chosen - harry potter

Chapter 12 - The Beginning of the End

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Dumbledore came to the hospital wing the next evening as Cassia and Harry were about to leave, telling her that her parents had returned home. He told them to give Cassia space, for which she thanked him profusely. As much as she wanted answers from them, she did not want to see them anymore. She wanted some semblance of peace before she returned home. 

Harry and Cassia stood in the hospital wing after he left, and she turned to him, her head still feeling heavy.

"Harry, I'm sorry for crying so much yesterday. You've been through much more than I have and-"

He wrapped his arms around her, making her quiet immediately. 

"Don't apologize," he said, his head on resting top of hers. He pulled away, looking at her. "We've both been through a lot. I'll always be here for you, Cassie."

"I'll be here for you, too," Cassia said quietly.

The two returned to the common room, Cassia fighting a voice in her head saying to grab his hand. When they got there, Ron and Hermione were waiting for them in the common room. Hermione wrapped both of them in a hug quickly, gasping as they approached.

Cassia spent as much time as she could with Will, going to the Hufflepuff common room to sit with him. She had never seen him like that; he was quiet and somber, sitting with Cassia in silence as she read him old Muggle books. She was relieved to see him smile as she read A Midsummer Night's Dream.

She knew she had to visit Snape. All of the questions about her parents that she was terrified to ask felt strangely less scary to ask the frightening Potions professor. She knocked and stepped into the classroom, nerves making her chest tight.

"Professor, were you a Death Eater?" she asked bluntly, standing in front of his desk.

His head snapped up, looking at her with wide eyes.

"I know you were," Cassia said, hoping for answers. "What changed? Why'd you change?"

"That is a highly personal question to ask me," Snape said, not with anger in his voice, but understanding. "People can change and make the correct decisions later in life. Do not let people's pasts define them, Miss Bright."

"So you don't believe in that anymore?"

"No, I don't."

Cassia nodded, feeling relieved. "Do you know about my parents?"

"I do," Snape said quietly. "And I'm sorry you had to find out the way that you did. Do not think that your past and the nature of your family define you."

She nodded, tears pricking at her eyes from his words. "One more thing. At the third task, I used Legilimency and saw through Harry's eyes while he was in the maze."

"I figured you would try it at some point," Snape said. "I would use that magic sparingly, Miss Bright, for it is not the most honorable form of magic. It can be invasive. However...your ability to think of and execute magic in this way could be of use to you. But, if that is all, I will see you next term."

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Cassia packed her trunk slowly, not excited to return home. She was nervous about the Leaving Feast, releasing it was likely to be grim. As she entered the Great Hall with the quartet, she quickly found Will at the Hufflepuff table, hugging him and smiling sadly at the Hufflepuffs. The hall was decorated in long, black drapes.

She sat down at the Gryffindor table, leaning into Hermione, who dropped her head onto hers. 

"Hey, Cassia."