Welcome back! This chapter has gone through, like, six iterations, but I present some happiness before all the angst.

Thank you for all your continued support, as always!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Normalcy of Cassie Alderfair

At the close of her sixth year, Cassie could almost say her life was back to normal.

Almost.

She still had a sinister cult out for her head, and she had witnessed the horrific murder of her teacher only scant weeks before, but Hogwarts kept her so busy in the days leading up to their N.E.W.T.s that she had no time for any of the extraneous outside of the castle walls.

She and her friends (even Peter, to everyone's surprise and relief) had managed to pass their Apparition licensing exams with flying colors, and though they were exhausted from revision and daunted by their N.E.W.T. exams, the sixth-years emerged from their last test gaunt but victorious. With their results not coming until the summer holidays, there was truly nothing left of lessons or schoolwork that could plague Cassie's thoughts or sleep for the rest of the term, and for perhaps the first time in her life, she looked forward to the break from school and returning to her aunt's home for the holiday.

However, there was still one thing she had yet to accomplish before her sixth year was over, but it seemed no closer to happening than when she had first started last autumn.

"Anything?"

She met the gazes of each Marauder in turn, beseeching.

"No, I don't think so," Remus said, apologetic.

"Nothing," said James around a mouthful of Chocolate Frog he'd split with Peter. Sirius just shook his head.

"Your eyebrows look a little thicker," Peter said, but uncertainty tainted his encouragement.

Cassie's hands flew up to her eyebrows in panic, but she groaned when they felt utterly normal. "Admit it; I'm rubbish at this."

They had all snuck to the Shrieking Shack for the evening after dinner, the Marauders agreeing to help Cassie in what felt like her hopeless pursuit of becoming an Animagus like them. Months of theory and study, even that ruddy time she'd spent with Mandrake leaves stuck in her mouth, and she had absolutely nothing to show for it. Her progress had stalled, if it had ever even begun, and she dropped into one of the rickety dining chairs, facing the Marauders on the sagging sofa.

James swallowed his chocolate with a large gulp. "You have everything down. Stop being so concerned with failure; just let it happen."

She made a face. "I'm not you. I don't exactly have an innate talent for Transfiguration."

"And you think Pete does?" Sirius drawled.

"I'm right here," Peter grumbled.

James rubbed his chin. "You could try getting on all fours. Immersion or something."

Cassie glanced down at the grimy floor. "I'm good, thanks."

"You'll get it," Remus said bracingly. "You just have to keep trying."

"I don't think Liv will be too pleased if I suddenly sprout feathers at the kitchen table." She deliberated. "Well, Ben and Mia might like it. David might faint, though." She shook her head. "I'm not going to be able to find enough time to practice over the holiday. What if I forget everything by the time we come back, and I have to start all over again?"

"Then we'll start again," Remus said.

"That's not good enough!" she said, then realized how close she sounded to whining. She spoke in a milder tone. "Next term is the beginning of our last year here. I need to have the transformation down if I'm to help you at all with yours."

Remus gave her a rueful smile. "I've told you a million times that you don't need to do this for my benefit, Cass."

"And I'm ignoring you for the millionth time," she retorted half-heartedly. She looked at James, Sirius, and Peter. "There has to be something I'm missing, some element that I'm not grasping."

"Maybe it's some sort of block," Sirius said. "Some piece of you, mentally, that doesn't want to respond to the transformation."

She frowned; she conceded that there were many things that could be considered blocks, whether emotional or mental, but none of those had anything to do with her desire to help Remus. How could she be frightened or apprehensive about wanting to comfort him?

"Maybe," she said without conviction. She wanted to disagree, but beginning another argument with Sirius would ruin whatever tense truce they had between them, and she didn't want to end the term on a sour note.

Peter licked some melted chocolate off his fingers as they sat quietly in the shack before speaking. "Anyone up for a butterbeer?"

"Our stash is gone," Remus said, stretching his arms above his head. "Remember? We drank the last of them at the Quidditch afterparty."

