The Girl Who Found Hope [2]

Year 3 - 22

"Remember these visits to Hogsmede village are a privilege. Should your behaviour reflect poorly on the school in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again." Professor told the students surrounding her. They had given their signed slips into Mr Filch, and all stood waiting to go. "No permission slip signed, no visiting the village. That's the rules Potter."

"All those with permission, follow me. Those without, stay put." Mr Filch said, walking with the Professor.

"Mr Filch?" Cassiopeia asked coming behind him. He turned to face her. "I'm not coming to the village today, because I've got some homework. But can I give you this permission slip now so that I can go on future visits?"

"Yes, that's fine." He replied, and Cassiopeia gave her slip to the man.

"But Professor, I thought if you signed it then I could-" Harry said to the professor.

"I can't. Only a parent or guardian can sign. And since I am neither it would be inappropriate." Professor McGonagall replied. She then walked past him, she then turned at the last moment. "I'm sorry, Potter. That's my final word." Harry then turned to Ron and Hermione that were waiting.

"Forget about it, guys. See you later." He said, then he went back into the school while the others followed the crowd of students.

Cassiopeia then went to the common room and finished all her homework, after which she decided to go for a walk. As she was walking, she came across Harry and Professor Lupin.

"You want to know why I didn't let you face your Boggart?" Professor Lupin asked, Harry nodded. "Well, I thought it would be obvious. I assumed it would take the shape of Lord Voldemort."

"I did think of Voldemort at first, but then I thought about that night on the train. And then Dementor." Harry replied.

"I'm very impressed. That suggests that what you fear the most is fear itself." The Professor replied. "This is very wise."

"Before I fainted... I heard something... a woman... screaming." Harry admitted.

"Well, Dementors force us to relive our very worst memories." The Professor replied. "Our pain becomes their power."

"I think it was my mother the night she was murdered." Harry admitted.

"The very first time I saw you, Harry. I recognised you immediately. Not by your scar, but by your eyes. Their your mother, Lily's." The Professor replied. Cassiopeia, who was standing away from them, gave a small smile. Harry looked to him. "Oh yes. I knew her. Your mother was there for me at a time when no one else was. Not only was she a singularly gifted witch, she was also an uncommonly kind woman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in others, even, and most perhaps, when that person does not see it in themselves." Harry had a small smile on his lips. "And your father, James, on the other hand, he had a certain, shall we say, talent for trouble. A talent, rumour has it, he passed on to you. You're more like them than you know, Harry. In time you'll come to see just how much."

"That was beautiful, Professor." Cassiopeia commented from the side-lines. They both turned to her. "Sorry, I was walking past and I wanted to know about the Dementors." She admitted, looking down at her shoes.

"You know, Cassiopeia, you remind me of a friend I once had." The Professor said.

"Really?" She asked, coming over and standing beside him.

"Yes, she was a wonderful woman. Her name was Amanda Newstead. She was actually Lily's best friend, they would do everything together. She was one of those people who you didn't need to know personally for her to try and make you feel better. She could walk into a room and just lighten up the atmosphere." The Professor said, not noticing the tears in Cassiopeia's eyes as she heard about her mother. "She was very smart and she always followed her heart, whether it be to what she read, what music she played, or what boy she fell for. She was a great musician, and an even greater person. She fell for one of my friends, actually one of James' friends too, called Marc Lewis. They didn't always get along, she thought he was a selfish-prick at one point, her words not mine, but after he seemed to mature, she fell for the man he was inside. The man that no one saw unless they were close to him."

"What happened to them?" Cassiopeia asked delicately, at this the Professor looked at her out of the corner of his eye and saw her trying to hide tears. And at this moment he realised there was more to Cassiopeia than what you saw on the surface.

"They died, unfortunately. It was actually the evening before Lily and James died. Voldemort went after them, for their daughter, but they fought to protect her. She was the only other person to survive the killing curse, other than yourself Harry. The pair died together and left their daughter. But unlike yourself, Harry, she didn't have any family to go to, so she went into an orphanage and hasn't been heard from since. Well, she didn't have the family when she needed them." The Professor explained.

"Is she dead?" Harry asked.

"No, we believe she was adopted by a couple, and perhaps they changed her name. For since there has been no record of an Evangeline Lewis anywhere." Professor Lupin replied.

"What did you mean when you said 'she didn't' have the family when she needed them'?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Amanda actually had a sister, Hayley. She was as close with Amanda as I was. We were all one big group." The Professor revealed. Cassiopeia's eyes widened slightly, she had more family out there. Well, hopefully. She couldn't be sure as to why Amanda didn't mention Hayley in the letter she had written for Cassiopeia many years ago. She just hoped she could meet the woman one day.

"And what happened to her?" Harry asked.

"She went missing, not long before the Lewis' and Potter's were killed. I believe that the Death Eaters thought she'd be able to shed some light on where the Lewis' were hiding. But I haven't heard of her since." The Professor replied.

"Is she dead?" Harry asked, repeating his earlier question to find out the fate of the Newstead sister.

"That I do not have the answer to. I'd like to be believe that she's not. That Dumbledore placed her into hiding, like he had done the others, and till this day she's still in hiding. It would make sense. And that's the answer I'd like to hold on to." The Professor replied. 

"Thank you for telling us, Sir. It can't have been easy to relive." Cassiopeia said to the man. He just nodded, and with that the trio made their way back into the main part of the school where the other students were coming back from Hogsmede. Cassiopeia met her friends in the common room, and they all were talking about their experiences at the village. 

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Thanks for reading

-Zoe