Thank God! I don't know if it's been happening to you guys, but for the
past like three days I haven't been able to get onto the site! And it was
driving me crazy because I have two chapters done and I'm on Chapter Eleven
as we speak! Woo hoo! Okay then…lets get ready to rumble!
Thank you to all who reviewed so far! You guys are the greatest!
Potter Twins: Thanks for the review! I cannot wait until you update your story! It is exceptional!
Snivellus: As usual your updates are amazing! They mean the world to me! I thought my portrayal of Voldemort was a bit cheesy if you ask me, but hey what do I know? Lol!
Thank you for the reviews and for all of you phantom readers out there (what I like to call the people who read but don't review! Lol) Don't be shy, I won't bite just leave a lil reply and you'll be my new best friend!
9. Hogsmeade
The weekend before Halloween was dawning nearer and all of the students above third year were anxiously awaiting the trip to Hogsmeade. Even the teachers were getting excited towards the end of the week seeing as Professor Dumbledore had instructed that all of the teachers would patrol Hogsmeade to keep the students safe and out of mischief.
Harry and Ron were counting down the hours on Friday in Professor Trelawney's Divination class that evening the batty old fraud explaining that she would be watching them all in Hogsmeade through her crystal ball.
"When one sees," she explained as she put a hand on her crystal ball, "there is no need for them to leave the comforts of their surroundings to muse with other people without the Sight."
"No," Cassandra murmured so only Ron and Harry could hear, "one would call that anti-social." Harry and Ron sniggered and Professor Trelawney gave them a serious look. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil throwing them looks of disgust.
"Only twenty more minutes of this bat and then its Hogsmeade all day tomorrow," Ron exulted as they pretended to read through chapter two of their book, 'Horoscopes and how to Make Sense of Them.'
"Have fun," Cassandra said dismally as she tapped the crystal ball to her left. "I'll be stuck here."
"Why can't you go?" Harry asked before he gave up on reading and closed his book. Trelawney was busy talking to Lavender and Parvati about why Scorpio and Virgo didn't get along.
"Well nobody's signed my permission slip so I'm stuck here."
"Go talk to Professor McGonagall, I'm sure she'll let you go," Ron said before he followed Harry and closed his book, going so far as to put it back into his bag.
"Already have. She told me 'No permission form Miss White, no Hogsmeade,'" Cassandra complained doing a dead on impression of Professor McGonagall's no nonsense tone.
"Well Harry couldn't go to Hogsmeade in his third year, but he did anyway," Ron explained throwing Harry a heavy wink.
"How, didn't you get into trouble?"
"Not if you don't know where to go," Harry said a smirk etching onto his face. "We can help you there."
"Sure, oh shoot I can't go," Cassandra said in a loud whisper smacking her forehead.
"Why? It's really easy," said Ron in a persuasive tone.
"I have detention with Snape," Cassandra replied before she stuck her nose in her Divination book.
"Again? Cassie this is like the third one in two months. I can understand that one time when you put the boomslang in Malfoy's cauldron on purpose, pure genius I might add, but you haven't done anything else," Ron cried out rather loudly as the noise level in the room went down, Professor Trelawney looking up through her oversized glasses.
"I keep giving him 'cheek' as he likes to call it. Says he needs to break me of the habit or 'I'll get nowhere in life if I keep disrespecting my elders.'" Cassandra explained simply before the end of class bell rang throughout the school, signaling the end of classes for the day and the beginning of dinner.
"Write half a parchment on the characteristics of your Zodiac sign. Oh and Mr. Longbottom dear, do be careful in Hogsmeade tomorrow I fear you'll get a stomach ache at the Three Broomsticks," Professor Trelawney announced as the class shuffled towards the silver step ladder in the floor.
*~*~*
"Harry! Harry wait!" a voice yelled out. It was coming a few feet behind him. Harry turned around and saw Hermione running towards him, bushy hair flopping around wildly. "Thank goodness I caught up to you!" Hermione exclaimed breathlessly. Harry noticed that Cassandra and Ron had stopped and were a few inches behind him. "I just got done talking to Professor Dumbledore. He agrees with me that you should take up Occlumency lessons with Snape again. You're going to see him tomorrow night after dinner!" Hermione said happily as if this were the best idea in the world.
