Chapter 17
Cassidy stood for a moment, eyes wide, chest heaving, before she felt something smack her very hard.
She was sent flying backwards with Ron and Hermione, and the breath was knocked out of her lungs. Hermione scrambled to her feet, helping them both up and looking at the Whomping Willow, whose branches were still flying about.
Then they heard Ron's scream.
The three of them ran forward immediately, dodging the branches that attacked them. Suddenly, one flew toward Harry, knocking him over and making his glasses fall.
"Harry!" Cassidy yelled, just as Hermione was thrown. Cassidy immediately dropped to the ground, crawling beneath the Willow's swinging branches as Hermione held on to one of them, screaming. As Hermione screamed, Cassidy grabbed Harry's glasses and put them back on his face.
"Thanks." He muttered. Cassidy didn't reply, getting up with Harry and looking at Hermione. She came swinging towards them, grabbing them both by the collar.
"'Mione, what are you doing?!" Cassidy screamed, her braids whipping around as the three of them held on to the swinging branches tightly. She didn't answer, dropping Harry and Cassidy into the hole the dog had dragged Ron into, and the bear was in. They crashed forward, collapsing in the passageway. Cassidy had landed on top of Harry.
Cassidy raised her head groggily, sliding off of Harry.
"This couldn't possibly get any worse, could it?" Cassidy groaned, and then Hermione came sliding into the hole, screaming before landing on top of Harry.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Hermione said.
"Don't worry about it." Harry said. Hermione looked to Cassidy, and gasped softly.
"What is it?" Cassidy said, feeling her necklace warm up.
"Cassidy, you've got a gash on your face." Hermione said, face paling a bit. Cassidy couldn't feel the pain, probably due to shock, but she felt the warm liquid on her cheek.
"It's fine. We need to go get Ron, he's in danger." Cassidy said, looking into the darkness of the tunnel they were sitting at the entrance of.
"Where do you suppose this goes?" Hermione said, helping Cassidy up.
"I have a hunch," Harry said, standing. "I just hope I'm wrong."
Unfortunately, Harry was not wrong.
After what seemed like hours of walking through the tunnels, they finally found a trapdoor. Cassidy had been hearing whispers in her head, the same whispers she heard in that dream she had at the Leaky Cauldron :
"Stay away."
But she ignored them. She wasn't going to let this necklace control what she did, what choices she made, any longer. Nevertheless, it burned, it burned yet she took it off, plunging it into her pocket.
Harry was the first to pop his head through the trapdoor, helping up Hermione, who helped up Cassidy.
The room they found themselves in was dark and dilapidated. Cassidy sneezed, squinting to see anything. The only light that could be seen was through the cracks in the walls, and dust coated everything. It was cold, much colder than the air outside.
"We're in the Shrieking Shack, aren't we?" Hermione said, her hand finding Cassidy's.
"We probably are." Cassidy replied shakily.
"Come on." Harry said. The three of them went up the stairs, making sure not to make too much noise. They heard Ron's screams, and Cassidy suddenly rushed up the stairs.
"Cassidy, stop!" You might fall—" Hermione warned, but Cassidy didn't listen, rushing toward the room that Ron's screams could be heard from and pushing open the door.
She saw Ron there, sitting on a chair, still clutching Scabbers. The three of them rushed toward him, Cassidy crashing to her knees as she took his face in her hands, inspecting it.
"Ron!" Harry exclaimed. "The dog, the bear, where are they?"
"Ron? Ron, are you alright? Did that dog hurt you? Can you stand?!" Cassidy said hurriedly, and Ron was startled for a moment, startled at how much Cassidy cared, at how it looked as if she was about to cry. Ron then looked to Harry, fear in his eyes.
"Harry, it's a trap! He's the dog! He's an Animagus!" Ron pointed behind them, and Cassidy turned slowly with the others, noticing the paw prints on the floor, noticing how they suddenly turned into footprints of a human being. A feeling of dread filled Cassidy as the door she'd pushed open suddenly creaked closed again, revealing the man who'd been hiding behind it.
