Exams started with a vengeance and Cassia was already underwater by the time she was halfway through the first.

They ran over the span of two weeks, and Cassia was absolutely dead by the time she was sat in the hall, writing her name on the parchment for the last time.

Their last one was Theory of Charms, and it was being sat in the hall with everyone at their desks, Umbitch sipping tea and watching everyone as they did.

Cassia was sat with Poppy in front of her and Harry behind her, writing on the parchment. There was a small voice at the back of her head, asking if she was writing the right thing, but she pushed it away.

The scraping of quills and the sipping of tea was all she could hear around her, and she was really trying to stop thinking about Umbitch staring them down, it was really cree-

BOOM.

Cassia frowned, head coming up as she heard that noise. Umbitch, too, seemed to share her curiosity, a frown on her face and a look of confusion.

BOOM.

At the second loud boom, Umbridge got up, her heels clicking along the stone floor as she walked down through the aisle between the desks, eventually reaching the doors.

When she got there she opened them, walking into the entrance hall. By now, most students had turned to watch her, some even whispering to their friends.

Umbitch stood in the entrance hall, looking very confused as a small little spark came flying in her face. It looked rather like a... firework?

It was clear it was as that spark flew into the hall, cracking and becoming a wonderful array of fireworks.

The class gasped and Umbitch turned back round, looking furiously around the entrance hall for a sign of somebody, anybody, that had done this.

"YEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

And then, before she could stop them, the Weasley twins were flying into the hall on their brooms, yelling and grinning.

Cassia gasped in joy as all the exam papers got blown away by the full force of their brooms, Fred and George setting off more fireworks on their way down.

Soon, a display was being set off, the whole ceiling filled with them. Cassia and Poppy were grinning, laughing and gasping in shock. This was amazing.

And the fireworks seemed to know who to target. They were fine around Cassia, Poppy, Harry, Ron and Hermione, and all the other DA members, but for the Inquisitorial Squad members? Well...

Umbitch was ducking and almost crying as she avoided some of the firecrackers getting sent at her. One managed to worm its way down Crabbe's trousers. Pansy's hair was all smoky and blown up. And one smashed Draco into the wall, leaving a fiery imprint of his face in the wood.

The Weasley twins were still up above, having the time of their life. Then George threw one that formed into a giant dragon head, rearing at Umbitch.

Cassia laughed out loud as she watched the woman scramble backwards, running as fast as her squat little legs could carry her, a scream echoing from her mouth.

The dragon 'caught her' just outside in the entrance hall, exploding in her face and causing all the Educational Decrees to come smashing down.

"Oh fuck yes!" Cassia yelled, clapping. "This is amazing!"

And many laughed at this, all seeming to agree with her sentiment.

"YEEEEEESSSSS!" Fred and George yelled as they shot out the hall, through the entrance hall and out above the courtyard. All the students ran to follow them, and there was nothing Umbitch could do to stop it.

As Fred and George shot off into the sky, leaving Hogwarts behind forever, all the students below them clapped. Cassia was among them, Poppy on one side and Harry on the other, all of them grinning like crazy and clapping hard.

And as an act of goodbye, the Weasley twins set of one more firework. One last one. A one that showed WWW, which was the acronym for their joke shop. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

But as Cassia yelled and clapped, Harry beside her started to go still, and silent.

"Harry, what's wrong?" She asked him, without looking away at the fast vanishing Weasley twins. "Harry-?"

She stopped as Harry fell to the ground in the crowd, his face pale, panting hard. And even though his eyes were open, even though he still looked like he was here, Cassia knew what was happening. He was seeing into Voldemort's mind.

"Harry," she said, kneeling down. The crowd around her was still clapping, but all Cassia felt now was worry. She took Harry's shoulders and shook them gently. "Harry, wake up! Wake up!"

"Cassia, what's going o-?" Poppy tried to ask-

"Harry, he won't wake up!" Cassia said. "Harry!"

Hermione, too, had now turned her attention to Harry, and was kneeling down-

Harry came back to Hogwarts with a jolt, and a gasp, hands unknowingly gripping Cassia's forearms tightly. He looked straight at her, his fucking emerald eyes going straight through her, and said one word.

"Sirius."

❦︎❦︎❦︎

Before Cassia knew it, she, Harry, Poppy, Hermione and Ron were sprinting up the moving staircases, Harry at the fore. He had just told them what he had seen; Sirius in the Department of Mysteries, getting tortured by Voldemort to collect the item he wanted. What that was still remained to be seen.

"Harry, are- are you sure?" Hermione asked once he had finished, still sprinting up the staircases.

"I saw it!" Harry fought back. "It's just like with Pippa. It's the same door I've been dreaming about for months, only I couldn't remember where I'd seen it before! Sirius said Voldemort was after something, something he didn't have the last time, and it's in the Department of Mysteries!"

"Harry, please just listen!" Hermione implored him as they stopped on a staircase that was still turning. Harry turned to look at her and she said. "What if Voldemort meant for you to see this? What if he's only hurting Sirius because he's trying to get to you?"

