Bold*- parstletounge
Italics - thoughts
"Normal"- speech and narrative
{A/N - I'm dreadfully sorry for the pause in uploads, I have been in an extremely bad mental state lately and found it really hard to focus, as well as being busy with school work and family issues on top of that. I can't promise a regular/quick upload schedule like it was before, but I will do my best and I absolutely promise not leave you, or the story, hanging. I hope you are all well and enjoy the chapter 3}
Chapter 60: Another Week Gone
1/11/1994
~~~~~~~~~
Cass woke up the next morning on the couch of the Slytherin common room with a banging headache.
As her eyes adjusted to the room she could see that Vince and Greg were still asleep on the other couch, Theo was on the floor next to her and Draco and Blaise were somehow sharing the chair. Pansy and Daphne weren't there so she assumed they were up and getting ready; or that they just didn't sleep down there with them all.
She sat up quickly, which made her head spin.
Cassandra groaned in pain.
"Are you okay?"
A now awake Theo was looking up at her from the floor.
"Headache," Cass muttered rubbing her eyes sleepily. Something was placed in her hand. "What's this?"
"Hangover potion, I got it from Severus. You owe me, he wasn't exactly pleased when I woke him up at five in the morning!"
Cassandra grinned before sitting up and downing the potion. Instantly she felt a ton better - although she was still quite tired.
"Thanks Teddy!" She stated, leaning down to give him a kiss on the cheek, before going to the girls dorm to get a shower and ready for the day.
Theo watched her go: a goofy smile on his face, holding where she had kissed.
A voice came from the chair, "you've got it bad mate!"
The young Nott looked up to see Blaise looking at him in amusement. "If you hurt her Theo, I will kill you. Just you remember that!"
The brunette nodded vigorously. "I won't! But I still have to figure out how to ask her out before Diggory..."
"We'll think of something eventually mate: don't worry!"
———
Once everyone was dressed the group headed down to the hall for breakfast. Annoyingly to the others, Cassandra split from them and sat with Fred and George at the Hufflepuff table: of course next to a blushing/grinning Cedric.
"Cedric mate, how are you so happy right now? I can barely open my eyes because of how bright it is!" Fred groaned, head on the table. George chuckled but quickly stopped, clutching his head.
"Our common room is next to a kitchen full of house elves - anytime we have a party they place hangover potions next to our beds! And considering Professor Snape is Cass's uncle I bet she's had one too.. shit! I'm sorry Cassandra it just came out!!"
"It's okay hun, they already know! And you didn't say it very loud so I don't think anyone else heard, just be a bit more careful next time!"
"Can we not puppy guard the hangover potions please? Seriously our heads our killing us!"
Cassandra held out her hands towards the twins. "Come on then, I'm not that hungry anyway!"
The boys smiled and grabbed a hand each. They then climbed over the table and started dragging her out of the hall.
"C'mon Ced!" Cass yelled over her shoulder, laughing as George tripped over his feet: almost causing them to all topple to the ground.
The boy in question grinned and shook his head before getting off the bench and following his friends out the door.
———
"Okay, you guys have to promise that you won't prank Uncle Sev if I show you where he keeps the hangover potions! You also have to promise you'll only ever come in here with me okay?!"
"Mhm."
Cassie narrowed her eyes.
"Okay, okay, jeez we promise!"
She nodded and then turned to face a seemingly blank wall in the potions classroom. She placed her hand on a brick to the top right and stated one simple word: "Lily."
Just like the Slytherin common room, the wall opened up to reveal a lounge with doors off of it. Everything was black. The only colour in the room was the bouquet of lilies on the coffee table.
"Welcome to Uncle Sev's living quarters at Hogwarts! Don't touch anything by the way - he can sense when someone unwanted has been in his safe space," Cass warned as Fred had reached out to examine the small statue on the mantle: it looked to be a carved bat.
"What are all these rooms?" Asked Cedric, gesturing towards the doors.
