First things first, have you taken all the other quizzes?
Other quizzes? There are other quizzes?(Me: Uh, yeah) OH SH*T!!
Already taken them, so you're revaping the series huh? (Me: Just a little bit)
Cassia's POV
If I were to tell you that Mr. Ollivander's words of my 'destiny' didn't shake me or disturb me for the rest of the day, I would have been lying. Although I really tried not to show it. Definitely not in front of my aunt and uncle, and certainly not in front of Harry and the others. Yet the last words that Mr. Ollivander had spoken to me seem to have set some sort of broken record of questions playing almost tortuously in my head over, and over.
What did Mr. Ollivander mean that I, like Harry, could be the end of all? And who else had owned that ancient wand before me? Speaking of that wand, why did it seem to jog my memory, like some sort of lost dream? I just knew I had seen it before, but where?
And lastly who had owned the other three sisters to my wand? All I had received as an answer was the very cryptic "three whose blood flows through you." Did that mean that I had ancestors that were tied to this wand? If so, then who were they?
These questions played in my mind like a mantra the next few days. Every time I tried to forget them, they seemed to find someway to whisper in my ear when I would least expect it. These question seemed to take life in my dreams as well. Vivid dreams all of which showed me strange emblems and symbols, then left me with a feeling that I should be knowing or remembering something.
Something quite important.
But what? I wondered once again, as I sat down one evening. And why?
I shook my head.
Maybe I should just give it a rest. After all, I should be thinking of other things like-
"Oi, Cassia!" Spoke a sudden voice that made me jump almost a whole foot in the air.
"W-what?" I stuttered, looking across the table to Ron.
At first I wondered, Wait, what am I doing sitting at the table? Then the chatter of Order members that also sat at the dinner table reached my ears. I looked down to a plate with an untouched pot roast, mashed potatoes, collard greens and remembered.
Yeah, you better give it a rest.
"Uh sorry, Ron," I replied, feeling quite stupid, and a bit out-of-touch with reality. "Did you want something?"
"Well, I wouldn't mind it much if you passed the gravy." Ron pointed out.
I glanced over the silvery gravy boat, almost filled to the brim with the dark rich gravy that the others and I had spent hours working on. Careful not to spill any on the table I picked up the boat and passed it to Ron.
"Thanks," He said sitting the boat down, and grabbing the ladle.
Still feeling quite dim-witted for not listening I numbly nodded. A nod that had somehow caught the attention of the others at the table. But it was the odd blank look on my face, the small hole in this mask, that must have made them start to speak.
"Are you alright, Cassia?" Hermione asked from next to Ron.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I replied, simply, without alarm.
"Well, you've been awfully quiet these past few days," Ginny added, after swallowing a bite of her roll.
"Compared to you, Ginny, anyone seems quiet," Ron muttered as he drowned his mashed potatoes with gravy.
Several snickers went throughout our group as Ginny looked to her older brother with a glare.
"And you wonder where I get it from, my dear brother," She said with a hint of sarcasm, and a cold eye.
Ron rolled his eyes at that comment, meanwhile Hermione decided to try to continue the subject that she had started.
"It's just that you've been slightly... Off, these past few days," Hermione told me as she speared another bit of roast.
"I guess I have a lot on my mind," I replied in that simple tone, still trying to keep the faade of how nothing seemed to be distressing me. At least on the outside.
"I know the feeling," Harry spoke suddenly from my right, giving me a look of understanding that I quickly felt grateful for.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Ginny asked gently. "Sometimes it helps."
I forked some collard greens into my mouth, wondering if I should recount the strange conversation at Ollivander's Wand Shop and see if there was something that they (mostly I hoped Hermione) would know about it. Only Harry knew, and he didn't seem to worried about it, or at least he didn't show it anyway.
Maybe it was nothing really to be worried about. Maybe I was just worrying for nothing at all. That is what I usually do anyway, worry about absolutely nothing. I swallowed quickly, coming up with an answer.
"I guess its just nerves about starting school again, especially after my last school experience turned out to be... Well, the word 'disaster' seems to fit, pretty well," I shrugged.
It wasn't a lie. Well, not really since, I still was nervous about starting a new term at Hogwarts. So the harsh of a pang of guilt when I spoke didn't seem to sting for me as it usually did.
