Playlist: Broken Crown

The raging thunderstorm outside your window mirrored the turmoil you often felt inside. You watched, mesmerized, as rain lashed against the glass, the sound a comforting white noise that drowned out the echoes of painful memories.

Your father's voice broke the spell. He needed help. Finding him struggling with a box of your biological mother's old belongings, you felt a familiar tension rise. The conversation that followed, about the woman you refused to call 'mother' and her tragic end, left a bitter taste in your mouth.

Later, you carried the box to the dark, dusty attic. Curiosity, despite your anger, compelled you to open it. Inside, among forgotten items, you found a wedding photo of your parents, their faces stark and unyielding. The inscription on the frame solidified a name you only knew through pain: Cassiopeia Rosier (née Black). The realization of the name's mythological origin sent a shiver down your spine.

Days later, rushing to pack for Hogwarts, you felt a pang of jealousy seeing families say goodbye at the train station. Boarding the train, you were jostled, bumping into someone. A charming smile, dark eyes, and a name: Tom Riddle. But as his hands gripped your arms, the world turned searing red, and terrible visions of death and a serpentine face flooded your mind. Collapsing in the nearest restroom, you were left with only one word as the visions faded: No.