It was Saturday morning, and not just any Saturday morning. It was the day Gryffindor and Slytherin would finally face off in a Quidditch match.
Cassie had returned to her dormitory late the night before. Her dormmates were already chatting excitedly about the upcoming game, anticipating an afternoon of entertainment. Much of the school had been buzzing about it all week, and not simply because the two rival houses were finally going to have a go at each other. Harry Potter would be playing in his first match as Seeker.
Cassie had considered going, but tutoring hours still needed to be covered, and watching Quidditch had never been a priority for her—except when she'd been dating Charlie. So she volunteered to spend most of the afternoon in the library. Her fellow tutors were grateful, as even those who usually didn't care to attend the matches were eager to see Potter play.
"So you're just going to sit in the library with Madam Pince all day?" Laanstra asked Cassie, scrunching up her nose in disgust. "I mean, it's not like any of the students are going to be inside doing their homework. They're all going to be at the game, too!" She leaned toward her mirror, getting a better look at herself as she used her wand to apply eyeliner.
Cassie shrugged and began gathering her long locks into a ponytail. "Maybe not. Even if one kid needs help, someone has to be there. And if it's slow, I'll just work on my homework."
"Well, you probably need the extra time," Danika piped up from across the room, giggling.
"What do you mean by that?" Cassie asked, pulling her robes over her uniform, though she already knew exactly where this conversation was headed.
"You're gone all hours of the night. Can't imagine you're off studying into the wee hours of the morning!" the other Slytherin seventh-year continued. The other girls in the dormitory cackled along with her. Cassie rolled her eyes.
"No wonder she doesn't want to watch Quidditch," Laanstra said slyly, now applying a thick layer of bright red lipstick. "Reminds her too much of the previous Gryffindor Seeker?"
"No, no," Danika guffawed. "With as busy as she's been, I reckon she's completely forgotten about Weasley!"
More laughter followed. Cassie sighed, grabbed her bag, now laden with textbooks, and headed toward the common room.
Laanstra hastily finished putting on her full face of makeup so she could chase after her.
"Seriously now, Black, who is the new boy-toy? We've been wracking our brains, and we can't figure it out! You didn't exactly keep Weasley a secret last year, so why sneak around with this one? Is it a Mudblood? Or a Hufflepuff?"
"Oh, I just thought I'd give your fabulous minds a little exercise," Cassie replied dryly.
The Slytherin prefect scoffed. "You know, Black, you really ought to be nicer to me, because I could just turn you over to Professor Snape for being gone all the time. Then your little romance will be over."
Babbs, who had been sitting by the fireplace with a few of his mates, suddenly got up and jumped over the couch to join the conversation. "Yeah, Black, and then you'd be free to fuck me. On second thought, maybe Laanstra and I should do our duty as prefects and turn you in!" he said with a wink.
"Not in a million years, Babbs," Cassie replied coolly.
"What, can't get enough of blood traitor meat?" He grinned as he took a few steps toward her and toyed with the ends of her hair. Everyone in the common room was watching the scene unfold now, and Cassie was ready to curse the lot of them.
"No, Babbs." Cassie reached up and placed a hand against the prefect's cheek, using the movement as a distraction while slowly moving her free hand toward her pocket. "I just don't date boys with itchy crotches."
Harrison looked taken aback, removing his hand from her hair. "What are you—" he began.
Her hex must have taken effect then, because he suddenly wailed, doubling over and clutching at his groin. The bystanders immediately began to whoop and holler. Slytherins, as a rule, seemed to find particular pleasure in each other's discomfort when the opportunity presented itself.
"Black, you bitch!" Babbs shrieked as Laanstra rushed to his side. Even she seemed apprehensive about touching him, and Cassie snorted with laughter.
"Better go see Madam Pomfrey. That doesn't seem good," Cassie called as she headed toward the exit. "After you rat me out to Professor Snape, of course."
