Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Inc., Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Raincoast, and any other affiliated party.
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Chapter 2: The First Victim
For the next few weeks, things were pretty much as ordinary as things were at Hogwarts. The students went to class, had Quidditch practices, and had house points added or deducted. Harry would've enjoyed his school life even more so if Cassandra weren't hanging on him like an extra appendage for the majority of the day.
Cassandra always elected to sit with Harry rather than the Ravenclaws during the meal times and often tried to spoon-feed him, a source of constant embarrassment for Harry. She also always forcibly laced her arm through Harry's while they were walking down hallways and there were times when she would suddenly kiss him full on the lips.
Harry for his part wanted nothing to do with any of this. But when he tried to reason with Cassandra, she just said, "Harry, we are betrothed. Are these not what people ordinarily do with their beloved?"
"Cassandra, I'm sorry to say this but I don't have any feelings for you."
"But Harry. We are bonded. Surely you realize that we will be married in two years. We can grow to love each other during those two years."
Harry couldn't say anything back since he was indeed bounded to her by magical law. His only hope was that Sirius would eventually find Cassandra's mother and get her to cross her signature off of the contract.
The only time Harry had any space to himself was when he was in the Gryffindor Common Room. He couldn't thank God enough that the Sorting Hat had placed Cassandra in Ravenclaw and not in Gryffindor. He often spent hours ranting about just how much of a nuisance Cassandra was. Ron looked sympathetic. Hermione on the other hand seemed to be getting more and more miserable as the weeks passed but she did the best she could to comfort Harry. She often reminded him and herself that Sirius was in Romania looking for the means to release Harry from the contract.
On the first Hogsmeade visit, Cassandra dragged Harry away from the castle. She said it was natural for them to go out on a date. Harry just wanted to be away from her clutches but she looked determined. Harry finally gave in deciding that one Hogsmeade visit wouldn't hurt.
They went to the Three Broomsticks and got two tankards of butterbeer. People in the tavern all gawked at the beautiful girl who was clinging on to the famous Harry Potter and looking at him adoringly. Harry looked like he would rather face a troop of dementors rather be with Cassandra in the pub.
"Why, don't you two look cute together," said Madame Rosmerta with a grin. Harry simply scowled.
After a few minutes, Draco Malfoy entered with his two goons, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. He walked up to Harry and Cassandra and smirked.
"Oh, so famous Potter is here with his fiancée?" he sneered. "What's the matter Potter, aren't you enjoying have a babe clinging to your arm like that?"
"Shut up, Malfoy," said Harry. He wasn't in the mood to argue with his long time rival.
"So Potter isn't satisfied with just having every wizard in the world knows his name eh? His not satisfied with being a Quidditch star eh? No, he needs to have his 'wife' cling to him twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. So, how is 'married' life, Potter?"
Harry was about to retort when Cassandra suddenly pulled him up. "Come on Harry, he's not worth it." She dragged him out of the pub while Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter.
Cassandra led Harry all the way back to the castle. As soon as they entered, Cassandra stormed away toward the Ravenclaw Common Room without saying goodbye to Harry. Harry didn't know what to make of that.
* * * * * * * * * *
That night, Malfoy was sitting in his dorm room when a brown barn owl swooped in and deposited a letter on his lap. Malfoy opened the letter and read the following:
Draco,
Meet me at the Astronomy Tower tonight at 9:00.
Love,
Your Secret Admirer
Malfoy glanced at the clock and noticed that it was 8:48 PM. He silently crept out of his dorm room and made his way out of the Slytherin Common Room. Carefully, so as to avoid Filch and Mrs. Norris, Malfoy made his way to the Astronomy Tower. When he opened the door, he was shocked to see Cassandra Frost there.
"You?" he sneered. "What are you doing here? I thought you were Potter's girl."
Cassandra made a sweet smile that could turn any boy's head. "Oh, but Draco, Harry is nothing. You are the one I really want."
