Book 2: Astoria Greengrass and the Haunt of Azkaban
Song rec: "Corduroy" by Pearl Jam
Astoria dropped into her favourite chair by the murky windows in the common room after a long and trying day. In her bag, she had two letters which she had told Rhiannon she would take to Twinkles that morning. It was evening, and she still had not done this.
Rhiannon, like all students, was aware that Umbridge was frisking each incoming and outgoing owl and reading all of the letters. What Astoria knew and Rhiannon didn't was that Umbridge had collected some of the most thuggish Slytherins, sewed an impressive little patch onto their robes, and told them to do her bidding. This eight-man gang, as Draco had said eight times too many, was called the Inquisitorial Squad, and their jobs included docking points, tattling, and taking over Umbridge's frisking job when she realised how tedious it had become.
When the frisking was done by Umbridge, it was bad enough, but since students had become involved, it made plenty of room for public humiliation and gossip. As such, Astoria had not been able to send out Rhiannon's extremely personal letter to Jessica, knowing that if she did, the whole school might know all the details within a day. Her plan was to wait until the next Hogsmeade trip over Easter break to send the letters through the post office there. It would have been a very clever plan if Astoria hadn't unthinkingly emptied the contents of her bag on the table to do her Ancient Runes homework.
"Have I got a story to tell you," Draco said haughtily, as though he had trademarked the upcoming story himself.
The threaded, metallic I on his robes stuck out the most to Astoria; it reminded her right away that he had betrayed her. He should not have been so sure of himself in her presence after their dispute the previous evening. Was he ignoring everything she had said and acting like nothing had happened? She was sure that he had actually been listening to her… or was that another farce, too?
"Potter's in Remedial Potions!"
Astoria ignored Draco and started sliding her belongings closer to her to keep them out of his reach and to make a small fortress in opposition to him. Unfortunately, he interpreted this as her making room for him at the table. Foiled again.
"I was inspecting the halls this afternoon — you won't believe the position I'm in, Astoria; I can do basically anything — and I heard calls for help coming from the lavatory on the fourth floor. Now, my initial instinct is to get somebody else to take care of any problems in the lavatory, so I rounded up Umbr— er, the headmistress — and we investigated the problem together. Do you know how Graham Montague went missing yesterday? We've all been looking for him — well, I can see you haven't been — but it was he, and he was stuck in the toilet by means of what I presume was a nasty hex. Well, Professor Umbridge sent me to get Professor Snape, and that was when I saw Potter getting a lecture in Remedial Potions! Ha! You should have seen his face, Astoria; I think it would have even made you laugh."
Likely not. Astoria knew that Professor Snape was particularly harsh with the Gryffindors, and the class was not easy as it was. Being placed in Remedial Potions was no laughing matter.
"What are these? Letters home?" Draco said, invasively swiping the two papers Astoria had forgotten to protect.
"What? No — no, no; they're just homework—"
"One's on Muggle paper?"
"No, no — maybe — Draco, stop!" Astoria stammered, drawing her wand and trying to cast a last-second Concealment Charm.
It failed; Astoria was too focused on her concerns and not on the spell and all at once, the fingernails on her right hand vanished from sight. Trying to focus on what was at stake, Astoria tried Shrinking the letters. To her rage, that did nothing at all, and Astoria was forced to quieten the situation lest she attract any more attention than she had already by casting (or not casting) charms. Draco had untied the string round the loose-leaf and was already reading the letter to Jessica…
"Oh, no," Astoria and Draco said in unison, albeit with very different tones of voice.
Astoria, helpless, looked round the room to see who was watching. Only Parkinson and some seventh-year goons. But they were too much already. How would Astoria face Rhiannon after this?
"You mean to tell me Clarke wrote this to her mother?" asked Draco quietly, not taking his eyes off the letter.
"Give me the letters now," Astoria hissed.
"Who's Geoffrey? Her father?"
"Draco, you tactless—"
"Hey. It's my responsibility to read these anyway," he snapped, now bringing the letter to Rhiannon's Muggle friend up to his nose. "So she's running away? She came up with a nice lie about a wildlife preserve job she got… a whole paragraph about the owl that will be delivering this to the Muggle…"
"Be quiet, will you," Astoria said desperately.
"Mm. So why is she running away from home?"
"Did you not read the other letter?"
"Yeah, I did… Where is she going to stay?" pried Draco.
"She doesn't know yet," Astoria stated.
"Mm."
After rolling and tying the letters once more, Draco reached in his bag for an ugly pink quill and wrote "INSPECTED AND PASSED – D.M." in magical red ink on the outermost part of them. He slipped them back to Astoria and demanded that she look at him through the gritty expression on his face.
"She, er…"
"What, Draco?"
"They beat her?"
"Yes, Draco."
"So the black eye at the beginning of the year really was…?"
"In all the time you've known her, you've never even thought…?"
"To be honest, I don't pay very much attention to her," he responded bluntly.
"Right. Of course. She prefers it that way," Astoria said. "Good day."
From the Owlery, Astoria watched Twinkles fly toward the horizon with the letters that would change the course of Rhiannon's life. The air was muggy; the sunset was of grey and yellow oil, mixing unpleasantly in the sky. The wind dried Astoria's eyes. She was tired. Her body moved back down the steps by the purely mechanical drive to get back to the common room table before her friends began to care about her absence. Draco was still there, almost as if holding her seat. As if.
"If Pansy mentions anything," Draco whispered as Astoria reopened her Ancient Runes book, "I told her I inspected songs you were sending to your producer. I already pretended to make fun of you. So she won't see anything."
Astoria's fingers twitchily folded the edge of her parchment as Draco stood next to the table.
"Did you really?" she asked, trying to examine the look in his eyes.
"I made up some corny lyrics to make the story more realistic," he grinned, and then strolled away. From then on, whenever Astoria wrote home, she made sure the one to inspect her letters was always Draco.
By the end of Easter holiday, Pariah had sixteen songs written and had developed a rehearsal schedule around Astoria's designated studying time for her Astronomy O.W.L. Rhiannon had received a heartfelt reply from her Muggle friend in London. In addition to his goodbye, he had numerous opinions about the owl to which he had to attach his letter.
Flora and Hestia were both kept from knowing that Rhiannon would be moving in with the Greengrasses. Rhiannon and Astoria discussed that the twins were related to Death Eaters, and though the twins would never betray them, their uncle and aunt might be able to extract information out of them through Dark magic. The other reason, which Astoria kept to herself, was that the information might be painful for Hestia, who was still trying to recover from romantic drama.
Draco, Astoria concluded, had at least partially listened to all of the things about which she had confronted him. She had not heard another foul thing from his mouth, and when Astoria sneaked a peek in Rhiannon's Foe Shard, Draco was nowhere in sight. So, when Astoria decided that she would study for her Astronomy O.W.L. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, she invited him to join her. He declined, implying that he was above such things as studying.
"Excuse me."
The scraggy, black-haired Theodore Nott stepped out of his very straight walking path and next to Draco.
"You said there's an Astronomy study group meeting Wednesdays through Fridays?"
His voice mismatched his build; it was deep and abrasive. Still, his voice seemed softer than Draco's condescending drawl. Neither did Theodore mumble. Each word was crisp.
"I'm afraid it's only me," Astoria clarified.
"That will be sufficient," said Theodore in a methodical tone.
He withdrew his planner from his left robe pocket and picked up Astoria's quill to use without asking. His manner was a lot to take in.
"That will have to be after my Potions study group on Wednesdays and Thursdays and my Arithmancy study group on Fridays."
