Disclaimer: All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine.

Updated as of 4/18/2019.

Chapter Eleven

The Worst Birthday

Part I

Cassie walked through the trees of the Forbidden Forest, the air damp and cool and musty. She shivered despite the jacket she wore, the hair on her arms rising the farther she went.

The trees were packed so tightly together that the grey daylight was blocked out completely, lending the scene an eerie twilit backdrop as she pushed on, determined to keep moving. She didn't know why she was in the forest, or what her ultimate goal was, but an insistent force kept prodding her along, whispering, close…so close…

Unknown creatures rustled in the undergrowth around her. Eyes peered out amongst the leaves, some curious and some hungry, but she didn't slow. Oddly, the creatures were not the root of her fear – it was whatever she was going towards that gave her a sense of danger, warning her away. But whatever she did, she could not turn and flee. She just kept going forward.

Eventually the trees thinned, and she found herself standing in a dark, empty clearing. She paused, confused, and blinked. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer alone. A stone well sat before her. It appeared to be very old; the stones were cracked, moss and weeds choked the base of it, twisting up its sides, and the chain used to lower the water pail was rusty and ancient.

She stepped closer, almost against her will, and placed her hands on the rim, looking down into the yawning darkness. She couldn't see the bottom of it, but the smell of stagnant water and fetid air reached for her nostrils, making her recoil, wrinkling her nose. And then someone else was there.

"Cassie."

The voice was hoarse, choked. She looked up, the blood draining from her face when she saw her brother standing across from her, clutching the other side of the well with white knuckles and, strangely, wearing the locket he had given her in Hogsmeade.

Will seemed to be in severe pain; his muscles tensed and coiled, and the veins in his neck and temples stood out harshly, twitching beneath his ghostly pale skin. His dark eyes bored into her, glassy with fear and something like regret. She gaped at him.

"Will, what's wrong? What's happening?" she asked frantically. She tried to move to his side, but her body would not obey her. "Will?"

"Cassie," he rasped. One of his hands reached for the locket, and that was when she realized how tightly the chain was wound around his neck, biting into his skin with a raw and angry burn.

"Will, please, what's happening?" she cried, on the verge of hysteric tears when his lips started turning blue. "Will!"

"I'm sorry."

The words were released in a breathless whisper before his body pitched forward, and he tumbled down into the darkness of the well.

"WILL!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Cassie was ripped violently from her dream, her cry lost in the shouts of Lily, Marlene, and Alice as they all crowded around her on her bed, smiling and holding wrapped parcels. She sat up quickly, her heart racing like mad, and she breathed heavily, feeling feverish.

"Sorry we scared you, bedhead," Marlene laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Having a bad dream?"

Cassie rubbed at her chest, her skin sticky with sweat, and gave a weak smile. "Something like it."

"Well, get up!" Alice said, shifting closer and practically bouncing on the mattress. "We have presents!"

"You really didn't have to get me anything," she said hastily, kicking off the covers and trying to calm herself down from the dream. They all rolled their eyes.

"We get you something every year, Cass, whether you want us to or not," Lily reminded her, giving her a warm smile that told her she held no grudge for her eating with the Marauders the other morning. Cassie smiled back.

"Only because you lot refuse to listen to me," she joked, and they all shared smirks before Marlene held out her rather large parcel, wrapped in shiny purple paper.

"Open mine first!" she ordered. Cassie grudgingly obeyed, tearing off the paper and feeling her face freeze into a polite yet slightly panicked smile.

Marlene's gift was comprised of nearly every cosmetic available, from eyeliner pencils to various shades of lipstick, and even included the numerous different brushes she would need to apply each eyeshadow palette. The blonde witch didn't seem to notice her alarm, thankfully, taking her smile for one of gratitude instead.

"That one day you showed up in class wearing makeup, I knew I just had to get you some quality products!" she gushed. "I mean, you looked so good, Cass, and with this stuff, you'll be a total knockout!"

"Wow, er, thanks, Mar," she said, trying to force her smile to not look so pained as she hugged her friend. She was grateful for the gift – after all, it was the thought that counted and everything – but there was so much of it. The stuff would probably last her into the next millennium.

She turned to Lily's and Alice's gifts next, relieved when she opened a box of cakes and pastries from Alice (her parents owned an ice cream and dessert shop in Diagon Alley, and they had sent along a wholesome amount of cream cheese Danishes, her favorite) and a new Muggle book from Lily, titled The Hobbit.

