Chapter 4
Cassidy sat there, frozen and in a daze, before Ron put his hand on her shoulder. She startled, sucking in a sharp breath as if she'd just woken up from a dream.
"Cass? You alright?" Ron asked, his voice softer than usual, the anger he'd felt toward her an hour ago forgotten.
Cassidy blinked rapidly, her surroundings slowly coming back into focus. The cabin was still dim, the cold air lingering. Across from her, Harry lay unconscious, his face pale and drawn. Hermione sat beside him, watching him anxiously while Crookshanks pressed against her side. Moony was wide awake in his cage, hooting softly, but Cassidy barely registered it.
Because sitting on the other side of her was R.J. Lupin. Watching her closely.
The name echoed in her mind, rattling something loose inside her. Noelle.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. How did he know that name? Who was he?
She looked at him, trying to find an answer in his tired, lined face, but before she could speak, he gently interrupted her.
"You. You called me—"
"Are you alright, miss?" Lupin said softly, cutting her off.
Cassidy stiffened. There was something in the way he looked at her, something familiar, but she couldn't place it.
Meanwhile, Hermione shook Harry gently. "Harry? Harry?"
Harry groaned, stirring, and slowly opened his eyes. He squinted up at Hermione as she handed him his glasses.
"Thank you," he mumbled, groggy.
Lupin's gaze lingered on Cassidy for a second longer before shifting to Harry. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slab of chocolate, breaking off a piece and holding it out.
"Here, eat this. It'll help."
Harry took it hesitantly.
"It's alright," Lupin assured him. "It's chocolate."
Harry had now sat up fully, looking around the cabin. When Cassidy turned to watch him, Lupin's eyes flickered to her momentarily again before smiling at Harry.
"What was that thing?" Harry asked, eyes on the cabin door.
"A Dementor. One of the guards of Azkaban, he's gone now." Lupin answered.
"What was he doing here?" Cassidy asked shakily, looking to her necklace. It had returned to its normal color, and she stuffed it into her shirt when she caught Lupin looking at it.
"He was searching the train for Sirius Black." Lupin answered, smiling at her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to have a little word with the driver."
Lupin got up, stopping at the cabin door and looking back at the stunned group. "Eat. You'll feel better." He looked at Cassidy for a moment, nodding to the chocolate before leaving.
Cassidy stared at the spot he'd left, brows furrowing while Harry took a bite of the chocolate and Hermione sat where Lupin had vacated. Shaking her head slowly, she turned to Harry.
"What happened to me?" He asked, chewing the chocolate absentmindedly.
"That... thing was feeding on you. It was proper creepy." Cassidy said uncomfortably, shifting. Crookshanks purred and stretched, moving from Hermione's arms to rest in Cassidy's lap. Cassidy started stroking his fur gently, eyes not leaving Harry's.
"You sort of went rigid, we thought you were having a fit or something." Ron added. Harry stared at the three of them.
"A-and did any of you three... y'know, pass out?" Harry asked tentatively. Cassidy shook her head slowly, scratching behind Crookshanks' ear.
"No." Ron answered, looking at the floor. "It felt weird, though. Like I'd never feel cheerful again."
"Did you hear someone's screaming, a woman?" Harry asked. Cassidy perked up just as Hermione shook her head no.
"I did, but I think.... I think it was the woman from my dreams." Cassidy muttered, and Crookshanks purred again, dozing off in her lap. "Couldn't bring myself to move, either."
Harry shook his head. "No, mine was different, it felt more real, close."
Hermione looked at Harry in concern as Cassidy slumped back into her seat.
"There was no one screaming, Harry."
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Cassidy shifted in her chair uncomfortably as the school choir finished their song, and the Great Hall erupted into applause. It was time for the welcoming feast of this year, and so far things had gone well. Apart from her trying to figure when she could've possibly let slip in the cabin that her middle name was Noelle.
"How the bloody hell did he know?" Cassidy whispered to herself as the choir took their leave, toads in hand. Ron glanced at her momentarily, as did Hermione. Professor Dumbledore walked up to the podium.
"Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts!" He announced. Cassidy couldn't put her finger on it, but Dumbledore seemed to look different. She brushed the thought away as he continued to speak.
"I'd like to say a few words before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast. First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J Lupin."
Cassidy's head shot up from fiddling with her necklace, and she just now noticed the shabby looking man from the train sitting at the professors' table.
His eyes were on her, and she swore he winked.
"...who's kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." He stood as the Hall erupted into applause yet again, and bowed humbly before sitting back down. Cassidy joined in the clapping, sweeping her eyes over Lupin to try and figure out if and where she had ever seen Professor Lupin before.
"Of course, that's why he knew to give you the chocolate, Harry." Hermione said. Suddenly, a dreadful voice behind Harry, Ron and Cassidy hissed.
"Potter! Potter!" The three of them turned to be met face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who sat behind them on the Slytherin table. His sneer hadn't changed, but his hair sure had.
