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NEWS OF THE SLYTHERIN-COMPRISED INQUISITORIAL SQUAD TOOK HOGWARTS BY STORM. Or rather, the entire Squad did. And not in the best way... the Squad, made of, but not limited to, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Crabbe and Goyle, and more... The Squad took great pleasure in parading through the halls of Hogwarts with entitlement, snatching house points where they deemed fit. Their capabilities went even further than that of a Prefect — something overjoying Malfoy and Parkinson deeply, knowing they're able to get the upper hand on their prefect comrades. And for the most part, Professor Umbridge seemed to be happy herself with the influence and control her cronies were having over Hogwarts.

     But it was a Saturday, and the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year. It was bound to have a certain... bounce. The woes that were Professor Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad were the last things on Cassia's mind as she walked along the path to the recreational town, Daphne beside her and Tracey Davis on the other side. Theo and Blaise were walking behind them, engaged in their own conversation. Pansy and Millicent were engaged with their own Inquisitorial Squad business, so Daphne and Tracey joined Cassia instead. Eva was to spend the day with her boyfriend, Adrian Pucey, while Maryam said she had some Quidditch business to attend to.

     The Quidditch trials had also taken place that week, with Maryam, Tracey and Millicent being the only girls present after some hefty convincing of quidditch captain Graham Montague. Suffice to say, they'd all done well, yet Maryam still had some work to do in regards to getting on the team, as she'd claimed. People were... suspicious. Maryam Ahmed had a trick or two up her sleeve. She wasn't going to let a misogynist get in the way of her playing quidditch.

     "How come you didn't join the Inquisitorial Squad, Tracey?" Cassia asks the Davis girl on the way to Hogsmeade. The weather was quite sunny and clear, though windy enough for Cassia to adorn a beige overcoat on top of her jumper and chinos. And obviously the green and silver scarf. It's a necessity for any cold day outfit.

Tracey scrunches her nose up. Cassia always thought that Tracey was really pretty. She has this sleek hair that was a nice shade of brown where it actually seemed black but when she stood in the sun it shined in a brown colour. And she has this really sweet, contagious smile, and even if she loved to gossip with her best friends loads, she didn't exactly involve herself in other people's business. It was all lighthearted gossip, nothing more. Tracey was... nice.

     "Not really my cup of tea, I guess?" She answers. "I'm not like Millie, or Pansy and want to hold power over people. Millie just did it so that she was able to be better than prefects and take house points off of people... Pansy just wanted to be more controlling. Neither of them even like the toad."

     Daphne snorts. "Does anyone like the toad?"

     "Filch?" Cassia suggests. The three girls erupt into giggles.

     "Hey, you guys!"

     Cassia, Daphne and Tracey's head turn to see Theo and Blaise catching up with them. They seemed to walk faster than the boys... as they should.

     "Do you guys want to go into The Three Broomsticks?" Theo asks. They all agree, and proceed into the tavern where they're immediately faced with many of their fellow peers sat within the leather seats in the booths, drinks between them. One of them had Fred and George Weasley in it, and Lee Jordan was with them too. The twins wave at Cassia, Theo and Daphne. Lee looks confused. Cassia, Theo and Daphne wave back, and Tracey and Blaise also look confused. But they leave it. They get themselves a booth and after Theo and Blaise ordered their drinks, five steaming Butterbeers came to their berth.

     "How were the quidditch trials?" Daphne asks. It was only Blaise and Tracey that had tried out and the only ones out of the group that were present, since Cassia neither Daphne nor Theo really wanted to see them happen... As it seemed, Graham Montague wasn't the nicest captain ever and the Slytherin quidditch trials were always a bit brutish to watch. They stopped watching the trials after second year...

     (Slytherins may be misunderstood, but they're still violent. There's no use in denying the facts.)

     Tracey smiles. "They were good. Well, not good good—I don't think I'll have gotten on the team—but they were good. I'm just glad us three girls were actually allowed to tryout. It might be the start of a new era? Maryam was absolutely outstanding, though. If Montague doesn't put her on the team, then I'll be furious. It'll just be more solid proof that Montague is a sexist arsehole."

