chosen - harry potter

Chapter 6 - Running from Dragons

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

After the first lesson with Snape about Occlumency, Cassia was determined to become skilled at it independently. She practiced whenever she could. When she was walking to class or laying in bed at night or in the common room as Hermione worked on her homework, she was in her head. She sorted through her memories, categorizing her experiences. She practiced turning off her thoughts and emotions, rendering the inside of her head to the quiet, sea-like emptiness that she had achieved. She found it easiest when alone and she didn't feel any strong emotions anyway. When she tried to Occlude when she felt stressed in Charms, she found it nearly impossible.

Rita Skeeter's article about Harry had been released, and, as Cassia expected, it was completely inaccurate. She wrote about him often crying about the death of his parents, which was untrue. Further into the article, she wrote about Harry and Hermione, saying, "Harry is rarely seen out of the company of his girlfriend Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school."

People took to the article as expected; they used the content as ammunition to bully Harry. As Cassia walked through the hallway with Harry and Hermione, the shouts of "selfish," were now joined by shouts of "crybaby." 

Cassia had made progress in her lessons. She had them more frequently than before, and she was getting better at Occlumency with every passing day. She could successfully shut off her mind from Snape when he used the most obvious form of Leglilimency. He began using more imperceptible forms, and Cassia could usually tell when it was being used. 

"Good work, Miss Bright."

"Glad to see I'm not too emotional for it," Cassia said sarcastically.

"I only said that," Snape said coolly, "so you would try harder. You are consistently more successful when you're provided with a challenge. You're hard-headed."

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

She pushed through the portrait hole, returning from the potions classroom. The common room was empty except for Harry, who sat on the sofa across from the fireplace. She walked toward him and sat down, smiling at him tiredly.

"Sirius just left," he said, looking at her. "No luck. I still have to compete. And the first task is dragons."

"Dragons?" Cassia said, widening her eyes. 

"And I spoke to Sirius before he left. The Durmstrang headmaster - Karkaroff - he used to be a Death Eater, but he was released. Sirius thinks he's the reason my name got in the goblet."

"Why would they let him out if he's a confirmed Death Eater?"

"He had a deal with the Ministry and named a bunch of others."

Cassia's mouth hung open, thinking for a moment. "Harry, what if they're using the tournament to take you down, so Voldemort can rise to power? I mean, he's tried so many times, and you've always been the one to stop it. The tournament is notoriously dangerous. Maybe they're counting on you...y'know - dying."

"There's not much I can do now," Harry sighed. 

"We'll help you prepare, me and Hermione," Cassia said. "You know the first task is dragons, so we can think of spells that'll help-"

Footsteps came from the boys' dormitory stairs, and Ron appeared at the doorway, looking irritated. 

"Oh, of course it's you two."

"Do you need something?" Harry snapped.

"No, go back to snogging," Ron spat back.

"Grow up, Ron," Cassia said tiredly.