Yay! Two updates in one day... kinda! I'm really glad you all seem to like Cassy so much, I wasn't really sure how everyone would react to Bellatrix having a daughter. Now enjoy chapter 5!

"You want my father to do what?" Draco asked in disbelief. Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Not your father - your mother, and I want her to petition for custody of Harry. He needs to get away from those muggles Dumbledore placed him with. They're not safe." she scowled. Bloody bastard, placing her Harry with those beasts. Honestly, what had the man been thinking? She looked at her cousin expectantly. Draco sneered at her.

"And why can't you write her yourself?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"I'm not about to contact an Aunt who's wanted nothing to do with me for the past ten years. Besides, she's not going to get custody, I just need someone to offer a worse choice than the Pendragons or Andromeda when Dumbledore insists that he must stay with a blood relative. Of course, I've got another choice. Someone he was supposed to go to in the first place."

Draco raised a brow, curiosity peaked.

"Who?"

She smirked at him.

"Ah, ah, Draco, can't have you telling daddy and ruining my plans, now can I?" she turned to walk away, "But if you're really curious, go to the library and look through the newspaper articles on old Death Eater trials. See if you can find Sirius Black's. After all, the trial of Voldemort's 'right hand man' would be rather big news, don't you think?"

She left him staring after her, his mouth hanging open.

Halfway through Transfiguration Monday, someone knocked on the door, drawing the attention of the class away from their teacher.

"Enter." snapped Professor McGonagall. She raised a brow when a stern-looking woman wearing a monocle entered the room.

"How can I help you Madam Bones?"

"I need to see Cassandra Lestrange and Harry Potter."

The other eyebrow joined the first.

"May I ask why?"

"That, Professor, is a private matter between the children and myself in response to a letter Miss Lestrange sent me via house elf last Monday."

McGonagall turned to her Lion questioningly. Cassandra shrugged.

"Didn't want it intercepted and Gypsy is under strict orders to use any means necessary to complete any task set to her."

"And who gave her this order?" McGonagall asked. Cassandra snickered.

"I might have. Though it could just as easily have been Anthony or Charlotte." she answered with a smirk. McGonagall and Amelia shared an amused glance.

"I see. Well, Miss Lestrange, Mr. Potter, you are dismissed. Your homework is a two foot essay on today's lesson and a demonstration of this spell next week."

"Yes, Professor." the two chorused, Harry looking oddly pale. Cassandra put an arm around his shoulders comfortingly, whispering something in his ear. The two followed the DMLE Head out of the room.

Cassandra was worried. Poor Harry was shaking like a leaf. Maybe she shouldn't have contacted Madam Bones.

"Harry?" she whispered in his ear. He looked over at her.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay? Do you still want to do this?"

He nodded, smiling a little.

"You said I don't have to talk, right?" she nodded. "Then I'll be fine as long as I don't have to talk about the beating. I can tell them about the neglect and the cupboard and not eating for days, but I don't think I could tell them about the beating."

She gave him a squeeze, a sad smile tugging at her lips. Her smile faded when she saw where they were being led.

"Madam Bones, is it necessary to involve the Headmaster?"

Amelia stopped and turned towards them with her eyebrows raised.

"Yes. He is the Headmaster of this school. His first priority should always be the safety of his students."

Cassandra frowned.

"I honestly don't think the Headmaster can be trusted to have anyone's best interest. I believe he has completely taken the role of General at war. I will not have the life of my best friend in his hands."

Amelia smiled briefly. It was clear that this girl was far kinder than her mother had been.

"I assure you, Miss Lestrange -"

"Cassandra." Cassie interrupted.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Call me Cassandra. Lestrange has caused me nothing but grief."

Amelia frowned.

"Why?"

Cassie snorted.

"I'm the Death Eater's spawn." she rolled up her left sleeve to show the Dark Mark, "Few know this, but I was Marked the day I was born. Not even Anthony and Charlotte know. If anyone in this school saw this, I would be lynched immediately or ostracized. I had no choice in taking this and have spent most of my life trying to prove that I am not my parents, but if the Pendragons hated me for what they did, why wouldn't anyone else?" she asked softly. Amelia was appalled. Bellatrix Lestrange had forced an infant to take the Dark Mark? And then the Pendragons, a supposedly Light family, had taken their crimes out on an innocent child? Cassandra seemed to guess her line of thought, for she smiled and said,

"Anthony and Charlotte have seen the error of their ways. Of course, it took a Howler from Lady Longbottom to make them see it."

