J O S E T T E L E S T R A N G E
pureblood || 5th year hufflepuff || student || resistance || 19
negative traits: peevish , blunt , unforgiving
positive traits: compassionate , diligent , principled
there’s just something about that strange lestrange girl that often gathers curious stares or disdainful sneers from onlookers. perhaps it’s her sharp words and quick judgments or maybe it’s her rebellious nature too. like any lestrange child, josette was taught ruthless determination and unwavering resilience in hopes that she would follow in the footsteps of powerful witches and wizards before her. eager to please her parents, josette studied hard and didn’t question their methods nor their beliefs. she followed their rules and mastered all the skills they were adamant about her learning. she was their golden girl, and even yet, it didn’t help how ill-fitted she felt surrounded by the infamous reputation the lestranges built for themselves. she was far less interested in the dark arts than she was in, say, the magical properties of plants or the most convenient charm for lacing a corset. it killed her to stay silent over such doubts (something she rarely if ever did), but the disappointment of her parents seemed to yield far more drastic consequences.
the weight of expectations thrust upon her lead her to seek refuge in the arms of her older sister. for as long as anyone has known, josette and manon were inseparable. always together and never apart. like a quill to an inkwell or gold to a niffler. they could spend hours laughing and trading stories and releasing the burdens of the day to each other. her sister was her other half – the only person who made her feel understood, and it broke her heart when manon left for hogwarts. the days leading up to her own acceptance to the school felt like torture and she longed to see her sister for longer than a summer.
two years later and josette was packed and bound for king’s cross station, her arm looped over her sister’s and awaiting the journey ahead of her. chatting and laughing once more, it seemed the two years lost did nothing to dull their bond. when they arrived, it was nothing less of a surprise when that sharp-tongued lestrange girl was sorted into hufflepuff, of all houses. coming from a long line of slytherins, one would expect josette to follow suit, but the proud puff would hear none of it. loyal to a fault (to all those who earn such loyalty of course), hard-working, determined, and naturally, holding a gift for empathy, josette believed there was no fault in the sorting hat’s decision. but when she joined the others in the common room, it became increasingly clear that despite the yellow robes she wore, her family’s reputation would always make her an outsider. refusing to falter, she simply held her chin up high and moved on. she had manon, after all. and her parents always did say that other people were an intrusion. that’s all.
in a chance meeting, josette became acquainted with a hufflepuff girl. temis hawksley. a muggle-born, she’d come to know, which made her nose twitch in discomfort. regardless of her efforts to shake her off, the two quickly (and most unexpectedly) became friends. jo realized they were much more alike than they were different despite their blood statuses and it wasn’t long before her walls came crashing down. their bond grew stronger and josette realized she’d finally found her sense of belonging. if there had been seeds of doubt about her family’s ideologies before, then those seeds were growing. her loyalties quickly came into conflict. her parents already disapproved of her devotion to her house, and she had yet to hear the outrage that would inevitably ensue if they found out she was befriending muggle-borns. while she loved her family dearly, she didn’t think she could turn a blind eye to the profound hatred they held toward muggles and muggle-borns. the rising tension between distinguishing blood statuses was undeniable, and josette had to figure out which side she was on.
the loss of her best friend had been a turning point. when she discovered that temis had been among the muggle-born casualties, she was overcome with grief. grief and guilt, knowing that the very ideals she grew up on were the very motives that lead the muggle-borns and half-bloods to their demise. entirely resolute, josette rejected her family’s indoctrination and refused to participate in the same injustice that had gotten her best friend killed. a chasm opened between jo and her family. their obsession with blood purity and pursuit of power did nothing but fill her with disgust. her parents’ fury towards her decision was jarring, but she was prepared to face it all. josette and corvus had long been at odds with each other, so the division between them was nothing new. the only thing she was unprepared for was the rift that grew between her and manon. it was like losing another piece of her heart that she desperately wanted to get back.
the passage of time did little to dull her grief, so instead, josette channeled her grief into anger. she would be kind if she could afford to be, but she refused to bend to anyone’s will, including her family’s. there was a spark within her and she would sooner fan the flames than let it go out. there was no hesitation in joining the resistance. for once in her life, josette knows where she stands and is ready to fight for the justice that the champions would deny.
JOSETTE LESTRANGE IS PLAYED BY NINI AND SHE IS TAKEN.