Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Even from when Sirius was alive, actually more so then, you were always in danger of walking in on something strange happening in Grimmauld Place. Remus figured this had to have been one of the top ones though as he walked into the kitchen for breakfast to see his young charge kneeling on the floor in front of her owl and begging and cajoling the bird while Kreacher looked like he was frying bacon…definitely for the owl.
"Come on Hedwig…I promise it'll look good. A few black feathers can be elegant. I'd just sprinkle a few in your wings…please, for me?" Cassie pleaded as the owl looked extremely put out and refused to even turn her head towards the girl.
"What's going on?" Remus asked Kreacher. The elf sneered and grumbled about animals acting above their stations while flipping the bacon and never really did answer his question.
"It's because you love Remus more than me, isn't it?" Cassie pouted, but Remus caught a manipulative gleam in her eyes. "You don't love me anymore and don't want to come to Hogwarts with me. Well…that's fine, I guess. You were my best friend, but I may be able to soldier on all friendless and alone…"
Hedwig finally turned her head, hooting softly and pecked lovingly at Cassie's finger that had been stroking her wings. "No, you don't love me," Cassie continued dramatically. "You are too gorgeous and identifiable, so you can't come to Hogwarts without changing your looks some. I guess I'll see you at Christmas and over the summer…that is, if you even remember me…"
Remus snorted, trying to hold in his laughter while the tables turned and now Hedwig was trying to cajole Cassie who was still dramatically acting like she'd been abandoned to die alone in a carboard box under an overpass. Kreacher muttered a few curses as he plopped the bacon onto a plate and then on the table for the bird before he popped out of the kitchen, probably to sulk somewhere.
Eventually, Hedwig nudged Cassie's wand on the table and the teen smiled broadly. "You do love me! I'll make sure the black feathers look very regal and they don't take away from your beauty at all."
Somehow the owl looked skeptical still, but Cassie happily started to spell several of Hedwig's feathers black so that she would be in disguise and not as obviously Harry Potter's owl. "I'm seeing the Slytherin showing through," Remus laughed and poured himself some tea. She was definitely a child of House Black and Sirius's niece, those genes were strong no matter what Hogwarts house they ended up in.
"Hush you, or you're going to have to convince her if she changes her mind," Cassie glared as she picked the feathers to color very strategically. "Pass that plate of bacon over here. Hedwig deserves her treat." The owl hooted haughtily and stared at the plate as Remus pushed it closer; she stayed very still though while Cassie made the changes to her feathers.
"You're beautiful," Remus assured the owl once Cassie finished. He got a glare for his efforts, but at least the bacon was accepted. "Hey, cub, I think we can finish the mural today. We just need to add in the centaurs and that's it"
"Ooo, we need to paint them all looking up into the sky except for Firenze, he should be looking out into the room like he knows a secret…" Cassie said with a creative gleam in her eyes.
"This mural really has taken on a life of its own this summer," the man laughed. He had originally just planned on painting the whole room a neutral color to cover the inevitable stains from housing a hippogriff for a year.
Cassie stood and kissed the top of Remus's head, causing him to almost hold in his breath at the very uncharacteristic show of affection, not wanting to bring attention to it and cause Cassie to be self-conscious, but he was breakdancing inside. "It and you kept me sane. Thank you, Moony," she said with feeling before heading out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room.
Cassie herself paused outside of the door and took in a deep breath. Any show of affection caused her anxiety that she'd be met with rejection or violence, and she'd been trying to express her gratitude more for days now. She didn't quite think this was enough, but at least it was a step, and she hadn't needed a calming draught to do it. Plus, it made Moony look happy.
After she calmed down completely, Cassie bounded up the stairs, finally being able to run up them all without having to stop and rest, and down the hall to her room. She paused once more just in her doorway to see the second strange happening of the day taking place in her room.
Kreacher was standing and poking a long finger at her school trunk while muttering what was either complaints or obscenities or both. "Er, Kreacher…can I help you?" Cassie finally asked after staring and not being able to figure out what was going on.