She was satisfied with herself, even though she knew she'd probably be serving some detentions for it. Happy to be away from her housemates, she grimaced when she heard footsteps behind her only seconds later.
"Wait up, Cass!" She heard the out-of-breath voice of Draco, and her contentment was quickly squashed.
"Good morning," she said, trying her hardest to be polite. Most of their interactions tended to turn sour quickly.
"Babbs is an idiot." Draco matched her stride as they walked through the dungeons. "But that was brilliant, what you did!"
"Saw that, did you?"
"I think the whole house saw that," he answered. "You'd think they'd learn not to mess with you by now."
Cassie was wary, instantly suspicious that her first-year cousin was trying to butter her up for something. But she reminded herself that he was family, that this was his first year at the school, and that he would benefit from her influence. She tried to be patient. "You'd think," she replied. "Not that I condone hexing other students, Draco."
Draco scoffed. "You have to teach me that one!"
Cassie sighed wearily. Maybe she wasn't such a good influence on him, after all. "Are you going to the match?"
"Well, yeah! Wouldn't want to miss Potter making a complete arse of himself, now would I?"
"You sound quite sure of yourself," Cassie replied as they ascended the staircase.
"He's never even been on a broom before coming here. There's no way he won't screw up!"
"Well, there must be a reason for picking him in his first year, don't you think?"
"Because he's Saint Potter," Draco sniffed. "Father agrees. No one would have given him a second thought if he wasn't the Boy Who Lived! Did you hear? Someone's given him a Nimbus 2000!"
Once her cousin had mentioned Lucius, Cassie started to tune him out. He kept complaining as they walked through the entrance hall and into breakfast, and she even had the pleasure of having him sit beside her as she tried to eat, which was rare.
She glanced over at the Gryffindor table as Draco continued to drone on about the unfairness of Potter being on the Gryffindor team. Harry looked like he was going to be sick, but the others around him seemed to be doing their best to comfort him. At least the boy had a support system.
Cassie knew Severus was going to the game, as it would have been odd for him not to attend when his own house was playing. But the two of them had agreed to keep an eye on Quirrell's whereabouts. Cassie still didn't know whether the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would attend the match, so she waited for Severus in the entrance hall to find out.
He pulled her aside as soon as he came out of the Great Hall. "He's going to the match," he murmured.
"Good," Cassie replied. "So he's not going to go after the Stone."
"Apparently not." Severus's expression remained grim. "Even so, I want you to go up to the third floor once or twice, just to make sure nothing is amiss. Can you do that?"
"Of course." She was a little surprised. "But won't Dumbledore be in the castle?"
"Dumbledore asked me to keep an eye on Quirrell, and you by extension," Severus reminded her. "He might have his own matters to attend to."
"I expect part of your teacher's salary for this," said Cassie with a smirk. She saw something glimmer in the professor's eyes, perhaps a snarky retort, but he kept it to himself.
A group of students walked past them. Just as they were about to part ways for the day, she added, "Oh, and by the way, you'll probably need to put me in detention for the next week or so."
He raised an eyebrow. "Now what?"
Before Cassie could answer, Harrison Babbs burst into the entrance hall from the dungeon staircase, sweating profusely and still clutching himself, followed by a gaggle of Slytherins. As soon as they saw Severus and Cassie standing together, they hurried toward them, Babbs looking as though he was fighting back tears.
"He deserved it!" Cassie said quickly before stifling a laugh. The Slytherin prefect hobbled toward his Head of House, still clutching his injured pride—and his groin.
"Just go!" Severus snapped at her, clearly less than thrilled about having to deal with the situation. Off Cassie went toward the library.
As she had predicted, with the majority of the staff and students at the Quidditch pitch, the library was nearly empty. Cassie was able to make a good start on the homework that had been piling up while her evenings had been preoccupied.
Twice, she mumbled something about needing to stretch her legs and use the bathroom and ventured up to the third floor to make sure nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The second time, she even pressed her ear against the door and heard the cerberus snoring away.
