Chapter 8
Heat pressed into Cassidy's chest like a thousand suns, but it was no longer the necklace. Instead, it felt like fire coursing through her veins, licking at the edges of her thoughts. Her vision blurred, and before her, a shadow moved—dark, formless, but undeniably real.
A cold voice echoed through her mind.
"It's coming for you, Cassandra."
Cassidy reached out, but the shadow slipped away, and the heat intensified, pulling her deeper into the darkness....
She gasped, suddenly waking with a jolt, her heart racing.
"Cassidy?" A voice, soft and worried, broke through the haze. It was Hermione. Cassidy's eyes flickered open, the ceiling of the Gryffindor dorm room coming into focus. She was in her bed, her body drenched in sweat.
"You're awake," Hermione said, visibly relieved, but there was something else—something on the edge of her voice that Cassidy couldn't place. "Are you alright?"
Cassidy winced as she tried to sit up, but her body felt like it had been struck by a heavy weight. She blinked a few times, then glanced down at the necklace resting against her skin. It was still warm.
"I—I don't know," Cassidy admitted quietly. "What happened?"
"You fainted, ten minutes ago," she whispered, and Cassidy noticed that Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were still asleep.
Cassidy sat up slowly, her limbs stiff. "I... I remember the necklace burning me, but then everything went blurry."
"It's the necklace," Hermione said, her voice growing more urgent. "It's reacting to something, but I don't know what. I've never seen anything like it. It started glowing, Cassidy, you were burning up... And there was blood coming from your nose."
Cassidy instinctively wiped her nose, her fingers coming away clean. Hermione had wiped the blood away.
"How can something like this be happening?" Hermione asked, more to herself than to Cassidy. "It's not just a normal necklace, is it?"
Cassidy shook her head. "No, it's not. I can feel it... like it's pulling me toward something."
***
At breakfast, the group, minus Harry, sat in heavy silence. Today was Harry's first Quidditch practice, but no one was in the mood to celebrate it—not after the events of last night. Cassidy, still shaken, absentmindedly nibbled at her toast, lost in thought. Hermione read her book but kept glancing over, her eyes full of concern. Ron's gaze was fixed on Cassidy, his mind racing for something comforting to say.
"Cass... are you..." he began, unsure of how to continue.
"I'm fine, Ron, don't worry about it," she replied quickly, avoiding his eyes. Her fingers toyed with her necklace, a nervous habit she couldn't shake. She had decided this morning—after a restless night—to tell Harry about the dream. She just needed to find the right moment.
Cassidy suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. "Before Hogwarts," she said, catching the attention of both Ron and Hermione, "my necklace never did anything like this. My dad always said it had a special ability, but I didn't believe him. I thought he was just trying to make it sound more impressive. But now... now I'm starting to think he wasn't lying."
She spoke the last words slowly, her hand reaching for a piece of parchment and starting to scribble something down.
Hermione leaned in, curious. "What are you doing?"
"Writing down the times my necklace felt warm," Cassidy muttered, focusing on the list as she jotted it down. Ron leaned closer to read, his brow furrowing as he saw the list grow:
- 1. On my way to Potions, felt stronger inside Snape's dungeon
- 2. That morning when Harry mentioned Gringotts
- 3. When we saw the three-headed dog—stronger when we were leaving
- 4. In my nightmare on the first night at Hogwarts
Hermione's eyes narrowed as she read the final entry. "Nightmare? What nightmare?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity and concern.
Cassidy's face grew warm. She hadn't told Hermione the whole truth about that first night—the dream was still too strange, too unsettling. She hesitated for a moment, eyes darting away from Hermione's inquisitive gaze.
"I'll tell you when the time's right," Cassidy muttered, her voice quiet but firm. She quickly looked back down at the list. "But for the other times, there's definitely—"
"-a pattern," Ron finished, leaning forward with wide eyes. "It's all connected, isn't it?"
Cassidy looked up at Ron, a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. For the first time that day, the heavy silence seemed to lift.
"That's right, Ron. It reacts to certain events, or types of magic—strong ones, maybe..." Her voice trailed off as she reconsidered the idea, her fingers absently tracing the edges of her parchment.
"Dark magic!" Hermione and Ron exclaimed in unison, earning a few curious glances from their classmates. Cassidy's brow furrowed at the sudden loud declaration, but she nodded, intrigued by their conclusion. The group huddled closer, the tension between them palpable.