"It can be whenever you're available after class. I'll be sitting here, I'm sure," she responded.
Theodore didn't look like he processed the word "whenever" and unabashedly used Astoria's ink and quill to write "Astro. S.G.: 8:30 – 10:00P.M." at the front of his planner. Astoria had a feeling that she would to get to know Theodore Nott quite well over the next two months but was not sure if she was supposed to be glad about it. Draco was naturally quick to voice his own opinion.
"You think you're clever, don't you, Theodore? Studying with the astronomy geek!"
"I know I'm clever," Theodore said justly as he returned Astoria's quill. "If you were clever, you would do the same."
Without being able to tolerate Theodore's calling him less than clever, Draco agreed to become a part of what was then officially a study group that would have to be "approved" by Umbridge.
"By the way, Greengrass," said Theodore before going on his way, "you are the only fourth year in the House scheduled to have a meeting with Professor Snape regarding your career choice."
"I don't understand…?" uttered Astoria.
"All fifth years are scheduled to meet with the Heads of House because they are taking O.W.L.s. Even though you are only taking one O.W.L., you are still scheduled for a chat with the patron saint of potioneers," Theodore said helpfully.
Astoria checked the bulletin board and found that she was due to meet with Professor Snape on Friday at three o'clock, or in other words, right after her double Potions class. She was the very last student scheduled.
"A one-to-one with Snape! Whad'ya reckon that'll be like?" Rhiannon asked Astoria once the latter informed her of the appointment.
"Incredibly awkward," Astoria revealed. "It would make more sense to speak with Professor Sinistra about my career instead…"
"Yeah, I can't imagine the man spends too much of his time stargazing."
On Sunday before classes resumed, Astoria found that the tables in the common room were covered with pamphlets and guides about career choices. The Slytherin fifth-years, who, for the most part, were sure of what they wished to do in life, paid little regard to them apart from using them as tools with which to taunt one another. Theodore Nott, as a prime example, approached his Umbridge-approved study group member Draco, holding up a leaflet entitled "Have You Got What it Takes to Train Security Trolls?"
"You've already mastered this job, Draco," said Theodore, moving his head in the direction of Vince Crabbe and Greg Goyle.
Draco elbowed Theodore, wearing a look halfway between annoyance and amusement. However, when Astoria giggled, he antagonised her with a "Think it's funny, do you?"
"Oh, of course not," said Astoria sarcastically. "If that's really what you want to be, you'll have to have a nice, long talk with Professor Snape about it…"
"That would go over like a lead balloon," remarked Draco.
"Then what do you want to be?" Theodore enquired.
"My father wants me to be on the school's Board of Governors like he was, but I doubt that entails anything interesting at all. He's on the Minister for Magic's Support Staff, so…"
Astoria swallowed a hiss. The Minister was the reason that financial aid to students was no longer available. Whilst Rhiannon was fortunate enough to have royalties from Infinite Records, Sally-Anne Perks and at least sixty others were not. Here, Lucius Malfoy had been a likely advisor of this new policy.
"You know that that isn't what I asked, Draco," Theodore said evenly, half-occupying himself with the leaflet about security trolls.
"Well, I don't suppose I really need a job, do I? Although, if Greengrass is getting one, I must also be entitled to steal a position in the job market."
"Excuse you!" interjected Astoria. "Perhaps you and Daphne can be happy as rich dossers, but I intend to do something with my life."
Ignoring Astoria, Draco said, "Do you know what I'd really like to do?" only to add importance to what he intended to say anyway. "I'd like to work in Media Relations for the Ministry of Magic. The members of that department are the real masters behind the Daily Prophet, you know."
"I envisioned myself a novelist," said Theodore.
"I think those are both fine professions," Astoria said.
"What about you, then?" asked Theodore. "Do you intend to stay in the music business?"
Astoria's imminent rehearsal schedule with Pariah flashed in her mind, and she nearly said "no" aloud.
"She wants to be an astronomer," Draco answered for her, "so she can get paid to look at dots in the sky."
"Says the only one in the entire school named after a constellation," Theodore contributed.
"You've been with Davis and Lazenby too much," said Draco aggravatedly.
"And Crabbe and Goyle have obviously done wonders with you."
Back in the dormitory, Astoria was only halfway through telling Flora about Theodore and about Lucius's unjustifiable position in the Ministry when Rhiannon and Hestia rushed in with the news that Graham Montague was not going to recover in time to coach the team for their upcoming match against Hufflepuff.
"That makes Adrian Pucey the Captain," said Hestia, "but we still need another Chaser… I wrote Rhi's name on the sign-up sheet in the common room!"
"A Chaser…" Rhiannon said dreamily. "I've gotta get out flying more!"
"You've got the whole day today, Rhi," said Hestia happily. "Come on — let's put off rehearsing until tomorrow and enjoy our last day off!"
Rhiannon retrieved her broom from under her bed, and the two left again in no time. Astoria tried not to grin too hard thinking of Hestia snaking her arms round Rhiannon on a broom ride.
"She isn't going to make the team," Flora stated coolly.
"Flora! Don't be so pessimistic. I saw her flying over Christmas. She's much better than I am," Astoria described.
"Is it difficult to be better than you at flying?" Flora challenged.
Astoria's shoulders stiffened. She admitted it was not.
Flora sighed, "I'm not being pessimistic; I'm being realistic. Pucey won't have 'Slytherin's Blot' on his team. He's a — well, anyway, you were talking about Theodore."
"Yes, I really don't know what do make of him. I don't think he and Draco are going to get on well enough to study together."
"They probably won't. They're civil, but the difference between them is like the difference between you and Daphne. I think they used to be good friends before they came to Hogwarts."
"Daphne and I used to be closer, too," Astoria related.
"Well, you wouldn't study with Daphne, so don't study with this pair. You're better off preparing for this exam on your own."
"I figured… However, Draco is my Astronomy partner, and I don't think I have the heart to turn Theodore away…"
"Oh, who gives a damn if Malfoy passes his Astronomy O.W.L. or not?" Flora punctuated.
Astoria felt like she might have. She felt he was finally thinking about his behaviour on his own. If Draco did not pass his Astronomy O.W.L., he would not be able to take any more Astronomy classes. Astoria wished that the feeling was more confusing than it was, but she had come to count on spending Astronomy class with Draco near her. She had come to enjoy waiting for his elbow and hand to get out of the way on their worksheets and charts to fill them out together. She flushed with shame remembering the time he had traced the outline of her hand instead of Sagittarius, saying she had put her hand in the way on purpose. She remembered everything.
It was sporadic — it was entirely sporadic — but ever since their long walk back from Astronomy Tower at the very beginning of the year, Draco had developed a certain way of raising Astoria's spirits in a strange way that friends couldn't exactly do. Whenever Astoria remembered those moments, she felt his absence, and she felt it strongly. Though Flora noticed what she thought were "signs" and liked to confront Astoria about fancying Draco, Astoria would not have said that even if she had taken a double dose of Veritaserum. There must have been a better word out there for her feelings; she merely hadn't found it. All she knew was that she wanted Flora to stop talking about it.
"True," Astoria said. "That would leave Theodore and me to study in peace."
"I'm not sure about him, either, Astoria," Flora said mysteriously.
"Theodore Nott? What has he ever done to you? What has he ever even done? I can't tell if he's shy or scholarly, but he blends right in with the wall most of the time…"
"For crying out loud, Astoria, you're in a study group with the sons of Death Eaters!" Flora exclaimed. "Didn't you read Harry Potter's interview?"
