[Spitfire : Chapter Fifteen]



14 February, 1993

               Cassie was looking through her things, throwing clothes around in her dorm while running from her trunk to her small dresser. Thankfully, no one was in her dorm at the time, surely if there was someone there with her she'd be scolded by an angry dorm mate. It was Valentine's day, students everywhere were being sought out by Valentine dwarfs and stressed owls as students sent each other songs and love letters. Cassie had yet to leave her dorm, already missing first-period History of Magic while she searched for her pouch.

    It was a pale blue pouch, barely the size of her palm. She had gotten it for Christmas from Isaac, she had packed it in her trunk so it wouldn't be lost (since it was so small) and yet she still managed to lose it. Inside of it held all of her prized possessions. To anyone, it just looks like a small pouch that'd carry a few sickles and maybe even a pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. But in reality, it could fit an entire human inside. Yes, it'd be quite uncomfortable as well as dark but even Cassie couldn't help but take a quick step inside once she got it. Isaac had bought it from Diagon Alley in a shop unknown to Cassie, she didn't ask too many questions about it.

    "Bloody hell," Cassie murmured, pulling her drawer out of its stand. "where are you, pouchie?"

    She threw all the empty sugar quill containers onto the floor and scrambled around the drawer, moving the actual quills in hopes of finding her pouch under them. After about twenty minutes or so of searching all around the dorm, she huffed and sat on her bed. She stared at the wall in front of her pouting as if the wall could somehow help her in her search. In moments like those she wished she had her handy-dandy Hufflepuff, after all, Hufflepuffs were good finders. She tried retracing her steps with it, the last time she remembered having it was when she was packing all her valuable items into it, like her jewelry and the yearbook she had stolen from the school's library.

    Surprisingly, Madam Pince hadn't noticed the yearbook was missing. Cassie questioned if Pince was even Pince by then, perhaps the librarian was a fraud. It turned out that the yearbook was just a plain old yearbook, she found nothing inside that meant anything to her. She didn't even know why she stole it in the first place. One week in January she had a little fun with it, tapping the book with her wand as she said names. First, she started with what any student would start with: Lord Voldemort. Instead of a photo of the teenage version of the dark wizard she got a blacked out photo with all the writing under it burnt off. Next, she went with Gellert Grindelwald, nothing popped up and she continued her search for the notorious revolutionary leader, pronouncing his name in many different ways. Later that day Fiona informed her that the wizard had never gone to Hogwarts.

    "Godric's grindylows," breathed Rose, stepping into her dorm with an already miserable expression; then taking sight of the complete mess. "Cas, what happened here?"

    "I can't find it, Rose!" Cas cried out, her eyebrows arched dramatically. "I can't find my bloody pouch!"

    "The blue one?" The girl tiredly asked, pulling out her wand and shooting all of Cassie's things away from her bed. Cassie nodded, flopping dramatically onto her back and letting out a bellowing groan.

    "Have you tried Accio?" Rose asked, fixing her hair in the mirror with a tap of her wand — she had been tugging at it stressfully all throughout class.

    Cassie sat up quickly, black clouded her eyes at the sudden movement but she ignored it as she jumped off her bed and searched for her wand. Of course, she had also lost her wand. Cassie whined, turning to Rose who was now placing on lip gloss, "Rosieee . . ."

    "Accio Cassie's wand," Rose mumbled, her wand waving in the air. Quickly, the aspen-wood wand came flying from under a uniform skirt and landed right into her hand.

    Cassie smiled, running over. She lifted her own wand and shouted, in case the magic didn't hear her somehow. "ACCIO BLUE POUCH!"

    The room was silent at first, Rose nearly jumped out of her uniform when the mirror in front of her shattered and a blue pouch went flying by her face, landing into Cassie's hand. Rose looked at Cassie with a fearful, yet angry expression on her face — Cassie chuckled lightly. "That's right . . . I accidentally dropped it behind your mirror while getting ready for classes a few weeks ago . . . what? I was already late to class, I was gonna get it after classes but, y'know . . . I forgot."

    "Why do you even need it?" Rose grumpily asked, not in the mood to talk as she fixed her beloved mirror. Cassie bit her lip, while Rose waited for her to explain, she started to rethink her idea for which she needed the contents inside her pouch. "Well?" Rose pestered.

    Cassie hesitated, "I er . . . need to go to class!" She grabbed her Transfiguration textbook, praying that she stuck her essay in it the night before, and ran out of her dorm before Rose could question her any further. It wasn't only Valentine's day that day, nor was it only Wednesday, it was Kennedy's birthday. That day while Kennedy was stuck in her petrified state inside the hospital wing, the girl had turned fifteen years old. Instead of moping around about it, Cassie knew that Kennedy would've wanted chaos on her birthday. Inside Cassie's pouch were a collection of firewhiskey bottles, some of which she had stolen off a sleeping man at the entrance of Knockturn Alley and then duplicated.

    Cassie was going to throw a party.

    While she walked to class she kept the blue pouch hidden in her skirt pocket, her wand laid inside her boot and she was busy attempting to tie her tie all while holding a heavy textbook. Her hair bounced at her shoulder, it being its natural black color as the girl still had trouble changing it. People started to notice it, especially when first years would come up and ask her to show them her ability and she'd have to tell them no, she could no longer control it. Turning a corner she started to hear the voices of students, they were being brought to the Transfiguration classroom by another Professor. Ever since Nearly Headless Nick and a Muggleborn student were found petrified together, it was mandatory for students to be escorted to classes by Professors. Cassie kept her head low, running to catch up with her fellow Gryffindors hoping she wasn't caught arriving alone.

