One thing Cassie had not missed about Hogwarts was how early she had to wake to prepare for lessons.

Of course, it didn't help that she had had another nightmare about her parents. Only this time, instead of Will and Lord Voldemort standing over their bloody bodies and holding their hearts, she'd been forced to watch, silently screaming from the corner, as green flashes lit up the night and a high, cold voice laughed. Her sleep after that was fitful, at best, and when dawn came around, she gave up and started to wash and dress for the day.

Her friends still slept peacefully when she grabbed her bag, snuck out of the dormitory, and entered a blissfully empty common room. She decided to head to the Great Hall early and climbed through the portrait hole, the Fat Lady yawning loudly behind her and uttering a greeting before promptly falling asleep again.

She reached the trick staircases on the seventh floor and prepared to catch the next one to swing by, but looked up when she heard footsteps from the opposite end of the corridor and saw Mary Macdonald walking toward her. The Ravenclaw girl must have come from her own tower, and she spotted Cassie at the same time she did. Her steps faltered a bit, but she approached anyway and nodded to her.

Cassie grasped for something to say, her throat suddenly dry at the sight of the Ravenclaw. The image of Mary's body crumpled at the bottom of the grand marble staircase last term forced its way to the front of her mind, and she couldn't help remembering the way her blonde hair had stained from her own blood.

"Mac – Mary." Cassie tried for a smile. "How are you?"

She seemed taken aback by her cordial greeting. "I'm all right...Cassie." She said her name as if it were a foreign word. "Um, I'd ask about your holiday, but..."

Cassie smiled tightly. "Yeah. That's a topic for a midnight drinking session, trust me."

Mary snorted. "I know the feeling."

The two girls shared a tentative smile before Cassie gestured to the moving staircases. "I'm going down to breakfast. Care to walk with me?"

"Are you sure I'm not going to be attacked again if I'm seen with you?" Mary raised a perfectly arched brow at her, and Cassie's stomach dropped.

"Mary, I'm so sorry – I didn't even think—" she stammered, horrified at her own callousness, but Mary waved off her stuttering with a smirk.

"Relax, Cassie. I'm not blaming you for what happened to me." A staircase connected to their corridor and she hopped on. After a slight hesitation, Cassie followed her. Mary leaned against the bannister with her hip and sighed. "I had a feeling that something might happen if I told you what I overheard last term. But I just couldn't keep it to myself, y'know? That could've been you in my place."

Cassie swallowed past the lump in her throat as they changed staircases. "Why help me at all, though? You made it pretty clear last year that you weren't exactly my biggest fan."

She grimaced. "Yeah, I know. And I'm sorry for that. I never meant to start rumors about you and the Marauders, or whatever they call themselves. Dorcas and I...yeah, we were definitely being twits, no denying that." She suddenly eyed Cassie curiously. "But one of those rumors turned out to be true, right? You and Black?"

"Yep." Cassie nodded. "I hope you at least won that bet, seeing as the one over Remus never panned out."

Mary laughed and Cassie found herself smiling. She had an infectious laugh – light and tinkling, like a bell. For how much of a catty witch Mary had been to her at the start of their fifth year, she was starting to grow on Cassie the more they talked.

"Oh, for sure." She grinned. "Dorcas was pissed she owed me a Galleon. But for a long time, it really seemed like you and Lupin were going in that direction."

Cassie scoffed. "Remus and me? No way. We're practically related at this point."

"True," she conceded, "but you both had the whole school convinced that you were something more before Black came into the picture."

Cassie looked away, uncomfortable, and she was grateful when they got off on the fifth floor and continued to the Great Hall. They walked in a relatively relaxed silence throughout the empty corridors, but when they reached the top of the marble staircase Mary stopped, her gaze fixed on the spot where she'd been lying in a pool of her own blood only several weeks before.

"You want to know why I helped you, Cassie?" she asked suddenly.

