Explanation:

Ling belongs to me.
Lacci calls Ling Princess Babaloo.
The Hall of Shadow belongs to me.
Here's a description: Shady and creepy, this room has shadows upon shadows. You wouldn't do well to watch the shadows, because they mimic you, show you what you fear most. Many a student has gone to the hospital ward, frozen with horror, because they strayed into this room.

Now, onto the fic! :D
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In the Great Hall, Jupiter had heard rumors of a new hall in Hogwarts, that had just turned up in the building. It was called the Hall of Shadow, and it was supposed to be very dangerous. Nonsense, Jupiter thought, Why would something dangerous be in the Hall of Shadow?

Jupiter wandered into the Hall of Shadow. She had to see what was so popular about this room. She just had to know. The logical part of her brain (i.e. - the largely ignored part) was screaming at her about how it was a stupid choice, but she was too curious.

She opened the door and walked in. There were shadows on the walls, which were very solid. There was a bonfire in the corner, with someone seated by it. The logical part of Jupiter's brain was going nuts. She glanced back at the door, expecting it to be gone. It wasn't. She walked over to it, expecting it to be locked. It wasn't. She opened the door and looked out into the halls of Hogwarts. Something was wrong. Everyone else had told of the door being gone, or locked.

She shut the door again and turned around. The bonfire was still burning. She walked towards the cowled figure huddled by it.

"Go away girl, because I won't tell you again. You aren't supposed to be here. You are a Slytherin, and your parents were very important to me, so I let you go now. But if you do not turn around now, I will kill you."

Jupiter was confused and afraid. The last thing she wanted to do was turn her back on the stranger, but she did anyway. On the wall she was now facing, there was a mirror. It showed no reflection of the bonfire. Jupiter whirled around, and the fire and figure had gone. She turned back to the mirror and looked into it. She could have sworn she saw a shadow detach itself from the wall and move towards her, but when she turned around to look at it, the moving figures were 2-dimensional and only slightly creepy.

She turned back to the mirror and standing in it was the most hideously deformed human being she'd ever seen in her life. It was glaring at her through malformed eyes and holding a cleaver. She screamed and ran for the door, but the floor below her became thousands of razors, slicing open her suddenly bare feet. Jupiter screamed in agony and utter horror. She tried to run, but fell on her ands on the razors. Her fingers were sliced open, as were her feet. Muscle tissue and blood was everywhere as the razors slid across her feet and hands of their own will.

She ran for the door on slashed feet and threw it open.

She burst out into the halls of Hogwarts, tears streaming down her agonized face. She ran to the hospital ward, but it was closed and locked.

Crying and limping, she walked down to Snape's office, begging for him to be there. He was. He opened his office door and looked at her. His face was gaunt and paled more so than usual. He did not speak to her, merely looked through her. Jupiter screamed at him for bandages, for comfort, but he looked through her as if she weren't there. She noticed his sleeves were ripped, and his wrists were slashed. His dark mark was also a striking black.

Horrified and on the verge of insanity with pain in her lame and useless feet, she screamed at him to acknowledge her, why wasn't he speaking to her?

A breath Jupiter had heard before, from the figure at the bonfire, came from within the office, and a white hand clasped Severus's shoulder. Snape turned slowly to face the cowled figure with a helpless, miserable expression. But there was no cowl now. Jupiter was looking straight into the face of Voldemort.

The dark lord looked into the girl's eyes and placed his hand on her forehead. Her vision began to spin and her eyes unfocused. She fainted from the pain and the fear.

When she next woke, she was in the hallway.

Jupiter came abruptly to consciousness outside the Hall of Shadows with a scream.

Her feet were torn asunder, and bleeding profusely, as were her hands, from when she had fallen on the razors.

"HELP ME!" she screamed, "Oh god, help me, somebody!" she screamed, tears running down her cheeks in rivers. She was writhing on the ground in pain from her severed feet and hands.

Her mind was still burning from her hallucination, she didn't know if it was a hallucination...Her head was spinning with blood loss and fear.

"Jupiterjupiterjupiterjupiterjupiterjupiterjupiter!" Lacci whispered to herself quickly, running down the hall. She had seen this one coming. She hugged her twin. "What happened? Can you move? What do I do?"

"Hospital wing!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Oh god, kill me!" she cried, "Get Severus! Something!" she screamed, rolling over onto her bleeding hands. He vision was going again, and she passed out.

Lacci jumped up and ran to Snape's office to alert him.

Within moments, Severus ran down the hall in a haze. He didn't care if he didn't know where he was going, he would find her. No matter what. His eyes darted frantically back and forth searching for any sign of Jupiter.

