Umbridge was Headmistress now.

This news alone made Cassie feel mildly homicidal.
And, Seeing the way every DA member stared at her in the halls , she was apparently the villain again.

Which was fine.
She knew how to be a villain. She looked good doing it.

Theo had been unbothered when she told him about the fallout. In fact, he'd looked proud — like her singlehandedly possibly ending Dumbledore's career  with a smirk was a particularly attractive trait.

Draco hadn't mentioned it. Not to anyone. He hadn't said anything about her being part of the DA. And Cassie, for her part, hadn't asked why.

They still weren't speaking. But to be fair — no one really was. Not with OWLs looming over the entire Hogwarts.

Well. Except Hermione Granger.

She kept looking at her.

Every meal. Every corridor. Every Defense class. Always with that too-intent stare, like she wanted to talk. Cassie might've snapped at her if it hadn't been so obvious that Harry and Ron were always flanking her like bodyguards. Maybe Hermione knew she'd have to pick a side if she opened her mouth. Maybe she was just waiting.

And then the one time they weren't there—Cassie noticed.

She was stepping out of the Great Hall on her way to the dungeons to submit a particularly repulsive assignment to Snape , Theo beside her, when she saw Hermione ahead, standing near the armors, eyes darting nervously. As soon as she spotted Cassie, she straightened and walkked towards her like she had made a decision and couldn't take it back now.

Cassie sighed.

"Gimme a minute," she muttered to Theo, who just raised a brow but didn't follow.

Hermione met her halfway, face contorted with too many things to say and not enough time to say them.

Cassie raised a brow. "Alright, Granger. Let's make it quick. If you're here to lecture me about betrayal, ethics, or the importance of trust in resistance groups, I swear to Merlin—"

"I actually thought what you did was smart," Hermione said, cutting her off.

Cassie blinked.

"Come again?"

"You saved us from expulsion," Hermione said simply. 

Cassie tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly. "You've been staring at me for two days. If that's your opinion, why haven't you said anything?"

Hermione glanced around, lowered her voice. "Because I didn't want Harry or Ron to hear. I needed to talk to you about something else."

Cassie crossed her arms. "Well, this just got interesting."

"You know about the visions Harry's been having?"

"Yeah," Cassie said slowly. "I told him he needs to learn Occlumency. It's the only way."

Hermione grimaced. "Yeah Well Dumbledore assigned Professor Snape."

Cassie's face twisted in disgust. "The fuck?" She turned immediately, scanning the corridor, Someone down the hall looked vaguely in their direction—she glared at them until they turned away.

"Is Dumbly-dumb actually serious?" she hissed. "Harry's never gonna learn from Snape. What the fuck was he thinking?"

"I don't know," Hermione murmured quickly. "But whatever's happening... it's not working. Harry comes back angrier every lesson. He's more tired. More snappish. And he hasn't been practicing."

"Of course he hasn't," Cassie said, nostrils flaring. "It's fucking Snape."

Hermione winced, but nodded anyway.

Cassie rubbed the back of her neck, thinking. "Ugh. I'll talk to him."

"Harry won't—" Hermione began.

"I meant Snape," Cassie snapped. "I have to hand in this stupid assignment anyway."

Hermione blinked. Like that option hadn't even occurred to her. "Oh. Alright. You do that. It's just that—"

She glanced down the corridor, voice lowering.

"I kind of think... Harry wants to see more."

Cassie narrowed her eyes. "Why the fuck would he?"

"The Department of Mysteries," Hermione said "He's been dreaming about something there."

Cassie's expression shifted—"The weapon nonsense they were talking about at the Order meeting?" she confirmed.

Hermione nodded, quickly. "Yeah."

Cassie's mind was already racing. But before she could say anything else, a flurry of red down the corridor caught her eye—Ron heading their way.

"Tell me later," Cassie muttered, immediately shifting her posture. . Her voice flipped, cold and disdainful. "Why are you still talking to me, you filthy mudblood?"

Hermione jerked back a little, hurt flashing in her eyes—confused at the sudden switch

"Back off Black" Ron snapped as he reached them, glaring.

Hermione's eyes met Cassie's one last time—brows raised in understanding

"What the hell is she bothering you for?" Ron demanded, eyes darting between Hermione and Cassie.

She sneered. "You tell me, Weasley. Said something about betrayal. Or some whiny, half-baked Gryffindor moral shit. I wasn't really listening."

"Well, you did betray us."

"Saved your ungrateful ginger ass, actually. But hey—whatever helps you sleep at night." Cassie sneered

With a toss of her hair and not a backward glance, she turned on her heel and walked away -before either of them could say a word.

****************************

Cassie didn't knock. Of course she didn't.

The door to Snape's office creaked open

"I don't recall inviting you, Miss Black," Snape drawled, not looking up from the parchment he was scrawling across.

Cassie stepped inside anyway "Yeah, well. You've got a habit of fucking things up and I'm not a patient woman."

Snape didn't flinch.

Cassie tossed a rolled parchment onto his desk—her latest assignment, half-creased, "Take that. Now listen."

Still, he didn't glance up. "Do you make a habit of delivering essays like threats?"

"Do you make a habit of fucking off when the Dark Lord's clawing into Potter's skull?"

That made him stop.

Cassie took one step closer, arms crossed, "You're supposed to be teaching him Occlumency. Instead, you're playing tag with his trauma and making him bleed all over the floor."

"I'm following the headmaster's instructions," Snape drawled

"Oh, spare me." Cassie snapped. "I've heard that one before. That's what cowards say when they don't want to be held responsible."

Snape finally looked up. "And what, precisely, do you imagine I should do? Coddle him? Read him lullabies until the Dark Lord loses interest?"

"I imagine you should do your job. You're provoking him with every session. Digging around in his past like it's entertainment. He walks out of your office worse than he entered."

Snape's lip curled. "You presume to tell me how to teach—"

"I presume," Cassie cut in "to care whether we all live through this year or not. Because if Potter breaks—and believe me, he will, at this rate—Voldemort walks right through that boy's mind and into ours. I'd rather not die because your pride wouldn't fit through the fucking door."

Snape's eyes narrowed slightly. "You think this is about pride?"

Cassie raised a brow. "Isn't it always with you?"

Silence stretched.

"I don't owe you explanations," Snape said,  "This is a job assigned by the headmaster. You are a child—angry, reckless, barely in control of yourself—"

Cassie laughed. "Says the man who still wets himself at the sound of  Voldemort's name."

Snape's hand twitched.

Cassie tilted her head "How do I know you're not letting Voldemort in easier? Giving him a front-row seat."

"That," Snape said, rising from his chair very sllowly "is a very dangerous accusation."

"Is it?" she sneered. "Or just accurate?"

He stepped around the desk, now fully facing her. "You have no idea what any of this is about."

"No?" Cassie said, raising her chin. "Who said that?"

"What?" 

Cassie didn't blink. "How do you know I'm not a Legilimens?"

That got him.

His eyes flicked—sharp, uncertain for the briefest second—and then narrowed. "You've really got a bad habit of overstating your skills, Black."

"Why are you so surprised?" she said sweetly. "Don't you know who raised me?"

Snape stared at her for a moment.

Then his wand pointed at her without warning.

"Legilimens."

Cassie didn't flinch. Ok maybe she did.

But she had expected this. Half-expected, maybe. A gut sense the moment she challenged his ego Still—it caught her off guard. In her defense ,It had been a long time since she had practice occulemmency 

Themagic slammed into her mind, invasive. She stumbled slightly, the office swam in front ofher eyes and vanished, image after image was racing through her  mind

Theo's voice, loud and furious—"What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you actually psycho?"

And her voice screaming back—"YES, I fucking am, now get out!"