Cassie glanced at her, apprehensive. Mary turned forest-green eyes on her, solemn and haunted. She seemed ten years older in that moment – nothing like the petty, jealous girl that had given Cassie hell just a year ago.

"Why?"

"Because you were fighting for the right side." She looked away, back to the bottom of the stairs, and her voice lowered. "Despite your brother, despite your family, you were standing up to the blood supremacists anyway. I knew that when I overheard those people talking about killing you. I realized how brave you were – and how much I wasn't. That instead of doing something productive against those wizards, I was spending my time gossiping like a bitter old shrew."

She took a deep breath. "I'm a Muggle-born," she admitted. "I know what it's like to be looked down on, to be judged by something you can't change." She lifted her gaze and stared hard at Cassie. "But I'm not afraid. Not anymore. And if you can fight now – here – for what's right, then so can I."

Cassie eyed the Ravenclaw with a new regard as the sun burst through the castle windows around them, bathing the staircase and entrance hall in gold. Voices drifted out to them from the Great Hall below, early-risers like themselves. Cassie held out her arm.

"Then let's show them we're not afraid," she said.

With a shared smile, Mary took her arm, and they walked into the Hall together with the light at their backs.

xx

"I'm a fool," Alice moaned, flopping back on the grass near the shore of the Black Lake and flinging an arm over her eyes.

Cassie, Marlene, and Lily shared a glance as they sat beside her. The storms of yesterday had passed on, and the day had turned sunny and warm with a cool breeze that flowed from the lake. The sixth-year Gryffindors had received their class schedules from Professor McGonagall that morning at breakfast, and they were now taking advantage of the free block they had between lunch and their afternoon lessons.

"I mean, we've known that for a while," Marlene joked. "But why, exactly, are you a fool?"

Alice flipped her off while Cassie and Lily snickered. "I'm a fool, dear Marlene, because I thought we were done with hard work after O.W.L.s. Now come to find out, they were only preparing us for the worse torture that is N.E.W.T.s."

Marlene sighed. "Yeah. I can't believe we already have homework for Transfiguration and Charms. It's only the first day of lessons." She sprawled out next to Alice. "Kill me now."

Cassie poked her side. "The lake's right there. I'm sure the giant squid would think you're quite tasty."

Marlene wriggled away from her finger. "Not right now. We haven't been to Defense yet. And I'd really hate to die before I got a chance to see Professor Tall, Dark, and Handsome up close."

"Well, at least we know Mar's fascination of the month now." Lily laughed.

"Have you seen him?" Marlene sighed dreamily. "He's like a Greek god come to life. The muscles on that man..."

"We were all there at dinner last night, Mar," Alice pointed out. "We saw him. And we listened to you gush about him in the dorm, too."

"And we heard you moaning his name in your sleep..." Cassie said, laughing when Marlene smacked her.

"No worse than you," she retorted. She mimicked a high-pitched mewl that sounded nothing like Cassie. "'Oh, Sirius, yes. Don't stop – right there – yes—'"

"You're all horrible," Cassie grumbled when her friends giggled.

"But while we're on the subject..." Marlene sat up and eyed Lily. Lily paused, halfway through pulling out a clump of grass by her knees. She stared at Mar, uncomprehending, while Marlene smiled mischievously. "Two days back at school, and you haven't jinxed Potter once. What gives, Lils?"

Lily huffed. "Oh, no. I am not talking about Potter."

Marlene waggled her eyebrows. "Why not? You were awfully concerned about him after the fiasco in the bathroom last term..."

Lily's face turned red. "Because I thought he was dying after what Sev – Snape – did to him!"

The temperature around the lake seemed to drop ten degrees at the mention of Severus Snape. Even Alice removed her arm from over her eyes and sat up, watching Lily carefully as she went back to ripping grass with a scowl on her face.

"Did you talk to him?" Alice asked, keeping her voice low despite no one being around them. "I know he lives nearby you back home..."

