THURSDAY 26th SEPTEMBER - 9PM
The air in the dimly lit room was thick with tension as everyone's eyes fixated on Astoria's exposed arm. Daphne's grip on her sister's arm was firm, and her voice carried a mix of concern and frustration.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, yanking down Astoria's sleeve. "Have you completely lost your mind?!"
"It's too late, Daphne. They've all seen it," Astoria retorted, her gaze filled with a mixture of defiance and sadness.
Pansy, her eyes brimming with tears, stood up, unable to comprehend the gravity of the situation. "You're cursed, Astoria?"
Astoria turned to Pansy with a heavy sigh. "It's a blood curse from centuries ago."
Confusion rippled through the group. Dean voiced what many were thinking. "I don't understand. How does this prove anything?"
Hermione, ever the voice of reason, added, "I'm confused too. There's not a lot of information about blood curses in the books in the library."
Theo, a hint of determination in his eyes, turned to Dean. "Dean, do you remember seeing that mark on Astoria in the memory?"
Dean took a moment to recall. "I don't think I looked."
The room fell into a thoughtful silence until Theo spoke up again. "Ginny, we need to go back into that memory."
Ginny, weary but resolute, nodded in agreement. However, Harry, sensing the urgency, stood up with a furrowed brow. "I don't understand. Why do you need to go back in?"
Draco, still captivated by Astoria's arm, explained, "Blood curse marks can't be replicated. Not with polyjuice, not with memory charms, not with anything. If it was Astoria, the mark will be there. If it isn't... we have another problem."
Ginny, exhausted but determined, sighed. "Well, we better go check, shouldn't we?"
Theo, looking at Ginny with an understanding gaze, nervously smiled at her. "This has been hard, hasn't it?"
Ginny's silent nod conveyed more than words ever could.
Dean and Theo exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and simultaneously pointed their wands.
"Legilimens."
In those tense moments, the room transformed into a canvas of memories, each person awaiting the revelation that could alter the course of their tangled reality. For seven minutes, the world existed within the confines of the Pensieve.
As the trio emerged on the eighth minute, Ginny, her eyes filled with tears, rushed to Pansy.
"I'm sorry! I thought— I really believed— I'm just so sorry!"
Dean faced the group with a simple declaration, "It wasn't Astoria."
Pansy, her hand soothingly stroking Ginny's hair, spoke with a calm certainty, "Someone's playing an awful game with us."
Ginny, looking back at Astoria, apologized with sincerity, "And I am so sorry, Astoria. The person in the memory, they must have used polyjuice. They looked just like you. I'm so sorry."
Astorianoffered a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Ginny."
The tension in the room began to dissipate, replaced by a collective realization that they were entangled in a web of deception. Harry turned to the Syltherins.
"I'm sorry. We shouldn't have been so quick to turn on you guys. We didn't even give anyone a chance to explain,"
Blaise smiled fro his place on one of the couches, "I don't blame any of you for being suspicious. Look at our history,"
"Yeah but you guys have gone out of your way to let people know that you're not like that anymore," countered Seamus, showing maturity for once.
Ginny, wiping away her tears, took a deep breath. "We need to figure out who's behind this, and fast. We can't let them create more chaos and division among us."
"But before we do that," Draco drawled smoothly, "Astoria why don't you explain the history behind your blood curse,"
Daphne glared at him.
"Draco I don't think that's the best coversation to have right now," said Tracy nervously.
Bellatrix materilized next to Draco hissng, "I think it's the best coversation to have right now," even though only Hermione could hear her.
"It's okay guys," Astoria said, "I'm assuming the Black history books don't really explain the Greengrass side of it of it all,"
Draco huffed out what could be a laugh.
Hannah shook her head, "I don't underdstand how is Astoria's blood curse related to the Blacks,"
Sue Li's eyes lit up, "Draco said that a Greengrass cursed a Black years ago! Is that the same story?"
"It is unfourtunatly," sighed Daphne.
"My blood curse can be traced back to a dark and tumultuous chapter in the history of the Greengrass and Black families," started Astoria. " The curse, later known as the "Maledictus Atrum," was a result of a bitter feud between two powerful magical bloodlines."
"Several centuries ago, during a time of intense political and magical strife, the head of the Greengrass family, Octavius Greengrass, found himself in direct conflict with the ambitious and cunning Cygnus Black. The exact nature of their dispute is lost to history, but it is said to have involved a contested piece of valuable magical land and ancient family grudges." conitinued daphne as if she reciting from a book.
"In an act of desperation and rage, Cygnus Black placed a curse upon Octavius, intending to weaken the Greengrass family for generations to come. The curse, later named Maledictus Atrum, targeted the very essence of life and vitality within the Greengrass bloodline. As a result, Octavius and his descendants would suffer from frail health, enduring a lifetime of physical weakness and susceptibility to various illnesses."