"Well, what if he is?" Harry demanded. "I'm supposed to just let him die. Hermione, he's the only family I've got left!"

Hermione looked to Poppy, who looked to Cassia, who looked to Ron. Then he asked. "What do we do?"

Cassia instantly said. "We'll have to use the floo network."

"But Umbridge has all the fires under surveillance!" Hermione called.

"Not all of them, the hypocrite!"

And yes, the only unwatched fire in the whole school was Umbridge's herself.

"Alohomora!" Harry muttered to the lock, opening it up and practically kicking the door in.

Umbitch's office was disgusting. The walls were pink, and lined with pictures of fluffy cats. The sofa cushions had the most revolting patterns.

Harry went and grabbed a fistful of floo powder and chucked it into the fire, kneeling down in front of the now green flames.

"Alert the order if you can."

"What the hell?" Cassia demanded, kneeling beside him. "You're mad if you think we're waiting here, Harry."

"It's too dangerous!"

"When are you going to get it into your head?" Hermione demanded, squatting down as well. "We're in this together!"

"That. You. Are."

Cassia cursed herself, cursed her life-

Because Umbitch was standing behind them, eyes crazed, face flushed, having just caught them attempting to use her fire.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

It was bad.

Like, really bad.

They were still in Umbitch's office, but the situation had changed drastically.

Members of the Inquisitorial Squad had been called immediately, and were now holding everyone tightly. Somehow, and Cassia didn't know how, Neville, Luna and Ginny had got involved. It had something to do with 'acting suspicious' and 'defying orders'.

Anyway, Theo was holding Luna, a girl called Millicent Bullstrode had Ginny, Pansy had Neville, Goyle had Ron, Crabbe held Hermione, Blaise had Poppy and Cassia, being a girl with fucking luck, was held in place by Draco.

Harry was sitting in Umbridge's office chair, the woman herself leering over him.

"You were going to Dumbledore, weren't you?"

Harry, shrinking back into the chair, shrunk back. "No."

"Liar!"

SMACK!

She landed a harsh smack right to his cheek, thrashing so hard that it turned red.

Behind him, Cassia jumped violently, not even Draco being able to stop it.

"Brat!"

"Oh dear Cassia... looks like you may have some fire in you after all."

"You're such an insolent little brat!

"You've told, haven't you?"

"If you breathe one word, of anything that's happened this summer, you'll wish you'd never been born."

As everything that had happened to Cassia the previous summer flashed through her head she yelled. "Stop it! Stop hurting him!"

There were tears in her eyes and her cheeks were flushed, but she yelled anyway, trying to worm her way away from Draco.

"Draco, do me a favour and keep your dear sister quiet," Umbitch said simperingly.

"Of course, headmistress," Draco replied, hissing into his sister's ear. "Shut the hell up, will you?"

"No," Cassia hissed back. "You know full well why I didn't like that, it had nothing to do with Potter, it w-"

"You sent for me, headmistress?"

And as if this situation couldn't get any worse, Snape had just appeared in the doorway.

"Snape, yes," Umbridge straightened up. "The time has come for answers, whether Potter wants to give them to me or not. Did you bring the veritaserum?"

"I'm afraid you've used up all my scores interrogating students," informed Snape. "Unless you wish to poison him - and I assure you, I would have the greatest sympathy if you did - I cannot help you."

Umbitch looked at him, absolutely livid, before he turned round, making to leave-

"H-he's got Padfoot," Harry said desperately, causing Snape to turn round and listen. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden."

Cassia let out a small gasp. Of fucking course, she thought.

Snape was in the Order. Cassia remembered complaining about him on her first day back. He was in the Order, meaning he knew exactly where whatever Voldemort wanted was (The Department of Mysteries) and he also knew who Padfoot was.

Harry fucking Potter, Cassia could feel her grin seeping through. He's not that dumb after all.

Umbitch, meanwhile, had no idea what he was saying. "Padfoot? What if Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What is he talking about, Snape?"

Snape turned round.

Don't give us up, don't give us up, don't give us-

Cassia's fingers were crossed, and her whole body was practically vibrating-

"No idea," Snape shrugged.

Oh thank god.

As Snape left, Cassia breathed a breath of relief. She just hoped Snape would inform the Order of what Harry had just said, and that they'd dispatch someone.

Because it didn't look like they were going anywhere fast.

"Very well," Umbridge turned, walking to her desk, looking down at the picture of Fudge that was there. "You give me no choice, Potter. As this is an issue of ministry security, you leave me... no alternative. The cruciatus curse ought to loosen your tongue."

Cassia was outraged. Sorry, what?

"That's illegal," Hermione warned.

"What Cornelius doesn't know... won't hurt him," Umbitch told them, placing the picture of Fudge down so he couldn't see any of this.

