werewolfknights- that question confused me too, for awhile. But think of it this way.

1st year's are 11

2nd year's are 12

3rd year's are 13

4th year's are 14

So in book #4 they would indeed be 14.

Disclaimer- J.K. Rowlings owns the Harry Potter characters and plots- I only own Cassi and my original ideas.

Chapter Nine

A candle was burning. It sent flickering lights across the wall. Above her head were several small objects, hanging, swirling, clanging. There was no wind, and yet everything was moving.

She felt alone. Always, before, there had been another presence in the room. Her protector. But he wasn't there. He was gone. She wanted to cry, but her lips were pulled together. She could only whimper.

Somewhere, far away, someone was screaming, and someone else was shouting. The noises frightened her. One of them was very familiar. The other was very strange. And yet- they were the same. She could not decide whether it was the scream or the shout that she loved.

Cassi gasped and sat up quickly. Her heart was beating rapidly- she could feel her pulse echoing in her fingers, her throat, her temples. The nightmare had shook her more than anything in her life- even finding out that her parents were not her parents.

It was more than the fact that she had never had a nightmare before. It was something deeper. Something that told her that this dream was somehow connected to her past. She was certain- though she couldn't understand how- that one of the voices she had heard was her mother.

She glanced at the window and saw that dawn was breaking. Good, she could wake up without worrying that she'd run into some over zealous prefect. She pulled down her robe and dressed quickly and quietly. Even Hannah was still asleep. Taking her wand she whispered "lumos" and made her way silently down the hall.

Hogwarts was beautiful in the early morning. Sun streaked through the windows, casting glowing patterns on the floor. Dust, looking magical in the pink dawn, floated through the light.

It contrasted so sharply with her dream that she could hardly believe it was part of the same world. And yet, the light, which looked magical, was far more ordinary than the terrors which had haunted her dreams. Terrors of a mother who had been a death eater.

What had the dream been? Had it been her mother, tormenting someone? Or had she been discovered and drug away to Azkaban?

Cassi shuddered.

Azkaban.

The wizard prison, guarded by dementors.

If she was right- if she had guessed correctly that she was the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange- then someday she would find her way past those doors.

Suddenly, she heard voices. Wondering who could be up so early, she ducked behind a column and watched the shadows approaching down the long hall. As they grew closer, she recognized Moody and Dumbledore.

"You?" Dumbledore sounded surprised. "But Alastor-"

"I've got to check, Albus. I put half of them in there myself. If one of them escaped who would know better than me?" He tapped his magical eye. "I can see through any disguise they might put past me."

Dumbledore's expression was impossible to read. "True, true."

"I'll be back by noon tomorrow. Potter can't get in much trouble before then."

Perplexed, Cassi strained to hear as the speakers moved away. But all she caught was the trail end of Dumbledore's sentence.

"…a missing piece…"

Odd. So, somewhere, someone was missing. No- escaped. And what could they have escaped from but the very prison of which she had been thinking?

And it had to do with Harry Potter.

Harry Potter and a missing piece.

Herself?

There was little time for brooding, however. Ginny tracked her down not long after her eavesdropping, and revealed that she had managed to get a potion from Fred and George.

"But we have to be certain that we give it to Neville when the next person he sees is Hannah."

"Didn't you get a specific one?"

She shook her head. "That would only work if Hannah herself gave it. I had to go with the Midsummer's effect."

"Oh. That makes it more difficult."

Ginny grinned. "Where is your sense of adventure, Cassi? Besides, Hannah hangs around Neville all the time. It shouldn't' be that hard."

"As long as he doesn't catch sight of you or me. That would be awkward."

Ginny's eyes widened. "I didn't think of that…"

Now it was Cassi's turn to smile. "What was that you said about a sense of adventure?"

Suddenly, the two girls were nearly run over by a flying body. It was Hermione, her hair streaming behind her, with very pink cheeks.

"Hermione!" gasped Cassi, trying to catch her balance. "What on earth is the matter with you?"

Hermione took a deep breath, glanced around, then pulled the two girls into a corner. "Do you promise not to tell Ron?"

"Of course!" said Ginny.

"Or Harry?"

Cassi nodded.

"Well…" Hermione looked like she was trying not to smile. "Viktor Krum asked me to the Yule Ball."

"Viktor K-" Ginny managed to squeak out before slapping a hand over her mouth.

"Are you serious?" whispered Cassi. "Viktor Krum?"

Hermione nodded. "Five minutes ago."

"What did you say?" asked Ginny.

"Yes, of course!"

"But what about-"

She looked at Ginny sharply. "What about what, Ginny?"

"Well…I thought you'd go with Ron."

Hermione stuck her chin out. "If Ron had asked me in a timely manner, I most certainly would have. But he, of course, is an idiot. I hope you're not planning around to wait for Harry?"

Cassi knew that she must have been really hurt to be so hard on Ginny. Some of her previous excitement lost, she turned and left them abruptly.

"Well- I only meant-" Ginny glared at Hermione's retreating figure. "She didn't have to be so touchy about it! I know Ron would see sense eventually."

"Are you waiting for Harry?" wondered Cassi.

Ginny sighed. "Not really. He won't ask me. Not unless…well…he gets really desperate."

