KALEIDOSCOPE

Linny, Ron, Neville, and Hermione sunk into the soft sofas and sighed in relieve. Tom looked up from his guitar and grinned at them.

"Don't tell me you've found some horrifying monster and need to save the school again? It's only the first day of school!"

"No we haven't," Hermione sniffed, "we just had a tiring day in classes."

"I don't know Hermione, Lockhart is rather horrifying and he certainly as enough teeth to be a monster," Ron said.

"Yeah and we did have to save ourselves from those pixies," Neville mumbled as he rubbed his ears. He had one of the worst classes so far and he suffered Snape's potions classes. "I think my ears are stretched."

Tom gave the boys a sympathetic look while Hermione defended the most stupid teacher that Hogwarts has seen. "We had Lockhart this morning," a dreamy voice said from behind him, "he was infested with wrackspurts. They make your brain fuzzy and they are very attracted to pretty people, so I would protect yourself if I were you Thomas."

"Tom," Tom corrected the blonde First Year, "And you must be Luna Lovegood."

"There's no such thing as wrackspurts!" Hermione cried out.

"Now Miss Granger," Tom scolded mockingly, "if you were to believe everything written in a textbook you would be deprived of an imagination. Soon you shall be telling me that there is no such thing as aliens! If you can believe Lockhart's bullshit then you can believe anything."

Hermione did not look impressed while the boys and Rose laughed. "How was your first day?" Linny asked Rose once their laughter died down.

Rose shrugged. "Defence was a joke, Charms was interesting, Transfiguration was all right but Professor McGonagall reminds me too much of Daddy, I did some nice drawings in History, and I had the rest of the afternoon off which I used to explore the grounds with Luna, Ginny, and Colin."

"Where is Ginny?" Ron asked.

"Writing in her diary," Rose said.

"Excuse me," a pompous voice joined them, "but what is a Ravenclaw student doing here in the Gryffindor common room?"

Everyone turned to see Percy looking a lot like Mrs Weasley when she arrived at the Banana House to tell Ron and the twins off. "She's my friend," Rose said fiercely, "I invited her."

Luna almost glowed with happiness.

Percy just scowled. "It is against the r-"

"Actually according to Hogwarts A History there is no rule about Houses intermixing in different common rooms. In fact it has been encouraged by the teaching staff and there has never been a rule against other students being in other common rooms. In fact there is a clause in the Hogwarts guidelines that if a family member was in another House but suffered from personal problems they can spend the night in their relative's Dormitory no matter which House it is in. During the past war that clause had been used often due to the severe losses while the feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin had gotten so bloodthirsty that all mixed house relations were cut off. Therefore Luna has every right to be in this room."

Luna shot Hermione a grateful smile and Hermione couldn't help but blush and smile in return. She may not share Luna's beliefs but she couldn't let two friends be separated from each other because of being in different Houses. Also Rose is sadly the closest to a female friend Hermione has got and if Hermione wanted female friends she should start being more outgoing and have their backs against the likes of Percy Weasley.

"Besides Percy take a look round you," Ron yawned, "there's more people from other Houses here than there are Gryffindors."

Percy flushed a deeper red as he noticed his youngest brother was correct. Not only were there many Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students hanging out with their friends but Marcus Flint was sitting with Oliver Wood as they bickered about Qudditch.

"Come on Luna, let's leave this prat and go up to my room," Rose said, "I could show you my drawings I've started on the wall."

"Miss Casson!" Percy roared. "Not only do you show disrespect for an elder – but a prefect too! – I shall have words with Professor McGonagall about you! She will be very displeased to hear about you graffiti-ing the girl dormitories!"

Rose ignored him as she talked to Luna about Colin Creevey, a fellow First Year Gryffindor, who was apparently a fellow artist though he only took photos instead of drawing.

"Don't bother Percy," Linny said tiredly, "Daddy has forever been trying to make Rose be polite and he always fails. You should hear some of the things she calls Daddy to his face let alone behind his back."