    "Feeling down, Snow?" A voice asked her, Cassie raised her head and caught sight of one-half of the Weasley twins; Fred. He wore a smirk on his face, basically walking backward as he waited for her to reply. She glared at him, "Don't talk to me, Weasel, I'm doing something."

     In all honesty, the burning hatred she always held for the boy and his twin dimmed down a bit ever since they helped her steal a few books from the library. They had even stopped targeting her, unbeknownst to her they just switched to her best friend Isaac.

    "Doesn't look like it." He simply replied, amused at her reddening cheeks due to the fact she couldn't tie her tie. "Do you need help?"

    "From you?" She asked, looking up at him with a fake hopeful expression. He nodded, smirking. Her face then turned into a scowl as she bluntly stated: "No."

    He frowned. "You wound me, Spitfire." He stated, his hand clutching his heart dramatically. "Why must you always treat me this way?"

    "What way?" Cassie sighed, giving up with her tie and just knotting it around her neck. She refused to look at him while she skimmed through her textbook, finding her Transfiguration essay folded up around page fifty; she gleefully smiled at that.

    "Like I'm some kind of bully," he whined, she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. He continued, "I know what you're about to say, but Fred!" He mocked, raising his voice a few octaves to sound like her. "You and your brother, always pranking about and torturing little Slytherin firsties! You are a bully! Well, I'll have you know," he continued rambling, his voice back to normal. "it's all in good fun. We're pranksters, we do these things to make kids laugh. The only one who seems to hate what we do is you . . . and our mum, but never mind her."

    "But Fred," Cassie gasped in mock, Fred smirked. "a bully never realizes they're bullying someone, they just think it's all good fun. Do you think Isaac and I enjoyed being mocked and targeted by you and your brother? That me being called a Slytherin-lover, which might I say caused many rumors about my personal life, were the highlight of my days?"

    "Oi," Fred said, less amused then he was before. "We were only messing around, normal house rivalry. I bet Deehan gets it."

    "Sure, normal house rivalry, got it." Grumbled Cassie sarcastically, she looked around Fred in hopes of seeing a Professor but found nothing. She sighed and leaned against the wall, suddenly feeling how hungry she was due to missing breakfast. She wanted to plan Kennedy's party but since she ran out of her dorm in a hurry, she forgot her parchments and quills; which she was in need for to jot down what she needed.

    "So, how's your Valentine's day going?" Fred asked, continuing their conversation much to Cassie's dismay.

    Cassie raised an eyebrow. "You're still talking to me? Merlin, you must be lonely without your counter piece."

    "He'll be here any moment." Fred mused, he then leaned on the wall beside her. She stiffened uncomfortably, her hair turning to a light-shaded brown. "Receive any love letters yet? This morning at breakfast Harry Potter got a Valentines dwarf from my sister. Bloody hilarious I tell you."

    "Must've been . . ." Cassie mumbled, not looking at the boy. The other students were chattering amongst themselves, Rose, unfortunately, wasn't with her that class as the girl only did advanced Transfiguration — instead, she had her free period. Fiona didn't have her Transfiguration class until the sixth period, right now she was in Care of Magical Creatures. "And no, I've got nothing. Haven't really left my dorm until now, I was looking for something . . . that reminds me, tell your sister that I'm sorry for canceling the jinx lessons the past few weeks. I've been busy with my friend's cause, well, y'know."

    "Yeah," Fred mumbled, looking down to his feet. "I'm sorry about your friend," he said with sincerity, "must suck."

    "It does suck," Cassie sighed, her hair turning white as she thought about Kennedy still being petrified. She looked at Fred who was staring ahead, a thoughtful expression on his face. She smirked. "you know, today's her birthday."

    "Is it now?"

    "And I've been planning to have a," she looked around, leaning closer to the boy and whispering: "party."

    "Have you now?" He asked, planting a smirk on his own face. Her close proximity to him made him stiffen, unbeknownst to him his ears were turning a red color; matching his hair. Cassie didn't notice either.

    "I have," Cassie nodded, leaning back to the wall and allowing Fred to let out a breath of relief. "I don't really know much about parties, although, you do, don't you?"

    "I've had my fair few," Fred smirked, reminiscing the many parties he and his twin would throw in the Gryffindor common room after Quidditch match wins.

    Cassie nodded her head, feeling almost embarrassed with herself as she asked him, "would you possibly give me a few tips on how to throw a discreet birthday party where someone from any house could get too?"

      Fred arched his eyebrow, looking at Cassie with surprise. Cassie immediately blushed and Fred grinned. "Are you, Cassie Snow, number one Weasley hater, asking me, Frederick Weasley, probably the number one hated Weasley, for help?"

     "Well, not anymore . . ." She scowled, crossing her arms and turning away from him. She begged silently that McGonagall would arrive soon.

    He laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder causing her head to whip over to him dangerously fast. "I'm only joking, Snow, sure I'll help! I'm always up for a party," he scrunched his eyebrows, "as long as I'm invited."

    "Everyone's invited," Cassie nodded, a happy grin on her face and her hair turning blue. "Okay, well, meet me in the library then . . . when's your next free period?"

    "No need, when's yours?" Fred asked. "I'll just skip one of my classes."

