The Girl Who Had No Escape [1]

Year 1-22

Little did Cassiopeia know that on the Slytherin table there were some worried people, including Draco, Blaise, Theo, Crabbe, Goyle and Amelia, as they wondered why she skipped all classes after charms today. They had spoken to Amelia and she said that apparently, she had been in the toilets all afternoon crying about something, but she didn't know what. They were all sitting there when they saw someone enter the Great Hall and they were all happy to see that it was Cassiopeia, however, they could see that she had been upset.

"Hi guys, mind if I sit here?" they shook their head and moved over, once she sat down, they all looked to Cassiopeia, expecting an answer. She saw this and sighed. "It's just something Ron said. Are you guys my friends because you're scared that I'll get Snape to punish you if you aren't my friends?" she said, with a small voice, looking to the table.

She felt someone grab each of her hands, one was Draco and the other was Theo- the two she had sat between. "No," Draco said, she looked up to them, "We are your friends because you are an amazing person."

"Yeah, Cass." Amelia said, putting her hand on top of Theo's- Crabbe following suit- while Blaise and Goyle added their hands on top of Draco's "Don't let the Weasel make you doubt that you have friends, because we say different."

"Thanks guys."

"You're welcome."

~*~

Meanwhile over at the Gryffindor table. When Harry and Ron see Cassiopeia walking in, with slightly red eyes, they both felt guilty. Harry turned to Neville and asked "Where's Hermione?"

"Pavarti Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girls' bathroom, and that her and Cassiopeia had been in there all afternoon crying." Harry and Ron looked to each other; they were about to reply but the opening of the Great Hall doors shocked everyone.

They turned to see Professor Quirrell running through the doors. "TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!" the students sat there in silence while Professor Dumbledore stood up. "thought you ought to know." Professor Quirrell added just before he fainted. The whole school began to stand up and scream, running to the doors in a panic.

"SILENCE!" when all the students were listening to him, he calmed his voice. "If everyone will please not panic." He paused for effect. "Now, Prefects will lead their house back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the Dungeons."

With that the students began to follow the prefects, however, none of the Slytherins seemed to remember that their dormitories were in the dungeon. Cassiopeia saw Professor Snape exit out of a room at the back, and she decided to follow him, luckily her friends were too worried about the troll to see her slip off. She followed Snape all the way to the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side.

He opened a door and went in, Cassiopeia followed. She found that in there Snape was talking to Professor Quirrell- who was supposed to be fainted downstairs- and a large three-headed dog.

"Why did you come here Quirrell? To get the stone?" Professor Snape asked Professor Quirrell.

"I..I.. don't kn..n..know what you're t..t..talking about, S..S..Severus" Professor Quirrell responded.

Just then the three-headed dog snapped at Cassiopeia, she screamed. Professor Snape's head snapped around to see Cassiopeia cornered by one of the dog's heads. "CASSIOPEIA! What-?" But before he could finish his sentence the dog snapped at her again, this time biting her leg, she screamed in pain. Professor Quirrell took this moment to escape out the door, while Professor Snape casted a spell at the dog, keeping Cassiopeia behind him. The dog bit his leg also, he roared in pain but managed to shoot another spell at each head and it fell asleep.