Well, it was certainly a daring idea.

The sword of Gryffindor had been encased in glass in Dumbled- Snape's office since Harry used it down in the Chamber of Secrets, way back in Cassia's second year. As far as she knew, it had never been removed from the case since.

Stealing it, however, would show a lot more defiance than graffitti on a wall. It would show that they were serious, that they still stood for the values Godric Gryffindor did, that they were still fighting for Dumbledore, for Harry, for Ron and Hermione.

And Cassia really wanted to show that.

However, to steal the sword of Gryffindor, they would have to do a lot of planning. They'd have to ensure Snape was not in his office, they'd have to work out the password to the office, they'd have to evade the Carrows, as well as the headmaster, and they would have to be a bigger team this time, with lookouts.

But at breakfast the next morning, Cassia forgot all about the less-than-half baked plan they were forming, because there was a new face at the teacher's table.

A face she hadn't seen yet this term.

Hagrid made his return that morning, which Snape had clearly been prepared for, owing to the fact that there was a large chair between McGonagall and Flitwick.

But the amount of relief and joy that burst inside Cassia's heart as she saw the giant man at the table that morning, she wasn't prepared for.

She knew the teachers couldn't do anything to stop this. She knew that McGonagall and Flitwick and Sprout were already failing to even reassure students that they weren't in on the 'new regime'.

But seeing Hagrid gave her some hope. Poppy had told her that Hagrid had been the one to go with Harry during the seven Potters escape from Privet Drive, and it made her happy, to know her boyf- to know he felt safe with him. It made her feel safe with him too.

"Cass, why are you looking so happy?" Poppy asked her best friend.

"Hagrid's back," Cassia almost grinned at her.

"What? Seriously?" Poppy asked, her face also breaking into a smile to see Hagrid at the teacher's table. Cassia nodded, grinning as she ate her breakfast in a happy daze.

"We have to go and see him this afternoon," she said. "We've just got charms, potions and transfiguration today - no Carrows."

Poppy smiled at her, nodding. "You know, Cass, this whole DA thing has really lit you back up."

"I know," Cassia nodded. "And I'm glad."

She went back to her eggs benedict, shovelling in some more as Neville sat down opposite them, him and Poppy both reaching for the butter knife at the same time.

"Sorry-"

"Sorry."

Cassia looked at the two in amusement as she saw Poppy's cheeks light up in a blush and the tips of Neville's ears go red.

She chuckled to herself slightly, cursing herself for being so oblivious. Whilst she was thinking about the DA and Harry, she'd completely missed this new relationship blooming right in front of her eyes.

Poppy likes Neville, she realised with glee. Oh my god I'm gonna tease her to death about this.

And she was.

But she was also gonna love her to death one of these days.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

"Poppy, come on!"

"Cass, wait for me!"

"Come on!"

The two girls giggled and squealed as they ran down the stairs and through the entrance hall, desperate to make their way to Hagrid's hut for just a bit of normalcy.

"I can't wait for this," Cassia grinned as they got out into the courtyard, where the sun was even shining through the cold breeze.

"Neither," Poppy grinned. "I just can't believe he's b-"

She cut herself off abruptly, both girls stopping right in their tracks as Amycus Carrow appeared in front of them.

He was more unappealing up close. Pasty skin, yellow teeth, dark eyes, veiny skin. Cassia wanted to throw up just looking at him, and so instinctively grabbed Poppy's wrist discretely under their robes and backed them both up.

"Now, now, where are you two girls going in a hurry?" Amycus asked, his voice gaining a sort of sickly sweet quality that made Cassia's skin crawl. "Wouldn't want to get caught being naughty, would we?"

He was speaking to two seventeen year old girls, not children. But the way he was looking at them, eyes trailing up and down... she pulled Poppy inperceptably closer and tightened her grip on her wrist.

"No," Cassia muttered, eyes levelled down.

"No, sir," Amycus corrected her.

Cassia pursed her lips, not wanting to give into him, not wanting to say it-

"No, sir," Amycus repeated. "Are you being a naughty girl, Cassia? Naughty girls don't get far at Hogwarts."

He's sick.

"No, sir," Cassia muttered, still not looking at him.

"Thank you," smirked Amycus. "Do me a favour and be good girls. Go on."

Cassia was shaking with anger and fear as she and Poppy walked past him.

"He's fucking sick," she shook her head, once they were on the bridge and sure they weren't being followed. "He's probably done that to first years."

"It's not right," Poppy agreed.

"He's preying on young girls, just waiting until he can assault or do worse to one of them," Cassia shook her head. "It was the same last year, the first time I met him, he looked me up and down and it just made me s-"

"I know, okay Cass? I know," Poppy nodded, looking onto the view ahead of them as they went down the hill, sighing as she said. "Harry would go crazy if he knew this was happening."