    "Er—" Cassie bit her lip unsurely, feeling guilty at making him skip a class. He raised an eyebrow, she sighed. "I've got fourth period free."

    "Great!" He grinned. "I'll only be skipping Herbology, no worries, I don't think I'll ever be needing to know how to use gillyweed anytime in the future. There's just one problem . . ."

    "What?"

    "I'm banned from the library."

[Two periods later]

     After both Cassie and Fred decided on meeting up the Gryffindor common room rather than the library, they went their separate ways in classes. Fred sitting in the back with his twin who arrived moments later, and now the third counterpart of the party planning, and Cassie in the middle sitting beside her partner Cho Chang. The class went by smoothly, the Professor only scolding the twins around three times before class was dismissed. Cassie then continued onto potions with the Slytherins where they brewed up the Draught of Peace, she managed to add too much of a certain ingredient and the fire flamed up; burning off her eyebrows. After a laugh from the class and the Professor, Snape fixed her eyebrows and Cassie left to her common room in a sour mood. If only her ability wasn't acting like a twatpiss.

   "Pig Snout," Percy Weasley apprised to the Fat Lady, he had found Cassie alone walking to the common room and continued to walk with her after a quick scolding; it was against the rules to walk alone, after all. The Fat Lady nodded and the portrait swung open, Percy continued to watch as Cassie walked in before scurrying off himself. Cassie glared behind her, watching his receding form as the portrait closed.

    "There you are!" Fred shouted, stretching on the couch as if he had been sleeping. "I've been waiting for hours!"

    "Third period had only just ended," she looked at the large clock hanging above the fireplace. "eight minutes ago. You're being dramatic."

    "He's not," another voice said, Cassie looked over to see his twin George entering from the boy's dorm stairway with a large parchment in hand. "we skipped third period, didn't feeling like having Divination today."

    "Didn't feel—" Cassie paused, shaking her head. "Never mind, shall we start?"

    "It's now or never," Fred shrugged, stretching once more leaning towards the large coffee table in front of the couch. His twin sat beside him and Cassie sat in the chair across. "When do you want the party?"

    "Well, her birthdays today," Cassie stated, "but wouldn't it be too early to have the party today? And won't it depend on where we have the party?"

    "We could just have it here." George stated after jotting down the day's date. "McGonagall changes the password every Thursday and tomorrow's Thursday. We give out the password today and it'll only work long enough for the party."

    "Good thinking, Georgie," Fred smiled, he looked up at Cassie. "Is having it here alright?"

    lI guess so," Cassie said, she bit her lip. "but how do we keep that quiet? Wouldn't the Professors somehow hear that a few Gryffindor's gave out the common room password for everyone to know?"

    "Well it's not the first time it's happened, Fred said. "our brother Bill had a party for our brother Charlie when he made the Quidditch team, both the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw teams were invited. Besides, people are surprisingly very trustworthy when a party is mentioned, especially since there'll be firewhiskey."

    "Firewhiskey?" George asked, his head perking up and excitement in his eyes.

    Fred nodded, a grin on his face. "I knicked some out of one of the seventh year dormitories, duplicate those and we'll have plenty."

    "I also have some as well." Cassie pitched in, almost feeling as if the twins were planning her party for Kennedy; who wouldn't be there.

    "You do?" Asked the twins, Cassie shivered at the creepy unison and nodded. She pulled out her blue pouch and stuck her hand in, it went in so deep to the point the pouch was wrapped around her shoulder. She had her eyebrows scrunched while she felt around for the bottles, eventually, she found one and pulled it out. "Yup, I've got about fifteen bottles in here."

    "Wow." George mumbled in amazement.

    "Can I go in it?" Fred asked hopefully at the same time as George's exclamation.

    "Merlin, no," Cassie laughed, throwing the bottle back in and cringing when she heard a clatter. "You'd end up breaking everything. Now, what else do we need for this party?"

     "Well, we'll need someone to spread it around the houses." George said, still writing on the parchment, he looked at his twin. "Lee perhaps? He has a big mouth."

   "Definitely," Fred nodded. "we'll also need a lookout and a way to keep the prefects away, especially Percy."

    Cassie bit her lip. "I forgot about them."

    "No worries, Snow," Fred smiled reassuringly. "he has duties from about eight to twelve . . . but maybe if we ask Peeves nicely he'll be a distraction."

    "Ask Peeves nicely?" Cassie laughed. "are you joking?"

    "No, I'm Fred." Fred smirked. "Peeves enjoys George and I's daily deeds to keep Hogwarts fun, we know how to get him to do our bidding."

    "Yeah," George nodded. "we could give him the dungbombs we sto— were given back by Filch. That'll keep Percy busy, maybe even Filch too."

    "What about the girl prefect?" Cassie asked, Fred raised his eyebrow. "Who?"

    Cassie scowled. "Zoe Thompson, currently dating sixth year Slytherin Geoffrey Turner. Big rumor going around that he proposed over the holiday."

    "I don't know who either of those people are," Fred stated.

    George continued. "me neither, but surely she'd be sidetracked with Peeves too."

    Cassie nodded, almost feeling embarrassed for Zoe. Her head perked, "What about food, do we need food?"

    "George and I could knick some snacks from the kitchens." Fred said.

    Cassie smiled happily. It then turned into a frown, "Okay so we have almost everything . . . what about who guards the corridor? Or what if someone snitches to a Professor about the party, as much as I hate to say it, some Ravenclaws and Slytherins are awfully snotty."

