They were concentrated in a particularly tedious Defense Against the Dark Arts class when strident noises could be heard throughout the corridors.

A single beam of golden light pierced through the classroom window, illuminating the room, when suddenly, a loud commotion echoed near the door. All the students turned their curious eyes toward the source of the noise.

Fred and George Weasley appeared, riding their broomsticks, creating explosions of fireworks that burst throughout the room. Shouting "FREEDOM" with enthusiasm, the Weasley twins sent sheets and books flying off the tables, creating a paper rain

Some joined the Weasley twins and started throwing more papers in the air, while others just watched. Umbridge was breathing like a bullfrog, fuming with anger.

Several fireworks whizzed around the classroom, all very colorful. But then they joined together, forming a large dragon of lights that started chasing Umbridge as she ran away.

Everyone followed the twins' escape to witness a giant W of Weasley in the sky as they fled the school, destroying the professor's rule board.
Everyone applauded the feat cheerfully, even some teachers couldn't help but discreetly celebrate.

They caused chaos around the school, clogging sinks and turning corridors into swamps. They also left prank kits scattered everywhere. In the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, they filled it with fireworks and did the same in other rooms.

Umbridge was the only teacher truly affected.
The story of Fred and George's escape to freedom was told so many times in the days that followed that Cassiopeia could predict it would soon become a Hogwarts legend.

Everyone was fed up with Umbridge, and many were close to giving up everything to escape the school.

Fred and George took measures to ensure they wouldn't be forgotten too soon. First, because they hadn't left any instructions on how to remove the swamp that still filled the fifth-floor corridor in the east wing. It was completely destroyed.

 

The school was a mess, with many students using the twins' prank kits to pretend to vomit, make their noses bleed, and, of course, these pranks were done in every Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Everyone called it: "Umbridge-itis ."

But even the users of the kits couldn't compete with the lord of chaos: Peeves, who seemed to have taken Fred's farewell words very seriously.

Giggling maniacally, he flew through the school, flipping tables, bursting out of chalkboards, toppling statues and vases. Twice he trapped Madam Nora inside a suit of armor, from which she was rescued, meowing loudly, by the furious caretaker.

Peeves broke lanterns and extinguished candles, juggled lit torches over screaming students' heads, toppled neat stacks of parchment into the fireplaces or out of windows. He flooded the second floor, tearing out all the bathroom taps, dropped a bag of tarantulas in the middle of the Great Hall during breakfast, and whenever he felt like taking a break, he spent hours floating behind Umbridge, imitating the sound of farts with his mouth every time she spoke.

No Hogwarts staff, except Filch, seemed to be moving to help her. In fact, Cassiopeia overheard Minerva, in a loud voice, passing Peeves, who was determined to drop a crystal chandelier on Umbridge.

Saying to the poltergeist under her breath, "Unscrew it the other way."

And when the ghost did so, the chandelier crashed into pieces while Minerva hid her laughter behind her hands, pretending to be shocked.

She had also lent her cane to the ghost to chase Umbridge, but pretended it had been taken from her.

Minerva is an icon.

Meanwhile, the Slytherin team was without a captain because, quite strangely, Montanque went mad after a mysterious disappearance in a cupboard. This led Snape and the other team members to appoint Cassiopeia as the captain.

She couldn't have been happier with the leadership position and made sure to train them to exhaustion.

In Transfiguration class, the dates for the O.W.Ls were shown on the board. During the last two weeks, they had only been revising for the exams, going over what they already knew. Cassiopeia spent day and night studying in the library, common room, her dormitory, and also with Minerva. She used the Time-Turner several times, and she wouldn't be surprised if, by the end of the semester, she was a few years older.

The exams would consist of theory in the morning and practical in the afternoon. The practical Astronomy exam, of course, would be held at night.

They would receive the results in July, so they wouldn't have to lose their minds during the holidays.

During breakfast, Cassi received a letter from Narcissa. She smiled joyfully as she read the lines, tracing them with care.

My dearest Cassiopeia,

Draco mentioned in his letters that you've been buried in books for the past month, barely setting them aside even to eat. I am immensely proud of your effort and dedication, but I am also very concerned about your health. Don't forget to take care of yourself. This is not a request, it's an order.

I heard that exam week starts on Monday, so I wish you good luck and send countless kisses. I am certain that you will make everyone proud with your talent, my little witch.

Remember to rest and sleep well, as I know fatigue can be a cruel enemy to scholars. And if you need encouragement, dream of me, for I will always be by your side in thought.

With much love,

Yours,

Narcissa

(...)

As the other students headed to their classes, at half-past nine, they were called, group by group, to re-enter the Great Hall, which had been rearranged. The House tables had been removed and replaced with many individual tables, facing the teachers' table at the back of the hall, where Minerva was seated, facing the students' tables. After everyone had settled down, she said:

"You may begin." And she turned over a huge hourglass on the table next to her, which still had quills, inkwells, and spare rolls of parchment.

Cassiopeia turned the exam paper, surprisingly calm as she read the first question:

a) Name the enchantment

b) Describe the wand movement required to make objects fly.

