Chapter 7
Cassidy sat on a bench near Neville's hospital bed, her legs crossed as she unwrapped the letter she had tucked into her robe earlier. The dim light of the hospital wing cast a soft glow on the parchment, and Cassidy's fingers trembled just slightly as she unfolded it. She had left Ron and Hermione outside earlier to see Neville, promising she'd be back soon.
Her parents' handwriting was instantly recognizable—loopy, curvy letters that were as warm as the smell of their sweet shop in Diagon Alley. She had been dying to read the letter ever since breakfast, but with everything that happened with Harry and the flying lesson, she hadn't had the chance. Now, as Neville slept soundly beside her, the room filled with the soft hum of the castle, she could finally indulge in her parents' words.
Her eyes scanned the letter, absorbing every familiar word. Her mother's voice felt just as alive on the page as if she were speaking to Cassidy face-to-face.
My dearest Cassandra,
We hope you're settling into Hogwarts well. I know things may be a bit chaotic with the start of term, but remember to take care of yourself, love. Your father and I are so proud of you—every day we miss a little bit more of that clever girl who helped out in the shop and always knew just how to make people smile.
We've included something special for you in the package—hope it'll make your dorm room feel a bit more like home. We miss you and send you all our love.
Keep your head high, darling. We're always with you.
Love, Mummy & Daddy
Cassidy smiled softly, clutching the letter to her chest for a moment before she reached for the package that had been tucked inside her robes. It was small but clearly well-wrapped, and she could feel something solid inside, tucked carefully beneath layers of protective paper.
As she gently peeled away the layers, her eyes lit up. It was a beautifully crafted tin, embossed with delicate designs of candy canes and swirls, the familiar logo of her family's sweet shop in the center. She could almost smell the chocolate and caramel wafting from the tin as she opened it to reveal an assortment of her favorite sweets: chocolate frogs, a few sugar quills, and—her absolute favorite—Honeyduke's homemade fudge, wrapped in soft wax paper.
Cassidy laughed softly, her heart warming. Her parents always knew exactly how to make her feel better, even from miles away.
The sound of Neville shifting in his bed brought her back to the present. She glanced over to see him still asleep, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. Cassidy took a quiet breath and decided she'd save some of the sweets for when he woke up. He'd been through a lot already, and she knew he could use a little cheer.
With a contented sigh, Cassidy set the letter and tin of sweets on the table beside her. As she sat back, she realized, for the first time since arriving at Hogwarts, that this place didn't feel so unfamiliar anymore. Her parents' love was as present as ever, and somehow, it made her feel like she wasn't so far away from home after all.
The only thing left now was to figure out where she fit into all of this. Her mind was just about to drift back to the dream, when Neville stirred.
Neville's eyes fluttered open, his lashes brushing against his cheeks as he groggily blinked up at the low ceiling of the hospital wing. For a moment, he looked disoriented, his hands clutching the edge of the blanket as if unsure of where he was. When his eyes found Cassidy, she smiled softly at him.
"Hey there, sleepyhead," Cassidy said gently, leaning forward a little. "You were out for a while. How're you feeling?"
Neville slowly shifted, trying to sit up a bit, though his face showed the usual signs of someone who'd been in quite some pain. The nurse had given him a sedative so her Bone-Mending potion could work faster. He winced but gave her a small smile. "I've had better days," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
Cassidy chuckled, pushing the tin of sweets toward him. "Well, that's what I'm here for." She opened it to reveal the assortment of candy inside, the chocolate frogs gleaming temptingly. "Some snacks to get you back on your feet. My parents sent these."
Neville's eyes lit up at the sight of the treats, his tiredness momentarily forgotten. "You didn't have to—"
"It's nothing. They sent them for me, but I thought you might need a bit of cheering up." Cassidy grinned and pulled a sugar quill from the tin, twirling it in her fingers. "I can't imagine you're feeling too great after... well, you know, falling off your broom."
Neville's face flushed, but he laughed softly, taking a chocolate frog from the tin. "I'm just glad it wasn't worse. Thanks, Cassidy. I... I didn't mean to mess everything up."
Cassidy shook her head, her expression soft. "Hey, you didn't mess up. You just had a little accident. It happens to everyone. Besides, if anything, you've got the best excuse for being in the hospital wing." She winked, trying to lighten the mood.
Neville let out a small, grateful laugh, and for a moment, they both fell into a comfortable silence, the sounds of the castle far away and quiet. Cassidy picked up the letter again, folding it neatly and slipping it into her robes.
Neville managed a weak smile before glancing around. "What happened after I... you know, fell off?"
Cassidy leaned forward, her voice lowering a little. "Well, things got a bit more interesting than that." She hesitated, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Malfoy stole your Remembrall."
Neville blinked, confusion crossing his face. "What? He did what?"
