Arc 1: Immaterial Bonds
Chapter 3: Deep Drowning

"Why must you always disappoint me, Cassandra? You failed at casting your Patronus again."

"I can do it, Father, it's just... it just won't come out."

"The others at the Ministry will think poorly of me. Think about what you are doing to me- your own father."

"I know, I-I'm-"

"Stop! Stop it... already..." I cried out, tears pooling in my eyes. It was that dream again. The same dream that haunts me. The Patronus Charm was one of the very few spells that I had not mastered. Countless wise and experienced wizards and witches tried to teach me how to cast it but I could never muster anything more than a faint wisp.

To cast a Patronus, one must think of the happiest memory of their life. The happier the memory, the stronger the Patronus was. Although most wizards could never cast a corporeal Patronus, Father seemed embarrassed that I had failed too. At that moment, I was ordinary. Nothing was special or exceeding about me. I practised for hours every day for months as a teenager, desperately trying to cast the charm to no avail. Why? Thousands of memories had to have been used and none of them could produce a Patronus.

Knock knock.

A faint knocking noise broke the silence I was engulfed in. The sun had begun to rise over the horizon so it seemed I had accidentally fallen asleep at my desk... my poor back. Somewhat sluggishly, I opened the door to no visitor at all. The only thing in front of me was the other side of the hallway.

"Down here, Miss Juniper." a small voice gently spoke.

Initially confused, I looked down and saw the petit Professor Flitwick.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there. Is there something going on?" I enquired, trying to ignore the fact my hair was a mess, there was probably remnants of drool on my lip and I hadn't changed into my proper robes.

"Dumbledore finalised your timetable." He reached his arm up with a sheet of paper detailing what classes I would be going to each day and the year and Houses involved. "I noticed you have Charms with me and the Ravenclaw sixth years. Would you like for me to take you there? The castle has a mind of its own at times."

It would be a good opportunity to ask him about MacKenna and Marin. As Head of House, there must be something he knows about them. My notes say Marin got top grades in Charms and MacKenna was a popular Ravenclaw. Other than house, there was nothing linking them. Flitwick may be able to provide me with details.

*****
I quickly got changed and ready for the day before meeting Flitwick who waited patiently outside of my room. He seemed very eager for today's lesson or to be seeing me.

"Thanks for waiting," I said as we began to walk to the classroom. "What are we doing today?"

His glasses reflected brightly off the sunlight breaching through the windows of the castle as he shot a wide smile. Yep, he was definitely excited.

"We, my dear girl, shall we show the sixth years how to cast nonverbal spells. I'm sure you're quite familiar?" he beamed.

He wasn't wrong; I was well-practised in most nonverbal spells and they were beyond helpful in the rush of the Ministry. Imagine having to repeat "Reparo!" every time something broke (which was very frequent) or "Accio!" whenever you need something summoned to you (very useful in finding that one specific sheet of paper). Truthfully, it is a miracle wizards can live without nonverbal spells.

"I'd say I'm fairly advanced with it. I imagine they'll have quite a hard time learning it..."

"And that's where Dumbledore insists you'll be involved! If there are any students who need additional help, you may go and give them assistance." It made sense, though I'm not entirely sure how to... interact with them.

While I have Flitwick alone, now would be the best time to ask about MacKenna and Marin.

"Forgive me if I overstep by asking, but I was wondering if there was anything you could tell me about Lionel MacKenna and Jessica Marin? You are their Head of House so I imagined you'd know at least something."

At first, he appeared surprised at what I was asking but he quickly resolved himself. There was an awkward silence before he started speaking with a sullen tone in his voice.

"MacKenna was an interesting student. He never had quite the best grades, especially not after what happened to him, but Ravenclaw banded together to support him as best we could. I could not be more proud of my house."

"But what did happen to him? I heard there was a personal incident?"

He sighed deeply before answering. "None of the professors knew. He kept it to himself until the end. I assumed that perhaps a pet or family member had unfortunately passed. Dumbledore said it was his own choice of when to reveal the details but..." he paused, "he is no longer here."

A deceased pet or family member would be a catalyst for disappearing but it certainly wouldn't make someone go off the rails as MacKenna did. It also doesn't match the other three- none of them had reports of any deaths or changes in the household.

"I'm really sorry to be bringing up painful memories. What you're telling me is immensely helpful to gain insight as to what he was like." I didn't want to upset him, I really didn't. Flitwick is perhaps the only "friend" I have here right now and losing him would be... quite isolating. If only the information could be gathered in a less agonising way but there is no other method.

