A/N I'm so so so sorry that this chapter is so late, but my muse decided to completely change the direction I was going with this fanfic and hence this chapter took longer to write. I hope it's still enjoyable.
She exited the fireplace and shook the soot from her dress before looking around. The room was a small study with bookcases lining every wall, door on her left side and desk on the right. There were two armchairs in front of the fire. Seeing as she was currently alone in the room, she let herself sit on one of the armchairs and scan the books on the nearest shelf. Her fingers itched to touch some of the tomes as there was a lot of ancient and rare books. Most of them clearly Dark but she's never discarded a good book because it was considered 'dark'.
Hermione was just about to stand up and get a book to read, when Voldemort entered. It was her first time seeing the Dark Lord in flesh and a shiver run down her spine. He looked every part as terrifying as Harry described him at the of the fourth year with one small exception being his eyes. While Harry described them as red and glowing the one she saw now were more on the maroon side.
"Miss Malfoy, welcome."
Even his voice didn't quite match Harry's description. It was hissing and higher than average male voice but it wasn't as cold as Harry said it was.
She stood up and did a little courtesy while saying "My Lord."
Voldemort smirked at her and gestured for her to sit.
"Let's not pretend, Miss Malfoy. You're not on my side, there's not reason to call me your Lord."
"Why did you want to see me?"
"Ah, yesss. You see I have informations that you would find most interesting, Missss Malfoy."
Hermione frowned. Why would the Dark Lord himself be willing give her any information? Especially if he knows she doesn't support him even if she doesn't trust Dumbledore anymore.
"You see, it's the last bit. You don't trust Dumbledore anymore. I would, of course, welcome you in my midst but I'm sure, you wouldn't join me no matter what. But you leaving Dumbledore isss quite enough for me. Without him, Potter won't be able to do hisss bidding or he may even leave Dumbledore asss well. Ssso, what do you say, Miss Malfoy? You want to hear what I want to pass onto you?"
Dang, Hermione forgot that she was dealing with a Master Legilimens. She still nodded her head. There were too many questions and she would accept answers from any source she could find, even if it meant Voldemort himself. Shite, she called him by his name.
At that the Dark Lord, the darkest wizard alive laughed. Not an evil cackle but a full blown laugh.
"I forgot how delightful Gryffindors can be. Do not worry, I am not planning on harming you."
"Would you mind retreating from my head? I have nothing to hide from you, but I'd still like to have my thoughts for myself."
Oh, if Snape heard about it he would definitely Avada her herself. She was supposed not to act like a brash Gryffindor and yet here she was demanding something off the Dark Lord.
"My apologies, Miss Malfoy. Now where were we? Ah yes. Lucius tells me you suspect Dumbledore of being the one to kidnap you as a child?"
Hermione nodded. Honestly though it was more than suspicion at this point, she was certain of it. Voldemort continued.
"He also told me about the binds placed on your magic. Apparently St Mungos couldn't find a match for the magical signature left on the residue magic collected by your school Mediwitch."
Now that Hermione didn't know, but found curious. She felt a bit stupid for forgetting about the tests and not following up on the results, but at least she knew now.
"I must admit, I was curious about it. Did Dumbledore do it and if so, why? So I used my connections and got my hands on Madam Bones' diary. It was a long shot since no one is sure if she was the one to send you the letter, but it proved to be a great source of information." He handed Hermione a small notebook.
Years of perfecting her research technique caused her to find the appropriate part of the diary almost immediately. It was all there. After Amelia took the Vow, the old coot explained everything to her. He did do it with the help of Dobby the house elf, who stole her from her crib and handed her to the Headmaster. He bound her magic, sure that the girl would be a Squib and gave her to a Muggle family who couldn't have their own children. He even modified their memory, so they believed that this few months old girl was theirs, that they named her Hermione and they didn't remember ever meeting Albus Dumbledore.
His reasoning for why he did it though. That was something else altogether. It was well known in Pureblood circles that Malfoy family only ever produced sons which led to formation of a legend that were a girl born to this House, she would be very powerful indeed, to break a curse like that while in the womb. Dumbledore suspected that Voldemort would be back and so when Narcissa and Lucius announced the birth of their twins, he decided to take care of the problem. He didn't need another powerful enemy, raised to worship the Dark Lord.
