Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

15: Snape's Test

"Mind answering this paper, Miss. Black?" Snape placed a sheet of questions on Cassiopeia's desk once the other students had left the classroom. She looked up at him, a bit puzzled. "I would like to gauge your level of focus on my subject."

"But, sir, I have a Transfiguration class to—"

"I can inform Professor McGonagall," he interrupted, fixing his piercing gaze on her. "Including how often you seem distracted in my class."

Cassiopeia swallowed hard as she listened to his words. It was indeed a wonder why Snape wasn't letting her go, considering his favoritism toward Slytherins. However, she soon realized his true intentions. While he didn't deduct points from their house, he preferred to assign detentions to Slytherins. If any other student had been in her place, Cassiopeia was sure that Snape wouldn't hesitate to deduct house points.

"I'll do the paper, sir," she replied, turning her attention from him to the sheet of questions. She heard his footsteps as he left her desk and started to read through the questions on the paper.

- What is Wolfsbane Potion used for?

- What color is a Shrinking Solution supposed to be?

- What is the result of adding powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?

- Describe Veritaserum.

- What color is Veritaserum?

- How many drops are required for it to be effective?

As she continued to read through the questions, Cassiopeia couldn't help but wonder why Snape had included some from past lessons and some that would be covered in the next year. It seemed as though he aimed to see her answer one incorrectly so he could punish her. She had the distinct feeling that he wanted to exact revenge for her frequent distractions during his class.

What Snape didn't know was that Cassiopeia was skilled in potion-making. She silently smirked, knowing how perfect her answers would be. She mentally thanked her dreams for providing her with knowledge up to seventh-year standards.

Swiftly, she filled out the paper, providing concise explanations to show her understanding of the subjects, even though she didn't actually comprehend everything. It took her only thirty minutes to complete the entire questionnaire.

"I'm finished, Professor," Cassiopeia declared, making Snape look up from the book he was reading. She waited for his reaction, curious about how he would respond.

He furrowed his brows, then widened his eyes as he looked from the paper to her.

"You may go, Miss. Black," Snape stated, walking back to his desk and sitting down. His brows remained knitted, as though he were trying to clear his thoughts. Cassiopeia had often wondered why Snape couldn't be as kind to his students as other professors. He was consistently harsh with them. She stopped pondering his behavior, deciding it wasn't her concern. She collected her books and quickly left the classroom without a word, heading into the corridor.

As she walked, she came across a familiar trio pacing back and forth in the deserted corridor. When the sound of her footsteps on the stone floor reached their ears, they turned their heads in her direction, as if they had been waiting for her.

"Cassie," Hermione exclaimed, rushing over to her. "Are you all right?"

Cassiopeia furrowed her brows, puzzled by her unusual concern. She glanced at Harry and Ron, who were following Hermione. When their eyes met, memories of that night came flooding back to Cassiopeia. She looked at Hermione, who was awaiting her response with concern in her eyes.

"Yes, I'm all right," she replied with forced assurance, smiling to avoid letting them know that she was suspicious of their sudden appearance. However, she couldn't help but question them. "Were you guys waiting for me?"

"Actually, yes," Ron interjected, causing Hermione to glare at him.

"Be nice, Ronald," Hermione hissed at him before turning her attention back to Cassiopeia. "Actually, I know what happened during—"

"Yule Ball night," Cassiopeia finished her sentence, understanding why the three of them were waiting for her. They wanted to know about her connection with Tom Riddle.

"Yes, Tom Riddle," Ron added, prompting both Harry and Hermione to shoot him disapproving glares. "Bloody hell, why are you two looking at me like that? It was supposed to be her, not me."

"It's complicated," Cassiopeia replied, drawing their attention back to her. "I'm sorry, but I'm not permitted to talk about it."

"Permitted? Not permitted, or you simply don't want to?" Ron raised an eyebrow, making Cassiopeia sigh. This boy seemed to talk too much.

"Ron," both Harry and Hermione called him in unison, making him cease speaking.

"Why aren't you allowed?" Harry inquired, standing next to her. "I mean, you've never seen him, but—"

"I have dreams," Cassiopeia interjected, cutting him off. "But I think I shouldn't share them. I believe I can work through this on my own."

"But—" Before Harry could continue, Cassiopeia turned and began walking away from them. She couldn't really reveal the truth to them. What if it turned into another complicated issue? She had to try to find the answers on her own. After all, she was the one having the dreams. She trusted Dumbledore. If it was a matter of time, she would let it be.

A/N

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲?

𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

~ monoceros_x