Chapter 2
Cassidy was running.
The streets of an unfamiliar village stretched ahead of her, narrow and winding, the cobblestones slick beneath her bare feet. The air was thick with the scent of burning wood, and somewhere in the distance, a woman was screaming.
No, not a woman—a girl.
Cassidy's breath came in ragged gasps as she turned a corner. Shadows flickered against the walls, torches held by figures she couldn't quite see. Someone was calling her name, a name she barely used.
Noelle.
The voice was desperate, urging her forward, but when she turned to look, there was no one there.
Then, suddenly, the scene shifted.
A black bear stood in front of her, larger than any normal hound, its eyes burning like embers. It wasn't growling, wasn't baring its teeth—just staring. Watching.
Stay away.
Cassidy felt the warning as much as she heard it, the voice whispering through her bones. The bear stepped closer, and she reached for her wand—only to find her hands empty.
Then, just as the bear stepped forward—
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Cassidy jerked awake, breath caught in her throat. The dim morning light filtered through the curtains of her Leaky Cauldron room, casting long shadows across the bed.
She let out a slow breath, trying to shake off the lingering unease. What was that? It wasn't the first time she'd dreamt of that woman, her ancestor's past, but this felt... different. The village, the burning, the voice calling her by a name she barely used—it all felt too real.
And that bear.
Cassidy ran a hand over her necklace, half-expecting it to be warm, but it was cool against her skin. No reaction. No warning.
"Just a dream," she muttered to herself.
With a deep sigh, she sat up, stretched, and forced the thoughts away. She had more important things to focus on—like breakfast.
Cassidy was halfway down the stairs when she spotted them—Hermione and Ron, standing near the fireplace.
Hermione was holding what Cassidy thought to be a very funny-looking cat, while Ron held that rat Cassidy hated close to his chest. He stared the cat down warily.
"Oi, what's all this, then?" she called, grinning as she ran down to meet them. Hermione's eyes lit up, and Ron smiled as Cassidy pulled them both into a hug.
Ron's face turned pink as she squeezed them both, and he gave her a muffled, "Cass!" Hermione, on the other hand, looked positively delighted.
"You're here?" Hermione beamed. "I thought we wouldn't see you until we met at the station."
Cassidy smirked. "Changed my mind. Home was boring. Besides, the Sweet Spell is right down the road, so I can help my mum out easily from here."
Ron looked her up and down as she spoke, seeing how she'd become a bit taller over the summer. "Yeah, but you could've stayed at home and just come here every day. You really needed to move in?"
Cassidy raised a brow. "Why? Miss me that much, Weasley?"
Ron's ears turned slightly pink as he scowled and focused back on Hermione's cat.
"Ron, what's your problem with that cat?" Cassidy said casually, before stroking him. To Hermione's surprise, he started purring contentedly under her touch, tail rising. Cassidy's earlier thought of it looking odd was immediately rescinded.
"Aww, cute kitty." Cassidy crooned, scratching the cat more. Ron looked disgusted. "What's its name?"
"Crookshanks." Hermione answered proudly.
"Nothing about that cat is cute!" Ron protested, looking at the two girls like they were mad. "He's been trying to eat Scabbers ever since Hermione took him!"
Cassidy looked at Ron's rat with slight disdain. She really didn't like that rat.
"Really? You know, Ron, maybe it's about time-"
"Speaking of time," Hermione cut in, before Ron and Cassidy started to strangle each other. "What were you up to yesterday? I thought you'd owl me if something like this happened."
"Oh! Yeah, I was with Nev."
Ron's face dropped. "Nev? That's what you're calling him now?"
Hermione smiled knowingly. "Oh, you went to meet Neville?"
"Yeah," Cassidy said, oblivious to Ron's sudden shift in mood. "We got ice cream at Florean Fortescue's, just hung out for a bit. He's been practicing his spells over the summer, showed me a few—he's gotten really good, by the way."
Ron clutched Scabbers a little tighter than necessary. "Right. And, uh, how was that?"
Cassidy blinked at him. "Good. Why?"
Ron shrugged, avoiding her gaze. "No reason."
Hermione, ever perceptive, looked between the two of them, but said nothing. Cassidy glanced between Ron and Hermione, something clicking belatedly in her mind.
Her lips curled into a slow, knowing grin.
"Wait... are you mad I didn't get you any ice cream, Weasley?"
Ron choked. "What? No! Why would I be—what are you even talking about?!"
Cassidy laughed, the joyful sound filling the pub. "Merlin's beard, you are! You should've seen your face."
Ron muttered something under his breath and focused on Scabbers, his ears burning. Hermione looked like she was enjoying this a little too much.
Cassidy raised her eyebrows, but didn't press. Instead, she turned to Hermione. "Anyway, what's the plan? I'm starving and I can tell you two are as well, but when we're done eating, we should do something."
Hermione nodded. "I was thinking we could visit Flourish and Blotts, maybe get some extra books?"
Ron groaned. "More books? Hermione, it's summer-"
Suddenly, Crookshanks tried to leap from Hermione's arms, his beady eyes locked on Scabbers, who squirmed and squeaked in Ron's hands.
"Oh! Easy there, Crooks." Cassidy cooed, taking the cat from Hermione's arms gently. Ron still looked bewildered.
"I don't know why you're defending that evil cat, Cass!" He yelled. "I mean, you've already given it a nickname. Crooks? Really?"