Cassi shook her head. "That's not the way to do it, Ginny."

"I know, I know. Hermione tells me that at least twice a week. But still, I can't help hoping."

"I know what you mean."

Ginny gave her a curious glance. "Who do you fancy, Cassi?"

"Who is the only other person in this school as popular as Harry Potter?"

"Cedric Diggory?"

An unhappy nod was Cassi's reply.

"I guess we do have a lot in common, then."

"Right. Which is why we need to make Hannah happy and get our minds off our own troubles."

They laid their plans carefully. Hannah nearly always tried to walk with Neville from Herbology to Defense of the Dark Arts. So the ideal time to try the potion would be right after Herbology had ended.

Ginny wasn't in their year, so it was up to Cassi to execute the scheme. Thankfully Fred and George had explained how to convert the potion to a spray, so that all she would have to do was fill one of Professor Sprout's herbal spray bottles with the potion, and aim it at Neville at the exact right moment.

They decided to do it that Friday. The ball was approaching far too quickly, and if they didn't act soon, Hannah might be asked by someone else. Because Ginny didn't want to miss out on the fun, she snuck away early from Charms and positioned herself outside the greenhouse.

As Professor Sprout announced the end of class and the students began shelving their tools, Cassi nudged Hannah.

"What?"

"Neville's looking at you."

Hannah spun around, then looked disappointed. "No, he's not."

"He was a moment ago." This was the truth. Or at least, close to the truth. He was probably actually looking at the Truiculious vine growing in a pot above Hannah's head.

"Are you sure?"

"I saw him."

"Do you think he wanted to talk to me?"

Cassi hesitated- there were still a few students left in the greenhouse. Was it worth the risk? "Yes." She said. "I think you should go talk to him."

Hannah's face grew slightly hopeful. "Do you think he'll invite me to the Yule Ball?"

"The only way to know is to go over there!"

"But what if he isn't?"

"Then what do you have to loose? Go! Hurry!"

As Hannah began to move tremblingly towards Neville, Cassi pulled out the spray bottle and aimed it at the unsuspecting boy. His head was turning- a moment later and he would see Hannah-

She pulled the handle.

Immediately a dreamy look passed over Neville's face. Puppy love, all right.

Only- he wasn't looking at Hannah.

Horrified, Cassi followed his gaze to the window of the greenhouse.

Neville was staring at Ginny!

"This is horrible!" Ginny wailed three hours later when Cassi had finally managed to pull her away from the infatuated Neville. "He asked ME to go to the Ball with him! And he asked if I'd be his Valentine! February is two months away!"

"Yes, Gin. I know. I was there." Cassi said through gritted teeth. She was still going over options in her head. They had tried going to Fred and George for help, but the twins had merely howled their heads off. Apparently they weren't concerned about Neville Longbottom taking their sister to the ball.

"And poor Hannah- did you see her face?"

"I know. She's still in the bathroom crying."

Ginny groaned. "This is terrible!"

"You can say that again."

"I could- but I won't. It's awful! Cassi- why couldn't you have waited one more second?"

"I know, I know!" Cassi agreed. "It was bad luck Ginny, that's all. You shouldn't have been looking through the window so obviously."

Ginny let out another groan. "But do I have to go with him?"

"Well, you did say yes."

"But that was only to get him to leave! You know that!"

"Yes but- honestly. It's not all bad. He may even have been planning to ask you anyhow. He's more comfortable with you than any of the other girls. This could be a step in the right direction for him."

"The right direction?"

"I mean- towards asking girls out at all."

Ginny sighed. "I suppose that's right."

"The potion will have worn completely off by New Years Eve. By then you can start turning his mind to Hannah."

"I suppose there are worse things than going to the ball with Neville."

"Such as going to the ball alone. Like me."

"That's true. Poor Cassi. You should be going with him- not me."

"Oh no!" Cassi shook her head laughingly. "You're not going to get out of this one! Even if we could change it!"

"We'll just have to get another love potion for you."

"No. No more love potions. Didn't we agree on that a half an hour ago? Now come on-" Cassi pulled a magazine out of her bookbag. "Let's figure out what dresses we're going to get."

Ginny perked up a bit. "Well, Mum probably couldn't afford one of these- but I suppose we could make one, couldn't we?"

"Sure! In fact, I'll make one too, so we can do it together."

"You mean you could afford one of Madam Malkin's celebrity collection gowns?"

Cassi flushed. "Well…I don't seem to have any other uses for the galleons that appear in my trunk."

Ginny flipped through the pages, stopping at the moving images of a dozen different brooms. "I thought you wanted to play Quidditch."

"Oh." Cassi froze. In her efforts to put Cedric out of her mind, she had also dismissed thoughts of flying. But her own broom…suddenly the idea was irresistible. "You think I should get a broom instead?"

"Why not? Especially if you're going to make your dress."

She ran her fingers over the page. The Firebolt was a bit too expensive, even if she saved the Galleons for the rest of the school year. But the Nimbus 2002…now that looked reasonable.

As Ginny pulled out a piece of scratch paper and began sketching different dress elements, Cassi sent her own quill pen fluttering over a blank order form.

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