    "For the corridor, I bet we could get Lee to do it." George suggested, looking towards Fred who nodded. "We'll just need to pay him a bit, he hates missing parties."

    "Yeah, I'll do that." Cassie nodded. "And for the snitching?"

    Fred smirked, looking at his brother who wore an identical smirk, "We have a jinx for that, makes a person awfully pimply if they get too blabbermouthed."

    "Nothing dangerous?" Cassie asked, her eyebrow arched and hair turning into a nervous green color.

    Fred smirked, nodding. "Sure, nothing dangerous."

    Cassie sighed. "Okay, so maybe the party starts around eight, ends at twelve when Percy's prefect shift ends?"

    Fred let out a bark-laughed. "Sure, yeah, a party at eight o'clock. How fun that'd be."

    "Then what do you suggest?" Cassie asked, looking annoyed at the boy.

    "Ten o'clock," Fred smirked. "to four in the morning. Six hours of pure drunken bliss, make sure everyone's out at five and then get three hours of sleep. Wake up around eight to get the new password from McGonagall and then skip classes!"

    "Maybe we should wait until Friday . . ." Cassie suggested, biting her lip that was deeply reddened by then.

    George shook his head. "If we do it Friday then the entire school will know the common room password for a week. Tonight's the only choice unless you want to wait a whole week until you have your friends birthday party on a Saturday."

     Cassie shook her head, sighing. "No, no, everyone needs this. Especially Rose and Fiona, even little Noah—" She gasped, eyes widened. "What about the first and second years? Even the third years? We can't let them drink firewhiskey and party until five in the bloody morning!"

    "We could put the bottles on a shelf," George snorted. "maybe even float them above their heads so we can watch them hop for it."

    "I'm serious, George." Cassie sternly stated.

    Fred snickered. "No, you're C—"

    "Don't you dare Weasel."

    "Okay, fine, fine," Fred laughed. "sorry for angering you, spitfire. And for the little ones, we can just ban them all. Lock them in their dorms, make sure no one under the height of five foot — okay, fine, no one under the age of thirteen gets let in."

    "No, we need to let Kennedy's little brother enjoy the party too." Cassie sighed, brushing her fingers through her pale green hair stressfully. "He's in second year, Gryffindor."

   "Okay," George chortled. "then we let the Gryffindor second years and above in, no one else, we could have someone guarding the firewhiskey too?"

    "Angelina could do it," Fred suggested. "she still owes us for giving her a free nosebleed nougat pack a few weeks ago."

    "A free what?"

    "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it." Fred smirked, Cassie's cheeks reddened and she shook it off.

    George nodded, jotting down Angelina's name onto his parchment. The boy looked up, "I think that's it."

    "Wait, really?" Cassie asked. That went much smoother than she thought it would. George nodded, he slid the parchment over to her and she read it all:

"14th February, 1992, Multi-House-Birthday-Party

Coordinated by: Cassie (middle name) (middle name 2) Spitfire Snow, George Fabian Weasley, and Frederick Gideon Weasley.

For: Kennedy (middle name) Zahel, Hufflepuff house. Currently petrified.

- Party news spread by Lee Jordan, corridors guarded by Lee Jordan (Spitfire'll pay him)

- Party in Gryffindor common room from ten o'clock to four in the morning.

- Only fourth year and above with the exception of second and third year Gryffindors (though they aren't allowed to drink — firewhiskey guarded by Angelina.)

- Snacks are stolen by Fred and me from kitchens. We'll also give Peeves our dungbomb stash ̶s̶t̶o̶l̶e̶n̶ ̶b̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶  given back by Filch.

- Everyone out by five in the morning, new password at eight.

- Secrecy jinx on Jordan, pimply snitches :)"

    Cassie snorted. "Cute smiley face at the end."

    George smiled proudly, his ears reddening. "Thanks, so is the list alright?"

    "It is," Cassie nodded. "I'll take care of the music."

    "Oh," Fred grinned. "we forgot about that, good thinking Snow."

    "Thanks," She said, she then took notice of a bunch of students entering the common room. "it must be lunch, let's get this started, shall we."

[Lunch]

    Lee Jordan stood up from the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, leaving behind his large plate stacked with ham and cheese sandwiches while he excitedly moved towards the Hufflepuff table which was behind his own. George and Fred had just told him his duties for that nights Gryffindor party, one which he'll be secretly spreading the news about and then guarding for a few hours; being paid ten sickles for each hour he guarded it for by Cassie Snow. He was going to guard from ten to twelve, George promised to switch with him each hour after that so he could enjoy the party a bit. Unbeknownst to the boy, George was going to pay another trustworthy friend to keep guard, also known as Pixie the kitchen elf; which he'd be paying with three whole hours of hanging out.

    He stood at the end of the Hufflepuff table, getting odd looks from the Professors at their table who watched him with worry; what was he doing? Instead of lifting his wand and jinxing everyone, like how McGonagall expected him to do, he sat down beside a fifth year by the name of Cedric Diggory who happily slid down the table for him to sit. Hufflepuffs were always so kind. Lee smirked. "Thanks Diggory, I have a question for you."

    "Yeah?" Cedric asked, a few crumbs of his biscuit falling onto his chin. He wiped his chin, embarrassed to the point of blushing as Lee nodded enthusiastically.

    "I do, did you know that today is the birthday of the Kennedy Zahel?"

    "She's in fourth year, yeah?" Cedric asked, his eyes then widened. "and she's the girl who . . ." He painfully shook his head. "poor girl."