"To be honest, Ron, that rat has lived long enough." Cassidy huffed, turning up her nose at Scabbers. "I've had a bad feeling about it since first year." Ron widened his eyes at her, offended.
"Oh, come off it, Cass, you're always having bad feelings about things."
"Wow, and how many times have my feelings been right? We haven't even been here thirty minutes and you're picking a fight." She narrowed her eyes at Ron, hugging Crookshanks tighter.
Hermione, however, looked furious.
"Ron, what's gotten into you?!" She exclaimed. Ron turned to her.
"I'm warning you, Hermione, keep that bloody beast of yours away from Scabbers, or I'll choke him till his teeth goes in."
"It's a cat, Ronald, what do you expect? It's in his nature." Hermione shot back, as Crookshanks purred in Cassidy's arms.
"A cat?! Is that what they told you? It looks more like a pig with hair, if you ask me."
"That's rich, coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush." She shot back. Cassidy snorted, and Ron glared at her.
"What, you've remembered a joke Neville told you yesterday?"
"Ron, what the bloody hell is your problem with me and Nev?" Cassidy said, exasperated. "You've had an issue with him ever since we went to get that Stone in first year, for Merlin's sake!"
"I don't have any problem!" He shot back, ears red, shouting. Cassidy scoffed, rolling her eyes. She was about to say something, when she spotted Harry on the stairwell.
"Good morning, Chosen One!" She called, smirking. Harry smiled back at her, before catching sight of the others. Hermione and Ron turned to him.
"Harry?" Ron said, glee written all over his face.
"Harry!" Hermione said, grinning.
And despite the weird dream, despite the lingering unease about her dad and Sirius Black—being here, with her friends, felt right.
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Ron showed off the newspaper clipping with his family in Egypt, and the Weasleys in the picture smiled and waved up at them. They'd won the lottery, and used all the money to go on holiday. Cassidy snorted as she remembered how the twins had been mucking about in the Sweet Spell mere days before their departure.
"Egypt?" Harry said, fascinated. What's it like?" Ron started to explain while Cassidy scribbled on some parchment, writing a poem. She'd grown fond of poetry recently, as her mother had given her an old Muggle poem book. Hermione looked over at it, while Crookshanks purred in her lap lazily.
"Why's that poem titled 'Swotty Redhead'? She asked curiously. Cassidy motioned to Ron, who was still bragging about his trip.
"...even Scabbers enjoyed himself." Ron said proudly, coddling the rat.
"Nobody cares." Cassidy seethed, still upset at Ron for earlier.
"Shut up, Cass." He retorted. Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"You know the Egyptians used to worship cats?" Hermione said, matter-of-factly. Ron and Cassidy looked like they wanted to punch each other.
"Yeah, along with the dung-beetles." Ron scoffed.
"Share a lot in common with those, don't you?" Cassidy remarked.
"Shut it, Zitsy." Ron retorted.
"Zip it, Freckles." She hissed.
Before Ron could reply, two very familiar voices intervened.
"You're not flashing that clipping again, are you Ron?" Fred Weasley asked incredulously, George in his wake.
"I haven't shown anyone." Ron grumbled as Fred snatched it up. Cassidy snorted.
"No, not a soul." George said sarcastically, walking over to ruffle Cassidy's hair. She laughed, wrestling him off. Ron watched silently, squeezing Scabbers again.
"Not unless you count Tom." George said.
"The day maid." Fred continued.
"The night maid." George quipped.
"The cook."
"That bloke who came to fix the toilet."
"And that wizard from Belgium!" Fred completed, sitting a seat away from Cassidy and George sitting right next to her, as Hermione had vacated her seat. Cassidy watched as Mrs Weasley came to cuddle Harry, fussing over him like his own mother. The sound of George's voice drew her attention.
"So, Miss Sweet," he started mischievously, "what’s with the metal-mouth?"
Cassidy groaned. "Don't even get me started."
"Well, for what it's worth, I think it's absolutely—"
"Terrifying." Fred completed, grinning. Cassidy rolled her eyes as the two laughed, but George shifted closer.
"Only joking, of course. You still look striking." He teased, winking at Cassidy before Mrs Weasley noticed her sitting at the table.
"Oh, Cassandra! How are you?" She bustled over to Cassidy, smelling of grass, honey and bread. She caught her up in a tight hug before inspecting her face closely.
"Oh, dearie me, you're certainly growing into a pretty young lady!" She gushed. Cassidy smiled at her.
"I beg to differ, Mrs Weasley." She said sheepishly.
"Oh, nonsense, Cassandra, you're absolutely beautiful! You've got all your things, I hope?"
Cassidy nodded, grinning. Mrs Weasley always helped her feel at home, and she gently let go of Cassidy before going to check on something else. Cassidy caught the eye of Mr Weasley, who gave her a kind nod. Nodding back, she sat down, trying to work on her poem again, but noticed him lead Harry off somewhere else.
"Hm." She mumbled to herself, before Ginny came to sit down next to her. The girls' bond had been greatly strengthened from last year, when Cassidy helped save her life. Little Ginny wasn't as little anymore, but she was just as pretty. Cassidy was reminded of her own insecurities, but pushed the thought aside.
"Ginny, how're you?" She asked. It was like Ginny had been waiting for this question. She launched into how Egypt went in detail, while George started to try and rope her into the twins' plans for the pranks this year. But Cassidy couldn't help looking back to Mr Weasley and Harry, and how hushed their tones were.
The face of Sirius Black on a wanted poster looked back at her.
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