Chapter Thirty-Seven: Voldemort's Dirty Work
"What??????????????? She's bleeding?????? Oh my gosh! I knew that Shannon was up to no good. I shouldn't have left Cassandra by herself! I have to go to our room right now!" Hermione exclaimed.
She left her black purse with Harry and Ron and ran up to Cassandra. Hermione was shocked to see Cassandra with her face buried into her pillow, crying her heart out. Shannon Scott was nowhere to be seen.
Hermione rushed to her knees and knelt down beside Cassandra.
"Oh my god Cassandra! What did that jerk do to you?" Hermione cried.
Cassandra replied with a muffled, "I don't want to be seen ever again."
"Cassandra! I'm not that shallow! Let me see if you're okay. If you've got a few scratched I'm not going to stop being your friend. Hold your horses. Let me see what's happened!"
"It hurts," Cassandra replied trembling.
"Of course it does. Now let me see your face."
Slowly, and very embarassed, Cassandra lifted her head and there was a bright red mark on one cheek. On the other, there were thick gashes and her entire cheek was bleeding.
"Oh my god Cassandra! What has she done to you?"
Cassandra sat on her bed, still as an angel, silently, not uttering a word. She was so depressed.
"Tell me what she did Cassandra. Tell me what she did."
"It's too sad. I can't tell you – any – anything. Too sad. Too horrible."
"Please tell me Cassandra. I need to know what happened."
Cassandra straightened up.
"That wasn't Shannon Scott. Whoever it was took the Polyjuice Potion. I could tell because their features started to change into a yucky looking girl. She had cropped b – black h – hair and black eyes. I don't know who it was Hermione! I don't know why she tried to hurt me, but she did. She hurt me bad. She took a dagger from inside of her cloak and gashed my face. She slapped me on my face. Then she took a hot iron and pressed it on to my arm. It burns. She said it was a message for Hermione to read. You should read it. I think you should read it," Cassandra said shakily.
Hermione rolled up Cassandra's sleeve and saw more gashes on her delicate skin. Then she saw the burn Cassandra was talking about. Hermione squinted her eyes to see it. It said:
I'm not afraid to hurt you. I'm not afraid to hurt your friends. If you think that your little team is going to beat me then you are a stupid fool. Give up while you still can, because either way you're going to die – you little Mudblood. Lord Voldemort
"What does it say? I can't read it," Cassandra mumbled.
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," Hermione murmured.
"Is it bad?" Cassandra asked hesitantly.
"It's horrible. Voldemort won't let us rest. He's horrible. Whoever did this is horrible!" Hermione exclaimed.
~*~
"I'm never taking that nasty stuff again!"
"Just shut up."
"Listen to me Lucius Malfoy! I'm doing this for you, and our son. It's not like I'm doing it for me. Almost every ounce of strength I have left is gone. You know I'm going to die soon!"
"Go to the Institute why don't you? Don't tell me a little Polyjuice Potion is going to make you die. That's ridiculous."
"I'm sick of this! Can't you see I'm tired of doing all the dirty work? You get to run around with the Ministry and give information to Voldemort but I'm the one who's always stuck with the dirty work! First I had to go over seas to Muggle land. Then I had to be a spy and collect information. I wouldn't have even been able to collect any of this if Draco wouldn't have been friends with that lousy Cassandra girl. So I suppose his half-wittedness can account for something could..."
"Your point being?"
"Get off of it Lucius! You never do the dirty work and I'm always stuck with it. Well, guess what? I'm sick of it! If you or Draco don't start putting a little bit more effort into the business then I'm out of here!"
"Where are you going to go? Don't tell me you're going to try going back to your family. They wouldn't go near you."
"I know they won't. You know why too. It's because I'm dealing with you and the dark lord."
"Come, come. You don't want to go back to them. They're stupid people that won't come to the dark side. You know we're going to kill them – anyhow..."
"Don't you dare Lucius! Don't you dare lay a finger on my family! I don't care if they don't run with our kind, but they're still my family!"
"Just listen to you! Our lord killed his father because his father was a traitor to our kind. You should kill yours as well!"
"How dare you!"
"How dare I what?"
"Just leave me alone Lucius. I'm not in the mood to talk to an inconsiderate wizard such as yourself!"
"Then get out of my house!!!"
~*~
"I just can't believe it," Hermione told Harry later in the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Yeah. To think that they would actually sink so low that they'd be hurting the people closest –"
"Harry don't even! I see that look in your eyes. It's not the Prophecy. It's Voldemort. Just be thankful that Cassandra isn't dead. Or Ron, for that matter..."
"I'm thankful you aren't dead."
Those words hit Hermione like ice. Suddenly she was completely nervous and shaking all over.
- I'm thankful you aren't dead –
Hermione's pulse was going fast. She ran a hand through her hair quickly.
