What if Salazar Slytherin had another child that no one knew about? What if she'd been asleep all this time? What if the world suddenly found out about her existence? Well, he did and Cassandra Slytherin is her name.
I honestly thought Dumbledore was joking when he reminded Valentina and I that we had much classwork to catch up with. Even after returning to school, I still thought he was merely bluffing but as I sit on my bed staring at the mountain of books on the ground just beside me...
Me: I should have burnt the school down-
Valentina: It's not that bad.
Erin: She's right. Besides, I'll help you.
Me: As much as I appreciate the gesture, I have to be the one to do it.
Erin: I'm sure they wouldn't say anything about your familiar aiding you-
Valentina: How would you-
Erin: I'm an owl, remember?
Valentina: You're a witch, first and foremost.
Erin: Not if my curse has anything to say about it.
She laughs and Valentina joins her but I can't help the pang I feel in my heart. I'd promised her that I'd break the curse but we've been so busy so far I haven't had a chance to so much as think about it.
Deciding to cheat a little, I use one of my older spells to give my mind and body a burst of speed which I use to rush through all the work. It still takes me around 15 minutes to complete but once I close the last book, the satisfaction is divine.
Valentina: Why do you do this to yourself?
Valentina knowingly comes up beside me as my head starts dipping forward. Drowsiness, the one unavoidable side-effect of the spell, overtakes me as my head plops onto her shoulder with a soft thud.
Valentina: Come, go to sleep so I can continue working on my own assignments.
Me: You need to eat more.
Valentina: What?
Poking her side, I smile as I give my reply.
Me: You're nothing but bones.
She playfully pushes me away but Erin is quick to catch and reposition my body until my head is resting in her lap.
Erin: Now, now. No playing mistress. You need your rest.
I can't bring myself to argue as my eyes flutter shut. Voices reach me but I can't make out most of what they're saying, only catching a few words before everything fades away.
I wake with a yawn to find that I'm still in Erin's lap. As I sit up, however, she pulls away. It takes me a while for my vision to fully return but even before my eyes focus I can tell something's wrong. For one, she seems a lot shorter than before and I certainly don't remember her having white hair. What's more, she's trying to hide these changes from me...why?
Me: What's wrong?
Erin: No, don't look at me-
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Even her voice has changed. What's happening?
Me: Erin!
Erin: I...I'll be fine just-
She turns to run out of the room but I grab her hand and given her now relatively small form, I easily swing her back around until she's facing me.
Me: Tell me what's going on.
My voice comes out a little harder than it needs to but I don't allow my persistence to drop, forcing her to comply.
Erin: It's the curse. I'm in the final stage.
Me: You're turning into an owl? Now?
Erin: Yeah...
Dread courses through my veins as the realization sets in. Flying out of the bed, I make a mad dash for the library where I begin pouring over every last piece of knowledge it possesses. I also check through the stash of grimoires I'd packed away in my vault and with the help of Beryl and Luna, I learn of a certain spell and potion combo. While it doesn't promise to lift the curse, it at the very least promises to stop its progression.
Me: I only need a strand of my hair?
Beryl: Well, yes. According to the instructions, the master will need to provide a strand of their hair. You are her master, right?
Me: Ah...well-
Truth be told, I haven't really considered her my servant. She's more like a friend but the deal we struck would make me her master...I guess I don't have a choice.
Beryl: We'll also need-
She cuts off, her face flushing red as her eyes pour over the remaining contents silently.
Me: What is the next ingredient?
Beryl: Ah...ummm.
Not waiting for her, I grab the book and look for myself.
Me: Let's see...strand of master's hair...blood of virginity-
I reread the ingredient over and over, each time getting more confused than before but when I flip the page I find an explanation, stating that in the case of a female, it would be taken from the hymen. Furthermore, it must be taken from the "slave".
Shocked that something like this would be inside my vault, I flip through the remainder of the book until I come across a page identifying who wrote it and the fact that it was gifted to me on one of my birthdays by the very same fiend.
Me: There's got to be another way.
Beryl: Well, it does have an alternative ingredient but I'm not sure how much better it'd be.
Me: Hmmm?
She points on the page and my eyes widen in disbelief.
Me: Blood of a unicorn, freshly slain?
Beryl: Alongside shavings of its horn.
Me: Not happening.
She nods, clearly expecting this response and rightly so. I have no intention of putting a curse on myself just to break Erin's.
Me: Apart from the first two, was there anything else?
Beryl: Luna has already retrieved the rest. All that's left-