"Kreacher will let no mistress of the House Black be seem with this junk," Kreacher muttered and poked the trunk again.
"It's just a standard school trunk," Cassie was very confused. She had no clue what was wrong with her trunk. "I don't see what's wrong."
"No wards, no locks, no protection charms…" Kreacher sneered. "The Hogwarts elves will think Kreacher can't care for his mistress…and it's scuffed!" He added at the end like the trunk had personally offended him.
"My dormmates are honest guys. They never try anything with my trunk," Cassie sighed. "And, if you pull it around all the time, it's going to get scuffed."
Kreacher made a violent jab at the trunk with his finger and all the scuff marks disappeared, making it look like it was brand new. "Mistress has new dormmates, how does she know they're reliable?"
Cassie stared in awe as the elf snapped his fingers and the nameplate on the front changed from H.J. Potter to C.R. Black. "Wow, Kreacher, thank you!" she smiled. She had forgotten the nameplate. That was a good catch by the elf.
"Kreacher wards the trunk next. No one will get in except the mistress and her Kreacher," the elf began waving his arms in complex motions at that pronouncement while Cassie watched as various parts of the trunk temporarily lit up in different colors. The whole time Kreacher was muttering and Cassie could have sworn she heard something about house elves being better than owls, but she figured it was best to not bring it up, and maybe make some biscuits for Kreacher to appease him some. She had learned he had a thing for lemon biscuits surprisingly and figured she'd leave some for him when she left for school.
It was less than one week until the term was due to start and Cassie was really and truly starting to panic. Even with all the changes to her body and basically losing her identity, it was one of the best summers she could remember, which was probably saying more about her time at the Dursley's than she'd admit. Tonks had even taken her to the cinema during the full moon when Remus was otherwise occupied a few days before, and it was her first experience actually getting to go see a movie. She loved it! And she wasn't quite ready to leave Tonks and Remus and their little family. Hell, she figured she might even miss Kreacher. Even the old, dark, moldy house was staring to look brighter, cleaner, and more welcoming under the hard work of Kreacher, Cassie, and Remus. They still hadn't ventured into the basement though and had no intentions of doing that anytime soon.
"You ok, cub?" Remus asked as Cassie moped around the sitting room, too amped up to rest and too depressed to find anything constructive to do. Thankfully, she'd already finished her summer homework or it would never get done now.
"What are you going to do when I'm gone?" She asked as she paced back and forth. "Will you and Kreacher be ok? Maybe staying and homeschooling isn't the worst idea. I wouldn't have to deal with Dumbledore, and maybe I could visit Hermione and Ron over Christmas."
Remus took a deep breath and stood, grabbing her hands to still her pacing. "Come here," he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "First of all, if you really and truly want to be homeschooled, I'd agree in a second, but I know this is just the nerves talking. Second, don't worry about me. I actually got a job and will be plenty busy."
"What?!" Cassie pulled back in surprise and looked at him with large, blue eyes. "When did this happen?"
"My pressing business when you and Dora went to Diagon Alley a couple weeks ago."
"But…I thought you were just trying to get out of shopping?" She finally sat on the couch and pulled her legs up, getting comfortable to listen.
Kreacher popped in about that time with tea and sandwiches since Cassie was still on her snack schedule. "Thanks, Kreacher," she smiled at him before the elf nodded and began to dust the shelves in the room.
"Well, getting out of shopping was a happy coincidence," Remus smiled and winked at her before joining Cassie on the couch. "But, no, you didn't think I'd let you run off to Hogwarts without me now that we're family, did you?"
Cassie gaped. "What? You mean…you're coming too?" It was just too much to hope for; it was too good to be true.
"Well, as far as Hogsmeade anyway, but you still have the map, so really you can visit anytime," Remus grinned mischievously.