So Quirrell hadn't gotten brave enough to venture back into the castle while everyone was distracted at the game. At least, not yet.
Cassie figured the day was simply going to be an uneventful one and returned to her desk, continuing to work on memorizing advanced potion recipes. The game ended, and she could hear students in the hallways speaking excitedly to one another. She expected a few of them to wander into the library for homework help, but none did before her hours were up.
She left the library and headed back down toward the dungeons. It wasn't until she reached the common room that she caught wind of Gryffindor's victory—and what had happened.
"I told you all he'd make a complete fool of himself, nearly falling off his broom!" Draco was saying to Crabbe, Goyle, and a group of other first-years. "He barely knows how to fly!"
"And yet he still caught the Snitch, didn't he?" one of the older students groaned. "Doesn't matter that his broom went haywire, does it? Slytherin still lost!"
"Went haywire?" Cassie asked, interrupting.
Draco shrugged. "I guess a Nimbus 2000 is too much broom for the likes of Potter. It looked like it was trying to buck him off. Nearly plummeted to his death. Rotten luck that he didn't."
Cassie immediately made her way to Severus's office.
The students didn't seem to think Harry's broom acting up was a particularly big deal. But it was. The charms cast on brooms prevented ordinary interference from affecting them. Something powerful—and malicious—had been done to it on purpose.
Severus was pacing his office when she entered, looking distinctly flustered. "Did someone see you inside the castle today?" he asked.
Cassie nodded. "Madam Pince. What happened?"
"Quirrell jinxed the broom," Severus explained readily. His teeth were bared, his expression furious, and for a moment he looked as though he might tear the DADA professor apart with his bare hands.
"It was him for sure?"
He ignored her question and continued pacing. "I need to speak with Dumbledore. I followed Potter to Hagrid's. Go there and make sure he gets back to the Gryffindor common room for the evening."
"You don't think Quirrell would try something again—"
"Just do it!"
For a moment, Cassie was ready to tell him exactly what she thought of that tone. But she knew he was upset. He had just watched someone attempt to murder his childhood friend's son in front of the entire school.
She took a split second to grab his hand and give it a quick squeeze. Then she was off at a run.
She didn't know what Quirrell was capable of at this point. Hopefully, once Severus and Dumbledore spoke, Quirrell would be arrested and taken from the castle. Then he would finally be out of their lives.
Hagrid's hut looked cozy and unassuming from a distance. Cassie debated whether to go inside, knowing Hagrid probably had tea on and would welcome her with open arms. But something in the air felt malevolent just then, and Cassie felt the need to remain on alert.
So she stayed a couple of hundred feet away from the hut, watching.
The sun was beginning to sink, and the trees of the Forbidden Forest looked darker and taller, their branches resembling gnarled arms. The sight only added to the ominous feeling she couldn't shake.
Cassie slowly paced back and forth, making sure she could see every angle of Hagrid's home. She wondered how much longer Harry was going to stay when she turned toward the Forest again.
She startled. A figure had suddenly appeared in her view.
Quirrell.
Purple turban and all, he stood a few hundred feet in front of the tree line. Cassie didn't know how he'd managed to appear there without making a sound.
He wasn't trying to hide the fact that he was there. Instead, he looked directly at her and smiled.
Cassie was rooted to the spot, standing between the wizard and the hut that contained Harry. She wasn't about to move. "Professor," Cassie said politely, giving him a small nod.
"M-Miss Black," he stammered as he walked toward her. "W-what b-b-brings you out h-here?"
"Oh, just out for an evening stroll," she said nonchalantly. She slipped her hand into her robes, pulled out her wand, and kept it poised discreetly at her side. He stopped walking immediately, eyeing her wand with apprehension.
"I-I n-noticed y-you w-weren't a-at the match t-t-today," he replied. His right hand clenched and released repeatedly, and she knew he was wondering whether he should reach for his own wand. "S-stuck i-inside at the l-library?"
