"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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"It's about who stands in the rain with you when you have a choice to be dry."
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"Hagrid!" Hermione shouted, pounding insistently on the wooden door of his cabin. "Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being—"
The door creaked open. Hermione drew a quick breath, ready to continue, but stopped dead mid-sentence. "About t—!" she blurted, only to fall silent as she found herself staring, not at Hagrid, but at the familiar, calm face of Albus Dumbledore.
"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly, looking down at them with a slight, knowing smile.
"Er— we wanted to see Hagrid," Hermione stammered, her voice much smaller now.
"Yes, I surmised as much," Dumbledore replied, his blue eyes twinkling warmly. "Why don't you come in?"
"Oh... um... okay," Hermione mumbled.
She, Jupiter, Ron, and Harry stepped inside. Fang, Hagrid's massive boarhound, immediately launched himself at Harry, barking joyously and trying to lick his face. Harry struggled to fend Fang off, casting an exasperated look at Jupiter, who was doubled over in laughter, making no move to help him.
Amid the barking and commotion, the group glanced around the cabin. Hagrid sat slumped at his table, his broad shoulders drooping. He looked worse than any of them had ever seen him—his eyes were swollen and red, his face blotchy, and his hair was a wild, wiry mess that looked as though it hadn't seen a brush in days.
"Hi, Hagrid," Harry said, his voice gentle.
Hagrid lifted his head, giving them a weary, hoarse "'Lo."
"More tea, I think," said Dumbledore, closing the door behind them. He flicked his wand, and with a gentle hum, a tea tray appeared in midair, spinning slightly as it floated down to the table. It was accompanied by a plate of cakes that smelled faintly of cinnamon.
As everyone took a seat, Dumbledore gestured toward the steaming mugs and asked, "Did you, by any chance, hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?"
Hermione flushed pink, but Dumbledore's smile was warm and encouraging. He continued, "Hermione, Harry, Jupiter, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."
"Of course we still want to know you!" Harry said, turning to Hagrid, his eyes fierce. "You don't think anything that Skeeter cow—sorry, Professor," he added quickly, glancing sheepishly at Dumbledore.
"I have gone temporarily deaf and have no idea what you just said, Harry," Dumbledore said, folding his hands together and gazing at the ceiling in feigned distraction.
