On the first day of arrival at Hogwarts, Harry and Ron had already gotten themselves into a tremendous mess. It seems that Ron had the brilliant idea of taking his father's flying car, and to make matters worse, they were spotted by Muggles right in the center of London. It was pure luck that the boys weren't expelled from school, or worse, ended up dead when they crashed into the Whomping Willow.
As always, Mione informed Cassi that Minerva was extremely furious and punished them with detention once again. It seems that the boys never learn.

The morning's first class took place in the Greenhouse. Cassi and Pansy excitedly went together to the class, exchanging gossip and planning their next mischiefs. On the way, they spotted Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, who was already causing a stir with his radiant smile and dashing pose.

"Ah, hello everyone! I've just assisted Professor Sprout in properly tending to the Whomping Willow. But don't think for a moment that I'm better than her in Herbology! By chance, I've come across several of these exotic plants in my incredible travels," proclaimed Lockhart, displaying a forced smile that seemed more fake than a blast-ended skrewt.

The contrast between him and Professor Sprout was stark. While Lockhart flaunted immaculate clothes, the professor was covered in dirt, and her nails alone would be enough to make Nocturna, Cassiopeia's mother, faint in horror.

"I can see who actually got their hands dirty," whispered Pansy amusingly, eliciting a laugh from Cassi.

The Greenhouse, where the class was about to begin, was a feast for the eyes. It was a vast glass space, filled with magical plants of all kinds. Umbrella-sized flowers, displaying vibrant colors, filled the surroundings, creating a magical and enchanting atmosphere.

"Good morning, everyone!" Madame Sprout called, smiling sweetly at the class.
Professor Sprout was dressed in yellow robes, representing her house, Hufflepuff, and her pointed hat completed the look. When no one responded immediately, she raised her voice to grab everyone's attention.

"Good morning, everyone!"

Everyone straightened up and said in unison, "Good morning, Professor Sprout."

"Welcome to the greenhouse! Second years," the professor announced.
"Gather around, now, everyone," she requested.

The class was divided between Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff.

"Today, we are going to learn about Mandrakes," Professor Sprout continued.

"Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake root?" she questioned.

Cassiopeia eagerly raised her hand. She was talented in Herbology, as it was one of the main subjects at Castelo Bruxo. Hermione seemed like she was about to raise her hand, but Cassi was quicker.

"Yes, Mrs. Gaunt?"

"Mandrakes, or Mandragora, are used to return those who have been petrified to their original state," Cassi said eagerly.

Hermione raised her hand so quickly that she nearly hit Harry's glasses.

"Mrs. Granger," the professor acknowledged.

"It's also quite dangerous. Mandrake cries are fatal to anyone who hears them," Mione said with a smile.

"Excellent, 10 points to Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"Now, as our Mandrakes are still only seedlings, their cries won't kill you yet. But they will knock you out for several hours. That's why I gave each of you a pair of earmuffs for your protection."

Everyone looked attentively at the earmuffs.

"So, could you please put them on right away, quickly?" Everyone obeyed and put on the earmuffs.

"Fasten them tightly and watch me closely. You grasp your Mandrake firmly and pull it sharply out of the pot, like this," the professor demonstrated.

Instead of roots, a particularly ugly baby emerged from the soil. Leaves grew directly from its head as it screamed at the top of its lungs.

The professor transferred the Mandrake to another pot, where it grumbled angrily with an ugly face, while some handfuls of soil were placed around it.

"You transfer it down to the other pot and sprinkle a little soil onto it until it can't move."

A high-pitched scream disoriented Cassi and her classmates for a moment.
"These little creatures have lungs," Cassi chuckled with Pansy.

Suddenly, Neville Longbottom fainted.
"Ah, Longbottom has been neglecting his earmuffs," the professor remarked.

"No, ma'am, he just fainted," Lyan declared.

"Ah, well, let's leave him there," the professor dismissed indifferently.

"Right, here we go. Plenty of pots to go around. Grasp your Mandrakes and pull them up."