Another flash—

Sirius yelling at her—"You're not my daughter. You never were."

Cassie's stomach twisted. Her defenses wobbly but present. She gathered all her mindpower and slammed up a wall. Focused. Dug her claws into the space where she could feel Snape's presence. Then—

Shoved.

A burst of raw magic ricocheted outward. A vial on his desk shattered

Snape staggered back half a step—

The smell of something acrid and burning filled the air.

Cassie's eyes flew open, her chest rising and falling. Her nose was bleeding again, a line of red dripping to her lip. She wiped it with the back of her hand and hissed under her breath. "Fuck"

Her veins.

The ones beneath her skin—on her wrist they'd gone black again.

Snape had noticed.

Of course he had.

He stared—at the shattered vial, then back at her arm.

"Curious," he murmured. "What is that?"

"Nothing," she said instantly, defensive.

"That looked like—"

"I said nothing, Snivellus," Cassie snapped  "That wasn't the fucking point of this conversation."

He clenched his jaw.

"You don't want to deal with Potter? Fine. But don't use your unresolved childhood vendetta as an excuse to fuck around with his head, cos that will only make it easier for Voldemort to fool him. And us."

Snape's dark eyes narrowed, lingering again on her bloodstained wrist.

Cassie yanked her sleeve down.

Then turned toward the door.

She paused—just long enough to toss one final glance over her shoulder. "And next time, Snivellus?" She drawled. "Knock before you enter my mind. It's polite."

And with that, she left, slamming the dungeon door behind her.

Cassie exhaled like she'd been underwater for hours. Her boots echoed down the corridor—heavy, pissed-off steps— Blood—still faintly wet—lined the underside of her sleeve.

"Oi!"

A hand grabbed her arm the second she turned the corner.

Big mistake.

Cassie's reflexes were sharper than her patience. She spun, snatched his wrist, and twisted it behind his back in one fluid, vicious motion.

"OW—OW—fuck—fragile hands!" George yelped, squirming 

Cassie's eyes narrowed  "Then maybe think twice before touching me."

"I told you," Fred muttered appearing beside him, "Told you not to do it with the psycho ones."

"You also told me we had to stop her," George hissed, "She was gliding away, Fred—"

Cassie finally let him go with a shove. George stumbled back dramatically, massaging his wrist 

"Weaslebees," she spat,"You better have a damn good reason for breathing near me."

"Is that supposed to be intimidating?" Fred asked, grinning as he leaned casually against the stone wall. "Because we've fought a cursed toilet seat that was scarier."

George gave a solemn nod. "Still haunts me."

Cassie arched one brow. "Are you done with your duet of dumbfuckery or—?"

"We're planning something," Fred cut in, clearly delighted by her hostility. "Something... large scale."

Cassie crossed her arms. "Congratulations."

Fred pressed on. "Something big. Something explosive."

"Still sounds like a you problem."

George threw a look at his twin. "Told you she wouldn't go for it."

Fred raised a brow. "Didn't say she'd go for us. I said she might go for this." He stepped closer,"It involves destroying Umbridge."

Cassie paused.

Arms still crossed. One brow raised.

"You have my attention."

George grinned. "Thought so."

Fred added, "Physically. Mentally. Socially. We're going for the trio."

 "Go on."

"We could use your hand."

Before she could reply, Theo's voice cut in from down the hall.

"The fuck do you two think you're doing to my girl?"

He strode over,  the collar of his shirt askew like he'd sprinted there. He didn't even glance at Cassie—his eyes were locked on Fred and George 

Fred immediately raised both hands mockingly. "Chill, boyfriend. We come in peace."

George mimicked his twin. "Your girlfriend nearly dislocated my arm. We're the victims here. We're just recruiting your girlfriend for war crimes."

Theo tilted his head. "She's already committed most of them. You'll need a better pitch."

George laughed. 

Cassie didn't even blink. "I would've helped you two, but you took my favorite scapegoat."

Fred blinked. "Who?"

"Montague. You shoved him into the Vanishing Cabinet," she said coldly. "He's my go-to  punching bag and also he's usually the one I pin shit on."

George scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "Oh. Well. When he comes back you can have him again."

Cassie snorted "Ugh fine - you better be serious"

Fred and George looked at each other. "We're serious," Fred said. "We want to leave Hogwarts with a bang."

"Multiple bangs," George corrected.

"Something the Ministry can't sweep under the rug. "

"We've got most of it sorted," Fred said, pulling out a crumpled bit of parchment. "Corridor pranks. Firework trajectories. Exit routes."

Cassie tilted her head, "Hmm. Seems like you've got it all figured out."

"Well—mostly," George said, grinning.

"Mostly," Fred echoed. "We could use a little flair on the finale."

Cassie raised a brow. "As in?"

George leaned forward "Make it rain blood over Umbridge?"

Theo, behind her, blinked once. Then said very seriously, "Please tell me you're not joking."

Fred grinned. "Depends. Are you in?"

Theo shrugged, slipping his hands in his pockets. "If it's real blood, I want to know the source. If it's fake, I want it to look real."

Cassie smirked. "God, I love when you get poetic."

George stared. "Are you two okay?"

"No," Cassie and Theo said in unison.

Fred beamed. "Excellent. So rain blood ? done"

"Next - have the fireworks form a giant banner that says 'Education Decrees My Arse'?" 

Cassie actually laughed. "I could make it sing."

"Wicked"

"You can improv with the rest" George grinned

Cassie grinned "Give me the samples. I'll enchant them. You'll have your gore and flames in an hour."

George gave a low whistle. "That's kind of fast, not gonna lie."

Theo just shrugged. "Don't ask for madness and then complain about the speed."

Fred grinned. "So we could leave... today?"

"Would be perfect, Umbridge is interrogating students all day- she wouldn't notice if a Thestral stormed in wearing a tutu " George said

"Alright, gingers," she drawled, tucking the bundle of fireworks under one arm "I'll have Mortem deliver it. Watch the skies."

Fred blinked. "Mortem?"

"My owl," she said simply. "Big Ego. Bad temper"

Theo, behind her, nodded like that was entirely normal. "Basically Cassie if she were a bird."

Cassie smirked at him. "I'll see you two when the bitch is crying blood."

George raised a brow. "Literally?"

"You'll find out."

And with that, she turned, dark robes swirling around her Theo falling into step beside her .Both of them aggressively discussing.

 Fred turned to George, "We just gave a bunch of high-grade fireworks to two lunatics with a superiority complex and a grudge."

*******************************************

It ended up being, without question, the best decision they'd ever made.

The castle remembered that day like it remembered all trauma. Explosions, Hallways lined in crimson smoke and sparks. Screams—some joyful, some not. The Great Hall ceiling cracked . Dragons. Fireworks in the shape of Umbridge's snarling toad face, each one exploding into shimmering letters that spelled out "TOAD." One screamed "FUCK OFF TOAD FACE" and blasted straight through the ceiling, or maybe that was just a regular spell Cassie had slipped in for fun.

The twins' grand exit would have been unforgettable—but with Cassiopeia's help, it had become the stuff of Hogwarts legend. She didn't just enchant the fireworks. She also hexed the walls to scream every time Umbridge passed. The suits of armor had bewitched to recite every single Ministry decree in mocking falsetto while throwing glitter.

And then there was the main event.

At precisely the moment Dolores Umbridge stomped into the corridor outside her office, red-faced, yelling at filch not to stun them , a storm of Cassie's custom favorites exploded. Scarlet-tinted clouds filled the corridor. . And then—real blood. Or what looked like it. Pouring from it directly on to Umbridge.. Fred and George had turned around on their brooms mid-flight just to watch her face as it dripped onto her hair and she screamed like a cat dying

Cassie, watching from the top of the Astronomy Tower like an artist surveying its masterpiece had simply said, "Pretty."