Lily shook her head. "I told him in a letter that I didn't want to see him. I sent it right before your parents' funeral, Cass, once we got out of school." She ripped another clump of grass forcefully. "He didn't listen. Showed up at my house every day, trying to get me to come outside so he could explain himself. Like there was anything to explain."

She opened her palm and watched the grass she'd pulled float away on the breeze. "My dad finally had to tell him to stop coming around. I wanted to feel bad for him but I just – couldn't." She shook her head again. "How could someone who was my best friend just say something so awful? And Potter, tormenting him like that before..." She closed her hand into a fist. "They're both rotten. I want nothing to do with either of them."

Cassie exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Marlene and Alice before clearing her throat. "So, to get this out of the way before we have a repeat of last year..."

Lily turned to Cassie, stricken. "Oh, Cass, no. I don't want to fight again. We've both made it clear where we stand on the matter. I won't be angry if you continue hanging out with him. As much as I don't want to admit it, he and the other boys are good to you." She sighed. "I just wish I could see the same side of him that you do, so maybe I could understand. But right now I just can't."

"I understand, Lils, don't worry," she said, patting her hand. "And I don't expect you to forgive James after what he and Sirius pulled on Snape. But I hope with everything that happened after, they'll think twice about doing something so awful again."

Lily gave her a grateful smile before returning her attention back to the lake, and that was it. They all fell into a comfortable silence as they enjoyed the brief respite between lessons and the outdoors, especially with autumn coming so soon.

Cassie was curled on her side, dozing with her bag under her head, when a sudden buzzing reached her ears. Without opening her eyes, she swatted at the bug, but the buzzing grew louder and more persistent. It was only when something tickled her cheek that she bolted upright, prepared to smash whatever insect dared bother her, but she stopped in confusion when a Golden Snitch hovered near her face before zooming off.

She tracked its movements as best she could, following its path to the beech tree the Marauders usually claimed for their own whenever they were out on the grounds, only it was James who stood under the tree. He waved to her when she spotted him, his other hand snapping out to catch the Snitch with incredible reflexes.

She rolled her eyes and stood up, collecting her things and muttering "I'll be back" to the girls. They only responded with faint grumbles, too busy soaking up the sunshine. She walked to where James waited for her.

"This better be good," she said when she reached him. She threw her bag on the ground and sat down again, nestling in the roots of the tree and propping her back against the trunk. Dappled sunlight danced through the leaves, speckling her skin with warmth as James slid down beside her, the Snitch struggling in his hand still.

"I figured going over there wasn't the best move," he said, adjusting his glasses when they slipped down his nose. "Especially if I'm going to be keeping the record for most days in a row without being hexed by Lily Evans."

"Where are the others?"

"Sleeping." James grinned when she looked over to him questioningly. "We may or may not have stayed up all night playing drinking games."

She rolled her eyes. "And you're not passed out with them because...?"

"Because I'm James bloody Potter, love," he said with a wink.

She snorted. "It's a wonder how you and Sirius don't hate each other considering the sizes of your egos."

"What's the point in constantly being in a pissing match when you can combine egos to create an even bigger, more monstrous ego?"

"Point taken." Cassie rubbed at her face. "So, what am I doing over here again?"

"Well, since you told me you're not going to help me with Evans..." He grinned when she fixed him with a pointed stare, and he knocked his knee against hers. "I came to see how you were doing."

She frowned. "What do you mean? We've seen each other nearly every day for the past month."

"Yeah, but it was kind of hard to get you alone to talk since Sirius was glued to your side the whole time." He raised his brows.

"Take that up with him. He's your boyfriend, too."

He laughed. "I'm serious, Cass. We hardly talked about Will or your parents this summer."

"For good reason." She sighed and rested her head against the trunk. "I didn't want to talk about them. Still don't, really."

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't," he said. "Even Remus mentioned that you barely opened up to him, and you two talk about everything together."