"It is quite alright. I am glad to be of assistance to you, Miss Juniper. About Marin... I heard she studied almost constantly. She was always reading during meals and in the common room. If there was a question asked, she would have read about the answer months in advance. She was predicted the best results her entire year for her NEWTs! It was a lot of pressure for her. Indeed, I did my best to support her and she enjoyed Charms immensely. Losing her and MacKenna were severe blows to Ravenclaw house and Hogwarts as a whole."

At the end of that sentence, he stopped walking suddenly and turned to face me directly.

"You must not let anyone else go missing, Miss Juniper. Whatever monstrosity is causing this, you must destroy it. Hogwarts may not survive if this continues," and he began to walk again as he met the entrance to the classroom.

As he opened the door, he smiled and gave a reassured "but I know you will."

Great, now Flitwick is putting his "faith" in me.

Much like the rest of the castle, the Charms classroom was filled with bright yellow sunlight but to a greater degree as the windows were twice the size of most of the others. Towards the windows in the centre stood the teacher's pedestal which Flitwick decorated with books to stand on so he could be seen. To the sides were two tiers of wooden desks where students would sit and practice their charms.

After the Ravenclaw sixth years arrived and settled, Flitwick stood on his podium and began to address the class while I stood somewhat awkwardly to his side.

"Good morning. Today, we will be doing a subject that I am very confident you have been looking forward to since joining Hogwarts. We shall be performing," He paused for dramatic effect. "nonverbal spells!"

Chatter and cheers erupted from the side seats but were dulled in an instant as Flitwick drew back their attention. The Ravenclaws must truly admire and respect him.

"Now, nonverbal spells are incredibly difficult. They require much concentration and mental discipline. Do not worry if you cannot perform one today; it is quite normal. You shall try to fill the jugs in front of you using the Aguamenti Charm. You may begin! And if you need any help, please ask me or Miss Juniper."

Flitwick was a natural when it came to teaching. He made it seem so easy and yet I felt nauseous simply thinking of having to instruct someone! How on Earth can I teach someone mental dicipli-

"Miss Juniper, could you maybe, uhm, help me please?" a timid voice at the front called for me. A dainty girl sat before me with her jug still completely empty.

Oh god.

"What do you need help with?" Okay, that sounds extremely fake but that's what teachers say, right? Right?

"Oh, uh, I was wondering if you could explain a bit about nonverbal spells. The textbook was a little confusing."

My brain froze. The textbook? That I never read? Because I was homeschooled? I can't admit I've never read the textbook, that would be foolish. Time to bring together everything I know and hope I strike true.

"Well, as Professor Flitwick said, nonverbal spells require intense concentration and mental discipline. You have to focus on what spell you're trying to cast and channel the energy into your wand. If your wand can't feel the energy then it can't cast the spell. And one must remember that nonverbal spells are typically weaker than spells cast verbally. It can be the difference between a hex that kills and a hex that wounds. And-and some spells are easier to cast than others. Levicorpus is an easy one but don't go using that on anyone here!"

The girl's eyes widened to such a point that she looked bug-eyed. Now I've done it. She looked awkwardly to her desk partners who were focusing entirely on their jugs and waving their wands about.

"Ah, I'm sorry. It's just... My mother works at the Ministry. She told me that the Minister's daughter was sent to investigate the disappearances... so I guess she meant you. Can we speak after class? I think... well, there may be something you should know." She spoke so carefully and cautiously that it must be something sensitive.

The girl who spoke to me walked me outside to one of the smaller courtyards. The poor thing kept looking over her shoulder as if she was frightened of being watched. Filch must have tormented her to make her be like this... She finally stopped and sat down on a stone bench and invited me to join her.

The castle walls hid the exterior scenery from view but the air was beginning to become crisp and dry. There were a few plants and bushes that were beginning to become shades of red, orange and yellow as autumn nipped at their branches and stems. It wouldn't be too long before it snowed and everything would be bare from the tranquil frosts.

"Please promise me that you won't tell my mother about what I tell you. She'll be furious if she finds out. Nobody is supposed to know..." she pleaded, making direct eye contact to gauge my trustworthiness. Naturally, I promised. I needed the information.

"Well..." she took a deep inhale. Whatever it was was taking a severe toll on her body. "I know a little bit about Lionel MacKenna before he went missing. There was an incident that made him really depressed and hateful and... and... The reason behind it is that his father was sent to Azkaban... for being a... a Death Eater." She raised her hands to her mouth, appalled at what she had said and knowing it was too late to take it back.

MacKenna... MacKenna... Now that I think of it, that name rings a bell in the back of my head... and not for a reason I like.

"Do you know what his father's name was?"