"Don't let her die, God, if you are up there, don't let her die," He whispered harshly, as he picked up his pace further. He could barely see where he was going, everything seemed so dark and frantic. He wouldn't know what to do if something happened to her, if she died. God, what would be the point to life if thus was so?

He could feel cold sweat streaming down his brow and into his eyes. He frantically wiped it away, attempting to clear his clouded vision. And then he saw her. Laying motionless in the hall. He was there within seconds, kneeling by her side. He scooped her instantly into his arms, checking hastily for a pulse. It was faint but it was there.

He stood and glanced around, he had to get to the hospital ward immediately. God damn Dumbledore for not allowing Apparating. He had to run now, and fast. He glanced down a hall hand started at a sprint. He would deal with the most important aspect first, and come back and skin the person that did this to her.

Snape burst open the door to the ward, entering hastily.

"Madam Pomfrey, God Dammit where are you?!" He bellowed, as he gently placed Jupiter on a unoccupied bed, her crimson blood staining the pure white sheets upon contact. He hadn't noticed how violently he had been shaking, until he glanced down at his hands. He was as translucent as a ghost, as he leaned weakly against the wall.

Madam Pomfrey came rushing into the room. Shooting him a worried glance. Severus merely urged her to continue with a nod. Oh God, let her be all right.

Jupiter's eyelids flickered as she was bandaged and had her appendages tended to, but she didn't wake.

Pain, loss, fear. She could smell the blood, the fear...she opened her mouth and screamed at the top of her lungs...her head was not fine...not fine...PAIN...he had been there, he had let her go...he had...he head...he hurt Severus...it was all over and...

Jupiter twitched once or twice, and whimpered unconsciously.

Severus stared blankly at the bed. He felt numb, the air had grown unmistakably colder. Something was not right. This girl shouldn't be laying near death upon the bed. Not here. He released a labored sigh and rubbed his temples methodically. This was too much for him, just watching her lay there groaning from the pain.

"You may leave Severus, thank you," Madam Pomfrey interjected into his thoughts. Severus glanced up, his eyes had grown blood-shot. She came over, placing a hand to his forehead.

"Severus, you aren't well," She stated worriedly, leading him out of the room. Snape stopped before they left the confines of the room.

"Forget about me, take care of her. I'll wait out here," He said shakily, leaving Madam Pomfrey alone in the room with Jupiter. He stepped into the waiting room, falling into one of the chairs. His hands instantly covered his face, as he sat waiting.

chasm...falling...must escape...struggling to the surface...can't breath...let go of me...let go...kicking...breaking surface...

Jupiter awoke with a blood curdling shriek.

"SEVERUS!!"

In her mind was burned the image of Snape's bloodied wrists, his dark mark almost glowing. The pathetic look on his face, the broken look, showing he'd given up a struggle that had gone on for years.

Madam Pomfrey ripped the door open, shooting a terrified gaze at Severus. He was already standing preparing to enter. He hurried in, and Madam Pomfrey gently closed the door behind him.

He sat down on a chair positioned beside the bed, gently grabbing hold of her hand. It was cold and clammy. He shushed her and managed to get her to lean back to her pillow.

"It's all right, my dear. I'm here," He whispered quietly, as he gently stroked her hair. Fear reflected from her eyes into his. He was terrified as well, what had done this to her? More importantly, was she going to be okay?

As Severus rushed into the room, Madam Pomfrey left.

Snape took one of Jupiter's useless hands in his. She could barely feel his warm touch on her cold skin, all she could feel was pain. He coaxed her into lying down again, and told her it was all right. But Jupiter didn't feel all right. She was in hysterics. She sat up again, too quickly. She fell to the opposite side of her bed and retched into a dustbin beside it.

Then she straightened up again. Her head was spinning because of all the blood she had lost. She looked at Snape with frightened eyes. She hugged him around his neck, regardless of how much it hurt to do so.

"Oh, god! Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god..." she cried into Severus's shoulder, shaking horrifically. Her hand and feet still stung with the pain of the metal. She could barely move them, the skin was in tatters.

What she had seen in the Hall of Shadows had left her more afraid than she'd ever been. The idea of Voldemort coming back, and then going after Snape...Pushing him until he broke. The sight of what Severus had done to himself out of misery had Jupiter crying twice as hard.

She grabbed Snape's arm as best as she could and pulled up his sleeve. His skin was whole, there was no blood.

Jupiter sobbed in relief, and threw her arms around Snape's neck.

"Oh god, I was so scared...Please tell me you're all right! I was so so scared...I saw...Voldemort had found you, he found you and broke you...you were all but dead..."