"But you told me third year not to sneak out, or something like that…" Cassie scoffed incredulously. She was definitely going to sneak out if the man was in Hogsmeade, whatever he said.
He just shrugged unapologetically. "I was a teacher then, and you had a crazy murderer out to get you…or so we all thought. Now, well, since you aren't Harry, you're probably as safe as you've ever been. Even if Voldemort were to grab you, it'd probably be some obsessive plea to get you to join him rather than wanting to off you. Frankly, you're probably in more danger in the school from Dumbledore…" He frowned. "Can we revisit homeschooling?"
Cassie punched his shoulder. "Oi! I'm already packed! Now, what will you be doing in Hogsmeade? Did you get a job at Honeydukes so you could eat all their chocolate?"
Remus laughed. "Wow, that actually would have been a good idea, but no. You are looking at the proud owner of the very first franchise location of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!"
Cassie was very confused. "Wait…how did that happen?"
Remus crossed his legs and got comfortable to explain. "So, old Mr. Zonko has wanted to retire for a while now, and the Weasley twins are already doing quite well. I needed to be in Hogsmeade, but everyone there knows I'm a werewolf, limiting my employment options, and I didn't want to work at the Hog's Head," he shivered and wrinkled his nose. "So, I figured, if I'm using Harry's money, then I should invest it and grow it in case we ever find him. I want to leave him with more money instead of less. If I were to buy Zonko's and franchise out WWW, then I'd be sure to eventually turn a profit with how well they've been doing and being so close to the school."
"That's brilliant!" Cassie exclaimed in admiration.
"Well, the twins weren't really looking to expand just yet as they haven't even had their physical location a year," he continued. "When I told them it was to keep an eye on my cub, they completely understood and jumped on it though."
"They think you were talking about Harry," Cassie sighed. "They're going to wonder when Harry doesn't show up at the school."
Remus rolled his eyes and scoffed at her. "You already invested some of your money in their business. I saw it in the statements from Gringotts where they were depositing an investor's share of money in his vaults, or well, my vaults. That money should be going to you, not Harry's vaults since it would your Triwizard Tournament winnings. We should let them in on the secret eventually and get it all sorted. I swear if either one of them asks you out though, I'll deck them, employers or not."
"So, you sort of work for the twins…" Cassie mused on that, completely disregarding Remus's threats.
"Only in that it's their name and products and I pay them part of my proceeds. I own the store," he said. "Which helps since the Hogsmeade Business Bureau couldn't object to a werewolf setting up a store when the Weasley name and the Potter name was on everything. I doubt any of them know I'm the owner."
"Wait, they would do that? They're that prejudiced?" She was indignant on behalf of her pseudo-godfather/stand-in father.
"Not all of them…it's mainly just some of the really old crowd like the apothecary and the butcher and the owner of Gladrags," he shrugged. "But it's not a big deal, I can handle them. Mostly, it's just good that the twins already know, and since I own the place, I can shut down for a few days around the full moon and there isn't anyone to complain."
"Merlin, Moony…I'm so sorry. I knew it's been terrible holding down a job, but I didn't realize it was quite that bad," Cassie sighed.
Selfishly, she was now more than ever worried about the prejudice she'd face once it got out just whose child Regulus had, and beyond grateful that Remus had inherited the Potter fortune…however that had come about. Overall, it didn't hurt that she'd finally looked at her bank statements and figured out that she really didn't have to work now that she had the Black fortune and investments (which did quite well), but she hoped her friends were as good about her parentage as they were about werewolves since she doubted the rest of the wizarding world would treat her any differently than they did Remus.
Remus just patted her hand though. "I have good people in my life now and in the past. There were those rough years in the middle, but things are looking up for me now with you and Dora. Though, I know Dora could do better than me."
Cassie glared at him. "I never want to hear you say that again…If you can help me admit that I deserve love and people to treat me well, then you have to do the same!"