The screams echoed through the greenhouse as the small creatures began to wail in protest at being disturbed. Draco, always ready for mischief, had the brilliant idea of sticking his finger in the mouth of one of the creatures, only to be bitten in response.

"What did you expect?" Cassi asked, raising an eyebrow disapprovingly.
Draco seemed irritated but couldn't help chuckling.

⁀➷

During Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Gilderoy Lockhart took the position of professor. Cassiopeia rolled her eyes, well aware that the man was a complete fraud. As the class settled into their seats, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly, filling the room with silence. He reached out and grabbed a copy of "Travels with Trolls" belonging to Neville Longbottom, holding it up to display his own smiling photo on the cover, winking at the class.

"Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Arts Defense League, and winner of the Most Charming Smile Award from the Weekly Wizard magazine five times in a row, but I won't mention that. Didn't get rid of the pesky Bandon spirit, smiling at her," Lockhart said, expecting the class to smile, although only a few managed a forced smile.

"I see you all have purchased the complete collection of my books. Very well, I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about, I just want to check if you've read the books attentively, how much you've absorbed..."

After handing out the tests, he returned to the front of the class and declared:

"You have thirty minutes... begin, now!"

Cassiopeia looked at the test and read the first question:

1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?

2. What is Lockhart's secret ambition?

3. In your opinion, what is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement so far?

The questions continued, filling three pages, until reaching the last one:

54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would be the ideal gift for him?

After thirty minutes, Lockhart collected the tests and flipped through them in front of the class.

"Tsk, tsk, hardly anyone remembered that my favorite color is lilac. I mentioned it in 'A Year with the Yeti.' And some of you need to read 'Wanderings with Werewolves' more carefully. In chapter twelve, I clearly state that the ideal birthday gift for me would be harmony between magical and non-magical people, although I wouldn't refuse a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey!" He winked again, sending some students into a frenzy.

"It's my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind!" He tapped a covered cage, and something moved inside.

"You may find yourselves facing your worst fear in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. I must ask you not to scream, as it might provoke them."

The professor dramatically removed the cloth, revealing small Cornish Pixies. Cassi rolled her eyes, quite frankly. And the man had the audacity to capture the little devils.

"Cornish Pixies? Really?" Cassi raised an eyebrow.

"Fleshly caught Cornish Pixies," Lockhart boasted.

"Many of you aren't afraid of them, but the pixies can be devilishly tricky little blighters. Let's see what you make of them. Come on now, round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart mocked as he released the rascals, who quickly spread throughout the room causing chaos.

A pair of them lifted Longbottom by his ears and hung him from the chandelier.

Cassi looked incredulous; the boy always ended up hanging.

"Please, help me!" Neville pleaded.
Lockhart, in a panic, had lost his wand and fled the room, leaving the students on their own. Cassiopeia felt a wave of frustration and almost cursed the professor at that moment. Quickly drawing her wand, she shouted, "Immobulus!"
The spell slowed down all the creatures around, allowing the students to regain control of the situation. Neville, visibly annoyed, questioned, "Why is it always me?"
Cassi cast a sympathetic look at her friend as she helped free him from the creatures' grasp.

⁀➷

After the disaster that occurred in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Cassiopeia was called over by Draco and Marcus, the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Snape had already spoken to her earlier, confirming that both Cassi and Draco would be joining the team this year. Draco would be the Seeker and Cassi a Chaser.

As they made their way to the Quidditch pitch, Cassi could sense the tension in the air. The Gryffindor captain, Wood, seemed visibly irritated to see the Slytherin team about to take the field. His eyes gleamed with determination and rivalry.

Marcus handed Cassi the note from Snape that granted Slytherin permission to train with the new players.

"I, Professor Severus Snape, hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today owing to the need to train their new Seeker and Chaser."

"You've got a new Seeker, who?" Oliver Wood asked.

Draco stepped forward.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked, surprised.

"That's right, not always what you want to see," Draco replied.

"Those are Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones, how did you get those?" Ron asked, shocked.