Cassidy leaned back, crossing her arms with a grin. "Yeah. He caught it in mid-air after it slipped out of your robe, and then he started waving it around like it was his prize or something. Harry saw him, and well..." Cassidy paused for dramatic effect, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "He went after him."
Neville's eyes widened. "Harry? You mean... he actually went after Malfoy?"
Cassidy nodded enthusiastically. "Yep. He didn't even hesitate. He took off after Malfoy and caught the Remembrall just before it hit a castle window. Like a total pro."
Neville looked stunned. "No way... Harry did that?"
"Oh, way." Cassidy laughed, shaking her head. "The whole class cheered when he landed. And then... McGonagall saw it all and took him away." Cassidy's voice faltered at the last word, worried.
"I hope he's all right." She muttered.
"Me too," Neville replied, smiling weakly at Cassidy.
Neville's gaze dropped to the candy in his hand, and he smiled even wider. "I know I've already said this, but thanks, Cassidy."
"You're welcome, Neville. Don't worry." She leaned back in her chair, resting her elbows on her knees. "Other people might not see it yet, but I think you're totally amazing, and Draco's a total arse. I mean, you went wild on that broom!"
Neville chuckled, then popped a chocolate frog into his mouth. "You're right about that."
"She did what?!" Cassidy exclaimed, eyes wide. She was walking alongside Harry and Hermione, and Ron was lagging behind a bit. She'd met up with the three while they admired Harry's father's Seeker badge, and Harry broke the news to her.
Professor McGonagall had made him Seeker.
"Yeah, I was shocked myself," Ron replied, walking a bit faster to keep up with Cassidy, Harry and Hermione.
"That's absolutely amazing, Potter!" Harry laughed.
"Maybe if I punch Malfoy, McGonagall will let me start a Wrestling Club." She continued, as they reached the moving stairs. Hermione shook her head.
"What's wrestling?" Ron asked.
"A Muggle sport. My mum loves it." Cassidy replied, distracted.
They started up the stairs then, Ron changing the subject.
"I'm telling you, it's spooky! She knows more about you than you do." Ron exclaimed, referring to Professor McGonagall.
"Everyone does." Harry replied flatly. Cassidy then felt a wave of guilt, especially for not telling Harry about the dream.
Er, Harry—" Cassidy began, her voice quieter than before, unsure how to bring it up.
"What is it, Cass?" Harry asked, his voice distracted as he checked the moving stairs around them.
Before she could answer, the stairs shifted again, sending Cassidy stumbling slightly. She grabbed hold of Ron's cloak for support, and his face flushed pink.
"What’s happening?!" Harry exclaimed, looking around wildly.
"The staircases change, remember?" Hermione replied.
"I’d rather they didn’t." Cassidy looked like she was about to faint, clutching onto Ron’s cloak even tighter. Looking for a way to get away from Cassidy before he turned the color of a tomato, Ron pointed out the door in front of the group when the stairs finally stopped moving.
It was an old oak door, and Cassidy did not recall ever seeing it before, but she simply wanted to get off the stairs.
"Let’s go, before the staircase starts moving again." Ron said. They all hurried towards the door, Harry opening it.
The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond. Cassidy stepped inside first, her curiosity piqued, though her instincts were tingling with unease. There was something about this place—an almost oppressive stillness in the air—that made her feel like they weren’t supposed to be there.
The group hesitated at the threshold, the door closing slowly behind them. The corridor was narrow, with a faded carpet lining the stone floor. The walls were lined with portraits, but none of them moved or whispered. The silence felt too thick.
"Does anybody feel like... we shouldn’t be here?" Ron whispered, glancing around nervously. "This doesn’t look like any part of the school we’ve been in."
"I’ve never seen this hallway before," Cassidy muttered, looking over her shoulder to make sure the door hadn’t somehow disappeared. It hadn’t. She wasn’t sure whether that was reassuring or terrifying.
"We’re not supposed to be here," Hermione whispered, voice barely audible. "This is the third floor. It’s forbidden."
But Cassidy, already a few steps ahead, turned to the others with a mischievous grin. "Come on, we’ll just have a quick look around. What’s the worst that could happen?"
Just as she finished her sentence, a torch behind her lit up.
"Never mind." She squeaked.
"Let’s go." Harry said, turning around, just to be met with Mr. Filch’s cat, Mrs Norris. She meowed menacingly. The group looked at it in horror, and Cass thought of ways to throw shoes at a cat without scarring it.
"It’s Filch’s cat!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Well done, Sherlock." Cassidy replied, slowly backing away, eyes wide.
"Run!" Ron yelled. The four whirled around and ran, footsteps thundering down the empty and eerie corridor.
They ran further and further, torches lighting up as they passed.
"That’s awfully odd, isn’t it?!" Cassidy yelled as they ran.
"Shut up and run, Cass!" Ron yelled back.
"Quick, let’s hide through that door!" Harry shouted. The four children ran towards another old door, right at the end of the corridor. As Harry frantically tried to open it, Cassidy hesitated.