"Yes, I learnt much from that interview… But something I've learnt from my own experience is not to judge people based on their families," Astoria said.
"On the contrary, it's a pretty good way to navigate the House of Slytherin."
"Is that so, Flora?" Astoria said softly. "What can I say about Theodore when two of my best friends are the nieces of Death Eaters?"
Flora froze.
"Meanwhile, Parkinson has no Death Eater relatives as far as I know," Astoria added. "Odd, right?"
"You're right," Flora said. "You're perfectly right. It wasn't a very logical notion of mine… it…"
Flora's laurel green eyes darted side to side. Her hands folded over the book on her lap.
"I guess I had that preconception because I don't think of myself as the niece of Death Eaters. I'm just, well, Flora to me."
"You're not just Flora to me," Astoria chuckled. "You're my friend Flora."
"Thank you. You're the only one who gets me—"
"Hm, gets your serious attitude problems?"
"Ah, Astoria, you've gone and ruined the moment," Flora observed.
Other than attending her classes and keeping up with the work in them, Astoria's other responsibilities for the term included studying with Draco and Theodore, rehearsing the band's material, and practising Defence Against the Dark Arts in the Astronomy library once again. Therefore, in History class the next morning, she took Theodore's example and created a rudimentary schedule which she guessed would not have been up to his standards. She wasn't willing to sacrifice any of these activities.
As it turned out, Astoria would not be going to the Astronomy library that evening in spite of her motivational timetable. As she was succeeding in casting a small Smokescreen Spell in double Charms class, Astoria heard a massive ruckus from below.
"Oh, what could it be now…?" Professor Flitwick said under his breath.
"I'll have a look," Montel Davis offered, swishing away the smoke he had created and rising from his seat.
"So eager to leave!" Professor Flitwick said, shooing all of the curious students, along with Montel, back into their seats. "Miss Carrow, would you please monitor the class whilst I see what the trouble is?"
"Which Miss Carrow, sir?" Montel spoke up as Professor Flitwick made for the door.
"Why, Flora, of course!" the professor said emphatically before disappearing down the hall.
"'Flooo-rah, of course,'" chirped Hestia and Montel as Flora took several commanding steps to the front of the classroom.
"If it were you, Hestia, we'd all be following Flitwick to see what the noise is," Montel noted.
"Don't even try me," said Flora even as a crash could be heard above them.
All Hogwarts students who had not been able to escape from their last class still learnt what had happened by nightfall. Parkinson enjoyed being the centre of attention in the Slytherin common room as she revealed bit by bit that the Weasley twins of the Gryffindor House stole back their brooms which Umbridge had confiscated and that they had effectively expelled themselves.
"Obviously," said Parkinson, "they weren't looking forward to obtaining any N.E.W.T.s at their graduation. They said they're starting a business! A business! It can't be legitimate… they're almost as poor as Slytherin's Blot!"
Astoria paid close attention to Draco's reaction. She saw the laughter in his eyes, but he must have remembered the letter to Jessica. The same influx of conscience could not be said of Rhiannon's former roommates or Blaise Zabini, who made one derogatory comment after another.
As the girls of Pariah were trying to stick to their plans of practising D.A.D.A. and rehearsing their songs, the forces of mischievousness consistently worked against them. If the Grand Staircase happened to detour them during their journeys upwards, they were rather out of luck until the staircase returned for them, for the Weasley twins had inserted a miasmic swamp on the fifth floor, and Peeves the Poltergeist enjoyed flooding the second. Although Astoria was bemused whenever Peeves harassed Umbridge, she was quick to despise him again when he ignited her, Flora's, and Montel's respective Ancient Runes dictionaries. Flora and Rhiannon developed grudges against him once he started locking up Mr Filch's cat in tiny spaces. Each of the girls were quick to free the creature even though other students did not sympathise with any ally of Mr Filch's. After dinner on a Tuesday evening during which the students had to use Bubble-Head Charms to navigate through the stenches of Stinkpellets and Dungbombs, Hestia caught up to the rest of her group with little breath to spare.
"Let's get going to the tower," she pleaded, "before they know it was me."
"How do you mean?" Astoria asked.
Hestia did not answer; she insisted on trying to blend with a group of Gryffindor girls as they all went up the Grand Staircase. The task was not easy, but Astoria located Ginny Weasley, and the four girls were amalgamated into safety.
"What's this about, Hestia?" asked Flora.
Hestia glanced around before taking a small pepper pot out of her sleeve. She shook its dusty, brownish contents beneath Rhiannon's nose.
"Pepper? Oi — that ain't pepper!"
"It's powdered reindeer antler, powdered puffer-fish cranium, and Wartcap powder — all soaked in imported garter snake venom and sundried."
"And what does all that do?" Flora asked.
"It may have given Parkinson antlers as long as her arms…" Hestia said hopefully.
"Please tell me you aren't joking," said Ginny Weasley.
The screaming that echoed from below indicated that Hestia was perfectly successful, and Parkinson spent the next day in the Hospital Wing. Right before the first official meeting of the Astronomy study group, Astoria overheard Draco speaking with Daphne and Millicent about the antler event. Millicent exclaimed that she could not imagine who would do such a thing to Pansy, and though the other two cherished the injured party, they also were aware that they could have provided Millicent with a list.
"Have you heard of the Quidditch team's fill-in Chaser?" Theodore Nott asked when he arrived.
He broke eye contact almost as soon as he had made it and started sorting through his Astronomy notes on the table.
"I know it needs one," Astoria said.
"It doesn't need Xander Lofthouse," Theodore muttered.
"Oh… is he…?"
He was. Surrounding Lofthouse were characters such as Adrian Pucey, Cassius Warrington, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, and the young admirer Imogen Stretton. Astoria knew how disappointed Rhiannon would be to hear that not only had she not made the team, but somebody who was related to the escaped Lofthouse from Azkaban. It was more than a smack in the face.
"He's no good," complained Draco when he approached the group. "But he's Pucey's friend, so…!"
Draco spent a few minutes talking about Quidditch whilst Astoria and Theodore nodded politely between making glances at each other, indicating that Quidditch was not something they paid attention to otherwise.
"Anyway…" Draco harrumphed. "Are we starting with the notes from September and moving forward?"
"If Theodore doesn't mind," agreed Astoria.
He didn't; he already had its notes on Jupiter spread in front of him.
The Friday of Astoria's meeting with Professor Snape arrived. The Gryffindors had put him in a particularly sour mood during her Potions class, for he had to give four of them failing marks on their brews, as three of them had not paid attention to instructions and had tried to share their unlucky friends' successful antidote. Professor Snape was not the type of person to appreciate the feeling of a Friday, and with her meeting imminent, Astoria found she couldn't appreciate the feeling, either. Once the bell rang, the professor slipped into his office.
"Are you in trouble?" Ginny Weasley asked when she saw that Astoria was not leaving her seat.
"No. I'm taking one O.W.L. this year, the Astronomy one, but I'm still required to meet with him about my career aspirations… My meeting is, I assume, right after he returns from his office."
Ginny's brow furrowed, and her mouth twisted sideways in such a remarkable way that one might have thought she had just seen insects mating. Astoria became eased enough to laugh.
"I'm so sorry," Ginny said bleakly.
"Yeah, it really was nice knowing you, Astoria," Montel added on his way out.
Their humour helped Astoria realise that it wasn't such a big deal after all, even if her meeting was ill-timed and unnecessary. A few quiet moments after the class had cleared out, Professor Snape emerged from his office with many of the qualities of a bat in flight. Astoria donned a smile as a defence mechanism when he sat in his desk and folded his hands in front of him.