"That one," Cassandra pointed at the door on the left, "is his personal brewing room where he works on potions for the hospital wing and personal projects. The door on the right is where he stores the potions he makes there, as well as the extra supply for the infirmary."
"And the middle door?" Asked the twins simultaneously.
"That is Uncle Sev's bedroom and library - it's half and half."
"C'mon George! We have to see this!"
Cassandra stepped in front of the door. "Absolutely not!"
"But Cassie!!" The Weasleys whined.
"Don't 'but Cassie' me! My Uncle's bedroom is his most private and personal space - it is not within your right to enter it!" The young Riddle said sternly, thinking of the pictures of a young Severus with Lily, him with Cass's family and him crying happily whilst holding a baby her. These were not for anyone's eyes but those who Severus allowed to see - and that was final!
———
After they got the potions, and the twins downed them at the speed of light, the group headed outside to sit under a tree by the lake.
Cassandra leant into George's side as Fred laid his head down on her lap: she began braiding his hair. She looked up at Cedric and grinned, "so, how's Hogwarts champion this fine morning?"
———
2/11/1994
The next day the group were back to lessons and the Slytherins bathed in Potters obvious misery. The Hufflepuffs, rightfully so, were mad at him for stealing Cedric's glory, the Ravenclaws thought him attention seeking and over the top and, obviously, the rest of Slytherin house were fully against him.
It was even better that Weaselbe had stopped talking to him, as had many others, because then he would feel more isolated and alone; meaning he was more likely to screw up. This fact was proven in Herbology today.
The Slytherins had heard that both Ernie Macmillan and Justin FinchFletchley refused outright to talk to Potter whilst the class were repotting Bouncing Bulbs. They had also heard that Granger was having to sit between the Weasel and Pothead in lessons as the two were in such a feud they refused to commune with each other. Apparently even Professor Sprout seemed disdainful - proving her loyalty to Cedric as Head of Hufflepuff House.
"Ah look guys, it's the champion!" Her cousins voice cut through her thoughts and brought her back to reality. Her and the boys had just arrived at Hagrid's hut and each had an identical sneer on their face.
"Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer" Blaise smirked.
"Half the Triwizard champions have died; how long d'you reckon you're going to last Potter?" Theo grinned as Potter glared at them. Before Cass could join in the fun Hagrid emerged from his 'house' balancing a tower of crates - each containing a very large Blast-Ended Skrewt.
The oaf proceeded to explain that the skrewts had been killing each other because of an excess of pent-up energy. The solution was apparently for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk.
"Take this thing for a walk?" Cassandra stated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"
"Roun' the middle," said Hagrid, demonstrating, before calling Potter over to the side.
Cass glared before levitating the lead onto the dumb Skrewt and beginning to walk around the lawn. The others followed her lead, muttering under their breaths.
———
12/11/1994
"We did it! We did it! We did it!" Yelled Cass happily dancing around the Hufflepuff common room. Cedric grinned, as did the twins, whilst the rest of the Hufflepuffs laughed at her antics.
The past week she had been in there constantly and had had quite the effect on the loyal badgers: maybe even close enough to call them friends - not that she had put any thought to it with the project they were all doing together.
But now, after a week of nonstop work, they had finally done it! Boy, Potter sure was in for a shock!
———
13/11/1994
It was the next day and Cassie was buzzing with excitement. Cedric had just walked her to Potions and Potter was yet to arrive.
"Hey guys, I see you like my invention!" She stated walking up to her friends.
"Of course we do hun! It's awesome!" Daphne replied, "no wonder you've been missing several times the last week when you had this much work to do!"
Cass blushed, "I can't take all the credit, I did have some help!"
Before they could ask who helped and why weren't they asked, Potter rounded the corner. The group grinned evilly and puffed out their chests. A single badge stood out clearly on each of their uniforms.
In luminous red letters that burnt brightly they read: SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY- THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!
"Like them, Potter?" said Cass loudly as the boy approached. "And this isn't all they do - look!"