     "Oh, absolutely!" says Cassia. "Maryam's been practising all summer, I'll be damned if she wasn't a prospect." She turns towards the silent, brooding male beside Theo, on her right side. "What about you, Blaise?"

     Blaise doesn't look too appeased. Tracey happened to be holding back some laughter.

     "Wasn't great," Blaise grumbles. "Fell off my broom." When Tracey eventually bursts out into laughter at the memory, Blaise glares her way. "Shut it, Davis." And so, she does. She's still grinning. "It was all Goyle's fault. He sent the bludger my way. The idiot."

     Theo sniggers. "I don't get Montague's logic in making Crabbe and Goyle the beaters. They have no tact. Just because they have big frames doesn't mean they know how to use them."

     "Exactly, and—um, oh. Hi?"

     Cassia's cut off sharply when three figures appear in front of their booth. She was furthest away, with her shoulder pressed into the seat and beside Theo and Blaise, when she looked past the two males she saw that they didn't seem the happiest at the obstruction. Tracey looks a bit confused, though mostly unbothered. Daphne was grinning like a madman.

     "Er—hi." Harry Potter says. He's bundled up in his own jacket and scarf, though it were red and gold this time, and he looks slightly nervous to be in front of Cassia. Or rather, all of her friends. Hermione Granger was beside him, her arms folded as she rocked on the spot with a thin smile and Ron Weasley was at his other side, glaring at all those who preceded him.

     "Hi," says Cassia. There's a fluttering feeling in her stomach that makes her think, Since when did my stomach flutter? She has no idea. "Um—are you okay—?"

     "Oh, yeah." Harry says. He looks like he just remembered something big. Perhaps the reason he was even there, which he was momentarily distracted from at the sight of Cassia. He thought she looked really pretty, with her wind-strewn auburn hair, puzzled expression and all. Somehow, even more prettier than last year? Must be a growing up thing, Harry thinks.

     "I was wondering if I could—talk to you?" Harry eventually lets out. His eyes dart around the occupied booth. He looks very out of place. "Alone."

     "Of course," cuts in Daphne with a smile. Harry was confused as to how the other Greengrass twin was being nice to him, but in Daphne's defence, she never hated him, it was Pansy who did. And a girl can only restrain her best friend so much. So, Daphne's never really had much against the boy... apart from him being a Gryffindor. That part's a little hard to work with. But for her twin sister, she may be able to do just about anything.

     Daphne and Tracey slipped out of the booth without another word, and Blaise follows them, each taking their Butterbeers with them. Theo's the only one who remains, and he seems adamant on leaving the booth, glaring deeply at those who intruded them. Cassia clears her throat in Theo's direction as Harry sits opposite her, where Daphne and Tracey once sat.

     "Oh, alright, I'll go," Theo huffs out, sliding begrudgingly out of the booth. He snatches his Butterbeer. "I can't believe my own best friend is choosing Potter over me—quit giving me that look Weasley—you two might think to give them privacy too!"

     Cassia watches as Theo trudges along to the bar, where their other three friends were sipping at their Butterbeers and paying attentive glances to Cassia and Harry — Daphne especially. Theo and Ron Weasley glare in each other's direction as they take to opposite sides of the bar bench.

     She looks back to Harry, smiling. Harry opens his mouth, but Cassia stops him abruptly before he can say anything. Precautions. "Wait—"

     Frowning slightly, Harry is perplexed until Cassia rummages tentatively between the folds of the seat and pulls out a large, prosthetic, ear.  It was one of the Extendable Ears, given to her and Theo by the Weasley twins in their bundle of samples they received the earlier week.

     "Twins," they say in unison.

     She throws an unimpressed glance towards her best friend, who she now realises is huddled with the other three as if they were hiding something between them. She throws the ear unsuspectedly at Theo, who flinches when something hits him squarely at the back of the head. When he looks back and sees her narrowing her gaze, he furrows his eyebrows. Cassia gives him a knowing smile.

She looks back to Harry and smiles. "Hi."

"Hi," says Harry. "How—how are you?"

"Great," says Cassia, "You?"

"Brilliant," Harry begins looking around him warily, and Cassia doesn't think it's because of the fact she was wearing a green and silver scarf while he was wearing a red and gold. "Um— I have something that I... need to tell you. Ask you."

