𝑨𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒕 - ʜᴊᴘ x ᴏᴄ [𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆&𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆]

𝟓𝟕

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

ᴅᴜᴍʙʟᴇᴅᴏʀᴇ'ꜱ ᴀɴɴᴏᴜɴᴄᴇᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Everyone was enjoying the Welcome Back Feast when Dumbledore rose to give his annual speech. 

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts," he began, his eyes twinkling as he scanned the hall. "Before we became too befuddled by our Annual Feast, I have a few announcements to make."The students settled into an expectant hush, all eyes on the headmaster."I am pleased to welcome Professor RJ Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year," Dumbledore said, gesturing toward the man sitting at the staff table.

Professor Lupin stood up, his robes looking a bit tattered, and gave a small, somewhat tired nod as polite applause rippled through the hall.

"Lupin?" Cassie muttered to herself. Remus Lupin. Her mother's bestfriend at Hogwarts.

Draco's voice broke through the moment. "Potter, Potter," he sneered from across the Slytherin table, his face twisted with mockery. "Is it true you fainted? I mean, actually fainted?" 

A few Gryffindors chuckled, but Harry's face flushed. It wasn't the first time Draco had aimed his snide comments at him, and it wouldn't be the last. The rest of the hall seemed to tune out Draco's taunts, accustomed as they were to his yearly routine. 

"Now, moving on... I am also happy to announce that Hagrid, our beloved Keeper of Keys and Grounds, will be taking over the teaching of Care of Magical Creatures."Dumbledore paused for a moment, his face turning more serious, the weight of his next words hanging heavy over the room. 

"Finally," he said, his voice sombre, "on a more disquieting note. As a request from the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the dementors of Azkaban."The words seemed to freeze the very air in the hall. 

A tense murmur rippled through the students, and a chill settled over the room, despite the warmth of the feast. 

"They will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and their presence is directly tied to the hunt for Sirius Black, who has escaped from Azkaban. Until such time as he is captured, the dementors will remain."The announcement was met with a hushed silence, students exchanging uneasy looks. Some whispered under their breath, clearly shaken by the news.

Dumbledore's expression became graver, his voice softening. "I must warn each and every one of you. Dementors are vicious creatures. They cannot distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who simply gets in their way. Therefore, I urge you all to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a dementor to be forgiving." 

At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Though his face was usually a picture of smug confidence, there was an unease about him now—an awareness of the dangers lurking just outside the castle gates. 

But sitting beside him, his cousin, Cassie Black, remained unmoved. Her sharp, calculating gaze was fixed on Dumbledore as he spoke, her features cool but alight with curiosity. Despite the gravity of the situation, Cassie's composure didn't slip for even a moment. The name "Black" carried weight, but to anyone who didn't know the family's deepest secrets, she appeared as Sirius Black's distant relative. 

Dumbledore paused again, his eyes sweeping the hall, his voice now softer but still filled with a kind of quiet wisdom. "However, I will leave you with this thought: happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." 

The room was still for a moment, the weight of his words sinking in. The tension lifted slightly, but it wasn't gone. The students still glanced warily toward the staff table, the mention of the dementors still fresh in their minds. 

 As the students dug into their meals, the unease remained, but the conversation began to flow again—albeit quieter, more cautious. Cassie, her usual smirk returning, reached for a goblet of pumpkin juice.

She barely had a chance to take a sip before Theo Nott, seated across from her, leaned forward, his sharp blue eyes locked onto hers. "You don't seem worried about the dementors."

Cassie raised an eyebrow, feigning boredom. "Should I be? They're just a bunch of floating depression dispensers."

Theo chuckled. "Most people would be a little concerned."

She twirled her goblet between her fingers, her voice dripping with confidence. "Well, I'm not most people."

"No kidding," Theo muttered, shaking his head. "You're impossible."

"And yet, you're still talking to me," Cassie shot back with a smirk, taking a sip of her drink.

Theo chuckled, but there was a flicker of something else in his expression—amusement, curiosity, maybe even admiration. Cassie ignored the way her stomach flipped at the sight of it. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. It wasn't like she had a crush on him or anything.

Definitely not.

Across the table, Daphne Greengrass nudged Cassie's arm. "Speaking of impossible, I still can't believe you're Quidditch captain."

Blaise Zabini chuckled. "Correction—first-ever Slytherin female Quidditch captain. That's history, right there."

Cassie rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the grin creeping onto her face. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal?" Pansy Parkinson scoffed. "You're, what, thirteen? And they picked you over the seventh-years?"

"Because I'm better than them," Cassie replied smoothly, taking another sip of pumpkin juice.

Theo shook his head in amusement. "You're really unbearable when you're right."

"Good thing I'm always right then," Cassie said with a chuckle.

Daphne leaned in conspiratorially. "You know half the house is losing their minds over it, right? You should've seen the older players when they saw the badge."

Blaise grinned. "They looked like they'd swallowed a dungbomb."

Cassie shrugged. "They'll get over it. Or they won't. Either way, I'm captain, and we're going to win this year."

Theo raised an eyebrow. "Confident, are we?"

Cassie's grinned widened. "Would you expect anything less?"

┌──────┐

ugh, another short chapter bc
life is kicking my butt rn...
Anyways, do y'all mind if
I hit you with some more pain? :)

└──────┘