DISCLAIMER: Do I look like a blond millionaire? Actually, you don't know what I look like. But I'm not JKR in any case, so, naturally, I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: Hellooo! Big thanks to Yuuki no Yuki for pointing out my mistake with the Hatstall (not Hatstill, like I wrote). I have no idea what happened there, but it's fixed now. Big, BIG thanks to every reviewer who has taken the time to comment on this story. I honestly can't believe how fast this story is growing (the last update pushed us past 2600 hits!) and I appreciate each and every one of you guys' positive feedback! Please enjoy!

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The next few weeks were definitely…interesting. After the fiasco with Professor Trelawney, the whole school had looked at Cass sideways for a few days (although how they knew was a mystery, even to a Seer. Certainly none of Cass's friends had told anybody, and she doubted Harry or his friend had said anything. Hogwarts truly is a magical place). Cass's friends' reactions, however, ranged from understanding (like Janelle) to demanding answers (like Brooke). Cass had told them the truth; she really didn't know what happened. But she had also told them that she didn't remember what she had seen. That was a lie; Cass remembered everything all too vividly. If only she could understand it. In any case, Cass felt an intense drive to find her parents.

This vigor inevitably led her to the library to research old wizarding families. This should be fun, all I have to go by is dark red hair, Cass had thought to herself sarcastically. The Weasleys? No, Cass didn't really have any freckles. The Abbotts? That didn't seem right either. The Prewetts? No, their line just led Cass back to the Weasleys. After what seemed like many long hours (which was, in all actuality, probably just onehour) in a stuffy library on a Saturday morning, Cass had been ready to give up. That was until she had met Hermione Granger.

Cass had been combing through thick volumes filled with dust that made her sneeze when the prefect had walked over to her.

"Do you need any help?" Hermione had asked gently, gesturing to Cass's struggle to hold the books.

"Uh, yes please!" Cass had replied. Hermione proceeded to help Cass lay all the books on a nearby table.

"What does a first-year need with all these books on…genealogy?" Hermione had whispered, reading the books' titles.

Cass blushed. "Well, I was trying to find my parents—birth parents," Cass corrected herself. "They abandoned me at a fire station, and I'm not sure if they were magical or non-magical…I just—"

"—Have to know," Hermione finished for her, smiling. Cass nodded and smiled back.

Over the next few weeks, Cass had seen Hermione a lot at the library, enough that the two Gryffindors had gotten to know each other a bit. Cass hadn't been surprised to find out that Hermione was friends with Harry Potter; her, Harry, and the other prefect, Ronald, were always together. She was a bit confused with the whole S.P.E.W. thing.

"Well, it seems to me that the house-elves like working, right? Why take that away from them? They definitely shouldn't be treated badly, and it would be better if they got paid, but if they don't want it, why force it upon them? Besides, Hogwarts elves are treated well, so you don't have to leave them clothes," Cass had said. "I do agree, though. I never thought wizards would have slaves, but the house-elves chose it for themselves, so I think it would be wrong to take away that choice."

Hermione had seemed slightly disappointed, but she didn't press S.P.E.W. on Cass anymore. In fact, she looked thoughtful after listening to Cass and had immediately run off to research more on house-elves. Cass, however, had perked up as soon as the word "elf" was said and, after giving Hermione her opinion, ran off to find Brooke or Sarah or another one of her friends to look for one.

In her classes, Cass was doing wonderfully. Potions and Charms were her favorite ones. In Charms, both Cass and the Ravenclaw, Cyrene, were the first to ask and answer questions. Naturally, they had become fast friends. Cyrene was very curious, maybe even more curious than Cass (although Cass would tell you otherwise). Cyrene was fascinated by the sparks Brooke produced from her wand when she was angry, she was fascinated by wand movement and analyzed each incantation the first-years learned. Cyrene was fascinated by Cass's ability, too, asking her questions about feelings Cass got and other such things. She was even fascinated in History of Magic (which was a miracle to Cass; how could anyone be fascinated by that droning voice?).

Cass had spent a lot of time trying to develop her gift, too, with the help of Brooke, Janelle, Rose, Bello, and sometimes Sarah. She found that Seeing the present was easiest; it was absolute. Cass almost never got visions of the past, though, and they always came with a bit of a headache. Sarah had thought of a perfectly good reason for this; the past was sometimes hard to deal with. Cass's visions of the future, however often, were the least reliable. She usually only Saw the future just before actually happened, which definitely put a damper on its usefulness.

