Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Dear Marvolo Riddle,
I find that I am in a position where I cannot refuse you at this time. So, in answer to your questions, I passed OWLs in Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and Potions. I originally did not pass Divination, but right before the term began a wild prediction of mine came true and they passed me. So, I'm taking classes in all those subjects except for Potions. My score wasn't high enough for the NEWT levels, but Severus is tutoring me to take the placement test in October to hopefully join the class. Severus says I am doing well in tutoring, and he expects me to pass the placement exam.
Frankly, I wish my prediction hadn't come true, and I didn't have to take Divination. I see that there is value in the subject, but I can guarantee I don't have the "sight." Therefore, Divination is probably my worst subject. I do best at DADA and Charms. I hope this satisfies your requirements.
Please instruct the owl to stop dropping your letters in my eggs.
Cassie Black
"Cassie…I have some bad news," Lavender Brown caught up to Cassie and Neville as they made their way towards DADA class.
"Hey Lav, what's up?" Cassie asked in concern. Lavender looked much more serious than normal, and a bit out of breath from running to catch up with them.
"I think Claudia and Bethany are planning something. I saw them whispering in the dorm before I left," she explained in hushed tones. "I know they can't get in your trunk, but that doesn't mean they can't mess with your stuff outside of it."
Cassie just took a deep breath and shook her head. This was the last thing she needed. She was studying her arse off, trying to make nice with Severus, keeping her father from becoming murderous, and trying to avoid Dumbledore and his plans to the best of her abilities. She absolutely did not want to deal with whatever those two had planned. "Thanks, Lav…" She looped her arm through her new friend's. "I guess I'll deal with whatever it is later. Thanks for the heads up though."
"Hey, quidditch tryouts are Friday!" Ron rushed up to them. Cassie rolled her eyes as Lavender smiled larger at the redhead and flipped her hair. "You in, Cassie?"
"I don't know…" she sighed. How obvious would it be if she played seeker with all Harry's moves?
"You like quidditch?" Neville asked in interest.
"Love it," she smiled kindly at him, knowing he never did get really good on a broom. "You a fan?"
The teen just shrugged. "I care about Gryffindor and the Quidditch Cup, but I'm not a fan like Ron or even Lavender here."
"Ah, at least you aren't a fan like Claudia and Bethany," Lavender grimaced then chuckled.
"I'll think about it, Ron," Cassie promised her friend that was really trying (unsuccessfully) to give her puppy dog eyes as they got to class where Hermione was saving them seats.
"I'll talk you into it," he assured her with a smile, cutting off the conversation when Tonks tripped over one of the bookbags, signaling the start of class.
Cassie hung back after class, putting her books away very slowly. The last of her classmates walked through the door and Tonks was turned away from her, erasing the blackboard. Cassie smiled and slid her wand out of her sleeve slowly. She'd been practicing her nonverbal spells at the insistence of Remus, Tonks, and Severus. You really couldn't be sneaky if you were yelling your spells at a person. With a flick of her wand a stinging hex went straight towards Tonks's bum.
A shield flew up, deflecting Cassie hex right back at her, causing her to have to dive down onto the floor to miss it. "How?! You can't walk without tripping on air, but how do you always catch me?!"
"Skills, chicky…you're going to have to be faster than that to catch me," Tonks grinned and turned, putting her wand back up her sleeve. "Watch your back…It's my turn," she chuckled evilly.
Cassie rolled her eyes and pulled the letter from Voldemort out of her bag. "Read this…He wrote several days ago, and I thought I'd handled it, but I guess that was just wishful thinking."
The auror read the letter and sighed deeply. "Have you written him back?'
"Yeah, I only told him about OWLs and the classes I'm taking," she sighed. "Neville helped me write it. I don't think I could have done it myself without making him so mad he'd kill Severus."
Tonks disintegrated the letter with a flick of her wrist. "Don't keep these around."