"Not one to accept defeat, Octavius retaliated by placing a counter-curse on Cygnus Black, known as the "Insanitas Obscura." This curse would afflict Cygnus and his descendants with bouts of madness and instability, ensuring that the Black family would pay a heavy price for their aggression."
"The cycle of curses continues to pop up throughout the generations, with at least one Greengrass inheriting the Maledictus Atrum and passing it on to their descendants. The Insanitas Obscura, on the other hand, haunted the Black family, leading to periods of mental instability and chaos."
"Over the centuries, both families suffered the consequences of their ancestors' actions. The curses became deeply ingrained in their bloodlines, creating a legacy of hardship and adversity for the Greengrass and Black descendants," finished Astoria.
Hermione watched Bellatrix listened to the story, her face betraying nothing.
Draco let out a deep breath, "The House of Black just gets worse and worse, doesn't it."
Sue reached over Jason and tenderly squeezed Draco's hand, offering a reassuring smile. "Draco, you have the power to change the narrative of the House of Black. You're not bound by the mistakes of the past. "
Draco looked at her confused.
Blaise, Seamus and Dean looked at each other.
"Is there something going on there?"
Theo leaned to Hermione "Isn't that meant to be you?"
Hermione ignored him.
"Listen to Sue, Draco. What Octavius did to the Black family is equally as bad," Ignoring Daphne's grunt of disagreement. She addressed the rest of the group, "I'm going to go. I need to check on Dennis. I'm glad that I've sorted out your disagreement,"
She hugged Daphne and began to leave the room. As she opened the door, Luna spoke up.
"Astoria... Why didn't you come tell us when Daphne told you you had been accused?"
Everyone turned to Astoria wondering the same thing.
Astoria paused, her eyes reflecting a mix of vulnerability and resilience. "The thing is, once people find out that you have a blood curse, everything changes. The way they treat you, the way they look at you—it's like you become a walking relic of some dark past. I didn't want pity or judgment. I wanted to face this on my own terms, without everyone seeing me through the lens of a curse."
Bellatrix looked at her, with soemthing Hermione hadn't seen before in her eyes. Understanding.
Without uttering another word, Astoria gently closed the door behind her.
Astoria gracefully strolled towards the hospital wing, leaving her sister and friends to rekindle. The air was thick with the aftermath of their intense conversation, and she couldn't help but shake her head at the dramatics that unfolded.
"Merlin, what a dramatic bunch," she mused to herself, a soft hum escaping her lips as she turned the corner toward the hospital wing. The distant murmur of voices emanated from within, catching her attention.
"That's Dennis. Who is he talking to? It sounds like a girl."
Intrigued, Astoria slowed her pace, navigating quietly towards the entrance of the hospital wing. She couldn't resist the urge to peek inside, hoping to satisfy her curiosity.
Natalie MacDonald, a Gryffindor with a splash of Half-Blood heritage, stood close to Dennis, her blonde locks cascading as she affectionately caressed his arm. Astoria found herself biting back a gasp as she witnessed the unexpected kiss planted on Dennis's cheek.
"Come on, Astoria," she chided herself, feeling a mix of surprise and self-reproach. "You barely know the guy. It's your fault you caught feelings in record time for a boy you just met. A third year, really? And you didn't even check if he had a girlfriend!"
Feeling a swirl of emotions, she began her retreat, leaving the hospital wing and making her way back to the comfort of her common room.
As she walked away music started up.
She chuckled, "I guess it's my turn,"
"Hands touch, eyes meet
Sudden silence, sudden heat
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl
He could be that boy
But I'm not that girl"
Astoria knew from the moment she and Dennis spoke in the library that she liked him. The connection felt real, but reality hit her now — she wasn't the girl for him.
"Don't dream too far
Don't lose sight of who you are
Don't remember that rush of joy
He could be that boy
I'm not that girl"
The melody accompanied Astoria's footsteps as she navigated the corridors, leaving the enchanting melody echoing in the empty halls.
"Every so often we long to steal
To the land of what-might-have-been
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel
When reality sets back in Blithe smile, lithe limb
She who's winsome, she wins him
Gold hair with a gentle curl
That's the girl he chose
And Heaven knows
I'm not that girl"
Astoria, not even realizing how gracefully she was gliding, danced through the corridor with a balletic elegance that matched the bittersweet notes of the song. Her eyes, showing a mix of feelings, sparkled in the dim light.
"Don't wish, don't start
Wishing only wounds the heart
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl
There's a girl I know
He loves her so
I'm not that girl"
The staircase to the Slytherin dungeons was in sight, and as she entered, the melody seamlessly blended with the quiet atmosphere of the familiar space. Astoria let out a breath. And continued on.
A/N
I don't think I've updated this story in 3 years. Obviously I'm older and looking back my writing is awful and to be honest it still is. But, I have fun writing this story so I will try to continue. Please excuse my awful awful writing, I will really try to improve!
Songs used:
I'm Not That Girl - Wicked