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"She was born from darkness itself, it was woven in her bones and carved in her heart. She was the Light born from Darkness, because all stars are born in the dark. She was Cassiopeia Lestrange."
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"Hi, I'm Cassiopeia, call me Cassi. My friends...
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THE NEXT DAY Cassi was sitting on the Slytherin table with Daphne in the great hall during morning. She was listening to Daphne who was telling about her date excitedly, when her eyes went to the Gryffindor table where Hermione was getting letter after letter.
"Strange." Daphne muttered, her eyes on Hermione now.
Cassi noticed Hermione's face as she read the letters, and it was sour. Cassi guesses she must be getting letters from Harry's fans, who would have been outraged because of the article Rita wrote about Hermione in the Daily Prophet.
"Ugh! What's that?" Daphne said as Hermione opened a letter and yellowish-green liquid came out from it, gushed over her hands, which began to erupt in large yellow boils.
"Undiluted bubotuber pus." Cassi said with a grimace feeling bad for Hermione.
Cassi walked with Draco, to the Care of Magical Creatures, because Daphne was with Blaise and she didn't wanted to be the third wheel. Hagrid, who had told them last lesson that they had finished with unicorns, was waiting for them outside his cabin with a fresh supply of open crates at his feet.
When she got near enough to see inside, she found herself looking at a number of fluffy black creatures with long snouts. Their front paws were curiously flat, like spades, and they were blinking up at the class, looking politely puzzled at all the attention.
"These're nifflers," said Hagrid, when the class had gathered around. "Yeh find 'em down mines mostly. They like sparkly stuff. . . . There yeh go, look."
One of the nifflers had suddenly leapt up and attempted to bite Pansy Parkinson's watch off her wrist. She shrieked and jumped backward.
"Useful little treasure detectors," said Hagrid happily. "Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there?" He pointed at the large patch of freshly turned earth. "I've buried some gold coins. I've got a prize fer whoever picks the niffler that digs up most. Jus' take off all yer valuables, an' choose a niffler, an' get ready ter set 'em loose."
It was easily the most fun they had ever had in Care of Magical Creatures. The nifflers dived in and out of the patch of earth as though it were water, each scurrying back to the student who had released it and spitting gold into their hands.
Hermione was walking toward them across the lawn. Her hands were very heavily bandaged and she looked miserable. Pansy Parkinson was watching her beadily
"Well, let's check how yeh've done!" said Hagrid. "Count yer coins! An' there's no point tryin' ter steal any, Goyle," he added, his beetle-black eyes narrowed. "It's leprechaun gold. Vanishes after a few hours."
