"𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙞 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙚."
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IN WHICH ~ Jupiter Lestrange battles the haunting grip of Tom Riddle's malevolent diary as she unravels long-buried truths about her family, herself, and her growing feelings...
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"You will rise from the ashes, but the burning comes first."
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"Sorry about the bite," Sirius said to Ron as they trudged down the tunnel, shadows flickering from their wands.
"A bite?" Ron scoffed, hobbling in front of them with his splinted leg. "A bite? You nearly tore my leg off!"
"I was aiming for the rat, I swear," Sirius replied, sounding almost sheepish. "Normally, I'm a rather sweet dog. James even suggested I stay that way for good once or twice. The tail, I could handle. But the fleas..." He looked at Harry and Jupiter with a faint, mischievous smile. "They're murder."
Harry and Jupiter exchanged a glance, barely able to hold back their grins as they ducked beneath a low tree root. Sirius Black, the man they'd seen in haunting newspaper photos and chased down in the Shrieking Shack, had a sense of humor?
The sound of Sirius's voice felt strangely comforting to Jupiter, even in this dark, damp tunnel. Hearing him talk with that wry humor made her feel... safe. There was something oddly familiar about him, something that stirred old, half-buried memories deep within her.
"You know what this means?" Sirius asked, his voice echoing as they moved forward. "Turning Pettigrew in?"
Harry glanced up, his voice full of hope. "You're free."
"Yes..." Sirius murmured, almost as if the reality hadn't quite set in. Then he looked at Jupiter, his voice softening. "Jupiter, I'm not sure if you know..."
"I know," she said quickly, nodding to reassure him, though he probably couldn't see her face in the dim light.
"I just wanted to say I'm truly sorry. Not just for having to leave you, but... for who you were left with." Sirius's voice grew heavy. "Moony tried to take you after... well, after everything, but the Ministry decided a werewolf couldn't raise a child alone. I heard that my friend, Mary Macdonald, tried to get you and Harry both, but... she didn't have enough relation to either of you, I suppose."
"It's not your fault," Jupiter sighed, her gaze falling to the dirt beneath her feet. "I know that now."
"I beg to differ," Sirius muttered, guilt thick in his voice. "I convinced Lily and James to make Peter their Secret Keeper. I thought Voldemort would never suspect him."
"You were just trying to keep them safe," Harry reasoned, looking up at Sirius with empathy.
Sirius managed a small, bittersweet smile. "You're just like your father, Harry. Always seeing the good in things." Harry straightened a little, and his mouth quirked in a proud smile.