"Thank you so much!" she said, wrapping her friends in an enormous hug. They returned the gesture so enthusiastically that she was tackled back onto her pillows as they all giggled.

They basked in the early morning light peeking in through the window, tangled together, still in their pajamas, and Cassie felt so content and so loved within that moment that her terrible dream was very nearly forgotten, whisking away to some dark corner in her memory that she would not stray to, not now.

"Breakfast starts soon," Lily said, breaking the silence. "We should start getting ready."

This was met with groans, but they all relented and got out of Cassie's bed when she gave them a stern glare, beginning their daily routine of dressing and washing.

Cassie gathered her toiletry bag and a towel and headed for the washroom, but was stopped by Marlene, who shoved her birthday gift into Cassie's arms, as well.

"You're not allowed out of there until you put this stuff on first," she said firmly, marching her to the washroom and ignoring her feeble protests. "I want to see you radiant on your special day!"

At this, Cassie was pushed unceremoniously into the washroom. The door shut behind her, leaving her alone to dump all the makeup products on the sink before turning on one of the showers, scrubbing at her eyes tiredly.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and couldn't help remembering Will, her mind toying between the real one she had seen in Hogsmeade two days ago, and the imaginary one she had seen suffocating in her dream. She could see herself as Will in the dream, her dark eyes pained and scared, her lips blue, her angular face contorted in the throes of a slow and torturous death. Her stomach roiled, and she looked away and busied herself by stripping out of her pajamas and stepping into the scalding water of the shower.

The hot water did nothing to ease the goosebumps that'd erupted on her arms, and she shivered involuntarily before chastising herself. She was never one to have nightmares; the few she did have were worrisome, sure, but none of them had been like this. This one had been so real, so vivid, that she could still feel the stone rim of the well under her hands, the musty air on her skin, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness as she had watched her brother fall into the well.

The image of him and the locket, though, was the only thing she could think of when she wondered what the dream had meant. She hadn't touched the locket since she'd returned from Hogsmeade, choosing to stash the box under a pile of shirts in her trunk and vowing to keep it there forever, not even caring that it had been a gift, and probably an expensive one. It reminded her too much of her brother, and right now, she wanted him to be the furthest thing from her mind.

Shaking off the clinging uneasiness from her dream, she finished showering and grabbed her wand, muttering, "Impervius" to dry most of the water off her hair and body before finishing the job with her towel.

After dressing and tackling her hair and teeth, she turned grudgingly to the cosmetics splayed across the counter, picking up a compact of powder and scrunching her nose. She really didn't want to put any of the makeup on, but she knew Marlene's feelings would be hurt if she chose not to.

Just for today, she thought reluctantly. Then maybe she'll forget about it and I can pawn the stuff off to Mum.

Sighing, she chose the most inconspicuous shades possible – which was hard to do, considering Mar's style bordered on the extreme and outrageous, and glitter was her favorite accessory. She compromised on a brown eyeliner pencil and a champagne-colored eyeshadow, with a pale pink lipstick shade and very minimal powder and mascara. Feeling very foolish, but knowing she would pass Marlene's inspection, she stepped back into the dormitory and was met with a squeal and a very tight hug.

"You look amazing!" Marlene gushed. Cassie grimaced, knowing she looked more like a clown than anything. "Oh my stars, every boy in the school is going to trip over themselves just to talk to you!"

"Yeah, well, I'd probably be the one to trip them myself," she muttered, but Marlene didn't seem to hear her, instead dragging her over to Lily and Alice so they could ogle at her face.

After effectively being displayed like an exotic animal in a Muggle zoo, Cassie wrestled her way out of the dormitory, leaving the others behind to finish dressing and making her way down the stairs, disgruntled and feeling the faint stirrings of uncertainty.

Cassie had never been truly self-conscious of her appearance, though her height and skinny frame had been areas of contention before (or her bout of acne last year that had made her want to hide her face in a balaclava for eternity). She'd always accepted the fact that she was fairly average-looking; not too ugly, not too pretty – the perfect recipe for invisibility. However, this term was slowly turning her into an insecure third-year. She wondered if she was really that plain without makeup, or if she had just fooled herself all this time and she was actually hideous, after remembering the way Marlene and the others had cooed at her new appearance. Merlin's beard, even Avery had complimented her with makeup on.