The only reason Amelia was able to write it all in her diary was another loophole in the Vow. But Hermione stopped reading, not interested in the loophole at all. She was crying and her magic was crackling around her. She almost forgot that Voldemort was in the room with her, until she heard him sigh and a few seconds later she had a handkerchief thrusted into one hand and vial of Calming Draught into the other. She thanked the wizard, drank the content of the vial and cleaned her face.
"This is… eye opening, but that's not why you summoned me. You asked for me before Lucius knew of my theory. What is it that you really want from me?"
"I wanted to ask your opinion on one matter."
"Why? You have Severus, he's intelligent and highly logical."
"He might be, but we both know who's side he's really on and I don't want this information to land in Dumbledore's hands. Not yet at least."
Hermione was a little shocked to hear that Voldemort knew of Snape's loyalty to the Light. Well, mostly shocked he was still alive. Judging by a snicker from the Lord Snakeface he was listening to her thoughts again. He's frowning now. Well, she could get more creative with her nicknames so if they bother him that much, he should just leave her mind alone.
"Fine. But I'm not helping you murder or attack anyone."
"Of course. I want to withdraw from the war. I've had over a decade to think about it, while I was roaming as a mere spirit. While I'm still holding onto my ideals, I've realised that it's impossible to force them on the wizarding population. An outright war would most likely lead to a lose. I also don't want to spill any more magical blood."
"If you don't want to cause another war, why are there still Death Eaters out there killing and terrorizing people?"
"They're ecstatic to have me back. Most of them are deranged people, Miss Malfoy. They assumed that my coming back means they can finally go back to what they love the most, causing pain. I let it slide for a while, but started punishing those responsible for orchestrating the raids in the last few months."
"Department of Mysteries fiasco was orchestrated by you."
"It was. But it was never supposed to be a battle. I did not expect Potter to come with backup and it was not my people who fired the first curse. All I meant to do, was to obtain the Prophecy. I died once because of it, I wanted to hear it, all of it. Seeing as none of you died during the battle, you should be able to deduct that my Death Eaters were instructed not to kill anyone."
"Sirius died that day. Bellatrix killed him."
Voldemort appeared surprised. Hermione furrowed her brows. It didn't make any sense to her. Adults always taught them that Voldemort was the one who wanted the war to happen. Now she didn't know who to believe. Both Dumbledore and Voldemort were known for manipulation. The Dark Lord stopped her train of thoughts when he spoke again.
"Of course Bellatrix wouldn't admit to directly disobeying my orders. I was not aware of Black's death. If I'm not mistaken he was Potter's Godfather?"
Hermione nodded and Voldemort cursed. That was unnerving on so many levels.
"Dumbledore must be thrilled that he has another reason to stir the boy against me. 'He killed your parents and your Godfather Harry, he's evil'" Voldemort said in perfect imitation of Dumbledore's grandfatherly voice and scoffed.
"So…" Hermione decided to take the conversation back on track. "If it's not the war you want, what are your plans? And what do you expect from me?"
"A plan. I must admit that I do not know how to proceed. I'm aware that if I even attempted to cause a war my side would likely lose but I am also aware that I am a…" he looked as if he was looking for a word "for lack of a better term let's say I'm a criminal. If I wished to stop the conflict I would most likely be thrown in Azkaban and seeing as I am immortal that's not so tempting."
"So in short you want to stop the war but also escape paying for the last one?"
"I did pay for the last one, Miss Malfoy. Life as half a spirit is not an easy life. There were months when I wished I could just die instead. It's much worse than Azkaban, Cruciatus curse and Dementor's Kiss combined."
"Can I get some time to think about it and once I decide if I want to help you or if I even believe you, to come up with a plan? I might be the so called brightest witch of my age but I can't just snap my fingers and have a plan for how to liberate one of the most dangerous wizards the world has seen from Wizarding World's wrath."
Voldemort nodded. "We'll meet again during Christmas break. Your father knows how to contact me. I expect an answer by then, be it a plan or a you declining to help me. Do not worry, Miss Malfoy. There will be no repercussions if you decide I'm not trustworthy. Until then."
Hermione nodded her head and feeling dismissed she went back to the fireplace. Before she stepped in she chanced one last look around the room, stopping at some of the more interesting books and on Dark Lord himself. He noticed and smirked a bit.
"If you wished to peruse my vast book collection all you need was ask. If you see anything you would like to read, you can take it and return it via Lucius."