Cassia nods. She didn't know what he wanted to ask her, but it couldn't be that bad, right?

...Unless he murdered someone and needed help hiding the body...

Nah, Harry wouldn't be capable of that.

"Okay," says Harry. "Well, you know how Umbridge is, like, the worst teacher ever?"

     Cassia nods. "Yeah?"

     "And how we aren't learning anything at all?"

     "Yeah?"

     Harry clears his throat. "Well, Hermione thought it would be a good idea for me to teach anyone who wants to learn Defence... so that we can have, like, a proper education."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? And you could do that?"

Harry grins. "Oh, of course. Triwizard champion, remember? I'm invincible."

Cassia laughs, and rolls her eyes. "There's that Gryffindor cockiness." She smiles. "No, it's a good idea. I think you should... as long as the toad or Inquisitorial Squad doesn't find out."

"Yeah..." Harry says, and he smiles. "Actually, I wanted to ask you if you... well, only if you wanted to, come join the meeting I'll be having in a little bit? It's just for people to, like, see what it's all about. You'd be the only Slytherin, but—um, yeah. If you wanted to come?"

"Oh," is all Cassia managed to say.

Here's the thing — Cassia would, by any means, love to join this little Defence secret club of Harry's. It seemed perfect... she already knew Harry had a handful of experience in facing Dark wizards and knew that he'd have gained loads of useful pointers that could really help people, especially when the Ministry are completely against exactly that. But the thing is, Cassia swore not to get into trouble with Professor Umbridge again, and she swore to stay out of trouble. And as amazing of an idea this was... she didn't think that it was the safest. And, well, she was close with the Inquisitorial Squad so the chances that this group, or whatever, would get found out because of Cassia, was quite high. And she didn't want to be the reason for those people to get caught... People hate Slytherins enough as it is. Besides, she had her own secret study group going on with Theo, Blaise, Maryam, Eva and now Daphne and Tracey now that Pansy and Millicent were so busy with their duties and wouldn't be watching them so closely. Point is, Cassia thinks it would be safer for herself and the rest if she just sticks to her own group... Umbridge won't suspect Slytherins hanging out together, but she'd definitely suspect a Slytherin hanging out loads with those in other houses.

"I understand if you don't want to, it's okay—"

"No!" says Cassia, hurriedly. "That's not it at all. I—uh—I'd love to join the meeting, only—well, I don't think it'll be the best idea."

     Harry's face lights up shortly, before he frowns. "Why so?"

     Cassia frowns regretfully. "I mean, not because I'm a Slytherin—well, yes, that exactly, but because I feel like since the toad likes Slytherins so much and since I basically live with the Inquisitorial Squad that it won't be so... good. Believe me, it's an amazing idea and I would absolutely love to learn from you but I just don't want to be a threat and get anyone in trouble... Slytherins already have a hard time as it is. I don't want to give people another reason to hate us..."

"Oh," is all Harry managed to say.

"Yeah..." Cassia trails off, "And I wouldn't think I'd be that welcome."

Harry grows a look of confusion. Cassia gestures behind Harry, where Ron Weasley was giving them the deathliest stare.

"Oh, that." Harry says. "I mean, I wouldn't worry about Ron, he's just like that—but, I get what you mean. I understand."

Cassia smiles. "Thanks. Believe me, you would be a great teacher and would do wonders for us—but, uh, I can't. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," says Harry, pressing his mouth into a thin line. "I guess I should, um, get going... that meeting's about to start..."

"Yeah! Yeah, of course, um, good luck. I... I hope it goes well. And, well, I'm sorry, again."

     Harry looks kind of down as he went back to Ron and Hermione, and as Hermione asked him something—presumably about what he just asked— and he shook his head. She felt bad, because she really did want to join the group he was making. The odds were just never in her favour, and she didn't want to risk them now, of all times.

     (Not to mention, she still remembers that horrid detention and the toad mentioning her mum, like, out of nowhere? And Cassia didn't want to risk anything for her mum, the hardest worker she knows.)