Suddenly squeamish, she tugged out the elastic that had been holding her hair into a ponytail and let the dark curtains fall forward again, hoping that would detract a bit from her face. Keeping her head down, she entered the common room, but let out a startled yelp when someone grabbed hold of her elbow and began pulling her across the room.

"Keep it down, Alderfair, I'm not kidnapping you," James Potter said, whistling cheerily as he led her to the Marauders' fireplace seats and pushed her down on the couch next to Pettigrew, while he sat himself in the armchair across from Black's.

Cassie stifled a sigh, keeping her eyes trained on her lap as she said, "What do you want from me?"

"See, you never took up Remus's offer to sit with us before, so we – well, I – decided that now would be the perfect time," he said smugly. She shook her head, her hair tickling her stocking-clad thighs.

"I'm not sitting here," she mumbled, standing. "I have to eat before class."

She was stopped in her tracks when Pettigrew spoke up beside her, his expression quizzical. "What happened to your face?"

Remus smacked him on the arm, eliciting a sharp grunt of pain from the blond boy as Cassie's cheeks blazed, wondering why every time she was near the Marauders, she somehow ended up more embarrassed than the last.

"If you must know, Pettigrew, Marlene and the others think that I'm frightfully ugly, so now I get to look like a fool for the rest of the day," she said bitterly, her embarrassment only growing when the boys began to crack up. "It's not funny!"

"'Course it is, Alderfair," Potter said, chuckling when she shot him an offended look. "Cause you're not. Ugly, that is."

"Having you laugh at me while you say that isn't very reassuring, you know that?" she said. This only made his grin widen. She rolled her eyes. "Forget it. I'm just going to drown myself in syrup and pretend that this is not my life right now."

"Great, we'll come with!" he said, leaping to his feet.

Cassie turned back with a scowl. "No, you're not," she said. "I don't need any more attention."

"Well, that's just a shame, Princess," he said, slinging an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close, "because you're about to get a whole lot of it."

She gave Remus a pleading look. "Please make him stop."

"Sorry, Cassie," he said, shrugging, "but James is not one to be tamed so easily."

The messy-haired boy shot her a smug smile. "He's right, y'know."

In response, she just elbowed him in the stomach. He immediately released her, stepping back and grunting. "Sheesh, Alderfair! D'you treat all your friends like this?"

"Only the ones that annoy me," she replied, adjusting her bag strap on her shoulder and tossing him a winning smile. "And we're not friends, Potter; we're allies. Remus is my friend."

Potter looked to the sandy-haired boy in bafflement. "How come she likes you more than me?"

Remus shrugged and stood to join Cassie. "Couldn't tell you, mate." He looked down at her, raising a brow. "Breakfast, then?"

"Like you even need to ask." She couldn't hide her smile when Potter began to splutter incredulously. She turned to the spot where Pettigrew was still sitting, watching the proceedings with an amused glint in his eyes. "Peter, would you like to join us?"

The blond boy raised his head in surprise, looking between her and Potter with some hesitation, before getting up and walking to her side. Potter looked downright betrayed at this point.

"Pete!" he said, clutching his chest. "I thought we were mates! Brothers in arms, 'til death do us part—"

"Sorry, mate," he said, unapologetically. "But Cassie's side has food, so…"

At this, she turned to Peter, her eyes sparkling. "I like this one."

He gave her a shy smile, and she returned it brightly, turning back to Potter with a smirk. "You two boys have fun," she said, indicating the gobsmacked Potter and the slightly amused Black. "We'll be down in the Great Hall."

"Make that one." Cassie's smirk plastered to her face when Black stood up, coming to stand by Remus and giving her an indecipherable look before glancing away. "I think I'll stick with them today."

Cassie had no idea what was happening. She had three Marauders standing next to her, one being Sirius Black himself, while James Potter stood across from them, looking as if he were on the verge of tears, though she knew he was milking this for everything that it was worth. But still, she now had the power over Potter, and she waggled her brows at him upon this realization, turning for the portrait hole.

"C'mon, then, lads," she said, walking with an exaggerated strut that resembled Potter's while they all laughed behind her, Potter rendered incoherent at this point. "Bacon awaits!"

They followed her out into the corridor, still chuckling heartily as they began to walk to the Great Hall.