    "I know," Lee said sympathetically, though in his stomach he still felt excitement swirling around. "but today her friend Cassie and my friends Fred and George are throwing a . . ." He leaned towards the Hufflepuff boy, whispering: "birthday party for her in the Gryffindor common room."

    "Are you now?" Cedric asked, his eyebrows raised while he rubbed his prefect badge with a napkin.

    Lee didn't hesitate. "We are, and everyone's invited!"

    "Everyone? What about the whole 'no letting people other than Gryffindor's into the Gryffindor common room' rule?" Cedric asked, placing down his napkin. By then, a few more Hufflepuffs were eavesdropping not-so-secretly to the two's conversation.

    "Tomorrow our password is being changed," Lee informed. "so why not give the password out today to a bunch of students to celebrate the magnificent Kennedy Zahel's," he didn't even know the girl, "birthday."

    "I guess that's smart," Cedric stated, he bit his lip while looking down at his badge. "I've got a shift from eight to ten, though."

    "No worries," Lee smirked. "parties from ten to four, Gryffindor common room."

    "O-Okay," Cedric said, feeling scandalous that he, as a prefect, would be sneaking out to a Gryffindor party. "I'll be there."

    "Perfect," Lee said, standing up. "password is Pig Snout." He looked towards the other curious Hufflepuffs before smirking down to Cedric. "Spread the word." Without another word, he walked over to the Ravenclaw table, going over the same very thing with their very own Cho Chang. After her, Lee went to the Slytherin table, still being watched curiously by the Professors. With special directions, he went straight towards Isaac Deehan who laid with his head in his arms; Lee was unsure if he was awake or not as he tapped the boy on the shoulder with his wand. The other Slytherins gripped their wands defensively for their house member, Isaac meekly lifted his head and then dropped it back down after noticing Lee. "What do you want, Jordan?"

    Lee looked at the other Slytherins watching him threateningly and leaned closer to Isaac so he could whisper. "I have special orders from Snow," Isaac looked up towards the boy curiously. "Gryffindor party tonight at ten to four for Kennedy Zahel's birthday party. Password is Pig Snout." He looked at the menacing Slytherins, one of them being Draco Malfoy who stared at the boys dreads in disgust. "Careful on who you invite, as well, don't ruin the party."

    Without another word, Lee left and Isaac watched as he went. Cassie's announcement of the party to the two girls went two ways. For Fiona; the girl was ecstatic and planning on buying yellow and black party streamers. For Rose; she kept naming reasons on why they shouldn't have the party.

    "Rose, the firewhiskey is going to be guarded by Angelina Johnson, she's your bloody friend you should know she wouldn't let an ickle child get past her." Cassie explained, taking a bite of her biscuit.

    "Should I make a table where everyone could put their gifts?" Fiona asked thoughtfully, looking at Cassie who shrugged.

    "Gifts," Rose repeated. "gifts that Ken won't even be able to open for another four bloody months until she's awake. One's she'll receive at a party for her, which she won't even be at because she's too busy being petrified in the hospital wing. What's even the purpose of this party if she won't be there to appreciate it?"

    "Every year we always do something for her party, whether it's putting her face on all the banners in here," Cassie said, motioning at all the house banners in the Great Hall. "or sneaking off to our classroom and pigging out. But Ken isn't here, like you said, and it's because of a reason she can't control. Imagine how she'd feel waking up and hearing that we did nothing but sorrow in our own pity on her fifteenth birthday. She'd want chaos, and a party with almost everybody invited is the perfect amount of Kennedy Zahel chaos."

    "Wouldn't it be better if we spent her birthday with her?" Rose asked, her eyebrows raised.

    Cassie bit her lip. "We'll all visit her before, explain to her, if she can even hear us, how much chaos we'll be causing for her on her birthday."

    "But this chaos can be very dangerous!" Rose yelled, getting a few curious looks by the people around her who were already chatting amongst each other about the party which they heard from Lee Jordan before.

    From down the table, Fred slid over and smirked, "Chaos is amazing," He leaned in. "chaos is what killed the dinosaurs, darling."

     Rose wore a confused expression while Cassie asked; "You've watched Heathers?"

    Fred's eyebrows scrunched. "Is that what Muggle magazines are called? Heathers?"

     "What? No . . . the movie, Heathers. That's a quote from the movie." Cassie explained, Fiona giggled at the two purebloods confused expressions.

    Fred shrugged, "Oh, well, I read it out of a Muggle magazine I found in the common room once." He turned to Rose. "Now why are you fussing about this party? It's a celebration of life! Don't be such a killjoy."

    "I'm not a killjoy." Rose snarked at the red-head, "I'm just concerned. What if that chaos gets someone in trouble? Or worse . . . petrified!" Her eyes widen even larger. "Or even worse! Killed!"

     Cassie looked at Fred with wide eyes, the boy's smile seemed to falter for only a second before he chuckled. "No worries about that, George, Lee, and I will all escort whoever's going to the party to our common room. Whatever it is petrifying everyone won't attack went purebloods and a half-blood is around." Cassie smiled thankfully towards him and Rose started to calm down. Fred then slid back down the table, whispering the plan to Lee who groaned, placing his sandwich back down as he went to tell the news to everyone again.

    "Fine," the girl guiltily stated. "I-I'll go, but so help me Merlin, if anyone gets hurt—"

    "No one will," Cassie reassured. "I promise."