Both Hermione and Percy looked scandalised that someone could speak so horribly to a parent while Ron and Neville half wished they had Rose's bravery to do something like that and Tom just laughed.

"He's also cleaning her paintings off the wall," Tom chortled, "I don't know why he bothers. Not only are they better than any of his paintings but she just takes it as a challenge and starts a new one."

There was a stony silence amongst the group as Hermione and Percy scowled at Tom and the others decided that maybe they should do their Herbbiology homework and avoid Hermione's wrath.

Tom began to play on his guitar again and eventually he began to sing. "Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty, Hogwarts, meet Permanent Rose please, whether you're old and baldy, or young with scabby knees, she'll bash your heads in and teach you something, you'll have your horizons broadened, she'll make you feel like dead flies and bits of fluff, but hey! She's got a cute smile!"

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

"Miss Casson," Professor Dumbledore said surveying the scowling child over his glasses. "Do you know why you have been brought here?"

"No," Rose growled causing the portraits to mutter darkly.

"Well then, Miss Casson, I must enlighten you," Professor Dumbledore said, "while I do admire your artistic talent I am afraid that it is not looked upon kindly by the fellow staff members. Poor Mr Filch is trying desperately to clean your art work off the walls, the teachers view it as graffiti, and the dear Fat Lady guarding your common room does not enjoy having a moustache inked onto her face."

Rose struggled not to laugh. The recent one had not been her but Tom who disliked the Fat Lady's singing and claimed she should be a male opera singer but she wasn't going to get Tom into trouble. She settled for more scowling. "I like to paint on walls," she said, "some of my best work is on walls and is there any rule against it?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "No there is not but Filch is demanding one and to keep the peace I shall have to make one up. Please let the many paintings and tapestries decorate the halls of Hogwarts while you focus more on your work. The staff's main complaints were about the lack of homework you have been handing in, my dear, is there something you'd like to say?"

"I would like to protest against the," Rose screwed up her face as she tried to remember the word Saffy and Sarah used in their letter to her, "ludicrous amount of homework. Teachers set long essays for every class and act as if we have nothing better to do than the essays. I have five essays to do every night almost. I didn't even know how to write an essay until my sister sent some pointers!"

"My dear girl," Professor Dumbledore said, "I know you are exaggerating the workload and I believe you will handle the work that is given to you if you simply apply yourself. You are a very bright child and I can see many great things ahead for you. As long as you stop tormenting my caretaker Mr Filch might just have a stroke if you continue to draw on the walls."

"Ok, Professor," Rose nodded with no resolve to stop drawing on the walls. She will do a damn good painting when she wants, where she wants, and about anything she wants.

"Now then my dear, I believe Mr Levin is waiting outside for you, and I inquire if I will see you at the Chess Game tonight? I believe Mr Weasley will be competing against Mr Boot?"

"Nah, I find chess boring. Linny is going though. Bye Professor," Rose waved cheerfully at Fawkes, "Bye bird."

Fawkes trilled a goodbye note and Professor Dumbledore said his farewell. Rose skipped down the stairs and cheerfully threw herself into Tom's arms. "No trouble?" he asked.

"Nope," Rose said.

"That's got to be a first, Permanent Rose not in trouble," Tom teased. "I thought we should eat in the kitchens. You've never been in there before and it's best to avoid Filch while we're at it."

She nodded and took the hand he offered her. She let him lead her to somewhere she'd never been before; many Slytherins, Saffy and Sarah, and Daddy would tell her she's too trusting and could end up killed.

But Rose would never let anyone but Tom take her hand and lead her to god knows where.

She would let Tom lead her to hell if he wanted to.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Halloween was not a good experience for Rose.