Harry stared at her stupidly and he could hear Ron grumbling underneath his breath behind him. "I already told you Hermione. I do not want him teaching me anything. Its bad enough I have to put up with him in potions! But to have to spend time with him outside of class? Its absurd and I won't do it!" Harry said his voice rising, temper mounting.
"Harry please this is for the best. You need to learn to block Voldemort out of your dreams. He might even be able to possess you! Please just try Harry. I'm sure Sirius would have wanted you to do it," Hermione pleaded.
"You leave Sirius out of this, Hermione! Sirius hated Snape you know that and I'm sure he wouldn't want that slime ball to teach me potions let alone Occlumency lessons!" Harry yelled out making Hermione flinch a bit.
"Well I'm sure Sirius wouldn't want his only godson, the closest he's ever had to a child, to be hurt or, god forbid, killed. You'll be doing a favor to yourself and everyone else by keeping Voldemort out. Do it for Sirius, Harry," Hermione beseeched her eyes brimming with tears.
A brief vision of Sirius falling through the veil, that shocked and fearful look stuck on his handsome face reverberating through his mind. Harry shook his head and the vision of the corridor, Hermione in front of him came back to him quickly. "Fine. But I'm only doing it for Sirius." Hermione beamed.
"Wonderful! Let's head down to dinner, I'm starving!" Hermione exclaimed happily as the four of them walked down to dinner. All of them laughing about Honeydukes and all of the amazing candies and sweets inside, all except Cassandra who was walking silently besides them.
*~*~*
The next day dawned bright and clear, the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall sunny and cloudless as Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny entered, wearing their Gryffindor scarves and cloaks. Even though it wasn't that cold outside, there was a brisk, autumn wind that blew across the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade. Hermione explained that Cassandra was still sleeping when she left their room that morning.
"It was a bit odd really," Hermione explained before taking a big gulp of her pumpkin juice, "I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard her get out of bed and leave the room. I thought nothing of it really, I just thought she had to run to the privy but she didn't turn up for almost two hours. I stayed awake, debating whether or not to get up and find her but she came back into the room. I could hear her sniffling a bit, almost like she had been crying for quite some time. The thought crossed me that she was upset over her mark in that potion test we had on Wednesday but I'm not sure. As I was leaving I saw her clutching her chest as if it was hurting her but then again she was sleeping…"
"Hermione why don't you put a sock in it for a bit I want to enjoy a quiet breakfast," Ron said shortly as he spread butter over his toast. Hermione gave him an angry look before she went back to eating her eggs.
Twenty minutes later the four of them were crossing the Hogwart's grounds, heading towards the only all magic town in Great Britain, Hogsmeade. The group proceeded to the candy store Honeydukes where they stocked their supplies of sugar quills, exploding bonbons, Fizzing Whizbees, and some Bernie Botts Every Flavored Beans.
Harry wished the day would never end as they left Zonko's stocked with Dungbombs, Frog Spawn Soap, and even one of Fred and George's fake wands they had sold to Zonko's before they opened their joke shop in Diagon Alley. Harry knew that in a few hours he would be going back to the castle to have dinner and then it was the dreaded Occlumency lesson with Snape. Harry admitted that he was still a bit mad at Hermione for going off to schedule his lessons without his permission but he knew she meant her intentions to be good.
Ginny said goodbye to them at around noon as they stopped into the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer and a bit of lunch. Harry paid for their second round of butterbeers and their dessert of treacle tarts his money bag considerably lighter.
"Only a few days left and the Quidditch season begins!" Ron rejoiced as he took a large swig of his butterbeer. Harry beamed at him as he took another sip of his drink, feeling the warmth spread around him.
"I'm assuming practices have been running smoothly?" Hermione asked, leaning back in her chair and waving to a prefect from another house.
"Extremely smooth," Ron commented, "although I don't know what Katie was thinking when she made Neville a beater."
"I'm sure he's not that bad," Hermione exclaimed furrowing her brow at Ron.
"He just needs to learn that he needs to hit the bludger and not fly away from it."
"Well you were a horrible keeper at the beginning of the season last term and you got better towards the end," Hermione pointed out. Ron's ears went pink.
"Jeez, thanks Hermione," Ron muttered before he became interested in the marks in the wooden table.
"What about Cassie? Is she good?"
