Cassie, along with the rest of the school, seemed to hold her breath for the next several days as Harry Potter lay unconscious in the hospital wing. It was all anyone could seem to talk about, what happened with Quirrell and the Sorcerer's Stone, not that she could blame them. Madam Pomfrey was quite busy fussing over Harry, having to take care of him and shoo off any students trying to sneak a look at him. Cassie was thankful, at least, that she only spent the first night in the infirmary, and then was released the next morning after speaking with Dumbledore. She was forced to relive what had happened, and in excruciating detail, because the Headmaster understandably wanted to know the specifics. But afterwards, she sought solace in Snape's apartments, crawling into his bed and curling up under the heavy blankets, willing time to stop she could just stay under them for the time being.
The fact that she hadn't figured out that her father had been behind the entire thing was eating away at her, making her feel completely shortsighted. It was a conversation that she had with Snape over and over, no matter how many times he tried to ease her mind, trying to remind her that she had to get prepared to sit for her NEWTs in a few short days. But her traumatized mind was like a revolving door, thinking about poor Harry, and her own inadequacies, and the fact that the whole year could have ended much, much worse if she hadn't been able to thrust Lord Voldemort from her when he had nearly succeeded in possessing her.
Then on the third afternoon since Quirrell had gone after the Stone, Cassie finally ventured out into the corridors, and against Snape's advice. She was seeking an answer to a question he had told her it was fruitless to ask, that if the person she had wanted to see had wanted her to know, he would have told her already. Regardless, she left the tranquility of Snape's bedroom when he had gone to submit exam grades, and made her way to Dumbledore's office alone.
When she got there, it was like the Headmaster had been expecting her. He was seated, his wrinkled hands folded neatly on the desk in front of him as he watched her walking towards him. The office, which she had been in so many times in the past school year, was tainted to her now, polluted with the memory of so recently interacting with the specter of her father. Without even thinking about it, she found that she was nervously watching the fireplace, as if somehow he would reappear there suddenly and coming rushing at her once again. It made her hesitate before sitting down in front of Dumbledore's desk, as if she would feel more comfortable standing in case she needed to flee.
"Miss Black," he said warmly, "Good to see you out and about. How are you feeling?"
"I've been better, Headmaster," she said truthfully. She realized that she probably looked like a mess, as she hadn't bothered to brush her hair or glance in the mirror before coming. In fact, she wasn't even sure what she was wearing until she was thinking about it just then, and glanced down to check in a momentary panic; at least she was in a t-shirt and her own set of pajama pants, and hadn't wandered to the Headmaster's office in one of Snape's nightshirts in her morose state. That might have been hard to explain away.
"Yes, by observing you now, it seems you could benefit from a bit more rest, so I will spare you from further pleasantries," he said then. Cassie smirked slightly at his polite way of telling her she looked like shit. "What can I help you with, Miss Black?"
"I just wanted to ask you something, Headmaster," she said, and then she suddenly felt obscene for even being there, Snape's words in her head as he told her not to ask Dumbledore this inquiry. But she was here, and she had Dumbledore's attention now. So she pressed on.
"Yes, fire away."
"Did you know, that Quirrell was trying to get the Stone for my father?" There it was, out in the open. She felt a bit rude even asking him, after everything he'd done for her lately. But there was that small part of her, that nagging feeling that would never be quieted, no matter how many times Snape reassured her that Dumbledore could be trusted.
"I did not know," he replied lightly, and with little hesitation, "But I had my suspicions." Well, at least he was being honest now. Maybe.
"But you didn't feel the need to enlighten Professor Snape and I, after everything we did to help you?" she asked quietly. She felt surprisingly calm, aware that she would normally be growing quite angry at these revelations. Maybe it was because this was the answer she had been expecting from him, this cleverly deceptive wizard.
"I didn't feel the need to cause unnecessary apprehension, solely based on my hunches," Dumbledore said. Cassie eyed him warily. She knew she should be livid, shouting. But she just felt tired, now.
"Do you realize what could have happened if he had taken me as a host?" she said then. "You would have had a war on your hands, much more quickly than any of you would have ever anticipated. If I had known he was here, trying to get the Stone, I could have been on my guard, or I could have interfered, gotten Quirrell out - "
"Miss Black," Dumbledore said then, his tone a bit more stern, "There are factors that I must consider outside of your circumstances, things much bigger than you are in a position to understand right now. I must ask, yet again, that - "
"I trust you, yes," Cassie said, and then her eyes went back to the fireplace. "So that's your response? That I should shut up and be a good little soldier? Do whatever you ask of me?"
