Debra is shocked to see a brief blurring of reality. But more shocked that she can no longer see the young woman. She rises slowly on her elbows confirming the woman is gone, leaving only the crushed grass.
Mesmerized by his captor's voice, Neville is guided into a small cabin. She releases him. There is a low fire in the fireplace. She adds more wood. Neville shivers. "You are soaked." She gets out a blanket. "Take off your clothes and I'll dry them. Wrap yourself in this" she says holding out the blanket. Neville is frozen in fear. A light amused smile crosses her face. "Oh, very well. I'll step outside."
Neville quickly does as he was told, wrapping himself in the warm blanket before she returns. Looking about the cabin, he sees a large sword. There is a noise and Neville spins around to see her returning. He quickly hides his wand.
She hangs his things to dry near the fire. To Neville's horror she changes into a dry robe with her back toward him. Looking back over her shoulder slowly raising the robe she says "I've been a healer and a concubine. Do you think you have anything I haven't seen young wizard?" With a giggle, she takes a towel and dries her hair.
Neville relaxes into a chair placed near the fire. "I am Cassandra. Who are you and why are you in my wood?" Neville is too tongue tied to answer. He is shocked to hear an owl hoot outside but close by. "Perhaps your friend…"
Cassandra goes to the door and calls out into the gloom "Come in if you want to see your friend and get warm."
Leaving the door, Cassandra puts a pot of stew on the crane and swings it near the fire to heat. "Do you like rabbit?" Not knowing what to say, Neville slowly nods. "Good. The weather is awful. You will stay here tonight. Those two out on the moor can take care of themselves."
There is a shy knock on the door. Cassandra opens it. "Good, my young wizard. I'll get you a blanket. Put your wet things by the fire." Harry's jaw drops and he pales, then blushes. Cassandra winks at Neville and turns her back to stir the stew. Harry sets a speed record. Then sits in a chair near Neville wrapped tightly in his blanket.
"So, why are you in my wood? What do you seek? I know it isn't me. If you were seeking me, you would be more pleased to have found me." Cassandra takes a towel and dries their hair. Interesting scar" she says to Harry. "Well?"
Harry speaks up. "We're looking for a type of mistletoe to make a medicine."
"I see." Cassandra says as she hands each boy a tin plate and a spoon. She takes the pot off and ladles some stew onto each before putting some on a plate for herself. "Tomorrow we'll look for it." She dips cups of water from a bucket and gives them each one. She pours some wine for herself.
Harry looks at Neville in panic. Neville nods. They both look around and see there is only one bed. They look at each other in terror.
Alastor Moody snarls "So…you apparated in full view of a muggle? For God's sake! Have you learned nothing?"
"I don't know that she was a muggle. I didn't see her and then she was right there looking straight at me. Can a muggle do that?"
"Was she dressed as a witch?"
"Well…no…but."
Moody glares at her.
"There were muggle vehicles there…"
Snape and McGonagall huddle around their small fire. "The sun is nearly down." Snape observes.
"I know." McGonagall replies glumly.
"It is sleeting."
"I know." McGonagall replies glumly.
"Do you have a picture of this mistletoe?" Cassandra asks. Neville gets the drawing from his robe. Cassandra examines it. "I think there is some like this near the pond."
Harry stares at the sword. "What is that?" He asks.
Cassandra turns to follow his gaze. "A sword." She explains as if he was daft.
"Yes, but…"
"It's an eighth century Frankish broadsword." She says hopefully.
"Oh" Harry says as it has gone from too little information to too much.
Cassandra is disappointed. She checks the boys under clothing and turns them around to dry the other side. She checks their robes and finds them too damp to turn. "Let's put your wands on this shelf for safe keeping." She reaches for the boys who reluctantly allow her to take them. Cassandra places the wands carefully on a shelf near her sword.
"Wh… whe… where are we going to sleep?" Neville asks.
Cassandra looks at him and then to the bed. The boys swallow nervously.
The boys finish their meal. Cassandra collects their plates. She takes an apple and cuts it up, places a half on each of the two plates, then sprinkles the wedges with some sugar and cinnamon. She hands the plates to the boys. They enjoy the crisp, tart but sweet apple. They eat slowly knowing that the bed is waiting.
It is still early by Hogwarts standards, but there are no evening events or studying to attend to. Darkness comes quickly in the deep woods. Cassandra takes a special pan with a long handle, puts some embers from the fire into it, and slides it between the sheets. The boys look to each other and swallow the last of the apple. Cassandra checks their under clothing and finds them warm and dry. "Toasty. Get into these" she commands handing them back to the boys.
She takes their plates and turns her back. "If you get up tonight… use the chamber pot. Don't go outside. There are things in the woods which hunt by night. For those unfamiliar… to those that the creatures do not answer to, the woods at night can be terrifying."
"It can be terrifying in here as well…" Neville whispers to Harry.
"The things outside may not be all that hunts at night." Harry whispers back.