     But before she's able to wallow over watching the somewhat good-looking boy with glasses and messy dark hair trod away with his two best friends, her own friends have filled the empty spaces beside her again and bringing their drinks with them. Theo looks to her with deep scrutiny, while Daphne appears to look more excited. Blaise and Tracey look confused, but still unbothered.

     "So? What did he ask!" Daphne asks excitedly.

     Cassia bites the inside of her cheek. She can't exactly tell them that Harry Potter was organising some sort of secret society against Umbridge. So, she lies. She's getting good at lying.

     "He just wanted to see how I was doing. You know, since we hardly see each other nowadays."

     Daphne looks unconvinced. Perhaps that was a lie in itself. She wasn't the best at lying.

     "No, he didn't." says Daphne.

     "Well, he did!" Cassia retorts. Because he did ask how she was doing. But it wasn't the only thing.

     "Well, what else?" This time the question came from Theo. His eyes look exhausted from his glaring competition with Ron Weasley.

     "I can't exactly tell you! It's not something to be out in the open."

     "Like you're so great at keeping secrets," says Theo, rolling his eyes. Cassia narrows her eyes. She is good at keeping secrets. The whole thing with Harry last year, the Blaise and Astoria thing, the Enoch Abercrombie thing... oh, and not to mention, Cassia's noticed a little something between her twin and a certain Pansy Parkinson and hasn't said anything... so, she's great at keeping secrets!

     "Let me think... if anything in the past year means something, I am great at keeping secrets."

     "But—"

     "Theodore," says Daphne. "Leave it. Let our dear Cassia keep this secret for her Dearest Harry."

     Cassia's mouth drops open at the sight of Daphne's pesky smirk.

     "Of course," Theo grins, "Anything for Dearest Harry, yeah?"

     Daphne cackles. "Absolutely."

     Cassia hated Daphne and Theo sometimes.

———

FOR THE MOST PART, CASSIA AND HER FRIENDS ENJOYED HAVING A DAY to themselves and not having to worry about the piles of work required for their O.W.L's — which were still piled up and unattended to. They certainly had a whirlwind waiting for them back in the castle, but it was worth it. They had a fun time in the lovely village of Hogsmeade. And they managed to replenish their sweet stocks in Honeydukes. All was well. And it seemed to be even better when they returned to the castle for lunch, and were faced with a euphoric Maryam Ahmed sat down to a jubilant lunch.

"There you guys are!" Maryam exclaims as Theo and Cassia sit opposite her. Eva was still out with Adrian, and Blaise went to see Astoria. Daphne and Tracey decided to meet with Pansy and Millicent.

"So?" says Maryam excitedly. "How was Hogsmeade!"

Cassia shares a confused look with Theo. "It was okay—?"

"Yeah," says Theo, "Shame you couldn't make it..."

"Oh, I'm not even bothered!" Maryam hums as she dips a large hunk of bread into her soup. "Why, you may ask?"

"I am asking..."

"Because I'm officially the Chaser for the Slytherin team!"

     Cassia's eyes widen in surprise. "You are?"

     Not that she didn't think Maryam couldn't do it, but she thought it was more along the lines that Graham Montague was too stubborn to admit a girl into the team. Talk about stubbornness being named a Gryffindor trait!

     "Yeah, I did! Millie and Trace didn't , which is shit. But it's amazing, I can't wait to get started and show those sexist arseholes that—"

     "How did you do it?" Theo asks. "For all we know, Montague wouldn't have willingly let a girl join the team."

     Maryam grins wickedly. "That's the best part of it."

     Cassia and Theo exchange another look with each other. They look back to their friend, her hair in its characteristic braids.

     "I managed to... persuade Montague into making me get on the team. He didn't want to, but when I told him it would be no good being a reserve player and that Warrington was shit at quidditch he had no choice. That, and the fact I told him Snape was threatening to make him stay back a year if he wasn't more inclusive and added a girl onto the team."

     Cassia's eyes widen in shock. "You threatened him? Isn't that... illegal? Or dirty?"

     "No more dirty than the way our mess of a team plays," says Maryam, scoffing. "Have you seen them? The only player who has never cheated was probably Adrian, bless him. Now he won't be alone. Those idiots need to learn how to play properly."