"What a funny thing to notice, considering how busy you were."
"I-I a-also n-noticed..." The small grin on his face grew ever so slightly. "Th-that y-you're out h-here. W-where Potter is. W-where th-there is n-no one around."
Cassie's stomach turned. So that was his threat. He could kill Potter out here, where there were no witnesses besides Hagrid—and then somehow implicate her in it.
Her wand was almost vibrating in her hand now as she anticipated having to use it. She didn't want to start something with the demented professor, but she wouldn't hesitate if necessary. All she needed was one unmistakable sign that he intended to carry out whatever plan he had.
Then she heard a door creak open.
"Ah, Professor Quirrell!" Hagrid's booming voice greeted them warmly. "An' Cassie! What brings you two here?" Cassie used Quirrell's stuttering to her advantage, quickly speaking over him.
"Professor Quirrell was just telling me how much he was craving one of your rock cakes, Hagrid! But Professor McGonagall sent me to fetch Harry and bring him to the festivities in the common room." She glanced toward Harry, who looked exhausted as he squeezed past Hagrid. Ron and Hermione were with him as well. "And the other two, of course. Can't have a proper celebration without them."
"My rock cakes, o' course!" Hagrid said happily, gesturing for Quirrell to join him. Cassie hurried the trio of Gryffindors along as the disheartened-looking professor walked past them and into Hagrid's hut.
She worried about leaving Hagrid alone with the man, but she assumed Quirrell had no reason to harm the gentle half-giant once Harry was gone. "Let's go," Cassie said, trying to maintain a calm demeanor as they walked toward the castle.
She kept glancing over her shoulder, making sure there wasn't a suspicious-looking figure suddenly appearing along the tree line again.
She half-listened to them talk about the game, and caught something about Ron mentioning that they needed to keep an eye on Severus. But she was so focused on making sure Quirrell didn't suddenly appear again that she barely registered what they were saying.
She got them safely back to the Gryffindor common room and waited until they had climbed through the portrait hole before heading to Severus's quarters. She only had to wait a few minutes before he joined her. He looked just as livid as he had when she'd left him.
"Is Quirrell getting sacked?" Cassie asked eagerly, standing up from the loveseat when he stormed inside. "Can we watch?"
"No," he growled. His black cloak billowed behind him as he went straight for his small collection of liquor.
"Why not? Is it not proper etiquette to watch him get dragged out of here?"
"No, he's not getting sacked!" he snarled, pouring himself a rather large drink before taking a swig.
"What?" Cassie was dumbfounded. "How is that even possible?"
"Because the Headmaster said he's not, that's how it's possible!" Severus spat the words before storming into the bedroom and beginning to pull off his cloak and robes.
"Is he off his rocker?"
"I think we've established long ago that he is," Severus replied curtly. "But for the time being, Quirrell needs to be closely observed."
"Did Dumbledore say why?"
"Albus Dumbledore has his reasons," Severus growled dangerously. "And for the time being, the likes of you and I are not privy to them."
"But he tried to kill Harry—"
"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?" He roared the words so loudly that Cassie jumped. She had walked toward him, intending to rub his shoulders and calm him, but now she instinctively stepped backward.
"Severus Snape!" she snapped, pointing a finger in his face. "Get yourself under control—"
He suddenly turned on her, grabbing the wrist of the hand she was pointing at him and roughly yanking it to her side. "I don't need some little girl in my quarters telling me what to do!" he snarled, his face inches from hers. "Get out!"
"You really are a dick sometimes, you know that, Severus?" She yanked her wrist from his grasp. "I'm not the enemy here! I went to Hagrid's like you asked and got Harry back to his common room—"
"Such an inconvenience, I'm sure!" he sneered. Cassie fought back the urge to punch him in the groin right then.
"And Quirrell showed up!" she exclaimed. "Appeared out of nowhere by the Forbidden Forest, commenting that there was no one around!" She stormed toward the living room. "Maybe next time, I'll leave you to do it. That way I won't get framed for murdering Harry freaking Potter—"
He followed her and grabbed her again, this time to stop her. "Wait, Cassie!"