Rose usually enjoyed trick or treat and then staying tucked up in Sarah's hammock or in Indigo's bed listening to the ghost stories her older siblings, Sarah, David, and Michael had to tell. She would later then have nightmares and Mummy or Sarah's Mum would make her hot chocolate and reassure her. At Hogwarts there is apparently a big feast with lots of sweets and entertainment followed by a Gryffindor slumber party where they tell ghost stories before going to bed.

That. Did. Not. Happen. This. Year.

Instead Rose was forced to go to a Deathday party where there was no food, it was very, very, very cold, terrible music, and no fun games to play. Poor Nearly Headless Nick was ignored even though it was his party and Moaning Myrtle had another screaming fit. Luna enjoyed herself though, she interviewed all the ghosts and plans to write an article on their lives and why they chose to stay in the living world instead of moving on. Hermione was going to help her write it which was nice because the two of them did not get on very well at the beginning. They then left to have some pudding but didn't make it because Linny heard some voices plotting to kill and they ran after him only to find blood on the wall.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS IS OPEN. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE.

If it had not been for this writing Rose would have written to Daddy and tell him that Linny needed to go to the loony bin for hearing voices.

They were soon surrounded by everyone who took one look at the writing on the wall and all turned to glare at her.

"Miss Casson what have we told you about graffiti?" Professor McGonagall shouted.

"I didn't do it!" Rose protested.

The school students began to murmur and glare at the eleven year old girl accusingly.

All hell broke loose when Filch saw his cat stiff as a board. It took ages to calm him down, stop Snape implying that Linny had anything to do with it, shut Lockhart up, and get back to the Tower and tell all the Gryffindors that Rose had nothing to do with it at all.

"What is the Chamber of Secrets anyway?" Rose asked.

"It's Salazar Slytherin's secret chamber." Tom explained as he handed sandwiches and cakes to the four twelve year olds and Rose. "I went to the Fat Friar's Deathday party two years ago and ended up hungry. I thought you lot could use something to eat," he answered their questioning looks, "anyway, Slytherin was supposed to be against muggleborn students joining Hogwarts, most likely because in those days muggles were all for burning witches, and had a huge argument with Gryffindor over it. The legend is Slytherin had a secret chamber where he kept a monster in it to kill all muggles who tried to invade the school. I think in this case with that message it's against the muggleborns."

"How do you know all of this?" Hermione asked.

"Saffy told me, she read it in the Hogwarts A History," Tom shrugged.

"And why does a muggle read that book and not a witch and wizard who are going to Hogwarts?" Hermione glared at Linny and Rose.

They both shrugged and looked as if they couldn't care less. "We're artists," Linny said as if it explained all.

Knowing the Cassons from Ron's, Tom's and Linny's stories and from what she had witnessed in public Hermione can't help but feel that those two words did indeed explain everything.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Hermione, out of fear for her own safety and a small spark of protectiveness for Rose who was also a muggleborn, came up with a plan to question the only suspect the four twelve year olds could come up with.

Draco Malfoy.

Hermione decided on polyjuice potion that she had heard about briefly in class. It would make them look like a Slytherin and then they could question Malfoy without him suspecting it's them. The difficulty was not getting the instructions (they tricked Lockhart who thought they wanted one of his books into signing permission for the restriction section) but the actual ingredients. They would have to steal from Snape's private store rooms and none of the twelve year olds were willing to do it.

Linny especially had refused. Unlike the others who merely feared Snape, Linny had a healthy respect for the potions master, though this respect may have something more to do with the fact that Snape knew where he lived.

Rose ended up doing it.

According to Colin it was an awesome chaotic lesson with fireworks, boils, disgusting body parts and where Snape kicked them all out early with death threats.

While they were brewing the potion several things happened in a chain of events. First was the first game of the qudditch season where Linny was chased round by a rogue bludger and broke his arm in winning the game. To everyone's fury Lockhart vanished the bones out of Linny's arms and Rose felt very smug when she broke Lockhart's foot with her new steel toed boots that Sarah gave her for her birthday.