"Course not," Cassie raised an eyebrow. "You taught me well. I've been destroying everything. I only kept that one to show you."
"I know that…I figured it should still be said though," she sank into one of the desk chairs and pushed a piece of blonde hair that had fallen out of her bun behind an ear. "Be very careful in what you write. If you think you can trust Neville, then he might be a good one to keep helping you. He should have been well trained in correspondence, and even followed you to the ministry last year. That says a lot about his character in my opinion."
"I will…and he can definitely be trusted," she agreed firmly. "How are classes? Everything going all right?"
Tonks looked at her a little hesitantly. "Actually…I have a bit of a favor to ask."
"Yeah, sure, what do you need?" Cassie smiled, happy to be able to help Tonks for once instead of Tonks helping her all the time. The woman had basically put her life on hold to keep an eye out for her…whatever she needed Cassie would do.
"Well, you know my flat is in Diagon Alley, right?" Tonks began as Cassie nodded. "That's a fairly high-priced area and my rent is really high."
"You need some money?" Cassie smiled, happy to help her out with something so easy.
"Merlin, no!" Tonks shook her head vehemently. "Definitely not, Cassie. I'd never ask you for money!"
"What? Why? I'd definitely give you some," the teen was very confused. She'd be happy to share whatever with her family.
Tonks sighed and squeezed Cassie's hand. "What I was asking is, well, my lease is up for renewal, but I'll be living here at the castle until the end of the school year. I was wondering if I could put my stuff in Grimmauld and let my flat go to save some money for the year. I'd get a new flat over the summer when I go back to the auror office."
"Why would you even need to ask that? Of course, you can!" Cassie laughed with a shake of her head. Her blue eyes sparkled as she had an idea. "How about you talk to Remus and just plan on moving in at the end of the year? I know you'd want to ask him before just deciding to move in with him, but if he's cool with it, I don't see why you couldn't just come live with us. We have plenty of room."
Tonks smiled brightly, a hint of pink tinting her hair before it disappeared again. "Yeah? You sure?"
"So sure!"
"I'll talk to Remy then," Tonks grabbed her into a hug. "Ahhh! We can have girls' night any time then!"
"And I can get so much practice hexing you!" Cassie laughed.
"Just you watch…you're going to be the one getting better at shielding," the auror pushed her towards the door with a grin so she wouldn't be late to her next class.
"If Moony gives you any problems, let me know," Cassie frowned from where she turned back at the door, knowing Remus had some similar issues as she had with commitment. "I'll set him straight if he does."
"Shove over," Ron was woken by a sharp jab to his ribs in the middle of the night.
"What? Leave me 'lone 'Arry," he mumbled into his pillow.
"Scootch, you berk," a female voice ordered him before a hard shove moved him to the left side of the bed.
"Harry?" Ron looked up at his friend half asleep. "Er, Cassie? What're you doing in my bed?"
"Claudia and Bethany," she grumbled murderously while stealing most of Ron's covers. "They put some kind of itching powder in my bed. I didn't realize it until I'd fallen asleep. I woke up and had to shower twice to stop scratching."
"Why you in my bed instead of 'Mione's though?" The redhead still looked extremely confused.
"Because I'd curse those two so badly we'd lose the House Cup for sure if I stayed in that room," she grumbled and flopped around getting comfortable.
"But…you're a girl now…" Ron still looked at the form in his bed in confusion.
"So," Cassie snorted. "I'm not attracted to you, Ron. You're my brother."
"Huh…you like guys?" He shook his head, trying to update his way of thinking. "I thought you'd still like girls…"
Cassie sighed and turned over to look at him. "I have to be one of the very few people in history that's had to come out to her friends as straight. Yes, Ron, I like guys, even before I was a girl. I don't like you that way though, so go back to sleep before I use those curses I planned to use on Claudia and Bethany on you."
"Kay…but you probably don't want the other guys to see you leaving my bed in the morning," Ron chuckled as he settled back down on his pillows.