"Usually," he said, "I am not required to have such an important discussion with those who ought to be in their third year."
Ouch.
What sort of a comment was that? Astoria had relatively good marks in Professor Snape's class. Indignant, Astoria remembered that she still had a letter from the headmaster himself — the former, better headmaster, that is — that she was prepared to take on the challenge of being one year ahead. And wasn't Professor Snape a close friend of Professor Sinistra? Perhaps he needed the other professor to remind him of what a wonderful job Astoria was doing in her fifth-year level class. That class was the whole reason she had to talk to him that afternoon anyway!
"I admit, sir, that Herbology is a class in which I have no future, and that I am not the strongest in Charms nor in Transfiguration," Astoria acknowledged.
What's left for you as a witch, then, silly?
Professor Snape raised his eyebrows, and Astoria was especially careful with her words once it became clear that he would not comment over her own nagging thoughts.
"I am sorry that I'm taking up your time solely based on the inconsistency in my schedule; however, I would like to have career advice, if you deem that now is a good time for it, sir."
The professor grunted and provided Astoria with one of the most disinclined "very well's" she had ever heard.
"What is it you want to become, Miss Greengrass?"
"An astronomer, sir."
"I imagine you think you are on the right path to achieving that goal," Professor Snape said.
"Professor Sinistra has informed me that my marks in her class are tied with those of only three other students in the whole school, sir," Astoria said happily.
"Hm. I'm sure she is very proud," the professor responded. "However, she would be quite troubled if I informed her of your marks in Charms and Transfiguration."
"Erm…"
Professor Snape slapped his hands on his desk fiercely enough to make Astoria jump.
"I do not know what that means to you, Miss Greengrass, but if you were in the year in which you were supposed to be, you would likely have ideal marks in those classes. Students transferring from home-schooling have a tendency to place high on the entrance exams because their environment is so controlled. So, does the sense that it is too late to retract Professor Dumbledore's action indicate to you that you should be trying much harder? Are you entirely unaware of my expectations?"
"I-I'm sorry, sir," Astoria stammered.
She definitely wasn't proud of Transfiguration, but she thought she had improved tremendously in Charms since she came to Hogwarts, and she had been happy about her class advancement until the professor made it sound like a detriment. Yet what did Transfiguration have to do with becoming an astronomer anyway? Or was Professor Snape merely disappointed?
"Despite what the name of Atmospheric Charms suggests, proficiency in Transfiguration is essential to performing the vast majority of them! It's intersectional magic," the professor explained without delay. "Now — Transfigure your inkwell into a goblet."
Astoria drew her wand and Transfigured her inkwell into a rather nice vase if she ever did see one, but did not dare to look up until she had managed to turn out a decent goblet on her third try. The professor Summoned it into his hand, observed aloud that it was cracked on the side, and sighed so heavily as if the sigh was a point to prove in itself.
"You were actually unaware that to become a certified astronomer you must have obtained N.E.W.T.s in Astronomy, Transfiguration, Charms, and Arithmancy?" Professor Snape frowned.
"I'm afraid this is very unpleasant news for me," Astoria peeped.
"You understand that you must have at least an 'Exceeds Expectations' on your O.W.L.s in all of those subjects to continue them in your sixth and seventh years?
Oh dear.
"You must retain that mark on your Charms and Transfiguration N.E.W.T., and you must have an Outstanding on your Astronomy N.E.W.T. to become an astronomer."
Oh dear.
"For any involvement in the International Wizarding Agency of Atmospheric and Space Magic, a working knowledge of Arithmancy is a must. So, that also means you need an Outstanding mark."
That was the most encouraging thing she had heard so far.
"So tell me," Professor Snape said nasally, "what do you want to become?"
Astoria was nonplussed by the repetition of the question.
"An astronomer, Professor."
"Then I suggest you stop whining about your capricious wand and improve your spells," Professor Snape said, glaring as he separated a strand of hair from his cheek. "I hope I have put things into perspective for you."
"Yes, sir. Thank you very much."
Astoria assumed that it was time for her to go and proceeded to do so when the professor's unmusical voice rang in her ears again.
"Do you have any idea what your sister said to me on Tuesday?"
"Oh, let me guess, Professor… that she would make a living as a socialite."
"It was something unassuming and inspired like that," Professor Snape said, his black irises rolling upward under the shadow of his furrowed brow. "I never had such an attitude with Mr Wakeland or Miss Ansel Greengrass…"
Astoria redesigned a proverb, saying, "One bad apple does not always spoil the bunch."
"Yes… let us hope not…" Professor Snape muttered as he returned to his office.
For three weeks, Astoria poured herself into her work. She studied right on schedule, toiled through each Charms and Transfiguration class, rehearsed songs tirelessly, and kept up with her friends when they practised counter-hexes in the Astronomy library. When Theodore Nott asked her to compile a vocabulary list whilst he wrote review questions, she did. When Professors Flitwick and McGonagall told her to settle down before casting her spells, she tried to stop their comments from making her even worse. When Rhiannon stopped their fourth rehearsal of the song "Mire" and told Astoria that she wanted to sing it with an entirely different timbre than she had been, Astoria did just that. Her friends even had to advise her to stop practising the Blasting Curse, for her next step up would be to make it larger, which simply could not be done in the Astronomy library.
The girls had written to Mr Mongaby to inform him that they would soon be ready to play demos; his response was to set up an appointment with Mr Davis at the Wizarding Wireless Network. The girls were unhappy that he did not schedule it on a Hogsmeade day, for they could never be sure if Umbridge would go so far as to detain the band in the school in retaliation for Rhiannon's alleged behaviour during detention. Astoria thought Umbridge was raving to have contended that Rhiannon had defaced her belongings. In any case, the woman was awfully busy trying to keep up with the school's collective actions against her and was no longer paying much attention to Pariah. The quartet always made sure to blend in during her "class."
With the demo date looming, Rhiannon sacrificed her attendance at the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. The four girls went through all of their songs that Saturday, and Rhiannon thought it was quite unsatisfactory to return to the common room that night to find that their House had lost against Hufflepuff, saying repeatedly that "if it had been me...," they would have won.
"Lofthouse is such a dweeb!" Daphne declared to her dormmates. "And to think I thought that Adrian was something special last fall… this was his mistake!"
Indeed, most people were receiving a label of some sort from Daphne lately, for she was positively furious that she had no choice but to break up with the handsome Roger Davies when she kept catching him flirting with Cho Chang. Her friends were sympathetic, and Astoria gave her sister an encouraging talk, for it took something serious to bring out Daphne's insecurities. Daphne contended that Davies had not even considered her a loss, and Astoria related that Philippe had likely already forgotten about her. Davies and Boisvert were the ones who were the real losers, Astoria said, and she said it until Daphne believed her.
Not even Tracey and Montel knew when Pariah was due to see their father since the girls had kept it secret. It was a Saturday, the day when Ravenclaw and Gryffindor would play, and the day the girls would sneak through the front gates of the school without Hogsmeade passes.
"Really, we should have investigated a little more round the school," protested Flora as the girls stood with their backs against the stone of the castle, waiting for the Quidditch crowd to file into the pitch and become concerned about louder, more exciting things than four girls sneaking away. "I heard there are seven secret ways into Hogsmeade from inside Hogwarts… we couldn't be caught…"
"We can't go back inside now," Hestia said. "Besides, can't you hear yourself? They're secret ways. How are we supposed to know about them? I still lose my way to the common room sometimes!"