"I'm not certain but I think it was Damien MacKenna. His mother apparently died a long time ago so he was all Lionel had left..."

My heart began to feel like it was on fire. It was the worst pain I had ever felt and, for a moment, I wished for death. Damien MacKenna was one of the Death Eaters I personally sent to Azkaban. The Minister was not feeling his best and sent me to cover the Wizengamot trials. Unanimously, it was voted that MacKenna be sentenced to life in Azkaban with no hope of retrial. It was because of me that this pitiable boy suffered more than he could know. It was because of me that led to his disappearance.

Why did I feel so horrendous? MacKenna wasn't the first person I sentenced and would not be the last. I destroyed families and saw their spouses and children pray for a different outcome and I denied them with no remorse. It was Ministry business! I was only doing what the Minister ordered me to!

And it destroyed me.

"I see. Thank you. You've been invaluable to me and your secret is safe with me."

The girl finally smiled and promptly left. I hadn't noticed it before but the courtyard was beginning to pile with students discussing the content of their classes and homework. Several were trying out the new spells they learnt. Others found it better to talk about their friends and secret crushes.

If I had been a student at Hogwarts, how would my life be? Would I have friends? A partner? Would I achieve the best grades or be completely average? Would I be well-behaved or a troublemaker? Maybe I would have an actual home. A real family.

In the corner of my eye, I spotted the balding Filch and his yellow Maine Coon Mrs Norris calmly clutched in his arms. Something must have caught his attention elsewhere as the moment I looked at him, he began to run away. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a misbehaving student making their rounds.

An ominous feeling stabbed at my already wounded heart. It felt cruel, depressing and spiteful.

"An unsurprising event to find you sitting around doing nothing. Ministry rats like you do not belong here." That was the voice of the no less cursed Severus Snape.

Ignore him, Cassandra. He isn't worth your time. He doesn't know what you just discovered. You're doing everything you can. You're worth-

"Giving the silent treatment, are you? You had much more bite on the train... or have you been muzzled as you deserve?" His tone was filled with bitterness as he attempted to humiliate me.

I can't- I won't give him the satisfaction of getting to me. Hastily and a little shakily, I rose to my feet, stormed past him and breathed a mild "good day" as I passed. Hopefully, he didn't perceive the tears that were amounting to my eyes.

Somehow managing to avoid the looks of concern and intrigue of students and professors, I made my way back to my room. I fell to my bed and wanted to curl into a ball but that isn't what's needed of me. I have to turn this anger and shame into something productive. People need me and I can't be sitting here wishing I was stronger.

The previous day, I requested the school photos of each of the four students and they had been delivered in a neat brown envelope in my room while I was helping with Charms. Carefully, I wrote down the names of the four students and pinned them and their pictures to a corner of my board respectively. Some of the information that I had gathered on Marin and MacKenna was also added.

Jessica Marin was a medium height, white British girl. She had long, straight brown hair and wore rounded glasses. Studious to a fault- could this have isolated her from everyone to make her a target? Did she perform a spell that went wrong?

Rayer Terrell was a tall, black Irish boy. He had a mostly shaved head and a very confident posture. Perhaps his injury had something to do with his disappearance? But with how he was surrounded by others, it seems mysterious that he of all people went missing.

Christina Beckett was a short, white British girl. She had short, wavy blonde hair and wore a white headband with a bow. Seeing as nobody noticed she went missing, she must not have a very big presence at school.

Lionel MacKenna was a medium height, black Scottish boy. He had short brown hair and friendly green eyes. Losing his father could be a factor in why he disappeared. He may have noticed his grades were failing and sought extreme solutions too.

(All artwork created by juniperfawnart on Instagram)

There were things that linked some of them together but not others. If this is to be a case then there must be something. Marin and Beckett loved reading. MacKenna and Terrell had life-changing events. Marin and MacKenna were, presumably, worried about their grades.

But Beckett did incredibly well in her mocks and Terrell was average but nothing to be concerned about. Terrell and MacKenna were popular and had many friends and support groups. What on Earth could it be?

I was suddenly knocked out of my thinking when the bell chimed to signal it was the end of classes and time for dinner. Anxiety rushed through my body just thinking of having to sit next to Snape. Perhaps it would be best I ask the elves for dinner to be brought up here. That way, I can continue to focus on the board and my notes. Yes, that seemed the most sensible and definitely not cowardly approach.

*****
For the first time in years, I managed to sleep somewhat soundly. Today was going to be a great day. There will be a breakthrough in this case, I'm certain of it. But first, time to see what class I'm helping today...

Tuesday Aid:

Potions with Severus Snape.

Please head to the Potions Classroom in the Dungeons.