Umbridge, somewhere between shrieking and gagging, had locked herself in her office. A battalion of terrified student goons and filch had tried to clean the mess. None succeeded.

And the twins?

They'd saluted like soldiers signing out and  Then vanished into the horizon on broomsticks

No one at Hogwarts would forget it.

They had seen to that.

Inspired by Fred and George's example, a great number of students were now vying for the newly vacant positions of Troublemaker.  In spite of the new door, somebody managed to slip a hairy snouted niffler into Umbridge's office, which promptly tore the place apart in its search for shiny objects, leapt on Umbridge on her re entrance, and tried to gnaw the rings off her stubby fingers.

 Dungbombs and Stinkpellets were dropped so frequently in the corridors that it became the new fashion for students to perform Bubble-Head Charms on themselves before leaving lessons, which ensured them a supply of fresh clean air, even though it gave them all the peculiar appearance of wearing upside-down goldfish bowls on their heads.

 Filch prowled the corridors with a horsewhip ready in his hands, desperate to catch miscreants, but the problem was that there were now so many of them that he did not know which way to turn. The Inquisitorial Squad were attempting to help him, but odd things kept happening to its members. 

Cassie, for her part, didn't give a single fuck.

She kept her head down. Class. Library. Dorm. Repeat.

Didn't mean she wasn't furious. Just... too tired to throw hexes at every pink-clad idiot right now.

OWLs were closing in  and everyone was spiraling. The. Even Slytherins were quietly losing it— (Cassie definitely was) When two second-years whined about Quidditch too loudly in the common room, Cassie hexed their shoelaces to turn into snakes. They screamed. 

Gryffindor had apparently pulled off some miracle win in the finals and the Slytherins were not really happy about it.

Cassie didn't go to the match. Neither did Theo. Instead, they holed up in the Restricted Section reading about magical exhaustion and how to keep your body from disintegrating under excessive dark spell stress.

Y'know, bonding time.

Cassie had wanted to research a rune that, if engraved correctly, could tie a caster's soul to another's body—more powerful than Imperius,

Theo had promptly snitched to Regulus.

Which meant Cassie got a three-parchment letter hidden inside a chocolate frog box, scolding her to stick to OWLs. She had thrown it out the Astronomy Tower window.

"I don't get it," she had said to Theo, curled up beside him. "Why is everyone acting like OWLs are the end of the world?"

"You mean besides the fact they might actually decide our careers?"

"I'm not stressed about that. I'm stressed about the fact that Voldemort feels like a kettle about to boil over and I have no fucking idea what he's planning."

She had that jitters on her neck again. The kind she got when something dark was rising and she didn't know where it would land. Voldemort was circling something. She could feel it. 

**********

The morning OWLs began, the castle had gone unnaturally quiet. Students shuffled into the Great Hall. No one spoke. No one even breathd properly. Mutters of incantations under their breath, hand-cramping last-minute notes

Cassie and Theo didn't mutter. Didn't pace.

They just stared off, eyes distant, completely still—like they always were before exams

*************

Charms was a breeze. She could do most of that stuff in her sleep.

Defense Against the Dark Arts had actually been kind of fun. Cassie might've added a few extra paragraphs explaining the long-term effects of the Cruciatus Curse (with a footnote about why she wouldn't recommend it to beginners). 

Transfiguration? Cassie maybe wrote three pages more than the prompt asked for. Possibly included a rant about magical ethics and animagus laws. Whatever. Better more than less, right?

Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures were, in her words, "mid." She identified most of the plants and creatures correctly—though she may have handled them a bit too aggressively, but it had made her examiner blink nervously and mark something on the parchment, so she assumed that meant "Excellent."

Potions went better than expected. No explosions. Theo had subtly nudged her once to stop her from putting powdered spine into the Draught of Peace, and she didn't even snap at him. 

Astronomy theory was a disaster. She'd jumbled up the constellations, called Mars "the red whiny one," and forgot half the moon phases. To be fair, she never cared about space. She barely looked up at the sky unless something was falling from it.

Now all that was left was the Astronomy practical later that evening.

And then tomorrow morning—the final one.

History of Magic.

*****************************

When they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower at eleveno'clock they found a perfect night for stargazing, cloudless and still.The grounds were bathed in silvery moonlight, and there was a slightchill in the air. Each of them set up his or her telescope and, whenProfessor Marchbanks gave the word, proceeded to fill in the blankstar chart he or she had been given.

 Professors Marchbanks and Tofty strolled among them, watchingas they entered the precise positions of the stars and planets they wereobserving. All was quiet except for the rustle of parchment, the occasional creak of a telescope as it was adjusted on its stand, and the scribbling of many quills

It was a perfect night for stargazing, if one cared for that sort of thing — cloudless, cool, the moon hanging  above the Forbidden Forest.

Cassie didn't care for that sort of thing.

She adjusted her telescope with a bored flick, the Cassiopeia constellation pendant Theo had given her catching the moonlight.

Beside her, Theo was already marking the sky with clean strokes

Cassie yawned.

Her star chart was about eighty percent done — maybe more. Half the constellations were probably mislabeled, but honestly? She couldn't be bothered to care.

Because something had caught her eye on the grounds below. Something loud

There was a loud BANG from the grounds. Several people said"Ouch!" as they poked themselves in the face with the ends of theirtelescopes, hastening to see what was going on below.Hagrid's door had burst open and by the light flooding out of thecabin they saw him quite clearly, a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists, surrounded by six people, all of whom, judging bythe tiny threads of red light they were casting in his direction, seemedto be attempting to Stun him. 

:a man yelled, "Be reasonable, Hagrid!" and Hagridroared, "Reasonable be damned, yeh won' take me like this, Dawlish!" 

Cassie could see the tiny outline of Fang, attempting to defend Hagrid, leaping at the wizards surrounding him until a Stunning Spellcaught him and he fell to the ground. Hagrid gave a howl of fury,lifted the culprit bodily from the ground, and threw him: The manflew what looked like ten feet and did not get up again.

Students were starting to shift. Parvati pointed, someone gasped. Lavender was clutching her quill 

Then came the voice—

"How dare you!"

Cassie froze.

Theo's head snapped to the silhouette sprinting across the lawn.

"McGonagall," Cassie muttered,. She moved forward, knuckles whitening on the telescope.

"Leave him alone! On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing—"

Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender all screamed. No fewer than fourStunners had shot from the figures around the cabin toward ProfessorMcGonagall. Halfway between cabin and castle the red beams collided with her. 

For a moment she looked luminous, illuminated by aneerie red glow, then was lifted right off her feet, landed hard on herback, and moved no more

The world seemed to stop.

Her chair scraped violently against the stone as she shot to her feet.

"FUCKING HELL! BLOODY COWARDS!" Her voice rang through the Astronomy Tower . Every single head turned.

Professor Tofty blinked. "Miss Black—!"

Cassie didn't look at him. She grabbed her nearly-complete star chart, marched down the steps, and slapped it onto his desk.

"Done," she said coldly.

"Miss Black—this is highly inappropriate—"

"Take it or burn it," she snapped, already walking.

Theo caught up with her halfway down the steps. He handed in his own chart silently "What the fuck was that?" he muttered.

Cassie didn't answer at first. Her jaw was tight. Hands clenched so hard her knuckles looked bone-white in the moonlight. "They messed with the wrong professor," she said finally

Theo matched her pace. "McGonagall'll be able to take it, right?"

Cassie stopped dead on the last step. Turned to him.

"Four Stunning Spells, Nott. Four. At her age."

Theo's mouth opened, but he didn't say anything.