"A gift from Draco's father," Cassi clarified.
"You see, Weasley, unlike some, my father can afford the best," Draco sneered arrogantly.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent," Hermione retorted mockingly.

This honestly bothered Cassi, and Hermione looked at her when she said that. Cassi hadn't used influence or money to secure her position. Her flying ability and recognition from Madame Hooch were the reasons she had been chosen for the team.

"NO ONE asked for your opinion, you filthy mudblood," Draco approached Hermione, venom dripping from his words.

The broom almost slipped from Cassiopeia's hands. She was incredulous at what she had just witnessed. Sighs echoed through the air, and Hermione seemed on the verge of tears, hurt and embarrassed.

"DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY!!! You've crossed all the lines!" Cassiopeia exclaimed, her face flushed with anger. Her eyes sparkled with indignation.

"You will pay for that one, Malfoy," Ron pulled out his wand. "Eat Slugs!" He shouted, pointing it at Malfoy.

The spell rebounded and hit Ron square on. Laughter erupted from the Slytherins and some of the Gryffindor team.

"Watch out, Weasley," Malfoy taunted. "You wouldn't want to start any trouble, or your mommy might come here to take you away from school." Draco mimicked the high-pitched, piercing voice. "If you step out of line even a little bit..."

A group from the Slytherin team nearby burst into laughter upon hearing that.

Harry and Hermione rushed to help Ron up. Cassi wasn't sure what to do, she simply approached and asked if the boy was okay.

"You're okay, Ron?" Cassi asked.

"Say something," Hermione pleaded.

Ron seemed about to vomit, and to everyone's horror, he ended up vomiting a huge slug onto the floor. The unpleasant smell and repulsive sight made the atmosphere even more tense.

"Take him to Hagrid, he'll know how to help," Cassiopeia said, examining the worried expression on her friend's face. The situation felt uncomfortable and distressing.

"How long is this going to last?" Harry asked, watching with apprehension as Ron spat out another slug.

Cassi felt torn between leaving the team and checking on Ron, but Hermione reassured her, assuring her that she could stay. Still unsure, Cassi decided to trust Hermione's comforting words and remained on the Quidditch field, but her mind was constantly preoccupied.

She wasn't going to go easy on Draco for what he said.

⁀➷

During Quidditch practice, Cassi was determined to improve her skills as the new Chaser. As she practiced her shots on the ball, she focused intensely, trying to hit the targets with precision. However, there was tension in the air, especially after Draco's offensive words towards Hermione, calling her a "Mudblood." Cassi was not happy with that comment and felt an irresistible urge to do something about it.

In a moment of distraction, perhaps due to her irritation, Cassi ended up hitting a Bludger with more force than intended. The ball soared through the air, gaining speed and heading straight for Draco. The impact hit him directly in the stomach, causing a chain reaction of surprise and dismay.

Everyone on the training field turned to see what had happened. Draco, caught off guard, fell to the ground, holding his stomach in pain. The air grew heavy with a tense silence as the players and coaches processed what had just occurred.

Cassi, realizing what she had done, was momentarily shocked and remorseful. She quickly approached Draco, trying to hide the guilt in her expression.

"Oops," Cassi said innocently, although her voice carried a slight tone of sarcasm.

The reaction from the other players ranged from surprise to shock, while Pansy, who was watching the practice, seemed somewhat surprised but also amused. Draco, on the other hand, was clearly irritated and angry, slowly getting up and glaring at Cassi with a furious gaze.

Cassi was determined to use this opportunity to make Draco apologize to Hermione. She approached him with a serious and determined expression.

"Do you really think it's acceptable to insult someone like that, Malfoy?" she said firmly. "You should apologize to Hermione as soon as possible."

Draco, still recovering from the pain and surprise, looked at Cassi with anger, but there was a glimmer of hesitation in his eyes. Perhaps he was reconsidering his offensive words.

Cassi crossed her arms and waited, determined to ensure that Draco understood the gravity of his actions and did what was right. She wasn't going to let him get away with it this time.

Cassi was going to make him apologize to Hermione.