"Take my hand, Cassiopeia!" Harry shouts, looking at her with pleading eyes. "I can help you!"
"I'm sorry, Harry..." she shook her head, looking away as tears fills her eyes. "You cannot help me."
"I can. And I won't stop until you've finally realis...
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WHISPERS OF DESPERATION
☆☆☆
The Hogwarts corridors echoed with emptiness as students departed for the Christmas holiday. Cassiopeia, however, remained behind, the weight of her responsibilities preventing her from embracing the warmth of festive celebrations. Harry had urged her to join him at the Weasleys', a chance for respite and camaraderie, but she declined, citing the need to catch up on studies.
Alone in the quiet castle, Cassiopeia found herself standing before the vanishing cabinet once again. Determination flickered in her eyes as she raised her wand, attempting to mend the broken pieces. Hours stretched into the night, but her efforts proved futile. The cabinet remained stubbornly fractured, a physical manifestation of the fractures in her own world.
Frustration gnawed at her, mingling with the bitter taste of regret. The choice she had made to align herself with the dark forces now seemed like an irrevocable pact, sealing her fate in shadows. As she sighed, defeated, she couldn't shake the image of Harry's disappointed expression when she declined his invitation.
In a moment of desperation, Cassiopeia sought solace in the most unlikely ally – Severus Snape. With hesitant steps, she approached his office, the door creaking open as she entered. Snape looked up from his desk, his dark eyes assessing her with a piercing gaze.
"What brings you here, Miss Malfoy?" he inquired, his tone neutral.
Cassiopeia hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "I need help. I've been trying to fix the vanishing cabinet, but it seems beyond my abilities."
Snape raised an eyebrow, the subtlest hint of intrigue crossing his features. "The vanishing cabinet, you say? A complicated piece of dark magic. What makes you think I would assist you?"
"Because," she replied, "you have a vested interest in the outcome of the events that unfold within these walls. I may be a Malfoy, but our interests currently align."
For a moment, Snape regarded her in silence, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his desk. Finally, he spoke, "I might have information, but assistance depends on the sincerity of your commitment."
Snape shared the details of a potion that could potentially aid in the cabinet's restoration. However, the ingredients were rare and challenging to obtain. Cassiopeia left his office with a sense of purpose, determined to prove her dedication to the cause.
Days turned into nights as she scoured the Hogwarts grounds for the elusive ingredients. Moonlight cast a silver glow on her figure as she moved with a quiet determination. The castle, usually a haven of magic, now harbored the shadows of her clandestine mission.