The boys have quickly changed before Cassandra passes by them to move the bed warmer. Satisfied, she commands "Better get in bed." The boys reluctantly move toward the bed slowly until they realize the first one in will be against the wall and they move quickly with Neville edging Harry out. They pull the blankets up to their chins. Cassandra watches with a giggle.
Sitting down to eat dinner, the Weasley family is outnumbered slightly by sheer numbers but immensely by years of life. The table is covered with hearty comfort foods. Michelle is seated next to Ginny who stares at her in fascination.
"Ginny…Don't stare dear." Molly cautions her daughter. "It isn't polite."
"Mommy…when they go to Knockturn Alley, can I go too?"
"No, dear. Knockturn Alley is not a safe place and the place where they are going in it isn't for us."
Arthur is burning with curiosity. "If they want, I could take them."
"We'll be fine" Amanda demurs. "They don't like us, but they don't stop us. You don't need them seeing us together." Arthur is disappointed. "But, thank you." Amanda thinks for a moment. "It is a shop where swords are traded…not unlike the shop wizards go to…but older." Arthur is satisfied, for now.
"Does the sword choose the Old One?" Arthur asks.
"No. We choose our blades."
Michelle takes a drink and makes a face. The drink is unexpectantly thick and tastes like it was made from some kind of gourd. "Is there a problem dear?" Molly asks. Michelle starts to say something but Amanda catches her eye. Michelle shakes her head but eyes her pumpkin juice suspiciously.
"Mommy, I don't think she's had pumpkin juice before. Maybe she would prefer beer." Ginny observes and Michelle nods eagerly. Molly takes Michelle's drink and goes to the kitchen to get her butterbeer.
The other three immortals watch Michelle with amusement. They know the eighteen-year-old is expecting a beer like she may have sneaked from her parents supply no long ago. A large mug of a hot liquid is placed before Michelle. The other immortals lift their mugs in amusement as the wizards watch with curiosity. Michelle takes a sip. The flavor is somewhat familiar and Michelle tries to place it. She decides that it tastes like hot cream soda with a bit of rum. Before she can react, she sees a subtle but chilling look in Alex Raven's eyes that tells her that showing any displeasure will have consequences… severe consequences… from which Amanda will not likely be able to shield her. Michelle takes a second mouthful without lowering her glass hiding her face until she can put a smile on it. Alex nods.
The boys huddle in bed, not wanting to watch Cassandra but unable to look away. The flickering firelight illuminates Cassandra as she changes from her robe into clothing and a cloak of mottled greys, greens, and browns. She smiles and approaches them. "Sleep well my young wizards. I have some things I must do. If you were a bit older, I would take you on an adventure." She smiles and the boys blush. She gently pats each on the cheek.
Cassandra slips her sword under her cloak and steps out into the sleet.
"Wha… What do you think she meant?" Neville asks.
"I don't know. Perhaps she meant the zoo."
"I think I'd like to go to a zoo." Neville says hopefully.
"More likely snogging would be involved."
"That's what I thought too. The zoo would be better." Neville says as he hides deeper under the blanket. After a long silence, Neville says. "You don't think she meant getting in with us…do you?"
"I'm trying not to…think about it." The two move further apart.
After another long silence, Neville says "Do you think she would have clothes on?"
"Neville, please stop."
"I can't stop thinking about it."
"That is her plan. Remember? We were warned."
"This isn't going as we planned Harry. We've seen things Harry." There is a long silence before Neville adds "It was nice."
"Silence" Harry commands. The boys move to be back to back.
Hermione and Ron eat their dinner. Unlike Cassandra's cabin where bed times comes shortly after sundown, they will be up for hours studying and lingering over dinner. They are concerned because Harry and Neville have not returned as expected. Hermione says "I can't keep thinking about Hansel and Gretel."
"Who?"
"A fairytale. During a famine a stepmother takes two children out into the woods to be left on their own. They find a house made of gingerbread and covered with candy. It turns out to be owned by a witch. They eat some of the house, then she invites them in, and feeds them."
"Weren't they lucky…" Hermione gives him the look. "Well… It sounds good."
"She locks them in and feeds them well to fatten them up so she can eat them when they are plump."
"Witches don't eat children." Ron says in disgust. "We're not cannibals."
"In this story, this one is. She orders Gretel to light the stove so she can cook Hansel. Then she tells Gretel to get in the stove to see if it is getting hot. But Gretel fools the witch and shoves her into the stove where she burns up."
"Muggles tell their children stories like that? That is horrid."
"The children find the witch has a treasure in jewels which they take along with some food and they find their way home. Their mean stepmother died while they were gone and they and their father live happily ever after."
"Thieves and murderers."
"Lucky survivors."
"A witch would not do that… well… the house sounds good… not very practical, but good… and she might have jewels. But they don't eat children."
"It is only a fairytale. People say all sorts of things about those they don't understand."
Ron nods. "Do you think Cassandra has them trapped and being fattened up?"