By now, the whole school knew about Cass's gift, just not the extent of it (like Seeing the past, which Rose had explained wasn't very common). For a couple very annoying days, Cass received requests for predicting people's future several times an hour, and don't even get her started on the Gryffindor Gossips. Lavender and Parvarti fawned over Cass, much to her frustration. Brooke got a real kick out of it, but Cass would just glare at her through Lavender's pleas for palm-reading.

One memorable instance of someone asking for a prediction was in Defense Against the Dark Arts during the first week of October.

"Everyone, it seems we have a Seer with us," said Umbridge. Cass grimaced at her book that she was pretending to read. Why in the name of treacle tarts is this toad doing this? Cass had thought angrily.

"Miss McGarther, if you could please explain to everyone why you have spread rumors about yourself being a Seer?" Umbridge smiled sweetly—sickly.

Cass tore her eyes from her book and adopted a blank expression. "I didn't spread those rumors, ma'am. In fact, I wish no one knew about it."

Umbridge's smile slipped. "Miss McGarther, if you are going to fib, at least make it convincing. The ability to See the future doesn't develop until a witch or wizard has reached the age of thirteen, at the very least."

Cass couldn't help the words that came out next. "I make it a habit to do the impossible." Umbridge's eyes narrowed. "Ma'am," Cass tacked on as an afterthought.

"Well, Miss McGarther, I am sure you would be happy to demonstrate for the class?" said the toad with a high-pitched voice and bulging eyes.

"I do not think that this is the right time for that, Professor Umbridge."

Umbridge gave Cass a wide smile. "Just one prediction."

"No, thank you."

"As…proof of your ability?"

"I don't need to prove myself, ma'am, but thank you for your support," Cass said in as polite a voice she could manage. Next to her, Brooke was trying—and failing—to hold in her giggles. Princess Sasha was smiling evilly at Cass behind Umbridge, which she blatantly ignored. Cass could barely think about the, the witch without having an aneurysm. She couldn't believe Sasha had the nerve to even look at her, after she almost killed Bello. Sarah gave Cass a sympathetic look, which Cass replied with a slight upturning of the corners of her lips.

Umbridge gave a satisfied nod. "Obviously not a Seer, then. One must not tell lies, Miss McGarther."

Cass had almost had it with the toad. "Professor, I'm not lying."

"Then why won't you make a prediction?"

"Fine! I predict you will be carried away by a horde of angry centaurs, screaming that you are Dolores Jane Umbridge as they whisk you away!" Cass snapped. Idiot, you just had to say something, didn't you?, Cass thought to herself.

"How did you know my middle—never mind! Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Miss McGarther!" Umbridge announced to Cass with a triumphant grin. You were set up, you dolt! Cass said to herself beratingly.

Sarah gave Cass another sympathetic look, which Cass returned with a grim smile. The toad beamed sickeningly at her, but Cass just looked at her with her head held high and did her best to look down her nose at Umbridge. She didn't quite succeed, as Cass was shorter than the professor (and sitting down to boot), but she got her point across.

Sasha snickered at Cass, which Cass returned, and Marcell gave Cass a look that said, 'I don't really blame you.' Cass gave him an eyeroll with a small gesture to Umbridge then continued to fake read with as much dignity as she could muster.

Great, just great. Already lost House points, Cass had thought.

After that incident, Cass had done her best to annoy Umbridge in class, whether it be "tripping" and knocking over something or writing her homework essays in a mix of print and cursive (Cass figured controlling, organized-to-an-overwhelming-degree Umbridge would be really irked by this one). Cass, Brooke, and Sarah also took the time to go to the library after Defense, get useful textbooks on the subject, and try to teach themselves the subject. Cass felt extra motivated to do this, for she had Seen Voldemort.

Jackson Smith, Euan Abercrombie, and Nick Barnes (or, as Cass liked to call them, the Gryffindor Goons) were insufferable. Brooke was remarking on this to Cass as the two girls sat in the common room writing about the properties of a Forgetfulness Potion.

"Mad, all of them," Brooke complained, craning her neck to see Cass's immaculate notes on the potion. Jackson had just given a whoop of joy at something on the other side of the common room.

