"𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙮"
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IN WHICH ~ Jupiter Cassiopeia Lestrange thought she could escape her family's dark legacy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but in her second year, Tom Riddle's diar...
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"I have traveled through madness to find me."
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September 1st, 1993
Jupiter shot upright in bed, her chest heaving as she gasped for air. Her brown hair clung to her damp forehead, and her skin felt clammy under the weight of her cold sweat. She pressed a trembling hand to her chest, willing her heart to slow its frantic rhythm.
"Jo, are you alright?" Harry's voice cut through the fog in her mind. She snapped her head toward the sound, startled to see him standing at the foot of her bed, his green eyes wide with concern.
She flinched, instinctively pulling her blanket tighter around her. "What are you doing in here?" she demanded, her voice trembling as she struggled to steady her breathing.
Harry hesitated before stepping closer, his movements careful, like he was afraid she might bolt. He perched on the edge of her bed, his expression soft yet intense. "I came to wake you up," he said quietly. "But you were... you looked like you were having a nightmare."
"Great observation," Jupiter muttered, though her tone lacked its usual bite. Her hands trembled slightly as she pushed her hair back from her forehead. "This nightmare was different," she admitted after a pause, her voice quieter now. "It was Riddle. He was talking to Dumbledore... they'd just found Myrtle's body. And he was on his way to—"
"Frame Hagrid," Harry finished for her, his tone steady.
Her eyes widened as she stared at him. "Yes! How'd you know?"
Harry glanced away, his jaw tightening slightly. A flicker of reluctance crossed his face before he finally spoke. "He showed it to me too," he admitted. "When I found the diary after you flushed it. But it wasn't from his perspective—I was just... watching it happen."
Jupiter's expression faltered, guilt flashing in her dark eyes. She tugged her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly. "Did I ever apologize?" she asked, her voice soft. "For the diary, I mean?"
Harry shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he reached out to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. His fingers lingered longer than necessary, and Jupiter felt the warmth rising in her cheeks. "You did," he said gently. "Right when you woke up. But you didn't have to. It wasn't your fault."
She ducked her head, letting her hair fall over her face like a curtain. "No, it was. When I found it in my trunk... Riddle didn't make me write in it. That was all me." Her voice cracked slightly, and she bit her lip. "I should've told you it was me before... before I got taken. Maybe then you wouldn't have had to save me."
"Hey." Harry's voice was firmer now, and his hand rested on her arm, grounding her. "I would've gotten you out anyway. You're my best friend, Jo."
Jupiter glanced up at him, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face. "Why do you call me that?" she asked. Her voice was quiet, almost tentative.