"Yeah but…"
"It's exactly the same you idiot, only for me it was family treating me terribly, and for you it's the wizarding world," she protested. "You're not dangerous with your potion, you're not old for a muggle let alone a wizard, and Tonks thinks you're good looking even if she might be a bit touched in the head for that…"
"Hey!" He protested with a smile.
"See! Stop putting yourself down and stop being a hypocrite. If you want me to look for healthy relationships, then you have to as well!"
He slowly nodded, admitting that she may have a point in the middle of all the insults. "In this together then?" He asked. "You help me, and I help you?"
"And Tonks helps us both," she smiled and reached out to shake his hand.
"Agreed!" They both laughed.
"What about you Kreacher?" Cassie asked, surprising the elf that had already dusted about half the room during their conversation. "Are you going to be ok here all by yourself again?"
"We'll come back for Christmas. My new place over the shop is only a one bedroom," Remus told him.
Kreacher stared at them. Cassie wasn't sure what emotion was on his face, but really one could never tell with that elf anyway. "Kreacher will not be staying in Black Manor," he finally said slowly as if coming to a difficult decision.
"Really? You can do that?" Remus asked in surprise.
"Where will you go?" Cassie tacked on at the end, having had a little more experience with the fact that house elves knew how to bend rules to their advantage by her association with Dobby.
"Why should Kreacher stay in the manor when he has new mistress to serve?" Kreacher asked like it was an obvious conclusion they should have come to.
"Wait, students can't have their own elves at Hogwarts though, can they?" Cassie was fairly positive that was a rule, even though she didn't know anyone with an elf. She was certain Malfoy would have an elf constantly following him around if it were allowed. Remus shrugged, not knowing the answer to that himself.
"They can, but the elves must stay with the other elves, follow the Hogwarts' head elf's instructions, and stay out of sight," Kreacher explained, somehow already knowing the rules. Though Cassie figured that with the Black wealth, they probably had more than just one elf back when the family was being run by sane people instead of Walburga, and the manor was actually being used as a place to entertain. It was huge, taking up exponentially more space on the inside than the outside, and they really only lived in a small section. She'd had to tell Kreacher multiple times to just focus on the areas they lived in and rest a lot since he was getting on up there in age. Actually, going to Hogwarts with her would probably ease up on him significantly since he wouldn't be trying to take care of the whole, huge manor. She figured she should look into getting him some help at some point if he refused to allow her to help him clean.
"So, you're going to Hogwarts with me?" She asked for clarification.
"Kreacher isn't cleaning up after the wolf," he snorted sarcastically. "Kreacher will protect the mistress and makes sure the other elves look after her too."
Cassie sighed. It made sense to give him some rest, and she didn't think she could talk the stubborn little elf out of it, but there was one thing… "Look, Kreacher, if an elf named Dobby ever finds out I used to be Harry Potter…you're going to have to learn to get along with him. He's…special and you probably won't agree with everything he does."
"Kreacher will just try to keep this Dobby from finding out then," he sneered in distaste with also a bit of jealousy.
"Well, I'm all for it!" Remus grinned. "Dumbledore won't be able to slip anything in your food with Kreacher around, and he'll be extra help in keeping you safe. Plus, he can bring me any messages you need to get to me if Hedwig is busy."
Kreacher didn't look happy at the suggestion of delivering messages, but just nodded in agreement anyway. "Er, is there like a uniform you need or anything...you know, without me giving you clothes?" Cassie asked as she took in the cleaner, but still ragged, pillowcase Kreacher was wearing. She had been to the Hogwarts kitchens before, and she was a little worried Kreacher would feel out of place since the Hogwarts elves seemed much better dressed.
By the death glare she was given, she had a feeling that Kreacher liked having to get new clothes just as much as she did. "Kreacher will take care of it," he mumbled dejectedly. "You's best be happy you a good mistress though," he warned with little ire as he slumped out of the room to go shopping or sewing or whatever it was that house elves did to get a new uniform.
