❝don't you ever get tired of being so miserable?❞
❝don't you get tired of pretending everything is perfect?❞
────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.
𝙄𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝,
Cassandra Potter tries to piece together her fractured family legacy, while trying to avoid the...
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The Great Hall ━━ Fourth Year1994
AS CASSIE made her way to the Gryffindor table for breakfast, she spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione huddled together, speaking in hushed tones. As she approached, their conversation abruptly halted.
"Morning," Cassie said, sliding onto the bench next to Hermione. But she was only met with tight smiles. Cassie raised her brow curiously, "What's going on?"
Harry glanced around before leaning in. "It's Crouch," he said in a low voice. "He's dead."
Cassie felt her blood run cold. "Mr. Crouch? The judge from the tournament? What happened?"
"We found him," Harry explained, his voice barely above a whisper. "Last night, in the Forbidden Forest. Hermione, Ron, and I were walking with Hagrid when we stumbled upon him."
"He was just... lying there," Hermione added, her face pale.
Ron nodded, looking shaken. "Hagrid sent us back to the castle to get Dumbledore. By the time they returned, well..."
"The Ministry's involved now," Harry continued.
Cassie's mind reeled. "But how? Why was he in the forest? And who could have–"
"We don't know," Ron interrupted. "But it's got to be connected to You-Know-Who, doesn't it? I mean, Crouch disappearing, then turning up dead in the Forbidden Forest?"
A chill ran down Cassie's spine. She opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment, the owls arrived with the morning post. Dozens of copies of the Daily Prophet were dropped in front of students, the headline blaring: "TRAGEDY AT HOGWARTS: MINISTRY OFFICIAL FOUND DEAD."
The Great Hall erupted into frenzied whispers and exclamations. Cassie caught snippets of conversations around her:
"...right on the school grounds!" "...say it was Dark Magic..." "...Potter and his friends found the body, of course they did..."
Cassie turned back to Harry, who was determinedly staring at his plate, ignoring the stares and whispers directed his way. She placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"
Harry gave a short, humorless laugh. "Brilliant."
Before Cassie could respond, Professor McGonagall's voice cut through the noise. "Students, please remain calm. Classes will proceed as scheduled. Anyone with information regarding last night's events is asked to speak with their Head of House immediately."
As they gathered their things to head to their first class, Cassie couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her.