"What more is there to say?" she said in frustration. "Will's in Azkaban plotting Godric-knows-what, my parents are dead – so what? What else could there possibly be?"

"Well, the locket, for starters," he said. "What are you planning to do with it?"

"Nothing, for now. And don't give me that look!" He'd eyed her incredulously. "It's like Remus said – no one knows it came back to me except us five. And Lily, Mar, and Alice will know as soon as I tell them. There's no point in trying to get rid of it again if it just comes right back!"

"We could go to Dumbledore again—" he started, but she scoffed.

"What can he do? He promised to find Will, but the Death Eaters got there before him. My parents wouldn't be dead right now if he'd just done what he was supposed to!"

Cassie took a deep breath to steady herself when she felt the tears coming on. Godric, she was so sick of crying.

James wrapped his arm around her knee. "I'm sorry, Cassie. I'm not trying to push you. I'm just looking out for you. We all are."

"I know." She sniffed. "I shouldn't be snapping at you, anyway. I'm just so..."

She struggled to find the words. But were there any words that could describe what she was feeling? What she'd felt every day since she'd seen her parents lying in their tombs, since Will had disappeared on his suicide mission to Azkaban? Even before then, the past two years had weighed on her so heavily. From Will joining the Death Eaters, to giving her the clockwork locket and the clues to find the Gauntlet of Gryffindor, to stop Voldemort from obtaining it... Had she ever felt normal? Been at peace since then? What was she anymore?

"Hey." James squeezed her knee. "It's all right, Cass."

She shook her head bitterly. "Nothing is all right, James. Nothing."

"Then we'll make it better." He said it so easily, so bluntly, as if anything were that simple. "We're James Potter and Cassie Alderfair, remember? The dynamic duo. We're unstoppable together."

She choked out a laugh. "You know, if someone told me last year that I'd become best friends with James Potter, I would've laughed in their face."

"And now here you are." He grinned. "Best friends with three of the Marauders and dating the infamous Sirius Black himself. Quite the change in fortunes."

"Oh, please." She rested her head on his shoulder. "If anything, the four of you are lucky to be friends with me."

He chuckled and put his head atop her own. "Right you are, Princess. Right you are."

xx

Later that afternoon, Cassie arrived with the girls to their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom only to find everyone standing in the corridor, the classroom door closed and locked.

"What's going on?" Marlene wondered aloud. Cassie thought the same thing as she looked around (noticing – much to her irritation and disgruntlement – that they would be having lessons with the Slytherins once again), but Alice pointed to the door.

"There's a list," she said.

Lily pushed through the throng of students to reach the door, Cassie, Alice, and Marlene right behind her.

"It's all of our names," she said, her finger tracing the parchment and tapping EVANS, LILY near the top. "They're all mixed up, though. I think they were randomized."

Cassie huddled near the door with the other girls as they searched for their names. She found her own name – dead last. She sighed. "Just my luck."

"What d'you reckon it's for?" Alice asked.

"Why don't you ask the Mudblood?" someone said behind them.

Cassie whirled around to see Kanin Mulciber, one of the Slytherins who had cornered them in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom after their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. last term. The hulking Slytherin boy grinned nastily at them, his beady eyes fixed on Lily. Flanking him was Peggy Sloane – a brutish girl who'd done her fair share of attacks on Cassie the year before – Severus Snape, and to her disgust, Avery.

Mulciber sneered at Lily. "After all, the little slug seems to know everything, right?"

Cassie stepped in front of Lily. "Back off, Mulciber. We already proved who's the better dueler last term. Unless you'd like a rematch?"

The corridor had gone still. Gryffindors and Slytherins alike watched the simmering tension with wary eyes and bated breath. Cassie could feel Avery watching her, but that only made her angrier.

