Ethereal Catastrophe | Tom Riddle

chapter seven

Asteria picked the side of her thumb like it was a stubborn sticker. The pieces of dead skin falling off like confetti at a party.

But this was no party.

Her nail dug into the skin, forcing stygian to rush to the surface. Dripping down her hand like an ink spill. The abnormal colour painting her hand with its obscurity. The sticky liquid creating cobwebs as she twined it between her fingers, feeling the un-blood-like texture. 

Five minutes later she would repeat the process, to monitor if claret was running through her veins or if it was still onyx. The darkness was reciprocal under her eyes, speckles of black powder padded beneath them from sleepless nights in her common room trying to figure out what exactly was happening to her. The breakfasts, lunches and dinners she would miss just so she would learn about her new... talent? That was the thing. She didn't know whether this was a blessing or a curse. Whether she would drop dead in an hour because someone decided to put a curse on her. Or maybe it was a blessing, maybe the universe gifted her the ability to see visions because that's the potential it sees in her. That she will be that powerful. 

It had been a month since her first vision in the secret room with Tom, she had not had one since nor had she spoke to him. She had seen him in lessons of course. And she still sat with him in potions but there was no need to talk to him. Her mind was elsewhere. She hadn't even thought about finding out what group Tom was leading or the mystery of what happened to Tia Patil. 

In this current moment, it didn't matter. What did matter is finding out why she had a vision and why her blood had turned black. Plus, still attaining sufficient grades in her classes. There was no time for sleep- there wasn't even enough time in a day.

Abraxas had expressed his concerns for her health but she quickly dismissed him as she tried to read more about 'The History of Seers' or 'How to interpret visions'. He would sit in her room and study whilst she read and read and read. Bringing her food during meal times so she didn't starve- making sure she was eating and drinking at least something. Abraxas knew she had trouble with her eating. He knew that it was probably down to her mother's influence and due to that she had something ingrained that made her forget to eat or watch what she eats, making sure not to eat too much of it fear it would make her ugly. When that's simply not true.

She seemed to still be on good terms with Walburga, speaking as if nothing had happened because, for all Walburga knew, Asteria didn't suspect that she knew about the truth serums. However, she did notice the comments in Druellas mind that weren't too kind, whenever that occurred Asteria just smiled. 

After she left Tom's grasp, she ran to the owlery and wrote her house-elves a letter that told them to send her the books in her library about visions and to not tell her parents. With reluctance, they agreed to send her ten books a week so it wasn't suspicious. 

She put the memory of the vision in a pensive and analysed every detail within it. She had found out that the diadem she was holding belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw and enhanced the wearer's wisdom and intelligence. Her daughter, Helena, had stolen it out of jealousy for always being in her mother's shadow and fleed to Albania. Rowena, heartbroken, sent Helenas one true love to find her. When he found her, Helena refused to follow him back to Hogwarts and in a fit of rage, he killed her and then killed himself after, ashamed of what he had done. Asteria didn't know why she needed such an object. Sure, it had history. And yes, it proved her point that love is a lethal curse. And of course, the object was striking. But why?

She also studied the volumes within the Hogwarts library and Ravenclaws vast bookshelves, picking out titles that piqued her concerns. But, none had any sufficient information and as her library slowly decreased she decided to turn to what she knew how to do well.