"I can't stand being here in broad daylight…" Flora mumbled anxiously. "But we'd never have got passes…"
"The only one we have to worry about is Umbridge," said Astoria. "Yesterday, Draco was complaining to me that since he is in the Inquisitorial Squad, he has to sit with her at the match. That means she's settling in there right now with the lot of them."
"Only Umbridge? You're forgetting Filch," Flora said. "Filch likes Umbridge."
"Ah, but he loves that cat more than anything. You're forgetting that you've saved her four times in the past two months," Astoria responded. "Even though Rhiannon's given him trouble in the past, the rest of us haven't, and even Rhiannon has saved his cat twice. I can wheedle us right past him. Umbridge is our only concern; if we are caught by another teacher, they will understand our predicament."
"If worse comes to worse, I have the Jelly-Brain Jinx mastered…" Rhiannon offered.
"Don't be ridiculous," Flora said, failing to hear Rhiannon's joking tone.
It felt foreboding when the girls reached Hogsmeade without any trouble, and even as they met with Mr Davis and Engorged their instruments and equipment back to normal size in the live room, they all felt inside that when it was over, they would walk right into a detention sentence. However, except for that concern, they were all much more comfortable with performing. Last year, they had been trying to get a recording contract and had not known Mr Davis. Astoria was surprised at how easy it was to play and sing this time; she rather enjoyed it. Or, she was enjoying herself until she was told point-blank that three of the songs she had composed weren't album material. Mr Davis followed the announcement with praise for other songs, but Astoria was still left with an emotional bruise. One other song was unwanted on the next album, but it was not written by her. She could only focus on the fact that three of her songs which she had created from her heart "didn't fit." Was it not only last year when the company wanted softer songs? Was it really Astoria's fault that the heavy rock songs outnumbered the ones that were more of her sound? Apparently the band's "sound" had already been determined; Mr Davis explained that their audience had been brought in with their last album.
"It's too soon to twist things," he said, and Astoria had to admit that it was shrewd advice.
Of their remaining twelve demos which he recorded, he said that they all needed more work. And, pessimistically predictably, Astoria had composed many of those. The lyrics were not even the problem; it was the music. Whilst Astoria felt that lyrics could be re-written smoothly, rewriting music to her was complicated, time-consuming, and much like if she were to unravel the specifically threaded patterns of an antique flying carpet.
Of course Rhiannon's slow song passed straight away, Astoria thought as Mr Davis was making recommendations which she was counting on the other girls to remember. It was not as though she felt bitter toward him, as he was amongst the kindest persons she knew. However, he had unintentionally reminded her of her feeling that she did not fit in properly with the band. What was it going to take? She had already written a protest song that had a slur as its title… They all seemed to like the aggression in that song but did not appreciate her "piano rock" compositions. Those were what really mattered to her; they sounded graceful and beautiful and were very fun to play. At least she thought so.
Rhiannon, Flora, and Hestia emerged from Hogsmeade brimming with confidence. The group crept back through the gate, waited for a few straggling Ravenclaw Quidditch players to head back to the castle, and followed them inside. Rhiannon's concerns shifted entirely to Quidditch as soon as she set foot in the common room.
"Oi, Malfoy! Who won?"
"Who do you think won‽"
"Damn it."
There wasn't a Slytherin student who cared about Quidditch that did not resent the Gryffindor team. Hestia and Rhiannon stayed in the common room to share grievances, whilst Flora and Astoria went to Room 106. Flora enjoyed a bath; Astoria recited constellations in her head. That was one thing, at least, for which she was certain she had a talent.
Draco thought he was something outstandingly special on any given day of any given year, but he considered himself nothing less than absolute royalty on his birthday. It was no surprise to Astoria or Theodore that he could hardly be brought away from the topic of himself so that they might all study. In Draco's opinion, it was oh-so pressing for them to know that his parents had each sent him five impressive gifts, and precious Parkinson had got him four, and, well, that makes fourteen gifts from only three people!
For Heaven's sake.
"Okay, Theodore, I think I've made a decent guide to the pros and cons of geomagnetic storms on magic," Astoria said.
"Great. And we've all understood the health concerns of them, but… you know, it doesn't surprise me that I can't remember the differences between how they affect Muggle radios and how they affect ours…"
"I said, we have a really nice dinner when I come home for the summer because I'm always stuck in school during my birthday," Draco cut in. "Then we all three go to Diagon Alley and—"
"That's lovely, Draco, really, but can you help us find the notes we're looking for?" Astoria pressed. "Did you write what she said about the magical and electrical transmissions?"
"I doubt I took notes for something Mugglish like that," he replied bitterly.
"Wait a moment… why are you studying on your birthday?" Theodore asked slyly.
Draco shrugged instead of giving Theodore the answer that he had no real intention of studying and merely showed up at the table that night to brag.
"Good point, Theodore. Think I'll go celebrate," he said and left the other two in peace.
"Thank you," Astoria whispered to Theodore.
For some time, students in the common room, including Theodore and Astoria, worked very efficiently whilst Draco soaked up attention from Parkinson and his cronies and threw different coloured candy wrappers into the fire to see what they would do. Eventually, though, the younger students got sleepy, the fourth years left for Astronomy, and the older students drifted back to their dorms. Astoria and Theodore perused and discussed their notes from April, and if Theodore had not said anything, Astoria would not have noticed that Draco and Parkinson were snogging repulsively not twenty feet from her. Once her attention was brought to the fact, though, it seemed to be all she could sense in the room.
"Only Pansy Parkinson could act as though her upper forearm were an erogenous zone," Theodore said barefacedly after having tried to give the couple a glare they would notice. "This racket is unwarranted."
The language made Astoria snigger and feel gross simultaneously. Theodore looked at his watch to see how long it would be until Astronomy class.
"Our class is due to wake from napping soon. Let's head out now. I think I'll recite the summer constellations on the way up and have you stop me if I say something wrong."
Theodore had done a good job, as he only forgot Norma, Ara, and Circinus.
"What was the lesson she decided to review for us?" Theodore questioned.
"Planetary nebulae," Astoria said.
"Oh, good, good."
What wasn't good was that the staircase changed before they could reach the landing of the third floor, and they were forced to locate the frighteningly wobbly staircase that turned into something like a small, wooden bridge around the fifth floor and led back to the Grand Staircase. All of this they did in perfect silence which neither felt like breaking until they started up the stairs specific to Astronomy Tower.
"Did you get Draco anything for his birthday?" Theodore asked.
"What? No."
"Then he can't guilt me into getting him one."
"Draco and I aren't, erm, on those terms," Astoria felt obliged to inform the other.
"Oh. When you had that fight with him that one night, I thought you indicated he was your good friend. It was a mystery to me, really, that either of you would have anything to do with each other."
"Well, I mean… I mean, I know what you mean," Astoria said clumsily. "Yes, sometimes I wonder why we have anything to do with each other, and that was one of those times."
"Draco and I go way back," Theodore said. "But I don't like his new mates. Er, I've been calling them his 'new mates' for five years now… But Draco and I aren't fair-weather friends like everyone thinks. We're actually only foul-weather friends. Or I am his foul-weather friend. That is to say I listen to him vent. He has quite a few things to say about… about almost everything in the world, really."
"To be honest, I'm not sure what Draco and I are. Perhaps 'fair-weather friends' is the right term. He often drives me mad."
"You often drive him mad," Theodore remarked. "That's one of his favourite topics."
"Is that so?" Astoria said with a puff of air.