Hermione gave me an understanding nod.
"I felt the same way the night before I first went to Hogwarts," She told me. "In fact I was quite nervous on the first day as well."
At once Harry and Ron looked up from their meals. Both wearing looks of what only could be described as surprise on their faces.
"Really?" Ron asked in an astonished tone.
"What?" Hermione replied with a raised eyebrow. "I was."
"You sure could of fooled us that day, Hermione," Harry replied with raised eyebrows.
I turned to Harry with a look on my face. "Am I missing something here?" I wondered. Quickly Harry went to explain.
"While everyone else was so worried of whether or not they would get lost on the once 'deadly' third floor corridor, our Hermione here was more worried if she had the properties of Monkswood and Wolfsbane mixed up."
I shook her head, a grin starting to grow on my face. If I had learned anything from Hermione it was how seriously she seemed to take her studies. And I mean seriously. But something told me I couldn't really be sure until term started.
Hermione meanwhile seemed to be rolling her eyes at her two best friends.
"I was trying to hide it, you two. In all honesty, I was probably even more nervous then the both of you. Well, besides you, Harry. I never even heard of Hogwarts, or even thought magic existed until I got my letter."
"I think everyone is pretty nervous their first day," Ginny replied.
Suddenly a bit of a slight grin came to my face as a Ginny's words seemed to tickle a distant memory from what seemed to be a long time ago. I even gave (what I hoped to be at the time) a bit of a silent chuckle. But it was quickly heard by one of the group.
"What?" Ginny asked suddenly. "What are you giggling about."
"Well, my grandpa used to tell me over and over again that it's not really nerves, but anticipation. After all, I'll bet you must have been dying to use magic for the first time." I replied without thinking, and then I wanted to bite her tongue once I realized what I had said.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, I cursed silently.
It wasn't long before that sudden pain of emptiness filled me, making me remember other things that I wished I had never seen, and that could fade away like a smoke from a fading fire.
"True." Ron nodded, thankfully not seeing how badly I was kicking myself.
Harry turned to me curiously. I wondered why until I remembered that I had only mentioned my grandparents only once, on the night we met. And I never spoke of them again. Mostly I've tried not to.
"Your grandfather used to say that?" He asked.
"Yeah," I whispered softly. I really wanted a subject change, and now.
Gratefully, I didn't have to wait long.
"Well, I know what I'm 'anticipating' this year," Ron spoke up suddenly.
We looked to him in curiosity.
"Quidditch tryouts."
I glanced over to see Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry and Ginny nodded fervently. Meanwhile I leaned forward, interested, and even more glad to think of something other then what I wanted to leave far behind me.
"You guys are on the Quidditch team?" I asked curiously. "Really?"
This is something new I thought quietly.
" 'Eah! 'm 'Eeper of da 'ffinore 'Idditch 'eam ,'n 'Arry is da-!" Ron said while chewing his roast, making bits of food and salvia fly out of his mouth, he looked as if he was about to continue until Ginny stopped him.
"She asked for the news, not the ruddy weather, Ronald," She said, wrinkling her nose in disgust, leaning as far away from her brother as she could. I couldn't help but giggle.
Ron glared at his sister as he swallowed his roast before turning to me once again. His expression more placid.
"Anyway, yeah we're on the Griffindor Quidditch Team. I'm a Keeper, and Harry is not just Seeker but the team's new Captain!"
Harry's Captain of a School Quidditch Team?, I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows at that, surprised he didn't tell me.
"Wow," I, turning to Harry. "When did this happen?"
"The Beginning of July actually." Harry replied, cutting up a bit of roast before turning to me. "I got the news along with my O.W.L.'s."
I nodded. Several days ago I had been informed about Hogwarts tests by Hermione (and shortly before having a brand-new copy of Hogwarts a History, rather unceremoniously I might add, dumped into my lap along with the bushy hared girl's insistence that I read it before September 1st).
"Speaking of which, how did you two fair on your O.W.L.'s?" Hermione began rather conversationally, as if she were talking about something as mundane as the weather.
I looked to the others just in time to see Ron roll his eyes, Ginny shake her head, and Harry have a sudden look in his eye like he should of known that Hermione would bring up tests scores as soon as he mentioned the plural letters 'O-W-L'.