Cassie didn't wait for him to. Her boots hit the gravel hard as she stormed across shoving the Astronomy Tower's door open. Cool night air rushed in around them, 

Down the stone steps. Across the empty grounds.

She could still hear echoes from where Hagrid's hut had been. A crash. A muffled yell. And silence

No one stopped them—no Inquisitorial Squad, no staff—no one even awake, except maybe a few terrified Ravenclaws in their dorms peeking out through the towers.

They reached the grounds just in time  to see four robed Ministry officials levitating a limp, unmoving body through the shadows toward the castle. Hagrid was gone. So was Fang. So was Minerva McGonagall.

The lawn was torn up. A chunk of the hut's fence was splintered.

Cassie stopped at the edge of the slope.

She didn't say anything. Cassie's eyes locked on the glowing tip of one wand still illuminated somewhere far—probably Dawlish's. The fucker was laughing about something.

She blinked. Just once. if Umbridge thought she'd get away with that—

Cassiopeia Arcturus Black would personally make sure she didn't sleep another night without dreaming of blood.

Theo shoved his hands in his pockets. Watched the way her fists kept curling. Uncurling. Like she needed to hit something just to stay upright.

"She'll be okay," he said quietly.

Cassie didn't answer.

Theo cleared his throat. "Look... after the History of Magic exam tomorrow, maybe we figure something out, yeah? Something that doesn't get you, I don't know, expelled. Arrested. Murdered."

"They can't just attack Minnie like that and fucking get away with it. We are not waiting till after the exam," she said firmly, "We're going to make her regret it."

"Cass—"

She turned her head just enough to shoot him a look that said not another word.

Theo, for all his reason, shut up.
Because he couldn't tell her what to do—he never had, and never would. He valued his life way too much for that.

Cassiopeia had stopped by her dorm, grabbed a suspicious pouch, marched straight to the kitchens, and slipped Dobby a vial before dinner.

Perfectly created to be lethal and utterly humiliating. Enough to swell the throat, blotch the skin, close off the breath-  to the point of death if not treated quickly. Pity Madam Pomfrey had the antidote. She knew because she'd tested it on a Hufflepuff last year.

But it would cause panic. She wanted panic.

And she got it.

At the High Table, Umbridge collapsed sideways in her seat, her skin turning a violent maroon as her throat seized up, her face blotching with grotesque, spreading splotches. She clawed at her neck, wheezing. Gasps rang out. Professors scrambled. Flitwick rose. Snape didn't even look surprised.

Unfortunately, the toad was hauled out mid-gurgle, eyes bulging.

Cassie watched it all with an expression of detached boredom.

She only said one thing, just loud enough for Theo to hear:

"I'll finish this after the exam."

******************************

Welll the said exam seemed to be longer than cassie could comprehend

Cassiopeia was halfway through writing a tragic love story between a goblin and a veela diplomat when it hit her that, maybe, just maybe, that wasn't what they meant by the goblin riots of the eighteenth century.

She yawned. Then e grinned looking at her absuurdly long answer, leaned back in her chair, and stretched until her shoulders popped.

Next to her, Theo didn't look much better. His head tilted slightly toward the parchment .He had one finger stuck in his hair and was staring at the question like it might rearrange itself if he glared hard enough.

Cassie tilted her own parchment forward, read the next bit:

"Formation of the International Confederation of Wizards and explain why the warlocks of Liechtenstein refused to join."

She blinked.

Then groaned. "Oh, come on."

In theory, she knew this. In theory. She'd read it. Once. Somewhere. Probably.

She scribbled a sentence:

he first Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards was Pierre Bonaccord, but his appointment was contested bythe Wizarding community of Liechtenstein, because of instablity. the Liechtenstein warlocks refused the Confederation on account of their fierce independence and goat-related conflicts.

Then underlined goat-related three times for flair. Maybe they'd give her points for creativity.

Half an hour left.

Her fingers hurt.

Her back ached.

She tried, really tried, to focus on the last question—something about a peace treaty signed during some conflict—but her brain just refused. It went fuzzy around the edges 

She glanced at the hourglass timer up front. Ugh. Still sand falling.

Around the exam hall, quills scratched furiously. Pansy was hunched over her paper, lips moving like she was whispering the answer to herself. Blaise looked unusually serious Even Draco—Draco— had one hand curled so tightly around his quill Cassie worried it might snap.

Her throat felt dry. She knew exactly how Lucius operated. She felt an unexpected twinge of something.

Something like guilt.

And then—

A yell.

Cassie flinched, head jerking up at the sound.

It came from the left side of the hall—Harry.

Harry was on the floor.

Face pale, twisted in pain, hand clutched to his scarHis glasses had fallen halfway down his  face. He was gasping. Shaking. Eyes wide.

"What the..." Cassie whispered.

Examiner was already up, calling for calm rushing toward him. The entire hall had gone still—quills frozen mid-air, heads turning.

Harry didn't stop screaming.

Cassie's eyes locked immediately on the doorway where the examiner was ushering Harry out.

Her jaw tightened. Then she looked straight at Theo.

And Theo...was already looking at her.

Their eyes met.

Neither said a word.

But they both knew—

Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

And it had already begun. 

***********************************

Maybe it wasn't that serious.

That's what she told herself.

Because no one came to her. No note. Not even a passing whisper in the corridor. The exam ended. The students were dismissed. No one looked panicked. Not more than usual.

So maybe Harry just had... a moment.

A scar-thing.

It had happened before.

And if something had gone terribly wrong—someone would've come to her. Right?

Right.

So she didn't ask. She kept it moving—straight out of the exam hall, to the dorm, dumped her bag, changed into her violet fitted sweater , dark jeans and her usual leather jacket, and followed the others down to the lake.

It was warm. 

They'd sprawled across one of the patches of grass— Pansy with her head in her lap, flipping through a Witch Weekly 

Cassies face was tilted toward the sun, but she wasn't relaxing—she didn't know how.

She was trying.

Really trying.

Theo had noticed.

He was sitting beside her, one leg bent, wrist resting on his knee. He'd peeled off his outer robes and rolled his sleeves up, 

"You look like you're about to start a war with the sun," he said finally.

Cassie blinked open one eye.

"Sun's winning," she muttered.

"Maybe if you stopped glaring at it."

"Maybe if it stopped existing."

"Reasonable. Personally, I'm filing a formal complaint against heat. And exams. And goblin riots."

Blaise flopped down nearby, dramatically draping an arm over his forehead "If I have to read the phrase 'socioeconomic goblin unrest' one more time, I'll drown myself in this lake."

Pansy snorted, flipping a page. "Where is Draco"

"Umbridge called " Blaise drawled 

Cassie narrowed her eyes. "Why"

"Something about Potter getting caught. In her office."

Theo frowned. "Doing what?"

"Dunno," Blaise said. "Plotting. Breathing. Being Potter. Apparently he is talking all garbled- I met Draco on the way to dungeons- apparently Umbridge has asked for Snape "

Pansy muttered something about him being an idiot. Cassie was already on her feet.

Theo blinked. "Hey—" he reached for her hand, brushing his fingers lightly over hers.

She barely looked at him. Just shrugged. "Gonna get a bath. History really fucked me up."

He narrowed his eyes. "A bath," he repeated, flat.

She smirked faintly "Want to join me?"

Theo snorted. But he didn't say anything. And that was the problem.

She left.

Lie.

She hated lying to him.

But he would've insisted on coming with her, would've demanded details, and there was a chance she was overreacting—except, she wasn't. Not really.

Something was wrong. Wrong enough that her skin had been prickling since the exam,

It took her longer than usual to get across the castle. Peeves intercepted her near the Grand Staircase, cackling about exploding soap bubbles and some girl being hexed into a singing llama. Cassie didn't pause, just flicked him a smirk.