Snape froze in place, frightened to hug the girl back in fear of harming her further. She was speaking of insane things. Voldemort gaining access into Hogwarts, it was unspeakable. He knew Voldemort would be the end of him eventually, it was his curse. Yet, if he came even a step near Jupiter, he would lose it.

He slowly raised a hand, tenderly caressing her raven locks. He despised losing control of situations. He didn't know what was wrong, so he couldn't help her. He wanted to soothe her pain and dry her tears. Yet, it was all out of his power. He felt trapped. His ebony eyes darted fretfully about the room, searching for an answer. Any response to the raving madness that drifted about them. The cold whitewashed walls merely glared blankly back at him defiantly; mocking his turmoil.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me…" He said slowly, attempting to soothe her upset. He hadn't realized, but there was something glowing a deep onyx on his arm. A skull grinning maliciously, alarming the world that something was going to happen. Something unspeakable…

Jupiter seemed to be calming down a bit, though she was still trembling violently. She looked into Snape's unhappy face.

"Severus, listen to me," she whispered, her voice was shaking as much as her body was, "Be careful...I really don't know if what I saw in there was a hallucination, or real, or what...but if it was real, you have to watch out for yourself. I want to see you at least once every day," she laughed, "Well, I want to see you every minute of every day, but I absolutely have to see you at least once. And Severus, I want you to always remember how much I love you..." tears were welling in Jupiter's eyes again, "And if there ever comes a time where you don't feel like you can be strong anymore, remember me, and don't give up. Don't ever give up..."

Jupiter's head was beginning to spin violently, and she pressed her forehead against Snape's shoulder, hoping to steady herself.

Severus smiled weakly, attempting to agree to her desperate request. He would concede, of course, seeing Jupiter everyday wasn't a thing he would have to force himself to do. Yet, there was something that he could shake off.

"What did this to you?" Severus asked quietly, attempting to stay calm as he spoke the words. Whatever had done this, if it be human, didn't deserve to be called so. She was like a tattered rag doll, battered about by some unknown creature. It would be a very dead creature when he was through with it.

Jupiter felt extremely foolish.

"I...I went into the Hall of Shadows. It was stupid, I know, please don't yell at me. I knew better, but I went anyway. I didn't know it...I just knew it was scary. Some girl in the Great Hall told me about it, and I wanted to see what was so interesting about it..." Jupiter's face flushed with shame. She had brought this on herself...How stupid could she be??

She what…? His weak smile faded instantly, his mood taking a turn for the worst. What the hell did she think she was doing? Stories about the horrors of that cursed hall circulated the school, but, no, everyone had to take a peek. Severus, as cruel as it was, pulled away and merely looked at her. Disdain reflected freely in his black eyes, as he glanced her over. She looked like a discarded child, her voluminous raven hair in shambles, and blood seeping through her bandages. Yet, he couldn't force himself to pull her into his arms. What she had done was foolish, what if Voldemort really was in the Hall? She could have been killed, all for a look-see.

"Ah, I see…" He murmured softly, standing from his seat and walking toward a window. It was dark outside, the stars glittered like diamonds on a thick ebony velvet cloak. Yet, he found little consolation in them now. A few hours before everything had seemed so right, but, now it turned a complete 360 and reverted to its normal hell.

"You could have died," Snape whispered, glancing at her askance. A indescribable emotion shining in his dark eyes. He brought a gaunt hand toward the curtain, feeling the feeble material mold beneath his fingers. He didn't know how he felt. He was angry, sad, frightened, and a million other emotions all in one. He sighed quietly, and glanced sideways once more.

"I don't know what to think, Jupiter. Curiosity is strange emotion, understandable, yet deadly, as well. I would have thought you would have used better judgment, The Hall of Shadow is not a plaything," He knew she knew this, yet it was the most he could say without yelling at her. Telling her how stupid she was, or how much she would have hurt him if things had been worse.

"I know, I...know," Jupiter hated this. She hated herself for her curiosity. She hated him for punishing her when she was all ready punishing herself. She hated having him upset at her. She curled up and hugged her knees in shame. She knew her face must be bright red...How could she have done something so...stupid?

She poked her foot experimentally, to see if she could stand, and drew a quick breath through her teeth. It still hurt.

"I'm sorry, Severus...I didn't know it was so dangerous, Karen Peasley told me it was an interesting experience, but she never said I could be hurt. You know I'd never want to worry you like this on purpose..."

He closed his eyes and glanced down at the floor. Why was he acting cruelly? This girl had been punished enough, he didn't need to admonish her for something she knew nothing about.

