Cassie entered the Care of Magical Creatures class with Draco, Theodore, Pansy, and Blaise, their footsteps synchronized as they approached the gathering of students. The scent of something foul wafted through the air, causing Pansy to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"What's that dreadful smell?" she muttered, eyeing the crates on the ground warily.

"It's Hagrid," Draco replied, his tone dripping with disdain. "What do you expect?"

Cassie, her eyes scanning the scene, caught sight of the Gryffindors ahead. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were already there, mingling near the open crates where Hagrid stood proudly with his enormous black boarhound, Fang.

"Morning, everyone!" Hagrid called out cheerfully, his voice booming across the field. "Gather 'round, we've got somethin' special today."

Astoria Greengrass, who had been lingering nearby, quickly joined the group, sidling up next to Theodore. "Hi, Theo," she said, her voice honeyed. "Did you hear what Hagrid has planned for us?"

Theodore gave her a polite smile. "Not yet, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

Cassie felt a twinge of irritation as she watched Astoria inch closer to Theodore. She took a deep breath, trying to focus on the weirdly suspicious crates

"You won' want ter miss this — Blast-Ended Skrewts!" Hagrid announced proudly.

"Come again?" said Blaise

Hagrid pointed down into the crates.

 "Eurgh!" squealed Lavender Brown, jumping backward.

"Eurgh" just about summed up the Blast-Ended Skrewts in Cassie's opinion. They looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish. Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small phut, it would be propelled forward several inches.

"On'y jus' hatched," said Hagrid proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!" 

"And why would we want to raise them?" Draco drawled

The Slytherin group nodded in agreement. Cassie could see his point; the creatures seemed useless and dangerous.

"I mean, what do they do?" asked Draco "What is the point of them?"

Hagrid opened his mouth, apparently thinking hard. After a few seconds' pause, he said roughly, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things — I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer — I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake — just try 'em out with a bit of each."

Cassie rolled her eyes but went along with Blaise, reaching out to pick up squelchy handfuls of frog liver and lowering them into the crates to tempt the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Her eyes, however, kept drifting to the interaction going on in the back.

Astoria leaned closer to Theodore, her arm brushing against his. "These creatures look dreadful," she whispered, feigning a shiver.

Cassie felt a strange twist in her stomach as she watched the interaction. Why wouldn't she? Astoria was what purebloods would call the perfect spouse: blonde, dainty, pretty, and ladylike. A stark opposite to Cassie.

"Do you see that?" Pansy whispered, nudging Cassie. "She's practically throwing herself at Theo."

Cassie's jaw tightened, her hand slightly edging towards her dagger. "She can try all she wants, not like I care," she muttered under her breath, her eyes never leaving Astoria.

Pansy smirked knowingly.

"Ouch!" yelled Dean Thomas after about ten minutes. "It got me!"

Hagrid hurried over to him, looking anxious. "Its end exploded!" said Dean angrily, showing Hagrid a burn on his hand.

"Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off," said Hagrid, nodding.

"Eurgh!" said Lavender Brown again. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"

"Ah, some of 'em have got stings," said Hagrid enthusiastically.

Pansy immediately withdrew her hands from the crate. Cassie noticed Astoria inching even closer to Theodore, her giggles and light touches on his arm hard to miss.

Cassie squelched the frog liver so hard that it slipped and fell right into the crate.

She strode forward, her eyes narrowed. "Astoria," she greeted, her hand casually grazing her dagger.

Astoria gave her a wary look. "Oh, Cassie, I didn't see you there," she said, her tone sickly sweet.

"I doubt that. People say I'm really hard to miss," Cassie replied coolly, taking out her dagger and stroking it.

Astoria glanced at the dagger, then back at Cassie as if she were some kind of psycho. "What are you doing?" she chuckled nervously.