He was silent then for a few moments, and when he spoke again, his inflection had reverted back to gentle, hushed. "I am assuming that it's not what you wish to hear right now, Miss Black, but yes. For the time being, I must ask that you let me see the bigger picture, and when the circumstances are right, I will allow you to see it as well."
They were interrupted, then, when a knock came at the office door, and a hurried looking McGonagall came in without waiting for permission. "Oh, he's awake, Albus!" she said, her hand over her heart as she looked between the two of them with her hand over her heart. If there was obvious tension between Cassie and Dumbledore, McGonagall was too distracted to care. "Potter's awake!"
Dumbledore looked to Cassie briefly, but she nodded, knowing that the discussion was at a stalemate anyway. He left without another word, obviously anxious to speak to the Boy Who Lived, and Cassie and the Head of Gryffindor descended the spiral staircase together.
"Miss Black, why don't we go tell Potter's friends together?" the professor said, and Cassie noticed that there were tears glistening in her eyes. "Of course, we'll let Albus have his time alone with him for now, but we must tell them the good news!"
"Oh, Professor, I don't know, looking like this," Cassie said, brandishing at her disheveled clothing, but McGonagall would have none of it.
"That get up was good enough for the Headmaster, what's the harm in seeing a couple of first years?"
Not really having a good argument for that, Cassie followed the professor to Gryffindor tower. After pulling Ron, Hermione, and Neville out into the corridor, Cassie watched as McGonagall told them the wonderful news, that Harry was fine and was stirring, that they wouldn't be able to see him just yet but in good time, they'd all be reunited. Cassie lost it when Ron threw his arms around her torso and gave her a tight squeeze, and his ears turned red when he mumbled some apology about giving her a hard time. Never one to be that good at apologies, she heard him spout something about her spending time too much time around the Overgrown Bat. Cassie didn't care if his words weren't eloquent enough. All she cared was that the Weasley boy didn't hate her, and she told him that through her tears.
She needed to study, but she didn't care. The majority of her day was spent out on the grounds with Ron, Hermione, and Neville, sitting around a particularly large tree and reminiscing about the year, fond and unpleasant memories included. Eventually, Fred and George found them, and Percy even joined the group after an hour or so, taking a seat on the grass after reminding them that he was rather important and busy, being a school prefect and all. It was restorative for Cassie, to just sit outside and chat with the group of the Gryffindors, as all of them were quite relaxed now that they knew Harry was awake. For the first time in months, Cassie was starting to feel a pang of mourning, that these were her final days at Hogwarts. She had been so preoccupied this last year with so many things, that she had spent little time ruminating on the fact that she would no longer be within the cover of the grounds, under the protection of the staff that had gotten to know her so well over the years. The hysteria and alienation she felt when out in the wizarding community, that was the world she would be entering upon graduation, in mere days. That new reality was going to be upon her, whether she was ready for it or not.
But this realization, as it washed over Cassie, didn't upset her. Rather, a sense of serenity flowed through her body, and after she parted ways with the younger students in the entrance hall, she found herself wanting to wander through the castle just to see everything one last time. The familiarity the corridors and empty classrooms gave her, were memories she knew she could call upon to ease the pressures and hardships that no doubt would come her way in the future. Knowing that she missed dinner in the Great Hall while on her little trek, she stopped by the kitchens, chatting with the merry house elves and enjoying a turkey sandwich like she had done so many times over the years when she just couldn't tolerate being with the rest of the student body.
Eventually she made her way back to the dungeons, well into the evening, and Snape gave her a quizzical look as she entered his apartments. She started to give him a rundown of her day's activities without him having to ask, but he cut her off as soon as he learned that she had gone to see Dumbledore.
"I warned you not to see him," he said sharply, and she sighed.
"Yes, I remember, Severus."
"You're causing more distractions before your NEWTs, unnecessary worries! And was he upfront with you? Did you learn what you sought after?" he asked, exasperated. Cassie had slowly approached the arm chair he was sitting in, and she bent forward, placing her hands on the arm rests, her face inches from his.
"Not really," she said quietly, "And I don't want to discuss it anymore, not right now." She kissed him, a satisfied hum vibrating through her as her lips connected with his. She knew that distracting herself wasn't going to solve anything, that the harrowing feeling that Dumbledore intended to only treat her as a mindless pawn, a weapon in whatever upcoming conflicts was going to continue to harass her until he showed her otherwise. But for now, on this particular evening, she was going to force it out of her mind and enjoy the feeling of the man she was currently with. It was addicting, the way he reciprocated her advances, especially now that they no longer had the worry of what Quirrell might be doing in the back of their minds. As she slid onto his lap, his arms circled around her, pulling her closer to him. Everything else worrisome melted away right then, like his embrace alone was the cure to all of her ailments, her suffering.