James flung a hand over his eyes. "Don't remind me, Moony. I'm still licking that wound."

"As you should." Sirius sniffed. "Those Ravenclaw Chasers absolutely thrashed you."

"They flew laps around you, too," James said petulantly. He sighed, sounding close to tears. "If Gryffindor loses the Cup next year, I'm flying straight into the ground at top speed, and none of you are allowed to resuscitate me."

"You'll flatten them," Peter said, patting James's knee. James sniffled into the crook of his elbow. "There, there, Prongs."

"Maybe we should get butterbeer," Remus said, watching James in a mixture of sympathy and exasperation. "Hogsmeade isn't far from here…"

Cassie started. "It's almost dark. Curfew's soon."

He gave her a level look. "Since when has that ever stopped us?"

"That's annoyingly valid." Still, the thought made her nervous. They'd snuck out loads of times, of course, but they had always remained on the grounds; they'd never snuck off school property before. "What if someone recognizes us as students, though?"

"With this giant with us?" James said, jerking his thumb at Remus. He'd sat up at Remus's suggestion, his despondency forgotten. Cassie thought she'd seen him wipe his eyes on the sleeve of his jumper, but she was kind enough not to point it out. "No one will look twice. Besides, we'll just keep to ourselves. One drink. We'll be fine."

"We climbed down a creepy well in the middle of the night and almost died," Sirius reminded her in a dry voice when she still teetered. "You can't possibly be afraid of sneaking into Hogsmeade."

She threw her hands up. "Oh, fine. But if someone catches us, I'm booking it back to the castle whether you're with me or not. There won't be any honor from me."

James grinned at her as they got to their feet. "Bet you can't outrun a stag, though."

"Or a dog," Sirius added with a wolfish grin.

"I'd just hide," Peter said.

Cassie pretended to slug Remus in the arm. "Looks like that leaves us, mate."

"I'd take the fall for you," he said easily.

She frowned. "Not if I take the fall for you first."

"Except I'd do it first."

"No, I would," she said before catching his smirk. "Oi."

He chuckled as they followed Sirius out of the front door of the shack. "You're almost as easy to bait as James sometimes. But at least you catch on quicker."

"Huh?" James said when he heard his name. He looked over his shoulder as they began to walk down the isolated hill where the shack squatted, eerie and derelict in the twilight. "What about me?"

"Nothing," Cassie said airily as they caught up. "I was just remarking how great you look tonight, James. That jumper really brings out the little bit of blue in your eyes."

His mouth quirked in a slight pout. "Sometimes I can't tell if you're actually flirting with me or not."

"Don't worry, I know you're taken," she said, though her heart skipped a beat at the mention of flirting. Her eyes flicked in Remus's direction where he'd fallen into step with Sirius and Peter. "I'll just have to content myself with someone else. Peeves, maybe."

He reached back and grabbed her hand, pulling her up alongside him so she no longer trailed behind. "If my heart didn't already belong to Lily, you know it'd be you."

She ruffled his hair so it stuck out more in every direction, and he mumbled a curse. "Sap."

"Loon," he muttered, self-consciously trying to flatten his hair as Hogsmeade appeared on the horizon.

Whorls of lamplight shined out at them as night closed upon the tiny village, and chimney-smoke curled into the sky as if grasping for the stars that were blinking into view above the roofs. Despite the approach of summer, the air was cool and tinged with the permanent frost of the mountains surrounding the valley, but fireflies sparked to life along the dirt path to the village, sometimes wending between their legs as they walked.

The village was teeming when they arrived, with most of the crowd converging on the Three Broomsticks after a day of work or shopping. Some shops were still open as they passed, such as Honeydukes and Dervish and Banges, but most had shuttered for the night, including Zonko's, which the boys were sorely displeased by. It took a lot of cajoling on Cassie's part to finally guide them into the Three Broomsticks and return to their initial objective.