"Sorry, but what the fuck?" Cassia demanded, fighting against Draco's grip. "How sick and twisted are you, to enjoy hurting and torturing innocent children? You're a fucking nutcase-"

"Enough, Miss Malfoy!" Umbitch shouted shrilly turning to Harry, who's jaw was clenched, his hands gripping the chair so hard they were white.

"No, don't," Cassia shook her head, her voice becoming emotional. "Don't hurt him, stop-"

"If Mr Potter tells me what he was trying to do with my fire, I will gladly do so," Umbitch warned, turning back towards him. "Cru-"

"Tell her, Harry!"

Before Umbridge managed to finish the curse, Hermione had yelled, mouth open, eyes wide.

"Tell me what?" Umbitch alternated glances between Harry and Hermione, curious.

No! Cassia groaned internally. Don't tell her, Hermione, don't tell h-

But then Hermione said. "Well if you won't tell her where it is... I will."

What?

"Where what is?" Umbridge demanded.

Hermione took a deep breath.

Then she lied.

"Dumbledore's secret weapon."

❦︎❦︎❦︎

It was only natural, how it happened.

Hermione told Umbitch about how Dumbledore had asked them to create this secret weapon, and how it was in the Forbidden Forest, and then Umbridge was taking Hermione and Harry to go see it and leaving the other six with the Inquisitorial Squad members.

The room was filled with tension, and it was not surprising. Silence filled it, and so did anger.

Cassia was still in her brother's grip, reminded irrefutably of her father. She tried to shake that off, though. She didn't need more flashbacks now, what she needed was to get out of this stupid office.

She was trying to look around, to find a way of getting out, when she saw it.

A box of puking pastilles, disguised as a gift, no doubt sent in from Fred and George as a prank, was sat open on the windowsill.

Cassia smirked slightly, grinning as she got her leg out, managing to kick Poppy, who was next to her, in the shin.

Poppy turned, confused, but when Cassia gestured the pastilles to her, she almost grinned.

"Pass it on," Cassia mouthed, and Poppy nodded.

So, inadvertently, and somehow, without the Inquisitorial Squad noticing, they got the message along the whole line of them and over to Ron, who was nearest to the box of 'sweets'

The boy understood immediately.

"Hey, uh..." he said, breaking the silence. "Can I have some of those sweets? I'm- I'm really hungry."

Draco scoffed. "Seriously, Weasley? You want sweets?"

But Crabbe was already asking. "Where are they?"

"There," Ron gestured to them on the windowsill. "Come on, chuck us one-"

"Ha! As if!" Draco laughed, bringing Cassia over to collect one for himself. "Pansy, want one?"

"Yeah..." Pansy grinned, taking a pastille.

"Millicent?"

"Of course."

"Goyle? Blaise? Theo?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Awww, look Weasley!" Draco said mockingly, holding up the now empty box. He smirked and took a bite. "They're all gone! Good luck affording mor- bleugh!"

In a flash, Cassia threw herself away from Draco, just in time to avoid the mountain of puke that erupted from his mouth.

At pretty much the same time, all the DA members did the same, ducking the sick spewing out of all the Slytherins' mouths and laughing loudly.

As they collected their wands from the table where they had all been confiscated to, as well as Harry and Hermione's, Cassia turned back to them all.

"Next time, I wouldn't take a sweet before inspecting it!" She grinned. "But serves you all fucking right!"

The DA members could still be heard laughing as they ran down the corridor and down the stairs, hoping that Harry and Hermione had taken care of Umbitch.

By the time they got onto the bridge, they met them, and, taking in the fact that it was just them, Cassia trusted they'd done it well.

"How did you get away?" Hermione asked, a slight smile on her face.

"Puking pastilles - it wasn't pretty," Ginny shrugged. "Cassia's idea."

"Well, Ron executed it," Cassia shrugged.

"Just told them I was hungry, wanted some sweets," shrugged Ron, handing Harry and Hermione back their wands, grinning. "Of course, they told me to bugger off and ate the lot themselves!"

Hermione seemed transfixed. "That was clever, Ron."

Ron just shrugged. "It's been known to happen."

"It was brilliant!" Neville grinned. "So, how are we getting to London?"

There was a small, awkward silence. Cassia clenched her jaw. She hadn't really meant to let slip that they needed to get to London whilst running down here, but she had either way.

And of course, Harry just went off on his noble tangent again.

"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate everything you've done, all of you, but..." he sighed. "I've got you into enough trouble as it is."

He tried to walk past them, but Cassia rolled her eyes. "Shut up. We're coming with you, and I think you know that."

"Look, Cassia-"

"Dumbledore's Army was meant to be about doing something real," Neville put in. "Or was that all just words to you?"

Harry looked from him to Cassia and sighed.

"Maybe you don't have to do this all on your own, mate," Ron looked down.

Harry looked to all of them, a battle going on in his head. Then he locked eyes with Cassia

"So, how are we gonna get to London?"

But it wasn't Cassia who had the answer.

It was Luna.

"We'll fly, of course."