As sad as she might be feeling about almost being done with her school career, she was grateful that she had Snape, that he would be a part of her life even after Hogwarts was not any longer. That thought crossed her mind when they were done with their sexual antics, having ended up in front of the fireplace in the throws of passion. A smile crossed her lips as she nestled herself on top of her raven-haired companion and planted a kiss on his nose.
"What are you thinking of now, you silly thing?" Snape asked her, lovingly stroking her back as he looked at her with bemusement in his eyes.
"I was just thinking of when I move in," she told him. "It's not that far away, is it?"
"Not at all, my dear."
"Are you going to let me redecorate?" she asked then, starting to giggle softly.
"What part of my home displeases you?" he countered, and she started to picture the dark sitting room, its walls lined to the ceiling with books, and the tiny, drab kitchen that contained nothing but the minimum essentials. She had never been in any of the house's bedrooms before, but she couldn't imagine that they were any more embellished with cozy amenities.
"None of it displeases me," she replied. "I'll just be bringing my own things, you know. Adding my own touch a bit."
"There's room in the attic for your belongings," he quipped, and she laughed, pretending that she was going to push herself off of him in their playful banter, but he held onto her tightly.
She rested well that night, and the next day, she spent some time with Juniper and Alpit before the end of year feast. Juniper was adamant that they try to study, but Alpit was having none of it, so much of Cassie's afternoon was spent listening to them argue as she sat with her notes open. She glanced over at them every now and then, enjoying being in the library with the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff more than anything. When it was time for the feast, they headed into the Great Hall together, which was decorated in green and silver to celebrate Slytherin winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row. As Cassie separated from her fellow aspiring Aurors and headed off towards her house table, she glanced up at Snape. She couldn't help but smirk as she observed the pleased look on his features, knowing that despite anything he said about the matter, he was rather proud of his house winning yet again.
As always, the food at the feast was marvelous, and mood in the hall was lively, especially when Harry Potter joined the Gryffindor table. Cassie ignored the deafening complaints of her housemates and rejoiced as Dumbledore awarded the first year Gryffindors their last minute points, and the house cup was taken away from Slytherin, ending their winning streak. Snape looked disappointed, but like he was trying to hide his true feelings. Cassie made it her goal right then, to make him feel better when they were alone later that night. Like she had hoped, it didn't take long to get his mind off of the purloined house cup; all she really had to do was slowly remove her Slytherin uniform in front of him, showcasing the onyx necklace he had gotten her on her nude skin. That visual reminder that she continued to choose him, invariably seemed to stir the Head of Slytherin's passion, and consign every other thought to oblivion.
The next day, the majority of the younger students had left for the summer holidays, having boarded the Hogwarts Express and sped away into the countryside and away from the school. That left only the seventh years in the castle, who were awaiting the start of their NEWTs. They were to have two days of intense testing, which were officiated by members of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, and then they would be graduating.
Cassie was in the entrance hall with the rest of the seventh years that morning, waiting to be let into the Great Hall so their exams could begin. She felt fidgety, her own nerves mixing with the restless energy of the rest of the students around her, but there was something in her own intuition that she couldn't shake, like something was about to happen. She tried to tell herself that it was just tension, years of waiting for this important day coming to a head, but even as she observed Juniper shaking and muttering to herself, reciting memorized recipes to elixirs they had been working on all year, she wasn't all together convinced that the feeling could be explained away that simply.
Then, the doors to the Great Hall started to open with a loud creak, and Professor McGonagall ushered them in with a curt nod. Cassie took a deep breath, following the line of students in. The hall looked immensely different than it normally did, with individual desks set up in rows, instead of the four house tables. Stern, ancient looking witches and wizards lined the room, many of them looking familiar, as they came every year to administer the OWLs and NEWTs. Cassie took a seat at one of the desks, following the actions of her classmates, and they waited for the testing to start. She and the other students were confused, then, when for several silent minutes, nothing seemed to happen.
She looked around the room, and those seated around her were doing the same, looking rather baffled as to why they didn't have test papers in front of them, or why they hadn't been addressed by any of the examiners yet. The ominous feeling that Cassie had started with that morning started to intensify, and she took a breath, hoping that it would cleanse her aura a bit. It didn't.
The creaking of double doors opening again echoed through the mainly silent hall, and all eyes turned to see who had entered now. Cassie's heart dropped, because she instantly recognized some of the faces of the dozen witches and wizards that entered now. They were people she had just seen in the courtroom at the Ministry of Magic; Aurors, and she knew without anyone having to speak that they were there to see her.