Her eyes lit up. She thanked him and did a quick lap around the shelves, picking few books she was most keen on reading before approaching the fireplace again. A thought struck her just as she was about to throw Floo Powder into the hearth.
"Is it okay with you if I talk to Harry about all this?"
"It is."
She nodded for the last time and disappeared in a flash of green flames.
xxxXXXxxx
"You're not going to just believe him, are you, Hermione? He killed my parents!"
"I know! You think I don't know this Harry? I know who he is and what he's done, but I don't know what to believe anymore. Who to believe. I used to believe Dumbledore and now I'm more than sure that he kidnapped me when I was but a babe and tried to make me a Squib! I used to think of Malfoys as devil incarnate and they turned out to be a loving, caring family even if they views are less than desirable. I used to believe Voldemort to be a tyrant who would kill if you looked at him funny and I still survived a discussion with him. I'm so confused Harry! I've been spiraling for the last few days. Everything just turned upside down and I'm caught in the middle of all this."
When she was finished she was breathing hard and on the verge of tears. It's been almost a week since her visit in Dark Lord's study. She's waited this long to talk to Harry because she wanted to have some opinion on the matter before broaching the subject but when she couldn't form one and Harry kept pushing her to talk to him she finally gave in deciding that maybe he'll help her make a choice. So far he was not helpful at all.
Harry appeared to take all of that in. She could see that he was as confused as he was if not more. While she always tried to take all of the information with a grain of salt, no matter the source, Harry worshipped Dumbledore and treated his word as a gospel so she could only imagine how hard it would be for him to accept that the Headmaster might not be as perfect as the boy wanted to believe him to be.
"Who are you more inclined to believe Hermione?"
She frowned and thought about it for like a millionth time.
"I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I would rather believe Voldemort. Yes, he tried to kill you, yes he killed your parents, but he was different than what everyone believes him to be. I want to believe people can change. Of course there is a possibly that he might have been acting but what would be his reason?"
"I need to think about it, 'Mione. Let's talk again soon, okay?"
"Of course, Harry. I gotta go find Draco anyway. He's upset about something and he's prone to do something stupid when he's like that."
xxxXXXxxx
She decided that if she wanted to know if Voldemort was just playing her, she had to talk to his Death Eaters. That meant her Dad and Godfather. She sent a letter to the former and decided to visit the latter herself.
If he was surprised to see her standing at his doorstep he didn't show it. He just gestured for her to come in and asked the elves for tea for two.
"I don't suppose you came her just to share tea with me, Cassiopeia. What is it that you wish to talk about?"
Honestly she was a bit nervous asking him about what she wanted to know. She wasn't even sure if he could or would answer her. She was also beginning to feel irritated with herself seeing as nervous has somewhat became a theme in her life.
"I wanted to confirm something, sir. What is it that Voldemort has you, you as in Death Eaters, do these days?"
He pursed his lips together and furrowed his brows. Just when she was sure she wouldn't get an answer, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"The Dark Lord started punishing Death Eaters responsible for all the raids not approved by him beforehand. Apparently it means all of the raids since he came back. Other than that he keeps telling us to stay put. He says he is hatching a plan and doesn't want us to act before it's finished."
"Have you told Dumbledore about this?"
"I have."
"And what did he say?"
Hermione really didn't care about old liar's opinion but she wanted to have all the information she could get.
"He thinks whatever the Dark Lord is up to is nothing good especially if he wants his people on stand by."
"Voldemort knows you're on Dumbledore's side by the way."
Snape choked on tea.
"What? How? Did you tell him?"
"Of course not! You're my Godfather I wouldn't risk your life! He already knew, I don't know how."
Her Godfather looked rather taken aback. If it was the admission that she cared for his well being or the knowledge that he was still alive despite Voldemort finding out his true allegiance, she didn't know. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a while until Snape cleared his throat.
"Tell me about your meeting with the Dark Lord."
"I'm not sure I can. I only got permission to talk to Harry about it. All I can tell you is that it was confusing to say the least."
He nodded, sipping on his tea.
She stayed for a bit longer determined to use this opportunity to get closer to the Godfather she didn't know she had. While he wasn't the most forthcoming person she knew, he did seem to try to open up a bit to her. It was a good start, she decided.
He told her a bit more about her parents. They knew each other since Hogwarts and were still quite close, hence he had a lot of stories to tell and information to give. She learned for example that while preaching that Muggles are beneath them, Lucius enjoyed Muggle music, especially rock and metal. Narcissa on the other hand always wanted a cat but couldn't get one due to being allergic to fur.