Cass dotted an i with a quick jab of her quill. "Mhm," Cass murmured back absently, sparing a one-second glance at the Goons. "What are they going on about over there?" she wondered.

"Reckon we oughta find out?" Brooke said, eager to procrastinate the homework. Her face took on a look of excitement that Cass had grown to fear. "Could you See what is going on? Eh, eh?"

Cass rolled her eyes and finished off a paragraph. "It doesn't work like that, Brooke. There's a lot of things they could be excited about that is going on over there. Besides, I don't want to become too dependent on my gift."

"Whatever," Brooke said dismissively. "Come on."

Cass and Brooke trotted over to the Gryffindor Goons, which was where all the notices were hung. One particular document stood out to Cass, saying that first-years were to start flying lessons on Thursdays with the Slytherins.

Cass flashed an excited grin at Brooke, who returned the gesture (if less enthusiastically). Thursday…that was in two days! Cass almost hooted with joy like Jackson had, but she controlled herself, not wanting to destroy her dignity. I am going to learn how to fly!

OoOoO

A gentle breeze ruffled Cass's ponytail, tickling her chin. The sun was shining down on the Gryffindors and Slytherins, and in it, her hair had an almost red tint around the outer edges.

The first-years stood in two lines, worn-looking brooms between each student. A woman with short, gray hair and yellow eyes that reminded Cass of a hawk introduced herself as Madam Hooch.

"Good afternoon, class," said the teacher.

"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch," the class replied.

Madam Hooch gave a nod and looked at the students appraisingly. Her gaze snagged on Cass for a second, making Cass sigh with annoyance. Thankfully, Madam Hooch didn't seem to thin much of Cass's resemblance to the Boy-Who-Lived. Finally, a teacher who understands people can look similar, Cass thought with relief.

"Well, go on," Madam Hooch said impatiently, gesturing for the first-years to step up to the brooms.

As a collective group, the Slytherins and Gryffindors moved to stand by their broomsticks. Satisfied, Madam Hooch continued, "Now, stick your right—no, Abercrombie that's your left—stick your right hand over your broomstick and say 'up.' Speak with conviction and command."

"UP!" the class shouted.

Cass was very pleased to see her broom shoot off the ground as soon as the word left her mouth. She was not so pleased when it slammed into her hand hard enough to force it upwards a bit. Ignoring her slightly-throbbing hand, Cass grinned at Sarah from the other line. Sarah's broom had come up on her first try, too.

"UP!" Brooke yelled next to Cass. Her broomstick slowly, almost hesitantly, rose to her hand. Brooke gave Cass a satisfied, serious nod. This made Cass laugh, because it was not like Brooke at all. Brooke soon joined her.

"Good, now, grasp your broom firmly," Madam Hooch instructed, showing the first-years how to mount their brooms. "On my whistle, kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady and hover a meter or two off the ground."

Madam Hooch blew her whistle loudly, and Cass kicked off the ground with as much force as she muster. She shot up about a meter and a half, leaving her stomach behind. Next to her, Brooke shot up even higher, grinning like a madwoman.

Cass felt a smile of her own form on her face. I'm flying! I'm actually flying! Cass's heart soared with the feeling, and the broom seemed to respond to it. It rapidly ascended above Brooke.

"Eek!" Cass exclaimed. Below her, Sarah and Brooke were laughing at her struggle.

"Miss McGarther lean forward please!" clipped Madam Hooch. Cass obeyed and felt her chest clench as she descended. She went to thank Madam Hooch, but she was occupied with a disobedient Nick Barnes, one of the Gryffindor Goons.

Cass abruptly stopped leaning down when she was more or less at the same height as Brooke and Sarah. She wobbled dangerously for a moment before righting herself.

"This is wicked!" she shouted at them.

Sarah smiled. As a witch who grew up in a magical environment, Sarah had probably ridden a broom dozens of times, but she still said, "It is wicked, isn't it?"

"You're such a little kid, Cass," Brooke snorted, referring to Cass's childlike sense of wonder with everything magical.

Cass narrowed her eyes at Brooke in a mock loathingly way. "If you're saying I'm really cute, thanks."

Sarah laughed as Brooke rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, Brooke said, "Guys, I dare you to roll around the broom."

Cass's heart gave little flutters at the thought of going upside down. Sarah seemed to share her unease. "Are you mad? I'm not doing that!" Sarah looked thoughtful for a second. Her eyes lit up in excitement. "But you can," she added to Brooke.