"She's smashing!" Ron raved, "She has a Nimbus Two Thousand which isn't that bad but they just came out with the Nimbus Two Thousand Threes and they're almost as good as the Firebolt." Harry nodded thinking back to his own Nimbus Two Thousand which was ripped to splinters by the Whomping Willow in his third year. "Just as good as Fred and George. Maybe as good as them put together!"
"I see. Well, what do you say we head over to Gladrags and see what kind of things they have in there. I'd fancy a new scarf," Hermione said as she put a sickle on the table for a tip. Harry followed and put down two and Ron put down two Knuts.
*~*~*
Harry, Ron, and Hermione got back to Hogwarts about an hour before dinner so they could get started on some of their homework for the weekend. Cassandra was nowhere to be found in the common room or in her dormitory when Hermione went to check before they went down to dinner.
They were all surprised to find that Cassandra didn't even show up for dinner and all three of them knew she wasn't one to skip dinner. After they had filled themselves with as much food as they possibly could, Harry said goodbye to Ron and Hermione before he headed towards the dungeons and Snape's office where his Occlumency lesson would be starting.
He neared Snape's office and was about to knock on the door when he heard voices coming from inside. From what Harry could tell there were two people inside Snape's horrendous office. And they were both laughing! Harry could make out a female voice and then Snape's voice, but Snape didn't know how to laugh like a normal human, did he? He only knew how to smirk and sneer at his students who goofed up on their experiments.
"Thank you so much for the potion Professor Snape, I felt like I was going to explode last night," the female voice exclaimed nearing the door.
"So long as you don't get used to it, I won't always be there to mix up that potion in the middle of the night." Snape said his voice back to its silky and sulking ways.
"Well the pain's certainly gone down since last night."
"Did anybody hear you leave?" Snape asked and Harry could have sworn he heard the man chuckle.
"I don't believe so Professor. It's not like they could have done anything to me anyway."
"Yes, well you best get going, Potter's due for his Occlumency lesson right about now." Snape explained and Harry could almost imagine the man checking his watch.
"Sure thing Professor and thank you again," the female exclaimed gratefully her voice sounded vaguely familiar.
"Your welcome."
And suddenly the door opened in front of Harry's face. Making sure he was well hidden from Professor Snape when the door opened. Harry gasped in astonishment when he came face to face with Cassandra White, a shocked expression registerd on her face.
Thank you to all who reviewed so far! You guys are the greatest!
Potter Twins: Thanks for the review! I cannot wait until you update your story! It is exceptional!
Snivellus: As usual your updates are amazing! They mean the world to me! I thought my portrayal of Voldemort was a bit cheesy if you ask me, but hey what do I know? Lol!
Thank you for the reviews and for all of you phantom readers out there (what I like to call the people who read but don't review! Lol) Don't be shy, I won't bite just leave a lil reply and you'll be my new best friend!
9. Hogsmeade
The weekend before Halloween was dawning nearer and all of the students above third year were anxiously awaiting the trip to Hogsmeade. Even the teachers were getting excited towards the end of the week seeing as Professor Dumbledore had instructed that all of the teachers would patrol Hogsmeade to keep the students safe and out of mischief.
Harry and Ron were counting down the hours on Friday in Professor Trelawney's Divination class that evening the batty old fraud explaining that she would be watching them all in Hogsmeade through her crystal ball.
"When one sees," she explained as she put a hand on her crystal ball, "there is no need for them to leave the comforts of their surroundings to muse with other people without the Sight."
"No," Cassandra murmured so only Ron and Harry could hear, "one would call that anti-social." Harry and Ron sniggered and Professor Trelawney gave them a serious look. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil throwing them looks of disgust.
"Only twenty more minutes of this bat and then its Hogsmeade all day tomorrow," Ron exulted as they pretended to read through chapter two of their book, 'Horoscopes and how to Make Sense of Them.'
"Have fun," Cassandra said dismally as she tapped the crystal ball to her left. "I'll be stuck here."
"Why can't you go?" Harry asked before he gave up on reading and closed his book. Trelawney was busy talking to Lavender and Parvati about why Scorpio and Virgo didn't get along.
"Well nobody's signed my permission slip so I'm stuck here."
"Go talk to Professor McGonagall, I'm sure she'll let you go," Ron said before he followed Harry and closed his book, going so far as to put it back into his bag.