"Er... Pretty good actually." Harry shrugged. "All except Divination of course. So I plan on dropping it as soon as I get the chance. At least I won't have to worry about that old bat bursting into tears every time I get within a fifty yards of her."
"Don't blame ya there, Mate." Ron replied, grabbing a hold of his Butterbeer bottle. "I plan on dropping that ruddy class as soon as I step onto the train. At least you didn't 'predict' the bloke would meet some ugly looking git with a wart on his nose and see that it was the guy testing ya."
I bit my lip, trying my hardest not to smile. Why was it I could just picture Ron doing exactly that during O.W.L. testing? Nor was I the only one. Ginny's eyes had started to water as she tried to restrain from laughing. Harry was shaking from silent laughter while trying to look somewhat sympathetic. Even Hermione (who seemed like she was about to crack if she didn't get a chance to inform the others what her test scores were) let a smile go onto her face.
I quickly decided to release Hermione from her torture.
"What 'bout you Hermione?" I asked suddenly.
I quickly noticed in the corner of her eye that Harry stole a glance at Ron when I asked this, but it was so brief I could have imagined it.
"Well, I did quite well in all of my classes," Hermione explained. "I was a bit worried about my Ancient Runes class, thought and I admit I wasn't expecting the score I got. I suppose I could have done better-."
"Oh come off it, Hermione!" Ron insisted. "What are you so worried about? You got an 'Exceeds Expectations' on every one of your O.W.L.'s. You did bloody brilliant, as usual and you got all worried about one ruddy question. So what are you so-."
"Just because I did well this year doesn't mean I will be able to this year, Ronald." Hermione snapped suddenly, angry at Ron's sudden outburst. "Seventh year we'll our N.E.W.T.'s to worry about, and I've heard that those tests are three times harder then any of the tests we have ever taken! And if one question is missed on the O.W.L.'s imagine how many questions can be missed on the N.E.W.T.'s!"
Ron went to give a defensive retort when Ginny suddenly spoke up, obviously in no mood to see her brother and one of her close friends have another fight, like the rest of us were.
"But now you know in advanced, what to work the most on don't you Hermione? Ginny reasoned.
Hermione, who looked slightly surprised at Ginny's sudden reason, gave a bit of a nod.
"Well that is true," She said with a shrug. "I could always remember to study more on Ancient Runes, and maybe a bit more of everything else as well."
Harry gave Ginny a grateful look, as I mouthed the words 'Thank-You' to her. Ginny gave a bit of a smile and a nod to the both of us before her. Just to make sure that the Hermione wouldn't bring up the subject of test scores or of tests for that matter (and since I suddenly felt extremely nervous thinking about it), I quickly asked about a few of the teachers. After all, I had heard some of them worked within the order.
It was strange but talking mostly about Hogwarts, it's teachers ("Hope we get a ruddy decent Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher this year," Ron muttered. "I still have nightmares thanks to that cow we had last year."), and (thanks to Harry, Ron, and Ginny) the Quidditch House teams really seemed to get the group thought the rest of dinner and dessert. Luckily, I was feeling slightly more confident about this new school that I had so suddenly gotten accepted to and I was even more then thankful to keep Ollivander's words from playing in my mind.
"Really, the Chasers we had last year where excellent," Harry was saying to the others. "I hope that-."
"Heads up, guys," Spoke up a sudden voice.
We looked up to see Tonks (her long hair a deep green to match the green white and orange shirt bearing the words Ireland Victory at the Quidditch World Cup that she wore), and Aunt Rose. It was then we noticed how most of their table was empty. Plates mostly cleaned of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking left then their wake.
"You lot better finish up, and quickly," Aunt Rose told us. "You know how Molly can be when there's an Order meeting and you haven't even finished eating."
"There's an Order meeting tonight?" Hermione asked.
Aunt Rose gave a quick nod, for her answer.
" 'Bout time too," Tonks muttered audibly picking up a dish or two. "We've been waiting long enough."
"Damn," Ron muttered, trying to cut one last bite of pot roast.
"Yeah, that's pretty much what we where saying," Tonks said with a bit of a grin, before taking up a small stack of dishes to the kitchen.