"Why do you think it's Dark Magic?" Cassidy asked, lowering her voice as if to keep the idea between them. She could already feel the weight of their words sinking in.
Hermione opened her mouth, ready to explain. "Well... whatever that dog is guarding, it has to be dangerous, right? Dumbledore specifically warned us not to go near it. Whatever it is, it's tied to something powerful. Maybe even dark magic." Cassidy nodded slowly, her gaze focused on Hermione as she absorbed the explanation. It made sense, but something still nagged at her.
Ron, leaning forward, added, "And even if Snape's got a dark side—well, we know he's been after Quirrell's job for ages. He'd love to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, right? So why not have a little dark magic around to test his limits?"
"You've got a point there, Ron," Cassidy said, her eyes flickering back to the list. "But what about the other two?" she asked, indicating the Gringotts and nightmare occurrences.
Hermione's brow furrowed in thought. "Maybe your dream triggered the necklace, Cass. Maybe it felt like you were in danger."
"Yeah," Ron added, nodding. "Or maybe it's protective—like it thought you were in real danger, like some kind of warning."
Cassidy sighed, rubbing her temples. "You're both right, but what about Gringotts? That doesn't fit the pattern."
Ron and Hermione exchanged confused looks, both shrugging. Cassidy sighed again, the mystery growing more complicated with every passing second. It was turning out to be a lot harder to figure out than she had hoped.
***
”One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills, is... Levitation!" Professor Flitwick's voice rang out, high-pitched and filled with excitement as he bounced around the room, demonstrating the proper wrist movement for the Wingardium Leviosa charm. Cassidy wasn't sure if she could concentrate on any of it today. Her thoughts were scattered, her focus split between Harry and the feather hovering stubbornly in front of her.
She sat in the middle of the classroom, trying to listen, but her mind kept drifting back to the conversation with Ron and Hermione earlier. She had to tell Harry everything they'd learned, but she also couldn't afford to look distracted.
The room was filled with murmurs of "Wingardium Leviosa" and the occasional, dreaded thud of failed attempts. Ron, who had smacked her in the face twice with his flailing wand arm, had been moved a seat away, much to his dismay. He liked sitting next to Cassidy—at least, that's what he'd told her last week.
Hermione, ever the studious one, was patiently coaching Ron on the pronunciation. "It's Lev-i-o-sa, not Lev-o-sa," she chided, shaking her head as she corrected him yet again.
Ron groaned and sat back. "You do it then, if you're so clever. Go on!" He sneaked a quick glance at Cassidy, who was still struggling with her feather.
Oblivious to his attention, Cassidy glanced over at Harry, who was concentrating hard on his own feather. She grabbed a piece of parchment and scribbled down a quick note, trying to be as discreet as possible. She glanced around the room, making sure no one was watching, and then folded the note into a small square. With a flick of her wand, she whispered, "Accio Harry's attention." The note hovered in mid-air, drifting quietly towards his desk.
At the same time, Cassidy turned her attention back to her feather. Her
Oblivious to his attention, Cassidy glanced over at Harry, who was concentrating hard on his own feather. She grabbed a piece of parchment and scribbled down a quick note, trying to be as discreet as possible. She glanced around the room, making sure no one was watching, and then folded the note into a small square. With a flick of her wand, she whispered, "Accio Harry's attention." The note hovered in mid-air, drifting quietly towards his desk.
The feather wobbled but quickly fell back to the desk. Cassidy bit her lip, frustration blooming inside her. Her eyes flicked to Draco Malfoy, who was making faces at her across the room. He seemed to be getting some sick amusement from her struggles.
Meanwhile, Hermione's feather floated gracefully into the air, catching the attention of the entire class and earning her praise from Flitwick. Cassidy's chest tightened at the sight of her friend's success. She hated how unfamiliar the pang of jealousy felt. Shaking it off, she tried again.
"Focus, Cassidy," she muttered to herself.
She kept one eye on Harry, hoping the note would reach him undetected. But as she flicked her wand once more, a loud whoosh echoed across the room. Seamus Finnigan's feather exploded into flames as he shouted, "Wingardium Levio —" The sudden burst of heat singed the parchment Cassidy had been trying to pass, as well as Seamus's face and hair. She gasped as the note curled and blackened in mid-air before it fell, charred, onto the desk.
Cassidy groaned and put her head on the table.
"You alright, Cass?" Ron's voice was gentle as he patted her back sympathetically. He had obviously noticed her failed attempt and the destroyed note.
