Disclaimer: All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine.
Thank you all for being patient! This is the rewrite of 36. Not a lot changes until the end, so if you've already read it, feel free to skip ahead!
Thank you for all the new favorites/follows, and thanks to my reviewers from last time!
Chapter Thirty-Six: The Well
Despite the moon riding higher in the sky overhead, the forest seemed to grow darker the further they walked. Here the trees were so close it was almost claustrophobic, and the shadows seemed to swallow the light produced by their wands, making it harder for them to see the path. Cassie was certain they would have been lost hours ago if not for James, Sirius, and Peter in their Animagus forms scouting ahead, and Little Leaf, who was now perched on her shoulder and pointing his twiggy arms in the right direction every now and then.
The bowtruckle offered some comfort in the eerie forest, his little feet gripping her shirt and his small leaves brushing across her cheek when he moved. Remus kept close to her side, as well, alert and quiet, and she had half a mind to reach out and grasp his hand, she was so anxious, but thought better of it. She was a Gryffindor. She had to be brave.
She kept repeating this to herself like a mantra as the trees loomed over them, black and still and ominous. Once or twice, she caught eyes peering out at them from the gloom, and she knew they weren't just the Animagi. They gleamed sickly yellow and acid green; some had slits for pupils, while others seemed to reflect their wandlight back to them; but all of them glowed with an unsettling intelligence that kept Cassie on her guard, her grip on her wand so tight she was almost afraid she would snap it.
The locket bounced on her chest as she walked, causing the gears inside to feel like an erratic, jolting heartbeat against her skin. Her own heart had been thumping rapidly ever since they had entered the forest, and the two pulses were making her jumpy, muscles tensed in anticipation of fight-or-flight.
She nearly leaped out of her skin when Remus grabbed her elbow from behind, forcing down a scream as she whirled on him, Little Leaf clinging to her hair to keep from falling off.
"Bloody hell, Remus!" she said, keeping her voice low despite wanting to shout at him for scaring her half to death. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry," he said, sheepish. "I was just going to ask you how far you think it is to the well from here."
"How should I know?" Her anxiety was making her snappish, and he held up his hands in a placating gesture.
"I know, I know, sorry," he said hastily.
Cassie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."
A low whine issued from her side, and she looked down when something wet touched her hand. Sirius was nuzzling her with his nose, and when he saw her acknowledge him, he licked her hand reassuringly.
"Thanks, Padfoot," she said, deciding to just go with it instead of freaking out that her boyfriend was a dog and was currently licking her hand. She patted his head between his ears, and he seemed to smile, his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth.
Little Leaf chirped, tugging on her hair, and she turned to see him pointing between two trees, the trunks just far enough apart to allow them room to squeeze through.
"I think we have to go through there," she said, gesturing to where Little Leaf was pointing.
"I'm hoping it's a coincidence that those trees look like a gateway?" asked Remus nervously, but now that he said it, Cassie saw it, too.
The trunks bent out at an angle, like an oval, and the roots and branches entwined to make an archway almost ten feet tall. Little Leaf tugged on her hair again, insistent, and she grimaced.
"With our luck? No way," she said drily.
He sighed. "Naturally."
This time, Cassie did reach out her hand, and Remus placed his own into it, smiling tightly. She could feel his callouses, and one or two small scars, but it lent her a silent strength that helped steel her resolve.
She led the way to the trees, barely hesitating before stepping through, pulling Remus along with her. They emerged into an equally dark clearing, the landscape remaining the same, but a lingering magic seemed to settle over her skin like a thin covering, making the hair on her arms stand straight up.
"You felt it, too?" Remus asked when she shivered slightly, and she nodded.
"Wards," she said. "A magical boundary."
Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail came scuttling through after them. Padfoot shook himself out as if water clung to his fur, and Prongs snorted irritably, swinging his antlers and pawing the ground. Wormtail squeaked something Cassie didn't understand, but when he caught sight of Little Leaf glaring down at him, he shut up.
Cassie glanced back to the trees apprehensively. "Some wards, if they let just anyone through." She frowned. "Maybe they're Miranda's leftover spells; maybe we're worthy of entry, or something."
"Or they're not Miranda's wards, and someone else's," Remus said, "and they're a trap."
"Do you always have to think of the worst possible scenario?"
Remus looked offended. "I'm only being practical."
"Well, be practical in your head," she grumbled. "Let's keep going."
"Cass," Remus said, his gaze sliding from her to something over her shoulder. "I don't think we have to."
Confused, she turned, but froze when she realized that he was right. She didn't know how she hadn't seen it before, but following his gaze, she felt both the locket and her heart give a little jolt at what she saw.
The well looked exactly as it had in her dreams: ancient, crumbling, and choked with moss. She imagined the stones must once have been bone-white, but after centuries of neglect and weather, they were now stained black and grey, making it seem even more derelict than it already was.
She took a step forward, but Remus held fast to her hand, at the same time that Padfoot let out a warning bark.
"Cassie, don't," Remus hissed. "We don't know if there's something else protecting it."
"We're not going to find out just standing here," she retorted.
"Then let's have all of us be ready," he said, turning to face the Animagi. "You can turn back now, guys."
Cassie averted her eyes as the three boys shifted; despite Sirius's reassurance that they knew how to turn back with clothes on, she wasn't going to take any chances. She only looked up when James and Sirius stood beside her, wands out and determined, with Peter following close behind, nervous, but still with them; all of them fortunately clothed.
"Okay," said Cassie, taking a deep breath, "let's stick together. Wands at the ready."
They all nodded, beginning to creep forward together on some unspoken command, their wands up and aimed at the well, eyes searching. Little Leaf had fallen silent, as if he too were holding his breath in anticipation, and he clung to Cassie's hair tighter. The well remained still and silent, even when they got up right to the edge, close enough to peer down into the yawning darkness below.
Cassie poked her head over the rim, gazing down. She couldn't see anything inside the well – just shadows. Cautiously, she reached out her free hand and stuck it into the opening, even waving it about, but nothing happened.
"That's strange," she murmured, retracting her hand. "There doesn't seem to be anything protecting it besides the wards we just came through."
"Isn't that a good thing?" James asked. "If Miranda's wards held for this long, then maybe nothing else can get to the well."
