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chapter thirty one / clairvoyance
Hermione and Cassie were alone at breakfast the next morning. Ron had bristled up when he had arrived and only snatched up two pieces of toast, before promptly walking out of the Hall.
"What was that about?" said Cassie curiously as she watched Ron's retreating figure.
"I think," Hermione began, slowly and carefully, "that he's mad at you. Because you're still on with Harry. Which..."
"Which what?" said Cassie, furrowing her eyebrows defensively. "There was an Age Line! Harry didn't put his bloody name in the Goblet, and I'm sick of—"
"He said he's a cheat. And that you're a traitor, since you're on his side."
"I didn't realize there were sides to be taken," said Cassie finally. "What are we? Twelve? He can't possibly be mad." She scoffed lightly and returned to eating her breakfast. Though she looked up when Hermione didn't reply, self-conscious. "Right?"
"I don't...." She pursed her lips and shook her head. "I don't want to take any sides. You're right. But I think I understand why he's mad, y'know."
"No way," scoffed Cassie. "I haven't done anything wrong. Is he jealous? I didn't realize he was thinking about putting his own name in."
"Oh, come off it," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Ron's so immature. He'll get over himself soon. Just.. give it a rest."
"And the rest of them?"
"The rest of who?"
Cassie nodded her head to the Slytherin table, all staring directly at them and talking to each other under their breath. Then she turned over her shoulder and caught the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs doing all the same. She turned back to Hermione, shoulders drooping in on themselves.
"Them."
Immediately, Hermione's face softened, and she leaned in. "Cassie—"
"Let's just drop it," Cassie decided, pushing her plate back further on the table. "I'm going to head back to the common room."
She was only ten steps out of the Great Hall when the first pin appeared; stuck on Pansy Parkinson's chest. It wouldn't have caught her attention if it didn't have her own face grinning back at her: A mini Harry, whose head was growing a bright green and blowing up. Then, she splattered against the pin, and the words POTTER STINKS were sprayed in her wake.
"Support Cedric Diggory," sneered Pansy, followed by a scoff right in Cassie's face. "The real Hogwarts champion."
"Shove off, Parkinson," Cassie murmured, wrapping her arms around herself and speeding up her pace to brush past the Slytherin. "That's immature."