"Oh, what?" she said, exasperated. "Now I get to stay? Will you make up your fucking mind?"
"I'm sorry."
"Good!" She pulled her arm from his iron-clad grip yet again. As she looked at him and saw the defeat in his stance, she debated whether to leave for the night. But she decided against it. Because despite the frequent mood swings, despite the shouting, despite how thoroughly exhausted she was by his temper, all she wanted in that moment was his touch.
She sighed, feeling somewhat demoralized by the fact that she wanted him near her even after he'd just screamed at her.
She gently took his hand and led him toward the bedroom, pulling him into her arms.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cassie knew they would be stepping up surveillance of Quirrell, but she had no idea just how far Severus intended to take it until she witnessed his new obsession firsthand.
She was certain he was no longer sleeping.
He patrolled the corridors at all hours of the night, even when other members of staff were on duty. Whenever Cassie reminded him that his colleagues were perfectly capable of making sure nothing was amiss—even without knowing everything that he and Dumbledore knew—he grew temperamental and shouted at her all over again.
She began spending more time in her dormitory.
She wanted to help keep Harry and the Stone safe, but she also needed to rest and concentrate on her studies as much as she could.
Her relationship with Severus continued, but it was strained. He seemed to be losing his ability to relax as his sleep deprivation grew worse.
Finally, a few days before Christmas break began, Cassie decided she'd had enough of watching him bumble about the castle exhausted and miserable.
"I will patrol all night," she told him firmly as they sat in his office, "and you are going to sleep, Sev!"
"You will do no such thing," he growled irritably. "What if you get caught? Or Quirrell is up to something and frames you for it?"
"I'll be careful."
"I won't allow it!" he declared. He propped his head in his hand, looking as though he could barely keep himself awake.
His argument was futile. Cassie had already slipped a sleeping draught into the tea he'd been sipping.
As soon as she noticed his eyelids beginning to droop, she moved to his side. Using a charm to keep him upright and floating a few inches off the ground, she guided him toward his bed. Once she had him undressed and tucked in for the night, she set off on her secret patrol.
Professors Flitwick and Trelawney were on duty. But she couldn't bring herself to breach Severus's trust any more than she already had.
So off she went, determined to make sure Quirrell wasn't somehow going to sneak into Gryffindor Tower or the third-floor corridor. And determined not to get caught while doing it.
For the first few hours, she didn't see either of the patrolling professors. She only had to duck into empty classrooms a couple of times to avoid Peeves.
She was caught off guard around two in the morning when she rounded a corner and nearly walked headfirst into Dumbledore. "Oh! Headmaster, I didn't expect to see you there!"
"Good evening, Miss Black," he said calmly, dressed in a deep purple sleeping robe and looking as though he had simply decided to take a casual stroll through the castle. "Or shall I say good morning? It's hard to judge at this time, isn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose." Cassie tried to muster a sincere smile, already thinking she was in deep trouble. "Headmaster, I was just—"
"Out patrolling at Professor Snape's request, I presume?" he asked casually. He pulled a caramel from his pocket and began unwrapping it.
At the blunt mention of Severus's fixation, Cassie let out an audible sigh of relief. "Not really at his request," she confessed, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "He needed to sleep, so I slipped him a draught. He didn't want me out doing this in case someone caught me."
"Well, no harm done," Dumbledore said, placing the caramel into his mouth. He began walking, and Cassie matched his easygoing stride, still unsure where they were headed. The sticky candy muffled his speech slightly. "As you are cognizant of sensitive information that most of the Hogwarts staff are not."
"Thank you, Headmaster," she said. "But I have to ask... why am I?"
Dumbledore chewed on his candy for a moment, looking as though he were deep in thought. He took his time before responding. "Severus is, as you know by now, one of my most trusted allies. I thought it important that he have someone he can trust with the same burdens I bestow upon him."