The morning of September 1st dawned to craziness in Black Manor. Since Remus, Cassie, and Kreacher were all moving out, it was a madhouse with last-minute packing and making sure everything was shut off and locked up for the next few months. It wasn't like Remus or Kreacher couldn't return if they needed to, but Kreacher at least hadn't left besides for short trips in years, so he was making everyone nervous with his obsessive need to make sure everything was going to be perfect in his absence.
"Kreacher, I promise, you look great," Cassie assured him as he straightened his new black tunic with the Black family crest sewn as a patch on the front.
"The water is shut off, all candles and lamps are extinguished, and preservation charms have been placed on everything in the kitchen," Remus assured Kreacher impatiently since this was the fifth time he had been instructed to check it all since Kreacher had done it himself initially.
"You know you don't have to go with me if you would rather stay," Cassie said, kneeling in front of Kreacher who still looked very unsure and anxious.
Remus just shook his head. Frankly, he was a little thankful that Kreacher was so anxious because it was keeping Cassie from dwelling on her own anxiety about her friends, Dumbledore, and having to sneak into the school she'd been attending as someone else for the past five years. "I can always come back and check on things again, or you can if you want. Neither one of us are banned from returning," he assured the stressed-out elf.
"No, the mistress needs her Kreacher," the elf shook his head with a deep, calming breath in. "The house will be fine. Miss Cassie still needs her snacks and someone to make sure she's safe and the wolf-man will wants Kreacher to tell him how his cub is doing. Kreacher needs to be at Hogwarts."
"Hi Fam! Everyone ready?!" Tonks yelled out happily as she pushed through the front door.
Walburga Black's portrait immediately started screaming insults into the house. "Oh, bugger," Remus sighed, wondering why Tonks never could seem to remember that blasted portrait.
Kreacher growled lowly from where he was still anxiously twisting the little tunic in his hands beside Cassie. "Sorry," Tonks sheepishly blushed as she walked past the portrait to join them.
"MUDBLOODS! BLOOD-TRAITORS! SCOURGE TO THE BLACK FAMILY!" Walburga screamed insanely.
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Kreacher growled and strode towards the portrait. "Evil mistress hurt Master Regulus. Evil mistress insults Miss Cassie who bakes her Kreacher lemon biscuits. You will STOP!" He screamed and the portrait stopped mid-wail.
The three humans stared at a suddenly blank wall and the elf that was breathing heavily as he stared at the place his old mistress used to occupy on the wall. "Kreacher?" Cassie tentatively questioned, hoping the elf was ok. She hadn't thought the portrait could be removed or that a house elf could get rid of something like that.
"Are we's all packed and ready?" He turned and asked them, ignoring the question and what he had just done. "The wolf has his bags, and Miss Cassie has her trunk?"
"Yes, Kreacher, we have everything," the werewolf assured him, stunned surprise on his face.
"Great. Kreacher will meet Miss Cassie at Hogwarts. He must report to the head elf," Kreacher said with a terse nod before immediately popping out of the house.
"Did that just happen? I'm not hallucinating right?" Tonks shook her head. "I did get hit by a weird curse last week on a job, maybe this is just a delayed reaction."
"Nope, that definitely happened," the teen chuckled.
"Wait…you got hit by a curse, why didn't I know about this?!" Remus turned to her with his eyes wide.
"Pssh! I'm fine," she brushed off his concern. "Kreacher might not be, but I am. Ok, wardrobe change." Tonks's appearance changed back to the short, blonde that had taken Cassie to Diagon Alley.
"Right, cub, walk me through what you are going to do again…?" Remus gave his girlfriend a look that promised they would be discussing this later before he turned to the teen.
Cassie just rolled her eyes. They'd gone through this as many times as they had checked everything was turned off for Kreacher. "I won't tell Ron or Hermione anything until after the Welcome Feast. I won't sit with Ron or Hermione on the train. I will keep my head down and not draw any attention to myself until at least tomorrow. If anything happens, I'll go straight to Snape or call Kreacher. Besides Ron and Hermione, I'll tell no one I used to be Harry Potter unless it's absolutely necessary. I'll send a patronus to Moony as soon as I'm settled into the dorm and safe. Right? We good now?"