"He would," Cassia agreed. "But he's not here. And if I needed a man to save me, I'd never have made it past thirteen."

Poppy chuckled lightly, glad her best friend was still making light of the situation as they both reached level ground and almost sprinted up to Hagrid's door.

When they got there, Cassia lifted a hand and knocked on the door.

"Hagrid, you there? It's Cassia and Poppy!"

As soon as she said their names, there was the sound of movement inside, and Hagrid opened the door a couple seconds later.

"Hagrid," Cassia and Poppy said, just looking at him, grinning.

"Hello, you two!" Hagrid grinned. "Come in, come in!"

They entered immediately, Hagrid saying. "I'll just go put the kettle on..."

Cassia and Poppy sat on the threadbare sofa, taking a look around at the hut. It had been evidently rebuilt from when Bellatrix set it on fire at the end of last year, but it still had the sofa, the bed and the cushions, and Fang, the dashund, napping in the corner. Cassia smiled slightly, because it was good to know that some part of Hogwarts was still like Hogwarts.

"So, how're you two doing?" Hagrid asked rather knowingly, handing each of the girls a steaming mug.

"Er- alright," Cassia said, lips pressed together. "We're, um... managing."

"And you wouldn't have anything to do with this defacing of walls I've been telling about?" Hagrid smirked. "Don't tell me if you were, but... I have my suspicions."

Poppy smiled slightly, saying. "Yeah, it's tough times, I just... I guess Hogwarts just doesn't really feel like Hogwarts much anymore."

Cassia couldn't agree more.

"Yeah, there's a bit of that going round at the moment," Hagrid sighed, looking at Cassia.

"But what about you?" Cassia changed the subject. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, well, I've been on leave, doing work for the Order," Hagrid said evasively. "Snape wasn't very happy about it, but he couldn't say no to having me back cause there wasn't another care of magical creatures teacher willing to step up."

Cassia resisted a chuckle. It wasn't funny enough to laugh.

"I, er... I heard about the Carrows and their... teaching," Hagrid sighed, leaning forward to put a hand on Cassia's shoulder. "I'm, er... I'm sorry for what they did to you, Cassia. And I'm sorry I wasn't there to do something about it."

"You couldn't have," Cassia shook her head, looking at him to reassur him and praying the tears didn't come. "You can't fight them outright, it doesn't work."

Hagrid nodded, sitting back and smirking as if to say so your solution is to graffiti walls, then?

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, and then Cassia decided fuck it. She wanted some information on the best part of her life, and Hagrid was another person that could give it to her.

"So how's Harry?" She asked, looking at him.

"I thought you would be the one to answer me that," Hagrid said to her with a smile.

The way he said that made Cassia wonder whether Harry had let slip anything about them to Hagrid during the summer.

"No," Cassia shook her head, looking down. "The last I heard was that stupid article about them breaking into the ministry."

"Oh yeah, I saw that," Hagrid nodded. "Well, what I do know for sure is that, regardless of whether it is or isn't you two behind the walls, he'd be very proud of you."

"Thanks," Cassia smiled, looking down. "W-was he okay, though? The last you saw him?"

"Yeah, and talking about you as well," Hagrid said, still smiling. "He didn't tell me about you two, but I guessed almost immediately. Especially when he almost lost your letter during the seven Potter chase."

Cassia's eyes went wide. "What?"

"Almost fell out his pocket," Hagrid told her. "He screamed louder than I think I've ever heard, thinking he'd lost it. Only found it when we got to the Burrow and it was still in the bottom of his pocket."

"I can't believe it's that important to him," Cassia murmured, shaking her head as she looked down, eyes glassy.

"You crazy? I literally told you he reads it every night," Poppy chuckled.

"Yeah, but... that's my confession to doing something terrible," Cassia shook her head. "At best, I thought he'd rip it up."

"Cassia... you didn't do anything terrible," Hagrid reassured her. "You were in a tough situation, and you got through it. You didn't kill Dum- I mean, him, and you didn't even mean to be involved."

Cassia's lips twitched, a tear leaking down her cheek. "Thanks, Hagrid."

"Don't mention it," Hagrid smiled. "And if you ever need ammunition, I have a few muggle spray paint cans in here, I'm sure."

Poppy and Cassia both laughed, the latter through tears.

"We're all completely on side with you," Hagrid grinned. "Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn... they both said how proud they were."

Another tear fell as Cassia and Poppy relaxed in the bliss that was being believed in, being seen.

In that moment, Snape being terrible and Amycus being creepy didn't matter.

Because as long as McGonagall, Slughorn, Flitwick, Hagrid, as long as they had faith in them, they were okay.

They weren't exactly safe.

But they felt safer.