"Already have. She told me 'No permission form Miss White, no Hogsmeade,'" Cassandra complained doing a dead on impression of Professor McGonagall's no nonsense tone.
"Well Harry couldn't go to Hogsmeade in his third year, but he did anyway," Ron explained throwing Harry a heavy wink.
"How, didn't you get into trouble?"
"Not if you don't know where to go," Harry said a smirk etching onto his face. "We can help you there."
"Sure, oh shoot I can't go," Cassandra said in a loud whisper smacking her forehead.
"Why? It's really easy," said Ron in a persuasive tone.
"I have detention with Snape," Cassandra replied before she stuck her nose in her Divination book.
"Again? Cassie this is like the third one in two months. I can understand that one time when you put the boomslang in Malfoy's cauldron on purpose, pure genius I might add, but you haven't done anything else," Ron cried out rather loudly as the noise level in the room went down, Professor Trelawney looking up through her oversized glasses.
"I keep giving him 'cheek' as he likes to call it. Says he needs to break me of the habit or 'I'll get nowhere in life if I keep disrespecting my elders.'" Cassandra explained simply before the end of class bell rang throughout the school, signaling the end of classes for the day and the beginning of dinner.
"Write half a parchment on the characteristics of your Zodiac sign. Oh and Mr. Longbottom dear, do be careful in Hogsmeade tomorrow I fear you'll get a stomach ache at the Three Broomsticks," Professor Trelawney announced as the class shuffled towards the silver step ladder in the floor.
*~*~*
"Harry! Harry wait!" a voice yelled out. It was coming a few feet behind him. Harry turned around and saw Hermione running towards him, bushy hair flopping around wildly. "Thank goodness I caught up to you!" Hermione exclaimed breathlessly. Harry noticed that Cassandra and Ron had stopped and were a few inches behind him. "I just got done talking to Professor Dumbledore. He agrees with me that you should take up Occlumency lessons with Snape again. You're going to see him tomorrow night after dinner!" Hermione said happily as if this were the best idea in the world.
Harry stared at her stupidly and he could hear Ron grumbling underneath his breath behind him. "I already told you Hermione. I do not want him teaching me anything. Its bad enough I have to put up with him in potions! But to have to spend time with him outside of class? Its absurd and I won't do it!" Harry said his voice rising, temper mounting.
"Harry please this is for the best. You need to learn to block Voldemort out of your dreams. He might even be able to possess you! Please just try Harry. I'm sure Sirius would have wanted you to do it," Hermione pleaded.
"You leave Sirius out of this, Hermione! Sirius hated Snape you know that and I'm sure he wouldn't want that slime ball to teach me potions let alone Occlumency lessons!" Harry yelled out making Hermione flinch a bit.
"Well I'm sure Sirius wouldn't want his only godson, the closest he's ever had to a child, to be hurt or, god forbid, killed. You'll be doing a favor to yourself and everyone else by keeping Voldemort out. Do it for Sirius, Harry," Hermione beseeched her eyes brimming with tears.
A brief vision of Sirius falling through the veil, that shocked and fearful look stuck on his handsome face reverberating through his mind. Harry shook his head and the vision of the corridor, Hermione in front of him came back to him quickly. "Fine. But I'm only doing it for Sirius." Hermione beamed.
"Wonderful! Let's head down to dinner, I'm starving!" Hermione exclaimed happily as the four of them walked down to dinner. All of them laughing about Honeydukes and all of the amazing candies and sweets inside, all except Cassandra who was walking silently besides them.
*~*~*
The next day dawned bright and clear, the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall sunny and cloudless as Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny entered, wearing their Gryffindor scarves and cloaks. Even though it wasn't that cold outside, there was a brisk, autumn wind that blew across the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade. Hermione explained that Cassandra was still sleeping when she left their room that morning.
"It was a bit odd really," Hermione explained before taking a big gulp of her pumpkin juice, "I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard her get out of bed and leave the room. I thought nothing of it really, I just thought she had to run to the privy but she didn't turn up for almost two hours. I stayed awake, debating whether or not to get up and find her but she came back into the room. I could hear her sniffling a bit, almost like she had been crying for quite some time. The thought crossed me that she was upset over her mark in that potion test we had on Wednesday but I'm not sure. As I was leaving I saw her clutching her chest as if it was hurting her but then again she was sleeping…"
"Hermione why don't you put a sock in it for a bit I want to enjoy a quiet breakfast," Ron said shortly as he spread butter over his toast. Hermione gave him an angry look before she went back to eating her eggs.
