It had been four nights since Neville had first pitched his idea of stealing the sword, and in that time, no more meetings had been had and no more plans had been made.

But tonight, the DA met again.

And this time, the Room of Requirement even produced a table for them to all sit down at, as the discussed.

Cassia hadn't wanted to, but Poppy had pushed her to sit at the head of it. The reason she hadn't wanted to sit there was because she was reminded forcefully of the death eater meeting, and being at the head meant that this time, she was Voldemort.

(At least there was no one hanging above the table).

"Alright!" She called round the group, smiling slightly at the excited chatter everyone seemed to be alight with. "First off, I'd like to say that even if they don't seem so, McGonagall and Flitwick and Slughorn and Hagrid are all on board with us, and are happy that we're fighting."

Everyone looked at her with hope shining in their eyes, grinning.

"But anyway, um... onto the next plan," Cassia said, after a few seconds. "Neville brought up stealing the sword of Gryffindor a few days ago, and... I'm happy but scared to say we're going forward with it."

There was a cheer and a clap and people were hi fiving and everyone was grinning.

"Good on you, Cassia!" Seamus grinned up the table.

"That's amazing!" Parvati grinned.

"How are we going to do it?" Cho asked, still smiling.

That brought about the silence.

"That's what we're going to figure out tonight," Cassia told them, grabbing everyone's attention again. "Listen to me right now, okay? This is not graffiting walls. The five of us that did that were in enough danger, but if we get caught here the consequences will be dire."

Everyone took this in, some people looking down and some still nodding.

"I'm not trying to exclude people," Cassia said. "But I want the five of us that did the graffiti to do the actual sneaking, plus two lookouts, which we'll need to make sure Snape doesn't catch us."

"He's always in his classroom until at least ten," said someone Cassia didn't catch. "Only goes to his office then."

"So we're looking to steal it at around nine, when everyone's in their common rooms, the corridors are dark, and the Carrows are hopefully sticking their heads up their arses somewhere," Cassia deadpanned, but the people around her chuckled. "If they're not, the lookouts will have to keep them away, as well."

"So then we get into the office, and how exactly do we steal the sword?" Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"With a reductor curse to break the glass and a muffliato spell to make it noise free," Poppy answered easily, as if she was happy to do it. Cassia didn't miss the way Neville looked at her when she said this, eyes wide with awe. It made her miss Harry even more.

"Alright," Ginny shrugged. "I'm in."

"So am I," nodded Luna.

"Of course I am!" Poppy laughed.

"Me too," smiled Neville.

"Brilliant," smirked Cassia. "Now, we just need lookouts."

As everyone started to talk amongst themselves, Cassia leaned in to mutter to Poppy. "What I wouldn't give to have Potter and his invisibility cloak and his stupid map in this room right now."

Poppy laughed. "Yeah, because that's all you'd ask Harry for if he walked in right now."

"They'd be the first ones," Cassia replied.

"Oh come off it, you'd snog his brains out first," Poppy poked her in the side.

Cassia sighed, knowing deep down that the next time she saw Harry (whenever that may be) regardless of whether she wanted to 'snog his brains out' (which she most certainly did) she couldn't. They had a lot to talk about first.

"Alright, let's come together!" Cassia called round everyone, who were chatting and talking. "So, I think the best way to do this is that potential lookouts can nominate themselves, and then we can vote for the top two we want to come with us."

"Okay," Poppy sat back. "So, hands up, who is nominating themself to be a lookout?"

Four hands went up. Seamus was first, his hand shooting up. Parvati went next, raising hers. Cho was third, her hand high in the air. The last was, surprisingly, Lavender, who had been a little hesitant but ultimately put her hand up.

"Okay," Cassia nodded. "So, all in favour of Seamus, hands up?"

Five hands.

"Cho?"

Three hands.

"Parvati?"

One hand.

"Lavnder?"

Two hands.

"Alright, it looks like Seamus and Cho are our lookouts," Cassia said with a smirk. "Now, we're going to have to put a bit more work into planning this, so it's not going to happen straight away, but we'll keep you updated."

Everyone around her nodded, all grinning.

It seemed like all she had done last year had been forgiven.

Meaning she couldn't help but think that maybe, she should start to forgive herself.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

"We're stealing that fucking sword tonight and I don't care what anybody says."

It was a week since the original DA meeting, deciding the lookouts and the way they would do it.

However, no one had been expecting what happened that day.