"What? And help your reputation that much? Never," Cassie laughed quietly. "I have my invisibility cloak under the bed. Merlin, I missed this dorm," she smiled as she fell asleep, happy to be back in her home.
"Kreacher!" Cassie called out quietly in the girls' washroom the next morning.
"Mistress?" Kreacher popped in and his eyes widened in alarm when he realized where he was. "Mistress Black, we's in the women's loo."
"Yes, Kreacher," Cassie rolled her eyes but smiled at the elf kindly. "Could you change the sheets on my bed? But please be careful not to touch them. Some girls played a prank on me with itching powder."
Kreacher's eyes glowered murderously. "Which girls?" He growled.
Cassie raised an eyebrow. "I'm definitely not telling you that. I can handle the situation myself, Kreacher."
"Mr. Wolf-Man has things in his store the mistress can use to help," he offered. "Kreacher can go collect some for you."
"I'll see Remus this weekend and can take a look around the store," she smiled thinking that was actually a good idea.
"You let's Kreacher know and he'll help," the elf nodded. "Kreacher will go change your sheets now."
"Thank you!" She called out as he popped away.
Cassie sneered over to the other end of the table where Claudia and Bethany were shooting her amused looks. "Where were you this morning? You head to the library early?" Hermione asked as she sat down beside her.
Ron snorted into his pumpkin juice from the other side of the table and Cassie rolled her eyes at him with a smirk. "The evil duo put itching powder in my bed," she grumbled. "Kreacher's taking care of the sheets now."
"Where'd you sleep then?" Hermione set down her fork to ask with concern.
A familiar origami crane almost landed in Cassie's nutrition potion before she snatched it out of the air. "My old dorm," she grinned at Hermione. "I'd have ended up cursing those two if I'd stayed."
"She hogs all the covers," Ron laughed quietly to Hermione.
"Cassie!" Hermione hissed as the blue-eyed girl read Severus's reminder about Occlumency lessons that evening. "You can't go sleeping with Ron in the boys' dorm! You're a girl now!"
"Yes, Hermione, I did figure that out when I grew boobs," she rolled her eyes. "Ron knows he's like a brother to me."
Ron grabbed Pigwidgeon out of the air before pulling the letter from the tiny owl's leg and setting him free to fly to Ginny next. It looked like they'd gotten letters from home. "Hermione, mum and dad would adopt Har…er, Cassie in a second. She's the eighth Weasley, and I'd never think of her that way either."
"It's still not…right," Hermione grumbled and picked at the fruit on her plate.
"Ergh!" Cassie shook her head after the foul taste of her nutrition potion. "Who says? They sure didn't raise me."
"You were raised by wolves," Hermione chuckled.
"Hey! Moony is a great influence," Cassie just grinned back before they both turned to see Ron dramatically banging his head on the table.
"You alright there, mate?" Cassie asked in concern.
Ron held the letter up without stopping his soft banging. Hermione grabbed it first and read. Cassie took in the thinning of Hermione's lips and the red tinge on her cheeks from anger. "That bastard," she growled in anger.
"Wow, Hermione. I don't think I've ever heard you swear before," Ginny Weasley laughed as she sat down beside Ron and put her hand under his forehead to stop the banging.
"Did you get one too?" Ron looked up at her when he was forcibly stopped.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's why I'm here," Ginny flipped her red hair over her shoulder and turned a brilliant smile on Cassie. She reached out a hand. "Hi, my name's Ginny Weasley. I think we're going to be great friends."
Cassie slowly reached out her hand and shook Ginny's. "Cassie Black. It's good to meet you…er, what's going on?"
"Dumbledore," Hermione stated before handing Ron's letter to Cassie.
Cassie paled as she read the letter Mrs. Weasley had written her son telling him to keep away from her. She wrote that Dumbledore had come to her explaining that the new girl was dangerous and would lead her kids down a dark path. It seemed he'd all but told the Weasley parents that Cassie was a Death Eater. "Ron…" Cassie started.