"This is a trick," hissed Malfoy. "Potter's in this. You're trying to humiliate me."
"No I'm not Draco," said Cassandra very sweetly while walking up to Malfoy. "You are truly the one I want. I may be bonded with Potter but the idea of going behind his back turns me on." She whispered the last part into Malfoy's ear.
Malfoy shivered. After all, Cassandra was probably the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts and Draco was a hormonic teen. "Oh really?" he said with a grin.
"Really," whispered Cassandra. She pulled Draco into a passionate kiss. Draco succumbed to the passion and kissed her right back. After a few moments however, something seemed to be wrong. Draco felt like he was getting weaker and weaker. In fact it felt as if his life force was being sucked out of his mouth! Eventually, Draco was too weak to stand and he collapsed to the floor, his vision blurring and his breath wheezing. He could barely register Cassandra standing over him with a malicious grin and a triumphant glint in her icy blue eyes.
Draco managed to gasp out, "W…what have…y…you…done…t…to…me…?"
Cassandra smirked. "You will never torment my Harry again." Draco tried to reach up to her but lost his strength. A second later, everything became black.
* * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, the quiet of the dawn was broken by a piercing scream when Professor Sinestra discovered Draco Malfoy's lifeless body in the Astronomy Tower. As it turned out, Malfoy was in a coma and no amount of spells could bring him out of it. He was left in the hospital wing in his own bed in a state that was not too different from petrification, except, not even Mandrakes worked to bring him out of his comatose state.
By the next day, everybody in Hogwarts knew of what happened to Draco. Ron, for his part, looked overjoyed to have Malfoy out of the picture.
"Finally," he declared with a triumphant grin, "we get to have some time to ourselves without Ferret boy breathing down our necks!"
"Ron! I know Malfoy is a jerk and all but you shouldn't be overjoyed about a student being attacked."
"Oh come on Hermione. You're just as happy as Harry and I are to have Malfoy finally out of the picture. Right Harry?" Unfortunately, Harry wasn't able to answer since Cassandra was dragging him down another hallway. Hermione looked crestfallen. Ron noticed.
"Come on Hermione. You know that Harry doesn't want anything to do with Cassandra."
"I know Ron, but it still hurts to see them together like that."
Many rumors spread throughout Hogwarts over what had happened to Malfoy and students were stating to get a little nervous. Still, Dumbledore was with them and students had absolute confidence that so long as the headmaster was with them, they would be safe. As far as rumors went, nothing came close to the truth.
Lucius Malfoy was absolutely furious about what had happened to his son and tried to blame it on Dumbledore. Luckily for Hogwarts, Lucius was currently being investigated for his ties to the Death Eaters and he really couldn't do anything drastic.
* * * * * * * * * *
There was a knock on the door to Dumbledore's office. "Come in," said the headmaster. Remus Lupin came in looking a little worried.
"Albus, I checked Draco Malfoy's body. Your hunch was right. There were slight differences but all of the symptoms were exactly the same."
Dumbledore sighed and buried his face into his hands. "Succubae attack," he muttered.
"Yes," said Lupin. "That means that if we don't bring him out of his coma soon, he will die in a few months."
Dumbledore nodded. "We cannot alert the students that there might be a succubus loose in Hogwarts, at least not yet. We need more proof. Otherwise there would be a full scale panic." He straitened up. "Remus, I'm going to have to ask you to change your curriculum a little. Teach the students anything and everything we know about succubae and incubi. If worse comes to worse, the students may have to protect themselves."
Lupin nodded. "I'll get onto it right away." He left the office. Dumbledore sighed once more. If there was indeed a succubus loose in Hogwarts, then more attacks would be expected.
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A/N Here's a quick note. Dumbledore, Sirius, and Lupin only found out about the betrothal on the day Cassandra arrived at Hogwarts and concluded that James and Lily were tricked into signing it. Now, is this story starting to sound a little scary? I hope it at least tingles you a little because it is in the horror genre. R/R and tell me what you think.