A/N: I hope this chapter will be as good as the last one. Sorry for the very long non-update time. I'll explain later. Actually, I'll summarize it now: H-E- double hockey sticks!
Dedication: My friend Taiyourshoes who wrote a really cute story call Did You Find What You Were Looking For. It a Lily/ James fic. It's really good.
Disclaimer: Me no own Harry Potter.
Chapter Twelve: Family Feud
Flashback
Narcissa growled. "I thought you got rid of the brat. Why is she still here?"
"Believe me I've attempted to kill her many a time but she just won't die!" her sister answered, grasping Cassandra's shoulder's tighter.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "We'll have to fix that now won't we?"
"Indeed we do, sister." Bellatrix pushed Cassandra in front of her.
Cassandra, once again, was too frightened to do anything.
"I'd like you to meet your father and your uncle but I believe there is no time left for you." Bellatrix grinned evilly. She and Narcissa took a menacing step forward, wands raised and pointed at Cassandra.
End of Flashback
Dawn was frightened as can be under the table. She could feel the arms of Loofamin and Callia around her. She could smell the stench of their morning breath flirting with the stench of death. She could taste burnt flesh. She could hear the screams of pain around her. One minute she could see Cassandra's blue slippers but then there was another pair. Then there was none at all.
It was like she just disappeared.
Dawn was frightened for her friends but mostly her cousin who had been the closest thing to a sister she had.
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"Ron!" Harry shouted in horror as he watched his friend go down. He gulped down the sudden nausea that made his way to his throat. Ron's face was whiter than usual. There was blood—his and others--splattered on various places of his person. His pajama clothes were torn to reveal blood stained white skin.
"Ron!" he screamed again. He bent down and felt for a pulse. There was none. Harry wrenched his hand away and ran it through his hair. He shirked in frustration and fear.
Harry looked around him. Everywhere he turned students ran, dashed under tables, shouted curses, and fell down when their spells failed.
He quickly scrambled up onto his feet. Immediately a sharp pain surged from his left shoulder. He gasped in pain as he clutched his broken limb and turned.
Behind him a robed figure sneered down at Harry from his perch on a table. The Death Eater played with his wand casually. "Well, well, well, Harry Potter. Is your little weasel of a friend dead? He looks awfully pale. And there's blood everywhere! My goodness! What ill fate has befallen on such a sorrowful soul?"
Harry screamed, "Avada Kedavra!" in a powerful voice that lasted as quickly as it came. As the Death Eater began to fall, so did Harry. He collapsed in a fountain of tears.
He cried on his knees by Ron's body, unaware of the sounds and scenes around him, and didn't move until a small, frightened voice awakened him from his sorrowful state.
"Harry, what happened to my brother?" Ginny's voice whispered in Harry's ear.
Harry stopped crying and sighed. His senses came rushing back. "I've got to get him to safety." He got up slowly, gathering Ron into his arms.
"Harry," Ginny tugged at his dirty sleeve. "Where are you taking him? What's going on? Harry?" Her voice was in a high pitched panic. Her tear, sweat, and blood streaked face was frozen in terror.
"Get off, Ginny. I'm going to get him to a place where he can sleep."
"Where?"
"I don't know." Harry started to walk away and Ginny followed him. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw two masses of black hair and one of blonde in a far corner of the room.
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Cassandra had never been as frightened as she was now. Her mother—mother—and aunt were trying to kill her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes wishing her death would be painless.
The words "Avada Kedavra!" were flung into the air so quickly that it took Cassandra a minute to realize the words were spoken by a male. She opened her eyes and saw Harry The Boy Who Lived Potter. He was standing with his wand pointed at Bellatrix and Narcissa. He was bloodied, torn and covered in something that looked like green goo, but Cassandra wasn't too eager to find out.
"Harry!" Cassandra ran to hug him but was stopped when she caught the serious look on his face. She had only seen that look on his face when Helena touched his broom with her hands dirtied by pudding.
Suddenly all the Death Eaters in the Hall hissed in pain. They all clutched their left arms. "He summons," was whispered throughout.
Bellatrix turned to Cassandra. "I hate to cut this little family feud short but my Master summons. Your heart will be lying useless in my bloody hands soon enough, little girl."
Just as suddenly as they came, the Death Eaters disappeared.
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Later that morning, the Great Hall was restored, students were sent to Saint Mungo's, and everyone was pretty much over the shock was when Albus Dumbledore called everyone back into the Great Hall for a very significant message.
"Good morning, or afternoon? I have terrible news. Somehow the safety spells around the castle were broken. The Dark Lord sent his Death Eaters to try to kill me and some other students for reasons unknown or too horrible to speak of. As you can see, he was somewhat successful, but not completely.
"When you are dismissed, you are to go and pack your trunks for home. We will send word for when you can come back to Hogwarts.
