Post Tenebras Lux

Chapter Seventy-Nine

Muggle children wearing costumes walked past their house, carrying bags of sweets and chocolate. Cassiopeia frowned as James walked into Harry's bedroom. "What's wrong?"

"Why are the muggles dressing so weirdly today?"

James chuckled, "It's Halloween - it's how they celebrate."

"Well, it's bloody weird. And they say we dress strangely," Cassiopeia uttered, "Harry won't ever be forced into costumes like that. I wouldn't ever think about torturing him like that."

Her husband walked up behind her, "The children like it, Cass."

"They've been conditioned to like it," Cassiopeia replied with a smile as she saw how James was staring at her, "What?"

"You're impossible."

"Even now?"

"Even more so."

The cries of their son, caused the two to break apart as James picked him up and began to whirl him around, "It's almost time for him to sleep, stop winding him up."

James rolled his eyes at her, "But it's Halloween, Cass."

"I don't have a good feeling about today," She whispered as though she was scared about what would happen, "Something feels off today."

"What do you mean?"

She frowned as she replied, "I think something bad might happen today."

"Something bad? Like what?"

"I don't know, James," Cassiopeia held out her hand to their son, "It's just a feeling. It could be nothing."

James stared over at her, "Do you reckon it has something to do with him?"

Cassiopeia gulped nervously as Harry gurgled loudly, "I don't know. The Dark Lord has been unusually quiet recently, which can't be a good thing."

"We are going to be okay, Cass."

She smiled sadly, "You don't know that James. I think I'm going to sleep in here tonight. I don't want him to be alone. I want to be able to protect him."

"I'll sleep in here too. We should all be together!"

As Cassiopeia lay down on the floor beside the cot, she stared at Harry. Their son was peacefully asleep and tears pricked at even the thought of him being hurt. She would do anything to keep him alive, even if it meant her dying. 

James wrapped his arm around her as he brought her closer to him, "Try to sleep, Cass."

"I can't. I need to be awake in case something happens."

Cassiopeia was jolted awake by her son's cries and James shouting up from downstairs, "Cassiopeia! Cass! Come quick!"

Her head darted around the room as she grabbed Harry and cradled him to calm him down, "You are going to be okay, my beautiful little boy."

"Cassiopeia!" James yelled, "Come down."

She placed Harry back in his cot as she stared sadly at the toddler, "I love you. Daddy loves you. We all love you."

With one last look back, Cassiopeia nervously walked downstairs, her wand held out in front of her as she feared what she would find. 

James stood with his back to her as he spoke with another. Cassiopeia was confused as she glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of Sirius. The two men turned around and both raised their eyebrows at the sight of her standing there with her wand raised.

"Everything okay, Cassie?" Sirius inquired. 

"I thought -" Cassiopeia looked over at James, "I thought something bad was happening. When you shouted it sounded urgent."

James carefully moved her arm down as he stared at her sadly, "Something bad has happened, Cass."

She frowned as she allowed him to sit her down on the sofa beside them, "What's happened? Are we in danger? Are we going to have to send Harry away?"

James shook his head, "Alice and Frank Longbottom were killed last night."

Cassiopeia felt her heart drop, "And their son?"

"He's alive. He's currently with his grandmother."

"And what about the Dark Lord?"

Sirius sighed, "He's disappeared. Nowhere to be found. We've got people searching for him but even the death eaters are stumped."

"So they've lost their leader?" Cassiopeia said quietly, "Does this mean the war is over?"

"Yes, Cass," James replied as he embraced her, "We've won the war."

Cassiopeia nodded as she stared up at him, "I should go to Harry."

"Cass?" James shouted, "We can go home now."

She smiled slightly at him, "Think about that poor boy though. He has lost his parents. That could easily have been our Harry."