Blaise trailed after Cassie down the corridor, his footsteps quickening as he tried to keep pace with her. "Come on, Cass," he coaxed, flashing a grin. "Let me come with you."

Cassie didn't break her stride, her expression indifferent. "No."

"Please?" he whined, dragging the word out.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Go hang out with Draco."

"He's with Lyra," Blaise grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Then go bother Pansy."

"Last I saw her, she was giggling with Daphne about some Hufflepuff named Tyler," Blaise added, his face contorting with disdain.

Cassie cringed in agreement. "That Hufflepuff? How revolting."

"Exactly. Which is why I'm opting for your company instead."

"Lucky me," Cassie drawled sarcastically as she started up the staircase, taking two steps at a time. She tossed him a look over her shoulder. "Why don't you go find yourself a girlfriend to pester instead?"

Blaise chuckled. "Hogwarts doesn't have anyone good enough for me."

Cassie scoffed. "Your standards are that high, huh?"

"Not high—just waiting for the right one," he said with a sly grin. "But I'm definitely looking forward for the Beauxbatons guests to arrive. Maybe then we'll see some actual quality around here."

Cassie smirked. "You think they'll be dying to date you?"

"Can't blame them if they do," Blaise replied, his grin growing wider. "Who wouldn't want this charming face?"

Cassie rolled her eyes again. "While you're busy being the connoisseur of witches, I've got better things to do," she said, turning sharply down a hallway.

Blaise easily kept pace beside her. "So, the Room of Requirement, huh? What's the plan? Dark magic? Hexing practice? Daggers?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Cassie retorted. "I told you to leave."

"You let Theo accompany you," Blaise pointed out,

"Yeah, because he actually practices with me," she replied sharply.

"Or," Blaise wiggled his eyebrows, "someone's got a little crush."

Cassie shot him a glare. "You're all delusional," she muttered.

They reached the seventh floor, stopping in front of a stretch of blank wall where the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy usually hung. Cassie began pacing in front of it, her mind focused shooting him a final look as a door slowly appeared on the wall. She pushed it open and stepped inside, Blaise trailing behind her with a smug grin.

The Room of Requirement had transformed into a dimly lit, eerie space filled with dark artifacts. Shelves lined the walls, crammed with old books bound in cracked leather, peculiar vials with questionable contents, and gleaming daggers  The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and something metallic—blood, perhaps. 

In the center of the room was a wide, cleared area that looked perfect for dueling practice with a single, imposing suit of armor,  its metal glinting dully in the low light. The armor seemed almost alive; its hollow eye sockets stared menacingly Beside it, there was a worn, black dueling mat, and around it, scattered remnants of shattered objects—broken wands, scorched parchments, and shards of glass

"Just don't get in my way," Cassie drawled as she headed toward the shelves, her eyes scanning the books. She reached up and pulled one down, making her way over to a black leather armchair in a shadowed corner of the room, the dim light just enough to read by.

Blaise watched her for a moment, his eyes trailing over the room, his fingers brushing against an assortment of dark objects. "And here I thought I'd see some action... What are you reading, anyway?" he said, sounding mildly disappointed.

"Some of Grindelwald's old works," Cassie replied, not bothering to look up.

Blaise picked up a dagger from a nearby table, examining its sharp edge. "Why?"

"Battle strategies and some spells he created," she answered coolly, flipping through the pages.

"That doesn't answer my question—why would you need to know battle strategies?" Blaise's eyes narrowed as he studied her. Then his expression shifted to one of mock surprise. "Wait—are you planning to be the next Dark Lord?"

Cassie set the book down on her lap and looked up at him, an amused smile curling her lips. "No. The old one's going to come back, and I've got to be ready."

Blaise tilted his head. "You really think he's coming back?"

"He will," she said with absolute certainty. "And when he does, everyone will be looking to Dumbledore for answers, but that old bitch is more manipulative than people realize."

"You've got something against him"

"Obviously," Cassie scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "He plays the part of the wise, benevolent leader, but he's no better than the rest. He keeps everyone in the dark—'for the greater good,' he says. But all he's doing is pulling strings, moving people around like chess pieces. And when the time comes, none of them will be ready."

Blaise leaned against the wall listening

" He's unprepared for what's coming. He doesn't train them, doesn't arm them with the knowledge they'll need when the real fight begins. It's all just talk and blind faith."

Cassie leaned forward "And when the Dark Lord returns, all of Dumbledore's little followers will be caught off guard—because he's too busy protecting his secrets to actually prepare them for war. So I'll do what he won't. I'll be ready. And I'll make sure I know who the real enemy is."

Blaise watched her carefully, "you do realize you're putting yourself on a pretty dangerous path."

Cassie smirked, the gleam in her eyes turning sharper. "The danger is the fun part, darling," she replied, getting up from the armchair and moving toward the empty space in the center of the room, where the imposing armor stood. 

Silence filled the room as Cassie glanced at the book one last time, her eyes darting over the faded text. Then, with a decisive flick of her wrist, she tossed the book back into the armchair. It landed with a soft thud.

Blaise's gaze followed her with unease. "What are you planning, Cassie?"