"Great job, Peeves," she said dryyly, not even slowing down.

She only stopped when she remembered—shit—she didn't have her daggers. You know just incase?

Dumb.

She spun on her heel, muttering under her breath, cutting back to the dorms. Slipped inside. Retrieved one, two, three blades. Holstered one on her thigh, one on her forearm, one in her boot. Just in case.

Her nerves were tingling now. The castle felt too quiet.

By the time she reached the hallway to Umbridge's office, she wasn't sure what she expected.

Definitely not this.

The door was flung open. The desks inside were askew—papers scattered like a hurricane had danced through the room. The Inquisitorial Squad were inside, most of them looking like they'd just lost a fight with an angry banshee. Cassie immediately clocked Crabbe nursing a black eye, and Draco—

Draco was leaning against the wall, blinking slowly, covered in soot and snot and distinctly not in charge of anything the faint traces of bat bogey hex 

"So," she whispered under her breath, not loud enough to be heard, "the little lions got out after all."

No sign of Potter. Or Granger. Or Weasley.

And more importantly—no sign of Umbridge.

Cassie's smile slipped. Her eyes narrowed.

Where the fuck was Umbridge?

She leaned slightly closer, eyes scanning the chaos. She could practically see the scene in rewind—chairs scraping, hexes flung, the Squad getting their asses handed to them. But that wasnt helpful rightnow

Cassie stepped back from the door, frustrated

Was this it?
Did she just hit a dead end?

No Potter. No Umbridge. No trace of where the hell they'd gone. And no one—no one—who would tell her a damn thing.

Her jaw clenched. She pinched the bridge of her nose hard 

Think.

Her eyes snapped open.

Wait.

Wait, wait—

Her head turned.

Snape.

The bastard would know

She exhaled through her nose, dragging her hand down her face . Then she turned on her heel and stalked back down the corridor, 

Opposite side of the castle. Dungeons.

**************************

The dungeons were quieter than usual, like even the shadows had retreated. Cassie's boots clicked once, then fell silent on stone as she approached his office.

The door was slightly ajar.

Of course it was. Snape always loves the theatrics.

She didn't knock.

She never knocked.

"Looking for Potter?" Snape didn't glance up as she entered. His voice was dry, faintly amused. "So predictable. Must be the Gryffindor in your blood."

Cassie crossed her arms. "Cut the shit. Where is he?"

Snape didn't blink. "You don't need to get involved, Miss Black. None of this is your concern."

"Fuck that - Snivellus- I swear to Merlin- I know something is wrong- I can feel it-

"I was under the impression," Snape drawled, "that you weren't particularly concerned about Potter's well-being."

"I'm not," she snapped. "But I'm concerned about what kind of mess his idiot visions have dragged him into. And I'm concerned the Order has clearly left a gaping hole for Voldemort to slither through. Again."

Snape arched a brow. "You assume quite a lot for someone who spits on the very cause they're pretending to defend."

Cassie folded her arms.

"Don't pull that," she snapped. "Dumbledore asked me to be part of the Order. You remember that, right?"

Snape's lip curled. "As far as I heard, you said—and I quote—'Morals my arse, your stupid Order will never win this war.'"

"I also say that about Potions," Cassie deadpanned. "And yet I still show up to class."

"Occasionally."

"You know I'm in it." Cassie said coldly

He looked at her then. "And what, precisely, do you think you're part of? You're just a child playing with fire."

 "I know Potter saw something, A vision. Voldemort is luring him—" Cassie said confidently. She was taking a shot on the dark. But It might just work

"And what exactly do you expect me to do with this information?"

She glared. "I expect you to tell me where the fuck they've gone."

He leaned back in his chair, "Headmistress Umbridge has not shared her schedule with me."

"Spare me. I'm not talking about her." Cassie hissed. "Potter. The others. Where."

Snape's mouth curled "He had his friends. They followed him." A pause. "They've walked straight into the Dark Lord's hands."

The words hit her stomach like a stone.

Cassie rubbed her face. "So they're probably dead...Like Death Eaters and shit?"

Snape folded his arms. "Probably. The Order has been alerted. They are handling it."

"That's not enough," she muttered.

"You think they went alone?" Snape said. "You think the Order isn't already moving?"

"So they're really in the Department of Mysteries."

He gave her nothing.

"Fuck," she muttered, dragging a hand down her face.

"You are not going," Snape said immediately, "You are not throwing yourself into this."

"What's wrong, Snivellus? Afraid I'll make you look bad in a duel?"

"Don't be a fool."

"Don't be a coward."

Snape's wand twitched into his hand. "Try me, Black."

She didn't even blink. "You can hex me. Stun me. Tie me to a fucking chair. I'll still find a way. If this war's started, there's no way in hell I'm missing the first fight."

Snape's wand flicked—

—and her own was already up.

They froze.

Two breaths. Three. Four.

Then, slowly, Snape lowered his wand. "You're reckless."

"You're terrified."

"What do you want me to do?" Snape snapped. "You think marching in after them will change anything? Don't make this harder than it is."

"You're just pissed because your precious double-agent game doesn't let you grow a spine." she spat, already walking to the door

Snape raised his wand again with a flick, and the door slammed shut behind her with a resounding bang.

"You are not leaving, Miss Black."

Cassie turned halfway, slowly. "Ugh. Snivellus, why are you making this hard? You grisly little git."

"You are staying here," he said smoothly, stepping behind his desk again. " As much as I would like to see it. I will not let you get yourself killed on some Gryffindor-inspired suicide mission."

"I'm not Gryffindor," Cassie spat insulted,  "I'm a Black."

"That's exactly the problem."

Her eyes flared, but she didn't answer.

For a beat, there was silence.

Then she smiled. 

"Fine," she said. "You win. You want me to sit and be quiet and do nothing? I'll play good little soldier, Professor."

Snape narrowed his eyes.

Cassie raised both hands in mock surrender. "You're right. You're older. Wiser. Creepy. Slightly unwashed. Greasy-"

"That's enough—"

And that's when she moved.

Flick of her wand. "Obscuro."

A blindfold charm — hit him square in the eyes.

Snape staggered back with a furious snarl.

Cassie sprinted for the door, yanked it open with a Alohomora, and slipped out 

Snape was shouting something — probably very unprofessional — but she was already gone.

Gone, and smiling.

Because that was how you dealt with the greasy little Order men who thought they could cage a Black.

***********

Umbridge's office was chaos.

Desks knocked over. Files scattered. Her precious cat plates askew. Empty.

The Squad was probably at the hospital wing. Fine by her.

Cassie stormed toward the fireplace 

This was the one useful thing the Toad had ever done.

Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. That title came with privileges — her fireplace was still connected directly to the Ministry's main Floo Network.

"Your fireplace, you toad-faced tyrant," she muttered grabbing a jar from the mantle. Her jaw twitched.. "Guess you were good for something."

Then

She hesitated.

Just a second.

Her hand hovered over the rim off thr jar, eyes flicking to the fire. 

Theo.

She should tell him.

She should go back, find him in the Common Room or at the library, wherever he was pretending not to be losing his mind. Just say something—leave a note, anything.

But—

Her fingers tightened around the jar.

He wouldn't let her go. Or worse—He'd follow. No questions asked. No hesitation. Because that's who he was — violently loyal 

But if something happened—if he got hurt because of her—

She would never forgive herself if Theo even got scratched because of her obsession for adrenaline.

Because that's what this was, wasn't it? The high. The thrill She wanted it. No. She needed it. The need to, burn first, fight first, kill first.

And he deserved better than being collateral damage in her mess.

So she steadied herself. Set her jaw. And didn't look back as she turned back to the fire, and flung the powder in.