Mulciber leered at her. "Of course, the blood traitor rushes to defend her pet Mudblood." His eyes glowed out at her with malicious glee. "Eager to join your parents so soon, Alderfair? Because that's where you'll be headed if you keep siding with scum like her." He jerked his chin at Lily, who'd gone white with rage behind her.

Snape shifted his feet uncomfortably. He looked like a twitchy bat next to Mulciber's considerable girth, his black eyes looking everywhere but at Lily. Peggy Sloane watched Cassie with predatory intensity, and she knew that the Slytherin girl was just waiting for her to make a move. She forced a breath out of her nose.

"Better an early grave than following some egotistical maniac on a power trip," she snapped back.

"Just you wait," Mulciber said. "Once we're out of school and we get to the real world, Alderfair, I'll—"

"You'll do what?" Sirius's voice broke in.

He sidled to Cassie's side, the other Marauders materializing behind him to face the Slytherins. If possible, the corridor became even more still. Sirius stared hard at Mulciber. He didn't touch Cassie, but she could feel the cold radiating from him.

Peggy Sloane barked out a harsh laugh. "Worse than what your mother did to you this summer, Black!" Mulciber laughed along with her. "How's it feel to be disowned for being a Muggle-loving piece of filth?"

Gasps came from the Gryffindors. The Slytherins chuckled under their breath.

James brushed past Sirius, who'd frozen at the mention of his mother. He glared at Sloane and Mulciber.

"You're lucky we're still in school," he said, his eyes flashing dangerously. "If this was the real world, you'd be—"

But the rest of his sentence was drowned out when the classroom door unlocked and opened with a loud groan from behind them. Professor Staghart loomed in the doorway, his huge frame nearly taking up the whole thing. He seemed much larger up close; his scars even more menacing. His crimson robes had been swapped for a deep blue coat and a suit like the ones Cassie had seen the Aurors wearing when she had visited the Ministry.

He swept tawny eyes over the assembled students, who had gone silent at his appearance. Without so much as a greeting, he turned to the parchment on his door and read out, "McKinnon, Marlene."

Cassie heard Marlene audibly gulp beside her. The blonde witch stepped forward nervously. "Yes?"

Professor Staghart gestured with his head to the classroom behind him. "Come with me."

Everyone watched Marlene approach the professor. She looked like a doll in comparison. When she got to the door, he raked his gaze over the rest of them.

"Today I will be individually assessing you," he said. His voice was deep and rumbling; Cassie had a sudden view of the Earth's core in her mind when he spoke. "When your name is called, you will come to my office where I will ask you to perform some basic spells for me, so I can better understand what level you're all at before we begin the course. In the meantime, you may wait in the classroom." His eyes landed on Cassie, the Marauders, and Mulciber. "If there are going to be problems, handle it elsewhere. Not on class time."

When no one said anything, he held the door open for Marlene. "Come. The rest of you, please be courteous and patient."

As he led Marlene to the office above the classroom, the rest of them filed in silently. Cassie threw herself into a chair as far away from the Slytherins as she could get, Lily and Alice following suit. The Marauders dragged chairs over to them and sat down. Sirius slid his hand into Cassie's.

"You're shaking," he murmured, swiping his thumb over her knuckles.

"I wonder why," she bit out. She turned to Lily, who still looked quite ashen. "Are you all right?"

"I thought it'd be easier," she said quietly. "The more I heard it – the more people called me a M-Mudblood – I thought the more it wouldn't bother me. But it's still shocking, to hear people say it."

"They're disgusting," James growled. "No one should ever be called that."

Lily said nothing, but she nodded.

"They're looking for a reaction," Remus said. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, his face serious. "Purposefully trying to provoke us after what happened last term. They got away with it, and now they're seeing how far they can take it."

Lily sighed. "I don't care why they're doing it. I don't care at all. Let's just – talk about something else, please?"

Cassie saw her eyes dart to the corner where Severus Snape sat, head down and not talking to any of his housemates. Recalling their conversation by the lake earlier that day, Cassie nodded and said, "What do you think Professor Staghart's assessing us over?"