Cass was about to protest, but decided she wanted to see this. To be safe, she tried to give herself a vision to no avail. It just picks and choses when to work, doesn't it? Cass thought to herself in frustration. Several instances like this one had happened over the last couple of weeks. Cass would try to Look for something, but nothing came. Cass supposed it was because she didn't really know how to use it yet.

"Tell me when she isn't looking," Brooke said, gripping her broom handle tightly, so tight her knuckles turned white.

Cass and Sarah both gazed at Madam Hooch. When the time was right, they both yelled, "Now!"

Cass turned her head to see Brooke fling herself sideways. She spun to the bottom of the broom and it almost looked as if she was going to make it the whole way around. Until she swung back and forth like a pendulum upside down, finally coming to a complete stop.

Cass laughed her head off, and Sarah wheezed as she wiped her eyes. Brooke gave them both murderous stares before growling, "Help me, don't just sit there laughing!" This only made Cass and Sarah laugh harder.

After about twenty seconds, Cass took pity on Brooke and flew over to her, slightly angling her broom so Cass arrived under Brooke. With a heave, she pushed Brooke right side up.

"You're welcome," Cass said, snorting.

"You're welcome," Brooke mocked, rubbing her head as the blood flowed out of it. "Took you long enough."

"Uh huh. Well, it was your idea."

Sarah flew over to the two Gryffindors. "Feeling okay, Brooke?" she asked with a slightly teasing tone.

Brooke shot her a smirk but didn't say anything else as Madam Hooch called the first-years back down to the ground. Reluctantly, Cass flew back down, her stomach giving little leaps as the ground rushed towards her.

Cass's feet touched the ground, hard. Her knees wobbled for a second before Cass composed herself and held her broomstick by her side.

From an outsider looking in, Cass seemed like someone who had been riding brooms for years the way she held her broomstick so naturally.

OoOoO

A dingy, old-looking bar was filled with many figures. They were discussing something.

"…I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone," a raven-haired teen was saying.

Silence reigned throughout the bar. Bright green eyes bored into the Seer's inner ones.

The dream flickered in a dizzying web of images.

Three robe-clad figures sat by the fireplace, talking to a head—a floating head. In the Seer's vision, this seemed perfectly natural…

Flicker.

"Come on, Harry, we need a teacher…heaven knows that woman won't teach us," a bushy-haired girl was saying to a boy whose face was hidden.

"We need someone with experience, we need a teacher…"

The girl's voice was echoing into an indistinguishable jumble of words. A dull ache formed behind the Seer's eyes… whether they were her inner or actual eyes was unclear to her…

Flicker.

A dark hall stretched before her, a door at the far, far end. The Seer felt emotions not her own; fear, evil, longing, anger, a need for something…she tried to grab it, grab what they wanted, to take it away from this twisted, malicious thing and hide it away from its claws, claws meant to choke, to kill. It was behind something, protected…she couldn't touch, but someone else could…

A newer presence entered this space, this hall of horrors and darkness. The Seer turned her metaphorical head to face this new thing. Bright green eyes met hers before she was whisked away with a sharp pain in her temple…

Flicker. A train stopped, a girl crouched, invisible to all but the Seer. Flicker. Wings stretched out in unimaginable heights. Flicker. A girl with dark red hair and bright green eyes rolled her eyes at a messy-haired boy…

Cass awoke with a start, panting heavily and heart beating fast. The dream-vision was rapidly disappearing from her mind. It was important! She couldn't forget it! Quick as bullet, Cass leapt from her bed and clumsily grabbed the parchment and quill on her nightstand. She darted through the darkness of her dormitory, blindly searching for the knob of her bathroom door.

Finding it after only a second or two, she hurriedly yanked the door open and went into the loo, turning on the lights and closing the door as she did so.

Cass wrote down and drew everything she could remember from the dream. It only took a minute or two; she didn't remember much of it. Finished, Cass looked over the parchment.

Bushy-haired girl—Hermione?—talking to Harry about teaching.

Dingy bar with people—harry was definitely there. Talking about believing him.

Dark hall, evil presence. Another presence—don't know what.

Head of fire—head in fire? Three people talking to it—older people. Looked like Gryffindor fireplace.

Train, something about a train.