"Don’t you think we should be avoiding doors we haven’t seen before by now?"
"Shut it, Cass!" The other three shouted in unison.
She threw her hands up in surrender as Harry tried to open the door.
"It’s locked!" He exclaimed.
"That’s it, we’re done for!" Ron said, looking up to the heavens in defeat.
"Well, that’s bloody brilliant." Cassidy sighed. Hermione rolled her eyes.
Oh, move over!" Hermione snapped, pushing past Harry. She pulled out her wand with an exasperated huff.
She pointed it at the door and said firmly, "Alohomora!"
There was a soft click, and the door swung open. Without another word, they hurried inside and shut the door behind them. Cassidy leaned against it, catching her breath.
"Alohomora?" Ron asked Hermione, looking at her incredulously.
"Standard Book of Spells, Chapter 7," she replied, huffing.
"Great, now we just have to—" Cassidy started, but before she continued, she peeked out the door.
"Filch’s gone. Now, as I was saying, we need to get out of here...." Her voice trailed off as she saw the other three walking further into the dark and eerie room, which smelled suspiciously like wet dog.
"Er...guys, where’re you going?" She called out faintly.
"He probably thinks this door’s locked!" Ron exclaimed, ignoring Cassidy.
"It was locked." Hermione replied.
"And for good reason." Harry said, looking downwards.
Cassidy stepped forward, following Harry’s line of sight. A three-headed dog slept soundly, its snores echoing in the room. Cassidy shuddered, and felt her necklace grow warm again. She clutched it.
Suddenly, one of the dog’s heads opened its eyes.
"You were right, Ron," Cassidy said, trembling as the dog stood up slowly and looked down upon the four menacingly, all three heads growling low and deep. Its red eyes glinted in the faint light.
"We are done for." She whispered, just before they all screamed and whirled around to run out the door, Cassidy tugging Harry by the collar because he was being too slow.
When the four of them were outside, they turned around and pushed the door to the room closed, using all the strength their little bodies possessed. The three headed dog pushed back, enraged and growling, but they kept going, determined.
With a final push, the four closed the door, and Hermione swiftly locked it.
As they ran away, Cassidy heard the door rattling furiously, and prayed it would hold.
Cassidy’s necklace burned hotter against her skin, an invisible ember pressing into her chest as they hurried up the spiral stairs in the Gryffindor tower. It wasn’t painful, but it was distracting, and Cassidy felt the odd pull of it again, like a thread tugging her toward something she couldn’t see.
The others hadn’t noticed. Ron and Hermione were still bickering, Harry glancing over his shoulder every so often to make sure Cassidy was keeping up.
"You don’t use your eyes, do you?" Hermione snapped. "Didn’t you see what it was standing on?"
"I wasn’t looking at its feet!" Ron replied, exasperated. "I was a bit preoccupied with its heads!"
Cassidy wanted to say something, but couldn’t. Her head swam, her limbs heavy as if the heat from the necklace had seeped into her bones. She stumbled on a step, and Harry caught her arm.
"Cass, are you alright?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.
"I’m fine," she mumbled, but her words sounded sluggish, distant even to her own ears.
"It was standing on a trapdoor," Hermione said sharply, unaware of the exchange behind her. "It’s guarding something. That’s obvious."
"Guarding something?" Harry pressed, though his focus flickered back to Cassidy, who was now lagging further behind.
"That’s right," Hermione said, turning to face them all, her expression triumphant. "Now, if you two don’t mind, Cassidy and I will be going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed—or worse, expelled."
She paused, her gaze softening as it landed on Cassidy. "Cassidy? Are you sure you’re—"
Hermione froze, her voice breaking off mid-sentence.
Cassidy’s necklace pulsed, faint but visible, its silver chain glowing against her skin. A trail of blood trickled down from Cassidy’s nose, and her lips twitched into a weak, almost detached smile before her knees gave way beneath her.
"Cassidy!" Hermione’s cry echoed through the stairwell, sharp and panicked. Her face had paled in fear.
Harry lunged forward, catching her just before she hit the ground. The glow of the necklace dimmed, but the warmth lingered in the air around them, like the faint scorch of something ancient and alive.
Ron froze, eyes wide, while Hermione crouched beside her friend, pressing her fingers to Cassidy’s neck.
"She’s burning up!" Hermione said, panicking. Her eyes flicked to Cassidy’s hand, still clutching the strange necklace around her throat. "And this—it's hot!" She flinched back from the chain, shaking her fingers.
"What’s going on?" Ron asked, his voice trembling.
"I don’t know," Hermione replied, her tone urgent. "Help me get her back to her bed—quickly."
"But won’t Lavender and Parvati-" Ron started.
"Don’t worry, they sleep like the dead. Now hurry!" Hermione snapped.
The boys didn’t argue, each taking one of Cassidy’s arms as they dragged her into her dorm room, her necklace still glowing faintly in the darkness.