Chapter 15
Cassidy, Hermione, and Ron sat on a sofa in the Gryffindor common room, watching Harry pace in front of the fireplace and recount what happened in the Dark Forest. Cassidy had barely spoken on the walk back to the Castle, her face blank and deep in thought. She sat between Ron and Hermione, silent. Every now and then, her hand subconsciously brushed against the necklace that hung from her neck. The coldness of the stone against her skin made her shiver.
"You mean, You-Know-Who? Out there, right now, in the forest?" Hermione asked, head swiveling between Harry and Cassidy. Harry nodded.
"But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong! Snape doesn't want the stone for himself, he wants the stone for Voldemort." Harry explained, Ron and Hermione listening closely.
"With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll... he'll come back." Harry trailed off, his eyes clouded with worry.
"But, if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to... kill you, do you?" Ron asked nervously.
"Gee, Ron, what do you think?" Cassidy snapped, her voice sharper than usual. The others looked at her in surprise. She wasn't known to snap at a friend.
"Cassidy, there's no need to be rude—" Hermione started, but Cassidy cut her off, her voice laced with frustration.
"Oh, come off it, Hermione. Of course Voldemort wanted to kill him. Am I right, Harry?" She turned toward Harry, expecting an answer. But her mind kept returning to the forest, to the way her necklace had burned with unnatural warmth when she was face-to-face with the cloaked figure—the faintest connection between the dark magic and the strange, unsettling feeling the necklace gave off. It was more than just discomfort; it felt like a beckoning.
Harry looked uncomfortable for a second, glancing at her before answering.
"If he had the chance, he might've tried to kill us tonight. Cass couldn't even move." His voice was plain, almost too calm, but it only made Cassidy's anxiety grow. The necklace felt stone cold now against her skin, but the feeling in her chest hadn't gone away. It was like something important was slipping through her fingers.
Ron gulped. "And to think... I've been worried about my Potions final," he said, his voice shaking.
Cassidy's brow furrowed as she remembered the forest clearly—the way her necklace had burned with heat when she was near Voldemort's presence. Now, it felt like the exact opposite—cold, distant, as though something had shifted. She tugged at it absently. "It's not just about Voldemort," she muttered, more to herself than to the group.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, glancing at her.
Cassidy hesitated, her fingers still resting on the necklace. "When we were in the forest... it felt like something triggered it. Like it was trying to warn me, but now it's cold. It doesn't make any sense."
Hermione frowned, trying to understand. "Triggered it? You mean—by Voldemort?"
Cassidy shook her head slowly. "I don't know. But when we were close to him, the necklace burned with heat, almost like it was alive. Now... now it's freezing. It's like it knows something's changed, but I can't figure it out. I don't think it's just about Voldemort coming back. I think... something's coming. Something more."
The room was silent for a moment, the crackling of the fire the only sound. The others exchanged uncertain looks, but Cassidy couldn't shake the feeling that her necklace was trying to tell her something important.
"Hang on a minute, all of you. We're forgetting one thing," Hermione said, determined. "Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared?" The group fell silent.
"Dumbledore!" Hermione answered herself. "As long as Dumbledore's around, Harry, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched." She smiled reassuringly at the group, but Cassidy barely noticed. Her thoughts were consumed by the cold stone hanging from her neck, and the uneasy feeling that something was lurking just beyond their reach.
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The sun shone brightly on the bustling courtyard of sprightly Hogwarts students. As usual, the group walked together, though Cassidy was quieter than usual. Last night's events still lingered in her mind, but a small Muggle camera, a Christmas gift from her mother, dangled from her neck, offering a distraction. She'd taken to snapping spontaneous pictures of her friends, much to their annoyance.
"Say cheese, Ron!" she called out, raising the camera.
"Ugh, Cassidy! Stop shoving that thing in my face!" Ron grumbled, still a bit miffed over her outburst from the night before.
"Sorry," she mumbled, lowering the camera and stepping back.
Hermione broke the tension, her tone chipper. "I've always heard the Hogwarts end-of-year exams would be terrifying, but I find them rather enjoyable." She smiled smugly.
"Speak for yourself," Ron muttered, rolling his eyes. Then he turned to Harry. "All right there, Harry?"
Harry's hand clutched his forehead, his expression pained. Cassidy and Hermione exchanged a worried glance.
"My scar... it keeps burning," he muttered.
Hermione spoke first. "It's happened before," she said reassuringly.
"Not like this," Harry replied, wincing.
"Maybe you should drink some water?" Cassidy suggested, though she knew how useless it sounded. Her necklace was tucked away in her pocket today, but even through the fabric, she could feel it humming with warmth.
"You should see the nurse," Ron suggested, his brow furrowed.
"No," Harry said firmly. "It's a warning. It means danger's coming." He looked directly at Cassidy. "Cass, your necklace?"
"It's in my pocket, but it's heating up," she replied, her tone grave. The unease was contagious—Ron and Hermione now watched the two with growing concern.