"How long until he starts running after us, begging to be taken back?" Remus asked. Cassie snickered at the absurd image his question provided.

"I give it a minute," Sirius said, walking with a languid grace right next to her that only heightened her discomfort. She didn't know what terms she was on with Black yet, but so far, he had kept any sneering comments to himself, so she tried to relax instead.

No sooner had the words left his mouth then they heard the portrait hole swing open behind them and running footsteps echo down the corridor, Potter shouting, "Oi! Wait for me!"

They all burst out laughing, and Remus and Black exchanged a high-five.

Cassie knew something was awry as soon as she walked into Double Potions that day.

Professor Slughorn's class had never been a favorite of hers, despite managing to scrape by with passing marks and being able to usually fade into the background. Of course, that hadn't always been the case. She'd been a favorite student of Slughorn's for a while (due to her parents, of course), even having been invited to join his prestigious "Slug Club", but as soon as her brother started making headlines in the Daily Prophet, she'd been dropped faster than a hot cauldron. Not that she minded that much – after all, the less attention, the better, in her opinion.

When she took her customary seat next to Alice and the bell rang to begin class, Professor Slughorn waddled in from his office, his walrus-like mustache rippling from the force of his breathing, and Cassie noticed that the professor looked very excited as he began to speak.

"Hello, hello!" he huffed. The Gryffindors settled down at once, though she could still hear some Slytherins whispering in the back. But Slughorn was their Head of House, so she doubted they would get in trouble, and she instead leaned forward to listen to the professor better.

"We will be starting work on the Girding Potion today," he said, rubbing his hands together and gazing around the dungeon classroom. "Does anyone know what the Girding Potion is used for?"

Lily's hand immediately shot into the air. Slughorn beamed at her, causing Cassie and Alice to trade small smirks. Lily was a favorite of Slughorn's due to her aptitude for Potions, and it was no secret, as he gestured enthusiastically for her to speak.

"The Girding Potion is a potion that gives the consumer extra endurance for a short period of time," she answered, and Slughorn gave a little clap.

"Right you are, Miss Evans!" he said jubilantly. "Five points to Gryffindor! Now, who can tell me the possible side effects of using this potion too frequently or in too large of a dose? Yes, go ahead, Mr. Snape."

"Too much can put the consumer into a deep sleep when the potion wears off, or it can cause the drinker to accumulate a nasty toe fungus," Severus Snape said. His face flushed a bit when the class's attention went to him, though it turned positively red with pleasure when Lily whispered something from beside him and Slughorn clapped again.

"Good, good!" he said. "Five points for Slytherin. Now that you know the basics, the instructions are here on the blackboard for you to replicate the potion. You will have the remainder of class to work."

Chairs began to scrape across the floor as students made for the storage cupboard in the back where their ingredients were kept, but they were stopped when Slughorn called, "Not yet, not yet! I still have an announcement to make!"

Everyone sat down again, and Cassie had a feeling she was about to dread whatever he was going to say as he beamed out at them.

"It has occurred to me recently that many of you have worked with the same few partners over the years," he began, and the apprehension in the classroom was suddenly palpable. "So for this assignment, I ask that you choose a partner that you have never worked with before – and don't try and work with ones you have in the past! I will be watching carefully to see who everyone picks, and if you should attempt to weasel your way out of this, then I will choose your partner myself. Now, off you trot!"

"This is rubbish," Cassie grumbled as people began to awkwardly shuffle about the room and ask around for partners. She had worked with Alice, Mar, and Lily far too much for Slughorn not to notice, but she perked up a bit when she remembered that Remus would not be able to work with the other Marauders.

Alice wasn't listening. "Hey, Frank, d'you want to be partners?"

The blond boy nearly tripped over his desk in his haste to reach her. "Of course!"

Her friend looked pleased, and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink when Cassie gave her a secretive grin before moving away, searching for Remus.

She found him standing near the back, hovering uncertainly by the other Marauders, who were casting suspicious and challenging glares to the Slytherins in the room. When Remus spotted her, his face lit up; but before he could say anything, Potter shouted, "Oi! Evans! Wanna work with me?"

Lily turned and gave James a scathing look. "Not a chance, Potter."

James returned her glare with a taunting smirk. "C'mon, Evans, you heard ol' Sluggy; Snivellus can't be your partner for this."

Lily's face turned bright red. "I know that, Potter! That's why Severus is working with Marlene."