Oh dear.

There would be no escaping Snape's barrage of harassment today. The question is do I go to breakfast and meet him there? See if he's in a good mood? Do I skip breakfast and go to potions early and take the brunt of it before anyone arrives? There was no escaping my doomed fate.

Having skipped dinner last night, skipping breakfast might be the best decision. A fed Snape may be less cranky than an unfed one. Deciding that, I called for some of the elves to bring me some breakfast foods from the kitchens. Some of them seemed confused and troubled about why I wasn't eating with the others but it wouldn't do well to involve them.

Half an hour until class begins... Let's get this over with.

*****
My heart began to beat more distressed as I approached the Dungeons and the Potions classroom. The atmosphere was horrendous. It was dark, damp and the only light source were the torches on the walls. If someone had to spend their life down here, they would certainly go insane.

Against my best wishes, I found the door to the Potions classroom. Behind this door will only bring misery to me. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. To my greatest surprise, it was empty.

The room was filled to the brim with cabinets aligned with row after row of potion ingredients and books. Many of the ingredients felt like they were watching me as they floated around in their glass prisons.

In the centre of the classroom sat many rows of desks facing towards the front of the room to where there was the teacher's desk. Many bottles of different shapes, sizes and contents rested mutually on the desk. Perhaps naively, I grabbed one that piqued my interest. It held a faint liquid that bubbled slightly.

"Looking for secrets are we, Miss Juniper?"

The voice of the man I detest so much came from just behind my back. The potion bottle slipped out of my hands and shattered on the floor, spilling its contents where it fell. Snape gave an irked sigh before pulling out his wand and clearing the spillage in seconds.

"Can you not do even basic things like holding a bottle correctly? It seems anyone can join the Ministry now if they have people like yourself in such high ranks."

He has his reasons. Just ignore him. Pretending he wasn't there, I grabbed some books from the cupboard and began to distribute them on the desks. My hands were shaking the entire time and it made it difficult to keep a firm grasp.

"Your father really must be ashamed of having a daughter like you. He must have been relieved when you changed your-"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. My throat burned and the air filling my lungs through every deep, heavy breath felt like I was drowning.

"You have no idea what I go through. Every day at the Ministry, I have to pretend to be the Minister's perfect daughter because if I slip up once, it'll all fall back to him. Every time he looks at me, he thinks of my failures that he tries to conceal from everyone. Imagine having a father who loves you, because I can't. I can't cast a Patronus Charm because he has beaten me my entire life so much that I have no happy memories!"

He looked at me in absolute shock, not daring to interrupt me as tears blurred my vision.

"And then there's the fact he decided my whole future for me! He never thought for a second that maybe I don't want to be the second him! I just went along with whatever he wanted because it would make him happy. I'm only here because he made me come! I didn't choose to come here."

I don't know if I was coherent at this point. I was borderline having a panic attack as I screamed at this man with everything I had.

"Maybe I am naive. Maybe I am useless, but that's not being helped by being harassed and torn to shreds by assholes like you! When I was told to come here, I thought that I could finally have my own life, make friends, Merlin forbid, perhaps be happy for once. But you ended up being the replacement for my father's abuse."

My knees gave way and I grabbed onto the table for any support I could muster. Snape continued to look onwards at my feeble form.

"Cassandra, I-" and he reached out a hand to grab me.

Instinctively, I smacked him away.

"No! You do not get to touch me! You do NOT get to pretend that everything is okay! I hope you're happy, Severus Snape. You're a cruel, vindictive monster. I hope you go to Hell."

Right on cue, the bell rang to signal the start of class. Regaining just enough strength to walk, I turned and left the classroom, much to the surprise of the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs coming for their Potions class.

The only thing that could calm me down now would be the relaxing drifting of the water at the lake.

To my luck, the lake was deserted as the majority of students had classes right now. Those who didn't were likely indoors studying or hiding away from the cold. Sitting on the hard ground underneath a large tree, I closed my eyes and listened to the water. It was soothing to the point it almost made me forget my encounter only ten minutes prior.

But my solitude wouldn't last for long. Footsteps unsurely approached me. Opening my eyes, a Hufflepuff boy of around fifteen or sixteen came into view. He fidgeted with his hands but put them behind his back and came closer with a sort of fabricated spirit.

"You're Miss Juniper, aren't you? You're investigating the disappearances, right?" he asked nervously.

"Yes to both questions. What is it? You look disturbed."

"I am- was- one of Rayer Terrell's best friends. There's something you need to know about him. The truth about him."

The... "truth"? Did Rayer have some sort of secret that he hid from everyone?

If he did, it was all about to unfold.