"Oh, nothing," Cassie replied sweetly, spinning the dagger in her hand. "Practicing this new dagger move I learned. Apparently, if I flip my dagger and twist it this way," she said, twisting her hand, "and then I fling it, it's supposed to hit directly in the heart of the person."

Astoria's eyes widened slightly. "That's... interesting," she said, taking a cautious step back.

Cassie smiled, her eyes glinting dangerously. "Isn't it? Maybe I should demonstrate."

Astoria looked at her in horror. "You are crazy," she said under her breath.

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Astoria said quickly, her face pale. "I think I'll just... go over there."

Astoria quickly moved away, her steps hurried. Cassie watched her go with a satisfied smirk. Theodore, who had been observing the exchange, raised an eyebrow but said nothing, a slight grin playing on his lips.

"Thank me later, Nott," Cassie said haughtily, walking back to the crate where Pansy and Blaise were smirking.

Pansy sidled up to Cassie, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Jealous much?" she teased.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Of that blonde bitch? Hardly."

"If you say so, Cassie. But we all saw it."

"Shut up," Cassie scowled.

"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," Draco said suddenly, throwing the grass snake haughtily. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"

"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," Hermione snapped. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind," Cassie snorted.

"Careful what you wish for, Cassie—if Nott hears you, next birthday you'll find a dragon egg as a present," Blaise guffawed.

Cassie just chuckled, glancing at Theodore, who was now talking animatedly to Draco about some Quidditch team, his usually spiffy Hogwarts robe with patches of mud, his hair ruffled in a way that made him look quite charming as he gestured wildly, his eyes sparkling . Cassie felt a pang of warmth watching him, but quickly shook it off, annoyed at herself.

"Mhm," Pansy said knowingly, her smirk widening.

Cassie shot her a glare, the irritation clear in her eyes. "You're insufferable, you know that?" she muttered before walking away.

"Hey, I just call it like I see it," Pansy replied, not bothering to hide her amusement.

Blaise chuckled, shaking his head. "Leave her be, Pansy. You know Cassie doesn't do feelings."

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

Cassie was walking briskly down the corridor, her breath coming out in frustrated huffs. Draco jogged up to her, a mischievous grin on his face.

"What are you doing, Cass?" Draco asked, falling into step beside her.

"Going to prank Potter," she replied curtly.

Draco feigned shock. "And I wasn't invited? Now I'm offended."

Cassie stopped and looked at him. "Did Pansy put you up to this?"

"I did not," Pansy said defensively, appearing with Blaise and Theo following close behind.

"So, I heard we are pranking Potter?" Theo said suggestively.

"What's the plan?" Draco asked, looking expectantly at Cassie.

Cassie looked at all of them. "There is no plan. You all don't need to get involved. This is my revenge."

"Woah—revenge?" Blaise asked, 

"He was being a little too smart at the World Cup," Cassie scoffed. "I'm thinking a little corridor duel," she remarked, walking forward.

"Nah—you'd win easily. Let's make it something interesting," Theo offered, draping an arm around her shoulder.

Cassie looked up at him, eyebrow raised, glancing at his arm.

"Right, sorry," Theo withdrew, grinning.

Cassie sighed and dug into her bag to bring out a worn book, its leather almost falling off. "Some of the worst jinxes and curses," she said, passing it to Blaise, who caught it and started flipping through it, Draco and Pansy peering over his shoulder.

"Sealing his mouth? Nah, done that on Lockhart," Blaise flipped another page, his expression a mix of gruesome and intrigued.

"Aren't these a bit too morbid?" Pansy said, wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah, watching his skin peel off is a bit too much," Draco gagged.

"So is making his blood acid" Blaise recoiled shutting the book

Cassie looked at them, uninterested. 

"How about classics—make him brandish Slytherin colors?" Theo suggested.

"You mean jinxing him so his whole skin turns bright green and his face morphs into a toad?" Cassie said, interestedly.

"Not what I meant, but sure," Theo said cheerfully.

"Mhm," Cassie considered. "But it's not painful enough."

