Harry stared blankly at the envelope in his hand, not saying a word for a long time.
His throat worked, a raw ache sitting heavily at the back of his mouth.
If this was a note from Cassandra, filled with curses and scoldings, he might not feel so miserable.
But...
In his memory, Cassandra had always been a proud girl.
She was a proud young lady, sheltered and protected by her father and brother.
He had never seen Cassandra sad, let alone seen her cry. She was always as dazzling as the sun, impossible to look at directly.
Yet...
Harry remained silent for a long while, holding the envelope as he walked to the window.
The night breeze gently ruffled his tousled black hair; moonlight flowed softly like water. Harry raised his head, hoping to glimpse Cassandra's shadow through that full, pale moon.
Through the moon, Harry seemed to see that girl whose pride had been shattered, sitting helplessly curled up, clutching her knees, reading that letter again and again—until her tears soaked the entire page.
Why...
Harry felt as though his heart was being squeezed, aching, aching terribly.
Draco and Septimus's portraits looked quietly at Harry's back, saying nothing to disturb him.
Draco had no idea what had happened, but Septimus knew the entire story.
Harry stood by the window, lost in thought beneath the moonlight.
He recalled every moment spent with Cassandra at school. No matter how he tried, he could not imagine that proud, self-assured young lady one day crying alone in her room.
Suddenly, a wave of sadness washed over him.
If only he hadn't been careless, struck by Lanlock's spell—he wouldn't have ended up back in 1991.
Then perhaps Cassandra would still be that treasured girl, sheltered by her family?
Vivi wouldn't be frozen in time, but instead watching her brother grow up at Nimongard Castle?
Maybe he could have even stopped Pabi from turning into a unicorn.
"Potter."
Septimus spoke up.
Harry snapped back to himself, turning toward the portraits.
"If I remember right," Septimus said, "besides Kathy, you befriended another girl at school, didn't you? Unless I'm mistaken, she was that Miss Grindelwald from Austria-Hungary..."
At these words, Draco pulled a classic 'Wow' face, ready for more gossip.
Draco knew all too well what the Grindelwald name signified.
To him, Gellert Grindelwald, even if only titled a 'Dark Wizard,' was far more powerful than the so-called 'Dark Demon King'—You-Know-Who. And that power wasn't just about magical strength but in sheer charisma and force of personality.
You-Know-Who united his Death Eaters through fear and intimidation, while Grindelwald commanded them with a promise of "greater good."
So now… Harry actually knew the Dark Wizard's sister or maybe his niece?
Draco felt like a nosy creature in a melon field, scurrying this way and that for gossip.
"Vilatia Grindelwald, Gellert's sister," Harry answered. "You know her?"
"Yes, that's the name. I've heard Kathy mention her," Mr. Septimus snorted coldly.
But his lips twitched twice, and in the end, he didn't say more.
Every Christmas, Cassandra would tell Harry that her father and brother were busy, so she had to stay at school—having Harry, her little sidekick, keep her company through the holiday.
Especially in fifth year's summer, Mr. Septimus expected his daughter to be just as always, spending break with that Muggle boy—but unexpectedly, she came back home.
Cassandra's brother Ignatius asked carefully and finally learned that the boy his sister had raised for five years had been whisked away by some random girl she'd just met.
When he heard the news, Mr. Septimus, for once, did not offer any comment; he only drank beer, one after another.
"I heard from Kathy, after you disappeared, that Miss Grindelwald hid out in your so-called 'Love's Little House' to study time magic. Then I never heard what became of her—"
"I guess that foolish girl, like Kathy, tried to cross time and space… Maybe you could find her in the 'Love's Little House'."
At this, Mr. Septimus fell quiet for a long moment, then told Harry: "I hope Kathy will be with her. If you meet her, bring her back—even just a keepsake, so I can see her once more."
Harry opened his mouth, but didn't dare tell Mr. Septimus that Cassandra was neither in the Map Secret Room nor in Slytherin's study.
"Cassandra will definitely be fine," Harry said, though his heart was full of doubt. "Don't worry, Mr. Malfoy."
Septimus let out a snort. He said to Harry, "Do you have anything else? If not, hurry and go."
That was Harry's cue to leave—Septimus noting that Harry had refrained from sharp retorts showed his self-restraint had grown a lot.
He couldn't help but recall that third-year summer...
This messy-haired boy, landing at Malfoy Manor on the broom Cassandra had given him, still asking if it was safe to leave it here.
Even as a portrait now, Septimus felt his heart twist painfully.
Quick! Where's my Heart-Saving Potion?
Harry carefully folded the letter, cast a protective magic on it, and placed it back behind the photo frame.
As he neared the door, Harry suddenly spoke: "By the way, Mr. Malfoy."