The tavern was packed almost as tightly as it was on Hogsmeade weekends but with older witches and wizards instead of students. Cassie held her breath as they waded into the throng of adults, waiting for someone to recognize them and throw them out, but they managed to wrangle a table in a corner by the back staircase leading to the rooms that could be rented on the next floor. Remus was elected to get their drinks from the bar due to his height, but Cassie was unable to relax until he had returned with five mugs of foaming butterbeer balanced in his hands. He sat down next to her, and once they all had their drinks, James raised his mug.

"Well, lads and Princess," he said, "we did it. Another year down. The next time we sit at one of these tables, we'll be seventh-years."

"Rulers of the school," Peter added with a wicked grin.

"Precisely, Wormtail. And with me as Quidditch Captain and Remus as Head Boy, we'll be unstoppable."

"You don't know I'm going to get Head Boy," Remus pointed out, but James waved him off.

"In any case, we have one year left, and we're going to bloody make the most of it, hear?" He gazed around at them all, meeting each of their stares. "One more year of pranks and homework and lessons and Quidditch. One more year of Peeves and Snivellus and the Slytherins and Filch. Then we leave it behind and join the Order."

Cassie fidgeted, but no one noticed her sudden discomfort.

"One more year," Sirius agreed, lifting his own mug. "We take the fight to them, and we win."

Peter looked pale and his hand shook slightly when he raised his drink. "One more year."

Remus lifted his mug. "One more year."

One more year, and I will have stopped Will, Kane, and Voldemort once and for all, Cassie thought, but all she said was "One more year."

They clinked their mugs together and drank.

"Finally." Cassie thumped the lid of her trunk closed and stretched. "I hate packing. Why can't we just leave our stuff here over the summer?"

"Some of us need our things year-round," Lily pointed out as she meticulously folded another pair of her socks. She glanced down at her trunk, piled with clothes and books, and grimaced. "Though the trunks do get a bit heavy…"

Marlene appeared from the washroom then, frazzled. "I've lost it again."

"Mar," Alice groaned, sliding down from her bed. "I just helped you find it!"

"It's jinxed!" Marlene said. "How does a bracelet just keep disappearing? I own a cursed piece of jewelry!" She blanched and looked at Cassie and the silver chain snaking beneath the collar of her shirt. "Er, sorry."

Cassie shrugged; the clockwork locket had given her no more trouble since imprisoning Norvina in it, and she often forgot about it since retrieving the phials. At the reminder of the phials, however, she flipped the locks on her trunk. She didn't have any sort of fancy case for them, so she'd stuffed them in a pair of stockings and wrapped them in a pair of knickers to deter anyone from snooping – not a foolproof measure by any means, but it was all she had until she got back to Liv's and figured out a better place to hide them.

Alice sighed. "C'mon," she said to Mar, "I'll help you search for it."

They disappeared into the washroom, and Cassie grabbed Osbourne's cage from the foot of her bed.

"Getting Ozzy?" Lily asked.

"Might as well," Cassie said, checking the clock on her bedside table; a quarter to five. "I won't have time in the morning between breakfast and making the train."

Lily nodded, returning to her folding. "See you at dinner?"

"Yeah." She paused on her way out the door. "You're still coming with us to the lake tonight, right?"

"We are," she said. She quirked her lips. "So long as James behaves himself."

Cassie grinned. "James?"

"Don't read into it," said Lily primly. "You're not likely to get rid of him, so friends it is."

Her grin widened. "Friends?"

"Goodbye!" Lily sang, ushering her out the door, and Cassie laughed all the way to the common room.

It wasn't as full as it normally was, but with it being the last night of the term, she imagined everyone either scrambling to finish their packing or else otherwise enjoying their favorite parts of the castle before they left for the holiday. Her suspicions were confirmed when she passed through the corridors and the many students mingling about the castle, dressed in casual clothes as their school robes were no longer required until the end-of-term feast that night.

The clock doled out five o'clock from the depths of the castle, and she spurred her steps faster toward the Owlery. She hadn't lied about needing to retrieve Osbourne for the journey home, but she had another reason to be at the lonesome tower, as well.