The next was Colin Creevey being the next victim of the Heir of Slytherin. The little boy had been a fairly good friend of Rose's and admired her for a lot of things. When he saw that she was worried about Linny he snuck out to see if he was ok and to bring him some grapes because that's what you do when someone is ill.

Colin's attack was followed up by the new duelling club run by Lockhart and Snape. Tom complained loudly about Lockhart being involved and stating 'Sev could wipe the floor with you, so what's the point?' needless to say that Tom lost twenty points and was sent out of the room with a lifetime ban to ever join the club. Snape very quietly only in the hearing of Linny and Rose who both had sharp ears awarded Tom with fifty points.

A miracle and major historical event.

The disaster of the duelling club continued as Linny tried desperately to avoid Neville's chaotic magic, Ron had to avoid the fire coming from Seamus' wand (Seamus and Rose had too much in common when it came to explosive magic), Hermione was being held in a headlock by Millicent a fellow Second Year from Slytherin, and Rose was beating the living crap out of Draco Malfoy. Snape thought it best to quickly change the pairings after a few healing spells and put Linny and Draco on stage to do a mock duel. Malfoy summoned a snake who was scared off by Lockhart's attempts to get rid of it and almost attacked Justin if it hadn't been for Linny's ordering it not to.

They all suddenly learned that Linny could talk to snakes and everyone but Linny's friends thought he was the heir of Slytherin and therefore attacking everyone.

The Hufflepuffs began leading a campaign against him.

They refused to listen to the fact the snake left Justin alone after Linny hissed at it, or the fact that he is a muggleborn to (well...actually...no he wasn't but they didn't know that!), and it really didn't help that Linny was found at the site of another attack. A double attack. One of the victims being Justin.

The Hufflepuffs were rather successful in their anti-Lincoln Casson campaign. What the Hufflepuffs did not expect was Rose leading a campaign against them and to be just as successful as they were.

After reading over a hundred medical reports where Hufflepuffs have suffered bruising, fractured/broken bones, or burns, or even all three of them, Dumbledore decided it was best to suspend the Casson siblings.

Rose simply because she was causing far too much trouble and Harry for his own protection.

Bill agreed and came over through the Floo system (Dumbledore decided it was a safe and faster way of travelling and communication between the muggle and magical world for the Cassons and had it placed in September) to pick up his two youngest.

"I don't know why I'm the one being expelled," Rose scowled, "those meanies in Hufflepuff have been saying loads of horrible things and a few big ones tried to put Linny's head down the toilet like the bullies in Indy's school."

"And they have been punished, Miss Casson," Professor McGonagall said sternly. She looked mildly pleased to see Rose go, the past month had not been kind to her due to the lack of sleep, the increase in students that were in need of reassuring or telling off, and Lockhart just in general. She had gone greyer, more wrinkled, and exhausted all over. "There was no need to resort to violence like you did. You are suspended which means you will be coming back after Christmas so I would stop sulking and enjoy the time away from us teachers because you will be spending a lot of quality time with us in detention in the New Year."

"People are going to think that I'm the heir of Slytherin still," Linny said worriedly as he dragged the magically lightened trunks through the hallways.

"If there is an attack while you are gone they will no longer think it is you. If there is no attack, which we all having our hopes on, then rest your mind Mr Casson because I shall keep a stern eye on those bullying you and make them suffer my displeasure."

Professor McGonagall was surprised by the sudden movement of her two students. One moment they were sulking and walking besides her and the next they were beaming and hugging her tightly. Students rarely show affection to a teacher and the most one sees from a student in during graduation. Professor McGonagall really could not understand how these two could be so affectionate.

Especially when she saw the restrained and repressed Bill Casson who merely lectured Rose and herded both of the children into the fireplace to return to the Banana House.

The mother, McGonagall decided, must be some sort of saint filled with love and affection.

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