Lily shrugged. "Could be anything. Defensive spells, maybe?"

Peter paled. "Do you think he expects us to know them off the top of our head?"

Sirius gave him an incredulous look. "You mean you haven't memorized them at this point?"

"We've learned a million spells! How can I be expected to remember every single one?"

"How did you even make it to sixth year?"

As Sirius and Peter started arguing about the necessities of learning spells, Remus bumped Cassie's shoulder where he sat on her other side. "You all right?"

"I wish everyone would stop asking me that," she sighed.

He chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll think of something else to ask you." He screwed up his face in faux-concentration. "What do you think the meaning of life is?"

"Not being annoyed by pesky friends."

"You wound me, Cassie!" He pressed a hand over his heart. "I've never been called pesky before!"

She gave him a half-smile. "First time for everything." She glanced around to make sure no one was listening before she leaned in and whispered, "How are you feeling? I know there's only a week left before..." She waved her hand at him, indicating his "furry little problem" as James called it.

His face darkened. "Fine. Not fantastic, but not terrible, either."

"Good." She scuffed her shoe on the floor. "I've been meaning to ask you...but do you know of any good books on Animagi I can find in the library by chance?"

He stared hard at her. "You don't mean what I think you are."

She twirled a piece of hair around her finger, not meeting his eyes. "You know me better than anyone, Remus. What do you think I mean?"

His eyes slid to Sirius, who was still arguing with Peter, though their debate had grown to encompass James, Alice, and Lily, as well.

"I think it's risky, highly illegal, and dangerous," he said.

"Oh, so if Peter, Sirius, and James want to do it, that's fine, but when it's me, it's not?"

"They went through it because they don't have a lick of common sense and see everything as a rule to be broken," he said. "At least you have some reason about you, which is what I'm trying to appeal to right now."

She flicked her hair over her shoulder in irritation. "I'm doing it whether you approve or not. So either help me or stay mad about it."

"You're entirely impossible, you know that?"

"I'll take that as a yes, then."

He hung his head. "Yes. I'll give you a list of the books that we found to be the most helpful when we were researching. But I still don't think it's a good idea, Cassie."

"Look on the bright side," she joked. "When I practice, you might get to see me naked."

His face flushed bright red, and he groaned when she laughed. "You're as bad as Sirius."

"Wrong," she said as the door to Professor Staghart's office opened. "I'm far worse."

Marlene came to join them as a Slytherin went up the stairs to the office.

"Well?" Alice demanded when the other girl sat down. "What happened? How'd it go?"

"I can't tell you," she said, and shrugged when they all stared at her. "He told me to keep quiet, so no one knew what to expect."

"Great." Alice slumped in her seat. "Just great."

"At least you don't have to go last," Cassie grumbled.

The more time that passed and the more she had to wait, the antsier she got, especially when both James and Sirius returned with gloating expressions and refused to tell her what they'd done. The class was nearly over by the time Cassie's name was finally called, and she waved to her friends.

"Don't wait around for me," she said. "I'll just meet you at dinner."

Lily wished her luck and Sirius kissed her cheek before they all left. She turned to the stone staircase and climbed the steps, fighting down her apprehension the closer to the office she got.

She reached the top of the stairs and paused just on the threshold, fingering her wand in her pocket before Professor Staghart's deep voice called, "Enter."

He stood at a desk piled high with leather-bound books, poring over a file when she walked in. In fact, the entire room seemed more like a library than an office. Shelves filled with books and stacks of parchment and scrolls littered every available surface. Where there was empty space unoccupied by books, strange objects and ancient-looking relics rested, some of them vibrating occasionally or glowing randomly. It was a stark contrast to Carlisle's sterile decorations the year before, as was the professor himself.