He also promised to tell her more about himself next time she visited. She left his office feeling happier than she felt in a while. Not only because she could learn more about her parents and Godfather and feel closer to them but also because said Godfather wanted to cultivate their relationship. When he first told her about being her Godfather, she felt he wasn't really happy about this and was disappointed that his godchild turned out to be the insufferable know-it-all, but now she knew he cared and wanted to get to know her just as much as she wanted to get to know him.
xxxXXXxxx
Dumbledore was not happy with her and she knew it. She just couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly was his problem. She doubted he knew about her visit at Voldemort's, the only people who could've leaked that information assured her he was being kept in the dark. The only other explanation she could think of was that Madam Pomfrey told him she had to unbind get magic and that it was being tested at St Mungos'.
Then again she supposed he knew for some time. She assumed he bribed the staff at the hospital as it was impossible for them not to have a match for the signature. She even asked Harry about it but all he said was that while he's noticed the glares their Headmaster would send her way on multiple occasions, he did not know what was the reason.
In the end Hermione decided the answer was much more simple. The old coot simply disliked her. He must've thought she would protest against being a Malfoy. Instead she had formed a steady and happy relationship with her twin. He must be furious that she turned out to be a Slytherin, he probably thought she was in Gryffindor long enough for the Sorting Hat to place her there again. Instead she was doing quite well in the snakes' pit and was gaining new friends, Blaise being on top of this list, with the recent addition of Theo Nott who would often join her in the library to study together and, Greg Goyle who might've been a simple boy but had a really soft heart for a Slytherin and would quite often try to cheer Hermione up as soon as he sensed she was sad.
A chance to confirm all of her suspicions arose when a second year girl handed her a piece of parchment that turned out to be a request from the Headmaster for her to visit his office after dinner the same day. In all honesty Hermione was much more nervous about this meeting than the one with Voldemort. She was meeting with someone she knew tried to hurt her once already and quite openly disliked her.
When the dinner was about to end, she mentally prepared herself, made sure typ tell Draco where she was going and gave him the password to Dumbledore's office in case of emergency, before she kissed both her twin's and Blaise's cheeks and went to face the man who tried to strip her of her magic.
"Ah, Miss Malfoy, welcome, come in, come in. Lemon Drop?"
She sat on the chair in front of his desk and kindly declined the proffered candy.
"Are you sure, Miss Malfoy? I'm sure one Lemon Drop would cheer you up, you look gloomy. No offence of course."
Veritaserum. The fool laced his candies with Veritaserum. As soon as she discovered that she was sure to erect her Occlumency wards. She started working on them as soon as she started suspecting Dumbledore and with Severus' and Lucius' help she got quite good at it. She didn't use Occlumency while dealing with the Dark Lord because she was advised not to but she didn't want the meddling old fart going through her thoughts.
She also noticed the slight flash of anger in the Headmaster's eyes as soon as she warded her mind and she had to keep herself from smirking the famous Malfoy smirk. Instead she smiled sweetly and assured Dumbledore that she hated Lemon Drops.
"May I ask why was I summoned, sir?"
She was doing her best to sound calm and respectful but inside she was seething. She already knew why she was here. He wanted to interrogate her using Veritaserum on her, an underage student without her consent or Ministry approval no less.
"I merely wished to ask you how are you coping with your new situation, Miss Malfoy. Having a completely new family thrust upon you must've been hard in itself but with the family being the Malfoys… well let me just say if you wish for me to house you at Grimmauld Place for summer all you need is ask."
Hermione couldn't help it. She snorted at his words and after few seconds she started laughing, a bit maniacally and hysterically. When she calmed down a bit she started talking in a high pitched voice laced with both amusement, disbelief and disdain for the man sitting before her.
"I assure you, Dumbledore, I'm coping quite well indeed. I have a loving twin, caring parents and even a snarky Godfather. Don't look so surprised because I didn't even get to the real shocker. I know what you did and I know what you wanted to do. Render me non-magical, huh?" Another burst of laughter. "How did it feel to see me thriving using so little of my magical powers? Must've been nothing compared to how you probably felt when Madam Pomfrey informed you my magic has been unbound. Quite a blow, wasn't it?"