"How were we able to get past them, though?" Remus countered.
Sirius frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Cassie is Miranda's descendant. And we're all Gryffindors. Maybe it's, like, favoritism or something."
"Can we please just hurry?" said Peter, looking nervously around the clearing as if he expected them to be attacked at any moment. "This is freaking me out."
Cassie looked to Remus. "I'm guessing I can't just Accio this thing out, can I?"
He shrugged. "It never hurts to try."
"Well, here goes nothing." She waved her wand, saying clearly, "Accio gauntlet!" They waited for a few moments, but nothing happened, and she lowered her wand dejectedly.
"So, now what?" James said.
"Miranda said the gauntlet was hidden at the bottom, locked away in a chest that only the locket can open," Cassie said, tapping the locket against her chest. It had gone eerily still, its metal cool against her skin, but she thought nothing of it. "Our best chance of retrieving it is if someone goes in."
Peter squeaked involuntarily in fear. "You mean go in there?" He pointed to the pitch-blackness of the well. "We can't even see the bottom! There could be anything in there."
"Well, I'm open to suggestions, Pete," said Cassie exasperatedly.
Sirius laid a hand on her tense shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "It's all right, Cass. I'll do it."
"No way," she said immediately, shrugging his hand off and turning to face him incredulously. "I'm not letting you go in there."
"But I'm guessing I'll just have to let you?" he retorted.
She glared at him. "Look, I made a promise to myself – to Will. I would give up my own life if it meant I could save his – if I could save others. It has to be me."
Sirius scowled, but before he could argue, Remus stepped in between them.
"Cassie, we know that," he said, "but Sirius is right. You can't do this alone."
"I'm not alone," she said. "I have all of you here with me."
"And that means all of us are going down together," said James firmly, stepping up to Remus's side and raising his chin, as if daring her to argue.
"Bloody Gryffindors," she said in disbelief. "You really can't let one person have their heroic moment to themselves, can you?"
"Rich, coming from a lion herself," said James. He clapped her on the shoulder cheerfully before striding back to the well, calculating. "It'll be a tight fit with all five of us down there, that's for sure."
"We should split up, then," Remus said. "Three of us up here to keep watch, while the other two go down. That way if something goes wrong, we can defend ourselves up here, but also help the two out if they run into trouble down there."
"Good idea, Moony," said James. "Who's going down, then?"
"Me," said Cassie and Sirius at the same time.
James snorted. "Like that's a shocker." He waved his hand at them. "All right, lovebirds, you two have your fun, but remember: we're on a mission. I don't want any snogging, groping, or other forms of sexual tension going on down there—"
"No promises," Sirius said, grinning. "Only kidding," he added when he caught the unamused stare Cassie was giving him.
"Just don't do anything stupid, please," Cassie said to James. "And look out for each other. We'll make this as fast as possible."
"You got it, princess." He smiled, ruffling her hair before pulling her in for a quick hug. "Be safe, Cassie." He gave Sirius a sort of affectionate punch that she took as a manly thing, but the two boys nodded to each other, their minds already connected in a way that no gesture could recreate. "Watch out for yourselves down there."
"Will do." Sirius patted his shoulder once more before they all moved in different directions, James, Remus, and Peter setting up a perimeter around the well, while Cassie and Sirius approached the ancient structure.
"Any thoughts on how to get down there?" she asked uncertainly.
"Wingardium, maybe?" he suggested.
She quirked her lips. "I don't like the idea of relying on magic when it comes to this thing." She traced her fingers along the rim of the well, thinking. "It obviously has its own magic if it prevents us from Summoning the gauntlet." She paused, suddenly recalling something from her dream. "Check the other side, see if there's a chain or a rope with a bucket attached."
Sirius circled around the well before stopping and bending down. She heard the telltale rattle of metal as he reappeared, hoisting up a very old and rusted chain.
"There's no bucket," he said, "but we could use this to lower ourselves down."
"It'll have to work," she said, coming up beside him. She followed the length of the chain until she found its source. Two iron rings were interlocked with each other, with one of the rings buried into the stone foundation of the well, and she gave the chain an experimental tug. The rings jiggled a bit, enough to make her leery, and she turned to Sirius. "Know any spells to make sure this thing stays put?"
He tapped his wand against his chin for a moment, pondering, before saying, "Stand back."
She shifted away from him slightly as he pointed his wand to the rings and said, "Manere."
The rings stiffened, snapping into place with a metallic groan. Cassie tugged on the chain again, and this time the rings held fast. She cast him an impressed look, and he waggled his brows.
"I think that deserves another kiss," he said cheekily, and she rolled her eyes.
"Later," she said, "if we survive this."
"You'd think that would be more incentive to do it now, then," he teased.
Cassie ignored him. "The sooner we get this over with, the better. So let's go."
He only looked slightly put-out as she knelt, removing Little Leaf from her shoulder and setting him down gently in the grass. He reached his twiggy arms out for her to pick him up again, like a child, and her heart swelled at the gesture.
"Sorry, little guy, but you can't come with me this time," she said sadly. "Stay up here and keep watch with the others, okay?"
She didn't know if he could entirely understand her or not, but if bowtruckles had any shoulders to square or a chest to puff out, then she was sure he would have been doing so in that moment. She bent down and kissed his tiny head, ignoring the rough bark against her lips, before standing back up and returning to Sirius.
"Oh, so the bowtruckle gets a kiss, but not your boyfriend?" he demanded.
"I believe you're forgetting, my dear Sirius, that it's your turn to make the first move, is it not?" she countered, smirking when he frowned. "After all, I did kiss you in the Great Hall today…" She leaned in close, their lips nearly brushing as she whispered, "And that was just a taste."
She drew away before he could react, and he shook his head, sighing despite the wide grin on his face.
"Cruel, Alderfair, just cruel," he said.
She laughed, punching his shoulder lightly. "C'mon, we're wasting time."
Shaking his head and muttering something under his breath she didn't catch, he followed her to the well, where she picked up the chain once more. "Help me drop this in."
They hefted the chain onto the rim, and Sirius heaved it over the edge with a grunt. The chain disappeared rapidly into the darkness, rattling and clinking for what seemed like an eternity, until finally there was a distant splash, and it stopped feeding into the well.