"As good as we will be until either you graduate or Dumbledore is arrested," Remus sighed, worry in his expression.
Tonks grinned at them both. "Don't worry. I have a bit of a surprise for you once you get to Hogwarts," she said as she slung an arm around her cousin's shoulder. "Now…to the train!"
"Make sure she gets on safe for me," Remus kissed Tonks and rumpled her blonde hair. He wrinkled his nose. "I like your normal look better," Cassie heard him growl in the other woman's ear.
"Ew, no one likes to hear about their parents' sex life. Please cool it you two!"
"Did you just call us your parents?" Tonks's temporarily brown eyes widened in surprise with a hint of happiness.
Cassie just shrugged with an embarrassed blush spreading over her pale face. She hadn't really meant to let that one slip. "You help a girl through one of the most confusing times in her entire life, and you got to expect she'll develop some weird and highly inappropriate but unchangeable feelings towards you."
Remus hugged her suddenly in a bone-crushing hug. Cassie felt kisses pressed to her hair as she awkwardly patted the werewolf's back. It was a very different hug than when the man had picked her up at Privet Drive just a couple months before and neither of them were sure what to think of the other. "You'll always be my cub, and I'll be whatever you want me to be," he assured her.
Tonks sighed in fake frustration. "Fine! I'm like eight years older than you, but I guess I can be mum as long as you don't call me that in mixed company…or where my mother can hear…" Cassie laughed. "No, really, you call me that in front of Andromeda, and you're likely to be required to call her Grandmother for the rest of your life."
Cassie continued to laugh. "How about we stick to Moony and Tonks for now?"
Remus kissed the top of her head again. "Good with me. Don't forget to send me that patronus when you're settled or you know I know how to sneak into the castle," he warned as he picked up his bag and headed to the door.
"See you later tonight!" Tonks called after him with a wave when he finally left. "Now, let's get you to the train!"
It was the weirdest experience ever sneaking onto a train you'd been taking for years with people you lived with that same length of time. Cassie waved to Tonks as she kept her head down and tried to be inconspicuous when she pulled her trunk on the train behind her. She had caught a brief flash of red hair and ducked into another train car, knowing she couldn't handle seeing Ron and Ginny and them not being able to recognize her just yet.
Cassie made her way down the hallway looking for either an empty compartment or one that at least didn't have her two best friends in it or any mini-Death Eaters. She paused outside of a compartment with a familiar shock of bright blonde hair. Luna Lovegood was reading a copy of the Quibbler across from Neville Longbottom. Cassie mentally whistled in her head. Neville must have had a growth spurt over the summer because he was looking fine. Not that she didn't already have a bit of a crush on the boy that had always treated her with the most kindness and support of anyone, including Ron and Hermione, but now she felt her cheeks flushing just looking at him. She knew she should just keep walking, but she hadn't promised not to sit with Luna or Neville, only Ron and Hermione. There really couldn't be any harm, right?
Deciding to chance it, she pushed open the compartment door and smiled in at the two occupants. "Hey, room for one more?" She asked hopefully before realizing that yes, there had been a very, very good reason why she shouldn't sit in this compartment…she'd forgotten about the anomaly that was Luna Lovegood.
"Hey, Cassie," Luna smiled up at her from behind the upside-down magazine. "I see you had an interesting summer. Mine was a bit boring. Daddy and I never did find the crumple-horned snorkack."
"Luna…" Cassie gaped at her. Luna had always had an interesting way of looking at the world, but Merlin! Was the blonde, Ravenclaw a seer?! "Er, yeah, it was an interesting summer."
"Well, come on in," Neville smiled up from where he had been flipping through a book on rare Amazonian trees. "I don't think we've met, I'm Neville Longbottom."