Cassie's lips curled into a slight, confident smile. "Keep your distance—this is my first time trying this."

Blaise hesitated, his usual bravado faltering for a moment. "Wait... What?"

"This armor," Cassie explained, nodding toward the gleaming suit of metal, "is made to react only to the strongest spells. Grindelwald had this fancy little incantation—it's meant to kill everyone within a twenty-foot radius. Pretty useful if you're surrounded by enemies."

With a flick of her wrist, she began to move her wand in a complicated pattern, her eyes narrowing with concentration. The incantation flowed from her lips, and as she gave a final, sharp flick toward the suit of armor, a burst of light shot from her wand and the armor wobbled violently.

Blaise let out a sharp, involuntary shriek and stumbled back, nearly tripping over his own feet. His face went pale as he clutched his chest.

"What" Cassie frowned, clearly unimpressed, as she walked over to inspect the armor. It bore a deep dent where her spell had struck, but otherwise, it was still intact. "Didn't work," she muttered, her tone filled with disappointment.

Blaise let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I could've sworn I felt something," he mumbled, still recovering from the shock.

Cassie scoffed, turning to give him a withering look. "You're overreacting. You were literally forty feet away from me."

"It was like something hit me," Blaise insisted, 

Cassie's gaze hardened, her eyes locking onto him with a steely glare.

"Maybe it was nothing," he muttered,

Cassie nodded, turning her attention back to the book she had left in the armchair. "I need something more realistic."

Blaise glanced around "We can't bring test subjects for you to try and kill, Cassie."

"Well that's disappointing"

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

Cassie made her way along the fourth-floor corridor, her footsteps echoing softly against the stone walls. She finally reached the Owlery at the top of the West Tower. The room was circular and cold, a draft seeping in through the glassless windows. The floor was covered in straw, owl droppings, and the remnants of mice and voles. Perches stretched up to the top of the tower, crowded with owls of every breed imaginable, most of them nestled in sleep.

Cassie approached Mortem perched in one of the lower levels. She carefully tied a letter to its leg, whispering, "Give this to my father." The owl ruffled its feathers in acknowledgment.

Just as she was about to step away, she heard a muttered voice. Cassie spun around, her eyes narrowing as she saw a familiar curly-haired figure. Harry Potter stood there, his white owl already in flight.

"Well, well, fancy seeing you here, Potter," Cassie drawled, her tone dripping with disdain.

Harry turned around swiftly, his face a mask of irritation. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm assuming you were writing to your precious godfather," Cassie said, her scowl deepening.

Harry's eyes narrowed. 

Cassie raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening. "He's back, isn't he? All because someone's stupid hero scar hurt."

"How do you know?" Harry asked, his voice laced with accusation.

"The words have been going around, Potter," Cassie said with a satisfied grin. "You don't do a very good job of keeping secrets."

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

The next couple of weeks were fairly uneventful, unless you counted Cassie getting another week of detention for hexing a Hufflepuff and getting into a fight with a Slytherin fifth-year. 

In their lessons, however, things were becoming more intense. The workload had increased, and the demands on their skills were growing ever more rigorous. 

Professor Moody's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was particularly challenging. To everyone's surprise, he announced that he would be putting the Imperius Curse on each student in turn. The purpose was twofold: to demonstrate the curse's power and to see if the students could resist its effects.

"But — but you said it's illegal, Professor," Hermione's voice wavered "You said — to use it against another human was —"

Moody's magical eye swiveled to fix on her, the gaze unnervingly intense. "Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," he snapped, his voice leaving no room for argument. "If you'd rather learn the hard way — when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely — fine by me. You're excused. Off you go."

Hermione flushed crimson and mumbled something about not meaning to leave.

Moody beckoned the Gryffindor students forward one by one, casting the Imperius Curse on each of them. Cassie observed with a cold, detached interest as her classmates were subjected to the curse. Dean Thomas hopped around the room, singing loudly and off-key, while Lavender Brown pranced about, mimicking a squirrel. Neville performed acrobatics that seemed far beyond his usual capabilities. None of them seemed able to resist the curse's influence, recovering only when Moody removed it.

Potter however impressively managed to half resist it

"Black," Moody growled moving on to the Slytherins... snapping Cassie out of her detached state. "You next."

Cassie exhaled sharply, her annoyance evident as she strode forward to the cleared space in the middle of the room. Moody raised his wand and, with a commanding tone, said, "Imperio!"

Immediately, Cassie felt a floating sensation, her thoughts and worries dissolving into a vague, pleasant haze. She was dimly aware of the eyes on her, but the sensation was oddly calming, almost euphoric.

Then Moody's voice echoed distant but clear: "Be a cat." The command was sharp and jarring, pulling her further from the comfort of the haze.

Cassie stumbled slightly, confusion flickering in her eyes "What?"

"Act like a cat," Moody's voice repeated, now more insistent.

Cassie's fists clenched, her knees bending as if in instinctive response. Her mind struggled to fight against the curse's influence, "Don't" A familiar voice resisted 

"Dad?" she thought, her thoughts barely audible

"Be a cat!" Moody's voice roared, now with a fierce urgency.