    Rose curtly nodded and went back to eating, guilty thoughts seeping through her mind at the thought of Kennedy spending her birthday night alone. After a few moments, Fiona asked through chews of her strawberry custard pie; "How many napkin sets do you think we'll," she swallowed and Cassie looked at her with an amused expression, "need, Cas?"

    "As many as you want to bring." Cassie simply smiled, Fiona grinned and continued eating her pie.

[A few hours later]

    It had been an hour already since the Gryffindor party had started, Cassie spent the rest of her day skipping classes and setting everything up. The Gryffindor common room was decorated in Hufflepuff colors, though the Gryffindor students still wore their house colors broadly to show their pride to the other houses as they arrived. The Gryffindor house was mostly filled with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, though there were quite a few Ravenclaws. Cassie had yet to see any Slytherins much to her dismay as she had hoped to see Isaac. The firewhiskey stash had almost run out but Cassie managed to snag a bottle and duplicate it a few times before it all ran out, apparently not everyone knew the liquid replenishing spell.

    A David Bowie record Fiona had stashed away in her trunk was blasting throughout the common room, students danced with each other that Valentine's day-night and some snogged on the couches. Rose sat uncomfortably at the window seat, staring at the starry sky with a half-empty bottle of fire whiskey in hand. Fiona was chatting excitedly, already tipsy on a single sip of a non-alcoholic beverage she thought was spiked with a few Hufflepuffs who thought her glowing black and yellow streamers were absolutely magnificent.

    Lee was outside guarding the corridor, every once in a while he'd hear Filch shouting at Peeves, the voices of multiple prefects following. Fred and George were in the common room, Fred was on his second bottle; only mildly tipsy, and George was still finishing his first; the taste was dreadful. Noah was on one of the couches chatting happily with a few friends, genuinely smiling for the first time in a long time. Cassie seemed to be the only one stressed, going up to each person asking if they were alright and happy, she sounded like a mother.

    The sound of the portrait hole caused Cassie to whip her head over, she smiled broadly at the sight of Isaac walking in. Behind him trailed two other Slytherins that Cassie didn't recognize but she immediately hugged Isaac who jumped back in surprise. "Merlin,Cas, this is some party."

    "Yeah," Cas smiled, breaking from the hug. "only the best for Kennedy. Now, why did you take so bloody long? I thought you weren't coming!"

    "I had to wait until Thorfinn was asleep," He hesitantly stated. "he watches me like a hawk. But I managed to sneak out, I also brought two of my friends," he said, stepping out from in front of his two friends. One was a girl with blonde curly hair, she had two diamond earrings in and an excited gleam in her soft brown eyes. The other was a black-haired girl, her hair shaped in a fringe with a much more meaner look; but Merlin was she pretty. He motioned toward the blonde-haired girl. lThis, is Estelle Burke. She's fifth year and an absolute sweetheart, she can run Fiona for her money."

   "Hi," Cassie politely greeted, smiling as she shook the girl's hand.

    Isaac then turned to the black-haired girl. "This is—"

    "Marcella Colbert, fourth year," The girl greeted for herself, shaking Cassie's hand. "I heard there's firewhiskey here, yeah?"

     Cassie chuckled nervously, pointing to the table with about four bottles left. "Over there no taking doubles. Just use a replenishing charm."

    The girl nodded and handed Cassie a small decorated box, a gift for Kennedy, before making her way towards the whiskey. Isaac sighed, watching as Marcella left. "and this is Cassie . . ."

    Estelle giggled, looking towards Cassie who was chuckling at Isaac. "Shes the alcoholic of our house, I-I should go make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. It was nice meeting you Cassie, thanks for letting us come!"

    "Sure, anytime." Cassie yelled to the girl who ran up to Marcella, the girl had half a bottle of firewhiskey chugged down.

    Isaac was looking around the Gryffindor common room in amazement. "Woah, this place is bright!"

    "Bright?" Cassie asked, looking around. The only source of light was from the fireplace and the glowing streamers, the metamorphmagus frowned. "It's not that bright . . . it's actually darker than usual in here."

"You don't know anything about dark, then." Isaac chuckled. "We Slytherins live in an actual dungeon, the only light we get is from torches and whatever luminescent fish is swimming by in the Black Lake."

    "That sounds relaxing," Cassie sighed. "I wish I could just lay on a couch in the dark and watch as fish swim by in the Black Lake."

    "And I wish I could spend every day in a common room as bright looking as this." Isaac said, looking around at all the bright-colored furniture and walls. Cassie smiled and grabbed his arm, they walked towards the snack table and got food and finally, Cassie started to have fun. As time passed, students became drunker and drunker, some even passing out three hours before the party was going to end. The music still blasted, even Rose had joined in and started dancing with Fiona. Isaac sat on the couch and watched as Cassie danced with her friends, Estelle joined them and made friends with Fiona easily. Marcella was drunk out of her mind, talking horror stories with some of the second and third year Gryffindors who listened intently at her stories which were all jumbled up due to her drunkenness.

    Fred and George both snuck their brother Ron and Harry some firewhiskey into their cups of fruit punch. Being a thirteen-year-old chaperone, Hermione noticed the act and ranted for a total of ten minutes about the dangers of magic mixed with alcohol. Cassie had only one bottle of firewhiskey, she did not enjoy the taste whatsoever. Plus, alcohol made her hands shake and she didn't want to risk spilling firewhiskey on the red leather jacket that Fiona had given her the year before. Somehow in her one bottle drunken state, Cassie mustered up enough concentration and changed her hair to her favorite blue short-and-curly style.