"I've heard more about you from him more than I have from you," said Theodore. "And, if I was an impressionable person, I'd be entirely inclined to avoid you. However, it's clear that you can help me earn a high score on the Astronomy O.W.L., so, here we are. I don't find you nearly as awful as many in the House say you are."
"He must say such nice things about me," Astoria said right before realising she needed to stop stomping her feet on the steps.
"He speaks of you in terms of your saving graces," Theodore said. "Though, you and I speak of him in the same terms on a good day."
"Yes, on a good day."
Astoria was infinitely grateful that she only had one O.W.L. to take, and was even more grateful that she could get her most important one finished separately from the rest of them, for she had seen the effects of the overload on the fifth years. The gravity that their entire futures would be affected by tests they took in their mid-teens was generally accepted by the students as preposterous, yet all were powerless to change the system. Astoria was fascinated by Theodore's cool-headedness regarding the matter, but she was astonished when she found that Draco had not made serious effort to study outside of the Astronomy group. For someone who wanted to impress others with his wits, he was acting illogically, holding onto the belief that his family's status would earn him high scores. That was not the case, but if it was, Astoria could not see how Draco thought he would scrape something above an "Acceptable" on any one of his exams.
To keep their wits sharp and their memories unclouded, exam-taking students had resorted to ingesting dodgy ingredients that had been brewed (or otherwise made homogeneous) by other students. Hestia informed Astoria that this phenomenon happens each year, but remarkably, no one notices that all of the products sold across the student body are only placebos at best and owl pellets at worst.
"Everyone trusts the Ravenclaws, but they're out to make a Galleon as much as anyone. I, however, am a good person, and I know how to make my fair share without making anybody throw up snake oil all over their tests!" Hestia declared proudly.
It was not a day later that Hestia carried her official-looking, leather apothecary bag which had at least ten varieties of her specially-made potions, powders, and vitamins. This was how she peddled in Knockturn, and oh, was she good at it. Each bottle was neatly labelled with its purpose, directions, ingredients and their dosages, allergy information, and Hestia's signature. Not even the most convincing of Ravenclaws could compare, and Hestia knew it. En route to various classes, students saw her sitting in windowsills with the light shining flatteringly on her small amount of hair as she convinced them to purchase her products. Her most successful demonstration, advertised the day before the Charms O.W.L., even tempted Astoria to stock up on Hestia's integrative health concoctions.
"It's the House of Slytherin that won't be conning you this time! I've got perfect marks in Potions and Herbology and membership cards at all the best apothecaries," she said, going so far as to display her savings cards as if they were some sort of professional certification. "The rest of these sellers are charlatans, I'm afraid — they're quite content to sell you the mould they find under sinks for you to swallow… But there are no tricks here. I've spent hours researching the best ways to improve focus, memory recall, alertness and sedateness, depending on what you need, and best of all, to help you pass your exams!"
"You're quite the successful businesswoman, eh?" Rhiannon said, impressed.
"I can show you how to brew these, if you like," Hestia offered only to her.
The wind whistled throughout the castle on the Sunday night before the start of the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. Even throughout meals, it was the most notable sound, for about three-hundred students were quiet as they tried to do some eleventh-hour studying for their first exam. Many did not even notice the official examiners' arrival at Hogwarts. They were all extremely elderly, but Astoria could tell they were nonetheless sharp by the way they disregarded Umbridge.
The Charms O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were on Monday. Astoria paid close attention to the way the fifth-years reacted to the written exam they had taken that morning. As it turned out, this year's exam was mostly focused on writing incantations and describing the effects of spells. Some students complained that they had spent time studying specific wand motions when the test did not require that after all. However, the practical Charms examination was worlds apart from the written one. Draco, who shone in Charms, was nearly hysterical back in the common room; he had thoroughly botched three spells. Daphne required Astoria's consolation, for she believed she had failed the entire practical exam. Sobbing, she revealed that she caved under pressure because she had to cast spells at the same time as one of her Ravenclaw ex-boyfriends, Anthony Goldstein, and the school genius, Hermione Granger.
"The best I can get on that is a P!" Daphne figured. "That's the best!"
Astoria informed her that with a 'Poor' score, she was eligible to retake fifth-year Charms and still have a chance at acquiring her Charms O.W.L.
"I'm going to be a fifth-year all over again!" Daphne wept. "All of my practical exams will be with those two! It isn't fair! It isn't fair! I won't get into a single N.E.W.T.!"
Astoria was secretly pleased that Daphne had found some motivation to graduate with a few credentials, but she couldn't find any decent advice that would help her sister to do so. Astoria guessed that she herself wouldn't be able to take any sort of test, much less an O.W.L., if she had to take it with Philippe and Hermione Granger.
"Hey, Daph, I have to take all of mine with a Ravenclaw and Potter," Parkinson related. "That's not easy, either. So, you know what I'm doing? I'm trying to make sure I find the examiner who's as far away from them as possible. Find tables near people from the group before you."
"…You're right, Pansy," Daphne said, encouraged.
Parkinson then glared at Astoria, apparently incensed that Astoria was surprised at her ability to give advice.
The fifth- and seventh-years endured their Transfiguration, Herbology, D.A.D.A., and Ancient Runes exams over the next four days whilst Astoria sat for her History, Transfiguration, and D.A.D.A. finals and cracked down on her Astronomy notes. No fifth-year classes would take place due to the O.W.L.s, but Astoria felt like she was cheated out of more in-class review time. Professor Sinistra said that she would be available to answer questions in the Great Hall when there were no examinations taking place, and Astoria was one of the few students not intimidated by the woman enough to avoid the opportunity. It was during these meetings that Astoria often bumped elbows with Ernie MacMillan, a Hufflepuff who had been in Astoria's class these two years but who always sat miles from her and had a tendency to answer questions incorrectly. Astoria disliked having to share the professor with Ernie; he always asked questions to which Astoria already knew the answers. Astoria had never had class with the other callers, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom, but she was relieved whenever she saw them approaching. They asked Professor Sinistra the questions she also had and made it feel like time was not being wasted.
On Sunday night, when Astoria could not tolerate Ernie's asking about the life cycles of stars for the fourth time, she returned to the common room to find it ablaze with fifth- and seventh-years, who had all but driven out other members of the House. The Potions exams were the very next day, and no one wanted to disappoint Professor Snape. Notes from as far back as 1989 had become community property for the night, people were reciting ingredients in unison, and one quirky seventh-year was walking in circles and saying aloud the flavours of different potions whilst her classmates looked on and grew concerned that they hadn't studied flavours.
Draco and Parkinson apparently did fine on their Potions O.W.L. but complained about Care of Magical Creatures to no end. Then it was time for Astronomy. Draco, Theodore, and Astoria were to meet one last time to study, so after asking Professor Sinistra some final, valuable questions about binary stars, she hurried back to the common room to meet with them. Their last goal before the exam was to successfully dictate the vocabulary list she had assembled.
"Oh my gosh."
"What's wrong, Astoria?" Draco asked, sluggishly flipping through pages in the textbook he was not reading.
"The vocabulary list… it's gone!" Astoria yelped and began tearing through everything on the table in search of the precious papers.
"Settle down!" Theodore exclaimed. "You probably left them in the Great Hall with Sinistra. Go and get them."
"I… if I did that, we're really in trouble… it's fifteen minutes past curfew," Astoria groaned.
"Then, Draco, you're a prefect, you get the vocabulary sheets," Theodore instructed.
"I don't need them," he mumbled uncooperatively. "It's you two who insist on being perfect… just look in the book for the words."