Amelia chuckled.

"Indeed. Well, I assure you, Miss Lestrange, the Headmaster will have no say in this decision."

Cassandra nodded, though looking at her eyes, Amelia could tell she didn't believe her. She sighed internally. She supposed seeing it would prove it, but it wouldn't make the jaded young girl before her trust her. Sighing audibly now, she led the two first years to the old coot's office.

Entering the office, Cassandra caught sight of the last person she had expected to see.

"Madam Bones, I understand why Lady Malfoy is here, but may I inquire as to the presence of her sister?"

Amelia sighed.

"It seems, Cassandra, that calling into question the home life of your friend Mr. Potter called into question your own."

Cassandra raised a brow.

"Oh? And who was it that called my home life into question?" she asked coolly.

"Your aunt, Mrs. Andromeda Tonks."

Cassie and Harry snorted in time, though Harry took it a step further and glared at the woman in question. It was Amelia's turn to raise her brow.

"Care to explain Mr. Potter's reaction?"

Cassie shrugged, grinning at the woman.

"Harry and I met in Diagon Alley. For the rest of the summer we exchanged letters, telling each other everything about the last ten years of our lives since Halloween of 1981. There's nothing Harry doesn't know about me."

"Except how that crazy mind of hers works" Harry muttered, getting a laugh from a few in the room. "But the same goes for me. There's nothing Cassie doesn't know. So why is she here?" he reiterated, sneering the 'she'. Andromeda flinched. She had wronged her niece and she knew it. She had no right to be demanding custody of the girl, but Dumbledore had demanded it.

Cassandra, seeing the flinch, smirked to her self before taking a moment to figure out who was in the room. Aside from her aunts, Madam Bones, the Headmaster, Harry, and herself, there was also her parents, the Minister of Magic, and a man who looked to be around the same age as Charlotte and Anthony, yet so much older at the same time. His brown hair was streaked with gray and his clothes were in tatters, and his kind brown eyes were ringed with amber. She could tell immediately that he was a werewolf, but she wouldn't be a biggot like her mother and judge him before she knew him. Instead, she turned to her aunt.

"After literally spitting in my face when I was five and saying you never wanted to see my face again, what gives you the right to demand custody of me?" she asked coldly. Again, Andromeda flinched, only this time, the werewolf glared at her.

"Really, Andy? She was five! What could she have possibly have done to deserve that? I know she's Bellatrix's daughter, but that doesn't mean she's anything like her!"

"Thank you!" Cassie cried, looking at the man, who chuckled in return. "You don't know how long I've been trying to get other people to realize that! I've been called a Death Eater twice a day since term started!"

"Not that they don't have reason." Andromeda spat coldly. Now Cassie flinched, "Does Harry know about that Mark on your arm? Do Anthony and Charlotte."

Again, Cassie flinched, causing Harry to narrow his emerald eyes on the woman in anger.

"Harry and Neville? Yeah. Anthony and Charlotte? Not so much."

The two in question frowned.

"What Mark, sweetheart?" Anthony asked. Cassie sighed and once again rolled up the left sleeve of her robe. The Dark Mark stood out, a stark contrast with her pale skin.

"I've had that Mark since the day I was born, but I do not follow Him." she spat the last word, looking straight into the eyes of the werewolf. For some reason, she felt she had to convince him of this more than she did her adopted parents. At his nodded, her shoulders relaxed a bit, only to tense again at the sight of Anthony and Charlotte's horrified expressions. Her fears left her, however, when Charlotte dropped to her knees beside her, her fingers tracing the snake and skull design with a feather-light touch before taking the eleven-year-old in her arms.

"Oh, you poor dear. Did it hurt? Does it hurt now?"

Cassandra stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then she laughed softly.

"Yes, it did hurt when I got it, but it hasn't bothered me since the night he fell." she shot Harry an apologetic look. He just grinned, shrugging it off. He had lost his parents that night, but that didn't mean he would prefer his friend in pain. Anthony was watching his daughter shrewdly.

"You thought we would hate you." it was a statement. He didn't need to ask. The way the girl had flinched said it all. She nodded shamefully, and he ran a hand over his face.

"You have no reason to be ashamed, love. You had every reason to think that we would. We haven't exactly been the most loving parents these past ten years."

Cassie shook her head.

"But you've been great! And you apologized!" she objected. Anthony chuckled.