Cassie doubted the blonde girl had been happy about that arrangement, and from James's look, he was thinking the same thing. "Evans, you're in need of a partner, and it just so happens that I am, too. So—"

"Remus, will you be my partner?" Lily asked, speaking over James. Remus blinked, taken aback, his eyes flicking between the approaching Cassie and the fuming Lily.

"Er…" He looked back to Cassie, and though she was disappointed she wouldn't be able to work with him, she gave him a tiny nod; she'd rather have Remus work with Lily instead of risking an all-out war between Potter and the red-haired witch. "Sure, yeah, Lily."

They moved off to a table together. Lily shot Potter a cold glare, which he returned with a scowl. "I will never understand that one," he muttered.

"Maybe if you weren't such a git to her, things would be different," Cassie said disapprovingly. Potter frowned at her.

"But being a git makes things fun!" he protested. He looked back to where Lily was sitting with Remus. "She'll come around, Alderfair, you'll see; no girl can resist my charm for long."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Potter's reply was cut off when another person joined their group. Cassie gulped when she recognized Avery, with the rather frightening Kanin Mulciber standing a few paces behind him and looking as if he'd smelled something vile.

"Excuse me," Avery said in his soft voice. His pale eyes gazed at Cassie, and her skin heated under the intensity of the look. "Cassie, I was wondering if you would like to be my partner? And Kanin here is also looking for someone to work with."

The temperature dropped at least ten degrees as the Gryffindors and Slytherins sized each other up. She licked her lips, about to respond, when Potter spoke up before her.

"How about this? Avery, you be my partner – and Pete, you can work with Mulciber here. Sound fair?" His tone made it clear he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Avery seemed to sense this, as well, for he only gave a curt nod.

"Very well," he said, looking vaguely disappointed as he and Potter walked off together in tense silence. Mulciber stalked away and Peter rushed to follow in his wake.

Cassie had been left alone with Black. She turned to him questioningly. "Er, what was that about?"

Black just shook his head, lips pursed. "No idea."

She got the sense that that wasn't the truth, but she didn't press the matter further, instead looking around and seeing that everyone was now seated and had begun work on their potions. "Oh, bugger, I still need to find a partner—"

"What am I, a freaky first-year?" She turned to face Black again, her brows furrowing when she saw him smirking at her, though the expression contained none of its usual spite.

"No, I…just didn't know you wanted to partner with…me." She cringed upon saying it, but Black scuffed his shoe on the floor, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Look, Alderfair, I know I've been a git to you in the past, but I, erm, well…" He trailed off, now looking extremely awkward, and she raised her brows when he huffed. "Never mind. Point is, I'm trying to get over it, so we should really get started on this potion before Slughorn notices we're still standing here."

He said this last part in a rush. Cassie shrugged, not knowing what to say but feeling very perplexed as they moved to a table in the back. "Er, I'll get the ingredients if you want to start heating the cauldron?"

"Got it." He took out his wand and set about getting a small flame lit as she headed for the storage cupboard, beginning her search for the ingredients Slughorn had written on the chalkboard.

She was just reaching for a box of dragonfly thoraxes when a voice behind her said, "Partners with Black, then?"

She fumbled to keep the box from falling to the floor, spinning around to see Avery entering the cupboard, one of his slender brows arched when he witnessed her near-disaster.

"Er, yeah," she said, turning and looking for doxy eggs and trying to ignore the creeping heat on the back of her neck. "What of it?"

She sensed him shrug as he gathered his own ingredients. "Nothing at all. I was simply curious."

"Why so?"

"I didn't know the two of you associated, is all," he said. She tried not to squirm when she felt his eyes on her.

"It's a relatively new thing," she replied uncomfortably. She turned to leave, now having all the ingredients, only to run into his chest and knock herself off-balance.

She stumbled back, but he caught her by her elbows, keeping her from crashing into the shelf behind her. She looked up, meeting his pale blue eyes, and was reminded of how pretty they were as she squeaked out, "Thanks."

He gave her a slight nod before releasing her arms, and she was about to hurry away when his voice stopped her.

"I urge you to be cautious around Black and his friends," he said. "They aren't the best of people to hang around with, Cassie."

"No offense, Avery, but I've heard the same thing about you and your gang," she replied, suddenly testy. His eyes narrowed. "So, thanks for your concern, but no thanks."