When Cassie entered the room, Professor Staghart flicked his wand and the door shut behind her. He gestured to one of two high-backed chairs perched before the fireplace, which was glowing with dull but warm embers – just enough to keep the hint of autumn out of the drafty castle. "Sit," he said.

She did, setting her bag on the floor beside her while she waited for further instructions. After a long moment, he closed the file he'd been reading with a slap of paper and crossed to the fireplace, taking the seat across from hers.

He settled into the chair with relative ease, given his size. This close to him, he was even more handsome than she'd realized. He had an elegant tilt to his tawny eyes and an attractive curl to his lips, and his jaw was sharp and powerful. But the firelight did nothing to hide the horrible scars on his face. She tried not to stare, but it was hard; from the corner of her eye, she could see that the scars stretched down the side of his neck, too, disappearing beneath the collar of his suit.

"An unfortunate side effect in my line of work," he said when he noticed her gaze. He pointed to his face and she blushed, mortified. "A nasty curse laid over a very powerful witch's tomb. I was young and fresh on the job. Thought I'd make a name for myself finding whatever had been buried with her, but instead I got this."

"I'm sorry," Cassie said. "I didn't mean—"

He waved her off. "Everyone wonders. I figure I should just get it out of the way as soon as I can."

She smiled nervously as he tapped the file in his lap. "Do you know what this is?"

"My student records," she said, recognizing the embossed cover from her career advising appointment with Professor McGonagall a few months ago.

"Indeed. From what I've gathered, you're a very competent pupil, Miss Alderfair. Yet despite your proficiency in the subject matter you've been given over the years, you've only managed average marks. Why is that?"

She scratched at her arm. "Er...I dunno. Professor McGonagall says it's because I don't apply myself enough..."

"I don't care what Professor McGonagall thinks." He fixed his tawny stare on her. "I want to know why you think that is."

She floundered for something to say. "Um...I – I really don't know. I—"

"Your brother William was a brilliant student." She froze at the mention of Will. Memories of her first class with Carlisle resurfaced, when the witch had mocked her brother's wasted potential by joining the Death Eaters fresh out of Hogwarts. Professor Staghart gave no indication of her sudden tension and went on. "Smart, talented, responsible, popular. He was the golden boy – the shining model of perfection." He tilted his head. "And then there was you."

Cassie forced her hands to unclench in her lap. If he said one more word about her brother – one more bloody word...

His voice rumbled out like thunder. "You were the younger sister. You'd always grown up in your brother's shadow. So why would Hogwarts be any different? You kept your head down, you minded your business, and you never drew any attention to yourself. Not like your brother did."

"With all due respect, Professor," she ground out between gritted teeth, "isn't this supposed to be a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson?"

He smirked at her. "It is. In fact, this is the first lesson any student should be taught about the Dark Arts: know your opponent." He gestured to her. "I took your marks from your student records and learned all about you just from those and your name. You're a wealthy witch from a very old family and pure-blood. Pure-bloods are notorious for their disparaging views regarding Muggles and Muggle-borns, but you were Sorted into Gryffindor, so perhaps you're not entirely a blood purist at first glance. Your knowledge is vast, but how you apply that knowledge is stunted, which led me to believe that you limited yourself on purpose in order to not stand out. And to figure out why you'd want to remain invisible..." He spread his hands. "Well, I just guessed. But I was right, wasn't I?"

Cassie stared at him, torn between fury and utter bewilderment. She settled on the latter. "What?"

He set her file aside and continued as if she hadn't spoken. "So, not only do I know you now from a few choice bits of information, but I also know how to use that information to get under your skin. Now that that's done, pull out your wand and enlarge this doll."

A straw doll appeared in his lap after he waved his wand. Cassie stared at it, uncomprehending, before looking back to him.

"What?" she repeated.

He raised a scarred eyebrow at her. "You do know how to perform an Engorgement Charm, yes? You should have learned it in your fourth year."

"Yes, I know how to do it," she said, and added "Sir" when his eyebrow inched higher.