Cassie nodded, feeling somewhat satisfied by the answer. "But, Headmaster—"
"You are wondering about Professor Quirrell," Dumbledore finished for her, "and why I have allowed him to stay."
"Yes. Exactly that."
"Only time will reveal his true intentions. I must ask that you, like Severus, have patience and trust me for the time being."
Cassie stayed silent. She wanted to argue with him, but knew it was probably best to keep her mouth shut.
She hadn't been paying attention to where they were walking, and only now noticed that they had stopped outside a classroom. Dumbledore held out his arm, gesturing for her to enter ahead of him.
"There is something that I must ask of you, Miss Black," he said. "It will only take a few minutes, and then I will allow you to return to your bed and get some much-needed rest."
Cassie stepped inside. The classroom was dark and abandoned-looking, with desks and chairs piled high toward the ceiling. In the center stood a magnificent mirror with a golden frame that stretched almost to the ceiling.
"What is it?" she asked. Her heart had begun pounding in her chest, though she couldn't pinpoint why. The mirror looked pure and unassuming, sitting undisturbed in the middle of the room.
"I want you to look into it," Dumbledore said quietly. "Nothing more."
Cassie took a deep breath and paused to look at the Headmaster. He was standing between her and the door, his long arms folded over his chest. He looked calm, but there was something almost defiant in his posture.
She didn't know why she suddenly had the urge to flee. But she knew he wouldn't let her.
Slowly, she moved toward the mirror and looked into it. At first, all she saw was herself standing timidly before it in her school robes.
Then the background began to take shape. A toppled building appeared behind her.
Cassie moved around the classroom, trying to get a better look. When she recognized it, she gasped. It looked like the ruined remains of the Ministry of Magic.
Bits of smoking rubble surrounded her. Golden statues lay shattered across the ground, strewn among the debris as though the entire building had been demolished.
Then she noticed two figures standing on either side of her. When she recognized them, she cried out.
To her left stood her father, his serpent-like features unchanged from the last day she had seen him. His expression was smug and proud, and one of his long, pale fingers rested possessively on her shoulder.
To her right was Bellatrix. Her wild, dark curls spilled over her shoulders, and her beautiful face was twisted into a manic grin. Her arm was wrapped around Cassie's waist.
Had they been anyone else, they might have looked like a happy little family of three. Cassie, however, wanted to vomit. "What is it?" she repeated, her voice shaking. She wanted to tear her eyes away from the image, but she couldn't.
Now Lord Voldemort was bending down, picking up the head of a statue and throwing it toward a pile of rubble. He laughed heartily as it bounced among the debris. Cassie was just grateful it wasn't a real person's head.
"What do you see?" Dumbledore asked. Had she looked at him, she would have seen the obvious concern etched across his features.
"Does it show the future?" she whispered.
"No." Cassie doubled over, struggling to catch her breath. Dumbledore came to her side and helped her move away from the reflection. He drew his wand, magically pulling two chairs from one of the stacks so they could sit across from one another. "Cassie, what did you see?"
She looked up at him, wondering if telling him would be against her better judgment. But there was no way around it now. "I saw the Ministry, fallen. Completely in ruins." She could tell Dumbledore was apprehensive at her answer, though he tried to hide it.
"I see. And you were standing in front of the ruins?"
"Yes."
"Alone?"
She was shaking now, fighting back the tears forming in her eyes. "No."
"Who was there with you?"
"My parents," she admitted. Dumbledore was unable to hide his shock now. "Headmaster, what does it mean?"
He looked at her silently for several moments before answering, drawing out her agony. Then, finally, he said, "The Mirror of Erised shows us the deepest, most desperate desires of our hearts."
Dumbledore allowed her to leave the classroom alone then, not questioning whether she was returning to the Slytherin common room or going elsewhere.
Cassie left at a dead run, tears streaming down her face. She didn't even know where she was going. She only knew that she had to get away.