She walked away, her pace quicker than normal. She all but threw herself into her seat, and Black looked up questioningly as she willed her body to stop feeling so hot and sweaty.

"Everything all right?" he asked. She grunted, getting out her Potions book and flipping to the section on Girding Potions.

When she didn't reply, instead busying herself with the potion instructions, Sirius looked across the room and met James's eyes, giving him a slight nod.

Understanding perfectly, James turned away and waited for Avery to come back with their ingredients, determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.

"So, how was working with Black?"

Cassie looked up from feeding Little Leaf a packet of wood lice to see Lily crouch down next to her, her emerald eyes curious as the bowtruckle scampered around in the grass, chasing down the tiny insects. (Cassie had formed a bond with the little tree-man ever since their first interaction in Care of Magical Creatures two weeks ago, and though they had moved on to learning about nifflers and Professor Kettleburn had released the bowtruckles back into the wild, she still snuck to the borders of the forest to give him treats at the end of class.)

"Fine, surprisingly," she said. "He's actually really good at Potions."

Lily nodded thoughtfully. "That's good."

They watched Little Leaf swallow several lice until Cassie asked, "How was Remus?"

"Very helpful," the other girl replied. "And he's very nice."

Cassie hummed an agreement, and they went back to watching Little Leaf until she had to ask, "You're not mad at me, are you? For working with Black?"

Lily looked surprised. "Of course not," she said truthfully. "Why would you think that?"

Cassie shrugged, wishing she hadn't said anything. "I dunno. You always just seem so…disapproving of him and his friends."

"I'm not saying I like them," Lily said hastily. "But I've noticed that all of you have been hanging around each other more. I was just curious, I guess."

"Er…okay. Cool."

They fell into silence once more until Lily sighed, leaning closer. "Listen, don't tell Mar I told you this…but she fancies Black. And I'm just worried for her. I've heard rumors since term started about him running around with a different girl every week, and, well, I don't want her to fall for him only to get dropped for another." She looked to Cassie imploringly. "You've started hanging around with him, Cassie – and I know I shouldn't ask this of you, but I don't want to see Mar get hurt. If the chance ever arose, and he starts fancying her back…will you tell him to not try any funny business with her?"

"Erm, Black and I aren't really that close…" she began, but internally groaned when Lily gave her a pleading look. "All right, if he starts getting interested, I'll tell him."

Lily smiled. "Thanks, Cass."

The bell tolled across the grounds then, and the two gathered their bags and began to head back to the castle for dinner, Little Leaf chirping a good-bye behind them. They kept up casual conversation on the way, but Cassie was distracted when she looked up and saw two Ravenclaw girls who were in their class staring back at her over their shoulders. When she met their eyes, they giggled and turned away. She frowned, wondering what that had been about.

She ate with the girls that night, and had just spooned a generous amount of beef stew into her bowl when a smattering of owls flew in, showering a few students with late mail or copies of the Evening Prophet. A handsome tawny owl landed before Lily, and she dropped a Knut into the pouch tied around its leg before it deposited a copy of the Prophet and flew away.

Cassie began to eat, not expecting any mail (she had received her birthday gift from her parents that morning, which had consisted of a pouch of Galleons to "buy herself something nice" and a brief note from her father that just said: Happy Birthday – Father), and was only a bite in when Lily gasped.

She looked up and saw that all the blood had drained from the other girl's face, her eyes wide and scared at whatever she had read on the front page of the newspaper.

"What is it?" Alice asked urgently, putting her goblet down and leaning forward. "Lils, what's going on?"

"Cassie," the red-haired witch said hoarsely. "Cass…"

Abandoning her stew, Cassie grabbed the newspaper out of the other girl's grasp and read the headline, printed in big, bold letters: BRUTAL ATTACK ON MUGGLES INSTIGATED BY WIZENGAMOT MEMBER'S SON

Suddenly feeling very cold, Cassie began to read the article.

A mere two hours ago, an anonymous tip was received by the Auror Office in response to what was later described as a "savage" attack on a group of Muggles in Cokeworth.

Aurors responded to the scene immediately, and arrived to find "…absolute pandemonium…[I've] never seen anything like it," as one source said.