She pointed at Blaise's badge and the boy pressed it revealing: SUPPORT FLEUR DELACOUR - THE BEAUXBATONS CHAMPION.
Then at Theo's which stated: SUPPORT VIKTOR KRUM - THE DURMSTRANG CHAMPIONSHIP.
And lastly at Draco's which flashed a sickly green: POTTER STINKS!
They all howled with laughter, Potter going red in the face.
"Oh very funny," Granger said sarcastically, "really witty."
"Want one, Granger?" said Pansy, holding out a badge. "We've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."
Cass let out a bark like laugh before seeing Potter reaching for his wand in the corner of her eye. She immediately pulled out hers and stepped in front of Pansy, who had forgotten to bring her wand to Potions this afternoon. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.
"Harry!" Granger said warningly.
"Go on then Potter," Cassie snarled, "Moody's not here to look after you now! Do it, if you've got the guts-"
For a split second, they looked each other in the eyes, Cass flashing hers red, then, at exactly the same time the two enemies acted.
"Funnunculus!" Potter screamed.
"Densaugeo!" yelled Cass.
Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles. Cass jumped in front of Greg, who's wand was stuck in his pocket, casting a shield charm that rebounded the spell away from the group.
Both her previous spell and Potters rebounded spell hit Granger right in the face. The girl clutched her face. Great ugly boils were springing up all over it and she was whimpering in panic, clutching her mouth.
"Hermione!" Weasley called, hurrying to her side and removing her hand. Grangers front teeth were now growing at an alarming rate; they were now past her bottom lip, toward her chin - she felt them and let out a terrified cry.
The group of fourth year Slytherins burst out laughing.
"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice.
Cass's Uncle had arrived. The Slytherins gathered around to give their explanations. Severus gestured towards Cass, "Explain if you will, Miss Riddle."
"Potter was going to attack a defenceless Pansy, who forgot her wand, so I stepped in front of her and he attacked me sir-"
"We attacked each other at the same time!" Potter shouted.
"-the spell was headed for Greg so I blocked it and it rebounded. My defence spell went off somewhere after it hit Potters curse!"
Severus's lips twisted into the tiniest smile that only the Slytherins noticed. "Ten points to Slytherin for protecting your friends and a good shield charm!"
"Hey! Riddles spell got Hermione, as did the rebound!" Ron said. "Look!"
He forced Granger to show Sev her teeth and boil covered face - she was doing her best to hide them both with her hands, and failing quite spectacularly.
Cassandra and the other Slytherins doubled up with silent giggles once more, making sure to do it behind Sev's back.
The man looked coldly at Granger, then said simply, "I see no difference."
The mudblood let out a whimper and, with tears in her eyes, she turned on her heel and ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight - the laughs of the snakes following her.
The moment she turned the corner both Potter and Weaselbe exploded and started shouting at Snape at the same time. Luckily for them, their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor it was impossible for anyone to hear exactly what they were calling the Professor. He got the gist, however.
"Let's see," he said with a smirk, "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."
The Slytherin students laughed their way into the classroom, taking their usual seats at the front of the class. Potter had slammed his bag down onto his usual table at the back, as Weasley left him alone, opting to sit next to Thomas and Finnegan.
On the table next to her Cass saw Draco turn around and flash his badge towards the Gryffindor once more: POTTER STINKS.
And with that the lesson on antidotes began; only interrupted when Colin Creevey came to collect Potter for the wand weighing ceremony and pictures for the Daily Prophet.
———
That night, after tea, Cassandra received a letter:
Dear Pup,
I can't say everything I would like to in a letter, it's too risky in case the owl is intercepted - but I would love to talk face-to-face to have a bit of a catch up. Could you ensure that you are alone by the fire in the Slytherin common room at two o'clock in the morning on the 22nd of November?
I would also like to discuss this tournament with you.
Be safe pup and remember I love you.
Hugs, your Uncle Sirius