Alastor Moody was among them as they filed in, and she was at a complete loss as he broke away from the line, coming straight towards her. A few of the classmates near her gasped as he Moody strode right up to her, and before she knew what she was doing, she stood shakily, thinking that remaining seated was rude.
"Miss Black," he growled, his false eye whirring about the room. For some reason, the fact that it was not currently fixated on her made her feel slightly better, even though she had no clue what was going on.
"Hello," she squeaked, and she didn't know if he had even heard her, it came out so feebly.
"Remain calm," he told her, and she noticed that the Aurors were spacing themselves around the room evenly, making it rather difficult for anyone to try to escape. Cassie swallowed hard. "He's looking for any excuse, and I mean any. Don't give him one."
She nodded, having a million questions and not a coherent thought in her head all at once. Moody hadn't given her a name, but he didn't have to. Who he was referring to had entered the Great Hall now, and Cassie had to summon every bit of control she had not to glare at the Minister, in case that would give him enough cause to say that she had threatened him.
"Mad-Eye, back in formation!" Fudge barked, and Moody gave Cassie one last knowing look, before grunting and turning to take his place among the other Aurors. Cassie began to tremble slightly, feeling very much alone now, and she sat back down at her desk, for fear that her knees would buckle.
"What is the meaning of this?" came McGonagall's voice from where the High Table normally stood, and then Cassie willed for the professor for once, to not support her. Moody's warning was foreboding, and Cassie couldn't live with herself if the Deputy Headmistress was caught in the cross hairs of his irrational scheme.
"We are taking the necessary precautions, being that the Minister has risked his safety to come here," came the haughty voice of one of the elderly examiners.
"Safety? Meaning what, exactly?" McGonagall retorted. Students were whispering now. Fudge headed towards the front of the room, and then stood in the spot where Dumbledore's chair normally was during meal times. Cassie wanted to knock him off his feet just then.
"I have taken the time out of my busy schedule, and at risk of my personal security, to come here to remove Cassiopeia Black from the hall," Fudge announced. "The Wizengamot has ruled that in the best interest of the wizarding community, that she shall not be allowed to sit for her NEWTs."
Full blown chattering erupted among the students now, and Cassie closed her eyes, trying to block out the extra stimulation as she tried to follow Moody's advice to stay calm.
"On what grounds?" McGonagall nearly shouted, sounding quite distressed now. Cassie wanted to intervene, to implore her to stop defending her, but she had to get her emotions in check first. It was imperative. If the ground started shaking now, the Aurors would be on her.
"On the grounds that this is a Ministry matter, and that the decision is final!" Fudge declared.
"No, the decision is not final, not until the Headmaster has a say!" McGonagall retorted, and she started to head towards the doors. "This is absolutely ludicrous, the girl has been studying her whole school career for this, for you to say that she cannot sit for her tests is absolutely asinine!"
"And the testing is completed by Ministry officials," another examiner said, stepping forward. "I'm afraid, Deputy Headmistress, that this is out of your hands."
"Be as it may, this is our school!" McGonagall said passionately, "and as she has not done anything to warrant keeping her from taking her exams, then I must insist that you remove your Aurors immediately!"
Cassie opened her eyes now, looking around the room at the building chaos, having felt like she had a better handle on her mental state now. She should hardly be surprised by the Minister's ploy to derail her ambitions to become an Auror at this point, but what she hadn't been expecting was for him to ruin her chances of having any magical career at all. The man really was out to get her, Lucius having apparently done a stellar job at encouraging a negative view of her.
"It's alright, Professor McGonagall," Cassie said, standing back up now. She let her voice come out loud and clear, but in a placid manner. Hopefully, it would be enough to keep Fudge from sicking his minions on her. "If the Minister has decided that I cannot sit for my NEWTs, than I will leave the hall immediately."
"Miss Black!" McGonagall cried, sounding absolutely appalled at her response, "I insist that you sit back down!"
"No, I think the girl is making the rational choice in not resisting," Fudge said then, and he looked rather pompous as his eyes fell on Cassie. It took everything in her not to sneer at him, to maintain an appearance of indifference as he ruined her future in a matter of moments. But she had accepted it now: being an Auror was not in the cards for her.
Two Aurors stepped forward as Cassie slowly moved away from her desk, going on either side of her to escort her from the hall. She kept her eyes fixated on the double doors as she started to walk, knowing she might lose her composure if she locked eyes with anyone. Then suddenly, over the hushed whispers, another voice was heard.
