Little Miss Marauder

Chapter 23 - Doubted Innocence

Chapter 23 - Doubted Innocence

Harry was indeed full of trepidation as he stood in-front of the phoenix statue. He was sure that this was the best way for him to get the answers his heart desired, but yet something was stopping him. It was almost as though he did not trust Dumbledore with this. That sounded ridiculous even to him, yet it made sense. Dumbledore was the one to leave him with the Dursleys, so surely this woman would not be related to him. Surely he would have been left with a magical relative if one were to exist? The desire of truth overruled his nerves and he stepped closer to the statue when its staircase came spiralling down.

McGonagall stepped out of Dumbledore's office after their meeting. She had wanted to go and catch up with Cassadee, see how her first teaching day had gone. Yet as she briskly walked away off of the last step of the staircase she saw one of her third year students gaping at her. "Potter" she was shocked at his presence.

"Professor...I was... I wanted to talk to Dumbledore" Harry managed to stammer out. He didn't want to go into too much detail. He knew that McGonagall knew more about this new Potter than she let on, especially after she evaded him in the common room the previous night, but he was unsure of what he wanted to tell her. "Professor Dumbledore is occupied at the moment, is it something I may be able to help you with Mr Potter?" McGonagall knew exactly what this was about, why else would the young Potter be here already on the first day of term? She wasn't stupid but she wanted Harry to ask specifically for the information he wanted. "N... Yes actually Miss... The new professors... are they... did they..." Harry really tried to get the question out, but he did not quite know the information he wanted first. "Ah yes Mr Lupin and Miss Potter. What about them?" She really tried to hold back a smirk but was sure that a hint of a smile slipped through.

Harry was to nervous about the answers he could potentially receive to analyse McGonagall's expression so he did not pick up the way her usually stern face twitched. "Did they know my parents?" was the question Harry finally managed to stammer out. "They were in the same year here as your parents, yes. In fact I believe they were in Gryffindor with him."

"Really? SO does that mean that Professor Potter is... is she.." McGonagall cut off the next question that Harry was going to ask "If you have questions about them I feel as though it is best to take up any further questions with the two professors in question hmm?" and with that she walked off down the corridor, in search of the elder Potter.

Harry was dumbstruck. Being in Gryffindor mean that they had to have known his parents well. They just had to. Which meant that even if this woman was not his aunt, which he knew was more and more unlikely at each moment, she did know a lot about his family. He had to speak to them both. He just had to know. Harry backed away from the phoenix statue. He felt as though McGonagall had hinted that he should not talk to Dumbledore and he trusted her judgement right now. He would have to speak to the new professors directly.

Remus knew that it was young Harry before he even asked the boy to introduce himself but had to make sure before he introduced Cassadee to the class. He saw her tense and noticed that the boy did not absorb anything else for the rest of the lesson, absorbed in his own thoughts. Remus let this go, he knew the boy was trying to make sense of everything and when he dismissed the class at the end and after seeing all of the students out, shut the door and walked over to his best friend. "Are you alright Cass?" concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah of course... why wouldn't I be?"

"We both know that it was him. It was a tough realisation for both of us. But that boy. He is your nephew Cassadee. The first family member you've seen for years. That has to have taken a toll on you?"

"I'm fine Remus I promise." Cassadee smiled at her friend. She was unsure of how she felt so how could she explain it to him. "I know you Cassadee. I know you're not fine. You don't have to pretend to be okay. It's not good for you."

"You say that Remus, but ever since they all... Ever since Sirius left... I haven't had the chance to talk about anything. The ministry wouldn't have allowed it. So seeing him there, seeing the hatred of me in his eyes... how could I ever be okay with that? It's my fault he was left with Vermin and Petunia" Cassadee still used the old name she would call Petunia's husband "he wouldn't have been left with them and he could have been loved. He could have been happy. With me." Cassadee was getting more and more hysterical with every word. Silent sobs racked her body as she launched herself into the comfort of her best friend. "He will never forgive me... and neither would James" She had finally let it out. Cassadee knew that he would have been disappointed in his sister, Lily would hate her for letting Harry go.

Memories of the dream she had whilst in the hospital wing flashed in front of her eyes. James had claimed to be proud of her, but she felt as though this was just her brain trying to make her feel better. If she couldn't forgive herself, how could James ever forgive her?

Remus' heart shattered hearing the broken voice of his friend, he held her close to him, attempting to give her even a slither of comfort. "This never was and never will be your fault. Don't you ever think that. James will always be proud of you and Lily will always love you. I bet they're up there with Peter looking down on us now and laughing at our stupidity." This caused her to let out a choked laugh, but hearing the end of his sentence is what spurred her to push away from him. How had she forgotten to bring it up before now.

"That's another reason I wanted to talk to you! I don't think Peter is dead. Sirius didn't kill him!"

"Cass... I thought we went over this on the train. I know it's hard to grasp that Sirius could do that, but he did. Peter's gone Cass." It was difficult for Remus to say. He was shocked when he first learned of the battle between the two former friends. "Sirius is out of azkaban and we have to keep Harry safe from him."

"That's what i'm saying Remus. I don't think it's Sirius we need to watch out for. I think Peter somehow lived. I think it was him that gave up James and Lily. And I know what you're gonna say, this isn't because i'm in love with him. It's something that I truly believe. Plus surely I would be the one to know what he was capable of. I don't think he did it." Remus attentively listened to her impassioned speech, sympathy radiating off of him. He truly wished that Sirius was innocent too, but all of the evidence pointed to him, he killed Peter and changing the way they pointed fingers wouldn't bring any of them back.

"Say that was true. What would Peter have had to gain from that? Why would he have done it? And where would he be now?" He was trying to make her see sense without completely dismissing her ideas. Cassadee knew she had to have more proof before she could convince Remus of what she believed to be the truth. Hopefully being back at Hogwarts would allow her to find that evidence. "You.... you're right. Maybe I just want him to be innocent" she resigned, knowing full well this wasn't the end. As much as Remus wanted to believe it was, he knew that as well.

After discussing some of the lessons they were going to do tomorrow, Cassadee headed back to her bed chambers to have some peace before dinner. Reaching the door to the great hall Cassadee looked up from her feet to see Peeves. "Miss Potter is back!" he shrieked, excited at seeing a face he had known all those years ago. "Hi Peeves" Cassadee grinned at the poltergeist, "Still getting up to trouble I hope?"

"Of course Miss Potter, or should I say Professor? What else would Ole' Peeves get up to in Hogwarts?" Cassadee laughed with the ghost and when they both heard Filch shouting his name, she waved him on chuckling, and was about to carry on her walk when she heard a call of her name behind.

"Cassadee!" The head of Gryffindor house shouted when she saw the girl. "Minnie! It's great to see you!"

"Yes, it's wonderful to see you as well. Now how was your first day teaching?" questioned the elder professor. "It went as well as it could be when you find out you're teaching your last family member for the next year." Cassadee trailed of awkwardly. "Ah yes... Harry Potter... Speaking of him, I just ran into him outside of Dumbledore's office. He asked about you." And with that McGonagall proceeded to recount the meeting to Cassadee, neither of them noticing the listening ears just around the corner.