"How about mass-pranking all his friends too?" Draco offered "Different food potions would work"

"Now that's interesting," Cassie said, a smile playing on her lips. "Alright, so you all handle the friends- pick your target and decide on what potion you'll put- and I'll publicly belittle that boy who lived and hex them," Cassie said, outlining her plan.

The group nodded enthusiastically.

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

The following day at lunch, the Slytherins discreetly slipped various potions into the food destined for the Gryffindor table. Cassie, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, and Theo watched with bated breath as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and their friends began to eat.

Within moments, chaos ensued. Ron's red hair turned a ghastly shade of green and spiked up, Hermione's hair frizzed up and started to emit loud bangs every few seconds, and Neville's legs wobbled uncontrollably, causing him to fall to the floor while Dean just started vomiting

Harry's eyes widened in horror looking around at the chaos. Before he could react, Cassie stepped forward, her wand aimed directly at him. "Feeling smart now, Potter?" she sneered.

Harry drew his wand, but Cassie was faster. She muttered a hex, and Harry's wand flew out of his hand, clattering to the floor. His body jerked as the curse hit him, his skin starting to morph and change color.

"Stop it!" Hermione shouted, trying to counter the jinxes on herself and the others, but it was futile.

The Great Hall fell silent, all eyes on the scene unfolding. The teachers started to move towards the Gryffindor table, but Cassie was relentless. "You think you can get away with that comment at the World Cup? Think again."

Harry's skin turned a sickly green, his features twisting painfully his glasses clattering as his face turned into a disfigured version of toad

Draco watched, a smirk on his face, while Theo and Blaise stood ready to back Cassie up if needed.

"MISS BLACK!" Mcgonagall called out furious " Lift that hex right now"

"Hello to you too Minnie!" She said cheerfully lifting the hex,  leaving Harry panting on the floor, his face contorted with pain and humiliation.

 "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded

Cassie shrugged nonchalantly.

"You will all report to my office immediately," McGonagall ordered

"They weren't involved," Cassie said immediately, stepping forward "It was all me."

Theo opened his mouth to protest, but Cassie immediately held his hand in warning, her eyes locking with his. He hesitated, then closed his mouth

McGonagall's eyes narrowed as she studied Cassie. "All right, Miss Black. My office."

Other professors, including Flitwick and Sprout, rushed forward to undo the hexes while 

Cassie was led away by McGonagall, her footsteps echoing down the now-silent corridor. As she passed Harry, she shot him a triumphant look

Harry, his face still tinged with a faint green hue from the hex, glared back, his fists clenched at his sides.

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

"Two weeks of detention," Cassie grumbled, kicking a pebble into the lake's calm waters. 

The air was crisp, with the scent of pine and earth filling the air as the group of Slytherins lounged by the lake's edge. The Forbidden Forest loomed nearby, its dark, dense trees swaying gently in the breeze.

"Filch is probably going to have the time of his life," Cassie continued, crossing her arms in frustration.

"You didn't have to take all the blame," Pansy said soothingly, her voice soft as she tried to comfort Cassie.

"Leave all that," Draco interrupted, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he brandished a copy of the Daily Prophet. "You would never believe what is written."

"What?" Blaise asked, curiosity piqued.

"How about hear it with a show?" Draco suggested, smirking as he looked across the lake.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Draco called out, his voice loud and mocking as he spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione walking a bit further down the path.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned around, their expressions wary.

"What?" said Ron shortly,

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Draco shouted, brandishing the Daily Prophet and ensuring that everyone around could hear.

FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.

Malfoy looked up from the paper, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed.

Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" Draco said, flipping the paper over and holding it up for all to see. "A picture of your parents outside their house — if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

Ron was shaking with fury, his fists clenched at his sides. Everyone nearby was staring at him, the tension in the air palpable.

Cassie huffed, stepping a bit forward as she sensed a fight brewing.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry, trying to pull Ron away. "C'mon, Ron..."