She stopped, the Malfoy smirk now firmly on her face and she waited for the Headmaster to answer. She could see the rage building inside him. His eyes were no longer twinkling, and his face was red. When he spoke though, his voice was calm. Too calm.
"I assure you, Miss Malfoy, I was only doing what was necessary for the greater good. You might be mad at me now, but I'm sure you'll eventually see I was doing the right thing. We couldn't afford having a powerful witch Being raised by a Dark family."
"Don't you dare speak of my family in such a manner." She hissed. As she did so she noticed Dumbledore was inching his hand closer to his wand which was laying on one side of his desk. She tried to use her connection to Draco to send SOS signal not sure if it will work if they were separated. They could faintly sense their emotion from the distance but not their thoughts. She could only hope and in the meantime, stale Headmaster and keep him talking. "I wish to know though. Who named me 'Hermione'? Was it you or was it the Grangers?"
She actually really wanted an answer to this question. She was still in two minds about which name to use. She decided that if it was a name given to her by Dumbledore, she would drop it, but if the Grangers were the ones to give it to her, she would still use it. They might not have been her real parents, but they raised her and she loved them dearly.
"I did. I planted you at the Grangers' house at night and modified their memory while they were asleep. Since you were almost a year old by then it would be weird for them to name you."
She hissed again and Headmaster's hand was even closer to the wand. Not good.
"You do know, who else justified their actions by claiming they were for the greater good? Grindelwald. You defeated him, but was it because you wanted to help or was it because you wanted to reclaim your spotlight?"
"You do not know what you're talking about, child."
"I think I do."
Apparently that was enough for the Headmaster to snap. When he reached for his wand Hermione mentally yelled 'DRACO!' and few things happened at once.
Headmaster pointed his wand at Hermione.
"I'm afraid I can't let you leave this office. You're a danger to all of us and danger must be disposed of."
Draco burst through the doors and seeing Dumbledore's wand aiming at his twin he quickly ran to shield her with his body.
"Avada Ked…"
Hermione forced both herself and Draco to land on the floor, the green light passing right above them. She cast a shield while she and her twin were getting up and they both quickly ran from the office and straight to their Godfather's quarters.
They didn't bother knocking, Draco quickly saying the password. To say Severus was surprised to see his Godchildren barging in looking disheveled and out of breath, would be an understatement but Draco didn't give him time to wonder or ask questions.
"Floo, quickly. Cassi. Attacked. Headmaster."
The Potion Master led them to his fireplace and handed them Floo powder. Draco was about to go in when Hermione spoke, for the first time since they left Dumbledore's office.
"You should come with us. He'll know you helped us escape. He wants me dead, sir. He won't take it lightly, you helping us I mean."
Severus nodded and the three of them left for Malfoy Manor in a blaze of green flames. They exited the hearth on the other side only quickly enough to catch Hermione when she fainted.
xxxXXXxxx
She woke up in a strange, bright room, not sure where she was or how she got there. She looked around and spotted her twin sitting in the end of the bed. Slowly she started to remember. Dumbledore's office, his wand, Draco bursting in, Avada Kedavra. She broke out crying. That caught Draco's attention and he was immediately next to her, hugging her closely and whispering in her ear. But she could quite hear him.
"He tried to kill me. He almost got you killed. Why were you so stupid to jump in between us like that? I could've lose you. I can't believe he used Unforgivable. I thought there were wards against them around Hogwarts. He almost killed you."
She was babbling and starting to hyperventilate. Draco raised he couldn't help her alone so he sent his Patronus with a message to his dad and Severus that she's woken up and needed help or at least a Calming Draught. Meanwhile he still tried to calm her down himself even when her feelings were overwhelming him.
It took the adults maybe five minutes to get there but for Draco it felt like hours. When they finally arrived they pried Draco away from his twin and Severus forced an entire bottle of Calming Draught down her throat. Severus couched her through regaining her breathing once she stopped crying. Lucius sat on her left side while Draco was still sitting on her right. Severus sat on the foot of the bed as imposing as ever.
"He wanted to kill me. Attempted to." Her voice was barely a whisper now but all three of them caught it.
"We know, Cassiopeia." Lucius took her hand in his and started tracing circles on her palm with his thumb in attempt to soothe her. "But you're here, you're alright. He can't get to you here, Manor is heavily warded."
She nodded almost absentmindedly. She was still processing all of it. The Draught helped a bit but she still couldn't wrap her head around it. Her train of thought was cut by Severus when he spoke.