"Good." He placed the doll on the ornamental rug between them. It wasn't even half the size of his foot. "Whenever you're ready, then."

Shaking off her irritation, she pulled out her wand and took a few breaths to steady herself. She flicked her wand. "Engorgio!"

The doll grew into the size of a toddler. Professor Staghart nodded approvingly. "Well done. Now shrink it."

Cassie followed the motions of the spell. "Reducio!"

Professor Staghart picked up the doll, which had shrunk to the size of a needle. "Very good, Miss Alderfair." He returned the doll to its normal size and once again placed it between them.

"Your previous professor noted that you were adept at producing Shield Charms. I'd like to see it for myself." Cassie nodded and sat up straighter in her seat as he raised his wand. "I'm going to attempt to burn the doll. Your goal is to Shield it from harm. Ready?"

Cassie nodded again. Professor Staghart pointed his wand at the doll. "Incendio!"

"Protego!" she said at the same time.

A small, translucent shield formed around the doll. It wavered a bit under the professor's spell, but held. The doll remained untouched beneath it.

Professor Staghart nodded, impressed, when he stopped casting the spell. "Excellent, Miss Alderfair. I'd like to run through a few more things..."

He grilled her on defensive theories and what to do when cornered by Dark creatures. Cassie answered the questions with ease, her confidence growing with every right answer. Her earlier annoyance subsided the longer she talked with the professor. He was obviously very knowledgeable on the subject, and encouraged her whether she answered correctly or incorrectly and helped her see where she made a mistake. He was loads better than Carlisle, she thought – then again, a clump of seaweed would be better than an ex-Death Eater who was out for her blood.

"Before I let you go for dinner," he said, "I would like to ask you one more question."

"Yes, sir."

"Have you ever faced a boggart before?"

She blinked. "No. But we studied them in third year. Riddikulus is the charm to repel them; but only laughter can truly defeat them."

"Right." His tawny eyes bored into her intently, and the atmosphere in the room shifted. "If you were to face a boggart, Miss Alderfair, what do you think it would be? What is your greatest fear?"

Cassie didn't answer immediately. Her mouth had gone dry at his question, her mind flicking through the images of her nightmares: her parents' broken bodies; Will holding their hearts; Voldemort telling her she would break. But was it Voldemort she feared? Was it her own brother she feared?

The embers crackled in the fireplace for a long time before she answered. "I don't know if my greatest fear can have a physical manifestation, sir."

He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. "You'd be surprised, Miss Alderfair. Fear is a strangely tangible thing. We like to pretend it's not – that those deepest, darkest fears that take root in our souls can never become real – but everything can be created. Nightmares, monsters, fears – they're all alive. But they can all be killed, too."

Cassie stared at him for a moment before she glanced away, licking her lips. "My greatest fear is losing those I love." She clasped her hands in her lap and squeezed her palms together. "Being...powerless to change their fates. Not being able to save them."

"Yes, you've experienced quite a lot of that already, haven't you?" Professor Staghart murmured.

When she looked back to him, there was no pity in his gaze; no sympathy. Just a deep understanding.

He cleared his throat. "Well, that concludes your assessment, Miss Alderfair. Thank you for your time and effort. I'll see you on Thursday in class."

Cassie was briefly thrown by the abrupt dismissal, but she collected her things and stood. "Right. Er...see you, Professor Staghart."

The classroom was empty when she returned – dinner must have already started. She paused before stepping out into the corridor and looked back over her shoulder.

Professor Staghart stood at the top of the stairs outside his office, watching her. When she met his eyes, he inclined his head to her, his scars rippling with the movement.

Standing there under his scrutiny, she felt stripped bare, especially after what she'd admitted to him. He saw right through her. The thin armor she'd worn since her parents' funeral was nothing more than dust and cobwebs to him.

The thought made her uneasy. If he could see past her act, then who else could?

Without a word, Cassie turned and fled the classroom.