"You can't do this!" Juniper cried out indignantly, standing at her desk. "She's earned the right to sit for the exams, just like the rest of us!"
"Girl, sit down," an examiner commanded swiftly.
"No, I will not!" Juniper replied, and then Alpit stood up.
"Yeah, she's done nothing wrong! What's wrong with you?" he shouted. "She's been studying to be an Auror, just like us! You're a fool not to take her!"
"I will not!" Fudge shouted angrily then, his face turning bright red, and the Aurors beside Cassie stopped walking to watch the scene unfold. "Have someone as dangerous as her working for the Ministry, on the inside where she can do so much damage!"
The room erupted then. Cassie watched as the seventh years around her, of all houses and blood statuses, started to stand and shout, directing their impatience at the Minister and his employees.
"Dangerous!" one Ravenclaw said, "How is she dangerous? She's been one of us since our first year!"
"She's a hell of a lot nicer than half the kids here!" Theodore yelled, and Cassie couldn't help but smile as her fellow tutor defended her.
She picked out Jenour, the Head Girl's voice then, as she directed her statement straight at Fudge. "She might be annoying, but she's the last thing from dangerous! God, you're all so stupid!"
And then Harrison Babbs, the egotistical, playboy prefect that Cassie had always thought was only looking to get into her pants and thought of little else, bellowed, "If she can't take her NEWTs, none of us will either!"
Her mouth fell open at his words, and she was about to tell him to shut up and not ruin his future too, when she heard all of the seventh years around her start to echo Babbs' declaration. The Ministry officials tried to quiet the upset room of Hogwarts students by shouting over them, and Cassie locked eyes with McGonagall momentarily, who looked like she was about to burst into tears.
Finally, at Fudge's direction, one of the Aurors shot red firecrackers into the air, and the students started to quiet down slowly. "Enough of this!" Fudge said, absolutely exasperated at this point.
"I'm Head Girl," Fiona Jenour said then, folding her arms over her chest, looking quite authoritative as she addressed the Minister of Magic. "And I don't think my parents will be very happy if I don't take my exams. So what will it be, Minister? Would you like to tell them that we didn't take them? Because I'm speaking for all of us now!"
Cassie wasn't sure what pull Fiona's parents had with the Ministry, but she was sure glad they did. Fudge gaped at her like a fish out of water for a few moments before speaking. "Fine! Black may sit for her exams!" Cheering erupted for a few moments, and Cassie happily started to make her way back to her desk. "But know this, girl," he said, looking pointedly at her as the room quieted down to listen to him now. "Don't even bother applying for Auror training, as there will not be a spot for you working under me!"
"Minister Fudge," Cassie said then, giving him a small, sardonic smile, "I wouldn't work for the Ministry if you begged me."
Fudge must have decided that there would be no further opportunity to arrest her then, because he started to order the Aurors out of the room; that, or he thought if he tried, the seventh years might eat him alive. Moody caught her eye before leaving, and he looked satisfied, matching Cassie's mood as he strode from the Great Hall. It pained her to know that she would never learn from him, never work with him. But at least he hadn't had to cart her off to prison today, either.
Testing started soon after, and although it was a bit awkward for Cassie and the examiners alike, it went on, none of them trying to stop her as she flew through the written part. As she turned in her finished papers, one of the officials looked at her like she was a particularly smelly piece of trash, but Cassie merely winked at her, feeling quite aloof to their treatment of her now. The next day, Cassie started the day with a renewed sense of determination to perform well, and she felt that she excelled at all of her practical portions, except for maybe the Potions section.
Of course, she knew at this point it really didn't matter what her scores ended up being. She was certain now that being an Auror was out of the question. While she hadn't fully agreed to Dumbledore's plan yet, because her fate with being able to apply for the Ministry program had still been up in the air, she now knew she was likely going to end up at the extended training through Castelobruxo. Just like Dumbledore had wanted.
After a small graduation celebration, the majority of the seventh years ended up in Hogsmeade, making their way to the Three Broomsticks for celebratory drinks and goodbyes before they left to start their adult lives. Cassie hadn't expected to go out with her graduating class upon completion of her NEWTs, not until they had shown such unity in their opposition towards the Ministry. Everyone was friendly towards one another as they reminisced, and few had anything good to say about Fudge when they offered her encouragement. It seemed many of them didn't understand the gravity of her situation, telling her to become an Auror whether the Minister liked it or not, as if it were that simple, but she appreciated their enthusiasm. In her entire time attending Hogwarts, she hadn't always felt accepted, but now she knew without a doubt, that even if she hadn't sensed it, she had always belonged.