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" sneered Draco. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

"You know your mother, Malfoy?" said Harry, his voice cold and cutting. Both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Draco. "That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

Cassie scowled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You mind what you say, Potter," she warned, her voice low and threatening. Though she wouldn't show it, Narcissa meant a lot to her.

"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter," Draco said coldly, his wand already in his hand, pointed directly at Harry.

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," said Harry, turning away.

BANG!

Draco brandished his wand, sending a white-hot jet of light that grazed the side of Harry's face. Harry plunged his hand into his robes, fumbling for his own wand.

A second loud BANG echoed through the air, and a roar that reverberated off the castle walls made Cassie jump slightly. She whipped out her wand, her eyes scanning wildly for the source of the noise.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"

Cassie spun around to see Professor Moody limping down the field, his wand out and pointing at a pure white ferret shivering

Blaise let out a loud snort and immediately snapped a polaroid.

"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again. It flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the ground , and then bounced upward once more. The ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain.

Cassie snarled and brandished her own wand, sending sparks toward Moody's wand making him lose his concentration and causing the ferret to fall limply on the grass before scurrying backwards, 

Moody looked at her, both eyes—one magical and one normal—fixing on her.

"Get him, Nott," she barked her face contorted with rage.

Theo bent down, taking the terrified ferret in his hands.

"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted, his wand out again.

"Oh no you won't, Professor," Cassie said, stepping directly in front of Moody, her wand out.

"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice. Professor McGonagall was coming down the field, her expression one of disbelief and anger.

"Minnie!" Cassie said indignantly. "Look what this old geezer did," she pointed at the terrified ferret in Theo's hands.

"You, Black, mind your language," Moody growled, his wand still raised.

"Oh, or what?" she spat, not lowering her wand either.

"Moody, is that a student?" shrieked Professor McGonagall.

"Yep," said Moody.

"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, pulling out her wand. A moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the ground with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing.

"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall weakly. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, "but I thought a good sharp shock—"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," said Moody, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.

"My father will hear about this," Draco grumbled under his breath.

"Your father—" Moody began, stepping forward.

Draco immediately clutched Cassie, who snarled again.

"I'll have him sued, Minnie, I swear," Cassie scowled, eyeing the professor.

"You will do no such thing, Miss Black," McGonagall said firmly. "Keep your wand back."

Cassie looked at the strict professor, her jaw tightening. Reluctantly, she lowered her wand, but her eyes remained locked with Moody's,

"Well, I know your father of old, boy. . . . You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son . . . you tell him that from me. . . . Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," said Draco resentfully.

"Another old friend," growled Moody. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape. . . . Come on, you. . . ." He seized Malfoy's upper arm.

"If he goes to Snape, I'll take it to the Ministry, Minnie," Cassie threatened. "You don't want a repeat of last year, do you? Then our dearest headmaster will face another enquiry and whatnot."

McGonagall looked at Cassie, who met her gaze with determination.

"Harry insulted his mother. You can't expect him to stay silent. Settle it here."

McGonagall sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let him go, Moody. But 15 points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy—and I better not catch you using spells out here again."

Moody grumbled, his magical eye swiveling to Cassie, his expression one of disdain, before letting go of Malfoy's arm.

Cassie stepped forward, standing protectively between Moody and Draco.

 "Watch yourself, Black. This isn't over." Moody growled

Cassie smirked. "I wouldn't expect it to be."

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


a/n


AH- A LONG CHAP TO MAKE UP FOR THE DELAY!!! NOW I DONT WANT U TO ASSUME HOW MOODY- CASSIE DYNAMIC WOULD BE ONLY FROM THIS SCENE

partly cos im still figuring it out 

Anyways- This was a mixed chap- jealous cassie- (which was so cute), vengeful cassie and big sister protective cassie moment!!!!!

so hope yall are doing well! stay tuned for teh first DADA lesson

Mxriddle