    "Ronald, don't you dare take another sip of that fruit punch!" Hermione shouted at the red-haired boy, he scowled and put it on the table.

   Fred snickered, his cheeks red from drinking and his tone a slur. "Oh don' be sucha downer, Granger, let em' have a cup or two. We shoulda slipped you a cup too!"

    "Oh no you shouldn't have." Hermione retorted, Harry beside her went wide-eyed. "Along with having banned parties and illegally drinking underage, you'd be spiking a child's drink as I have never given you permission to do it and I am barely even a teenager — I've only been thirteen for a couple of weeks!"

    "Merlin, yer' thirteen?" George hiccuped, his eyes wide. "Ou' act like you're McGonagall's age."

    Hermione scoffed at the two drunk twins, Ron watching in amusement and quickly took a sip of his firewhiskey-fruit punch; he coughed immediately after. Harry then took a sip of his before dropping it back onto the table. Hermione looked at George who was leaning drunkenly on his twin, eyes drooping. "You should get him to bed, as well as you seeing as you're both as drunk as Wood over there." Fred, Harry, and Ron all looked over to see Wood sprawled out on a table completely passed out as students balanced cups on his body.

    "Psh," Fred waved her off, George perked up at the sudden movement. "we'll be fine. Oi, Oi Snow! OI SNOW!"

    "What?" Cassie yelled in irritation, though still strolling over with a smile on her face.

     Fred stood up and drunkenly slurred: "Innit time to make the eggs— no, tha' biscuits—"

    "The toast, Fred," Hermione corrected, Ron and Harry were in fits of giggles. "The toast."

    "Right!' Fred slurred, pointing at the bushy-haired girl. "Innit time to make the bacon?"

    "Oh, now he's just doing it on purpose." Hermione grumbled, she oh-so-desperately wanted to go back to her dorm and sleep but she had to make sure the boys didn't drink. She knew that once she left they'd chug down any alcoholic beverage given to them.

    "The toast," Cassie gasped, her eyes wide. "right, yeah, thanks for reminding me Fred." She turned to go grab for her wand, though she turned quickly and suggested to the twins: "go drink some water you two, you'll wake up with a gnarly hangover tomorrow if you don't detox."

    As suggested by the girl, Fred went searching for water and George sprawled on the coffee table, staring at the streamers in a drunk state. Cassie went over to Isaac who sat lazily on the couch, she asked for her wand and being the kind gentlemen he was watching over everyone's wands while they partied, he handed it to her. She walked over to the coffee table George laid on, she carefully shifted him over before stepping onto it and banging her foot on the table. Everyone looked over and Fiona ran over to the record player, turning it down a notch so Cassie could be heard. Though, still, she charmed her voice using the amplifying charm.

    "Uh, hey everyone." Cassie greeted, people crowded around. Some still snored in their passed out states. "I would like to thank everyone for coming to my first ever party, went pretty awesomely right?" People cheered. "I would also like to give a special thanks to the Weasel—" she rolled her eyes. "to the Weasley twins: Fred and George who are currently buzzed to oblivion." A few people laughed. "They helped me a lot with setting everything up and making sure we wouldn't be caught. I'd also like to thank Lee Jordan," The boy cheered at his name. "for helping out on his part. And my best friend Fiona for making these beautiful streamers," The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors alike cheered for Fiona who blushed, Estelle patted her on the back. "But most of all, I'd like to wish my best friend Kennedy Zahel a Happy Birthday, and although she can't be here today, I know she'd love it. Especially since everyone's so pissed drunk." People chortled, a few giving drunken wolf-whistles.

     Cassie continued, her foot rapping with nerves. "Kennedy is currently in the hospital wing, she was the first to be petrified. My friends and I haven't spoken to her since Halloween when w-we sent her out on a dare." Rose looked at her feet guiltily. "Today, well, yesterday — was her fifteenth birthday. And currently, she's spending it alone, like a rock," Cassie's hair turned green with stress, Marcella, in her drunken state, cheered with Slytherin pride. The mood started to turn grimmer as everyone became sad, some even concerned for Cassie as she seemed to be becoming more and more depressed with every word she said. Noah was nearly in tears. Cassie felt tears of her own welling in her eyes. "M-Merlin," she stuttered, looking at everyone. "I er- a-appreciate everyone coming. W-We'll make sure t-that K-Kennedy opens her gifts when s-she wakes up. E-Enjoy the r-rest of the party e-everyone. Remember, eeveryone out a-at four. Fi, play the music." The music started playing and Cassie jumped off the table, rushing out of the common room.

     Cassie paced back and forth, tugging at her bright green hair stressfully while she tried with all her might to keep the tears welling in her eyes in her eyes. A thousand thoughts rushed through her mind, she couldn't believe she had a bloody party on a night where the girls should have stayed by Kennedy's side. Cassie had even forgotten to say hello to the girl that day, being too preoccupied with the party Kennedy was never going to enjoy. The house elf guarding kept asking if Cassie was alright but Cassie couldn't manage out any words.

    The common room portrait opened and Cassie stopped pacing, looking to see who joined her in a panic. At the sight of fiery red hair Cassie groaned, she didn't know if she could handle a Weasley at that moment. Fred was stumbling as he walked over to her, he looked determined to see if she was alright. He practiced the word in his head, attempting to make sure nothing came out as a slur towards the clearly distraught girl. Cassie was clearly trembling and Fred sucked in a brave deep breath. "Eryeralri?"