Feeling suddenly quite full I picked up my plate, just as Ginny did so. Then the red-haired girl abruptly turned to the others. A questioning look on her face. Remembering the hand washing system of dishes she and the others had set up when Harry and I first arrived.
"Whose turn is it to wash the dishes, again?" She asked the others.
"I believe it's mine," I replied, gently taking Ginny's plate from her hands and putting it atop my own. "Hermione washed last time, remember?"
Ginny gave her a nod, as well as a bit of a sympathetic look glancing pointedly at all the other dirty dishes on the table. I just shrugged my shoulders in reply, as I started piling dishes on my own.
"Are you sure you can handle it all, Cassia?" Hermione asked, concerned as she stacked her plate on the small pile.
"Washing them? Sure," I replied. "But piling them all on top of each other and taking them to the kitchen sink without suddenly showing my true hidden nature of being a bit of a klutz? I really doubt it."
I suppose from the way I had emphasized word 'klutz', Ginny couldn't help but give a few giggles. Hermione just shook her head good naturedly.
"No worries," Harry said from behind me suddenly. "We've got awhile until Mrs. Weasley tells us all to bugger off, so if you really need a hand or two.."
I turned to see, that he too was piling dishes on each other. I gave him a bit of a grin.
"Well, the thought did cross my mind," she admitted lightly with grateful smile. Which I noticed was gladly returned by him.
As Harry grinned back, I could have sworn I saw a slight smirk from Ron across the table. A look mirrored by Ginny who stood right next to me, but I must have imagined it because they seemed to be rather intent on gathering the rest of the plates before a fuming Mrs. Weasley would come to lecture them.
Muggle Waitressing, now there's a career path I really should look into, I thought sarcastically several minutes later. Standing at the kitchen sink, my hands already red and raw from scrubbing several dishes. Yet, there was still quite a stack I still hadn't washed yet. Unclean and waiting.
I sighed to my self.
This is going to be a long night. I thought as I grabbed another dish and shoved it under the icy burst from the tap.
Behind my, I could hear Mrs. Weasley, and Aunt Rose packing the leftovers from the great dinner that had been on the table mere seconds ago. Meanwhile Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny seemed to be two things at once: putting the few leftovers from tonight's dinner (Mrs. Weasley was an awesome cook), and setting more dishes and silverware on to my ever-growing pile.
"Alright," Mrs. Weasley proclaimed suddenly, putting away the last of the rolls into a sealed bag with the wave of her wand. "I think that's about it."
She turned to the five us, who had continued our discussion about Hogwarts and Quidditch into the kitchen.
"You lot better clear out of here, and soon. The Order should be here anytime now."
"But Mum," Ginny spoke up suddenly. "What about Cassia? She still has a load of dishes to wash, can't we stay here and help?"
Mrs. Weasley paused at first to think about this, but I stepped up to say, "Don't worry about me, Ginny. For awhile I used to work part time in a Muggle restaurant. The pile of dishes I had to wash there was... About... Uh..." (I cocked my head to the side, calculating the height) "Several feet higher then this one."
Several chuckles went around the room, before Ron sat the last of the dirty glasses on the counter.
"Alright," The red head spoke in a final tone, (I had the impression that washing dishes was the last thing he would want to do at the moment). "We'll be up in the parlor -or whatever the ruddy hell you call the room- when your done."
"Ah, anxious to kick Harry's rear in chess again, I see?" I asked in a mock understanding tone.
"Nice to see you're very supportive of the underdog, Cassia," Spoke a voice from my right.
I turned to see Harry, trying -and failing- to give me a stern look. I innocently shrugged my shoulders, and said with a bit of a roguish grin, "I try."
"Well, if you're sure that you don't need any help, Cassia," Hermione started, concern in her eyes.
At once that roguish grin disappeared off my face.
"Yes, I'm sure, Hermione," I insisted, not knowing whither to be thankful or annoyed at the moment for them being so concerned about me.
"Okay," Ginny said suddenly. "We'll see you later."
"You too."
There was the sound of footsteps behind me, then the sound of a door opening, and finally the sound of it clicking shut.
"A bit of a stubborn lot, aren't they?" Aunt Rose asked Mrs. Weasley with a smile.
"You could say that," The older redheaded women replied shaking her head.