"Be that as it may, Princess, we still have a lot to make up for that a simple apology won't fix. However, I believe this meeting was about Harry."

Harry scowled at the man for bringing the attention back to him, only to receive an innocent grin in return. He rolled his eyes and turned to Cassie.

"You said I only had to tell Madam Bones." he said accusingly. Cassie's eyes widened. She hadn't meant to lie to her friend! Luckily for her, however, Madam Bones came to her rescue.

"Normally you would, however, the Headmaster seems to think he is your magical guardian and has the right to place you where he will."

Cassandra snorted.

"He is not. Sirius Black is."

"Sirius Black is a convicted felon -" the Minister started pompously, only to be interrupted by yet another derisive snort from Cassandra.

"Convicted?" she hissed in a low voice, "How can he be a convicted anything when he never received a trial?!" she shouted. "You just arrested him and carted him off to Azkaban! Lucius Malfoy received a trial - though you are the only one delusional enough to still believe him innocent - but not Sirius Black! Never mind that since his parents and brother are dead he is last survivor of the Black family to still carry that name! Never mind that he is the Lord of an Ancient and Noble House! I searched for hours for any record of his trial and found none! SO TELL ME HOW IN THE NAME OF MERLIN IS MY COUSIN A CONVICTED FELON!" by the end her voice had risen to match that of her great-aunt Walburga. Remus winced and rubbed his ears. Cassandra noticed this and sent him an apologetic look. Amelia Bones was now glaring at the Minister, who had gone very pale.

"Why was Lord Black never given a trial?" she demanded. Meanwhile, Harry was giving his best friend a confused look.

"Who's Sirius Black?"

She grimaced. She really didn't want to be the one to tell him this, but better he get it from her than the manipulative Headmaster or a betrayed werewolf.

"He was your father's best friend and Secret Keeper when your parents went into hiding with you…. He is also supposed to have betrayed them to Voldemort and killed thirteen people, one wizard and twelve muggles."

"Supposed to have? Why do you think he didn't?" the adults had stopped in their conversations to listen to the children, who had yet to notice their audience. Cassie shrugged.

"Well, for one, he had more to loose than he did to gain by betraying them. Also, he was supposed to have blown up the entire street, including Peter Pettigrew - the wizard and another friend of your parents. All they found of Pettigrew was a finger and a pile of robes. If he had been blown to pieces, wouldn't there have been more than just a finger and robes that were still in one piece?" she asked logically. The adults of the room flushed with embarrassment. The girl had a point. The robes would have been destroyed as well as the body. Why hadn't they noticed before?

"Because you decided his last name meant more than his actions and you didn't question those either. You thought 'Oh, he's a Black, so of course he's guilty. No use in questioning anyone.' It's like people hearing my last name and branding me a Death Eater before they know anything else about me." Apparently Amelia had voiced this question allowed. Everyone in the room other than Amelia, Remus, and Dumbledore all bowed their heads in shame. Cassandra raised a brow at Dumbledore.

"You could at least pretend to be ashamed of yourself, Headmaster." she reprimanded.

"My dear girl, I've no idea what you mean."

She smirked.

"I am neither deaf nor stupid Headmaster, and portraits make excellent gossips." she turned to Amelia before the old goat could say anything more. "Madam Bones, could you ensure that my cousin gets a trial? And would it be possible for Harry and myself to attend?"

Amelia gave her a searching look before nodding.

"Of course. I'll have a trial set up for next Saturday."

Cassandra's smile was blinding, and it warmed Amelia's heart that she was able to put it there. Then she turned to the unknown werewolf.

"Not to be rude, sir, but who are you and what is your business here?"

The man chuckled.

"I'm Remus Lupin. I was a friend of Harry's parents and I've come to ask to be able to see Harry, as the Headmaster has been forbidding me from seeing him for the past ten years."

She tilted her head to the side.

"Pack cub?" she asked curiously. He nodded, looking surprised.

"How did you know?"

She smiled kindly at him.

"The eyes. They're ringed with amber."

He nodded, still looking amazed.

"And you don't care that one of my kind wants to spend time alone with your best friend."

She smirked.

"Depends on why you want to see him alone, old man." she winked at him, causing the one-time prankster to gape at her. Then he laughed. She grinned cheekily - a grin which quickly faded at the mischievous look on the man's face. She gulped and backed away - she had no wish to be tickled to death, thank you very much. However, unfortunately for Cassandra, his reflexes were much faster due to him being a werewolf, and he grabbed her before she could get out of reach. Soon she was shrieking with laughter, the man's nibbled fingers torturing her sides. He tickled her until she was gasping for breath. When he finally released her, she glared at him.