     Both Cassia and Theo are still looking to Maryam in shock at the fact she just threatened a quidditch captain to put her on the team.

     "Stop looking at me like that!" says Maryam. "It's Montague's one fault for being gullible. Snape doesn't give a flying fuck about being inclusive. Montague just fell for it. He's all brawn, but no brain. Wouldn't be surprised if he ended up staying back another year, anyways."

     "So... Warrington is the reserve Chaser then? It's you, Adrian and Montague?"

     Maryam hums in agreement. "We're the Chasers, Bletchley is Keeper, Malfoy is Seeker and Crabbe and Goyle are Beaters."

     As Cassia and Theo grin and bare with what Maryam said, they continue with their lunch, until Maryam pushes the soup bowl forward and eyes it distastefully.

     "I think I deserve some cake." says Maryam. Her face lit up just as a child's does, and she hops up off of the bench, standing straight with her hands on her hips.

     "But your soup—"

     "I'm done with soup," Maryam tells Cassia, who looks confused. This new quidditch chaser position seemed to have brought Maryam in high spirits. "Cake is where it's at today! I'm on the team!"

     When Maryam begins to parade out of the Great Hall, her arms making exuberant swishing movements, as she takes the world in her stride. Eva appears at the doors of the Great Hall with Adrian by her side, and before Eva can retort, her arm's been looped through with Maryam's and the pretty blonde has been whisked away with the new Chaser. Adrian looks really confused as to what just happened.

     Cassia turns to Theo, getting out of her seat, "Um—I think I'll go and make sure she doesn't do anything... bad."

     Theo nods rapidly, not needing say anything in reply. Lucky for him, he didn't have to sit through the rest of lunch alone, as Astoria Greengrass appears at the doorway where her sister has just disappeared through, Blaise Zabini's arm around her shoulders. Both Greengrass and Zabini eyes' trail towards where the auburn-haired Greengrass just fled to, both of their eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

———

CASSIA'S FEET TOOK HER AS FAST AS POSSIBLE out of the Great Hall, shooting a small apology to an unsuspecting Adrian Pucey and a short greeting to her sister and boyfriend. Maryam (and Eva) seemed to be completely out of sight, and there was no doubt as to why Maryam was on the Quidditch team if not for her fast feet and if not for her marvellous threatening skill. But, even if Maryam was as fast as quicksilver, there was no denying where she was heading: the kitchens. A place Cassia knew of far too well, with it being on the complete opposite end from the dungeons and beside the Hufflepuff basement. Sometimes, she and Theo would visit the kitchens and she'd have to give the other boy a lesson on how to properly treat the elves as he would ruthlessly request some cookies.

     (Seriously, what would Theo expect? He's the best friend of a girl coming from a clan valuing equity and peace. Obviously that'd include house elves.)

     She turns a corner, watching as Maryam's fast, gleeful prance begin disappearing down the stairs to the kitchens with Eva following involuntarily along, her wistful blonde locks bounding after her. Cassia continues to trail along the same path until someone abruptly turns the corner she was passing and she found herself crashing right into that person, her eyes widening as she realises who it was.

     "Harry?"

     "I—uh—are you okay?" Harry asks, frowning. He had no idea why she was walking with such haste that she didn't see Harry coming around the bend. There's also the fact that Harry caught onto the sides of Cassia's arms to stabilise her, but Cassia chooses to ignore this.

     "Er—yeah," says Cassia eventually, "Sorry. I am. Are—are you okay?"

     "Yeah, absolutely brilliant. Where were you goi—"

     "Oh!" Cassia exclaims. "I was going to the kitchens... Maryam got a place on the quidditch team and wanted some celebratory cake... she's a bit excited though, so, yeah..."

     Her lips press together as she waits for Harry to release her arms. He didn't even appear to notice, until her gaze travels downwards slightly and his eyes widen, jumping back from her. There was a considerable distance between them two now. Harry clears his throat.

     For some reason, neither of them moved. The intention to follow Eva and Maryam to the kitchens had apparently fled from her mind, and now all she seemed to focus on was the boy in front of her, standing with an awkward rigidity. Harry didn't seem to have anything to say, either. So she speaks first.

     "How—how was your meeting? The secret society?"