"I think I'd kill myself – if I lost you," Harry whispered softly, stroking Hermione's cheek.
They were sitting on a big sofa to a corner of the common room. No one was next to them. They were getting some much needed privacy. Much needed, indeed.
Hermione curled up in Harry's arms and let Harry play with her hair.
"Am I really worth all that?"
"Most definitely."
"I'm glad you think that."
"Why wouldn't I, Hermione?"
"Oh, I don't know..."
"Know what else I think?"
"What?"
"I think I'd like to kiss you now."
"I think I'd like you to kiss me."
"Good."
~*~
"I feel so bad," Cassandra whispered shakily.
"Don't feel bad. Why should you feel bad?" Ron asked putting a shawl over Cassandra.
"Well, if I wasn't so stupid, I wouldn't have wrote Donavon letters about getting into Hogwarts and stuff. Now some weird lady's got it in for me, and you should have seen the look on Hermione's face when she read the message on my arm."
"You told me she put a charm on it and made it dissapear. Did you ever get a chance to read it?"
"No. Not like I could have read it anyway. It was under my arm and my arm was burning so much that I didn't even bother."
"I wonder what it was."
"Well, it was something personal. The lady told me it was for Hermione Granger. And Hermione Granger it was that read it. Not any of my business, nope, not gonna read it."
"Cassandra, are you feeling okay?"
"Perfectly fine darlin', perfectly fine. What makes you say that sugar plum?"
"Okay, are you sure you're okay?"
Suddenly Cassandra fainted.
~*~
"Help!" Ron exclaimed.
"Help!" he cried again.
Hermione rushed over instantly.
"What happened?" she shrieked seeing Cassandra flat on the ground with scars all over her face from events from the morning.
"She just fainted," Ron replied trembling.
Hermione whipped out her wand and waved it around Cassandra's face, chanting something, until Cassandra slowly woke up.
"I think it's loss of blood," Hermione said to Ron and Harry.
Hermione quickly turned to Cassandra.
"Go to Madam Pomfrey's office. Ron will take you there. Tell her that you were in an accident. She doesn't ask too many questions, which is good. Just tell her that you're loosing blood and see if she's got any remedies that will fix you right up."
"Okay Hermione. Thanks."
"No problem Cassandra. Watch your step."
And Hermione's eyes followed Cassandra and Ron out the portrait hole, and further, until she could no longer see them.
"What??????????????? She's bleeding?????? Oh my gosh! I knew that Shannon was up to no good. I shouldn't have left Cassandra by herself! I have to go to our room right now!" Hermione exclaimed.
She left her black purse with Harry and Ron and ran up to Cassandra. Hermione was shocked to see Cassandra with her face buried into her pillow, crying her heart out. Shannon Scott was nowhere to be seen.
Hermione rushed to her knees and knelt down beside Cassandra.
"Oh my god Cassandra! What did that jerk do to you?" Hermione cried.
Cassandra replied with a muffled, "I don't want to be seen ever again."
"Cassandra! I'm not that shallow! Let me see if you're okay. If you've got a few scratched I'm not going to stop being your friend. Hold your horses. Let me see what's happened!"
"It hurts," Cassandra replied trembling.
"Of course it does. Now let me see your face."
Slowly, and very embarassed, Cassandra lifted her head and there was a bright red mark on one cheek. On the other, there were thick gashes and her entire cheek was bleeding.
"Oh my god Cassandra! What has she done to you?"
Cassandra sat on her bed, still as an angel, silently, not uttering a word. She was so depressed.
"Tell me what she did Cassandra. Tell me what she did."
"It's too sad. I can't tell you – any – anything. Too sad. Too horrible."
"Please tell me Cassandra. I need to know what happened."
Cassandra straightened up.
"That wasn't Shannon Scott. Whoever it was took the Polyjuice Potion. I could tell because their features started to change into a yucky looking girl. She had cropped b – black h – hair and black eyes. I don't know who it was Hermione! I don't know why she tried to hurt me, but she did. She hurt me bad. She took a dagger from inside of her cloak and gashed my face. She slapped me on my face. Then she took a hot iron and pressed it on to my arm. It burns. She said it was a message for Hermione to read. You should read it. I think you should read it," Cassandra said shakily.
Hermione rolled up Cassandra's sleeve and saw more gashes on her delicate skin. Then she saw the burn Cassandra was talking about. Hermione squinted her eyes to see it. It said:
I'm not afraid to hurt you. I'm not afraid to hurt your friends. If you think that your little team is going to beat me then you are a stupid fool. Give up while you still can, because either way you're going to die – you little Mudblood. Lord Voldemort
"What does it say? I can't read it," Cassandra mumbled.
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," Hermione murmured.
