His Cassandra

AN: I'm not sure when I will continue 'His White Queen: A Prequel', but I have not given up on it.

Prologue

They came in a swarm of black without warning, without provocation. Jets of red and green zipped above and around her.

“Careful! We need the girl alive!” one of them shouted.

She knew this was coming. They both did.

“You must go now!” her father yelled, sending a Reducto back towards the Death Eaters.

“I won’t leave you, Daddy!” she swished her wand leveling one of the walls with a Confringo.

Just as her father reached for the Portkey, a Death Eater slashed his wand and yelled, “Sectumsempra!”

“NO!!”

Without caring about the consequences, she dived in front of her father and was blinded by pain as the bright light struck her body head on. Quickly her father erected his most powerful shield.

“Foolish girl,” he whispered tearfully.

“I had to,” she coughed as blood spilled from her chest and torso.

Her father glanced up feeling the Death Eaters curses rapidly weakening his shield. He pressed the Lion shaped pendant into her hand. “You have to go. He must not possess this gift.”

“Promise me you won’t let them get you, Daddy.”

“I promise, little lamb.” But they both knew it was a lie.

Looking into her father’s eyes one last time, she squeezed the Portkey and whispered, “Cassandra.”

She vanished just as her father’s shield collapsed. She landed on the damp green grass of an unfamiliar lawn. It was a Muggle neighborhood that she arrived in, but she could feel the magical wards shifting around her.

The front door opened and a whispered, “Lumos,” was the only indication she had that she had in fact reached her destination. “Luna!” she gasped, her shoes smacking against the grass as she ran to her. “Oh no! Oh no! What happened?”

“Her – Hermione,” she coughed, tasting the blood in her mouth. “Not much time.”

“Just hold on, Luna.” Through lidded eyes, Luna watched her friend cast the Patronus Charm and instruct her Otter to find Dumbledore at once. “Help will be here soon, Luna.” Immediately, Hermione ripped open Luna’s blouse and surveyed her wounds in dismay. “The Sectumsempra Curse. I…I don’t know how to fix this.”

“’S okay,” she slurred as the long, harsh fingers of darkness pulled her near. “I’m sorry, Hermione,” she said, feeling the gift surge through her.

“For what?” she said, watching the wounds reopen seamlessly as she struggled to heal them.

“For this.”

And before Hermione could react, using her last bit of energy, Luna raised up and grabbed Hermione’s face, sealing their mouths together. Startled, Hermione gasped, unknowingly giving Luna the chance to push her gift into the purest soul she knew.

Professors Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall arrived just in time to witness a blinding white-gold light envelope the two witches. It lasted no longer than a minute. And when the light faded both had fallen back on the ground.

“My god, Albus!” McGonagall gasped as she and Severus rushed to the side of the fallen wishes.

“She’s dead,” Severus said, solemnly brushing his hand over the opened eyes of Luna Lovegood.

A lone tear fell from the eye of Albus Dumbledore upon learning of the fate of his quirky, young pupil.

“Miss Granger’s still breathing!” McGonagall sighed in relief.

“Get them both to St. Mungo’s,” he commanded. “I will take care of things here.” He whipped his wand in the air, sending a powerful memory modifying charm through the air so that the neighbors would remember nothing out of the ordinary on that night. “What of Xenophilius?”

“Captured, headmaster,” Severus answered regrettably.

“And I suspect Tom is less than pleased of Miss Lovegood’s escape. See to it that he knows she has died. Who cursed her?”

“Dolohov,” Severus snarled. “Thinks he had something to prove because Miss Granger bested him at the Department of Mysteries.”

The headmaster closed his eyes briefly. “He will call for you soon. I must check the nature of Miss Granger’s injuries.”

“Headmaster,” Severus hesitated. “Has the gift been passed?”

“I fear it has, my boy,” he answered, wearily. “No one must know. Tom won’t hesitate to come after her if he finds out. As it stands, I suspect that there is already a spy of his making in Miss Granger’s circle.”

“Spy?” Severus gasped in disbelief. “Surely not. Who?”

“I have my suspicions. None I am willing to reveal without more proof. Let us make haste, Severus. I fear that the outcome of this war has shifted significantly…and not in our favor.”

Soooo what do you think? Should I keep going?