"We already did that to make the list! That will take forever!" Theodore insisted.
"We've done enough vocabulary anyhow," Draco said, "and I'm not wasting my time arguing about it. I'm more concerned about these damn declinations."
As Astoria was accepting defeat, an arresting noise brought the arrival of the bat-eared house-elf, Winky.
"Delivery from Madam Aurora!" she squeaked, holding up the stack of parchment far above her head, trying to reach the table and failing adorably.
"Thank you so much," Astoria said as she took the papers. "I ran off without them. Give her my thanks, please."
"Winky will! We both wishes you luck!" the elf said and Disapparated.
There was an extended moment of silence when Astoria had expected to hear Theodore express his relief or to hear Draco say something snarky. Neither of these things happened; Theodore soundlessly extended his hand for the papers and Draco raised his eyebrows. Theodore gave a hearty cough as though he was trying to "change the subject," but what was curious was that there really had been no subject. He said the word "aberration" for Astoria to define, but Draco interrupted.
"Hey, wait a second, Theodore," he said. "Wasn't that… that elf at the World Cup? Wasn't that Crouch's elf?"
"Of course it was Crouch's elf," Theodore said brusquely. "Aberration."
"An aberration is a—"
"In all my years at this place, I've never seen a house-elf. I thought they weren't supposed to show themselves," Draco veered.
"I've seen that drunken one enough," Theodore said irritably. "I trip on her about once a month going to this class."
"That's bizarre," Draco commented. "You would think they'd throw the elf out after Potter's high-flying heresy."
"It was Dumbledore's doing, I'm sure."
"Ahem… a visual phenomenon in which the velocity of the location of an observer of a celestial body causes the celestial body to appear angled in the direction of the observer's motion," said Astoria.
"What? Oh, yes, that's it. That's right. Absolute magnitude," said Theodore.
"I never did hear your opinion of Potter's interview, Astoria," Draco said enquiringly. "I bet you believed every word."
"Don't…" said Theodore indistinctly, and Astoria could not tell to whom he was speaking.
Leave it to Draco to bring up a sensitive topic — the article which named both boys' fathers as Death Eaters. Astoria had said nothing about it to Draco, and certainly not to Theodore, to avoid one of the biggest elephants she had ever seen in a room. Draco, however, must have wanted to discuss it. Theodore's and Draco's approaches to the subject were incredibly different. Draco denied the interview's credulity, at least outwardly. Theodore, however, as implied by his abhorrence to Draco's mentioning it, had bypassed the stage of denial. Both boys knew the things in Harry Potter's interview were true, but Draco's response was obstinacy whilst Theodore's was uneasiness. For Theodore's sake, Astoria decided to deflect the question rather than announce that she had no doubt about their Death Eater dads, no doubt about Crouch, and no doubt about the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
"Well, what did you think of it?" Astoria asked.
The ambience of the table was injured, and all that could be heard were Draco's drumming fingertips. Astoria could see the soreness in his eyes. He scoffed, "Not much." And then he acted out a scene in which he was tired and yawning. Only Theodore and Astoria remained at the table after that. Theodore was not awaiting the definition of absolute magnetism anymore.
"What good does he think he will do by asking me a question like that?" she grouched.
The question had been hypothetical, a verbal release of her frustration. She almost wished she had not said it after considering how Theodore must have felt. After he spoke, though, she stopped caring.
"He has a bad habit of wasting his time with you."
"Excuse me?"
Astoria never expected such a comment from Theodore.
"That's not what I meant!" he bleated snappily. "I mean, he chooses to enter no-win situations with you repeatedly. You must have noticed this!"
"I have noticed it," Astoria said robustly.
"You don't understand it, do you? Let me put it this way. Have you ever kept glancing outside when it's raining to see if it's stopped raining, even when you know it should rain all day? Or have you ever repeatedly looked in your pantry in the hopes that the food you want will suddenly appear?"
"…Are you comparing me to an empty pantry‽"
"You're missing the point."
"No, I understand perfectly. He's looking for the mindless fan in me that isn't there."
"It's nobler than that," Theodore affirmed, "but equally likely to offend you."
Theodore disguised his inspection of the common room by moving his face only as he massaged the back of his neck. Astoria's peripheral vision hinted that the common room had nearly emptied. She wondered whether it was incredibly late or if people simply did not care to cram in any more Astronomy.
"We're the only ones here," Theodore said.
"In that case, let's find a better seat. I can't be next to these shadows in the water any longer," Astoria juddered.
The duo moved to the chairs by the fire, which had nearly gone out, but continued to glow deep reds and oranges in the crevices of the burnt wood. Theodore looked round once more, cultivating Astoria's interest in what he was about to say.
"The funny thing is that he wouldn't be opposed to my telling you as long as no one else overheard," Theodore said with a tense laugh.
"Well, here we are," Astoria said. "What's so 'noble' about Draco?"
"He's horribly worried about you," Theodore answered.
"Why?"
"You're a huge Mudwallower."
"Don't use that language with me!" Astoria barked. "Don't tell me you're prejudiced after all I've helped you!"
"I stay out of this business," rejoined Theodore. "I've no zeal for either side. What I'm saying, and I guess I shall use kinder terms with you, is that Draco knows your beliefs endanger you. He wishes that you would change, and though it's clear to him that that's impossible, he thinks about this often and has a tendency to whinge at me about it. The Dark Lord doesn't like your type, and he is not someone you want disliking you or your friends. Obviously, it's too late for you based on your choice of a Muggle-born friend. Now I've become mixed up with you, and I fear for you as well. The difference between Draco and me is that I've had to accept the fact that your personal safety is jeopardised, and he has yet to do so. That's why he continues this futile effort to convert you to believing things at least slightly closer to the Dark Lord's doctrines. You're the only friend that he has about whom he has to worry.
"It begs your forgiveness now that I know you, but I advised him last summer to forget about you. I told him that this is what you chose, and that if he'd disregard you, he wouldn't be so upset when you do get yourself into trouble. As you can see, he didn't listen at all. He's really a dreadful listener. Now that things with You-Know-Who are getting, you know, serious, he's more upset. He is upset at you and about you. He says you're opting out of the benefits of You-Know-Who's power. He's always saying, 'I just don't know what I'm going to do about Astoria.' Don't give me that quizzical look; I'm merely telling you what he says. So, anyway, now that you know, perhaps you and he can discuss it instead of him and me. I've run out of things to say to him. He talks about you most every morning."
The explanation was long-winded but not complicated. Astoria's feeling was a different story; it was harassed, irate, entranced, frightened, warm, and aching. She had never felt closer to Draco, yet he wasn't even in the room anymore. She had goose pimples, icy and foreboding, as though they had been hand-drawn on her arms by You-Know-Who himself. She felt the need to check on Rhiannon, to make sure she was safe and sound in bed. She felt a burning, ruthless blush, the product of a perilous mixture of anger and elation. She felt the stare of Theodore Nott, blue-eyed, observant.
"He does not need to worry about me," Astoria said after finding her voice. "I worry about myself enough. He and I had this talk before last summer holiday. I love my friend, and if I die for it, I will not die a liar and a coward."
Theodore raised his eyebrows and clenched his jaw.
"Strong words," he said, his eyes fixing on hers in near disbelief. "If you mean that, I can respect that."
Astoria could tell he was thinking something to the effect of "Nice knowing you," but she had come to peace with her decision last year, and he could not disrupt it.
