Disclaimer: 'The Secret Tower' is an ongoing 'Harry Potter' fanfic series, and is not meant to be an exact replica of the original series. Aside from a few, all characters were created by, and are property of, J.K. Rowling, author of the original 'Harry Potter' series. I claim no rights to any persons, places, or spells depicted in this story that were originally penned by Mrs. Rowling, only those that are of my own creation.


The school was eerily silent when the group, minus Cassius, returned to the school. It had begun to storm, and the echo of the rain in the halls was nearly deafening.

Harry tried hard not to worry about Fudge's decision, but whenever he passed the place where Cassius had led him into the walls, he found himself wondering what he would do if Cassius were forced to leave. He trudged to through the day's remaining lessons, a feeling of misery threatening to overtake him as each hour went by, with no sign of her.

Snape appeared to be going through the same thing, as he sat at the teacher's table during the nightly feast, barely picking at his food. Once in a while he would look up, his face twisted in concern. Harry knew what he was looking for - the owl Fudge had said he would send.

"Harry," said Hermione, across the table, in a soft voice. "Stop thinking about it. You'll drive yourself mad."

"I know," he replied, looking down at his hands. "I just can't help--"

A frightened gasp cut him off, and he turned to see what had happened.

At the entrance to the Great Hall, a figure had appeared, wearing a long, black, hooded cloak that dripped rain onto the floor. As Harry watched, a hand lifted from beneath the cloak, and pushed the hood back.

Long, raven-black hair spilled out of it, and icy blue eyes scanned the room.

Cassius.

Harry leapt to his feet and started toward her quickly, but stopped when he saw her face. She wasn't even looking at him, it was almost as though she didn't see him there. Instead, she was looking past him, toward the front of the silent room. Snape, his eyes wide with shock, stood and rushed around the teacher's table, stopping in the center of it, staring straight ahead at Cassius in relieved disbelief.

She stared back at him, her eyes brimming, her swollen lip trembling. Suddenly, her face broke into a wide grin, and, laughing, she took off running down the center aisle toward Snape. He caught her in his arms, lifting her from the floor in a tight embrace. Pressing his lips repeatedly to the side of her face, he began to do something that none of the students of Hogwarts had ever seen him do before, had ever even imagined he was capable of doing...

He started to cry.

An explosion seemed to have taken place in the Hall, as students and teachers alike burst into cheers, many screaming in excitement and relief. Several had gathered around Snape and Cassius, all talking at once, asking her what had happened, how did she get here, what did the Minister of Magic say...

Looking a bit overwhelmed, but still smiling broadly, tears on her cheeks, Cassius looked around, until her eyes fell on Harry, who smiled back at her, and rushed to her side. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

"I asked Minister Fudge not to send an owl," she said. "I wanted to surprise you all."

"What exactly did he say?" asked Snape, his hands resting on her shoulders, his eyes slightly red from crying.

"He said that he could see that I am a strong-willed young lady," Cassius replied, gazing happily at Snape. "That I'm not afraid to say whatever's on my mind. He said I must get that from you," she added, poking Snape playfully in the elbow with her free hand. She turned to look up at Dumbledore, who was smiling down at her, his blue eyes twinkling. "He said that I've been brought up well, and that it would be a pity to change the way things are."

Snape sucked in a breath, and kissed her forehead hard. She giggled, and turned her gaze back up to him.

"And he said...Sometimes, water runs thicker than blood."

Harry looked at her, confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Cassius replied, smiling at him, and then turning back to Snape, "that in the eyes of the Ministry, and therefore, the entire Wizarding World, I am the rightful daughter...of Severus Snape."

Another cheer rose up from the crowd, as Snape once again pulled Cassius into a tight embrace. She laughed, tears of joy spilling from her eyes. Harry stood by, watching, unable to supress a laugh of his own.

The raucous cheering was cut short, and replaced by frightened screams, when suddenly, the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the west side of the Hall shattered, shards of glass flying everywhere. Students ducked, and Snape turned himself quickly to cover Cassius, and Harry - who was still holding Cassius' hand - with his own body. More screams were heard, as the ugliest creature Harry had ever seen in his life stepped through the hole in the wall.

Hiding under a table, Ron and Hermione watched as the creature, which had the body of a snake, but had feathers and wings, and stood up on two legs, made its way into the Hall, hissing at the students that were running around it in a panic, trying to get away.

"What is that thing?" cried Ron, his voice cracking.