"At least we know there's something down there now," she said, squinting her eyes to see if she could see the source of the splash, but all her sight picked up were shadows.
"I'll go first," he said, hoisting himself onto the rim and silencing her with a severe look when she was about to protest. "Save it, princess. I'm not tamed yet." He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes.
"Trust me, I wouldn't dream of trying to tame you," she assured.
He smirked. "Good." He grabbed hold of the chain, his legs swinging down into the well. "Because we both know I'm still a rebel at heart."
"Yeah, for sure." Cassie nodded, faking her agreement and giving him a soft smile that oozed sarcasm. "So wild."
"Oh, sweetheart, you haven't seen anything yet." It was a jest, she knew, but she also couldn't stop her heart from dropping when his eyes raked over her suggestively.
"Even in the midst of danger you still flirt," she said, shaking her head incredulously, but her face was hot and flushed from blushing. "Why am I not surprised?"
"It got you to stop stressing for a minute, didn't it?" he pointed out, and she frowned, realizing he was right. He grinned. "Now, are you coming or not, princess?"
She shook her head, climbing up onto the well and dangling her legs over the rim, swallowing down her fear. She shifted carefully until she was on her stomach before slowly lowering herself into the well, her trainers finding purchase on the stone while her hands gripped the chain.
They descended into the darkness at a steady pace. The only light they had came from the opening above them, but it was so dim they soon couldn't see anything, even if they waved a hand in front of their face. Cassie had suggested getting their wands out for light, but Sirius had disagreed, pointing out that they could easily drop them and lose them. Though she much would have preferred some sort of light for their descent, she reluctantly accepted his logic, and they continued down in silence.
The chain bit into Cassie's hands painfully as they went on, but she dared not let go to give them a break, too scared of falling forever into the yawning blackness. She could hear Sirius a few feet below her, breathing hard from exertion, his shoes scraping roughly against the side of the well, and it was this that motivated her to keep going.
It felt like they had been descending for hours, but it had probably only been about fifteen minutes. Cassie paused, her arms shaking as sweat poured down her face, calling down to Sirius. "Anything?"
"No," he grunted. "Only damn empty air."
"Keep going," she said, trying to be encouraging, but she was so exhausted that it came out more like a whimper of pain. "We can do this.
"We have to," she added quietly to herself as they continued.
Another five minutes passed before Sirius gave a startled yelp, and Cassie's heart leapt. "Sirius? What is it? What's wrong?"
"I think I found the bottom," he said. "What the…"
Cassie heard the sound of sloshing water, and Sirius uttered another confused remark. "That's weird…"
"What is?" Her voice was strained from holding herself in place, and she heard more water noises.
"There's a solid bottom," he said. "I'm standing on it right now. The water's only about waist-high." He moved around some more. "I don't understand. Where is the water coming from if the bottom's sealed up?"
"Replenishing Spell?" she suggested. "Hold on, I'm coming down."
"Maybe…" he muttered, as Cassie's feet plunged into cold water, making her flinch.
Cautiously, she let go of the chain, and she landed in the water, her clothes getting soaked up to her navel as her feet pressed against solid stone. She took out her wand and lit it, allowing her to see the bottom.
The water was dark and extremely cold; she could already feel herself shivering, even though it felt good after their excavation. She put her hand under the surface and brought it up, cupping some of the water in her palm and giving it an experimental sniff.
"It's not stagnant," she observed. "Either someone's been maintaining this well or it draws from its own power to keep the water fresh."
"Well, the chest is here somewhere, right?" he said. "Let's start looking."
Cassie nodded, biting her wand between her teeth as they both bent and began searching, plunging their arms into the water and using their hands to rove over the bottom. The stones were smooth and polished as Cassie's fingers brushed over them, but she kept hoping they would bump into something more like a chest. Sirius seemed to be having no luck either, as he kept splashing around, his brow contracted in frustration.
"This is pointless," he burst out. "Miranda doesn't know what the hell she's talking about. There's nothing here."
"Just keep searching," she tried to say around her wand, but it came out more like, "Juh kee sershing."
"Let's face it, Cassie," he said, turning to her angrily. "This whole thing has been nothing but a wild goose chase. For months we've been obsessing over this while we could've been doing things that actually matter against Voldemort, instead of going on an Easter egg hunt for something that probably doesn't even exist!"
Cassie whipped her wand out of her mouth, pissed at what she was hearing. "Of course it matters, Sirius! If we find the gauntlet, then whatever Voldemort's planning to do with it won't happen. How could you say that this has all been for nothing, when Will's life hangs in the balance? When my life hangs in the balance?"
Her chest suddenly felt too tight, and she wondered if she was finally succumbing to hysterics as every doubt and fear came crashing into her like a Bludger. "Don't give up on me, Sirius. Not now after we've come this far. Please."
Sirius waded over to her, his face pained. "I know, Cass. I'm sorry. It's just…" He reached out, cupping her face with his hands, and he looked on the verge of saying something more before his face suddenly paled and his eyes widened. "Cassie…"
"What?" she said, her voice tight from the pressure on her chest, when she realized with a sickening lurch that the pressure came from nothing internal, but rather, there was something coiling around her torso like a vice. She looked down, her wandlight skimming over the back of something scaly just under the surface of the water, and she fought down a horrified scream, trying to keep her body as still as possible.
"Hang on, Cassie," said Sirius softly, though his voice was edged with panic as he raised his wand. "Just hang on…don't move…"
"Hurry, Sirius," she whispered, near tears. "Get it off, get it off, get it off, get it off—"
There was a flash of light from Sirius's wand and an echoing bang that sounded like a cannon blast in the enclosed space. Whatever had been wrapped around Cassie's body writhed and flailed, releasing her, and she launched herself into Sirius's arms, screaming, as it disappeared further into the water.
"Come on, go!" Sirius was shouting over her screams. "Get to the chain! Climb!"
"Cassie! Sirius!" A sudden clamor from above made them look up, and Cassie could barely discern the three huddled heads of James, Remus, and Peter as they called down to them. "What's wrong? What's happening?"