"Of course, look whose asking the question," I teased, turning to see the look on my aunt's face.
"Oh ha ha," Aunt Rose replied, shaking her head, her wavy blonde hair the was held up in a ponytail swaying from side to side.
I gave a playful smirk, before turning back to the dishes.
Mrs. Weasley gave a bit of a smile between the both of us before turning back to Rose.
"Well, we'd best be getting the dining room somewhat situated for the Order Meeting. We're supposed to be having at least six new recruits tonight."
Aunt Rose nodded, before turning to the door. Mrs. Weasley turned to me and gave a bit of a smile.
"We'll be back to get you when the meeting starts." She told me. "For obvious reasons of course."
I just shrugged my shoulders in reply to Mrs. Weasley. Deep down i could admit that I felt a small twinge of curiosity for this Order, but not as great as I knew the other's had. Maybe because of the way Grams had taught me about how so many of the members had disappeared, how death had been the most merciful for them. Or probably it was because of the small bits of knowledge I knew about my Mom, was how she had once been in the Order, and I really didn't want to tempt myself to asking questions about a women I had never known.
Probably would never know.
Either way I turned back to the dishes as I heard the door open and shut behind me. With no one around to hear me (and since my singing is worth of nails on chalkboard), I couldn't help but start humming a tune I heard not too long ago; it soon was one of the only sounds in the kitchen besides the clacking of dishes and the running if water from the tap.
Harrys POV
Rest in the Results...
Click :)
Almost as soon as I had entered the parlor, I soon found myself engaged in another game of wizard's chess between Ron where, so far (as Cassia had so aptly predicted), I seemed to be losing. Of course, this was also largely due to the fact I wasnt really paying the game much attention.
In fact, I was letting my mind wonder at bit. Glancing around the room, trying to avoid the large tapestry that still hung itself where I had last seen it.
I quickly spotting Hermione, sitting on the old couch, Standard Book of Spells Year 6 propped on the table before her, and knitting needles and yarn in her hand. She seemed to be knitting (what looked like to be) a cross between a tangle of yarn, and a potholder of some sort.
After questioning what it was several weeks ago Hermione huffed, "It's a sweater! For the house-elves! Honestly, I should have kept up with knitting since term ended, but it keeps slipping my mind lately. Ill have to really work harder now to get my skill back and try to free twice as many house elves as I did last year...."
After that, I decided not to question her success with the sweater any further.
As Hermione clicked away with knitting, Ginny sat next to the table with a roll of parchment, a quill and a pot of ink. Writing a rather letter to her boy-friend, Dean (In the corner of my eye I could see Ron's lower jaw had tighten considerable every time he glanced in her direction).
Suddenly I wondered shortly where Cassia was, before remembering the load of dishes she had to wash tonight. At this I shook my head, remembering how stubbornly she had refused help, and how she had teased me about losing chess games to Ron.
For a brief second I imagined what it would be like when she came though that door into the parlor. Like the rest of us, I knew she would smell like the lemon scented soap that Mrs. Weasley made us wash the dishes with, and her hands would be slightly raw and wrinkled from scrubbing. But she never really let it get to her much.
I could already picture her, doing the normal things she would do in the parlor. Sometimes she would help Hermione unravel the yarn from the balls that it came from, simply nodding along to her lectures about S.P.E.W. and house-elf rights ( she was very careful of voicing her own opinion whatever it was). Sometimes she would talking to Ginny about this and that. Sometimes she would sit nearby and watch Ron and I play chess. Then, sometimes, she would simply lay on her stomach on the parlor floor, facing the fire while reading a copy Hogwarts, A History that Hermione had so unceremoniously put in her lap after the trip to Diagon Alley; her left hand flipping the pages, while her right hand seemed to keep her head up as it rested under her jaw.
I only knew one thing: that girl was just so unexpected, no one could ever really tell what she would do next. Not until she was already doing it. Maybe that was another reason why Ollivander's words had bothered me, making me feel like there was something out there. Something out there that wasnt just after the Order, and Myself. Maybe this was why I started to feel like she was hiding something from all of us. Something she hadnt bothered to tell me and the other, like when she hadnt told me what she was.
"Er Harry?" Ron spoke suddenly, snapping my eyes to him.