"We had a Healer check on you while you were unconscious. He found traces of a malfunctioning compulsion spell. A Truth spell. Though less effective than Veritaserum it usually does its work but in this case something seemed off. Can you tell us about everything that happened with Dumbledore?"
She did.
"So you realised he was trying to dose you with Veritaserum and you clamped down your Occlumency shields?" A nod. "That might be why the spell behaved oddly. The Truth spell can be countered by Occlumency, but nobody really knows what would happen if it was cast while the shields were just shutting down. Your behavior in Headmaster's office was out of character for you. You did reveal a lot of information so I believe the spell was working to an extent. I believe you taunting Dumbledore like that was a mix of the spell trying to force you to spill your secrets and your Gryffindor brashness."
She was thankful for the Calming Draught. Even with her logical brain it was still hard to take all this in and not panic. Not only did the Headmaster of her school, someone who was supposed to protect his students, admitted to kidnapping her as a child, he tried to dose her with Veritaserum and when that failed hex her into telling truth just to kill her at the end of the day. Then a thought occured to her.
"I want Harry out of this school. He's not safe with the Headmaster. I won't risk his safety if I can help it."
Draco was nodding along. He might not be best mates with Potter, but he found the boy decent enough. And he knew losing him would probably be the last straw for his dear twin. He wanted to keep her happy. Lucius and Severus seemed to consider it. After few minutes of silence, Lucius spoke.
"Do you know of any way we can get him out without anyone noticing?"
"There's a secret passage from Honeydukes. Harry knows where it is and how to open it. But how do we tell him that he needs to get out?"
"Patronus is too risky, he could be with company when he gets it. Obviously none of us can just march into the castle and tell him ourselves. Owls while carrying risk of being intercepted are probably our best shot. Do you have any way to code it so that Harry understands but to someone else reading it would appear as something trivial?"
"I think I can manage that."
They talked a bit more before Lucius and Severus left, the latter leaving more Calming Draught for the girl. Draco opted to stay with her and settled on watching her as she composed the letter for Harry. When she was finished she handed it to him to read it.
"Looks good, sis. But C.M? Don't you still use the name Hermione with your friends?"
She visibly flinched at the sound of her fake name.
"Not anymore, I don't. Not since I discovered who gave me this name. From now on I'll only accept being referred to as Cassiopeia Malfoy. Let people think what they want."
Cassiopeia let Draco hug her. She wanted to be strong but she knew that there was no point in faking it in front of her twin. He knew she was hurting and needed comfort. It was all too easy to let him protect her and lose herself in the embrace. She felt safe and loved and she needed it now more than ever. She just wished they could stay like this forever.
xxxXXXxxx
Harry got Cassiopeia's letter and although he did need a moment to figure out the underlying meaning, once he did, he didn't hesitate. He packed his trunk leaving only his Invisibility Cloak out, called for Dobby and instructed him to move his things to Malfoy Manor (the elf was clearly surprised and a bit distraught but he still agreed) and grabbing the aforementioned cloak headed in the direction of the statue of the One-Eyed Witch. Once outside the sweet shop, he grabbed his wand and praying to any deity that was willing to listen to him not to splinch, he Apparated in front of Malfoy Manor.
He opened his eyes and immediately started checking himself for injuries. Content when he found none he proceed to look around him. He was outside an iron wrought gate. He tried opening it but it wouldn't budge. Finally he sent his Patronus to Draco. Cassiopeia probably didn't know how to open them either. After no more than five minutes the gate opened to let him in.
The gardens were sure impressive. Here and there an Albino Peacock would make an appearance. But the thing that amazed Harry the most was Manor itself. White as snow and enormous it was a sight to behold. He finally realized why Malfoy always acted like he was above everyone. Because he was. And now Cassiopeia was too. He felt a bit inadequate to be there all of sudden.
Once he entered the Manor, he had mouth full of blonde long hair.
"Good to see you too, 'Mio…" He didn't finish because Cassiopeia all but growled at him before saying.
"It's Cassiopeia or Cassi from now on, Harry. I do not wish to ever hear that awful other name again."
"Er… sure thing, Cassi." She stepped aside and gave him a small grateful smile. Harry could now see everyone else in the room. "Hello, Professor. Mister Malfoy. Draco."
Three voice answered "Potter" at the same time, making Cassiopeia laugh.
Harry looked around once more and asked.
"So… what now?"