𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒇𝒐𝒚 || h.potter

THIRTY | year 5

OWLs THEN FIREWORKS

CLANG. Educational Decree No. 119: Dolores Jane Umbridge has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Cassiopeia stood outside the Great Hall, tapping her foot impatiently as she lets out a heavy sigh. Dumbledore's Army was inside the Great Hall, using Umbridge's Black Quill that's used for punishments. She was glad she wasn't there at the time. Not only because of the punishments, but also because Draco would've seen her.

After what felt like ages, they all started to pour out the Great Hall, and Cassiopeia noticed some of them giving dirty looks at her. She ignored them, and she tried looking through the students for Harry, but she couldn't see him.

But she did spot Hermione's bushy hair, she jogged towards the girl, tapping her shoulder. "Hey, 'Mione. Do you know where Harry went?"

Hermione looked at Ron, who shrugged. "Dunno, he walked out very fast. But I reckon he's probably going to the bridge, he usually goes there," said Ron.

"Are you sure?" Cassiopeia asked, Ron nodded.

"Maybe,"

"I'll check then, thanks," she patted Ron's shoulder before walking out of the Hall, and to the bridge outside. Cassiopeia spotted the familiar messy raven hair, and she was glad no other students were there.

"Harry," she said, standing beside him. He didn't look up. His eyes were fixed at the distant as he leaned on the bridge. "I'm so sorry, I couldn't do anything about it, I was too late---"

"It's okay, Cas," he said, in a soft voice, "it's okay. What has happened, happened. We've got nothing else to do,"

"What happened to Dumbledore?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting together. "Did he leave? Or was he sent to Azkaban?"

"He disappeared right in front of us, along with his Phoenix," he replied, looking at her, now finally being so close to Cassiopeia, Harry noticed the huge dark circles under her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Cassiopeia frowned, lifting a brow at the boy, "I'm fine, why?"

"You look like you have not slept, Cassiopeia," he said, facing her, concern written all over his face.

She brushed him off, "I'm okay, I promise. I just...have not got any sleep. Y'know...visions? And...homework. OWLS is coming, so..."

She wasn't a good liar when it comes to lying in front of Harry. Cassiopeia didn't understand why, she lied to him plenty of times before.

"Right..." he nodded, in a tone that she knew that he didn't believe her. She gave him a soft smile before grabbing his right hand, and intertwining it with hers.

"By the way, remember the photo you sent me of us?" She asked, looking for it in her pockets as Harry nodded.

"Yeah, why?" He asked.

"I still have it you know," she took it out from her pocket, but instead of a Polaroid picture, it was a big silver locket. "I don't wear it, it's heavy," she said.

"What's inside it?"

"Oh, it's the picture of us," she said, opening the locket to reveal them both smiling at each other during last year's Yule Ball, both oblivious that someone had taken a picture of them. Cassiopeia smiled at the locket in her hand before closing it, and shoving it inside her pocket again. "Now, come on, let's get back inside the Castle. We could get in trouble."

Cassiopeia grabbed his hand, and they both walked back inside the castle.

°°°
Now that it's almost end of school year, students have been stressing over their OWLs. The Slytherin Common Room had been quiet during exam and revision weeks, mostly students breaking down or some students having their nose stuck in a book.