𝕭𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝕾𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖘 || Fred Weasley

48

Patronuses. The charm to defend oneself from soul-sucking Dementors. Think of a happy moment and BAM! A Patronus comes shooting from the holder's wand. Except it was more difficult than it sounded. At least to Cassie. She watched as everyone cast the charm. Hermione's took the form of an otter; Ron, a Jack Russell Terrier; Lovegood, a hare; and Cho Chang's took the form of a swan.

"Come on, Malfoy," said Potter.

"I'm trying!" said Cassie furiously. Potter had approached her multiple times after failing. "I can't do it when you're standing there breathing down my neck."

"Think about the times you've won a Quidditch game," said Potter. He wanted to taunt her. They hadn't won a game against Gryffindor in a long time, ever since he had shown up. Plus, her brother was the reason why he was banned from the sport so he tried making it difficult for her. "Triumphant, glorious— "

"Why, you little— "

"Think of your happiest moment," said Potter, suddenly serious. "Clear your mind of everything else. Only then will you be able to cast a Patronus Charm."

As he finished his sentence, the door of the Room of Requirement opened and closed. It seemed like people were moving out of the way and it stopped at Potter's feet.

"Dobby?"

"Hi, Dobby!" Potter greeted. "What are you — What's wrong?"

The elf's eyes were wide with terror and he was shaking. That was the very familiar look of fear every time Cassie's father had yelled at the elf. The few Patronuses people had managed to conjure faded away into silver mist, leaving the room looking much darker than before.

"Harry Potter, sir... " squeaked the elf, trembling from head to foot. "Harry Potter, sir... Dobby has come to warn you... but the house-elves have been warned not to tell... "

He ran head-first at the wall. Cassie was quick and rushed towards Dobby, but Dobby bounced off the stone, cushioned by his eight hats.

"What's happened, Dobby?" Potter asked as Cassie grabbed the elf's tiny arm, holding him away from anything with which he might seek to hurt himself.

"Harry Potter... she... she... "

Dobby hit himself hard on the nose with his free fist. Potter seized his arm quickly.

"Who's 'she', Dobby?"

The elf looked up at him, slightly cross-eyed, and mouthed wordlessly. Cassie had a bad feeling.

"Umbridge?" asked Potter.

Dobby nodded, then tried to bang his head on Cassie's knees, then she let Potter take over.

"What about her? Dobby — She hasn't found out about this — about us — about the D.A?" There was no answer. "Is she coming?" he asked quietly.

Dobby let out a howl and began beating his bare feet hard on the floor.

"Yes, Harry Potter, yes!"

Potter straightened up and looked around at motionless, terrified people gazing at the thrashing elf.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" he bellowed. "RUN!"

"Shit, shit, shit," Cassie cursed under her breath. Her common room was all the way in the dungeons.

"Cassie!" Ginny called. "Come on! You can hide out in our common room for the night."

"Is that even allowed?" asked Cassie, running beside her.

"It's better than being caught," she replied.

Cassie spent the night in the Gryffindor common room. Fred had stayed with her and as they watched the fire, they began feeling drowsy, eventually falling asleep.