AN: Dedicated to StickyKeys1.

Hey, you lot! I'm so sorry for the late update, but to get you to forgive me, I've got an extra-large chapter! Hope this makes it better!

So some people have asked whether Astra's birthdate change negates the prophecy. Yes it does - poor girl's already got to deal with six more Horcruxes, no need to add a prophecy to the load.

Date Updated: 2/7/2021

Words: 4073

Astra Malfoy: Calm Before The Storm

Chapter 14

Astra absolutely loathed Ronald Weasley. She could be regularly seen in the common room muttering to her friends angrily about Weasley's latest ways of aggravating her. Today, it was him sabotaging her potion. Draco had completely ruined Weasley's potion afterwards, but nothing could make up for the horrible disappointed look Severus had sent her - not for messing up the potion, but for allowing Weasley to.

Her friends had tried everything to cheer her up. Draco had suggested a game of chess. Of course, since Astra was pants at it, that did absolutely nothing for her. Daphne, ever the princess, had told her to take a shower. Astra was sceptical of this particular method, but she did so. While the water was warm and soothing , it did nothing for her mood, especially after soap dripped into her eyes and she was forced to leap out of the shower to grab a towel.

However, a day later, a notice was posted up in the Inner Common Room - a notice that cheered Astra up very much indeed. The Inner Common's door was the one behind the throne that Astra had thought led to the dorms. It didn't.

The door was charmed for only Slytherins just in case the curious Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff(Gryffindors were never allowed in) wanted to know what was behind the door. Inside the Inner Common Room, notices and Slytherin meetings were held. Most people thought outsiders never ventured into the common room as a whole.

They were wrong.

Outsiders had never visited the Inner Common Room. The Inner Common room had another door inside it that actually led to the dorms. It was in those particular dorms that Astra allowed herself to scream with joy, because the notice had read that flying lessons began on Thursday. It was an ongoing debate between Blaise and Daphne, which Malfoy twin was looking forward to Flying most. But Astra didn't realize Daphne had been listening to her yell.

After Daphne stated to Blaise that obviously Astra was more excited because she screamed, Blaise relented, sporting the same expression Astoria had during the Great Greengrass Debate. One of defeat.

When the day for the flying lessons arrived, Astra was practically bouncing in her shoes. Daphne, who, of course, hated Quidditch with a passion, was griping about how she oh so desperately wished that she didn't have to do it.

Astoria, whom Astra and the other Slytherins talked to regularly, was looking forward to it as well, and said she might try out in her Second Year.

Hermione was terrified, because Quidditch was the one thing that she couldn't learn from a book.

Reportedly, she spent the entire morning that Thursday boring even the Ravenclaws other than Neville(who was just as worried) with her readaloud of Quidditch Through the Ages.

Luna Lovegood, an eccentric Ravenclaw Neville had befriended, who had become a good friend to Astra even if Draco thought she was mad for talking to a loony girl, was neither excited nor worried. When Astra asked her about her feelings on the matter, she said something about the Blibbering Humdingers telling her she'd be fine.

At exactly three-thirty that afternoon, Astra and the rest of the First Year Slytherins hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first official flying lesson.

It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

It took about seven minutes more for the very unpunctual Gryffindors to arrive, and by then, the Slytherins had already gotten down to analyzing the shabby school brooms.

Millicent Bulstrode had said that Fred and George Weasley said that some brooms started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left, or if you went near the Forbidden Forest on one, it would break and you'd get eaten by a Acromantula.

Astra was quite sure the last one was a lie, but the rest, by the looks of the brooms at her feet, were not. The teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived around the same time as the Gryffs.

She was of a short stature and had even shorter grey hair and eyes like a hawk. "Well, what are you all waiting for?!" Was the first thing she said to them(more like to the Gryffindors), "stand by a broom! Come on, hurry up!" Astra stood next to Blaise, with Draco flanking her other side..

A Gryffindor boy called Dean Thomas was standing opposite her. His broom was ugly and had twigs all over it, but she couldn't talk - hers was exactly the same.