Cassi smiled broadly as she took the test. She swung her leg almost dancing with excitement with each question. Honestly, it was ridiculously easy for her.

The fifth-years had lunch with the rest of the school and then marched to a small room next to the Great Hall, where they were to wait for the call for the practical exam. As small groups of students were called, those who remained murmured spells and practiced wand movements, occasionally accidentally poking each other in the back or the eye.

Ten minutes later, Professor Flitwick called:

"Gaunt, Cassiopeia... Granger, Hermione... Greenglass Daphne... Goyle, Gregory..."

"Surprise them," Draco encouraged with a wide grin.

Professor Flitwick, who was standing by the door, directed Cassiopeia to a stern-looking old witch sitting at a small table in the far corner.

"Gaunt, is it?" Professor Marchbanks asked, consulting her notes and peering over her glasses as Cassi approached. "Like Noctua Gaunt?" She asked with a broad smile.

"She's my mother," Cassi said with a proud smile.

"Then you certainly don't need to be nervous. Now, I'd like you to take this egg cup and make it do somersaults for me."

Cassi smiled, casting a levitation charm.
The exam went very well. Her Levitation Charm was excellent, and she even played with the egg cup, transforming it into a bouquet of flowers, which she promptly handed to the delighted professor, who scribbled something on her clipboard.

"Fascinating," she commented as she examined the magical Narcissus flowers up close.

"Indeed, a chip off the old block."

With that, Cassi couldn't be prouder. Her mother was her greatest role model, and being compared to her brought a wide smile to her face.

The next task was a Colour-Change Charm.

She turned a rat orange and then playfully suggested that it would look much better as an albino.

Some other professors glanced over their shoulders, looking impressed.

Cassi could see Hermione with an elderly, balding professor, doing very well, and she couldn't help but wink at her friend.

There was no time to relax that night; but she obeyed Narcissa, taking just a moment to revise Transfiguration with Draco for the next day:

During the morning, she had four tests at the same time. Her head buzzed, begging for rest, but she didn't give up and pushed through.
She had just successfully vanished a rabbit when the professor questioned:

"Aren't you the youngest Animagus ever registered?" She asked suddenly, examining something on a list.

"Actually yes, it was in my third year," Cassi smiled gently.

"Really impressive... Quite surprising," the woman seemed fascinated by her.

"Would you like to give a demonstration, dear?" The professor asked excitedly. "It could earn you some extra points."

Cassiopeia couldn't nod hard enough as she transformed into her fox form, standing on her hind legs and performing cute gestures for the professor.

The others seemed very interested and stopped to watch.

Cassi went over to Hermione, circling her with giggles before returning to the professor, bowing, and returning to her human form.

"BRILLIANT!" The witch clapped cheerfully, jotting something down on the parchment.

On Wednesday, they took the Herbology exam, and she did exceptionally well.

Then, on Thursday, they had Defense Against the Dark Arts. She had no problem with any of the written questions and took special pleasure, during the practical exam, in performing all the counter-curses and defensive spells right in front of Umbridge, who was calmly observing near the entrance to the Entrance Hall.

"Bravo!" exclaimed Professor Tofty, who was examining her for the first time, when she demonstrated a perfect spell to banish Boggarts. It was the first time she had actually faced one in practice, and her biggest fear was disappointing her mother. Her spell was so powerful that the creature turned to dust at her feet.

Cassiopeia was determined to get the top grade in all her exams, even if she had to sell her soul to Voldemort himself.

On Friday, she took her Ancient Runes exam, where she had to translate some exceptionally difficult runes. She silently thanked Salazar for the hereditary eidetic talent in the family.
Before her was the word: chwaz, which meant "partnership."

There were also Elvish runes that she had worked on for a whole month with pure dedication. She had to translate five pairs of runes with her naked eye and orally pronounce each one.

As she left, she could see the proud look on her professor's face.

During the walk back to the Slytherin common room, she couldn't resist and sneaked a Pukwudgie into Umbridge's office.

"Go on, my friend, cause some chaos," she grinned mischievously, hiding to listen to the screams before continuing on her way with a maniacal laugh.

(...)

She spent almost the entire Saturday and Sunday reviewing and almost lost the letter she had received from her mother.
It was the first actual letter she had received in months, instead of just short notes.

My little Caipora,

I'm so sorry for being so busy lately. It pains me deeply to have neglected you for so long, but my love, know that everything I'm doing is for you.

I heard from Minerva that you're taking your O.W.Ls in all subjects, and I can't help but feel immensely proud of you. But my love, I'm also worried about your health, please take care of yourself, don't neglect it. Also, don't abuse the Time-Turner too much, or before I even blink, you'll be my age.

My little angel, I sense dark times approaching, and I ask that you trust me. I love you more than anything, Cassiopeia, never forget that.

With all my love,

Mom

Cassi felt tears coming to her eyes as she read Noctua's letter. She missed her mother's embrace and comfort, but she understood and respected her mother's obligations. She kept the letter in her pocket next to Narcissa's, for good luck.

