𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 | f. weasley

four

FOR THE TRAIN RIDE the next day, Cassie excused herself from the trio and joined the other compartment with Neville Longbottom, a fellow friend, because every time she would look at Crookshanks, she would see memories of the brunette woman, Julia walking around Godric's Hollow, playing with a baby boy and girl in their cribs. All these memories did was confuse her and summon headaches because every time she would try and find memories of Julia, she would strain herself too much and insinuate migraines as a result. So, to return to Hogwarts with a stable and calm mind, she decided to separate herself from her friends. 

She engaged in a polite conversation with Neville for a while before Ginny joined them in the compartment saying that Ron had kicked her out of their coach because Harry had something rather too personal to tell them. The conversation soon shifted to their summers – Ginny's most exciting since she had gone to Egypt while Neville stayed nursing the greenhouse in his grandmother's backyard – and eventually died down as the three of them, one by one, dissolved into their books – Herbology: A Student Guide for Neville; Charlie's copy of Quidditch Through the Ages for Ginny and Hogwarts: A History for Cassandra.

Somewhere in the middle of the ride, the train halted to a sharp stop. Coldness spread around them, the windows slowly covering in frost. Cassandra's breath began to quicken. She knew what was coming, she knew it all too well. Any moment now, darkness would surround them and she will feel like all the happiness she ever held inside of her – which was much more than people expected, Cassandra was just not a very expressive person – would be sucked out and all that would be left in her would be sadness and coldness in her heart. As expected, everything went cold and the lights flickered before they went out. Cassie could see the silhouettes of cloaked figures gliding in the passageway through the little light streaming in through the window. They moved eerily, hovering inches above the ground. One of them stopped in front of their compartment and slid open the door menacingly. Cassie felt as though all happiness had gone from the world and she started remembering dreadful things – but this time these memories were not belonging to the ones she remembered. She could hear a woman scream 'NO! JAMES! NOT JAMES!' while a male voice whimpered beside her. This memory was new, it was fresh. It wasn't something Cassie could remember before today. Cassie's eyes flew open as she gained her senses once again. She saw the dementor inch towards her and Neville – both of whom were pressed against the glass of the window. Cassandra quickly whipped out her wand and produced a corporeal fox Patronus which proceeded to push the dementor out of the compartment by attacking it. A few moments later, the lights flickered on. Cassie blinked her eyes a few times to adjust her pupils to the sudden burst of light in the compartment. Still trembling from the attack, Neville shakily asked what that creature was.

"A dementor," Cassandra answered coldly, tucking her wand inside her coat once again. A small gasp escaped from Neville's lips. He knew about them all too well but had never crossed paths with any, that is, until now.

"I say they are here for Sirius Black," Ginny reckoned, her voice beginning to reach back to the confidence it held. Cassie's hand, which was still in the pocket of her coat, flinched at the name of the mass murderer. Yet she showed no sign of panic or distress, unlike Neville.

"Probably," Cassandra nodded, tentatively taking a seat.

"Are you–" Ginny began to ask Neville before being interrupted by a tall figure which had swung open the door. Cassie looked up to find her godfather Remus Lupin, standing at the doorway, looking very weary and tired since the last time she had seen him – that being five years ago. At the mere sight of him, Cassandra stood up immediately and flung her arms around him, Remus gladly reciprocating the action by hugging her tighter. He twirled her around before dropping her back onto the floor.