"Just get us out of here!" Cassie screeched, grabbing hold of the chain and shoving her wand into her pocket. She made to jump out of the water, but she froze when her shoe kicked something solid, a dull thunk emanating from underwater.
"Sirius!" she cried. "The chest! I found it!"
"Leave it!" he said, shoving her back toward the chain. "I don't know where that thing went, and I don't wanna stay to find out!"
"No, I'm not leaving without it!" She dove back for the water, her hand reaching, but Sirius grabbed her around the waist. "Sirius, no! It's right there, please!"
"I'm not letting you die over a fucking box!" he roared.
Cassie accidentally elbowed him in the stomach, but it was enough to make him loosen his hold on her. She sucked in a deep breath and went below the surface, her hands fumbling around for the chest. For one terrifying moment, she couldn't find it again, but a few seconds later her fingers latched onto a small iron chest, and she pulled it up with her as she emerged from the water.
"I got it!" she said, thrusting it at Sirius and ignoring the thunderous look on his face. "Go on, go!"
She started for him and the chain before the water boiled in front of her, and out of the depths of the well rose the largest serpent she had ever seen. She had no idea how a snake that size had hidden in such a small well, until she remembered the stone floor beneath her feet.
This isn't a well – it's a tomb.
"A thousand years' slumber…in a tomb beyond light…" the locket seemed to whisper, and her heart dropped.
"CASSIE!" Sirius bellowed, but it was too late.
The serpent lunged, and Cassie was dragged below the water.
Cassie opened her eyes to find herself back at a familiar scene.
She recognized the high, vaulted ceilings and marble floors, and when she turned, Godric Gyffindor's tomb still stood upon the dais, the body still inside of it. The only thing missing was the white-robed crowd of mourning witches and wizards, and Miranda was nowhere to be found. However, there was another person in the room with her, and she recalled the pointed, narrow face and black hair quite well as he gave her a lipless smile.
"Exquisite," said Salazar Slytherin, his cold eyes raking her over with razor sharp focus. "You are truly as beautiful as Miranda, my dear." His smile turned into a lazy smirk, however, when he locked gazes with her. "Your eyes, though…well, I guess Godric would have left his mark somewhere. You have the same look he had – pigheaded stubbornness, mistaken for bravery."
She bristled at his words, her hands clenching into fists.
"That snake is yours," she hissed. "Call it off."
"Wrong," he said blandly. "I am the serpent."
"You're dead," she said, suddenly confused. "You have been for a thousand years." She frowned. "And you don't look like a ghost."
"My dear," he said, looking to her as if she were slow and stupid, and her anger rose, "there are other ways to live beyond the confines of mortality." He smiled poisonously. "If you're willing to push the envelope a bit."
His words reminded her of the night she had been left alone with Voldemort in Alderfair Manor, where he had said something similar: "I have achieved things no other wizard would dare; I have pushed the limits of life farther than anyone else."
"What do you want with me?" she demanded. "Why bring me to whatever this is?" She waved a hand around them.
He shrugged. "This is your mind we're in. I just happened across this image while I was combing through." He conjured a high-backed chair with a flick of his wrist and sat down in it, his emerald-and-black robes shimmering like snakeskin with the movement. "Not to worry though, my dear; you've only been submerged for a few seconds. I reckon you won't have drowned when I release you." He smiled, this time showing his teeth, and she squirmed at the disarming effect it had. "Hopefully.
"As for why I brought you here," he continued, "well, you are trespassing. The Forest is off-limits for a reason, you know."
"Yeah, because you murdered Godric and framed it like he was killed by some dangerous creature," she replied scathingly.
"Oh, I didn't frame it that way," he said, pressing a hand to his chest, and she noticed a heavy gold locket hanging there, inlaid with glittering green stones that formed the letter 'S'. "Godric was killed by a dangerous creature – that creature just so happened to be me."
"You're an Animagus," she realized.
He smirked at her. "Surprise."
"So that's how you've survived all this time," she said, working through the clues slowly. "You've been hiding out here in your Animagus form."
"This well, as I'm sure you've noticed, has a great deal of power," he said, nodding. "For as long as anyone can remember, it has always been here in this forest. Its magic is what keeps the land alive, and that magic is what has attracted so many magical creatures over the ages. Everyone thought it was just some old ruin, but I knew better. There was a reason why I suggested to the other Founders that we build our school on its grounds – this well is the Fountain of Youth."
Cassie's jaw dropped despite herself. "What?"
Salazar shrugged. "It's the reason why I've been here all this time. The well has gifted me long life."
"But why remain an Animagus?" she asked. "Couldn't you have just taken a sip and become immortal, like, forever ago?"
"A common misconception," he said, looking extremely disappointed in her, as if she were a student that had given the professor a wrong answer, until she realized that technically, she was. "The Fountain of Youth does not grant unlimited immortality – even its magic has boundaries, and time magic has the highest price of all.
"You see, there is nothing about you that is immortal. Your body is merely a host to be used and discarded when it finally dies. Even your soul dies eventually. But where does it go? That depends on who you ask." He tilted his head, pondering. "Some believe that it passes on to a type of afterlife; some souls remain tethered to this world as ghosts, as I am sure you are familiar with. Others think that the soul dies with the body, but that is not true. It lives on, until it collapses such as a dying star. But the Fountain of Youth prevents that. One drop, and your soul lives forever."
"So for your soul to become immortal, you have to give up a physical form that it resides in?" She shook her head. "But you can still turn into a giant snake? How does that make sense?"
"Consciousness and a soul aren't the same thing," he said, and she suddenly felt like screaming.
"Why am I here?" she demanded. "Get out of my head and let me go back!"
"In time," he drawled. "But first, there are some things you must understand." He locked eyes with her, and his gaze was so cold that she felt her knees quiver beneath her. "Tell me, my dear, did you really think you could simply waltz in and take Gryffindor's gauntlet for your own?"
Cassie felt like she had been kicked in the chest. "What?"
"Oh, yes, I am well aware of your little mission," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Young William was a fool to give you that locket. I had intended it for him, and eventually my heir."
"What are you talking about?" Cassie choked out.