    Cassie let out a half-cough, halfasob, "Pardon?"

    Fred mentally cursed himself, trying his best not to laugh at the same time. "I-I mean, are ou' alright." He repeated, focusing on the 't' to make sure he pronounced it.

    Cassie wanted to start crying right there, but she couldn't, wouldn't. "Y-yes I'm okay, c-could you go get me Isaac please?"

    Fred's face scrunched. "Deehan's a bit busy . . . that one girl he brought wit' em' puked everywhere, shoulda seen it, came ri' after ou' left."

     Cassie smiled a bit, still shaking with guilt. "I-I'll be fine then, j-just go, please. Enjoy the p-party."

    "Why 'ould I go do that when you're out 'ere upset?" Fred asked, sincere concern laced in his voice.

    Cassie looked down to the ground. "I-I'm not upset, I just need air. Please Fred, just g-go have some fun."

    "Nope," Fred said, popping the 'p' while sitting down next to the portrait, patting for her to sit beside him. "I'm 'ere to be you're con-sole-ate-er." Fred tried through his drunken slur. "C'mon, sit down . . ."

    Cassie bit her lip before giving in, she walked over and sat down, her head leaning against the wall. She stared ahead and Fred looked over to her. "Want to 'alk about it?"

"Not really," Cassie sighed, she felt a tear slip down her cheek. Thankfully it wasn't the one Fred had sight of. Fred nodded, looking down the floor — he had just been hit with a dizzy spell; hard. Cassie looked at him concerned, "Are you alright?"

    "Yeah, yeah, just feeling a tad sick, is all." Fred reassured, grinning a lopsided grin at the green-haired girl.

    Cassie chuckled. "It was all that firewhiskey you drank, did you get any water?"

    lYeah," Fred nodded, leaning his head tiredly against the wall. "took a sip and nearly vomited. Remind me to never take hangover tips from you again."

    "Hey," Cassie pouted. "it's called detoxing for a reason. That water was gonna save your liver!"

    "Liver-Shmliver . . ." Mocked Fred, Cassie laughed, leaning her head against the wall again.

    Fred looked at her. "Y'know, I'm kind of convinced that ou' don't hate me anymore. Look at ou', bein' all brave and sittin' next to me."

    "I know," Cassie chuckled. "it's crazy. Still doesn't make you less of a Weasel, though."

    "And there's the spitfire in ya." He snickered, she grinned and got more comfortable against the wall, allowing her head to eventually lean on his shoulder. They sat there for a while, talking to one another and bantering about random things. The sadness inside of Cassie lifted a ton and her hair had turned back to its pale blue color, Fred became more and more sober as time passed and was nearly passed out from tiredness when some of the only sober students came out of the common room directing their piss-drunk friends safely to their common rooms. Isaac held Marcella bridal-style as the girl was passed out in his arms, Cassie said goodbye to the boy and he and his only two Slytherin friends made their way back to the dungeons.

    Pixie, the house elf, ran off earlier than the Gryffindors wanted her too to tell Peeves that he no longer needed to wreak havoc, that it was safe for the prefects to return to their dorms. That ended up leading to madness as Cassie, Fiona, Rose, and Fred started cleaning up; Fred only doing so to help relieve Cassie's built-up stress. Cassie and Fiona cleaned up all the firewhiskey bottles, the streamers, the tables and gifts, the plastic cups, the candy wrappers and snack bowls, the hardened vomit on the carpets, and the record player in a matter of minutes with their magic. Rose and Fred were moving passed out students back to their dorms, Rose dealing with the girls (which, thankfully, weren't many), while Fred dealt with the boys (which, unfortunately, were many.)

    Fred brought his brother up first, throwing him onto the bed where his red-haired twin continued to sleep. He then continued with Lee who was more reluctant to walk, and then with Oliver Wood who was rambling about incoherently as he tripped with each step he took. He then brought his sleeping tipsy brother Ron up, Harry trudged behind tiredly as the two boys had simply fallen asleep in the common room. Next, he went up with a few more sixth and seventh years before he brought Noah Zahel up, the boy clutched a bottle of firewhiskey in his arms as he slept and Fred quickly hid the bottle as the boy wasn't allowed to drink at the party; being a second year.

    Rose started with Hermione Granger, only needing to wake the girl as she didn't drink whatsoever. The girl then brought up two dorm mates with her, Lavender Brown and Fay Dunbar. Rose continued to wake a seventh-year girl who, at first, thought she was at a concert while hearing the loud cluttering of bottles as Cassie and Fiona filled up with the self-obliterating garbage bins. With one final look around, to make sure no one was passed out under a table or hidden behind a chair, Rose went up to her dorm. Cassie and Fiona finished moments later, just missing the prefects tiredly enter as they were running up the stairs; Fiona with the record player and David Bowie record in hand. Cassie had dressed comfortably into a jumper and sweatpants before falling asleep just as her head hit the pillow.



Authors Note:

"This has to be the longest chapter I have ever written." -Me, last chapter. Ha, I one-upped myself by 3,000 words (5,515 last chapter and now in 8,300+ words this chapter.) Also i'm fifteen now which is gnarly, what age did you guys imagine me as? Also, sappy chapter, I know, but it was fun to write. Now I should go to bed hehe it's 5:30am. Vote if you liked I guess, it'd be appreciated!

May 16, 2019
8,371 words