The Oracle in the Night

chapter 4 - new friends and new foes

After a brief lunch everyone was buzzing with excitement, eager to resume the reading. They were all excited to read about Cassiopeia's trip to Diagon Alley.

"Who would like to read next?" Bellatrix asked.

"Ohh, me please, I will, I want to, give it me." James was standing on the Gryffindor table making grabby hands towards the book.

Many in the hall looked at him in shock and Lily said what everyone was thinking,

"I didn't know you could read."

James gasped dramatically and pretended to faint into Sirius' arms.

"You wound me Lily-Flower, I'll have you know that I achieved 9 O.W.L.s."

Everyone in the hall looked at James Potter in shock, they didn't know he was that smart.

Bellatrix got over her disbelief and levitated the book to the bespectacled boy.

'New Friends and New Foes'

The Malfoy boy groaned loudly, "Is this the one where I..."

Cassiopeia grinned shamelessly and interrupted his question, "Yes, it is bleach boy."

Draco banged his head on the table a few times before speaking up,

"Just a warning, I was a bit of a prat when I was younger."

The red head, Ginny, laughed loudly, "A bit of a prat, hell Draco, you were the biggest git I'd ever met. Well, except Ron and Percy."

Molly Weasley frowned at her daughter's dislike of her family.

Zabini spoke up a well, "You were a little bitch boy until the middle of second year."

Daphne, Theo, Perseus, and Pansy nodded in agreement with large smirks adorning their faces.

The remaining students and adults in the hall smiled at their conversation.

"Ok, ok let's start, I want to hear about Cassie's trip." James announced. And he quickly began reading before anyone could disagree.

'Cassiopeia had woken up at exactly six o'clock on the first day of August. She had never been this excited in her life. She was going to escape 'hell' for a day. She was finally going to witness magic other than her own.'

People around the hall weren't exactly sure what emotion to feel. They were sad at the description of the orphanage but happy that Cassiopeia was finally going to be a part of their world.

'Like Professor McGonagall's letter said a man arrived at Wools exactly when Cassiopeia's clock turned to nine o'clock.

Whatever Cassiopeia was expecting, Professor Snape wasn't it. She thought a man with strange robes, a pointy hat, and a wand would arrive; But then she figured that might draw some unwanted attention.

Professor Snape appeared to be about thirty years old, he had semi-long black hair, onyx black eyes, and he was dressed in a well-tailored, expensive looking, black suit. Cassiopeia thought he looked a little bit like a bat.'

The members of the hall laughed softly at Cassiopeia's thoughts, but Severus glared at the book. Although, there was a small smile growing on his face.

'The man greeted the matron with a sneer and handed her a letter. She quickly read through the letter before looking back up at Snape.

"So, that little brat will be gone most of the year? Are you sure you want her at this school?"