Bold*- parstletongue
Italics - thoughts
"Normal"- speech and narrative
Chapter 32: Intruders
25/12/1992
~~~~~~~~~
It was Cassandra's first Christmas at Hogwarts. She had decided to stay for she had a feeling that Potter and his followers were up to something.
They kept watching her with narrowed eyes and in potions a few weeks ago a firework blew up Gregs potion. Her Uncle Sev had told her some of his ingredients were missing also. She wanted to keep a closer eye on them and this was the way to do it.
Draco, Vince, Greg and Daphne were also staying, to keep her company - the others (including Astoria) chose to go home.
So far the group were having a great Christmas. This morning they had opened all their presents, wrote to their families and the others and even had a snowball fight on the school grounds. They had then settled down for a lovely Christmas meal.
Cassandra, Daphne and Draco were now in the common room, Greg and Vince still eating. "Let's go get the two, if we don't they'll explode!" Cass joked, rising from her seat. The others followed and they walked the dungeon to go look for them.
They found the two boys with Prefect Weasley and Cassandra instantly knew something was up. Her dark mark could sense dark auras/magic and yet here she was in a corridor apparently with only two dark allies, and three light. Whoever these people where they weren't Crabbe and Goyle.
Her bets were Potter and Weasley.
Luckily they had planned for this sort of thing. All she had to do was say the code and the conversation would change completely.
"There you are!" Daphne stated, looking at them. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?"
The boys nodded.
"Goyle why are you wearing glasses?" Asked Cassandra crossing her fingers that he'd answer what she needed.
"Uh reading?"
"Reading? I didn't know you could read!" Draco and Daphnes head snapped up and Cassie gave them a subtle nod.
Draco then glanced at older Weasel in the hopes of taking the imposters to the common room. "And what're you doing down here, Weasley?"
Percy looked outraged.
"You want to show a bit more respect to a school prefect!" he said. "I don't like your attitude!"
Her cousin just sneered and motioned for 'Crabbe' and 'Goyle' to follow them.
As they were walking back to the common room Daphne tried to get a rise out of the boys. "That Peter Weasley-"
"Percy," 'Vince' corrected.
"Whatever," she said. "I've noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. And I bet I know what he's up to. He thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed!"
Cassandra fake winced.
"Sorry Cass! I forgot!"
'Vince' and 'Greg' gave each other a confused look.
"What's the new password again?" Draco asked one of the fakes.
"Er-"
"It's pureblood cousin" said Cassandra and the stone door concealed in the wall slid open to reveal their common room.
The trio sat down and beckoned supposed Potter and Weasley to sit down also, as they seemed to be standing around gormlessly. The two were really doing an awful job at portraying the two Slytherins, who really weren't as dumb as everyone perceived them.
But it did work out perfectly in moments like this.
"You'd never know the Weasleys were pure-bloods, the way they behave." Stated Daphne, making fun of Percy.
Crabbe's face contorted with fury.
"What's up with you, Crabbe?"
"Stomachache," the boy grunted.
"Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from us," said Draco, snickering. "You know, I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet," he went on thoughtfully. "I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said old Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place. He loves Muggle-borns. A decent headmaster would never've let slime like that Creevey in - worshipping Potter like there's no tomorrow!"
"What's the matter with you two?" Cass asked, as rage fell onto Goyle's face too. The boys let out a forced laugh.
"Saint Potter, the Mudbloods friend," said her cousin slowly. "He's another one with no proper wizard upbringing, or he wouldn't go around with that jumped up Granger Mudblood. And people think he's Slytherin's heir!"
Cassandra looked down and started playing with her hands. "Guys can we not? You know how it upsets me."
"Of course Cass, my apologies!" Draco said wrapping his arm around her.
Goyle however asked, "why?"
"Did you forget again Greg?" Asked Daphne and the boy nodded. "It's because-"
Cassandra cut in. "It's because I'm the heir of Slytherin-" the boys inhaled sharply "-and this person is doing this in my name! This person is petrifying mudbloods as me and is most likely going to get me in trouble for it even though I've not done a damn thing! And no one will even care because I'm a Slytherin and all Slytherins are evil - right?! Wrong I'm just a girl who has been put in a house meant for ambition and determination. The others don't see that so I will most likely be expelled for something I didn't do! It is not my fault I am descended from Salazar Slytherin on my fathers side. I can't even speak parsletonge for Merlins sake! My father is dead so I can't even ask him about it and everyone is saying Potter is the heir which I know he's not!-"
Goyle cut in, "how can you be sure he isn't?"
"Remember Greg, when we purebloods are young we learn to memorise each family tree. Nowhere in Potters does it say he is descended from Slytherin. I don't know how he can speak parsletonge and I don't know who is opening the chamber all I know is that I don't want to get thrown out of Hogwarts for something I didn't do!"
Cassandra had tears rolling down her cheeks and Daphne had pulled her into her side, Draco wrapped his arm around the two.
In that moment Harry and Ron didn't see their enemies. They saw scared children, judged by their house - and they felt kind of bad. When the person opening the chamber is caught, thought Harry, I will make sure Riddle doesn't get blamed for as much as I hate her - it isn't her fault who her relatives are.
Crabbe pushed on, "You must have some idea who's behind it all?"
"You know we haven't, how many times do we have to tell you?" snapped Daphne.
"Draco's Father won't tell us anything about the last time the Chamber was opened either. Only that it was fifty years ago, before he went to Hogwarts, and a Mudblood died. So I bet it's a matter of time before one of them's killed this time... I hope it's Granger," the girl said, hair flashing red as she held Cassandra, both enveloped in Draco's arms.
Crabbe's fists clenched. Goyle noticed and quickly asked, "D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?"
"Oh, yeah... whoever it was was expelled," said Draco. "They're probably still in Azkaban."
"Azkaban?"
"Azkaban - the wizard prison, Goyle," said Cass, looking at him in disbelief. Guess that's Potter, she thought.
Suddenly Crabbe's hair began turning red. His nose was also slowly lengthening whilst Goyle's forehead was forming a scar.
They both jumped to their feet.
"Medicine for my stomach," what was clearly Ron grunted, and without further ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall, and dashed up the passage.
As soon as they exited Cass, Draco and Daphne burst into laughter. They then waited for the real Greg and Vince to return so they could tell them the fun they had missed.