"No, don't go all self-sacrificing or anything. They're being ridiculous and obviously don't know what they're talking about," he said, snatching the letter back and beginning to tear it into tiny pieces.
"Yeah, I've never even met you before, but this seemed like a good excuse to change that," Ginny just smiled at her. "So, I hear you like quidditch…?"
Just to make the day better (ahem, sarcasm), another letter landed in Cassie's eggs from the eagle owl that immediately flew off towards the Slytherin table next. She groaned and shoved it into her pocket to read later. "Yes, quidditch, sorry about that. I was thinking about trying out for the house team. Do you play?"
Cassie had a low-level headache all day. Between not getting a lot of sleep, Mrs. Weasley now hating her, and the letter she still hadn't read in her pocket, she figured the headache was just a fitting cherry to add on the top. She pushed into Snape's office, ready to beg off of Occlumency lessons. She knew it was extremely important, but judging by her last experience with the lessons, her head would probably explode if she tried in the state she was in.
"Give me a few minutes, I'm just finishing up my marking," Snape motioned to the chair in front of his desk when she walked in.
With a quick nod, Cassie sat down and pulled her father's letter out of her pocket to see what the evil man wanted now.
Cassiopeia,
I'm glad you have seen reason on the issue of our communication. I understand your frustration with Divination, but the art is very useful when understood and valued. As for Potions, I expect you to excel in your placement exam. I passed my NEWTs with an O in Potions and will have my daughter do no less.
While both Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts are very valuable, I would like you to also begin to study some of the lower-level Dark Arts themselves. I will be sending along a book for you next week. I expect for you to read it and write me a summary that includes situations where each spell will be useful. Severus will help you if there is anything you don't understand. Instruct him that these are my wishes.
For now, avoid the children of my followers. I have not spoken of you to them and would not wish to have to kill anyone loyal for a slight against my daughter. Also, avoid Dumbledore. I will take care of him; I promise you that.
Your father,
Marvolo
Cassie ground her teeth in frustration and groaned…more homework, and Dark Arts homework at that! "What happened?" Snape looked up in confusion at the noise. Cassie passed the letter over and began to massage her temples.
Snape just sighed and handed the letter back, which Cassie immediately disintegrated. "Don't open any package from the Dark Lord without me checking it over first," he instructed her. "It could very well also include a portkey."
"That would be cliché. He's already done that to me once," Cassie continued to rub her temples with the memory of the Triwizard Tournament not helping the headache.
"How long has your head been hurting?" The potions master asked in concern as he cast a diagnostic spell at the teen before handing her a headache potion.
"Since my loving father used my blood to resurrect himself," Cassie's tone dripped in sarcasm as she downed the potion that only marginally helped. "I pretty much always have a headache, but sometimes it gets worse, like now. Severus…I really don't think I can do Occlumency lessons today, not with my head this way."
"Did you have them last year when we were doing these lessons?" He asked, concern creeping into his tone.
"Er, yeah. Like I said, ever since that ritual in fourth year," she looked up at him, taking in the worry in his eyes. "I figured it was just part of our connection thing then, now I figure he's using our blood connection with his legilimency."
The man sighed and reach out a hand to help the girl up. "Come with me," he instructed as he led her to a bookcase that moved out of the way to reveal a door with a flick of his wand. He opened the door for Cassie who walked into a spartan but comfortable sitting room. "These are my personal quarters. Normally, no students would ever be allowed in a teacher's quarters, but I'm technically your guardian, so the rules don't apply to us."
Cassie sank into Snape's couch gratefully. "This is much better than those hard chairs in your office. Thank you for letting me in."
"I'll change my wards so you only have to touch that bookcase to enter whenever you would like," Snape gave her a quick nod and sat in the armchair by the fireplace. "Now, your headaches. A familial legilimency connection should not be causing your headaches," he explained to Cassie's concern.