"Department of Mysteries," she said clearly, stepping into the green flames

And vanished.

***********************************

Department of Mysteries

Ten wands were raised as they held the battered group of students at wandpoint. Neville's nose was bleeding. He was on the floor. Ginny's ankle looked wrong. Hermione was slumped half-conscious against the wall. Harry's knuckles were white around the glass sphere he clutched like it was the only thing tethering him 

"Now, Potter," Lucius Malfoy drawled, "Be a good lad. Hand it over. You are not in a position to bargain."

And then—

A burst of green fire erupted in the Floo behind them.

"Hey!"

Every head turned.

"There's a whole fight going on and no one invited me?"

A new voice. Arrogant. Mocking. A girl—no older than the others. Black leather jacket. Dark jeans. A violet sweater. Two daggers strapped to her thigh. A wand dangling between her fingers. And curls—black, unruly curls—tied back, save for a few strands framing a face that looked bored. And cocky.

One heel clicked softly on the stone floor.

Then the other.

She glanced around. At the group . Harry clutching a orb  in the middle . Neville whimpering, bruised and trembling. The other DA members — Ginny, Luna, Hermione Ron — unconscious, dazed, or too weak to fight.

Lucius's face twitched. He recognized her.

The rest didn't.

"What the fuck—?" Dolohov murmured.

"Bella," said someone near him — Avery maybe — "Is it just me or does that little bitch look like you?"

Cassie smiled coldly. "Now there's an insult I didn't expect to hear in the Hall of Prophecies. "

Another chuckled . "No Bella, that one is yours. Think you've got a kid you forgot about?"

Bellatrix's laughter was a high-pitched cackle. "Oh, trust me. If she were mine, I wouldn't have forgotten her."

Cassie tilted her head. "Are you sure? I've got the unstable woman with a wand complex thing. We might share blood."

 "Who the fuck are you?" snarled a Death Eater on the far right, his wand pressed into Hermione's throat.

Cassie didn't answer him.

She was looking at Lucius.

Who stared at her. Jaw ticking.

"Cassiopeia," he spat. "Sirius's daughter."

A ripple went through the crowd. Murmurs. Reactions. Faces turning.

"Sirius's?" Bellatrix echoed gleefully "You never said the Blood traitor brat had a girl, Lucius."

Cassie ignored her.

She was still looking at Malfoy.  "Uncle Lucius," she sang "Still rocking the white-blonde fascist look, I see. Playing errand boy for snake-faces with daddy issues?"

"You filthy little brat," Bellatrix hissed, stepping forward. "You mind your tongue when you speak of the Dark Lord."

Cassie tilted her head, unfazed taking a few lazy steps toward them, ignoring the way every wand angled tighter.

"Why Aunt Bella , are you just upset I said out loud what you scream into your pillow every night?"

A few of the younger Death Eaters stiffened.

Lucius's jaw clenched tight, but he didn't speak. He couldn't. Because in that moment, everyone was still trying to process what the fuck just happened.

Cassiopeia moved to stand beside Harry, casual and unbothered like this was just another Friday. Her eyes flicked toward him once, and he met them like he didn't know if he was hallucinating . Like he thought maybe—not definitely, but maybe—it wasn't all lost yet.

"Black." A voice rasped from the left, 

Cassie didn't flinch. Just turned slightly, her eyes already calculating as she sized him up.

Older than the others. Gaunt face. Tall—too thin. His sharp features had sunken further, lost in his hollowed face . His wand hand twitched, just slightly, like he was itching for something. And the look he gave her—

Wasn't the kind men survived.

Cassie's grip on her wand didn't move, but her knuckles whitened.

"Well, well," He rasped, the corner of his mouth curling "So you're the little whore my son's been fucking."

Harry flinched beside her.

Cassie didn't blink. 

The Death Eaters behind Thomas shifted awkwardly, some of them smirking, others exchanging glances. Bellatrix grinned, clearly entertained.

Cassie tilted her head.

She smiled.

"Ah," she said, "So you're the father Theo never talks about."

Thomas grinned, all teeth.

"Thomas, isn't it?" she went on. "Is there a point buried in there somewhere, or are you just trying to make up for the fact that your son hates you?"

Thomas's grin faltered.

Cassie stepped forward. Just a single step, slow—like a predator assesing  whether something was worth killing.

"You want me to be your problem?" she said. "Because I will be your problem."

Thomas's gaze flicked down her frame, lingering in a way that made her want to peel his skin off with her nails.

"I'm just saying," he said, voice low, "I can see what Theo likes. Shame he's got no spine. Must be nice having someone that broken wrapped around your finger—"

Cassie's wand was up in a flash. Pointed straight between his legs.

"Oh, say that again," she said sweetly. "So I can make sure the last thing you ever feel is your dick disintegrating in a very undignified manner."

Bellatrix cackled "You sure you're not mine, girl?"

Cassie looked at her smirking "Flattering. Unfortunately, I can still string two coherent thoughts together. So... no."

"Enough! She's not the one we're here for." Lucius snapped

Cassie didn't lower her wand.

Thomas chuckled, but he stepped back. "We'll see," he muttered.

Cassie tilted her head and kept her wand trained for a second longer than necessary.

Then she turned her head slightly, glancing at Harry again, and said with all mockery  "You really know how to throw a party, Potter." 

Harry let out the faintest breath that might've been a laugh or a sigh

Lucius recovered first. "You shouldn't have come" he said. "You have no leverage, girl. Your little friends—" he nodded toward Harry and the others, "—will die right here, with you."

Cassie didn't look at them. 

"Friends?" she repeated. "You think I give two shits about that mess?" She gestured carelessly toward the DA students. "Hell, take the Weasel. Be my guest."

Harry's mouth opened.

Cassie shot him a sharp look. He shut it.

The Death Eaters looked gleeful.

Cassie stepped forward, "But " She drawled "Uncle Lucy , I'm bored," she said. "And your half-blood orphan Lord wants this, doesn't he?" She plucked the prophecy from Harry's frozen fingers and tossed it lightly into the air, catching it with one hand.

The Death Eaters panicked.

Lucius surged forward.

Cassie twirled the orb again.

"Uh uh," she said mockingly, "I thought we were having a polite conversation."

"You—put that—down—" Bellatrix snarled.

"Why?" Cassie tilted her head. "This little snow globe means more to him than you, doesn't it?" She eyed Bellatrix. 

Bellatrix shrieked, wand flashing. 

Cassie didn't even blink. She flicked her wand and blocked it without looking.

"Next time, Auntie, I'll block it with this," she said, holding the prophecy in front of her face "Let's see how far his forgiveness stretches if I throw it into the veil."

"No!" Lucius bellowed.

"Then maybe we try something new," Cassie said, stepping to the center. "One at a time. Drop your wands. Step back."

A murmur of defiance rippled through the Death Eaters.

Cassie's eyes snapped to one of them. "This one's irritating. Really making me wanna toss it."

The death eaters looked at one another not moving

"Well, now's probably not the time to test my patience, is it?" she said. "So unless you'd like to see how far I can throw this—start backing the fuck off. Wouldn't want to destroy the only thing Voldy's so desperate for."

Bellatrix was vibrating. "How dare you mock him—"

Cassie turned to her slowly.

"Oh so his dignity matters, but not your life?" she said sweetly. "Because the moment I drop this, he's not gonna be mad at me, Bella. He's gonna roast you alive for failing him."

Lucius was the first to speak. Voice tight. "You're bluffing."

Cassie raised one brow. "Am I?"

Her hand moved. Just a twitch.

