Chapter 6
The Great Hall buzzed with chatter, warm and lively as always, but Cassidy felt off-kilter. There was a void in the usual energy at the Gryffindor table—Harry and Ron's absence cast a noticeable shadow. She glanced at Hermione, who was methodically unfolding her napkin, clearly trying to focus on her meal, though her eyes flicked toward the door every so often.
"You good?" Cassidy asked softly, nudging Hermione's arm.
Hermione hesitated, then gave a small, unconvincing smile. "I'm fine," she said, her voice quieter than usual. "Just... it feels strange, doesn't it? Without them here."
"Yeah," Cassidy admitted, her gaze drifting to the empty spaces at the table where Harry and Ron usually sat. "It's weird not hearing Ron complain about something or Harry trying to make peace between us all."
Hermione gave a faint chuckle but didn't seem to shake the tension lingering around her. "I'm worried about them," she confessed after a moment. "What if something's happened and we're just sitting here, waiting? It feels wrong."
Cassidy bit her lip. She didn't know how to make Hermione feel better when she was still sorting through her own unease. "We'll hear from them soon," she said, willing herself to sound confident. "Ron's not about to let anything happen to Harry—he'd fight a dragon if it meant keeping him safe." She smiled faintly, thinking of Ron's stubborn determination.
Hermione returned the smile, a little more genuine this time. "You're right. I just—"
Cassidy cut her off with a sly grin. "No more worrying for the next ten minutes, Granger. Eat something before you faint from stress. I don't fancy dragging you back to the common room."
Hermione rolled her eyes but picked up her fork, and Cassidy relaxed a little.
The moment was interrupted by a tap on Cassidy's shoulder. She turned to find Neville standing there, his face pink but earnest.
"Hi, Cassidy," Neville said, a little sheepishly. "I was wondering if, er, you might want to sit with me after the feast? Just to talk. About... whatever."
Cassidy smiled warmly. "Why not now? Pull up a chair, Nev."
Neville hesitated, but after a moment, he slid into the seat beside her. "I got your letter over the summer," he said, his voice low, "but I couldn't write back. Gran said I was using too much parchment."
Before Cassidy could reply, a balled-up piece of parchment smacked the back of Neville's head. She turned sharply, catching Draco Malfoy's smug grin from across the Hall as laughter erupted from the Slytherin table.
"Oh, look, everyone!" Malfoy called, his voice dripping with mockery. "Neville Longbottom's got himself a girlfriend! Never thought I'd see the day."
Neville flushed scarlet, shrinking in his seat, but Cassidy was already reaching for her wand.
"Ignore him, Nev," she said briskly, though her tone was sharper than she intended. "He's just bitter because he's got the charm of a flobberworm."
"Or none at all," Hermione added under her breath.
Cassidy grinned, but her wand was already moving under the table. "Comedus Plumbum," she whispered.
The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers as a plate of mashed potatoes hurtled through the air, landing squarely on Malfoy's smug face. Gravy dripped from his hair, and the Hall echoed with laughter—even from some of the other Slytherins.
"Who did that?!" Malfoy roared, his face red beneath the mess.
Hermione leaned over, whispering with a mixture of exasperation and amusement, "That was barbaric!"
Cassidy shrugged innocently, though a mischievous glint danced in her eyes. "Barbaric or brilliant? Hard to tell."
Neville stared at her, wide-eyed. "You—you did that?"
She winked. "What can I say? I'm a problem-solver."
The tension eased, and Neville finally managed a shaky laugh. "Thanks, Cassidy. I mean it."
"Don't mention it," she said lightly. "Now, what were you saying about Herbology?"
The mention of his favorite subject worked like a charm. Neville's face lit up, and Cassidy found herself smiling genuinely as he launched into a detailed explanation of his summer projects. He was so earnest, so passionate, it was hard not to feel lighter listening to him.
"Now, Nev, I don't mind that you couldn't write me back. I was busy with some things of my own." Cassidy said to Neville, her voice gentler.
"Oh, alright. By the way, wheres Harry and Ron?" Neville's asked, looking around as if they were to pop up any minute.