"Your sweet brother was really too easy to manipulate," he continued, pretending he hadn't heard her. "Dear William – so curious, so trusting. His mind was like an open door. I coached him through his final year here; he was very interested in magic, you know, and wanted to get out in the world and help make a difference. I only gave him a little nudge in the right direction. He had always been so fascinated by the Dark Arts, and so I urged him to learn more. The rest was entirely up to him. His fascination turned into ambition, and that ambition led him into the arms of my heir."
"Voldemort," she whispered, her voice hoarse.
He nodded. "Indeed. I knew my heir was searching for something – a treasure that had once belonged to Gryffindor. And I also knew just where to find it. The well's power keeps me confined to Hogwarts, but I had already ensnared William. It wasn't difficult to plant the idea to find the locket in his head and enchant it with my clues. He was meant to give it to my heir." He scowled. "But instead he gave it to you."
Cassie swallowed nervously, her fingers clasping around the locket at her throat. It was still cool and unmoving, but her fear hitched higher when Salazar's eyes bored into her.
"I admit, that did surprise me," he said quietly, still watching the hand that was holding the locket. "It seemed that William's love for you and his guilt for all that he'd done had overpowered my persuasion – but I punished him greatly for it by forcing him to torture all those Muggles."
Cassie thought back to her birthday several months prior, when the news about her brother instigating an attack on those Muggles in Cokeworth had first gotten published, and she suddenly felt like vomiting.
"You son of a bitch," she hissed, her whole frame beginning to tremble from rage. "You were the one who stole my brother from me."
"I only emboldened him enough to unleash what he already was," he said silkily, rising from his chair and prowling towards her. "Now, I'll be needing that locket, my dear."
Cassie backed away from him, reaching for her wand, only to find that it was gone. She watched in horror as Salazar began to transform, his skin melting away to reveal black scales and his eyes growing, changing from a glittering grey to a poisonous yellow, his pupils narrowing to slits. His body became one large coil of writhing scales, his robes dropping away to reveal the serpent, standing several feet above her, and she kept backing up until she stumbled at the foot of the dais.
Desperate, she reached for the Sword of Gryffindor that she knew to be upon Godric's breast, but she screamed and tumbled off the dais when she saw her own body lying in the tomb instead, blank eyes staring up at her accusingly.
Cassie watched the serpent slithering towards her, its mouth opening in a snarl to reveal two fangs ready to pierce her throat. She closed her eyes and clutched the locket, praying the end would be quick, only distantly aware that the locket had begun to hum again, growing hotter and hotter in her hand.
She sensed the snake ready to strike and thought about Sirius and James, Remus and Peter, Lily, Alice, and Marlene, her mother and brother. She prayed they would understand and go on without her, a last sob wracking her body as the serpent lunged.
A strangled hiss and lack of biting fangs made Cassie glance up warily, and she gasped when she saw a woman in a white dress standing between her and the snake, a copy of the clockwork locket gleaming at her throat.
"I have waited a long time for this, Salazar," Miranda said, and the serpent snapped at her, though it was shrinking away in a mass of writhing coils and a whipping tail, as if afraid of the golden light that surrounded her.
Cassie stared, uncomprehending, as Miranda turned to face her, and now she understood what was driving the snake off as pure fury and unadulterated power slammed into her, rendering her breathless.
"Wake up, Cassie," Miranda ordered. "Get the gauntlet and do not look back."
"What about you?" she asked, eyeing the retreating serpent fearfully.
Miranda gave her a humorless smile. "I have waited centuries for my revenge. Salazar is powerless against my wrath."
She turned back to the serpent, which was now gathering itself for retaliation. "You always were a spineless snake, Salazar. I pity whatever afterlife I send you to."
The serpent roared, bearing down on them, and Cassie shut her eyes, wrenching herself out of the vision as golden light exploded around her.
She came to with a jolt, dragging herself out of the water with a gasping breath.
"CASSIE!" Sirius yelled, letting out a strangled sob as she floundered in the water, trying to regain her footing. "Oh, thank Merlin! Thank Godric!"
He pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace and thumped her back as she began spitting up water, clinging to him like a lifeline as her chest heaved and her stomach roiled. She realized that the water around them was beginning to steam, bubbling like a pot of boiling water, and the sides of the well were beginning to rumble violently.
"We have to get out of here," she managed to rasp. He nodded quickly, leading her to the chain. "Wait, where's the chest?"
"I have it, it's here," he said, holding it up by one of its handles. "I'm going to tie the chain around you, so they can pull you up with the chest."
"I'm not leaving you behind!" she said shrilly, attempting to wrestle away from him, but he was too strong for her in her weakened state, and he was already securing the chain around her.
"I'll be right behind you, Cass, don't worry," he said, making sure the chain was firm as he handed her the chest. He gave her a reassuring smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "I promise."
Without even thinking, she seized the front of his shirt and crushed her mouth to his, putting everything she had behind that kiss. He reached up and gripped the back of her head, his fingers knotting in her hair as they snogged like the world was ending around them – which, it quite probably was, literally.
They broke apart only when the well rattled with the force of an earthquake around them, and Sirius gave a sharp jerk on the chain, yelling, "PULL HER UP!"
The chain began ascending at a fast but jerky pace, and Cassie felt her fingers slip from Sirius's grasp as she was hoisted up.
"That's twice in one day, Black!" she shouted down to him, and she could see him grinning at her before the darkness swallowed him from sight. "You owe me now!"
The quaking of the well drowned out his reply, and Cassie tried not to think if that was the last time she would see him as she kept ascending. Finally, light began returning to her vision, and the air became cooler and sweeter as she was pulled out of the well, coughing and blinking in the sudden light.
Remus and James pulled her onto the rim, and she collapsed against Remus, wheezing from all the dust the well had shaken loose as it continued to tremble. The tremors weren't nearly as bad up there as they were below, but she could still feel the vibrations as she fell on the grass, James and Peter working rapidly to get the chain undone from around her and go back for Sirius.
"Cassie, are you all right?" asked Remus frantically, his hands smoothing over her face and hair, eyes searching for injuries. "What happened down there?"
She shoved the chest into his arms in lieu of answering, and he looked down to it, astonished. "Is this…the gauntlet?"