She jogged up the tight, spiraling staircase, avoiding owl droppings and what appeared to be a fresh regurgitation of a vole. She wrinkled her nose and kept on until she'd reached the top and the honeycomb nesting places of the school and student owls.

"Sorry," she said, setting Osbourne's cage down so she could rub out the stitch in her side. "I was packing; lost track of time."

Avery shrugged. "No matter." He stood in the center of the room, petting a handsome screech owl where it rested on a perch near his shoulder. A silver cage stood open at his feet. "One of Snape's potion kits turned up broken, and he blamed Mulciber, so the two have been going at it for the last half-hour; I don't think anyone will notice my absence much."

Cassie frowned at the mention of Snape but said nothing of it. "You said you had an update for me."

"Right to business, I see." Avery grinned at her faintly. In the late summer light, his pale eyes glowed like twin moonlit pools. "But yes. I received word from my mother. She's managed to find a safe place for her and Evie. Another week, and I'll be able to help them relocate there."

Her shoulders sagged in relief. "That's…great. That's really great to hear, actually." She rubbed a spot in the middle of her chest that suddenly felt lighter, as if a foreign pressure that had been compressing it had vanished. "I'm glad they're going somewhere safe." She hesitated. "Do you need any help getting them there?"

"You've done enough," he said, not unkindly. He looked at his owl, which had its eyes closed in bliss as he rubbed its beak. "What you did for Evie…I can ask no more than that."

"I didn't do much," she mumbled. "Liv was the one who took care of her."

"She wouldn't have if not for you," he said. He dropped his hand and put it in the pocket of his fine black trousers. It was still odd seeing him outside of their school robes, but the casual cut of his everyday robes suited him, if she was being honest. "I owe you much more than I can ever repay."

She shifted, uncomfortable, but tried for a grin. "Well, I always accept payment in Sugar Quills."

He smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."

Before the silence could grow awkward, Cassie hauled Osbourne's brass cage onto a bench covered in feathers and droppings and clicked her tongue several times. "Ozzy! Here, boy!"

Osbourne swooped from the rafters with an affectionate hoot and nuzzled into Cassie's hand when she offered him treats from her pocket. She tossed one into his cage with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Ozzy, I know you hate it, but we'll be home tomorrow."

Her brown owl seemed to understand, but he still looked reproachful when he stalked into his cage, and she shut the latch. She turned and found that Avery had put away his own grey-and-white owl, and now stood at the top of the stairs as if he didn't know whether to wait for her or not.

"We probably shouldn't be seen together," she said quietly in response to his silent question. "We only just got the Staghart rumors to stop."

He glanced at the stairs, visibly swallowing back his disappointment. "You're right. But I'll see you when I come to get Evie, won't I?"

"You will." She pursed her lips while he still teetered. "That's not a promise for anything, Avery."

"I know." She couldn't know what emotions were hidden in the two words, and he started down the stairs before she could even try to decipher them. "See you later, Cassie."

"Yeah," she said, watching his dark head fade from view before heaving a sigh. "See you, Avery."

She had just reached the third-floor corridor on her way back to Gryffindor Tower when someone called her name behind her. She turned, and Osbourne tittered happily in his cage as Sirius jogged up the stairs toward them.

Cassie's eyes fastened on the strange lump beneath his jacket that had to have been the Invisibility Cloak. "Where were you? The kitchens?"

"Better." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small crate the size of a child's toy with a mischievous grin. Cassie took it when he offered it to her, and she recognized the miniscule logo.

"You snuck into the Three Broomsticks by yourself?" she demanded. "And managed to nick butterbeer?"

His look was nothing short of smug. "Nothing some Silencing and Shrinking Spells couldn't handle. I used the Honeydukes tunnel, too, don't look so worried," he added at her panicked expression.

She relaxed at the mention of the secret passageway and handed the shrunken crate back. "All right, good. The last thing you need is another term's worth of detention."

"Spoken like Moony himself," he said, amused, as they fell into step together. "Here, let me."

