A Home Worth Living In
Chapter 3: A Home Worth Living In
Cassia Black stood in the dimly lit hallway of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, surveying the dust-covered remnants of a house that had once been one of the most powerful in Britain.
The air inside was thick with age, the walls lined with portraits of sneering ancestors who had long since passed.
But this wasn’t their home anymore.
Cassia would make it her own—not just for herself, but for Harry.
With a wave of her hand, she called upon her magic. The earth pulsed in response, vines creeping up the walls, wrapping around sconces and railings, infusing life into a house that had been dormant for far too long. The heavy, dark curtains ripped themselves from the windows, letting in the first slivers of sunlight in years.
The house groaned, as if resisting the change. Cassia pushed harder.
The furniture, stiff and formal, shifted—deep greens and silvers became warmer tones, emerald and rich charcoal, still honoring her Slytherin heritage but without the coldness of the past. The oppressive air lightened, magic weaving through the space, reclaiming it, cleansing it.
Her mother had always told her, "Magic is more than spells and wands, Cassia. It’s in your blood, in the land, in the very foundation beneath your feet."
Cassia had never understood it more than now.
Grimmauld Place would no longer be a house of shadows.
It would be a sanctuary.
A Sudden Realization
As Cassia adjusted the final set of wards around the property, a thought crept into her mind.
Harry was starting Hogwarts soon.
Someone—probably a professor—would be coming to take him to Diagon Alley.
Her heart pounded. If she didn’t act fast, Harry would be back under Dumbledore’s control before she had the chance to reach him. She couldn’t risk that.
Cassia strode to the study, pulling out an old map of Surrey. Privet Drive was too closely monitored, but Harry wouldn’t be trapped inside forever.
Diagon Alley.
That was the key. Whoever was sent to collect him would take him there. If she could get a message to him before that happened—somewhere private, somewhere safe—she could finally speak to him face to face.
She grabbed a fresh piece of parchment, her mind racing.
A Message Only for Harry
Cassia sat at the desk, running her fingers along the blank parchment. She couldn’t send this through normal means.An owl could be intercepted, and she couldn’t risk anyone else seeing it.
No, this had to be done her way.
She took a deep breath and pressed her fingers against the parchment, channeling her magic. The room darkened slightly as the power of the earth responded, flowing through her veins and into the paper.
The ink shimmered with life, waiting for her words.
Harry,
Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron before your shopping trip. I’ll explain everything. Trust me.
—Cassia Black
As the ink settled, the parchment hummed with magic. She ran her hand over it one last time, ensuring it would do what she intended.
When Harry touched it, the message would appear to him alone. And if he wrote back?
His words would form on the same parchment, allowing them to speak in secret.
Cassia exhaled, sending the letter through the magic woven into the very earth beneath them.
Now, she just had to hope that when Harry received it, he would trust her enough to answer.