"Help me," she moaned, tapping the locket, and he bent over her, gently lifting her neck to unclasp it. His face hovered over hers, and since she was already in a "desperately-affectionate-because-our-lives-are-on-the-line" mood, she reached up and planted a firm kiss on his cheek.
He looked down to her, shocked, but she only flopped back down listlessly, every muscle in her body aching in pain. "What was that for?"
"Saving my life," she answered, and he chuckled slightly, his face quite red as he managed to get the locket off her.
"Ow, shit, this thing's hot!" he exclaimed, bouncing it from hand to hand as he put it up to the chest. "So, it just goes here?"
Cassie nodded, forcing herself to sit up and take the locket from him, feeling no heat at all from it. She located the lock he had indicated, but before she could do anything, the earth swayed violently beneath them, and they turned to stare in horror as the well began collapsing in on itself with a deafening roar.
James and Peter were screaming for Sirius as the stones broke apart, plummeting towards the bottom of the well, and Cassie and Remus sprinted to help, though nothing could be done. The well was falling apart, and Sirius was nowhere to be seen.
"SIRIUS!" Cassie screamed. "SIRIUS!"
The ground bucked again, sending them sprawling, but Cassie scrambled back to her feet, still screaming Sirius's name. Before she could get close to the well again, however, an unearthly shriek pierced the air, followed by a familiar wrathful voice.
"GO BACK TO THE HOLE FROM WHENCE YOU CAME, BEAST!" Miranda's voice boomed. "LET THIS NIGHT BE THE END OF THE REIGN OF SALAZAR SLYTHERIN!"
Another shockwave went through the earth, bringing Cassie to her knees as an explosion of golden light washed over them with the force of a bomb. A loud CRACK echoed around the clearing, and Cassie struggled to see through the light, letting out a hoarse shout as the well was sucked under, the earth closing over it as if it were being stitched back together, leaving nothing in its wake but a faint scar of dirt. The light abruptly faded, and the ground ceased its tremors, leaving them in a deafening and eerie silence.
"Sirius, no!" she sobbed, crawling to the spot where the well had disappeared. "Sirius!"
James followed close behind her, his face ashen and streaked with tears, copying Cassie and calling out Sirius's name, with Remus and Peter taking up the cry, as well.
"Merlin, would you all stop your blubbering? I'm embarrassed for you."
They all watched in astonishment as Sirius limped his way over to them, covered in dirt and grime, but looking very much alive.
"Padfoot!" James yelped, barreling into his friend and hugging him so tightly Cassie was sure she had heard his spine crack all the way over from where she stood.
"James, ow, geroff," he griped, but he looked happy nonetheless as he and Remus clapped each other on the back and exchanged a high-five with Peter.
"What the hell happened to you guys?" demanded James, looking between Sirius and Cassie and sighing when they only had eyes for each other. "Oh, all right, get it over with so we can move along with our lives."
Cassie rushed into Sirius's arms, trembling from suppressed tears as he pressed his mouth to her hairline, his own chest heaving with emotion.
"I thought the worst," she admitted, sniffling. "The well—"
"You're forgetting something, love," he said, and she looked up to him, baffled. He gave her a cocky wink. "I'm Sirius bloody Black."
"Ugh, moment ruined," she said, pushing him away as he laughed. "I'm never kissing you again."
"Aw, c'mon princess, that's not fair," he said, pulling her closer by her waist, but he started laughing again when she slapped his hands away.
"How are you even laughing right now?" she said. "We almost died! How did you even manage to escape?" She waved her hand at the spot where the well used to be, and he shrugged, frowning.
"Miranda, I think." Cassie gaped at him as he explained. "It was like...I could hear her in my head. She told me that I wasn't meant to die today, or something like that, and when the well started collapsing, there was like this shield around me, like someone cast a Protego. I managed to climb the side and get out before it closed up." He shook his head. "I'm crazy, right? There was no way Miranda could've helped me."
"She was there, Sirius," said Cassie. "She helped me too."
"So, is anyone actually going to explain to me what the fuck just happened, or am I supposed to fill in the blanks myself?" James grouched.
"Cass got attacked by a big snake," Sirius began, pointing to her, and she huffed, embarrassed. "It dragged her under the water for a few seconds, and then suddenly everything started going to shit."
"It wasn't just a big snake," she grumbled. "It was Salazar Slytherin's Animagus form, which just happened to be a big snake. And before you ask, yes, he was supposed to be dead, but apparently that well was the Fountain of Youth and he had made his soul immortal by drinking from it."
"What the fuck?" she heard Peter whisper into the sudden silence.
Remus looked back and forth between Sirius and Cassie. "Well, did you two drink anything?"
Sirius shook his head. "Nah. Cassie sorta drowned, though."
Everyone looked to her, but she shrugged. "I don't feel any different."
"A problem for another time, then," said Remus. "How did you know the snake was Salazar Slytherin?"
"He kind of spoke to me, like, in my mind," she said, suddenly self-conscious. "Like a vision or something." She shook her head, scoffing. "Also found out that he had somehow gotten into Will's mind, too, and manipulated him into turning Dark. The locket had been Slytherin's idea; he had meant for Will to give it to Voldemort – his heir apparent – but Will broke free from his control long enough to leave it with me instead. He wanted me to find Slytherin – he wanted me to end all of this. Just not in the original way we thought."
"What would Slytherin want with Miranda's old locket, I wonder?" Remus mused, but Sirius snorted.
"Who cares?" he said. "We have the locket, and Miranda kicked his musty arse. Now let's grab this gauntlet and get it to Dumbledore."
Remus was still frowning, but Cassie knew Sirius was right. It was over. They had won, and it would all end as soon as she handed over the gauntlet to Dumbledore.
Peter came back with the chest and the locket from where Cassie and Remus had abandoned them in favor of Sirius. He set the chest on the ground before holding out the locket to Cassie. "Want to do the honors?"
She nodded, taking the locket and kneeling before the chest, the Marauders crowding around her. The chest was small, no bigger than a briefcase, but it was made entirely out of iron. Carved pictures and runes decorated it, but she paid no mind to them, already focused on another task. She placed the locket into the circular lock on the front of the chest, holding her breath as she slowly turned it, until there was a distinct click.