Cassie's fists tightened around her wand, her knees bending further as she fought the command. "Don't!" another voice echoed, sharp and familiar.

"Regulus," she acknowledged

"Stun him!" He ordered

"Stupefy!" Cassie shouted instinctively. A burst of red light erupted from her wand, cutting through the air like a whip.  sending her crashing down to her knees.

Moody's head snapped to the side as he deflected the spell with a swift, almost reflexive motion. His magical eye whirled around to fixate on her, his expression darkening.

Cassie looked up, her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and defiance. She hurriedly pushed herself up from the floor, feeling the weight of every pair of eyes in the room on her. She hadn't meant to cast the spell

"I don't remember asking you to cast a spell, Black," Moody growled, his scarred face twisted in a scowl.

Cassie felt a wave of unease wash over her as Moody's magical eye continued to bore into her, as if it could see through her very soul. She could almost feel a dark energy radiating from him. She tightened her grip on her wand, forcing herself to stand tall 

"I didn't realize—" she started,

Moody's glare only sharpened, and his voice, though tinged with a hint of curiosity, carried a dangerous edge. "How did you do that?"

"I— I don't know," Cassie said swallowing hard as she tried to steady herself. "I just... resisted." She felt like a thousand eyes were on her, dissecting every word, every twitch of her face. 

"Resisted?" Moody echoed, his regular eye narrowing even as his magical one swirled unsettlingly in its socket. "Not many can fight off the Imperius Curse, let alone cast a spell while under it."

Before Cassie could respond, the classroom clock tower bell chimed, breaking the thick silence that had fallen over the room. The students rustled in their seats, relief and tension flooding through them at the same time.

"Yeah, class dismissed," Moody grunted, his voice rough as he waved the students off, his attention still fixated on Cassie. "Black, stay."

Cassie's eyes flicked to the side, meeting the concerned gazes of the Slytherins. Pansy and Draco looked worried, Theo frowned, and Blaise shot her a questioning look, clearly wanting to stay and hear whatever was going to be said.

Cassie gave them a small, tight nod, signaling it was fine. "Go on," she said, her voice firmer this time. "I'll catch up with you later."

Reluctantly, her friends began to file out of the classroom, casting glances over their shoulders. The room emptied, leaving Cassie standing alone with Moody.

The door closed with a heavy thud, and Cassie felt the dark energy intensify, She kept her posture strong.

"What is it, Professor?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral, even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to be cautious.

Moody's magical eye swirled and darted around, while his normal eye stayed locked onto her with unsettling intensity. "You've got something different in you, Black," he said, his voice gruff . "There was a voice in your head, wasn't there?"

Cassie froze. Her heart pounded in her chest, and for a moment, she could feel the blood drain from her face. She tried to force herself to stay calm, to keep her expression neutral. She looked up, meeting his eye  "That was nothing," she blurted out, her voice too quick, 

Moody's regular eye narrowed further, while his magical one continued to swirl madly, almost as if it could see right through her. "Nothing, is it?" he said, his tone a mix of skepticism and dark amusement. "You think I haven't seen it before? You think I don't know what a voice in your head feels like?"

He leaned in slightly, his face shadowed a sadistic grin on his face . "First sign of being psychotic," he said darkly

Cassie stiffened 

"You've got to be careful, girl," Moody continued, his voice low and dangerous. "Voices in your head can be tricky. Some are your own, others... well, they come from places you'd rather not go."

Cassie's eyes flickered. "I know how to handle myself," she replied, though her voice didn't have the confidence she hoped for.

"Do you?" Moody challenged. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you've got a war going on inside of you. And if you don't figure out which side you're really on, that war's going to eat you alive."

Cassie forced herself to hold his gaze, her mind racing. "I know which side I'm on," she said, a bit more firmly this time.

"Good," Moody grunted, though he still seemed unconvinced. "Then let's hope you're right about that. Now get out of here. And remember—constant vigilance."

Cassie nodded stiffly and turned on her heel, heading out of the classroom. As the door closed behind her, she let out a shaky breath, her mind racing. What the fucl was Regulus's voice doing in her head?

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

Hi.

uhm yes im alive- **rotten tomatoes from readers incoming**

LISTEN I DINT MEAN MY BREAK TO BE THIS LONG- BUT I HAD TO FINISH LIKE 4 ASSIGNMENTS AND IN THE END I GOT SICK TOO-

so- uhhh extra long chap to make up for the delay

i mainly wanted to focus on How cassie actually feels abt dumbly - her practicing stuff cos i barely showed that- and that she is not naturally genius at every spell she tries

also blaze cassie cute platonic relation

----

moving on

moody and cassie- now i dont know how imperius shit works but i dint want her to resist it normally- i wanted to include reggies voice its like her good side- like do u get it? does it make sense??

the battle moody is talking about - is her fascination for dark arts vs her morals- which are obvi on the hate voldy side

THIS MADE SENSE TO ME- BUT IF U THINK THIS COULD HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BETTER- PLS LMK

...

till next time- mxriddle