"It's an Occamy," answered Hermione, her eyes fixed on the beast, which was beating its giant wings furiously, snapping its head around, as though looking for something. "They're not usually found around here..."

Ron looked at her, his eyes wide. "Well, there's one right there!"

"WATCH IT!" Hermione screamed, and grabbed the back of his head, pulling it down beside hers on the floor. They narrowly avoided getting hit as the Occamy's long tail crashed through the table beside them.

At the front of the room, Snape was pushing Cassius and Harry toward the door behind the teacher's table. Just as they came within a few feet of it, the Occamy's large eyes caught sight of them, and it moved so that its giant leg blocked their path. Its eyes fixing on Cassius, it hissed again, and bent, as though to strike. Snape jumped in front of her to block the beast's attack, but it knocked him to the side, into the teacher's table, with a hard shake of its head, knocking him senseless.

A loud, cold laugh came from the direction of the entrance, and Lucius Malfoy stepped into the Hall, passing the students that were rushing out, clapping his hands in excitement.

"Very good, very good. Now, get the girl!" he shouted at the monster, walking up the aisle to stand before Harry and Cassius.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Harry bellowed at him, his face twisted with rage.

"Taking what's mine," Lucius replied, smiling menacingly. "This all wouldn't have been neccessary, if your Professor Snape hadn't caused me so much grief about it."

"WHY? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Cassius screamed, as the Occamy pulled itself up to its full height, glaring down at her.

"Because, my darling," Lucius answered, his voice dripping with contempt. "You are needed to play a very vital part...in a very vital event."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

Lucius smirked at her. "Don't you know, my dear? You," he continued, stepping forward and grabbing her face in one hand, "are going to become queen."

"Queen?!" cried Harry. "Queen of whom?"

"Oh, I do wish you would stay out of this, Potter," Lucius snapped, glaring at him. A cold, cruel smile spread across his lips. "But, since you asked...Your precious Cassius will become the Queen of the Villdawicks in just a few days time."

"You've gone mad!" cried Cassius, pulling free from his grasp. He quickly grabbed her by the front of her cloak, pulling her close.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, darling. You see, at the very moment that you turn sixteen, you will come into your full vampiric powers. All that will be necessary would be...for you...to die."

"So you sent this--" she pointed at the Occamy, which was watching them, appearing to be waiting for something "--this thing to come and kill me?!"

Lucius shook his head, laughing. "No, no, foolish girl. I sent it...to retrieve you. It will take you to a place where no one--" he glanced at Harry "--will find you. You see, pet, your birthday comes in six days. You must be kept safe until that day arrives, and then...we'll celebrate."

"Celebrate?!"

"Why, yes. I think a birthday, a turning, and a wedding, all in one night, is cause for a celebration."

Cassius shook her head, confused. "A...wedding?"

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Enough questions. It's time to go. Oh, and we'd better make sure you don't try to run away once you get there," he added, pulling out his wand. "So sorry about this, love, but I'm afraid I really can't trust you to stay where you're put. IMPERIO!" he shouted, and a blue-white light shot out of the tip of his wand, hitting Cassius square in the chest.

Harry felt her grip on his hand tighten as her body went rigid. The Occamy moved suddenly, its tail whipping around fast, striking Harry. He was knocked aside, landing on the broken remains of the Gryffindor table. Ron and Hermione crawled out of their hiding place and knelt beside him. They watched, horrified, as the beast swung its tail again, this time knocking Cassius off of her feet. She landed a few feet away from them, out cold, and Harry moved to grab her and pull her away from the Occamy.

The creature rose again, snatched Cassius up into one of its scaly talons, and, with a thrust of its massive wings, took off through the hole in the wall.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched helplessly as the beast carrying their friend disappeared into the night. Harry jumped to his feet, and faced Lucius.

"Where are you taking her?!" he yelled.

Lucius sneered at him. "That is none of your concern, Potter. At least, it isn't...yet. But, I daresay, after the wedding that may change."

"What wedding?!" cried Hermione, getting to her feet as well.

"Why, my daughter's wedding, of course," Lucius replied. "I've found her the perfect match."

"Who?" asked Ron, his voice angry. Harry shook his head slowly, his eyes widening, already knowing the answer.

"Who else would be best suited to rule beside her? Who else," Lucius said, his eyes gleaming with a dark anticipation, "but Lord Voldemort."

TO BE CONTINUED

A bride for Voldemort...

A secret plan...

A deadly fate...

A family's betrayal...

So much more to come...

Reviews are so fun...Look for TST: Bloodbrat, posting later today!

~SP