They all traded a glance before Cassie pried open the lid, years of disuse having welded it shut, but it finally popped loose with a rusty groan. She threw back the lid, and they all huddled closer to get a better look.
The gauntlet was still in perfect condition, considering how long it had been abandoned. Its silver-plating and embedded rubies still sparkled like new, and Sirius gave a low whistle at the sight.
"Now that's some serious money," he said admiringly. "Goblin-made, too – this would fetch a fortune. Er, if we were selling it," he amended hastily at Cassie's glance, "which we're not, so…"
Carefully, Cassie lifted the gauntlet into her hands, having to grudgingly agree with Sirius. The gauntlet probably cost more than the entirety of the Alderfair and Black fortunes combined.
"Come on," she said. "It's probably nearing dawn—"
It happened between one blink and the next. One moment, the gauntlet was sitting in her hands, and the next, it had begun to disintegrate right before her eyes, turning to dust.
"No!" she gasped, watching in horror as it kept falling apart. "No, no, no, no, no…"
She frantically tried to collect the pieces of the gauntlet, but every time she scooped up another handful, more would keep falling, until she was left with nothing more than dust. The gauntlet was gone.
There was a stunned silence as they took in the remains of the gauntlet, before Cassie turned to them tearfully. "Can't we do anything? There has to be something – a way to reverse it, to fix it—"
"Cass," said Remus sadly, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
She stared at the pile of dust before her, disbelieving. It wasn't over. It couldn't be. Not after they had come so far, not after everything…
"No," she whimpered. "No. Not like this. Please, not like this."
"Cassie," Sirius said, bending down beside her and taking her hand. "C'mon, love, there's nothing we can do. Let's go."
"Will…" She gave a little sob. "This was the only thing I had – the only thing I could bargain for his life."
"We'll find another way," he said, kissing her hair softly, but she just stared at the pile of dust and the locket. The locket…
Everything had started because of that damned locket. That locket was the reason for everything – Will joining the Death Eaters, her finding the gauntlet – only to have it all snatched away from her at the last second.
Enraged, she shot to her feet and brought her foot down on the locket, hearing it crunch satisfyingly under her trainer. She grabbed the broken pieces and hurled them deep into the woods, as far away from her as possible as she let out a broken yell. It echoed hauntingly through the forest, and something inside of her shattered at the sound. She breathed deeply for a moment more before turning back to the Marauders, devastatingly calm all of a sudden.
"Where's Little Leaf?" she demanded.
The four boys all shrugged and muttered, not meeting her eyes, but she only nodded coolly, making her way past them.
"Where are you going?" James called after her, concerned, but she only turned back to him with a bitter smile.
"Back to the castle," she said. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? For all this to be over, for us to go back to our normal lives? Well? You got what you wanted, right?"
"It doesn't have to be over, Cass—" James said uncertainly, but she laughed derisively.
"Yes it fucking does, James!" she shrieked, and the bespectacled boy took a step back in shock. "There's nothing left! Do you get that? We have nothing on our side anymore! And the sooner you accept that, the better."
And without another word, she turned and strode into the trees, back the way they came, leaving the Marauders to trade an anxious glance before following in silence.
The walk back to the castle was much faster than their journey to the well, and they emerged from the forest to find the sky an inky shade of blue that signaled the approach of dawn. No one dared speak as they crossed the grounds, partly from fear of being heard by either Hagrid or Professor Kettleburn, and partly from fear of further antagonizing Cassie.
The four boys were sure that if they even breathed too loudly, she would fly into another rage, and so they kept their heads down and silently followed her, which wasn't hard, as they were all exhausted.
Cassie stopped before the front doors of the castle, turning to face them and ignoring the way Peter flinched when he saw her face.
"We should put the cloak on now," she said, her voice hollow, and James nodded quickly, extracting it from his pocket and gesturing for them all to get under.
They huddled together as they crept inside, and Cassie began to feel some stirring of guilt as everyone seemed to avoid touching her. Even Sirius seemed afraid of making the wrong move, but she only sighed as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.
The Fat Lady was unamused when they came to a stop outside the portrait hole and gave her the password, but as usual when it concerned the Marauders, she only sniffed haughtily and turned a blind eye as she allowed them entry.
Peter scurried up the boys' staircase without a backward glance, but James, Sirius, and Remus lingered in the empty common room with her, uncertain.
Cassie sighed, suddenly exhausted. "Will you tell Peter that I'm sorry? I didn't mean to scare him. I'm just..." She felt tears brimming in her eyes, but she swiped them away. "I'm so angry. After everything...only for it to end like that..."
James stepped up to her and wrapped her in a tight hug, and she held him fast, her sobs being absorbed into his chest. Remus came up behind her and placed his arms around them both, with Sirius mimicking him on their other side. Cassie allowed herself to cry in their arms, feeling as if they were the only things keeping her together at that point, the glue holding her in place despite all the pressure that was weighing on her, trying to make her crack.
"We'll find a way to help Will, Cassie," James said, his voice muffled slightly by her hair. "We're not giving up, I promise you."
She nodded into his jumper, too emotional to speak, and Remus rubbed her back reassuringly.
"We're not going anywhere, Cass," he said softly. "You're one of us now. We'll do anything it takes to help you."
"Thank you," she managed to get out, and they lingered like that for a moment more before they broke apart.
"Get some sleep, princess," said James, ruffling her hair, and she nodded as he disappeared up the staircase, Remus falling into step behind him with a last comforting smile.
Sirius stayed behind, but she wasn't surprised. She had seen the look on his face when she had dived back into the water for the chest, and she knew she was in for it.
"All right, spit it out," she said, gesturing for him to speak. "Yell at me all you like for not listening to you and going back for the chest. I'm mentally prepared now."
Sirius shook his head, scoffing. "I'm not going to yell at you, Cass."
She gave him a confused look. "Isn't that your whole spiel, though? 'I'm just trying to protect you, Cassie' and all that?"
He smiled ruefully, gathering her in his arms, and for the first time that night, she felt herself relax just a little bit. "Oh, trust me, that was one of the more idiotic moves on your part, Alderfair. But I figured you were already beating yourself up enough tonight, so I'll skip the lecture." He kissed the top of her head lightly. "Don't let this get to you, Cass. You did everything you could. This is all just a minor setback."
