Chapter 11
The crackling of the fire filled the Gryffindor common room, its warmth spreading through the large, cozy space, decorated for Christmas with wreaths, ribbons, and twinkling fairy lights. Outside the windows, snowflakes drifted lazily to the ground, dusting the courtyard in a blanket of white. The castle was eerily quiet, save for the soft murmur of students who had remained at Hogwarts for the holidays.
Cassidy Sweet stretched lazily as she woke up, her hair protected by her Gryffindor-themed hair bonnet. She slowly rubbed her eyes, just before widening them. She glanced around her dorm room, which was empty. Parvati and Lavender had gone home, as well as Hermione.
She yawned and grabbed her robe, pulling it around her before heading down the stairs. She met Harry on the way down to the common room. She smiled widely.
"Happy Christmas, Harry!" She said, already excited for the presents that awaited them.
"Happy Christmas, Cassidy!" He replied, his blue eyes twinkling with excitement. The two friends looked down to the common room, where Ron Weasley stood, looking back up at them happily.
"Happy Christmas, Ron!" They said in unison. Harry cocked his head, noticing Ron's sweater. It seemed to be hand-sewn, with a big R stitched in the middle.
"What're you wearing?" Harry asked.
"Oh. My mum made it," Ron replied, embarrassed. He looked back at some presents. "Looks like you've got one too!" Cassidy looked at Harry.
"You know Ron's mum?" She asked.
"Yeah, we met at the stat- Wait, I've got presents?!" Harry exclaimed. With the way he said it, Cassidy could tell he didn't get them often, and felt a wave of sympathy for her friend as he rushed down in excitement. She quickly followed, excited to see what she'd gotten.
She plopped into a chair opposite Harry, grabbing the small pile of presents with her name on it. Just as she was about to open the first one, she saw Harry pull out a note from his package.
"Ooo, what's it say?" She asked, and Ron scooched closer to Harry with great interest. Harry read it out loud.
"Your Father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you."
"Use it well."
"Huh," Cassidy said, thoughtfully. "Any idea who it's from?" She asked. He shrugged his shoulders, and opened the package to reveal a long, shimmery cloak.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Some kind of... cloak." Harry said. Cassidy perked up.
"Wait, Harry, I think I know what it might be. But first, put it on." she said, looking at him closely. Harry looked at Ron in a silent question, but he just shrugged as if to say, do what she says.
Harry put it on, and Cassidy squealed in excitement.
His body had disappeared.
"Whoa!" Ron exclaimed.
"My body's gone!" Harry said in astonishment.
"I knew it, those are super rare! I read about them in an old Magical Artifacts book my dad has." Cassidy explained excitedly.
"It's an Invisibility Cloak!" Ron said, staring at Harry's floating head in awe. He then walked over to pick up the note, inspecting it closely.
"I wonder who gave it to you." He mused.
"There was no name. It just said...use it well." Harry replied.
"Well, you already know what to do with it, Harry." Cassidy said, already handing the present she'd gotten Harry over to him.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Misuse it, obviously. Go to the Restricted area tonight. Run. Make trouble."
The fire in the common room had dimmed to a soft glow, casting flickering shadows across the walls as the warmth of the fire mingled with the winter chill creeping in from the large windows. The snow outside had grown heavier, a blanket of white already settling over the grounds of Hogwarts. Most of the students who had stayed behind for the holidays had retreated to their respective dorms or gone to bed early. The common room, once bustling with excitement, had quieted down, leaving only the occasional sound of crackling logs in the fireplace.
Cassidy sat curled up in her favorite chair near the fire, a thick woolen blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The book Hermione had sent her, A Guide to Being a Polite Witch, sat in her lap having long since lost her attention, her eyes instead following the dancing flames as they flickered and swirled. She had to admit, the quiet of the castle was a little unsettling after the rush of Christmas morning and the flurry of excitement over Harry's new Invisibility Cloak. She had noticed, though, that Ron hadn't seemed quite like himself since Harry left to go and explore the castle.
He sat across the room from her, hunched forward, his hands absentmindedly twisting a piece of string from his new sweater, his mind clearly elsewhere.
Cassidy couldn't help but notice the way he'd been brooding, eyes staring blankly into the fire for the past few minutes. She felt the pull to check on him, knowing how Ron could sometimes bottle things up. With a small sigh, she set the book aside and stood, crossing the room to where Ron was sitting. He looked up briefly as she approached, offering her a faint, distracted smile.
"Everything okay, Ron?" Cassidy asked softly, her voice cutting through the silence between them. Her tone was light, but she could tell there was more on his mind than he was letting on.
Ron blinked a few times, as if he hadn't realized how long he'd been staring into the fire. He rubbed his face tiredly, letting out a long sigh before meeting her gaze.
"Yeah... Just thinking," he muttered, though Cassidy could tell there was more to it. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, running a hand through his messy hair. "It's just... this whole holiday thing, I guess. It's... different this year."
Cassidy cocked her head, her curiosity piqued. "Different how?"
Ron hesitated, clearly trying to sort through his thoughts. "Well, last year, Christmas was simple, you know? Mum made us all our favorite food, we spent time together, and it was just... easy. Now, everything feels... I don't know. A lot more complicated."
Cassidy sat down beside him, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. She could sense there was more beneath the surface, something that was weighing on him. "What do you mean?" she asked gently, her voice encouraging him to open up.
Ron looked away again, his eyes returning to the fire. "It's just... Hogwarts, everything here. It's not like how I imagined it would be. I thought it'd just be magic and fun, you know? But it's more than that. There's... danger, and strange things happening. People I've only heard about in stories—like Harry, for instance—are really out there, and then... well, there's you, too."