They quietly went over vocabulary without any more conversation except "goodnights." The dormitory faintly glimmered white from the light of her wand. Flora was wriggling, Hestia was peaceful and still, and Rhiannon was snoring. Astoria fell asleep with thoughts of how dear they were to her.
Though Astoria had an impending O.W.L., she was still required to take her Arithmancy, Charms, Herbology, and D.A.D.A. finals that day. She breakfasted with Draco and Theodore. They all stared vacantly at their notes whilst eating. After breakfast, they waited in the Entrance Hall for the tables in the Great Hall to be transfigured to exam desks. The only long table remaining in the hall was the staff table for the exam proctors. The students filed in and were seated alphabetically. And although Hermione Granger was a curiously noisy writer, and Daphne emitted a handful of tiny sighs, Astoria was not bothered during her exam. She was actually enjoying it, explaining at length every question she was asked. Her reality check came only once she noticed how much sand was at the bottom of the hourglass. She finished exactly on time, and though she was unable to check her work, she remembered being pleased with all of it and had not left a single question unanswered. She smiled to herself each time she overheard students remembering the most difficult questions on the exam, for she had known the answers.
"Oh, put your chin down already," Daphne scowled as they exited the Great Hall together.
After the D.A.D.A. final, Astoria told her roommates all about her experience with the written Astronomy O.W.L. and questioned what they might have to observe during the practical exam at eleven o'clock that night.
She was the leader of the tower-climbers, all one-hundred-forty-something of them. Her heart swelled when she entered the classroom and saw Professor Sinistra, who was absent-mindedly turning the crank on the cometarium.
"How is the sky tonight, Professor?" Astoria beamed.
"It was really quite leaden," she responded. "I had to spend fifteen minutes clearing it. How was the written exam for you?"
"A dream, Professor," Astoria laughed.
"Ah, wonderful. The practical might offend you in that case, I've recently discovered. They made it too easy. I would wish you luck, but I shall save luck for when you truly need it."
"Oh… thank you, Professor!"
The night was nippy, but Astoria was quickly distracted by the sky. It was a bit bright for thorough stargazing but perfectly clear. An elderly examiner handed her a blank star chart, and it soon became so much like Christmas for Astoria that she nearly embarrassed herself thanking the old wizard. Once more, she was positioned between Hermione and Daphne. Farther from her, someone had a particularly squeaky telescope, but the loudest noise Astoria could hear was the scratching of her own quill as she charted the few stars and planets that were visible and decided to fill in all of the celestial objects that would be visible by the end of the examination. She thought she must have looked raving as she rotated the chart and speckled ink in all of the perfect positions. She was like an artist creating pointillism.
Astoria was the first one finished by a large interval. Everyone was peering exhaustively in their telescopes as though they had forgotten that the date was the nineteenth of June, that the year was 1996, that everything would be perfectly in place as it always was…
Astoria decided to look in her telescope to double-check her work, as the other students' persistence with using the tools had made her second-guess herself. She found that everything was in perfect order after all, relaxed, and enjoyed looking at the marvellous sky in peace. Professor Hagrid's dog could be faintly heard barking, but apart from that…
RRAAHH.
What an awful noise coming from the grounds and ruining the peace! Instantly, the students were full of motion as they tried to find the source of the sound. The examiners were able to quell the disturbance until the loud lash of a spell could be heard.
"No!" Hermione shrieked, jumping from her seat to better see the grounds. Nearly every student joined her, though Astoria was too intimidated by thoughts of disqualification to see what the commotion was in detail. Instead, she peeked determinedly through the crenel nearest her whilst others endured the bewildered protests of the examiners.
"You won't take me like this!" Professor Hagrid shouted.
A duel?
Confused by the noise, Astoria focused her eyes in time to see the red blazes of Stunning Spells. Hermione screamed in her ear. Other girls started screaming in her other ear. Astoria found herself sitting with her back against the battlement and her wand drawn in no time. She tugged on her sister's robes until she joined her in what they both considered the safest spot available.
"COWARDS!" Professor Hagrid shouted as he could be heard slugging his assailants with his massive fists.
Somewhere, evidently, was the pink one; Astoria could have recognised that awful chirrup from a mile away. She huddled against her sister's shoulder as she heard the stomping of a massive man running off in the distance… and without a word of explanation for those who had hidden from rather than witnessed the event, one of the examiners simply announced that there were five minutes remaining of the exam. Astoria spent those five minutes right where she had hidden, clutching her valuable star chart in one hand and her wand in the other. Those who continued their business amazed her.
Time was called, and Daphne twirled upwards to avoid humiliation; she latched onto Parkinson's arm and started asking questions about the noises on their speedy way out. Everybody had blended into a loud mob by the time Astoria lifted herself off the cold, scratchy stone.
"What on Earth were you doing?"
"Not getting Stunned," Astoria answered the voice she instantly recognised as Draco's. "I see Parkinson's left you to fend for yourself up here."
"Hm, she'd never," Draco considered. "Your sister stole her. And we're way out of the line of fire. Stunning Spells don't have that sort of range, Astoria."
Astoria grumbled as she discovered she had earned a scrape on her knee from trying to get her sister to safety. She and Draco turned in their star charts and went down the spiral staircase. Astoria wanted to speak with Professor Sinistra, but she was teaching the class of first years.
"Oh, there you two are," said Theodore as the pair came into his earshot. "What a mess with Professor Hagrid…"
"What happened, exactly?" Astoria wondered.
"Umbridge brought a squadron of Ministry workers to help her sack the professor. It went less than smoothly, as you know," Theodore said. "Professor McGonagall's been hit with a flurry of Stunning Spells…"
"Is she all right‽"
"Nobody knows," Theodore said.
"Oh, God…" Astoria sighed. "That Umbridge is a wicked woman… wicked…"
"Watch out, Astoria, her minion is among us," Theodore said mockingly.
"Shut it, Nott," Draco said.
The noise of the sprinting mass in front of the trio diminished significantly after the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws parted for their towers. To make up for it, it seemed, the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs soon became louder. Astoria, Draco, and Theodore, though, did not have very much to say. Astoria wondered if Draco knew about the discussion she and Theodore had the previous night, and she wondered if she could keep herself from waking up her dorm mates to tell them what had happened on the grounds. Hestia and Rhiannon were definitely going to miss Professor Hagrid…
"How was the test for you two?" asked Draco.
"I probably got an E," Theodore said contently. "My problem arose when I made one mistake with Apus and made everything else surrounding it messy once I became confused."
"That's a shame, Theodore, considering the fact that your study partners both got O's," Draco bantered.
"You? An O? You told me the written exam was dire," Theodore stated.
"I did not. I said I forgot one constellation that I knew I would hate myself for when I remembered what it was," Draco maintained.
"Which one did you forget?" Astoria asked.
"Scorpius," Draco said. "I know, I know… 'How can you forget Scorpius and remember something like Pavo, Draco?' 'We studied Scorpius for a whole day, Draco!' 'It's a Zodiacal constellation, and you're in Divination class, Draco!' I don't want to hear it. I missed all five questions about Scorpius."
"At least now you won't forget it again," Astoria said.
"Not after missing five questions I won't," Draco nodded.
"You probably remembered Pavo because of your nutty grandfather's peacock farm," Theodore commented.
"Quiet about my grandfather. He's ill right now," Draco informed.
"Oh… Sorry, mate."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Draco."
"M-hm, thanks."
Everyone in the common room wanted to discuss the newest Umbridge ordeal. Astoria instead walked straight for her dormitory. With everything that Theodore had told her about Draco, the sight of Parkinson kissing him had never been so ugly.