It was just a muggle studies lesson, taught by Alecto, about how muggles were dirty and terrible and violent. And Cassia was used to them by now. She was used to the constant battering of muggles in Alecto's classes, and had in fact even come to expect it.

But then Alecto had to bring up Harry Potter.

"An example of a half blood wizard is, in fact, Harry Potter," she'd said. Cassia, who's head was halfway to the desk, jerked up at his name. Alecto had smirked before continuing. "Half bloods are slightly better than mudbloods, but only just. They still have that violent, dirty muggle nature, and the blood that runs in their veins isn't nearly as pure as they lead us to believe. Now, in the case of Harry Potter-"

"Potter's not a half blood," Cassia, who was looking down, had muttered quite loudly.

Alecto had paused, looking at Cassia, who was sitting with eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"What did you just say, Miss Malfoy?" She asked.

Cassia sat back in her chair, posture straight. She knew she was in danger. But Alecto wasn't bad mouthing Harry like that.

"I said that Harry Potter is not a half blood," Cassia repeated slowly and concisely. "His mother was a witch and his father was a wizard. You should know as well as I do that that equates to being pure blood."

"Are you defending Harry Potter, Miss Malfoy?" Alecto demanded, voice angry.

"No," Cassia said, still calm. "I'm just saying that you need to check your facts."

"Lily Potter was a filthy, good-for-nothing mudblood," Alecto spat. "Her son is a half blood, and none of my facts need checking."

Suddenly, Cassia remembered something. Amycus and Alecto's mother had been muggle born, and she knew this due to a cruel joke Bellatrix had made to Alecto that had led to a wand being shoved into her throat.

She took a deep breath, knowing there was no turning back from what she was about to do.

I am playing a very dangerous game.

"So by that logic, surely you're half blood, too, miss? You know, what with your filthy, good-for-nothing mother."

She had heard the gasps around her. She had known what she was signing herself up for.

She had left that class with a deep gash on her cheek, freely trickling blood down her face. Alecto had slashed her with her wand, and Cassia had been fighting the whole lesson not to cry, as blood splattered her pages.

By the time she left the class, however, she wasn't even sad. She was angry.

This wasn't the first time a Carrow had hurt her. But she wanted it to be the last.

So as they left, she pulled Poppy close, hissing into her ear."We're stealing that fucking sword tonight and I don't care what anybody says."

Poppy hadn't done anything to react to this except nod, however later, once they were less exposed, they made their plan.

"I'm not letting her go on like that, having the audacity to mention Harry when he's not even here to defend himself," she snapped. "She'll be after Hermione next, and I'll take a hundred of these before I listen to that."

She pointed to the gash on her cheek, and Poppy sighed. "Okay, so we wipe the smirk off her face, and steal the sword," she said. "Where are we gonna put it once we hide it?"

"Forbidden Forest?" Cassia shrugged. "Anywhere that isn't incriminating any of us."

"Right," Poppy said. "So how do we let everyone know?"

"Just tell them," Cassia shrugged. "I'll let Cho, Seamus and Luna know, and you handle Ginny and Neville."

Just saying his name reminded Cassia.

"Oh, and by the way," she added with a smirk. "When we get a moment next, you've got to tell me everything about Neville."

"Wh-what? Neville? There's- there's nothing between me and him-" Poppy tried to play it off.

"Come off it, Poppy, I've seen you two together," Cassia rolled her eyes. "And to be honest, I'm taking this opportunity to tease you because you've been at me for at least a year about Harry-"

"Shut up, Cass," Poppy said, her cheeks flushed. "I mean- maybe he's cute, but-"

"We need to go, I'll get this later!"

The two girls were giggling by the time they arrived at lunch.

And honestly, Cassia regretted nothing.

❦︎❦︎❦︎

The tension in the Room of Requirement could be cut with a knife. Seven people were stood in there, standing in a circle, all facing each other. Darkness had fallen on the castle an hour and a half ago, and everyone had retired to their common rooms.

Cassia was ready. She knew they could do this without being caught, she knew they could pull this off. She wanted to do this and manage it, she wanted to rebel against the Carrows and Snape.

"Right," she said, voice low even though no one could hear them. "Does everyone know what they're doing and where they're going?"

All six of them nodded to her, and she nodded back, keeping down the smirk.

"Alright then," she told them. "Let's go."

❦︎❦︎❦︎

Once the lookouts were stationed in their places and fed their instructions, Cassia, Poppy, Neville, Ginny and Luna creeped along the dark, quiet corridor towards Snape's office.