It wasn't just any man.
Tattered prison robes that were worn beyond repair. Hair that hadn't been taken care of in years. Eyes full of madness. Dirt and grime coating his skinny frame.
It was Sirius Black.
Cassidy took a sharp intake of breath as Hermione stood in front of Harry, and she moved to stand in front of Ron.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us, too." Hermione said, shaking. Cassidy reached for her wand, but couldn't find it.
"You foul piece of scum," Cassidy seethed instead, glaring at Sirius. Sirius's eyes flicked to her, and for a horrible moment, Cassidy saw amusement in his gaze.
"Only one will die tonight." He said lowly, looking back at Harry.
"Then it'll be you!" Harry yelled, charging towards Sirius. Cassidy went after him immediately.
"Harry, no!" She screamed, trying to grab him, but it was too late. He jumped onto Sirius, strangling him and wrestling him towards the ground. Cassidy watched helplessly as Harry held Sirius down, pointing his wand in his face. Sirius simply laughed, and a chill ran down Cassidy's spine.
"Are you going to kill me, Harry?" He asked incredulously. Cassidy then spotted her wand, which lay on the ground next to the door. She ran to get it, but was suddenly thrown back by the door to the room bursting open.
"Expelliarmus!" An all too familiar voice yelled. Cassidy, who had been thrown to the ground, looked up in horror as Harry's wand was thrown from his grasp.
It was Remus Lupin. He cocked his head, signaling for Harry to stand back. His wand was pointed down at Sirius Black.
But that wasn't all.
She heard heavy footsteps behind Lupin, and her heart dropped to the floor.
Coming to stand next to Lupin, wand in hand, and a very tired look on his face, was none other than her father, Joshua Sweet.
"Dad?" Cassidy said, trembling as she looked between Joshua and Lupin, and Joshua simply pointed his wand to the space next to Harry, motioning for Cassidy to go and stand there.
Cassidy scrambled backwards, hardly daring to believe her eyes as she stood next to Harry, who had backed away to stand beside Hermione.
"Well, well, well, Sirius. Looking rather ragged, aren't we?" Lupin said. Joshua chuckled at this, pointing his wand into Sirius's face. Cassidy's mind was whirling. Lupin said he hadn't even been close with her dad. Why were they standing next to each other like best friends? Why was her dad smiling? Nothing made any sense.
"Smells appalling, too." Joshua muttered, making Lupin smile.
"Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within." Lupin said, looking down at Sirius, stepping closer.
"Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus? And you don't smell too good yourself, Joshua." Sirius retorted.
"Shut up," Joshua said, and he smiled, taking one of Sirius's hands as Lupin took the other. Together, they helped him stand.
Cassidy gasped audibly, looking between the three men as Joshua watched Sirius hug Lupin tightly, a small smile on his face as Sirius clung to Lupin.
"You two, get a room will you?" Joshua rolled his eyes as Sirius whirled to him, excited.
"I found him!" Sirius said excitedly.
"We know." Joshua replied. Sirius turned back to Remus.
"It's him!"
"I understand." Lupin replied, looking at Sirius fondly.
"Let's kill him." Sirius said, practically bursting with glee.
"NO!" Hermione screamed, stepping forward and glaring at the three men.
"My whole life is a lie." Cassidy whispered to herself, rocking back and forth on the floor.
"I trusted you!" Hermione screamed at Lupin, before whirling to Joshua. "Cassidy trusted you!" She turned back to Lupin. "And all this time, you've been his friends."
Cassidy got up suddenly, glaring at her father.
"Cassidy, you've got to listen. I'm your father—" Joshua started.
"You're no father of mine." Cassidy hissed, eyes flashing as she narrowed her eyes. Behind her, Ron looked at her in awe.
"Noelle, listen—" Lupin started.