He gestured for Osbourne's cage, and Cassie gladly handed it over; her arm muscles had been straining since the Owlery, and she had indentations on the insides of her fingers from the cage. "Thanks."

He shrugged, utterly at ease as they passed a group of Ravenclaws walking in the opposite direction toward their own tower. Their row over a month ago suddenly seemed as if it had never happened.

"Are we all right?" she blurted into the amiable silence, and he looked at her in surprise. She rushed to explain. "Like, after Valentine's, I thought we were fine, but then you said I was avoiding you and you were upset, but now…"

"Oh. Right. That." He sucked on his teeth for a moment, thinking. Even when his face was scrunched in such a way, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he still looked, and her heart gave a sharp twist like someone had reached inside her ribcage and seized it. "Well, I thought you were avoiding me, honestly. It took me a while to come 'round to it, but a few weeks ago I realized that you weren't, not really. You were just…treating me as a friend. And that wasn't what I wanted."

She looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, don't apologize," he said, waving her off. "I was the one being unfair, I know that now." He frowned. "Moony and Prongs were the ones to point it out, actually – told me that expecting things to go back to the way they used to be was unreasonable."

She frowned, uncomfortable upon the realization that they had talked about her relationship with Sirius, but she supposed it was only natural as they were all friends. She wasn't quite sure what to say, though.

"Things are just screwy," she said haltingly. "This past year…a lot has changed. Including us."

He nodded slowly. "I reckon so."

"But that doesn't mean I don't want you by my side." She sighed and took his arm, linking them together as they walked. She glanced up and met his gaze. "You're one of my best friends before anything else. I don't want to be cruel and promise you anything, but I don't want you at arms-length either. I want you here."

He seemed surprised but her sudden touch, but his smile was soft when he looked at her.

"By your side is where I belong, friend or otherwise," he said. "You'll always have me, Cassie."

She squeezed his arm tighter as the portrait of the Fat Lady came into view. "I'm really glad I stole that lemon meringue pie."

"It was quite good, wasn't it?"

Her mouth watered just thinking about it. "Divine."

They laughed, and the sound could fill the entirety of Gryffindor Tower ten times over.

The atmosphere in the Great Hall was one of cheer and triumph at a successful year completed, and the room swelled with talk and laughter as Cassie and her friends took seats at the Gryffindor table. The enchanted ceiling was painted in pastels as the sun set, and the golden plates and cutlery positively glowed in the merry light.

When the Hall had filled and no more students trickled in, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet at the head of the staff table and beamed out at them.

"Congratulations, all," he said, his voice carrying around the room, "to another exceptional year at Hogwarts!"

The Hall erupted into cheers and applause. It was still odd for Cassie to look up at the staff table and not see Professor Staghart sitting amongst the rest of the teachers, but she forced her attention away from his usual seat and back to the headmaster.

Professor Dumbledore waited politely for them to quiet down before continuing his speech.

"This year was not an easy one," he said, his eyes sweeping the rows of students solemnly. "There were many challenges and hardships, and not all of them could be handled with mere determination or perseverance. The loss of Professor Staghart is still deeply felt, and he will be greatly missed just as he has been these past several months."

Cassie looked down at her lap, squeezing her hands together when tears pricked at her eyes. Next to her, Remus put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and though she didn't look at him, she reached up and grasped it in silent gratitude.

"But life goes on, as do we," Professor Dumbledore continued. "As I stand here and look out upon all your youthful faces, eager to learn and excel and grow into who you are all meant to be, I feel only hope for the future. And hope, I find, is perhaps a power greater than any spell taught here at Hogwarts, and it is something I want to instill in each and every one of you. If there is nothing else to take away from your time here, then I only wish – hope – that it is to believe in your capabilities to shape your lives, and perhaps the world, as you desire."

He paused, and there was another smattering of applause. He smiled, and his eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles as he raised his hands.

