Potter's Girl / Butterfly Effect.

64. Beyond the Veil

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR;

BEYOND THE VEIL

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Everyone made it out of the Department of Mysteries alright, if one looked past the casualties of Sirius Black and Atticus Forbes.

Of course, Cassie could not look past these losses. In fact, the deaths of her father and cousin seemed to be the only thing her mind could hyper-fixate on, much to her displeasure. Atticus had disappeared during the battle of the Department of Mysteries and been presumed dead. Sirius had never reappeared on the other side of the veil, though Cassie had waited for him until Remus gently took hold of her and brought her back to Hogwarts.

She wanted to be anywhere but that stupid school, under the protection of Dumbledore. Where was his 'protection' when Cedric died? Where was the 'greatest wizard of all time' when the Death Eaters broke into the Ministry? Where was Dumbledore and his stupid wand-waving when Sirius and Cassie were battling Bellatrix?

All of it was unfair.

Worst of all, Cassie didn't have Atticus, like she did last time. She didn't have him to curl up and drink hot cocoa and cry herself out with. Nobody at Hogwarts even came close to Atticus Forbes, though everyone seemed to be grieving just as much as Cassie, which was absolutely unjust. None of them were friends with him, so why did they get to cry over him? None of them were there when he died, were they? No. Cassie was. She may not have seen it with her own two eyes, but she was a bit preoccupied with watching her father's death.

   Cassie did not leave her dormitory once for the rest of term. She did not receive a single owl from her mother, though many flew in from Remus and Atticus's step-brother (which was strange, as Cassie had never spoken to him in her life), of which all went without reply. She had lost track of time, but she was pretty sure it had been nearing a week when someone had the nerve to speak to her.

It was Hermione.

"Luna really wants to see you," she had said in a quiet and gentle voice. "She says she wants to talk about Atticus."

"Tell her I'll see if I can fit it into my schedule," Cassie had replied dryly, wringing the water from her shower out of her hair and climbing into bed. A copy of the Daily Prophet sat neatly on her pillow.

"Figured you might want to read today's edition," said Hermione with a meek smile, before crawling hastily back into her bed. Cassie picked up the paper and peered down at the headline;

MASS MURDERER, SIRIUS BLACK – CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES!

She turned to Hermione, gripping the newspaper so tightly her nails ripped holes in the edges. "Why on earth," she said slowly, her voice dripping with suppressed rage, "would I want to read this?"

Hermione had gone pure white. "I only thought–"

"–thought what? That I'd want to see the Ministry's pathetic excuse as an apology for their non-stop accusations against my father over the past fourteen years?"

   "I-I just– I dunno, wanted to help–"

   "Do me a favour," said Cassie, balling up the newspaper and tossing it to the end of her bed. "Never try to help me again."

   And she ripped the hangings around her bed closed, shutting herself out.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───