Lucius snarled. "You're still outnumbered. You're not in control—"

"I'm holding the only thing your precious Lord cares about," Cassie snapped. "And as for those idiots?" She jerked her chin toward the DA. "They're not my friends. I couldn't give two shits if Potter dies"

Lucius raised a hand. "Back. Everyone, back."

The Death Eaters paused, snarling, but obeyed. One dropped Hermione. Another let go of Neville.

Bellatrix's wand twitched, but Lucius hissed, "We need the prophecy."

Bellatrix turned to him, furious. "We can take her!"

Lucius's gaze flickered. Something passed through it. He didn't trust her. He was planning something.

But she saw it.

That flicker in Lucius's eyes.

He was going to try.

A movement.

A twitch.

And Cassie moved first.

Before they could move , she launched the prophecy high into the air—too high for anyone to catch—and just as every Death Eater's wand raised in pure horror, just as the orb arced in slow motion toward the stone floor—

CRACK.

Not the prophecy.

The air behind her.

A wave of noise crashed into the room as Order members exploded into the chamber from every entrance  — Sirius, Lupin, Kingsley, Moody, Tonks, Shacklebolt, all of them with wands drawn and spells already flying.

The prophecy landed softly in Cassie's palm.

She smirked.

"Gotcha."

She tossed the orb to Harry and Tightened the grip on her wand.

"Let's dance, fuckers."

*****************************

Tw- upcoming blood- possible disturbing scenes

(ps- my book will only show Cassiopeias view throughout- so rest of the order is fighting as per canon)

Spells flew. Screams started.

Cassie barely had time to dodge a jet of blue light that cracked stone inches from her head.

She spun, caught a flash of black fabric, and instinctively fired back — "Confringo!"

A Death Eater yelped, stumbled back over a bench as fire exploded at his feet.

"Miss me, Tommy?" she called across the chaos.

And Thomas Nott was already there, stalking toward her like a rabid animal in black. His wand twitched, and his lip curled into a sick sort of sneer. He was leering at her again,

"That mouth of yours, Black," he said, sidestepping a jinx. "No wonder my son's obsessed. Bet he likes it when you're screaming."

She didn't speak. Just snarled.

Fired.

Red sparks shot from her wand — he blocked,

"You think you're dangerous?" he taunted, circling her, "You're just a kid in daddy's shadow. You want to impress him? Kill me. Come on. Do it."

Cassie didn't flinch.

Thomas's snarl barely preceded the curse — "Occidere"

"Tenebris!

Their spells collided midair, crashing with a burst of black-and-crimson static. The wind of it knocked the hair from her face, sent ash spinning.

Cassie ducked, rolled, came up crouched — wand raised, breath harsh. She didn't wait for another spell. "Interitus."

He dodged, slashing through his curse with a jet of blue that barely missed Cassiopeia.

Oh. Yes. Near Death. There is that adrenaline she needed.

She didn't pause. "Expulso!"

Thomas was too slow, He went flying, slamming into the curved stone wall with a sickening crunch. He slid down, groaning, not dead - a pity.

"Pervy bastard," she muttered.

But there was no time to gloat.

Another Death Eater—this one younger, twitchy—launched himself toward her. His mask was askew, eyes wide with thrill or madness, Cassie couldnt tell "You think you're terrifying, little girl? Let's see how dark you really are."

She turned fast. "You first."

The duel erupted instantly, vicious. He wasn't skilled, but he was fast—frenzied. Cassie deflected curse after curse, backing toward a cracked column.

She blocked two of his hexes, twisted, sent a spell back that scorched the stones near his shoulder. He flinched, grinned, kept coming. Another flash of red light missed her by inches. She ducked behind the column, breath sharp in her throat. Her boots skidded slightly on broken debris.

Another curse. She deflected it upward—and didn't see the second one.

It grazed her cheek. Long. 

Pain bloomed instantly, sharp and stinging.

Cassie stumbled back a step, blinking against the blood dripping down her jaw. She hissed through her teeth.

"Not my face, you absolute bastard," she snapped, eyes blazing. "Feretrum Umbrae." She snarled without thinking

The spell hit him square in the chest—and it was over.

He arched back like his spine was snapping in half, mouth open in a soundless scream. The curse tore through him —hooked into his ribs, twisted through his lungs. Black veins erupted under his skin crawling toward his throat as he clutched at his chest, gasping.

Then—he dropped.

Hard. Limp. A sickening thud on the stone.

Cassie didn't even blink.

She winced slightly. The cut on her cheek was still bleeding. More than that—her nose too now. Again. She reached up, swiped the blood away with the back of her hand. Her veins—it was happening again. Black.

Agh. Not now.

She looked at the disentegrated death eater.

She should be horrified.

Really. That would be the normal response.

But all she could do was look down at the corpse.

One of the newer Death Eaters. Young. His wand had still been raised when her curse hit—right in the chest. There'd been a split-second of shock in his eyes. Then nothing.

Cassie tilted her head, She didn't know what she'd expected from her first kill. Guilt? Regret?

What she felt instead was...

Adrenaline. Heart racing, fingertips tingling. A high. Unholy and all-consuming.

A slow grin tugged at the corner of her mouth.

She flexed her fingers around her wand.

God, that was better than she thought it'd be.

And smiled.

One down.

She didn't hear the next one approach—just felt it. A breath too close. A palm that slammed around her waist, f Younger recruit, maybe nineteen at best. Mask half-crooked, eyes gleaming through the gap.
 Hot breath near her ear. "Got you, pretty thing. I've heard the Blacks are wild when you pin 'em right."

Cassie's instincts flared. Wrong move, boy.

Her hand flew to her thigh, fingers curling around the hilt of her dagger. In one arc, she jammed the blade straight into his leg.

He screamed. Loud, pitiful.

She didn't care.

 He screamed, buckling as she twisted the blade in deep. "You touch me again," she growled, "you'll be pulling your dick out of your throat." Blood sprayed across her boots as he dropped, clutching the mess she'd made. She yanked the dagger out with noo mercy,

She immediately sensed before turning—

Another. Behind. Bigger. Older. Already moving. Circling her.

The first was still on the floor, panting, trying to stanch the bleeding.

Cassie stepped back, dagger raised, wand in her other hand. Dual-wielded. Her curls wild and matted with sweat. One eye twitching like she was almost bored.

"You really wanna do this?" she asked the second one.

He didn't answer.

Didn't need to.

Because he didn't raise a wand. He didn't have one.

Her eyes narrowed.

Wait.

His posture.

The tension in his shoulders wasn't a duelist's stance. His fingers didn't itch toward a wand. He wasn't bracing for magic.

Fuck.

He was going to use strength. He'd seen her—small, lean—and decided brute force was his best chance. She recognized the stance. That wide, feral grin under the mask like he'd just found the crack in her armor.

And he'd just found his advantage.

"Shit—" she barely got the word out before he lunged.

She dodged left, but he was faster than she'd expected. A punch caught her ribs and she stumbled. Her back slammed against the cold stone floor, and her wand slipped from her hand, skidding into the chaos.

Then her dagger.

She was disarmed.  A hiss tore through her teeth.

And suddenly—he was on her.

Too close.

Breath reeking of blood and sweat and something worse. Mask askew. His hands pinning hers, his weight pressing her into the stone. Cassie thrashed, but he was strong—brutally, practically, mundanely strong.

"Fucking psycho," he breathed in her face, reeking of sweat and  blood. "Your boyfriend into this too? Or is he just your clean-up bitch?" He drawled his hand reaching toward her throat.

Cassie's lip curled.

He might have the strength. But she had the legs positioned perfectly to hit in his weakest spot. HEY- He gave her that advantage

Her legs shifted just slightly—just enough—and then struck. A brutal, merciless kick directly into his groin.

He howled, collapsing forward with a strangled gag, doubled over.

