The next morning, Cassida woke up in the Gryffindor Common Room again.
To tell the truth, she had been so caught up with her mother and all of the drama that came with it, that she had almost forgotten about her condition. She had not disapparated the entire time that she was at the Weasleys house.
So she got a terrible shock when she found herself not in her bed in the Slytherin quarters, but instead lying on the couch in front of the Gryffindor fireplace.
She sat up suddenly, and find herself staring at three small Gryffindors, two boys and a girl, who were watching her anxiously. "Hello again," said the girl, Sylvia Manning.
Cassie muttered a hello, and hurried out of the room. The sooner this was fixed the better.
\\\
Classes that day were slow, getting back into routine. Hermione came out of them with piles of homework and a stressed mind. She couldn't stop thinking about her OWLs, and as she had spent all of her spare time before the holidays researching the Weasley family, she now had a lot of catching up to do.
As she was hurrying towards the Library at the end of the day, she was intercepted by Cassie. "I wanted you to know that I woke up in your Common Room again," said Cassie.
"I know," said Hermione, her mind caught up on thinking of the currency change of the sixteenth century. "Lavender told me."
"Then I suppose everyone knows," sighed Cassie.
"I think they would," said Hermione absentmindedly. Then, "Oh Cassie, don't look at it like that! The operation's soon, isn't it?"
"I spoke to Madam Pomfrey, and she said that they are currently trying to work out a good time to do it – when they can round the specialists up and all. So it could be next week, or in a year." Cassie sounded dejected.
"Oh cheer up. It can't be that long, you're in danger, they have to do it soon." Hermione only realised how unfeeling the words were after she had said them. "Well, you're not really in danger, nothing's going to happen, but they need to do it soon, I mean, I'm sure they will."
"I'm sure they will too. I just need a date set in place."
"You'll get one soon." Something told Hermione she wasn't being very helpful, but she dismissed the thought.
Cassie nodded, and waved good bye, before leaving Hermione in the corridor. Hermione continued on her way towards the library, and sat down in her favourite seat. She got out her Potions textbook, and started to study, rereading the material over and over again.
Neville had to say her name six times before she noticed him.
"What do you want?" said Hermione, her mind still full of ingredients and directions.
"I wanted to talk to you about Cassida," said Neville, nervously taking a seat opposite her.
"What about?"
"She... well, are you sure she's okay? I mean, her mother just left her. What's going to happen? Do you know? I didn't ask on the train."
"I am not sure, but I think she's going to live with the Weasleys now." Hermione explained what had happened the day before Evelyn left, and how Mrs Weasley had gone to speak to Percy.
Neville looked relieved. "Good. Okay. Thanks for telling me." He got up to go.
"Why do you care so much?" asked Hermione, suddenly suspicious.
"No reason," stuttered Neville.
Hermione smiled, the light finally dawning on her face. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." She smiled at his guilty expression.
"I don't have a secret. Goodbye." Neville backed out of the library.
Hermione smiled to herself, before bending back over her Potions textbook. She had a lot of studying to do.
\\\
Percy heard the voice outside again that day. He took a deep sigh, and put the parchment he had been writing on into his desk drawer. Then he straightened his ink pot.
His mother and father came storming into his office. "Please take a seat," said Percy, in the most formal tone he could conjure up.
"How are you Percy?" said his father, holding his hand out to shake. Percy ignored it, and got out his notes. His father sighed, and took the offered seat, his mother following.
"I take it you are here about Miss Beale." Mr and Mrs Weasely nodded. "Have you even put in a request for a hearing yet?"
"Of course we have," bristled his mother.
"Unfortunately, there have been some complications," sighed his father. "You see, the Beales want the case to be as soon as possible, and as they have friends higher up in the Ministry, they were able to get it scheduled for this Saturday."
Percy nearly fell over. "You have scheduled a hearing on Saturday! Why, you'll never get a lawyer to take the case in that amount of time!"
"That's why they want it then, of course," said his mother sharply.
"But, seeing as you have had that sort of training..." his father began.
"We were wondering if..."
"You need to take the case."
Percy looked as annoyed as he could. "You want me to take the case, when I am not even properly qualified, and with just a few days to prepare? Impossible!" He left his seat and paced the floor.
"You're our only chance," said his mother.
"We've asked around, of course, but no one else will be happy to take the case." His father looked pleadingly at him.
Well, this was a wonder, thought Percy. He had his parents in the palm of his hand! They were practically begging him for a favour.
"We're not begging however," said his mother, interrupting his thoughts. "We are ordering. You see, if you do not do this, then a girl will be left to live with people whom she does not wish to live with. One of your own relations too. Your own niece. You are a Weasley, whether you like it or not. We expect you to act like one."
"If I acted like one, I would say no, and make sure she knew that she was worthless!" cried Percy, losing his temper.
"You think she's worthless?" gasped his mother.
"I never said..."
"Don't be horrible Percy!"
"All right, that's enough!" cried his father. "Percy, will you take the case or not?"
"There wouldn't be enough time to prepare," Percy growled.
"Do you mean to say that you have not even made a small plan of the case?"
"I have something I could use, I suppose," scowled Percy, thinking of the twenty minute speech on children's rights that he had just swept into his desk drawer. "I guess I could whip something up..."
"That's my boy." His mother caught him up in a giant hug. Percy resisted, but in vain.
His father patted him on the back. "Well, we're glad that that's all settled now."
His mother let him go, and smiled proudly at him. "We'll see you at the case on Saturday. We'll bring Cassie, of course, so you can meet her then."
"You are finished now?" said Percy frostily.
"I suppose. Shall we head off dear?" His father smiled at his wife. The two of them left the office.
As soon as they were gone, Percy sighed and collapsed onto his chair. Then he quickly got out his speech, and started writing it again. He knew just what it needed – reference to the muggle children's rights. Muggles were just the thing that would throw off the opposition. Perfect, they would never see it coming.