"Would you like to make your move sometime in this century?"
"What?" I asked, at first confused. "Oh! Er Sorry."
Rather awkwardly, I scanned the chessboard, trying to see what move I could make next. Then finally settling on pushing my white bishop forward.
"You alright, mate?" Ron asked simply, prodding one of his knights foreword. "Ever since you came back Well, not like I can blame you, but you've mostly kept to yourself. Especially after"(Ron glanced over to see Ginny roll up her letter and go off to get an owl) "Telling us about the well, you know."
Knowing what he was talking about instantly, I just offered one of my best friends a simple shrug.
"I'm alright. Or I will be anyway," I replied to the red head, staring at the board. Thinking up, my next move.
"Just a little question," Ron said suddenly, a bit of a smirk in his eye. "Could you be thinking of a certain girl that we all have come to know and accept as a member of our 'happy' family."
"Very funny, Ron," I replied, shaking my head. "Actually I've been wondering about several different things lately."
Looking up from her knitting Hermione looked to the two of us.
"Mind if I ask what they are exactly?"
"It's nothing, really," I replied in (what I hoped to be) an off-hand kind of way. Like it was nothing to be worried about.
Then I looked up to see Ron and Hermione exchange significant looks. Both silently agreeing on something. Before I could guess what, Ron turned to me suddenly.
"Have we ever told you that, sometimes, you're just bloody awful at lying?" Ron asked bluntly.
"W-what?" I asked, the question purely seemed out of the blue, for me at least.
"Harry," Hermione started. "Isn't it obvious? Ever since you first came back youve been acting Well, different. You haven't really been interested in the Order like you used to, and you mostly seem to keep to yourself a lot more then ever before. Personally I'm amazed that you even spoke last night during dinner."
"It's just that I've been having this strange feeling"
" 'Bout what?"
I let out a deep sigh.
"Well half of it is about well what Cassia maybe hiding from us."
As soon as I spoke her name, my two friends looked to me, eyebrows raised. Both silently asking, "What do you mean?"
Taking a deep breath I tried to think of a polite way to sum up the words that had been eating away at me lately.
"Do you get the feeling that she's, well, that she's hiding something?" I asked them. "I mean, she never really talks about what her life was like back in America. And she didn't really seem like she wanted to talk about her grandparents tonight. In fact, this is the first night, since the night I met her that she's mentioned them at all. I just want to know why she's been so shut up about it."
Ron tilted his head a bit. Looking like he was considering what was just mentioned. Meanwhile Hermione took a deep sigh.
"Well, from what she's mentioned to Ginny and I. I can't say I blame her for being quiet." She said.
Both Ron and I turned to her, wearing curious looks on our faces.
"What do you mean?"
Hermione lowered her knitting, looking at Ron then me with slight shock.
"You don't mean to tell me that you don't know"
"Well, if we did do you really think we would have asked, Hermione?" Ron said shortly. "I mean, if everyone in this room had your astounding brilliance-"
"Furies arent the most accepted type of magical beings in the world, Ronald," Hermione replied. "Remember what Cassia said about her kind's ability to, sometimes, sense the good and evil within a person and not being able to control it?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "So?"
Hermione seemed to give a little sigh at the lack of interest in this.
"I read a little into Fury History while we where browsing Flourish and Blotts. The first three furies weren't just able to not control their powers of sensing good and evil, they went mad because of it. Think about, even good people break the rules from time to time. And with all the abuse and ridicule the three went though, no one ever helped them. Finally after years and years of sensing all those evils in the world, even the small character flaws in each person twisted them. They soon were led to believe that there was no good in the world at all, and lost all concepts of both good and evil. Soon they went so dangerously mad that they started using their powers for the most gruesome murders in the History of Magic."
"What?" Both Ron and I gaped, incredulously.
Hermione nodded.
"According to what I've read speaks of: for the next several years, that's all the three did in that magical and Muggle communities. Hunt people down and kill them for the unmoral things they did. Of course they didn't know any better. Then something happened, something just snapped and they somehow learned to control it by banishing it and twisting that gift into something that they could just use when they say a simple incantation."
"So what's this got to do with fury's not being 'accepted', or whatever?" Ron asked, curiously. Saying what was on my mind.