Though details about the attack have not been made public yet, an official statement is to be issued in tomorrow's Daily Prophet. However, one inside source managed to share a few details about the attack:

Eight Muggles in total were attacked, and though it has yet to be confirmed, it is highly suspected that the Cruciatus Curse may have been used. The attack appeared to be discriminate, indicating that this was a hate crime against nonmagical people. All eight Muggles survived and are now healing in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and will have their memories erased as soon as the Department of Magical Law Enforcement takes their statements.

However, the biggest shock of this horrific attack is the reveal of the instigator behind it. It was reported that four wizards and/or witches were involved in the crime, with three of them wearing masks, yet the fourth was not. This wizard, the source says, happened to be none other than Wizengamot member Lukas Alderfair's son, William Alderfair.

It is known to the wizarding community that William Alderfair is an avid supporter of the anti-Muggle terrorist You-Know-Who (for more on his activism in the anti-Muggle and Muggle-born movement, see pg. 3), and though Lukas Alderfair has never explicitly stated his stance on the matter, one can assume through his policymaking decisions and court judgments that he is not as impartial as we suspect (for more details, see pg.7).

The source claims that, "…He was the one not wearing the mask, that William Alderfair. I've seen many a Dark witch and wizard in my days, but this one…he was different. Jumping around, screaming, cheering, laughing his head off. Crazed, he looked to me. Deranged."

Though the attackers were not caught, a new warning is to be administered along with the report tomorrow morning of the activities of You-Know-Who's followers, and Minister of Magic Harold Minchum "is adamant that the attackers will be apprehended," the source says.

Reported by Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent of the Daily Prophet and the Evening Prophet

Cassie put the newspaper down slowly. Alice and Marlene, who had squished beside her to read the paper as well, were staring anywhere but at her, and Lily was still quite pale in the face. Cassie took a sip of pumpkin juice, not tasting it at all, her ears beginning to ring.

She looked around and noticed that many people were starting to give her suspicious, dark, even frightened looks, and hushed conversations were beginning to spread like wildfire around the Hall as people finished reading the article on their own papers.

Cassie got to her feet calmly, and without a word to anyone, she turned and walked out of the Hall, completely numb to everything happening around her. She hadn't the heart to care about the stares and murmurs at this point. Her feet carried her slowly back to the common room, through the portrait hole, and up the stairs into her dormitory.

She opened her trunk and dug out the box that contained the clockwork locket. She extracted the locket, staring at its shiny silver surface, the red ruby winking up at her, before taking out the note from her brother that was left in the box.

Say the word 'Sparks' and the locket will open. – Will

Her heart squeezed when she read the word 'Sparks.' Her brother had given her that name when she was five and had accidentally set off one of his whiz-poppers, catching her hair aflame briefly before her mother had put it out using her wand. Holding the locket in her palm, she said very clearly, "Sparks."

There was a whirring noise, then a click, and the locket sprang open, revealing many gears and cogs on the inside that did indeed look like a Muggle clock. The little machine started up and a voice began to issue from it – neither male nor female, neither loud nor soft.

"A thousand years' slumber,

In a tomb beyond light.

If Darkness adds to its number,

The world shall fall to night."

The voice was haunting, and when the message ended, her skin broke out in a cold sweat. For a long time she knelt there on the floor of her dormitory, the words playing over and over in her mind.

She had no idea what had possessed her brother to enchant it with something so meaningless, so stupid. His gift wasn't thoughtful – it was worthless. And that was it, she realized. That was why he had gotten it for her. Because it was nothing. She was nothing.

Grabbing the box from the floor, Cassie hurled it with all her might against the wall, feeling a sick satisfaction when she heard it crunch and saw that it had left a hole where it hit.

Anger such as she had never felt raged inside of her. She began to tear her clothes out of her trunk, throwing them around the room and kicking at her bedposts as unadulterated fury channeled through her blood, making her see red. She took the locket and smashed it on her bedside table, hardly noticing that it didn't break at all, just resealed itself. She opened the topmost drawer of the table and enclosed the locket within it, the final slam of the drawer seeming to snap her out of whatever fit she had just gone into.

She stood there for a minute, panting. When she finally felt the tears coming on, she sank onto her bed and curled up like a small child, clutching her pillow tightly to her chest.

As she lay there, gently rocking herself to sleep before any of the sadness, the betrayal, the fear of what tomorrow would bring came on, she thought with some misery that this might just be the worst birthday of her life.

Next Chapter: The Worst Birthday Part II

xx