"Is it bad?" Cassandra asked hesitantly.
"It's horrible. Voldemort won't let us rest. He's horrible. Whoever did this is horrible!" Hermione exclaimed.
~*~
"I'm never taking that nasty stuff again!"
"Just shut up."
"Listen to me Lucius Malfoy! I'm doing this for you, and our son. It's not like I'm doing it for me. Almost every ounce of strength I have left is gone. You know I'm going to die soon!"
"Go to the Institute why don't you? Don't tell me a little Polyjuice Potion is going to make you die. That's ridiculous."
"I'm sick of this! Can't you see I'm tired of doing all the dirty work? You get to run around with the Ministry and give information to Voldemort but I'm the one who's always stuck with the dirty work! First I had to go over seas to Muggle land. Then I had to be a spy and collect information. I wouldn't have even been able to collect any of this if Draco wouldn't have been friends with that lousy Cassandra girl. So I suppose his half-wittedness can account for something could..."
"Your point being?"
"Get off of it Lucius! You never do the dirty work and I'm always stuck with it. Well, guess what? I'm sick of it! If you or Draco don't start putting a little bit more effort into the business then I'm out of here!"
"Where are you going to go? Don't tell me you're going to try going back to your family. They wouldn't go near you."
"I know they won't. You know why too. It's because I'm dealing with you and the dark lord."
"Come, come. You don't want to go back to them. They're stupid people that won't come to the dark side. You know we're going to kill them – anyhow..."
"Don't you dare Lucius! Don't you dare lay a finger on my family! I don't care if they don't run with our kind, but they're still my family!"
"Just listen to you! Our lord killed his father because his father was a traitor to our kind. You should kill yours as well!"
"How dare you!"
"How dare I what?"
"Just leave me alone Lucius. I'm not in the mood to talk to an inconsiderate wizard such as yourself!"
"Then get out of my house!!!"
~*~
"I just can't believe it," Hermione told Harry later in the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Yeah. To think that they would actually sink so low that they'd be hurting the people closest –"
"Harry don't even! I see that look in your eyes. It's not the Prophecy. It's Voldemort. Just be thankful that Cassandra isn't dead. Or Ron, for that matter..."
"I'm thankful you aren't dead."
Those words hit Hermione like ice. Suddenly she was completely nervous and shaking all over.
- I'm thankful you aren't dead –
Hermione's pulse was going fast. She ran a hand through her hair quickly.
"I think I'd kill myself – if I lost you," Harry whispered softly, stroking Hermione's cheek.
They were sitting on a big sofa to a corner of the common room. No one was next to them. They were getting some much needed privacy. Much needed, indeed.
Hermione curled up in Harry's arms and let Harry play with her hair.
"Am I really worth all that?"
"Most definitely."
"I'm glad you think that."
"Why wouldn't I, Hermione?"
"Oh, I don't know..."
"Know what else I think?"
"What?"
"I think I'd like to kiss you now."
"I think I'd like you to kiss me."
"Good."
~*~
"I feel so bad," Cassandra whispered shakily.
"Don't feel bad. Why should you feel bad?" Ron asked putting a shawl over Cassandra.
"Well, if I wasn't so stupid, I wouldn't have wrote Donavon letters about getting into Hogwarts and stuff. Now some weird lady's got it in for me, and you should have seen the look on Hermione's face when she read the message on my arm."
"You told me she put a charm on it and made it dissapear. Did you ever get a chance to read it?"
"No. Not like I could have read it anyway. It was under my arm and my arm was burning so much that I didn't even bother."
"I wonder what it was."
"Well, it was something personal. The lady told me it was for Hermione Granger. And Hermione Granger it was that read it. Not any of my business, nope, not gonna read it."
"Cassandra, are you feeling okay?"
"Perfectly fine darlin', perfectly fine. What makes you say that sugar plum?"
"Okay, are you sure you're okay?"
Suddenly Cassandra fainted.
~*~
"Help!" Ron exclaimed.
"Help!" he cried again.
Hermione rushed over instantly.
"What happened?" she shrieked seeing Cassandra flat on the ground with scars all over her face from events from the morning.
"She just fainted," Ron replied trembling.
Hermione whipped out her wand and waved it around Cassandra's face, chanting something, until Cassandra slowly woke up.
"I think it's loss of blood," Hermione said to Ron and Harry.
Hermione quickly turned to Cassandra.
"Go to Madam Pomfrey's office. Ron will take you there. Tell her that you were in an accident. She doesn't ask too many questions, which is good. Just tell her that you're loosing blood and see if she's got any remedies that will fix you right up."
"Okay Hermione. Thanks."
"No problem Cassandra. Watch your step."
And Hermione's eyes followed Cassandra and Ron out the portrait hole, and further, until she could no longer see them.