Twenty minutes later the four of them were crossing the Hogwart's grounds, heading towards the only all magic town in Great Britain, Hogsmeade. The group proceeded to the candy store Honeydukes where they stocked their supplies of sugar quills, exploding bonbons, Fizzing Whizbees, and some Bernie Botts Every Flavored Beans.
Harry wished the day would never end as they left Zonko's stocked with Dungbombs, Frog Spawn Soap, and even one of Fred and George's fake wands they had sold to Zonko's before they opened their joke shop in Diagon Alley. Harry knew that in a few hours he would be going back to the castle to have dinner and then it was the dreaded Occlumency lesson with Snape. Harry admitted that he was still a bit mad at Hermione for going off to schedule his lessons without his permission but he knew she meant her intentions to be good.
Ginny said goodbye to them at around noon as they stopped into the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer and a bit of lunch. Harry paid for their second round of butterbeers and their dessert of treacle tarts his money bag considerably lighter.
"Only a few days left and the Quidditch season begins!" Ron rejoiced as he took a large swig of his butterbeer. Harry beamed at him as he took another sip of his drink, feeling the warmth spread around him.
"I'm assuming practices have been running smoothly?" Hermione asked, leaning back in her chair and waving to a prefect from another house.
"Extremely smooth," Ron commented, "although I don't know what Katie was thinking when she made Neville a beater."
"I'm sure he's not that bad," Hermione exclaimed furrowing her brow at Ron.
"He just needs to learn that he needs to hit the bludger and not fly away from it."
"Well you were a horrible keeper at the beginning of the season last term and you got better towards the end," Hermione pointed out. Ron's ears went pink.
"Jeez, thanks Hermione," Ron muttered before he became interested in the marks in the wooden table.
"What about Cassie? Is she good?"
"She's smashing!" Ron raved, "She has a Nimbus Two Thousand which isn't that bad but they just came out with the Nimbus Two Thousand Threes and they're almost as good as the Firebolt." Harry nodded thinking back to his own Nimbus Two Thousand which was ripped to splinters by the Whomping Willow in his third year. "Just as good as Fred and George. Maybe as good as them put together!"
"I see. Well, what do you say we head over to Gladrags and see what kind of things they have in there. I'd fancy a new scarf," Hermione said as she put a sickle on the table for a tip. Harry followed and put down two and Ron put down two Knuts.
*~*~*
Harry, Ron, and Hermione got back to Hogwarts about an hour before dinner so they could get started on some of their homework for the weekend. Cassandra was nowhere to be found in the common room or in her dormitory when Hermione went to check before they went down to dinner.
They were all surprised to find that Cassandra didn't even show up for dinner and all three of them knew she wasn't one to skip dinner. After they had filled themselves with as much food as they possibly could, Harry said goodbye to Ron and Hermione before he headed towards the dungeons and Snape's office where his Occlumency lesson would be starting.
He neared Snape's office and was about to knock on the door when he heard voices coming from inside. From what Harry could tell there were two people inside Snape's horrendous office. And they were both laughing! Harry could make out a female voice and then Snape's voice, but Snape didn't know how to laugh like a normal human, did he? He only knew how to smirk and sneer at his students who goofed up on their experiments.
"Thank you so much for the potion Professor Snape, I felt like I was going to explode last night," the female voice exclaimed nearing the door.
"So long as you don't get used to it, I won't always be there to mix up that potion in the middle of the night." Snape said his voice back to its silky and sulking ways.
"Well the pain's certainly gone down since last night."
"Did anybody hear you leave?" Snape asked and Harry could have sworn he heard the man chuckle.
"I don't believe so Professor. It's not like they could have done anything to me anyway."
"Yes, well you best get going, Potter's due for his Occlumency lesson right about now." Snape explained and Harry could almost imagine the man checking his watch.
"Sure thing Professor and thank you again," the female exclaimed gratefully her voice sounded vaguely familiar.
"Your welcome."
And suddenly the door opened in front of Harry's face. Making sure he was well hidden from Professor Snape when the door opened. Harry gasped in astonishment when he came face to face with Cassandra White, a shocked expression registerd on her face.