Cassidy sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I'm fine, I just—" She looked helplessly at the burnt remnants of her note. "This is impossible."
Harry looked up, a slight frown forming on his soot-streaked face as he caught her eye. Before she could give a sympathetic smile in return, he turned to Professor Flitwick.
"I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor."
A group of Gryffindor boys walked away from their recent Charms class, chatting lightly about it. Seamus, Dean, and Ron were still making fun of their failed attempts at levitation.
Ron imitated Hermione's voice. "'It's Lev-i-o-sa, not Lev-o-sa.'" He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, she's a nightmare sometimes. No wonder she only has one friend. Dunno how Cass can stand her."
Cassidy, walking beside Hermione, who was a few paces behind Ron, frowned slightly at his words. She watched Hermione pause for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hermione—" Cassidy began, but Hermione had already gone and rushed past the boys, her steps quick, her face flushed. She didn't look at any of them, but as she passed Ron, she shot him a look that was both icy and hurt.
Ron stopped, watching her retreating figure. His expression faltered, but he didn't say anything more.
Harry, noticing the sudden tension, gave Ron a brief, knowing glance. "I think she heard you," he said quietly.
Cassidy, still distracted, focused on Harry now. Her concern for Hermione faded momentarily, replaced by the urgency of what she needed to tell Harry. She stuffed a crumpled note into his hand, glared at Ron with a look that clearly said, Honestly, Ron, you can be such an arse, and then rushed after Hermione, whose bushy hair bounced with each of her fast steps.
Harry looked down at the parchment in his hand, a confused expression on his face. He glanced up at Ron, who was still awkwardly staring after the two girls.
That night, dinner in the Great Hall was nothing short of spooky. Halloween had arrived, and Hogwarts went all out for the occasion. Floating jack-o'-lanterns lit the room with an eerie glow, their carved faces adding a festive touch. The chatter of students and the clinking of plates created a lively atmosphere.
But Cassidy Sweet wasn't feeling festive. She hadn't seen Hermione since after Charms class earlier that day, and the guilt of losing her in the crowded hallways was gnawing at her. She glared across the table at Ron Weasley, who was shoveling food into his mouth like nothing had happened.
To make her displeasure known, Cassidy had moved seats—far away from Ron—and refused to speak to him. Harry wasn't spared either. In Cassidy's words, he had "let it happen", which meant he deserved the silent treatment, too.
Unfortunately, this made things quite inconvenient, particularly when it came to discussing her necklace.
Harry, clearly fed up with Cassidy's dramatic behavior and equally concerned about Hermione, nudged Neville, who was sitting beside her.
"Neville, where's Hermione?" Harry asked, cutting into Neville's focus on his plate.
"Parvati Patil said she's in the girls' bathroom," Neville mumbled around a bite of mashed potatoes. "Apparently, she's been in there all afternoon... crying."
Cassidy, who had been half-heartedly tossing bits of food at Ron when no one was looking, froze. Her glare shifted from Ron to Harry as if this were all somehow their fault.
Before anyone could say more, the doors to the Great Hall burst open with a bang. Professor Quirrell stumbled inside, looking disheveled and utterly terrified.
"TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hall. "TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!"
The students gasped. Dumbledore stood immediately, his sharp eyes locked on the trembling professor.
"I think we heard him the first time," Cassidy muttered under her breath, earning a few odd looks. "Honestly, there's always something ridiculous happening at this bloody school."
Quirrell collapsed in a faint, and chaos erupted. Students screamed and scrambled out of their seats. Ron threw down his half-eaten candy, screaming as well, while Cassidy, just to add to the commotion, let out a dramatic scream of her own.
”SILENCE!” Dumbledore's voice boomed across the hall, and the room fell still. Every student turned toward the headmaster, whose calm yet commanding tone cut through the panic. "Prefects, lead your houses back to their dormitories. Teachers, follow me to the dungeon."
Cassidy wasn't listening. As the crowd of students began to file out, her mind shot to Hermione.
She was still in the bathroom.
Without thinking, Cassidy slipped away from the Gryffindor table, sidling toward the doorway. She lingered near the exit, glancing back to make sure no one was watching. Unfortunately, Harry and Ron spotted her. Harry's brow furrowed, and Ron shook his head as if to say, Don't even think about it.
Cassidy grinned mischievously in response. Then, without a second thought, she bolted toward the girls' bathroom.