That was it. Cass had also sketched a pair of wings and a half-formed face of a boy with unusually messy hair. From an angle, it could be Harry…but no, this boy's eyes hadn't been green…had they? In any case, Cass could tell this wasn't Harry. At the very bottom of the page, Cass had drawn a pair of long, slender hands—creepy hands. Even on the parchment, they looked unnatural, twisted. Evil. These hands belonged to someone—something—evil.

OoOoO

Cass dragged her feet to the Gryffindor table on Sunday morning. Upon flopping herself at the table, she poured herself a cup of the strongest tea she could find.

Brooke, who had been shooting her concerned looks on the walk down to the Great Hall, said, "Did you…have a nightmare? A, uh, vision?"

Cass nodded mutely, sipping her tea and ignoring the scalding her tongue got because of it.

She hadn't gotten much more sleep last night. Cass was now nursing a nasty headache right behind her eyes, proving that whatever she Saw was a vision. On the bright side, she had managed to decipher a little more of it.

Cass was sure that the person that was talking in the dirty bar was Harry Potter. Why he was in a bar, Cass didn't know. Moreover, that vision about the bushy-haired girl—that was Hermione—that vision must be about Hermione asking Harry to teach them something. But what?

Cass had also deduced that in the dark hall, there was something…something a great evil. Voldemort, she thought with a slight shiver. He felt so, so wrong. Twisted, malicious, evil, unnatural…it made her sick.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Brooke asked gently.

Cass debated with herself for a second. Should she tell Brooke? If she did, what should she tell her? Her decision made, Cass said, "It was about this hallway, something evil wants…something. I don't know, Brooke, I don't know…" Cass trailed off, shrugging hopelessly. It was this moment that she realized that she didn't know anything. Even with her Sight, there was a whole magical world out there, filled with evil, evil things, things like Voldemort. And she wasn't even being taught to defend herself, because of that stupid, rude toad…

"Holy treacle tart!" Cass exclaimed, having an epiphany. Hermione was talking about teaching…what if she meant teaching us how to defend ourselves? She must know that Voldemort is back…

"What?" Brooke questioned with furrowed brows.

"Hold on," Cass said. "I have to see something!" Without another word, Cass took off at a brisk pace towards the end of the table.

"Hermione, Harry…uh, Ronald," Cass said nervously. I really should have thought this through.

The three fifth-years turned their heads in surprise at the sound of Cass's voice.

"Oh, hi, Cass," Hermione greeted, kicking Ronald as he opened his mouth, probably about to say something about Cass interrupting their conversation.

"Um, this may sound weird, but…willyouteachmedefensetoo?" Cass quickly and with a burning face.

"Sorry?" Harry asked.

Cass took a deep breath. "You see, I had this dream last night about you three talking about teaching…something. I really didn't mean to pry, I just can't help it…but can you teach me Defense, Harry?"

Ronald's eyes widened; he obviously didn't know the extent of Cass's powers. Hermione looked at Cass with pride—probably because Cass wanted to learn. Harry just looked thoughtful.

"Look, Cass, I really don't know what I'm doing, I'm not sure…" Harry trailed off, looking awkward.

Cass felt her hopes fly out the window. She couldn't, wouldn't be defenseless against Voldemort. Cass looked Harry straight in the eye, green eyes meeting green eyes. "I Saw Voldemort—" Ronald gave a pathetic gasp of horror. Cass continued, "Harry, it's not like he is some distant threat. He is here, he is alive, and he is bloody terrifying." Cass's voice broke on the last word as she thought of Voldemort. She hated sounded weak. Cass took a deep breath as Harry's eyes widened. "So do not leave me defenseless!"

Harry nodded, eyes still wide. "Yeah, yeah…er, okay. Um, it'll be mostly older kids, so if you want to, uh, bring your friends or something…" he suggested, looking embarrassed.

"Thanks, Harry!"

Hermione gave Cass an amused smile, while Ronald was shaking his head in shock—Cass had said Voldemort's name. Honestly, it's just a name. Fear his power, fear his twistedness, fear his actions, not his name. Only gives him more power, Cass thought in frustration.

On her way back to her seat, Cass thought about who she would bring. Definitely Brooke, Sarah, Janelle, Rose, and Bello, if they wanted to. Maybe the Ravenclaw girl from Charms, Cyrene? Marcell?

"What was it?" Brooke asked as Cass returned.

"Brooke, how would you like to join a secret club that teaches you Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

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