     Harry furrows his eyebrows, before a look of recognition overcame him. "Oh, yeah. It was... it was good. Great, actually."

     She smiles. "Great."

     He scratches his eyebrow. "I—uh—was wondering if you could, like, maybe keep it a secret? Just because—"

"Oh, of course!" She smiles understandingly. "That's the whole point of a secret society, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess." Harry smiles. "Thanks."

     "Anytime. And besides, you're not the only one with your own secret society."

     "Is that so?" Harry asks, his eyebrows raising.

     Cassia grins. "We've been practising and finding spells ourselves outside of class. Me, Theo, Daphne and the others. Not Malfoy or Parkinson, obviously, they wouldn't waste another second to rat us out. But, yeah. That's my secret."

     "Well, good on you," says Harry, smiling softly, "I hope it pays off."

     Her mouth stretches into a smile, beaming brightly. "You too. But—er—I need to go—"

     "Oh, yeah." Harry mumbles. "Um—enjoy the cake."

     "Enjoy your—" Cassia cups her hands around her mouth in an attempt at secrecy, "Your secret club."

     "Yeah," Harry chuckles, "I'll see you... some other time."

     Cassia smiles. "See you, Harry."

     With that, Cassia reembarked on her journey to the kitchens, and the thought of Harry lingered in her mind, there was no denying. She honestly did hope his secret Defence club was working out, just as she was sure her own was for her Slytherin friends. And most especially that the toad wouldn't get wind of it at all... still. She was glad Harry felt like he could trust her. Somehow, it's always been like that? It still kind of surprises Cassia that he first night she and Harry properly met, he literally told her about how he helped his wrongfully-convicted Azkaban escapee godfather to freedom... it was odd. He seemed to have trusted her from the start. She wouldn't dare use it against him, though. Trust is a valuable thing, and shouldn't be played about with. That much, Cassia knows.

     Anyhow.

     The basement isn't as draughty as the dungeons, but it certainly is quite dark, too. And for some completely illogical reason, it didn't occur to Cassia that she could use her wand for light instead of the dim candles floating along the hard walls. So, as one does when they make blind attempts at walking in the dark, she proceeds, only to walk directly into something. Someone. And she has no idea who.

     Cassia needs to stop walking into people.

     But her eyes widen as both of them find a spot in the candlelight where they can see each other's faces clearly, and she's almost shocked when she's faced with none other than her sister's ex-boyfriend, Sterling Donahue.

     (Yeah, almost. She remembered that Sterling was a friggin' Hufflepuff and that it wasn't extraordinary that he would be venturing in the basement, when it's literally where he lives. Logic.)

     "Hi, Cassia!" The Hufflepuff boy exclaims jubilantly. As usual, he was smiling — when was he not — and he didn't exactly seem to find any sort of awkwardness in the situation when he and her twin used to date up until recently. One could hardly guess this kind, adorable boy recently endured a breakup. It was odd, but Cassia could tell he was just trying to be friendly. Mature. "What are you doing here?"

     "Oh, um, Sterling, hi," says Cassia. "Um—I was just going to the kitchens... Maryam wanted cake, so... yeah."

     "Oh. Okay. Makes sense."

     "It does?"

     "Not really," Sterling chuckles, scratching his ear. "But I get you. How have you been?"

     "Good, I think?" Cassia answers, smiling. As good as she can be, given the current dictatorship of a school she was staying in. Bloody Umbridge. "And you?"

     "Brilliant," Sterling says, grinning. "How's Daphne?"

     "Daphne, uh, she's good, too. How have you been since your breakup? It was quite a shame."

     "It's all been... good, I suppose." Sterling answers truthfully. His mouth stretches out even further. "Like, I don't regret that we broke up, even if we did have a really good time together. All good things have to come to an end sometimes, yeah?"

     "Yeah... maybe you're right. There's no hard feelings anywhere though, I hope?"

     A compassionate smile crawls across the auburn-haired male's face. "No, none at all. Tell Daphne I said hi."

     "Of course," Cassia smiles, "Take care."

     "You too."