Cassie rolled hard to the side, lungs burning, but he recovered quicker than she expected. Reached for her again.

She smiled "Wrong girl to corner, sweetheart."

He laughed. Actually laughed.

That was his last mistake.

Cassie's hand went to her other thigh. The second dagger.

"You know the thing about bringing fists to a knife fight?" she murmured, tone syrupy-sweet.

He blinked. "What—"

Cassie drove the blade into his chest. Straight through fabric. Bone. Rib. Heart.

He choked. Once. Garbled. He crumpled forward, dead weight crashing to the ground.

Blood sprayed upward in a sharp arc, hot and fast—spattering across her neck, her jaw, her cheekbone. Her violet spellcaster robes were now soaked, deep crimson soaking into the fabric Her chest rose and fell, not from fear, but from focus.

Stay in control.

Always in control.

Cassie straightened slowly, hand braced on her thigh to push herself up. She exhaled—and wiped her blade once on the dead man's shoulder before slipping it back into her side sheath. She picked up her wand with her dominant hand. The other dagger in her hand

Just in case.

Across the room, the wounded Death Eater had skidded back against the wall, clutching his bleeding leg. His mask was gone, "She's got a knife! She's—she's fucking insane!"

Their eyes locked.

Cassie's blood-splattered face tilted as she recognized him.Hogwarts. Slytherin. He'd graduated from Hogwarts two years ago.

He saw her looking.

Really looking.

He fumbled his wand up, hand trembling so hard he could barely aim.

Cassie tilted her head.

"Keep talking," she said coldly, "and I'll give you a matching one between the ribs."

He whimpered and flattened back into the stone. 

And then a sound broke through—a delighted, unhinged laugh that rang through 

Bellatrix Lestrange.

Cassie turned just in time to see Tonks launched into a pillar of stone, crashing to the floor unconscious in a heap of limbs and violet hair.

"Ohhh," Bellatrix practically purred, gliding toward her with the grin of a woman who just found a new favorite toy. "Finally—someone in this family with a backbone."

Cassie stood her ground, spine straight, violet and red robes clinging to her like armor. She held her bloodied dagger loosely, her wand in her other hand.

"Ah-ah, cousin," Sirius's voice rang out as He stepped in front of Bellatrix, wand at the ready, jaw tight. "Where do you think you're going? You still got me to play with"

Bellatrix let out a giddy shriek of laughter. "Ooooh, still got me to play with, do you? You always were such a tease, Siri—"

They clashed, loud and furious.. Bellatrix cackling like a witch possessed—Sirius fighting like a man with everything to lose and nothing to say.

Cassie spun—and found Dolohov charging straight for her.

"I thought your father was the rabid dog," he sneered.

"Guess you'll find out I kill too," Cassie snapped, and hurled a hex that exploded in purple flame.

He dodged. Just barely.

They circled each other, wands slashing, dodging spells.. Her wand spun in her hand, the perfect curse in mind—until something flickered in the corner of her eye.

Behind her.

Behind Dolohov.

Sirius.

Laughing.

Taunting.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" he shouted at Bellatrix, wild grin stretched across his face, reckless and golden and stupidly brave.

Cassie felt it in her bones.

The shift in Bellatrix's expression. The full draw of her arm.

That look in her eyes.

No.

Maybe it was just instinct.

Or maybe — maybe —Maybe it was just... a daughter's intuition.

Sirius may have been the worst fucking excuse for a father — or not a father at all — but Cassie knew. She knew. She felt it before it happened. 

Her heart lurched.

She turned her back to her duel with Dolohov without another word. A literal death warrent.

"Flipendo!" she shouted, wand snapping toward Sirius.

Sirius flew sideways across the room, smashing into the stone with a thud — just as a jet of lethal green light tore past the place where he'd been standing a second ago.

Bellatrix's curse hit the wall.

But Cassie didn't even get to breathe before pain — blinding, white-hot pain — slashed horizontly through her back.

A curse. Probably slicing curse.

It split through her like a hot blade, and she staggered forward, eyes wide, mouth opening in a silent scream. She could feel the blood rushing — soaking through her shirt, sliding down her spine in warm, slick streams.

She bit her lip. Hard. So hard she tasted — blood against her teeth

She spun,  "Confringo!" she hissed in pain

Dolohov didn't even have time to shield.

The explosion sent him crashing back through a row of shelves. He didn't get back up.

Cassie didn't wait to see if he did. She turned her eyes back to Sirius and Bellatrix, 

Because it wasn't over.

Bellatrix was turning.

Back to Sirius.

Not again. Not again.

Cassie's blood ran cold

"Ah, fuck you—" she snapped, already aiming, sending a smoke hex toward Bellatrix's face—not to hit,—just to blind.

Bellatrix's eyes widened when she caught the glimpse of her.

"Niecy niece," the woman crooned through the haze, delighted. "Come play with Aunt—"

Cassie didn't wait. She couldn't.

Her back was wet—she could feel it. Hot and sticky, the wound stung like fire, each breath hurting more. She reached one hand up, pressed her palm to her side. Blood. So much blood.

Soaking through her shirt, sliding sticky down her spine. Her hand pressed against the wound, uselessly trying to stem it, but it kept coming—warm, thick, and fast. Her legs felt unsteady, like her knees might buckle if she let her focus slip even for a second..

Vision blurred. Head swimming.

Sirius was stirring but still down. His wand a foot from his hand.

Sirius was still down. Dazed. He was pushing himself upright again, stubborn as hell, but his movements were slow—uncoordinated.  One more hit from Bellatrix and he'd be dead.

And Cassie—Cassie couldn't let that happen.

Her body moved before her brain did.

For the first time in this entire goddamn battle, Cassiopeia Black ran.

Not toward the fight. Not away. But toward Sirius.

She skidded across the cracked stone floor, boots slipping slightly in theblood. Grabbed him—collar, shirt, whatever her hands could find—and hauled.

Sirius blinked, dazed. "Fucking hell, what are y—"

"Shut up," she spat, vision blurring at the edges. Her hand slipped slightly—either from the blood coating her palm or the way gravity was starting to tilt wrong in her head—but she adjusted, grip tightening.

She shoved him into the fireplace. Almost bodily. Felt the slice at her back scream louder.

Sirius tried to resist, but he wasn't at full strength and she was running on pure, unfiltered adrenaline .

She didn't flinch when a curse slammed into the wall behind them, stone splintering inches from her head.

Straight into the Floo.

Bellatrix shrieked.

 The room reeled. She could barely see through the white noise in her head, the metallic taste in her mouth. Blood pouring from her wound. Her hand fumbled into the pocket of her jeans, shaking.

The Floo powder was clumped. Sticky. Half-melted from blood and heat.

Didn't matter

She threw it.

"Grimmauld Place!" 

The fire roared green and took them both.

*******************************

AHAHHAAH I THINK I WENT FERAL AND OVERBOARD WITH THIS CHAPTER BUT I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING IT MY GOD-

SIRIUS ISNT DEAD- WELL- GOOD THING ? BAD THING? ULL FIND LATER

PS- THIS PART- WHERE CASSIE JUST STABS THE GUY THEN SAVES SIRIUS SO BADDASS- HAS BEEN IN MY DRAFTS SINCE I STARTED YEAR 5- I SWEAR-

I HAVE BEEN DYING TO FINISH THIS

I WOULD SAY MORE BUT IM IN THE MIDDLE OF A ALL NIGHTER FINISHING THESE CHAPS FOR YALL

NEXT PART IS ALL READY BUT WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW- SO I CAN SPEND THE NIGHT READIING YALLS COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK

LMK WHAT YALL THINK 

TILL NEXT TIME

MXRIDDLE (I hope cassie lives)