Cassidy blinked, slightly taken aback by his words. "Me?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.
Ron turned to face her, his expression softening. "Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm glad you're here. You've made things... interesting." His lips twitched slightly, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
Cassidy smiled gently at him. "I get it. But we're not alone. We've got each other, and we've got Harry. No matter what happens, we'll figure it out together."
"Goodnight, Ron," she called over her shoulder.
"Night, Cass. See you tomorrow."
As Cassidy made her way up the stairs, she couldn't help but feel grateful for the moment they'd shared. The night still held its mysteries, but for now, at least, she and Ron had a little more understanding of each other.
Tomorrow, they'd face whatever came next.
Together.
Apparently, they still had something to face today.
"What did you say you saw again?" mumbled Cassidy, still half-asleep. Harry had yanked her from bed, and Ron, also rubbing his eyes, stood next to him, both boys looking equally disheveled. They were dashing through the hallways, Harry urging them to hurry, his voice a sharp whisper in the silence of the castle.
"Harry Potter, you've gone stark mad! It's the middle of the bloody night!" Cassidy hissed, her voice muffled with sleep as she tried to keep up with the two boys, her feet stumbling over the stone floors.
"Come on, come look, it's my parents!" Harry called back over his shoulder.
Cassidy blinked in confusion, suddenly fully awake. "What?" she whispered to herself, her pace picking up as she caught up to them. She couldn't help but be intrigued. Harry didn't usually get this frantic over things, so it had to be important.
They reached the door to an abandoned classroom, and Harry swung it open with a creak. Inside, the room was dim and deserted, save for a large, ornate mirror standing at the far end. The golden frame gleamed faintly in the moonlight filtering through the windows.
"I only see us," Ron said, his voice laced with confusion as he peered into the mirror.
Cassidy stepped closer, her curiosity piqued. She looked at the mirror intently, but all she could see was their reflection. She frowned slightly, trying to make sense of what Harry had been so excited about.
"Yeah, Ron's right. I don't see anything apart from us." Cassidy said, still half-groggy. She rubbed her eyes, thinking maybe she was missing something.
"Look in properly. Cass, come over here, let Ron concentrate," Harry said, guiding her aside with a gentle but insistent push.
Cassidy moved reluctantly, trying not to show how tired she still was. Harry stood closer to the mirror, his eyes fixed on the reflection as if searching for something.
"There. You see them, don't you—?" Harry started, his voice growing excited, but before he could finish, Ron interrupted with a shout.
"That's me!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Only I'm... Head Boy? And I'm holding the Quidditch Cup! And bloody hell, I'm Quidditch Captain too! And—" Ron stopped, suddenly flushing red as he realized the last thing the mirror was showing him. "A girl's there."
Harry glanced over, his brow furrowed in confusion. Cassidy was too tired to fully focus on the scene before her, but she couldn't help the sarcastic grin that tugged at her lips at Ron's flustered expression.
"I look good," Ron said, his voice full of pride, making Cassidy roll her eyes.
Harry barely seemed to notice, still staring at the reflection, his lips parted as he tried to figure out what it all meant.
"Harry, d'you think this mirror shows the future?" Ron asked, still entranced by his reflection.
"If it does, I hope it shows me sleeping soundly in a warm bed," Cassidy muttered, stretching as she stepped toward the mirror. "Move, Ron, I want to see."
Ron stepped aside, still watching the reflection with a dreamy look on his face. Cassidy approached the mirror, her head still heavy from sleep. She squinted at her reflection, not sure what to expect. For a moment, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, just the tired look on her face. But as she stared longer, something changed. Her eyes widened, and she took a step closer, her heart racing in surprise.
Her reflection changed.
Cassidy's breath caught as the mirror revealed a different version of herself. She was standing tall, beaming with pride, surrounded by other students who clapped and cheered for her. She was wearing Hogwarts' finest robes, holding a shimmering trophy in one hand. Witch of the Year was engraved on it, sparkling under the golden light.
Cassidy blinked, taking a step closer. There were medals draped around her neck, and the entire Great Hall seemed to be celebrating her. Her reflection exuded confidence, her posture perfect, and her hair braided beautifully with glittering beads. She looked... untouchable.
But it wasn't just the recognition that made Cassidy's heart race. She could see herself belonging. She wasn't just part of the Golden Trio's adventures, always the fourth friend in the background. In the mirror, she was the one leading, the one people admired and talked about for years to come. She was the one who mattered.
Cassidy's real-world self felt her cheeks flush. She bit her lip, a mixture of excitement and embarrassment creeping over her. Was this really what she wanted?
"Cassidy?" Harry's voice broke through her thoughts, but she didn't respond immediately.
"Cass?" Ron added, yawning.
"I..." Cassidy tore her gaze from the mirror, looking at them. She didn't want to explain, didn't want them to know how much she longed to stand out on her own terms. "It's nothing," she said quickly. "Let's go."
"Nothing?" Ron asked, rubbing his eyes. "I saw myself winning everything. What did you see?"
Cassidy hesitated. "Just... something silly," she said lightly, flashing them a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's not important."
"Bet it wasn't as cool as me with the Quidditch Cup," Ron teased, nudging her shoulder.
"Sure, Ron, whatever you say," she replied, giving him a playful shove back. But as they left the room, she couldn't stop thinking about the mirror, about the Cassidy it showed her.
A Cassidy who wasn't just there, but truly, undeniably seen.