     While Cassia was finally able to venture into the Hogwarts kitchens, she couldn't help but think about how well Sterling took the breakup. He really was the definition of a Hufflepuff. He moved on quite well, and Cassia likes to think so has Daphne... maybe her Inner Eye has been playing tricks on her, but she could've sworn that some kind of spark had been flying between her sister and the Parkinson girl... Maybe not, though. They were best friends, weren't they—?

     The aroma of freshly made soup, bread and all sorts of food wavered beneath Cassia's nose, and she could definitely tell between the tempting smell of freshly baked cookies and the terribly desired cake, made lovingly by the hardworking house elves. In the swarm of house elves where she was, smiling where it seemed necessary, Cassia spots Maryam and Eva, looking torn between three different cakes.

     "Cass! There you are!" Maryam exclaims, still as jubilant as she was previously. She thrusts a mug of warm hot chocolate in Cassia's hands, who didn't complain in any way.

     "Hi?" Cassia returns, taking a confused sip of the hot chocolate. It was good, she can confirm. She can see Eva at the side, apprehensive of her whereabouts, though content with a plated slice of cake and a fork in hand.

     "The house elves have been so good! They've brought out Victoria Sponge Cake, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake, and oh! I think one of them said there was also some Red Velvet too! This is so good—"

     Maryam's ramblings faded out from Cassia's ears as she heard a disturbing sound. A wail, of sorts. A cry. Her eyes narrow as she realises that she recognises where the noise is coming from — one of the house elves. Even more so, the imprint on that house elf's tea towel — the Greengrass emblem.

     What was one of her family house elves doing in the castle? And why was it crying?

     It was a girl house elf presumably, judging by the pink bow flopping around her ear. She was clearly crying and looks very disturbed, a snotty tissue in hand and flimsily blowing her nose in the tissue again and again, the back of her frail hand wiping against her eyes. She was surrounded by a few other house elves, who seemed to be just as puzzled as Cassia herself.

     "Uh — give me a minute, guys." She tells Maryam and Eva, placing the warm mug on the countertop as she walks over to the house elf. They both hummed in response, more interested in the latest cake being brought to them to sample than the prospect of there being a crying house elf.

     (Cassia had no idea why a Greengrass house elf was crying in the Hogwarts kitchens, but seeing as she was one of her masters, it was Cassia's duty to find out... right?)

     She looks at the crying house elf cautiously. "Erm—excuse me?"

     Most of the other house elves cleared away right there and then, and Cassia was left to face the crying house elf, whose eyes widen at the sight of the young Greengrass in front of her, and immediately shields her face.

     "Oh, Young Mistress Cassia! No—you must not see me like this—I apologise, this—"

     "It's okay," says Cassia. She tries to smile reassuringly. It made her sad to see the house elf so disturbed... "It's okay. What's—what's wrong? Why aren't you at the Manor?"

     "Oh, I apologise, Young Mistress!" The house elf wails in a croaky voice, blowing her nose. "I can't be at my Master's home right now! Master's home is... oh!"

     Cassia frowns. It seemed to be hard trying to get some words out of this house elf's crying mouth. "Okay, um, it's okay," she tells the inconsolable house elf. "You don't need to be at the Manor if it's too hard right now. But... what's your name?"

     The house elf stops crying and sniffles, wiping her nose across the back of her thin arm. Okay, Cassia thinks, Perhaps something can work now.

     "Cami, Young Mistress," she says, "I am Cami the house elf. And I live to serve the Gentle and Most Prestigious House of Greengrass as long as I live. Cami does apologise that Cami isn't well enough to be at the Manor, you see... oh!"

     Cassia's hopes were relinquished as Cami the House Elf burst into unpleasant sobs again, the sound reverberating within the walls of the large kitchen.

     "It's okay!" Cassia assures, holding her arms out. "It's okay, Cami. Take your time. You don't have to tell me what's wrong right away."

     "Cami can't say what's wrong, Young Mistress. Cami has been forbidden to say anything!"

     A sharp breath draws in at Cassia's throat. She's been... forbidden? What on earth—?

     "Forbidden?" Cassia iterates, her eyes narrowed curiously. "Forbidden by who?"

     "Master Phoenix... oh no!" Cami realises she made a mistake in what she'd just divulged, and begins hitting her head against the metal cabinet as punishment.