"Is it true you fainted?" He said, grinning. A friend of his acted out swooning, while Cassidy narrowed his eyes at him. "I mean, you actually fainted?" The Slytherins around Draco snickered.
"Shove off, Malfoy." Ron snapped, turning Harry around while Cassidy rolled her eyes at him. Draco narrowed his eyes at Cassidy, then they trailed down to her mouth. A wicked glee filled his eyes.
"Oh, look at Sweet's teeth, everyone! Looks like a straightening spell wasn't enough to stop them from rotting off, was it, Sweet?" Cassidy didn't have any sharp retort, her hand rushing to cover her mouth while her face grew warm. "Looks like you'll need a face-cleansing spell while you're at it. Maybe Potter fainted from seeing your, sickly, bumpy face—"
Ron whirled around again, blue eyes flashing.
"I said, " he seethed, while gently turning Cassidy around, "shove off, Malfoy."
Draco threw his hands up, smirking devilishly as the Slytherins around him started cackling again.
"Anything you say, Weasley. I won't insult your little girlfriend any further."
Cassidy kept her eyes down on the table, and felt a rush of tears pricking her eyes. What was wrong with her? Usually, she'd hex Malfoy into tomorrow, but this, this was different.
"Ignore him." Hermione whispered to Cassidy reassuringly, giving her a small smile. Ron's arm lingered on her back for a moment longer before he took it off. They all turned to listen to the announcements.
"...teacher for many years, has decided to retire." Dumbledore said. Cassidy blinked stupidly, not hearing what he'd been saying at all. "In order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid."
The Great Hall erupted into applause as Hagrid stood, knocking over the teachers table as he did so. Normally Cassidy would've attempted to stand on her chair and cheer for him, but today she didn't feel up to it. Instead, she clapped and whistled weakly along with everyone else, beaming at Hagrid.
The clapping died down, and Cassidy caught Neville's eye. He smiled at her shyly, mouthing a "are you okay?" She nodded and grinned back at him. Ron caught this, and rolled his eyes.
"Finally, on a more serious note: at the request of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban." Dumbledore announced. The hall broke into whispers, and Cassidy felt more tense than usual. "Until Sirius Black is captured."
Her father's warning words from last summer rang in her mind.
"Don't go looking for Sirius Black."
"The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds." Dumbledore continued. "And whilst I've been assured that their presence will not interrupt our day-to-day activities —"
Cassidy snorted. "That's rich."
"—a word of caution. Dementors are vicious creatures. They do not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way."
While Dumbledore spoke and Cassidy listened intently with her friends, Professor Lupin looked at Harry and her closely, remembering how Harry had collapsed in the cabin and Cassidy had been frozen, the necklace pitch black. Merlin knows she needs help with that trinket, he thought. But when he saw Snape glare at him from the corner of his eye, he decided to leave the observation for class.
Couldn't have Severus interfering.
"...give them no reason to harm you." Dumbledore continued, looking at the students. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving."
A pause. Cassidy noticed Harry trembling, dug into her robes pocket for some leftover Chocolate Frog she'd nicked from the shop back at home, and placed it into his shaking hand. He looked down at his hand, then up at her. She nodded, motioning for him to eat. Slowly, Harry took a bite, feeling a bit better.
"But you know," Dumbledore continued. "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times. When only one remembers to turn on the light."
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"Can you imagine, he ordered a hundred boxes of Peppermint Toads? Absolutely mental, I'm telling you!" Cassidy spoke animatedly with Seamus Finnigan as the Gryffindors made their way up the moving stairs, ready to go to bed. Her arm rested on his shoulder as they spoke, and Seamus was laughing hysterically while Dean shook his head.
"But anyway, you two," Cassidy ruffled Seamus and Dean's hair at the same time, causing them both to groan. "How was your holidays?"
As the three spoke, Ron, Hermione and Harry walked behind them, deep in their own conversation. Well, at least Harry and Hermione were. Ron looked at Cassidy listening to Seamus and Dean intently, and felt an odd pang in the pit of his stomach.
The Gryffindors made it to the Fat Lady's portrait, where she sung loudly.
Well, more screamed than sung. Cassidy groaned, covering her ears as Seamus said the password. The Fat Lady didn't let them in. Harry came to the front just then, raising his eyebrows.
"She just won't let me in." Seamus said, stepping aside.
"Fortuna Major." Harry repeated.
"No, no, wait, wait." The Fat Lady continued to scream, and Cassidy groaned as the rest of the students covered their ears. She stepped forward, clearing her throat.
"FORTUNA MAJOR!" She screamed, causing the glass in the Fat Lady's hand to break. She huffed, looking down at Cassidy.
"Quite rude, if you ask me." She sniffed. "Alright then, go in."
"Thank you." Harry said, holding out his palm for Cassidy to high-five before they all went in.
The rest of the Gryffindors looked at her gratefully as they all entered the common room, retiring to bed for the night.
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