"Er, Cassie, or well Cassiopeia, but definitely call me Cassie," the teen said awkwardly as Neville helped her get her trunk and an indignantly hooting Hedwig in disguise into the luggage rack. "Well, you could have flown on to the school. I offered," Cassie hissed at her owl reproachfully.
"She worries about you," Luna patted the seat beside her in welcome.
"Thanks," Cassie mumbled as she plopped down in the seat.
Luna smiled across at the Gryffindor boy. "Cassie's a transfer from Beauxbatons, but we go way back. She's in Gryffindor, right?" The blonde turned to her with an overly innocent look on her face.
Cassie breathed out in stunned awe that this beautiful girl had just saved her from having to lie, to someone she considered a close friend. "Yeah, I was already sorted," she smiled in thanks. "I'll be a sixth year."
"Wow! Me too!" Neville grinned at her warmly. "Welcome to Hogwarts! Any friend of Luna's has to be a great person."
"Well, I don't know if I can live up to that, but I appreciate the welcome," she chuckled. "Now, give me the low-down on everyone. What teachers should I be looking out for or subjects that are most interesting?"
"Well, you already know Snape, right?" Luna grinned knowingly. "So, we can forgo our normal warning."
"How do you already know Snape?!" Neville coughed with a surprise choke at that news.
Cassie narrowed her eyes at Luna, promising that they would be talking later about how Luna's abilities worked and what all she knew. This was all just too much! "Yes, I already know Severus," she sighed, knowing it was going to get out anyway once she put the framed picture that had him and her father in it on her nightstand. Plus, the man didn't tell her to keep it quiet, going as far as to insist she visit him regularly for potions lessons and a health check. "He's my godfather."
Neville gave a nervous laugh as he turned a bit pale. "So, Cassie…I don't believe you mentioned your last name. Who are you to have Severus Snape as a godfather? I thought Malfoy was his godson?"
Cassie shrugged. "I don't know anything about Malfoy. It's possible. Severus and I aren't really close. My last name's Black, by the way. Regulus Black was my father."
"What the…?" Neville trailed off in surprise.
"Hey Cassie, what do you think about the new offense the Falmouth Falcons are putting up this year?" Luna asked, saving her. Luna was quite the quidditch aficionado, even if her opinions tended to be a bit out there, like seekers really should be gotten rid of or that there needed to be a time limit on the matches.
Cassie ducked down and lost herself in the flow of students entering the Great Hall. Luna had been a lifesaver on the train and the carriages, helping her stay away from Ron and Hermione and deflecting uncomfortable questions. She owed that girl a crate of butterbeer and a new set of radish earrings. She planned to make good on that as soon as she could send out a mail-order owl. And Luna definitely owed her a couple explanations as well.
Cassie found a spot at the Gryffindor table in the middle of several third years. She figured they were old enough so she wouldn't stick out sitting with them, but young enough they wouldn't assume they would know all the upper years. They gave her a welcoming smile but returned to their excited discussion about their summers and upcoming classes without giving the new girl much thought or attention.
Ron and Hermione were sitting further down the table with Neville, Seamus, and Dean. They were looking around for Harry with worried expressions on their faces. She wished she could have given them a heads-up, but at least she planned to let them in on the secret as soon as possible. As the sorting ceremony commenced, she felt a pair of black eyes bearing down on her. Luckily, no one else was paying her any attention at all, which was very welcome after the years of way too much attention, but Snape had found her in the middle of Gryffindor table and was making his confusion known. She looked up and met those eyes that turned to a questioning glare. She shrugged a bit and gave him a smile, slowly she raised a finger and pressed it to her lips, warning him not to say anything.
Seeming to get the message, Snape turned his glare back to the first years, sparing a sneer for the woman beside him who reached across his plate to take the pitcher of pumpkin juice. Cassie's eyes were pulled to the blonde woman whose hair was fiercely, pulled into a high bun with what looked like a small dagger holding the bun in place. The face was a little older and the hair was a little lighter, but Cassie clearly recognized Tonks's disguise from just that morning smiling back at her across the hall.