"Well, those moment were recorded forever into history. Even Muggles knew about the horrible murders they committed under insanity thanks to Muggle poets like Homer. And, like werewolves, they still seem to have a reputation that they are-."
"Horrible, blood thirsty creatures. Is that about right?" I asked coldly; an old anger suddenly resurfaced. Bringing memories to the reactions to Lupin being a werewolf in our third year, and Hagrid being a half-giant in our fourth year.
Hermione nodded.
"Blimey," Ron whistled, and silently I found myself agreeing with him. "No wonder Cassia seemed to be holding her breath when she spoke of what she was."
"Of course their reputation hasn't been helped over the last war with the coming of the 'Dirae'," Hermione replied.
"The Dir-what?" I repeated after her, cocking my eyebrow.
"Voldemort's band of Fury outcasts. Those who, like the werewolves, think that with bloodshed they can get the respect of the magical world. Let's just say they made the three sister's murders look like child's play."
Ron leaned back in his chair, "I wondered why I thought I heard of Furies before. I guess they must be a quiet bunch after those incidents what that lot."
Hermione didn't reply. Instead she turned to me, a questioning look on her face.
"You said that was only half the reason Harry. Whats the other half?" She asked me in an concerned tone.
I couldn't answer. Not automatically anyway. Instead, I looked pointedly to the immensely old tapestry that still hung a great length of the wall. Something the Order had been unable to remove since a year ago. With the words "Toujours Pur" below the words that seemed to remain a constant reminder of how my godfather hated this place so much.
A godfather lost all because of me, and because of how much Voldemort wanted a certain secret that had been kept for most of my life.
Until last year that is.
"She doesn't really know about last year," I spoke up suddenly. "Or what I'm supposed to do."
I looked over to see Ron and Hermione exchanged another glance, my message instantly understood. But if they were going to try to convince me to tell the newest suddenly accepted member of our group this secret, or to tell me to wait a bit longer, I couldnt say. At that moment Ginny walked in, and remembering their promise not to tell anyone else just yet they clamped their mouths shut.
I suppose a sworn promise a promise after all, even if it's one that could take another to the grave.
Cassia's P.O.V.
If you're ever this stubborn again I'll kill you, Snapped a voice in My head.
What had felt like well past an hour had gone by and I still had plenty to wash. But (I noted with a satisfaction) at least I was well halfway finished. Then again, would probably be faster, if I hadn't accidentally cut the my left palm with one of the knifes, and was currently washing with one hand since the other was wrapped with a small scrap of cloth that I had cut rather crudely from a clean towel.
Hey! Another voice snapped back. It's not my fault I'm a bit rusty at hand-washing silverware. I quit my job at that restaurant for a reason, you know. Every time I'd get angry at some moron the stove would light up faster then I could stop myself. Then when that sprinkler system got installed Well I don't think I've ever had so many showers in one week.
The memory of those "disasters" made me shake my head. Quietly, I decided to save that particular story for later. In the meantime I didn't even notice that someone else had entered the kitchen. Not until the door had clicked shut behind them.
Thanks to that strange edge I seemed to be on the past few days, (or because of it) I jumped, and at once static electricity seemed to click in the air itself. Swinging around, I took a deep sigh of relief when it was Mrs. Weasley standing before me.
"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley," I said suddenly, feeling a strange urge to apologize. "I just have a few more dishes and then I promise I'll be out of-."
"No need to say anything, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied in a quite weary tone that automatically caught my attention.
I knew that voice. It was the voice of someone who was about to say something that was extremly bad. I could remembered it vividly from years ago when the doctors came into the waiting room to tell Grams and I the reason why Grandpa had been coughing up blood.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Mrs. Weasley took a deep sigh.
"I can't say right now, it's too soon to tell," The older women replied.
It was a strange answer, but for some odd reason I could feel my throat tighten. Not a good sign, not a good sign at all. Carefully I sat down the glass I had been washing, waiting for the axe to finally fall.
I didn't have long to wait.
"Cassia," Mrs. Weasley spoke suddenly, as if she knew she had to get it off of her chest. "The members of the Order would like to speak to you."
Ooh! a Cliff hanger. Aren't I so bad. : P I'll see you guys next time! Until then feel free to comment or rate if you so desire, I d love to know what you think.
