "It means I was raised to know that magic is might! How dare you accuse me of fraternizing with the likes of Potter and Dumbledore? I may be in Gryffindor but my loyalties will always lie with those of Slytherin!" McGonagall's eyebrows shot straight up to her hairline along with Draco's. Harry tried to look offended but he was also trying not to smile. The result was a pained looking grimace. Fudge looked scared but Umbridge was unconvinced. Umbridge grabbed my collarbone surprisingly hard and wheeled me around to face the statue that was once again hiding the staircase.
"Goodnight, Minister. If you don't mind I have business to attend to. Minerva, you may deal with Potter tonight, Mr. Malfoy, follow." Everyone dispersed when suddenly several other Slytherins, all of which looked quite menacing, joined us. Umbridge smiled with a curt nod and offered the statue a password. It refused to budge. She offered it again and again as well as several other kinds of candy names, but nothing was happening. She then asked Goyle to force his way in, which really didn't work either.
"I AM THE NEW HEADMISTRESS! I DEMAND THAT YOU LET ME INTO MY OFFICE AT ONCE!" Umbridge screamed while she jumped up and down like a child throwing a tantrum. I dared glance at the Slytherins who all mirrored my expression. We may have been against each other most of the time but at a moment like this the students joined together to make fun of the teacher. Pansy had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing and Draco kept looking back and forth from Umbridge to me, expecting me to say something else to dig myself a deeper hole. Umbridge turned to us, her face sufficiently red. She then walked briskly away. When none of us moved she snapped her fingers over her shoulder and kept walking. Without a word or another glance Draco grabbed me where Umbridge had let go and forced me down the corridor. I could tell we'd be going to her office.
When we arrived in Umbridge's disgustingly pink office I was instructed to sit in the back. She then handed each of the Slytherins a small silver 'I' pin. She then explained they were the new 'Inquisitorial Squad' and had the power to dock points if anyone wasn't following Umbridge's fiats. The room spun slightly when Draco turned to me with a malicious look on his face. Then the Squad was dismissed and I was left with Umbridge to do my punishment of lines.
"Write 'I must not tell lies' until you've gotten the message," she said sitting herself at her desk.
Bumbumbum well I think we know what that means but I hit a bit of a writer's block. If you feel like there are important characters or subplots I am neglecting please let me know.
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Thanks (:
mayzie