     "Okay, okay!" says Cassia, forcefully pushing Cami out of the way and placing herself in front of the cabinet. "It's okay! You don't have to punish yourself. I insist. Just... what did my father... Master Phoenix... forbid you to say? I won't tell him, I promise!"

     "Cami cannot say," wails Cami. "But Master Phoenix is making a big mistake!... Oh! Cami should not have told Young Mistress Cassia!" She launches herself at yet another kitchen unit, and against her wishes, Cassia pries the thin house elf away from it, placing her firmly in place.

     "IT'S OKAY!" Cassia says, breathing out a large breath. "You won't punish yourself, Cami. I order you. And no one will know what you just told me. I promise!"

     Cami looks up at her young Mistress, her massive eyes spilling with tears, her tissue held up to her nose. "Young Mistress Cassia promises not to get Cami the House Elf freed for telling her Master's secrets? Cami only lives to serve the Gentle and Most Prestigious House of Greengrass! Cami has been in this house for so long, Cami must—"

     "Yes, Cami. I promise." Cassia says to the upset house elf. "Just... forget we had this talk, okay? And... wait until you feel better before you go back to the Manor, okay? Just... take your time."

     "Of course, Young Mistress." Cami sniggers. "Cami will do whatever her Young Mistress asks of her. Cami has always lived to serve the Gentle and Most Prestigious House of Greengrass."

     "Okay, well, um, I'll see you... later." says Cassia, hesitantly. "I hope you... feel better soon, Cami."

     "Of course, Young Mistress," says Cami, bowing to the young Greengrass, "Cami will do anything for the kind house of Greengrass."

     Cassia nods at Cami the House Elf, before turning around and heading back to the spot her best friend were occupying. It was... odd, seeing Cami upset like that... but not as odd as the things she'd revealed. Her father forbade the house elf from saying something? And something that would make her so upset so as to come all the way from her own Manor to the Hogwarts Kitchens?

     To say the least, Cassia was... perplexed. And did Cami not also mention that "Master Phoenix was making a big mistake"? What big mistake? What could be so bad to have caused such a discordance within this loyal house elf?

     "Everything okay?" asks Eva, seated upon the counter with a slice of cake in hand, her legs dangling off the edge. Maryam was beside her, cutting yet another slice of cake for herself. Cassia knew for a fact that Eva and Maryam were far too engrossed in their cake tasting session to pay any attention to the wailing house elf, who seemed to have calmed a little now.

     Cassia nods. "Yeah... maybe. Perhaps. I don't know."

     (As she takes a slice of cake—chocolate fudge, the best—Cassia cannot help but wonder about this house elf. What upset her so much, why did Phoenix forbid her from saying something, and why did she say he was making a big mistake? What mistake could that be?)

***

HI GUYS!! another update... things are stirring!!!!

like see the thing about the DA i pondered about it SO MUCH and about having Cassia apart of the DA but i chose against it cos like at this point, no one would have accepted her apart from Harry even if she is like one of the nicer slytherins... and with her being besties with like theo and the slytherins it would just cause loads of friction and believe me that's not the friction i want.... BUT YEAH!! that's kinda why i made them have their own study group with like blaise, Maryam, eva etc cause i still want my babies to have a proper chance at getting their O.W.L!!! no toad will get in their way... theyre slytherin for a reason!!

and the thing with phoenix there's more where that came from👀 same with sterling like you guys dont know but... he does have a bit of a 👁relation👁 with someone in this... it shall be explained at a later date tho💆🏻‍♀️

also maryam getting on the quidditch team best girl right there she can SHOVE HER BROOM UP MONTAGUE'S ARSE!! as she should <3 we dont stan misogyny and maryam makes sure of that💓💓💓

okay and ANOTHER THING: I know the inquisitorial squad didnt get formed until way later but i had it done earlier cos it fit in well with my plot and everything so yeah i hope you guys understand 🥺💖💖

TY FOR READING!!! i hope you guys liked this and hopefully there'll be one more update before i go back to school (wednesday ew) and hopefully i can continue my updates when i go back!!! (I have one less subject than last year so yeah smh school better not do us dirty)