On Monday, they had the Potions test. It was the exam where Cassi felt the most calm, as if she were going for a walk in the park. She could see her classmates practically freaking out around her, to the point of collapsing, which was a stark contrast to her own composure.

The practical exam in the afternoon went excellently. When Professor Marchbanks said, "Step away from your cauldrons, please, the exam is over," Cassi closed her sample with a sense of relief. She was certain that she had passed with excellence.

Her most challenging discipline, Arithmancy, was the only one that made her nervous for the first time among all the others. However, she performed incredibly well.

Then she had Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Herbology, and Muggle Studies. Her last theoretical exam was History of Magic, where she had some questions about the creation of the International Confederation of Wizards. Cassi couldn't have been happier as she wrote the answers.

Astronomy was a lot of fun, especially the practical class where she had to fill in the blank star chart with the precise positions of the stars and planets she was observing. It was a feast for someone with her memory.

When she had finished, she noticed a commotion near Hagrid's cabin. It seemed like they were trying to bewitch him?! The professor tried to get everyone back to the exam, but Cassi simply handed in the drawing and rudely shifted her attention to Hagrid's cabin.

There was a loud bang coming from the grounds. Several people shouted "Ouch!" as they poked their faces on the ends of the telescopes to see what was happening down there.

Hagrid's door was flung open violently, and in the light that poured out of the cabin, they saw him clearly—a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists, surrounded by five people who, judging by the thin red jets of light directed at him, were apparently trying to stun him.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Goodness gracious!" Professor Tofty said in a scandalized tone. "We're in the middle of an exam!"

But no one was paying the slightest attention to the star charts anymore. Red jets of light continued to fly through the air by Hagrid's cabin, but for some reason, they seemed to bounce off his body; he stood tall and motionless.

Shouts echoed across the grounds; a man yelled:

"Be reasonable, Hagrid!"
Hagrid roared back, "Reasonable my arse! You're not taking me like this, Dawlish!"

The dog was fiercely trying to protect his owner, jumping repeatedly at the wizards surrounding him until a Stunning Spell hit him, causing him to fall to the ground. Hagrid let out a furious howl, lifted the responsible person from the ground, and threw him away; the man flew three meters and didn't get up again.

Hermione held her breath, both hands on her mouth; everyone was terrified, they had never seen Hagrid so angry.

"Look!" Parvati squeaked, leaning over the parapet and pointing to the castle below, where the entrance doors had opened again; once more, light spilled out into the dark garden, and a black, solitary shadow was now undulating across the lawns.

"Good grief!" Professor Tofty exclaimed anxiously. "You know, there are sixteen minutes left!"

But nobody paid the slightest attention; everyone was watching the person running towards the battle by Hagrid's cabin.

"Is that my godmother?!" Cassi gasped.

"Leave him alone! I said, leave him alone!" Minerva shouted in the darkness. "Why are you attacking him? He hasn't done anything, nothing that justifies this..."

Cassiopeia, Hermione, and Parvati shouted at the same time. The figures near the cabin had cast no fewer than four Stunning Spells at Minerva.

Halfway between the cabin and the castle, the beams of red light hit her; for a moment, she seemed to emit a red, ghostly light, then she soared into the air, fell heavily on her back, and didn't move anymore.

Something snapped behind her eyes, and she saw red. "I'll KILL YOU!" Cassiopeia snarled fiercely, jumping off the parapet and already pulling out her wand.

"Galumphing gargoyles!" Professor Tofty shouted. He seemed to have forgotten about the exam entirely. "They didn't even give a warning! What outrageous behavior!"

"Cassie! NO!" Hermione shouted after her, but Cassi paid little attention as she ran through the room with her wand ready.

Cassi rushed through the castle in a furious rage. "What are you doing out here?!" Umbridge asked in shock.

"Get out of my way, Corpo seco crossed with a Boitata," Cassiopeia snarled as she passed the woman, holding herself back from casting an Unforgivable Curse on her.

"Aunt Minnie?! Can you hear me?" Cassi asked, concerned, as she carefully examined the older woman, but she couldn't get up.

"What the hell is go-" The pink toad started, but Cassiopeia raised her wand with a deadly look that would make even Walburga tremble.

"I told you to get out of my way. Otherwise, I swear by all of Salazar's serpents that I will ruin your life," her tone was cold as ice.

The woman had the decency to appear scared and took a step back in shock. "This kind of behavior -"

Cassiopeia growled as a warning, "You attacked an elderly professor on Hogwarts grounds without any credible reason in the presence of two examiners. Don't think this action will go unpunished. Any action I take can be classified as self-defense."

The woman reluctantly stepped back, giving the sweetest smile she could manage. "Of course -"

Cassi didn't stay to listen. She took Minerva straight to Madame Pomfrey and refused to rest until her godmother was up and recovered. But Minerva didn't recover; she had to be taken to St. Mungo's.

Madame Pomfrey was so outraged that she almost resigned in protest. Cassi wasn't allowed to go with her godmother and cried hidden in her dormitory, feeling powerless in the face of such cowardice.

She only had Pansy and Seraphina to console her and prevent her from sending Morgus to kill Umbridge.