"We don't know." Hermione answered, spooning some of her food. "We lost them at the station."
"Oh, no wonder you two look so worried." Neville replied.
"We do?"
"Well, you haven't been joking with the twins, and Hermione hasn't been lecturing us, so I figured something might be wrong. You miss them, right?"
Cassidy glanced at him, appreciating the effort. "We do," she said, smiling back as Hermione nodded slowly and turned back to her food. "It's not quite the same, is it?" She looked around the table, where all the other Gryffindors were laughing and talking, their usual energy filling the room.
Neville's expression softened. "Yeah... but I think you'll be alright." He paused. "You usually tend to get better fast, anyway."
Cassidy didn't answer immediately, but she knew what he meant.
Cassidy's gaze shifted again, this time landing on the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was staring straight at her, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, his expression as smug as ever. (Despite there still being traces of food on it). He was staring across the room, his eyes not leaving hers. Cassidy rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "creeps."
"Malfoy giving you trouble again?" Neville asked, following her gaze.
Cassidy snorted. "He's been staring at me. I think he knows I'm the one that cast the spell."
Neville's face tightened slightly. "You want me to hex him?" He said shakily, still a bit scared of Malfoy.
Cassidy chuckled, shaking her head. "No need for that. He's just trying to get a rise out of me. But if he keeps looking at me like that, I might just give him something to actually worry about."
Neville laughed, clearly amused by her playful threat. "I-I'll try to help you, if you need me."
"Thanks, Nev." Cassidy smiled, the weight in her chest easing a little as she shared this brief, comfortable moment with him. It wasn't the same as having Ron and Harry beside her, but it was just as good.
The rest of the feast passed by in a blur. Cassidy ate, chatted with Hermione and Neville, and occasionally caught herself glancing over at the empty seats. It was weirder than she thought it would be, but she did her best to focus on her friends and the familiar sounds of Hogwarts around her.
As the meal wound down, the students began to file out of the Great Hall, laughing and chatting as they made their way to the common room. Cassidy stood, stretching her arms above her head as she looked around at her friends—Hermione, Neville, Dean, and Seamus, all of them adjusting in their own way to this new year. She might not have Ron and Harry with them, but she had people who cared about her. That was enough.
As they left the hall, Cassidy glanced over at Neville, who gave her an encouraging smile. She smiled and waved at him.
"I think Neville likes you," Hermione said, a small teasing glint in her eyes. Cassidy rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the smile that tugged at her lips.
"Don't start, Hermione," she said, shaking her head playfully. "I'm just being friendly."
"I know," Hermione replied, her smile softening. "But it's nice to see you smiling like that again."
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The dream came suddenly, pulling Cassidy into a world of shadows and fire.
A woman—her face obscured by smoke—ran through a dense forest. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her arms clutching something close to her chest. A faint glimmer of light emanated from the object, but it did little to chase away the darkness pressing in around her.
A crack of branches echoed behind her. She turned sharply, panic etched in the way her body trembled. Someone was following her—Cassidy couldn't see who, but the feeling of malice made her skin crawl.
The woman stumbled, falling to her knees in a clearing. For a moment, she hesitated, her hands shaking as she held up a necklace. It glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat. Her voice was a whisper, desperate and cracked.
"Forgive me..."
With trembling fingers, she fastened the necklace around her own neck. The glow intensified, bathing her in harsh, unnatural light. Then, suddenly, her expression shifted. The fear that had consumed her moments before was gone, replaced by something colder, more resolute. She rose to her feet, the air around her charged with a power Cassidy could feel even in her dream.
The woman turned toward the shadows, where a figure lingered, obscured and faceless. The necklace shone brighter still, and the dream dissolved into a blinding white light.
Cassidy woke with a sharp gasp, clutching the warm pendant around her neck. Her heart raced, the remnants of the dream lingering in her chest. She glanced around her dormitory, its soft snores and whispers of magic grounding her back to reality.
But as her pulse slowed, one thought remained, like an ember refusing to die.
Who was the woman—and what had she done?