"But enough sentimentality from a sentimental old wizard!" he said, and several people chuckled. "Our wonderful feast is nigh, and I know you are all thinking of that special treacle tart much as I am. Before we dig in, however, we shall review the results of House points and announce the winner of this year's House Cup!"

More cheers, and Professor Dumbledore had to wait again before the Hall quieted.

"In fourth place, with one hundred-and-sixty-four points, Slytherin!"

There was half-hearted applause, but mostly snickering from other Houses. Cassie could not help but feel vindictive satisfaction when she saw the furious look on Peggy Sloane's face as the Slytherins sulked.

"In third place, with one hundred-and-eighty-five points, Hufflepuff!"

Another round of applause that was slightly louder, but the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws shifted anxiously and cast each other furtive glances, wondering which one had triumphed over the other.

"It was a very tight margin this year," said Professor Dumbledore as the Hall waited with bated breath. "Only a ten-point difference between second and first place!"

Peter dropped his head into his arms and moaned. "I can't watch. If Ravenclaw beats us again, I'm going to be sick."

"With two hundred-and-eight points, second place goes to…Ravenclaw!"

The word was hardly out of his mouth before the Gryffindor table exploded in cheers. Cassie and the others shot to their feet and began to jump and holler, drowning out the rest of Professor Dumbledore's words, but the volume only increased when he waved his wand, and above them, the whole Hall was suddenly strung with Gryffindor banners.

Their celebration might have lasted the entirety of the feast had Professor McGonagall not descended upon them with shouts of "Enough, enough!" though Cassie noticed their Head of House had not stopped smiling since the headmaster's announcement. When they had finally settled down, Professor Dumbledore gave a little bow in their direction before speaking to the Hall at large.

"Congratulations, Gryffindor! Yes, yes, well done… Ah, one last order of business, then." He waved his wand again, and shimmering script appeared in the air. "Our school song! On the count of three… One, two—"

He was cut off when James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter got to their feet, and as if they had rehearsed it, began to sing in what Cassie could only describe as some sort of Gregorian chant.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old or bald,

Or young with scabby knees."

Cassie stared in amazement along with the rest of the student body, and even the staff table. Though there was no set tune or duration for the school song, she didn't think she'd ever heard it performed in such a way, and they were all stunned into silence until the end of the first stanza.

She caught James's eye, and he urged her to stand and join them. Never would she have considered doing something so mortifying in her life, but with a stab of fond resignation, never before had she had friends quite like the Marauders. Her face blazing and her knees a bit wobbly, she stood on the bench next to Remus and began to sing along with them.

"Our heads could do with filling,

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff."

On Cassie's other side, Lily got to her feet, shortly followed by Alice and Marlene, and then the rest of the Gryffindor table. James got out his wand and began to wave it like a conductor's baton, and soon, the whole rest of the Hall – save for a majority of the Slytherins – where chanting the last verse like a choir of melancholy monks.

"So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

Until our brains all rot."

It took a fair bit of time to finish the song, but when they finished, Professor Dumbledore clapped the loudest of any person in the Hall.

"Bravo!" he said while James and Sirius bowed, soaking up most of the attention while everyone else sat down. "And on that strange but wonderful note, let the feast begin! Dig in!"

Food appeared along the tables, and Cassie wasted no time in filling her plate. She handed the bowl of mashed potatoes to James with a raised eyebrow.

"Some performance," she remarked. "How long did you lot practice that one?"

"It was a random idea we had earlier in the week," Remus said, looking quite pleased with himself. "I think it went spectacularly."

"We rehearsed it in the showers all week," James added, and there was a beat of silence while everyone soaked in the image that statement provided.

Cassie burst out laughing, and the girls were quick to follow while Sirius slapped James on the back of his head. She fell into Remus's side, still laughing, and as the others joined in around her, she felt, for perhaps the first time in her life, completely and utterly normal.

How long that lasted, of course, was another matter entirely.

I know the song is meant to be sung at the Start-of-Term feast, but let me have this, I beg.

Please do let me know what you thought!

Next Chapter: The Order of the Phoenix