"I really hate to do this but I have a list of students who are deceased. I am very sorry for everyone's loss.
"John Depth, Jacob Matthews, Abbie Taylor, Miranda Rayzor, James…" His list went on and on until the majority of the Hall was crying.
Cassandra grasped Dawn's hand tight. Milo and Ron were hurt badly and were sent away for help. Though she had pain, questions buzzed around in her mind: How did the Death Eaters get in here? How did they leave? Why does my mother want to kill me? Heck, why does my whole family want to kill me? Will Milo be fine? What about Ron—
Ron's name brought tears to her eyes. Until now, she hadn't really realized how much he meant to her. He had always been there for Harry and the rest. He was much more than just a friend. He was… more than a companion…. He was… special…. Different from the rest…
"Dawn," Cassandra whispered into her little cousin's hair. "I need to go. I need to do something. I—I—." A dam broke in her body. Tears flooded down her face. "Why him? Why couldn't it have been me?"
Dawn, not getting that it was Ron she was talking about, said, "It's going to be all right. Milo's going to be just fine. We of the Sanderson clan are strong." She smiled weakly at Cassandra.
Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Dawn didn't know! Cassandra couldn't take it any longer. She fled the Hall.
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Moonlight flooded Cassandra's dorm from an open window. Little wet flakes of snow fluttered in, landing softly on Cassandra and the sheets around her. All around her, her roommates were huddled under their blankets with their bed curtain closed. Their bags were packed and ready to leave in the morning.
Cassandra stared out in the cloudy night. The moon peaked between clouds. It was so peaceful. How could something so horrible have happened only hours ago?
The door creaking made Cassandra turn. A shadowed figure stood in the doorway.
"Cassandra, it's me. Esmeralda."
Cassandra sat up. "Professor Blackwood?"
Blackwood stepped forward. She was beautiful in the half moonlight. Her gray eyes shone like two gems surrounded by pale snow and shadow. She made her way to Cassandra's bed and sat down. "Just Esmeralda when we're alone. But when I'm teaching, it's Blackwood." She grabbed Cassandra's hand and stared into the students eyes. "I'm sorry." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I'm sorry what you have been through. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I'm sorry I haven't done my job."
Cassandra gave her soon to be sister a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"I've done a shitty job trying to keep you alive. I'm a horrible person. I've failed Brett." She squeezed Cassandra's hand tighter.
"What do you mean?"
"I promised Brett that I would keep you alive and out of trouble. I promised to watch over you to protect you. I'm so stupid. I can't do anything right."
"You've done a fine job. Is that why you were so strict to me and my friends?"
"Yes," the teacher said sadly.
"But that's ok. McGonagall is strict to us. She must love us a whole lot." Cassandra smiled in attempt to brighten Esmeralda's spirits.
The black haired teacher smiled slightly as she wrapped an arm around Cassandra. "You know what? I think I'm going to like having you as a sister-in-law."
Cassandra smiled and hugged Esmeralda.
"Oh, I forgot to ask, are you ready to go home?" the older witch asked the younger one.
Cassandra pulled away. "Home…" she whispered.
"Let me help you pack your trunk."
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The next morning, the students piled onto the train and headed for home. The ride was smooth as a train ride could be.
When she got off the train at the station, Cassandra saw the Weasley family getting Ginny, Harry's aunt and uncle, and Helena's mother and her mother's boyfriend. She smiled at the other families embracing their children, making sure they were all right and doing normal family things.
From beside her, Dawn started running ahead.
Curious, Cassandra watched her cousin run off to a red haired woman and give her a great hug. Eve. Odette flocked Dawn and Milo, back from Mungo's because of false examination, as he approached. Odette with her beautiful straight blonde hair and washed out blue eyes held a teddy bear out to the brown haired boy. Brett was also there, standing like a tall statue. The only thing moving was his eyes. His eyes were searching for his lover.
Cassandra turned. She couldn't face them. She had been so horrible to them, Eve especially. Her adoptive mother had been nothing but loving and she still shunned her. Cassandra couldn't bear the guilt.
But, then again, they hadn't told her she was adopted or anything. Let alone her mother was Bellatrix Lestrange!
She turned away in fury and almost bumped into Esmeralda.
"You'll be fine, love. You don't have to say anything. Come on, I'll go with you," she offered.
Silently Cassandra nodded and turned to face the root of her shame.
A/n: Ack! Short chapter I know! It's not as good as the other ones but I needed to get some boring information out there. I don't remember the last time I updated but I know it was long. I'm so sorry! I have family in New Orleans--self explanatory—and that same weekend my uncle had a stroke. Then many other horrible things happened but now I think that all that has ended. I'll try to write more often. Just so you know, this story is, sadly, almost over, but I'm planning to write another about Helena's life. It will be in the seventh year so it's bound to be good. Oh and I also started writing a Crown Duel fanfic. It's a little mature but nothing desciptive.