He approached Jupiter, and laid a gentle hand on her thigh. He groaned quietly as a soft pain swept up his forearm. He glanced down, he couldn't remember harming himself. He absently placed a hand toward the pained spot, feeling his warm skin beneath his cloak. His eyes widened, and quickly removed his hand. She hadn't been hallucinating, there was something going in that hall. But he would have to deal with that later, he couldn't tell Jupiter. Couldn't have her worrying after him.

"I know you meant no harm, my dear. Don't worry about it now, you need your rest,"

Jupiter sighed and rubbed her cheek, smearing blood on it.

"I'm really not tired..." she said, but then corrected herself, "Or rather, I'm exhausted but I don't want to stay here. Especially not alone..."

Severus offered her a small smile, as he leaned back in the chair. Showing her, without words, that he didn't plan on leaving anytime soon.

"Please, don't allow me to keep you from your sleep," Snape stated, quietly as he gazed at her with intent eyes, motioning for her to rest. It was the best thing for her now. She wouldn't heal her wounds by sitting up all night.

Lacci knocked on the door. Then she shoved it open and ran to Jupiter and Snape.

"Jupiterjupiterjupiterjupiterjupiter!!"

Lacci brushed past Snape and leaned down by Jupiter.

"Jupiter, what do I do now? Are you ok? When will you oh hi Snape, be better?" Lacci asked this all very quickly, noticing for a moment that Snape was in the room.

Jupiter was mentally swept away by her chattering sister, but recovered quickly. She was used to it. She and her sister were a lot alike, only Jupiter chose to be sane while Lacci didn't.

"Hi Lacci. Yes, I'm fine, I'm all right...I don't know when I'll be better, but the charms on my hands and feet are working very slowly. Apparently there's some sort of anti-charm hex on the hall of shadow or something..." Jupiter yawned, "And I'm very tired but I'm not sure I want to sleep. I'm afraid of what I might dream of," Jupiter's mind darted back to the picture of Snape's arms, but forced herself to think of other things.

"Ooooh." Lacci quieted down a bit.

"I saw Hogwart by the labyrinth," she said conversationally. She figured as long as Jupiter could answer all of her questions that quickly, there was no real reason to panic.

Manx burst into the room

"Jupiter!" he shouted, but then quieted down when she flinched, "Oh god am I an idiot...I was talking to Gwen about you and Snape, and that Elskling girl heard!! She knows, and god, she's dangerous, Jupiter...got a fire in her eyes I've never seen before! She threatened Gwen, too, this is serious...Oh, hello Lacci," Manx was beginning to notice the blue and green eyed girl focusing her strange orbs on him and trailed off.

"Ling knows about Snape and Jupiter?" Lacci asked, looking at Manx. She could have sworn he hadn't been there a second ago.

Severus's eyes went blank. Could this day get any worse? He heaved a deep sigh and arose from his seat, turning his back to the group. He felt a strange wave of anger sweep through his body, an anger strong enough to kill with. His breath quickened and he quickly placed a hand to his forehead. He felt completely helpless to the raging emotions surging through his veins. He had to get out of the cramped room and dismal air.

"Look after her," He growled quietly, as he quickly exited the room. He needed fresh air to clear his flooded mind. Within moments of exiting the room, his raving rage ebbed and he could breath a little more easily. He walked slowly down the hallway, he would retreat to the Gardens, perhaps. A few moments of peace was what he needed.

Manx, who hadn't even noticed Snape was in the room, felt a sinking feeling. This was worsened when he saw Jupiter's face. He really should learn not to burst into rooms talking like that unless he KNEW who was in there.

"Oh gosh, Jupiter, I'm sorry..."

Manx started to apologize, but Jupiter silenced him with a bandaged hand.

"It's all right, don't apologize, you didn't know," she whispered, and lay down. She shut her eyes and screwed up her face. She was stressed.

"Cover your ears," she said, and screamed at the absolute top of her lungs. Afterwards, she felt very relieved and also a lot more tired. The adrenaline that was keeping her awake was slowly ebbing.

"Forgive my lack of consciousness..." she said, and rolled over onto her side to sleep. Just before she drifted off, she noticed Manx sitting down in Snape's previous seat and putting his arm on her shoulder. Then she slept.

Lacci, who hadn't covered her ears, fell over and onto the floor. She stood up and straightened herself. "I think you can handle this, Manx," she said, looking down at her sleeping twin. For some reason her feet itched. "I'm going to go look at the other patients now," Lacci wandered off.

Manx looked at Jupiter's recumbent figure. The blood from her hands and feet was seeping through her sheets now.