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" She shouted. "You lied! You said you didn't know my dad that well at school, and you're here hugging like brothers!" She looked at Joshua, rage in her eyes. "And you! Always talking all positive about Harry and giving him presents, just to befriend a criminal that killed his parents!" Cassidy jabbed her finger towards Sirius, whose eyes filled with anger.
"I did not—" Joshua held up his hand, stopping Sirius from speaking.
"He's a werewolf!" Hermione said, pointing at Lupin and looking the other three. "That's why he's been missing classes."
Lupin dropped his hand from Sirius's shoulder, walking slowly towards Hermione. Cassidy found herself shrinking back, sitting on the chair besides Ron. Without thinking twice, his hand found hers, and she squeezed his back tightly.
"How long have you known?" Lupin said, while Joshua stood with Sirius, silent.
"Since Professor Snape set the essay." Hermione replied, shaking.
"You're a werewolf. A rotten werewolf." Cassidy said in shock, before she could stop herself. She knew werewolves couldn't help what they had. She knew what they had to go through. And yet, she still said it.
Remus's eyes flickered to her, and she thought she saw a bit of hurt in them. He looked back at Hermione.
"Well, well, well, Hermione, you really are the brightest witch of our age." Remus turned to Cassidy. "And you... you're certainly the fiercest."
Cassidy swallowed, glaring at Lupin. She made to move, but Ron held her back, as if afraid to stop holding her hand. She stayed put.
"Enough talk, Remus and Joshua! Come on, let's kill him!" Sirius shouted suddenly.
"Finally. I've been waiting for this." Joshua said in a voice Cassidy didn't recognize.
"You two, wait!" Remus "I DID MY WAITING!" Sirius screamed. "MERLIN KNOWS JOSHUA DID, TOO! TWELVE YEARS OF IT! MAYBE YOU TWO HAD IT COMFORTABLE, BEING FREE AND ALL, BUT I'VE BEEN IN AZKABAN!"
Joshua looked at Remus, who looked to the children. Cassidy shook silently, but not with fear.
It was with rage.
Rage at her father. Rage at Lupin. Rage at these two men she had trusted.
Joshua's eyes locked with hers.
She glared back.
He looked at her sadly before looking away, and Remus gave his wand to Sirius.
"Very well. You two can kill him."
Joshua and Sirius readied themselves, but Lupin spoke up again.
"But wait. One. More. Minute, Harry has the right to know why."
"I know why!" Harry said suddenly, shaking.
"No, you don't, Harry." Joshua replied slowly.
"YES, I DO!" Harry snapped at Joshua before looking at Sirius. "You betrayed my parents! You're the reason they're dead!"
"No, Harry, it wasn't him. Someone did betray your parents, but it was somebody who until quite recently I and Joshua believed to be dead!"
"Who was it, then?!" Harry said.
"Peter Pettigrew!" Sirius Black spat.
"The bastard." Joshua said lowly, helping Sirius to stand straight.
"He's in this room!" Sirius yelled gleefully, a bit of madness in his eyes. "Right now!"
Cassidy narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."
"Oh I assure you, Noelle, we are not lying." Sirius said lowly, his rotting teeth showing in a knowing grin. "Come on, come on, Peter!" Sirius yelled, like he was calling a pet. Ron tightened his grip on Cassidy's hand, trying not to look on the gash on her face when he whispered to her.
"C-Cassidy, your face..." he started, but Cassidy shook her head.
"Fuck that, Ron, are you okay?" She whispered back. He nodded silently.
"Come on, come out and play!" Sirius yelled yet again, making Cassidy flinch.
"Expelliarmus!" A voice called out.
Joshua Sweet and Sirius Black's wands clattered to the floor. Cassidy's eyes moved to the caster, and she thought she'd never be glad to see who it was until now.
"Ugh," Severus Snape drawled, looking at the three men with glee. "Vengeance is sweet. Wouldn't you say, Joshua?"