Cassie pushed away from him, incredulous.
"'A minor setback?'' she repeated. "Are you serious? Don't," she warned when he opened his mouth, pun at the ready. He quickly closed it again. "The one thing I could've used to bring Voldemort to his knees and Will back turned into dust before my very eyes! I have nothing else! I've condemned him to death!"
"Dammit, Cassie, it's not over!" he snapped, startling her into silence. "It's not over until we say it is, and I'm not giving up so easily."
"You think I'm giving up?" she said.
"That's what it bloody sounds like to me," he said angrily, and she scowled. "Look, Cassie, you were the only one who believed Will was still good, the first one who thought to start solving this mystery. And even when we had our doubts, even when you had your doubts, you never gave up. You persevered, and you helped us believe, too. All I'm saying is: don't turn your back on everything now. Not when we've come so far. Maybe we're back at square one, but if we did it before, we can do it again. Please, all I'm asking is that you believe in yourself, just one more time."
Cassie had begun to cry again at his words. "How can I do anything more? Voldemort has already won."
"He hasn't won," Sirius said, seizing her arms in an almost painful grip. "Cassie, listen to me: Voldemort isn't going to get that gauntlet. It's been destroyed. Will helped us do that. Remember? 'If Darkness adds to its number, the world shall fall to night.' We stopped that, Cass. Will helped us stop that."
She shook her head. "I still can't save him."
"Like hell," he snarled, his grey eyes alight with silver fire. "We'll find a way. We always do."
She looked into his eyes then, and she knew he meant it. He wasn't giving up on her, not yet, and she couldn't either. A minor setback, he had said, and she suddenly believed it.
They had gotten closer during their talk, and he seemed to realize it at the same moment she did, for he licked his lips nervously and looked away when her breath faltered slightly.
"Sirius..." she said, though whatever she had been about to say stumbled and got lost when he turned back to her, determined.
"Still waiting for me to make my move, princess?" he asked, and his voice had become much lower, huskier and seductive, and she found herself nodding along.
"I told you, you owe me, Black," she said quietly, and that was all the invitation he needed.
His lips finally crashed against hers, making her gasp as her blood thundered in her veins. One of his hands snaked through her hair, pulling her further in as his mouth danced across hers like fire, white-hot flames snatching the breath from her lungs and burning her from the inside out.
She broke apart long enough to collapse back on one of the sofas, fighting for air through the fire engulfing her and dragging him with her until he was propped above her, his hair falling into his face as he stared at her with wide eyes.
"Are you sure?" he managed to get out.
"I've waited long enough, Sirius Black," she said, pulling him closer. "Now, bloody kiss me."
He dove back in eagerly, lips capturing hers in a hungry desperation, and she was glad she was lying down, or else her knees might've turned into jelly on the spot. She kept her hands moving, clutching at his shoulders, his arms, his back – any part of him that she could reach. His muscles strained from keeping himself raised above her, and she traced her fingers over them through the fabric of his clothes, accidentally biting his lip when she grinned to herself.
He only responded to her clumsiness by pushing his tongue past her lips, and she accepted him willingly, keeping the moan threatening to burst out of her contained. She may not have had much experience snogging before, but he certainly had, as evidenced by the way he was reducing her to putty he could mold in his hands.
He pulled back a little to skim his lips over her jaw before moving down, tracing fire all the way down her neck, and this time she couldn't help the tiny moan that escaped her mouth. She felt him grin into the hollow between her neck and collarbone as he adjusted his position, one of his hands brushing her cheek as he brought it down, past her neck and lingering on her collarbone, uncertain. Cassie grabbed his hand, locking eyes with him as she guided it towards her right breast, and he grinned, kissing her again and squeezing her through her clothes, even that pooling her with heat—
"Oi, Pads, you coming up to b— GAH, MY EYES!"
Sirius fell to the floor in his haste to get off her, and Cassie bolted upright to find James standing on the staircase, his hands covering his eyes and his expression contorted into one of utmost horror.
"Great timing, Prongs," Sirius said sarcastically as he stood from the floor, brushing himself off.
"I'm scarred," bemoaned James. "That's in my head forever now. I can't unsee it."
Cassie rolled her eyes, though she was afraid her face might melt off if she blushed any harder. "Sod off, James. Go take a cold shower."
"You and I will be having a chat about this, young lady," he said, attempting to point to her, but instead jabbing his finger at a lamp five feet to her right. "I demand compensation for my traumatic experiences this evening—"
"Godric, you're annoying," Sirius said, ushering their mate up the stairs. "C'mon, let's go to bed before I strangle you."
He looked back to Cassie, but she waved him off with a wry grin and a shake of her head. He smirked, winking at her, before forcefully shoving James up the staircase, his grievances echoing back down to her before there was a distinct sound of a slamming door, and she was left alone in the common room.
Deciding that sleep would be her best alternative to worrying, she trudged up her own staircase, pausing outside her dormitory when she saw light coming through the crack of the door. Warily, she pushed it open, stepping inside, only to find Lily, Alice, and Marlene sitting on her bed with tired smiles.
"What are you doing?" she asked them, bewildered.
"We figured you'd have a long night," Alice said, bouncing slightly on the mattress, "so, we went down to the kitchens and got you some food." She gestured to the pile of sweet and salty snacks they had left by her pillow, and she stared at them incredulously.
"Come sit," Marlene said, patting the space next to her and handing her a water bottle. "Hydrate. Fill us in."
"You really didn't have to—" Cassie started, but Lily waved her off.
"Of course we did," she said, smiling. "It's not everyday your best friend goes off to save the wizarding world."
Cassie looked between the three girls, wondering just what she had done to be blessed with such amazing friends. Smiling, she joined them on her bed, reaching for a handful of sweets as hope rose again in her chest, as bright and brilliant as the dawn outside their windows.
Please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
So, not a lot changed from the original, I just added a few more scenes to make it as fleshed out as I wanted it to be the first time around but never got the chance to. The true kiss between Cassie and Sirius had been in my drafts for a couple months, and was originally slated for the first version of this chapter, but I took it out at the last second for the original, and then put it back in for the rewrite. Hopefully it was acceptable.
Next Chapter: The Final Match
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