Jupiter | Harry James Potter

lxxiii ; not strong enough

"I don't know why I am the way I am... not strong enough to be your man. I tried, I can't stop staring at the ceiling fan and spinning out about things that haven't happened."

-

   "What were you thinking?" Harry snapped as the bell rang and they hurriedly left the classroom. Ron and Hermione followed behind them, making sure to keep their distance from the pair.

"You're one to talk!" Jupiter argued back, pushing open the heavy door to the filling corridor. "You couldn't control your mouth!"

Harry grabbed Jupiter's arm as they stepped into the crowded corridor, pulling her to the side where they could speak without being overheard. His eyes were blazing with anger, but there was something else there too—worry, fear.

"And you could?" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down but failing. "Do you want another detention with her? You already know what she's like!"

Jupiter yanked her arm free, glaring at him. "I couldn't just sit there again and let her treat you like that! She's a monster, Harry! Someone else has to stand up to her!"

Harry's face contorted with frustration. "And that someone doesn't have to be you! You know what she did to you last time. I don't want you going through that again."

"Then don't get yourself in detention!" Jupiter shot back, her voice cracking slightly. "You know she's just waiting for any excuse to punish you. And if you keep pushing her, you're only going to make it worse for yourself."

Ron and Hermione hovered a few steps away, exchanging uneasy glances. Hermione looked like she wanted to intervene, but Ron shook his head slightly, signaling her to stay back. This was between Harry and Jupiter.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, his anger starting to give way to something more desperate. "I don't care what happens to me, Jupiter. But you—" He trailed off, his voice thick with emotion. "You don't deserve this. None of us do, but you're just making yourself a target."

Jupiter's anger wavered at the sight of his distress. She knew Harry was only trying to protect her, just like he always did. But the thought of backing down again, of letting Umbridge win, was too much to bear. "I can't just do nothing, Harry," she said, her voice softer now. "I already did it once, and I punish myself everyday for it. We can't just let her bully us into silence anymore."

Harry stared at her, his expression a mix of exasperation and helplessness. He knew she was right—Umbridge's reign of terror wasn't something they could ignore. But the thought of Jupiter suffering another detention, enduring more of Umbridge's sadistic punishments, was almost unbearable.

"Just... be careful, okay?" he finally said, his voice strained. "Please."

Jupiter's anger melted away, leaving only a deep, aching resolve. She nodded, her gaze steady. "I will. But I won't let her scare me into silence. Not again."

Harry didn't look entirely convinced, but he nodded back, his hand twitching as if he wanted to reach out to her but didn't know how.

-

That evening, Harry and Jupiter trudged down the dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts, her stomach a knot of dread. This wasn't her first time heading to Umbridge's office for detention, but that didn't make it any easier. She knew what awaited her behind that door, and it took every ounce of her resolve not to turn around and run back to the Gryffindor common room.

Reaching Umbridge's office, she hesitated for a moment before knocking. The door opened almost immediately, revealing Professor Umbridge's saccharine smile that sent a shiver down Jupiter's spine.