"Bad wolfie."

He snickered, causing her eyes to narrow for a moment before she crossed her arms and pouted. She stuck her tongue out at him, turning back to Amelia.

"Until Sirius gets his trial, can we postpone any discussions of custody for Harry or myself? We will, of course, still be discussing why I have these concerns, but only with you."

Amelia nodded.

"Of course. If you'll be willing to step through the Floo to my office -?"

Cassie nodded quickly.

"Of course, but Harry has no idea how to use the Floo."

Amelia turned to Harry.

"It's really quite simple, Mr. Potter. You go over to the fire place, take a handful of the green powder on the mantle, throw it in, and say clearly 'Ministry of Magic, Madam Bones' office'. Okay?"

Harry nodded. She smiled.

"Then I'll go first." she turned to the adults, "This meeting is postponed pending Lord Black's trial."

Everyone nodded. Amelia walked to the fireplace and left, then Cassandra, then Harry.

Once Harry had disappeared, Remus turned to Dumbledore, his teeth bared in a snarl.

"I hope for your sake, Albus, that those muggles haven't been hurting my cub." with that, he followed Amelia and the children's example and Flooed out.

Amelia gestured for the two children to either sit down in chairs or on the lone love seat in the room. They opted for the love seat, Cassandra resting against the arm and Harry cuddling into his friend for comfort.

"Mr. Potter, I need you to tell me everything that has happened to you since you were placed with your Aunt and Uncle."

Harry looked up at Cassandra, who nodded encouragingly. He sighed.

"From the moment my Aunt found me on her doorstep, I was shoved in the cupboard under the stairs, barely given enough food to stay alive. Until I started Primary School at the age of five, I thought my name was Freak or Boy. At six, they made me start cooking their meals, because, apparently, weeding the garden, pruning the hedges, mowing the lawn, and cleaning their house wasn't enough to repay them for taking care of me and putting up with my freakishness. If I burned the food, Uncle Vernon would make me cook it again and forbid me from eating. Then he would hold my hand against the hot eye until it burned. I wore my cousin's hand me downs and stuck mostly to myself because Dudley and his friends bullied the other kids into staying away from me. If I performed accidental magic or anything 'freakish' happened I was locked in my cupboard and food was withheld. Until Hagrid came to get me, I thought my parents were drunks who had died in a car crash. After I got back from Diagon Alley, my uncle got a bank statement from Gringotts, telling him how much money is in my account. Despite everything he did, my uncle had never actually beaten me before, no matter how much he threatened. But seeing as he couldn't touch my inheritance, he decided that he would 'take the money I owed him out of my hide'. That night, he beat me until I was coughing up blood. He broke three of my ribs, my left leg, and fractured my skull. I wrote Cassie and she sent me healing potions with her elf. I didn't tell her why I needed them though until the first night back. I was ashamed. I still am. If I'm a wizard, why couldn't I defend myself against a muggle? If I defeated the most powerful Dark Lord of our age, why am I so weak?" he finished brokenly. Amelia wasn't surprised to find tears rolling down her face. Cassandra was in no better shape. Her tears were flowing freely as she ran her fingers through his crow's nest of hair, murmuring soft reassurances in his ear and rocking him.

"Harry." Amelia said softly. Both children looked up at her, "It wasn't your fault. Accidental magic doesn't work like that. You're only a child, he shouldn't have done any of what he did and you in no way deserved it, and I'm sure Cassandra agrees with me."

Harry looked at Cassandra, who gave a watery chuckle and placed a kiss atop his unruly head.

"Of course I agree with Madam Bones, you silly boy. If it weren't illegal and I not underage, I'd return what those beasts did to you tenfold. However, I'm sure I can rope the twins into helping me prank them." she added this with a wicked smirk that had Harry very glad that he wasn't the Dursleys. She looked up at Madam Bones.

"I trust they'll be dealt with and Harry will be placed temporarily in your or Remus Lupin's care?"

Amelia nodded. She knew why she chose the two of them.

"Of course. Now, I believe the two of you have classes to attend. I'll see you both next Saturday for Sirius Black's trial."

They both nodded, mumbling quiet 'Thank you's and left. Amelia sighed. She had a lot of work to do.