With a quick glance down the staff table, it wasn't much of a leap to realize just who was filling the vacant Defense Against the Dark Arts position this year. Cassie quietly laughed when Tonks winked and cut her eyes to Snape, promising to have a bit of fun. The first years were all sorted, Dumbledore said some nonsense, and the feast finally began.
Cassie smiled at her plate that appeared already filled in front of her with her nutrition potion beside it. Kreacher must have found a good place in the kitchens because the food fit in her new diet plan to build up muscle and fix her malnutrition. She was surprised that everything was going so well and waited for Dumbledore to make his move.
It was clear the headmaster knew Harry Potter hadn't shown up to Hogwarts this year as he swept down from the head table towards Ron and Hermione as everyone stood to head to their dorms. Cassie ducked into the middle of a group of Hufflepuffs who were standing nearby to listen. "Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley," the headmaster stopped the two on their way out.
"Headmaster," Hermione looked up at him. Cassie noticed Ron put a hand on her sleeve with a quick glance of warning to his friend.
"Do either of you know what has held up Mr. Potter this year? Was he not on the train?" Dumbledore looked with exasperation frustration around at the students. Cassie noticed there was no actual concern in his look though.
"Sir, he went to Beauxbatons," Ron looked up at him with a well-practiced look that said Dumbledore should have already known this. "Remember, my brother mentioned that he'd transferred over the summer."
Dumbledore sputtered in indignant surprise. "That was a rumor…he was with his relatives all summer. He couldn't have transferred."
After a quick glance over to Ron, Hermione looked up at the headmaster who was slowly getting angrier and angrier. "Yes, sir, he owled. He said he'd miss us, but it was a good opportunity," she lied easily. "I really don't know what happened."
"Right," the headmaster looked murderous at this point. "I'll just go floo Madam Maxime and get this all sorted. Head straight to the tower, you two," he instructed as he turned in a flurry of neon robes to rush to his office.
"Why's Harry not here? He said he'd be here," Hermione hissed to Ron as they walked past the group of giggling Hufflepuffs Cassie was still in the middle of.
"I don't know, but he seemed really worried about Dumbledore. I think we did what he would want us to," Ron assured her with a worried look in his eyes.
Cassie fell in behind her two friends and wandered towards the tower as well. She was almost safe. She just had to get to the tower, and she would be accepted as a full student for the year and unable to be kicked out of the castle unless expelled. With a deep sigh of relief, she stepped through the portrait hole and took in the sight of her home, the place she had felt the most comfortable these past five years. Until Grimmauld Place had transformed this summer, there was no other she would ever even consider calling home.
Cassie stood at the bottom of the two spiral stairways, looking at her next challenge. Would the girls' stairway let her up to the dorms or reject her? She knew that Kreacher would have made sure her trunk ended up in the sixth-year girl dorms, but would the castle recognize her as a girl after seeing her as a boy for so long? "Hey Cassie! I didn't see you on the train! Let me show you to our room," Hermione exclaimed when she caught a glimpse of the girl. She wrapped an arm around Cassie's thin shoulders and led her towards the stairs.
Cassie stepped up beside Hermione and let out the air she'd been holding in when the stairs didn't turn into a slide and reject her. "Hi Hermione. I sat with Luna from Ravenclaw and Neville from here on the train. I didn't see you either."
"Well, let's get you settled, and I'll introduce you to my friend Ron in the morning," Hermione said tersely, clearly not mentioning Harry and looking very concerned about that.
"Right, sounds good," Cassie nodded, preparing herself to be introduced to Lavender, Parvati, and (shudder) Claudia and Bethany. As soon as they were settled, she needed to contact Remus and then figure out how to let Hermione and Ron in on the secret. It was going to be a very long and tiring night.
Up Next: Cassie's first day of classes...