The group wandered out to the front lawn, where Hagrid sat in front of his hut, solemnly playing a tune on a flute. Harry's eyes widened in sudden realization.
"Of course," he whispered.
"What is it?" Hermione asked as Harry started toward Hagrid with urgency.
"Don't you think it's odd that Hagrid's dream is to own a dragon, and a stranger just happens to have one?" Harry explained, quickening his pace.
"Blimey, Harry, you're right!" Cassidy gasped, the pieces clicking into place.
"How many people walk around with dragon eggs in their pocket? Why didn't I see it before?" Harry continued. The group broke into a sprint, their robes billowing behind them.
"Hagrid!" Harry called as they reached him, breathless. The gamekeeper looked up, startled.
"Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg? What did he look like?" Harry demanded.
"I dunno," Hagrid replied, frowning. "Never saw his face—kept his hood up."
"Oh, Merlin, we're done for," Cassidy groaned, rubbing her temples.
"This stranger—he must've talked to you," Harry pressed.
"Well, he wanted to know what kind of creatures I looked after, so I told him. Said after Fluffy, a dragon'd be no problem," Hagrid chuckled, while Cassidy rolled her eyes impatiently.
"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked.
"'Course he was. How often d'you meet a three-headed dog, even in the trade?" Hagrid said casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Cassidy's unease deepened. The memory of the figure in the forest gnawed at her.
"But I told him," Hagrid continued. "The trick with any beast is knowing how to calm it. Take Fluffy, for example—just play him some music, and he'll fall straight to sleep!"
The group froze.
"Hagrid," Cassidy said slowly, her voice carrying an edge.
"Yes?"
"The night we came to your hut, remember?"
"Yeah, what about it, Cassie?"
"You said only you and Dumbledore knew how to get past Fluffy."
"Yeah, that's right."
"And now," she said sharply, "you've told us and some random guy in a bar."
"Oh," Hagrid murmured, his face falling.
Cassidy sighed. "We're doomed," she muttered, just as Harry turned on his heel and began running.
"Where're you lot going?!" Hagrid called after them, but they didn't stop.
Their feet pounded against the castle's stone floors as they raced to Professor McGonagall's classroom. Gasping for breath, they stumbled to her desk, startling the stern professor.
"We need to see Professor Dumbledore," Harry panted.
"Now," Cassidy added, clutching the edge of the desk for support.
Professor McGonagall's expression shifted to concern. "I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry and had to leave."
"What?" Cassidy exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"He's gone? But this is important!" Harry protested. "It's about the Sorcerer's Stone."
Professor McGonagall froze mid-writing, her eyes narrowing. "How do you know about the stone?"
"Someone's going to try and steal it!" Harry insisted.
"I don't know how you four found out, but I assure you, the stone is perfectly well protected."
Her voice was firm, but Cassidy caught the hesitation in her tone.
"Now," McGonagall ordered, "return to your dormitories. Quickly."
"But Professor—" Cassidy began.
"Now," McGonagall repeated. Her tone left no room for argument.
Defeated, the four trudged out of the classroom. After a few minutes, Harry broke the silence.
"That was no stranger Hagrid met. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy."
"You're right, Harry," Cassidy agreed, her necklace still humming faintly with warmth.
"And with Dumbledore gone—" Hermione began, but a shadow suddenly fell over the group.
Cassidy's stomach dropped when she saw who it was, and to her surprise, the warmth of her necklace faded, replaced by an icy chill.
"Good afternoon." Professor Severus Snape loomed over them, his overbearing presence impossible to ignore.
"Now, what would four young Gryffindors such as yourselves be doing inside... on a day like this?" he inquired, his beady eyes darting between them. His gaze lingered on Cassidy, his expression unreadable yet distinctly unpleasant, as though she reminded him of something—or someone—he despised.
"U-uh..." Hermione stammered, her usual composure failing her. Ron looked properly mortified.
"W-we were just going to—" Cassidy began, but Snape interrupted, his voice low and dangerous.
"Be careful," he warned, eyes narrowing. "People will think you're..." He trailed off, noticing Harry glaring at him. Snape's lips curled into a sneer, and he glared back.
"Harry," Cassidy hissed under her breath. He didn't reply.
"Harry, stop doing that with your eyes!" She nudged him persistently, but Harry refused to budge.
"...up to something," Snape finished, his voice cold. He gave Harry one last piercing look before sweeping away, his robes billowing dramatically behind him.
Harry watched him go, his expression unreadable.
Cassidy let out an exasperated sigh. "Harry, if you keep looking at Snape like that, he's going to serve the four of us on a plate to Voldemort first. Is that what you want?"
Harry didn't respond.
"Now what are we going to do?" Hermione asked, more to herself than anyone else.
Harry finally spoke, his voice steady and resolute. "We're going down the trapdoor."
Cassidy's eyes widened. "What?!"
"You heard me," Harry said firmly. "Tonight."