"What do you think is wrong then?" Her eyes widened in surprise.
Snape considered for a moment before summoning a tin of biscuits that he handed to Cassie. "Here…you're still too thin."
"I'm fine," Cassie protested, but still pulled a chocolate biscuit out of the tin.
"I think it must have to do with the ritual the Dark Lord used to return. The blood was supposed to be the blood of an enemy."
"I'm still that bastard's enemy, even if I'm his daughter," Cassie cut in between bites.
"Yes, but using the blood of a random enemy and ritually marking someone of your own blood as an enemy are two very different and magically powerful things," he explained as he studied the girl in front of him, wondering how he hadn't seen that Harry was in pain the year before when they'd tried these lessons.
"Am I lucky enough to hope my blood gave him cancer or something?" Cassie snorted before frowning. "I take it back; I probably have cancer now with my luck."
Cassie almost had a stroke when Snape chuckled at that. She'd never heard the man even attempt to laugh…ever. "No, I don't think it's that dire. My guess is that it created a bit of a feedback loop with his mind magic. I think I'll need to brew you a potion to muffle that connection before we can really start in on Occlumency. Then, you should find it much easier than you did last year. The feedback loop would have made it nigh impossible for you to learn Occlumency without the potion."
"Oh," Cassie sighed, relieved to be told that it really hadn't been her fault she couldn't learn mind magic before. "How long will that take?"
Snape gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Probably a few weeks. I'll have to invent the potion first."
Cassie stared at him dumbfounded. "You do know you're a genius, right? I mean, you're still a bit of a git, but brilliant as well."
Snape rolled his eyes and stood to go to a little kitchen area and start some tea. "I do believe that would be the definition of Severus Snape if I were in a dictionary."
Cassie laughed loudly at that. "Oh man, I like this newly developed sense of humor!"
"Oh, I've always had it, you were just too busy being a prat to notice," he smirked back at her.
She clutched her chest dramatically. "You wound me!"
"Well, since we aren't doing Occlumency now," Snape changed the subject. "I figured you'd like to hear more about your good parent."
"Please!" She settled in more comfortably on the couch in excitement.
"Well, surprisingly, Regulus also played chaser like James Potter, only Reg played for Slytherin," Snape poured the hot water into a teapot and floated it and two mugs over to the low table in front of Cassie.
"Was he good?"
"He was brilliant," Snape's eyes shone. The man was obviously a fan of the sport even if he didn't play. "You should try out for chaser. You are skilled enough to do it, and it would be different moves and style than you used as Harry."
"Really? You think I could?" Cassie beamed, happy that she might not have to give up the sport. "Also…just how much do you hear around the school? We were just talking about that at breakfast."
"I was a spy; it's safest to assume I hear everything," he smirked mercilessly at her. "And yes, you definitely could by what I've seen over the years. Your father was a natural on a broom. Frankly, he could fly circles around your other father, not that anyone would say that to his face," Snape grimaced. "I do wish you had been resorted though…you are clearly a Slytherin and would be an asset to my team. How you ever ended up in Gryffindor is beyond me."
Cassie shrugged. "Dumbledore sent Hagrid to tell me about Hogwarts when my not-relatives wouldn't give me my letter. So, between Hagrid telling me that all dark wizards were in Slytherin and then meeting Draco Malfoy who was a worse prat than my not-cousin, well, I asked the hat to not put me in Slytherin."
Snape groaned and rubbed his temples this time. "I'm imagining you as Harry Potter being sorted into my house. It may have been best you weren't while I was a spy."
"Might be better than having to room with Claudia and Bethany," she sneered. "Maybe that book Voldemort sends will have something useful in it."
"You will not be using anything in that book on another student," Snape's eyes went dark as he sternly warned her.
"Chill…it was a joke. I'm going to assume anything he sends is evil and vile," Cassie said quickly to calm the man down.