"God, what a day," Manx sighed heavily.

Several hours later, Jupiter woke up. Manx was asleep in the chair next to her, with his head on her arm.

Jupiter removed her arm from underneath his head without him awakening, and stood up unsteadily. It still hurt to stand, but she could do it. She did not want to stay in that stupid hospital bed anymore.

She took a few experimental steps, wincing, but then set her jaw in determination and walked out of the Hospital Ward.

Jupiter limped out into the hallway outside the hospital wing. She was tired of sitting in a bed in the hospital. Hospitals always made Jupiter think of death, and that was the last thing she wanted to think about right now. She spied someone at the end of the hallway walking quickly toward her.

Ling spied Jupiter outside the Hospital wing, still bandaged. Stupid girl... she thought, and made a point of stepping on Jupiter's foot as she walked past. Then she heard Jupiter collapse with a scream. Ling was not a light girl.

Ling turned about, grabbed Jupiter's bandaged hands and pulled her upright violently. Jupiter screamed again, and there were tears in her eyes.

"Oh, terribly sorry, Jupiter," she said in a tone which indicated that she wasn't the least bit sorry, "You should watch where you're going."

Ling turned away from her at this accusing remark, and walked off quickly, deciding she could blackmail her about Snape later. Perhaps she could even blackmail Snape himself. Ooh, what a treat.

Jupiter stood on aching feet. Ling's stepping on her foot, and the squashing of her hands had broken open a lot of the scabs that had formed, and her bandages were almost completely red now. But she still didn't want to go back into the hospital wing. She kept walking...Perhaps she should go outside. Yes, that seemed like a good idea. She headed for the door to the courtyard.

Lacci spotted Jupiter, and followed her curiously. She didn't do anything, though. She hadn't seen Ling do anything to Jupiter, as she had just arrived, and figured Jupiter must be well enough to walk.

***

Jupiter stepped out onto the grass. "Oh, it's just so much nicer out here than in that hospital room!" she said happily.

She stretched her arms and just started walking. After a while she flopped down onto the grass, letting the smell of the grass overpower the stinging in her feet and hands.

Lacci followed Jupiter out to the courtyard. "Hallo," she said, flopping down next to her sister.

"Hello, Lacci," Jupiter said shortly, breathing deeply and scratching her nose.

Lacci was silent for a moment.

"Jupiter? ...You are going to be ok, right?"

"Well I don't think I'm dead yet. I don't think. Anyway, I don't know...What I saw in the hall was really scary, and I'm not talking about when Ling stepped on my foot," she laughed a little, but she was still furious at Ling, and shaken by the Hall of Shadow, and worried about Snape.

Lacci's eyes widened. "Princess Babaloo stepped on your foot?! How will you ever get better if she keeps getting worse?!"

Jupiter shrugged. She showed Lacci the fresh blood on her bandages.

"I fell down when she stepped on my foot, so she grabbed my hands and pulled me up," Jupiter sighed.

Lacci flinched. She had felt her feet and hands aching earlier.

"You're going to be better before the ball, right? You have to be better by then. Or else Severus will be sad. I don't want Severus to be sad."

For the first time in about six hours, Jupiter winced emotionally.

"I don't want him to be sad either," she said, her voice full of emotion.

Lacci pulled an umbrella out of somewhere and began gnawing on the handle.

"....Jupiter?" Lacci formed a thought in her mind. "Why... why did you go into the Hall of Shadows? You aren't depressed, are you?"

Lacci was somehow attached to Jupiter, and could sense her pain and emotions. She didn't know what depression was like, so she didn't know whether Jupiter was in it or not. But Lacci had heard it was a bad thing.

"Well I wasn't then," she said slowly, "But I kind of am now. Severus is upset about something. You saw him leave...I wonder where he is and what's wrong," Jupiter thought out loud.

"Why don't you go talk to him?" Lacci suggested, always the first to point out the most simple solution.

"He probably wants to be left alone..." Jupiter said, and looked up into the sky.

Lacci followed her gaze. Then she threw herself at the ground as a maniac bludger went by.

"MISSED ME AGAIN!!" She yelled to it happily, getting out her bat just in case. That bludger had gotten loose a while ago, and it didn't seem to like Lacci much.

Jupiter shut her eyes and put her hand on her bare stomach.

"Sorry if I don't talk, I don't know what to say."

"That's ok, neither do I," Lacci laid back into the grass. She fell asleep.

After a time, Lacci got up. Jupiter was still there. She went to go find Snape, just because it seemed like a fun thing to do. It would probably make Jupiter happy.