A few days ago, Cassia had hidden outside Snape's office with a pair of extendable ears (courtesy of last year's Christmas present from Fred and George) in wait of the headmaster. She needed to know what the password to his office was, and she did actually find it out.

The password was 'Dumbledore'. Cassia's stomach had burned with anger as she heard Snape utter his name. Snape who murdered him. Snape who betrayed him.

And then her stomach burned with more anger, this time at herself. Because she stood by and watched as this happened. She was part of this plan.

But she had to say his name, when they reached the door that would only open if they said it. It had to pass her lips, because otherwise they couldn't get through.

"D-Dumbledore," she said, her voice shaking, almost inperceptably. Slowly, the door opened, the phoenix's wings opening up and the spiral staircase being revealed.

Cassia looked back at her comrades. Poppy looked nervous with a small smile on her face. Neville looked prepared, his face set and hard. Ginny was being brave, as always, her brown eyes dark and her fists clenched. Luna was smiling slightly, sort of detached like always, but still ready for the task at hand.

Cassia gave them a small nod before beginning to climb, all four of them following her.

It was a weird sort of satisfaction, doing this. First year Cassia Malfoy would go absolutely bananas if she could see where current Cassia Malfoy was at the moment, and not just because she was in love with Harry Potter. Because she was willingly breaking the rules, and being happy to do it.

When they got up the stairs, Cassia took a deep breath, and pushed open the door to D- Snape's office.

"Lumos," Cassia hissed as they went inside, lighting up her wand.

When the room was illuminated, Cassia fought the urge to gasp.

The room hadn't changed at all. Cassia had thought it'd be a dark, dungeon like thing, but it hadn't changed. All the glass cabinets and knick knacks were still there, the desk was still cluttered, the portraits of past heads were still hung up, many of whom were snoring, all of whom were asleep.

There was only one difference. And that was the last portrait, in the corner.

It was of Dumbledore. He was sitting in his chair, his signature robes on, his whole face alight and practically glowing. He gave Cassia hope. She still remembered his words from a few months ago, on top of the tower.

"And Cassia... you are not a killer, either. Just perhaps a... little unlistened to."

She'd gone through the whole year thinking she was a lost cause. One talk with Dumbledore, and she had seen hope.

"Cass," Poppy whispered to her, making Cassia jump back to life. She turned to Poppy, who put a finger to her lips. "Come on, we've got to steal the sword."

Cassia nodded, turning round. The others had lit their wands by now, and all three of them were pointing at the glass case with the sword in it, just behind Snape's chair.

The sword was beautiful. It had been four years since Cassia had seen it in the flesh, with its ruby encrusted hilt and shining silver blade with GODRIC GRYFFINDOR etched into it.

Seeing that had made Cassia feel like a true Gryffindor. It had been the first time she'd felt like she'd truly belonged to the house. The first time she'd decided to screw her family and go her own way.

"Right, come on," she said, pointing her wand at the door. "Muffliato!"

The spell shot out her wand and to the door, surrounding the office in a bubble where no one could hear what was about to happen next.

Cassia then turned her wand to the glass case, pursing her lips. "Are you guys ready for this?" She asked, louder now, voice shaking.

"Yeah," all four of her mates told her.

Cassia gripped her wand tighter, squeezing her eyes shut. She envisioned her boyfriend in her head, grinning, smiling, kissing her, whatever. She just wished he would be proud of her.

"Reducto!"

The bright light was blinding but the BANG was deafening. Cassia covered her ears as the spell hit the glass and it shattered, leaving the sword to clatter to the ground with a CLANG.

Cassia was glad they knew the silencing spell.

After the spell was over, Ginny recovered the quickest. She moved forward, avoiding cutting herself with all the broken glass and grabbing the sword.

"Bingo," she said, grinning as she held up the sword, the hilt of rubies in her hand.

Cassia smirked back. "Bingo."

"We've done it," Luna grinned.

"Not yet," Cassia shook her head. "Come on, we have to g-"

However, as she turned towards the door, she cut herself off completely.

She stopped in her tracks, her lit wand still held, as all the muscles in her body tensed up.

They did have to go.

But they were never escaping.

Because Snape was stood behind them, face stony and eyes dark. Amycus and Alecto Carrow stood either side of him, a struggling Cho and Seamus held by each of them, mouths clamped over with hands.

Oh, fuck.