Snape nodded and poured them both more tea. "That is the safest assumption."
Cassie stood nervously waiting for the beater tryouts to end for the chaser ones to start. Ron narrowly got the keeper position. Cassie was more than a little sure that Hermione might have confounded Cormac McLaggen at some point, but since the seventh year was a terrible git, she wasn't going to complain. Ginny was by and far the best seeker that tried out for the team. She'd played the year before while Cassie as Harry had been banned, and she had improved tremendously over that time. Cassie clapped as loudly as anyone else when she was given the position.
"Hey, Cassie!" Neville strode over to where she was standing beside the stands from the direction of the greenhouses looking unsure in himself. "Er…I just wanted to tell you…well, good luck, ok?"
"Thanks, Neville!" She grinned broadly at him. "I really needed to hear that! I'm so nervous."
"Wow, you have a Firebolt…I hear those are great. A friend of mine had one," Neville glanced over her broom awkwardly, not really knowing anything about brooms besides what Ron or Harry had told him.
Cassie shifted her feet uncomfortably. It seemed they'd found the limit of house elf magic. Broom charms were too complex and proprietary for Kreacher to completely change the appearance of her broom. She was just going to have to hope it didn't help anyone put the pieces together to figure out who she'd been. "Thanks…my uncle bought one for me too when he got Harry one," she explained the excuse she'd come up with after talking to Remus.
"Sirius seemed like he would have been a good guy. I'm sad I never really got to meet him," Neville smiled sadly at her. The only time Neville had seen the man, was when he'd been killed. They didn't exactly have a lot of time to talk while Death Eaters were firing curses at them.
"Chasers! You're up!" Katie Bell, this year's captain, yelled out for everyone.
"Gotta go, Nev. Thanks," Cassie grinned at him before rushing off.
Cassie plopped down on the bench in front of Luna at the Ravenclaw table. She slid a small box across the wood to her friend with a grin on her face. "My earrings!" Luna exclaimed as he quickly unwrapped the box to show a pair of earrings with enamel radishes hanging from them.
"I figured these would be lighter on your ears than the real radishes," Cassie explained. She had to special order them, and by the look on Luna's face, it was worth every knut.
"I love them!" Luna immediately removed the gold snitches she currently had on and replaced them with her new earrings. "I'll wear them all the time!"
"You, my friend, deserve them," she squeezed Luna's hand. "You hear? I made the team."
"Of course, you did," Luna pushed a plate and some treacle tart her direction. "You're going to be a better chaser than Regulus, I know it."
Cassie laughed and served herself some dessert. "I don't know about that. Severus says he was really good, and I've never played the position before."
"You should ask if he wants flying lessons," Luna commented out of the blue.
"Who? Severus? I don't think he'd let me teach him anything," Cassie snorted. "Besides, I saw him fly when he refereed that match first year, and he wasn't bad."
"No, Neville," she said as if Cassie should have been following her thinking. "You're a better teacher than Madam Hooch. You helped him so much last year in the DA, and he can even cast a patronus now."
"I'm not Harry though, remember?" Cassie leaned in to whisper to her.
"Yes you are…in all the ways that matter anyway," the Ravenclaw disagreed. "Besides, you're cuter now and can have an ulterior motive."
Cassie blushed fiercely, almost choking on her bite of treacle tart. "Luna…I like Neville, but he doesn't really know who I am. I don't want to lie to him like that."
"Then hang out with him. Show him who you really are," Luna shrugged as if that answered Cassie's worries. "You are Cassie Black. Show him Cassie."
Cassie hummed and took another bite to think about it. "Hmm, I might just give that a try."
"Also, your slippers have spiders in them," Luna said dreamily. "The evil duo put them there."
Cassie sighed and thanked Merlin that any fear she had of spiders had been lost to the cupboard at the Dursleys. "Thanks Luna. I owe you more than earrings."
Up Next: First Hogsmeade Weekend...