Astra frowned. When the class ended, she would send an owl to her father about the pitiful state of these brooms. Surely Hogwarts could afford better.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Astra's broom jumped into her hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Blaise's was moved up about two centimeters before it slumped back to the ground. Daphne's simply rolled over pathetically.

Dean Thomas's quivered before resolutely staying absolutely still. This was no toy broom, she realized ruefully.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Astra laughed the hardest at her twin when Hooch told him he'd been holding it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said

Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle — three — two —"

But Thomas, whose fingers had simply pressed forward, shot upwards like a cork from a bottle before the whistle touched Madam Hooch's lips. "AIIIIIIIEEEEEEE! HELP ME!" Screamed Thomas as he rose higher.

"Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch shrieked.

"I'm tryiiiin-AHHHHHHH!" His broom flipped. "Help!"

Astra saw his panicked, white face glance straight into her eyes as his fingers slipped, and his face was facing the broom as his body fell through the air.

Hooch raised her wand, but before she could utter a spell, Thomas was sobbing because he had landed on his ankle as his broom lazily floated into the Forbidden Forest.

Thomas's foot was twisted to the side unnaturally. It was a sickening sight for sure, and Astra could barely help but retch inwardly. Once Thomas had been carried away completely by Hooch, Draco started laughing hysterically. "Did you see his face, the great lump?"

"Shut up, Draco," Astra said quietly, but no one heard her. The ability to laugh at someone you barely while they were in pain was a sick one.

"Maybe if he wasn't a mudblood, he'd know how to fly and not land on his fat arse!" Blaise joined in with a sneer.

"Shut up." She said a little louder.

"Honestly, he's practically a retard-"

"Shut up!" She shouted. Sparks flew from her wand as the class watched on, amazed. "Don't insult his heritage - or have you forgotten I am part-mudblood, too?!"

Draco's face was growing red at being challenged in public - by his girl sister, no less. "Think you're so special, then? How about a race...Potter."

Everyone gasped. They all knew(even the muggleborns) about how Astra publicly renounced the name Potter.

Astra's Gryffindor genetics were taking over. She tilted forward on the broom as Draco did the same. "The tree and back - see who wins, scum!"

"How dare you!" Draco zipped forward and Astra followed. "At least I'm not the half-blood spawn of a mudblood and a blood traitor!"

Astra shoved her broom even faster, but Draco said, "McGonagall's coming!"

She smiled slyly. "I know what to do."

They wafted down, their minds in tandem as a temporary truce formed out of the desire to not get expelled.

Step 1: Insult Weasley.

"Weasley, how's life for you away from that hovel you call your home?"

"Missing your mummy? She can't afford to travel here, and even if she could, she'd have to get herself through the door first!" Pansy laughed.

The other Slytherins were slowly starting to catch on.

"I can smell the pollution from your breath in the air," Blaise sneered.

"The day you were born was the day all the good in the world died." Added Vincent with surprising intelligence. Astra had underestimated him.

"I'll show you!" Weasley raged.

Step 2: Get onto the broom.

He got onto his broom and so did Astra, just as McGonagall walked out.

She slipped her scarf into his pocket discreetly, continuing to glare at him.

"Pot- Malfoy! Weasley! What in Merlin's name are you doing?!"

Step 3: Innocently implicate Weasley.

Astra adopted an innocent expression. "Sorry Professor! Weasley took my scarf- and- and-" she pretended to shiver - "I needed to get it back.."

"What scarf?!" Weasley shouted.

"Mr Weasley, are you trying to lie? I see that scarf in your pocket." McGonagall scolded him.

"But there's no scarf in my bloody pocket!" He protested.

Then he looked down. "What! I swear Professor, it was planted! I didn't do it!"

"Detention, Mr Weasley, and ten points off for lying to me and stealing from a classmate. The detention will be served with Professor Snape." McGonagall said severely. "And you, Miss Malfoy! I understand you had mostly noble intentions, but flying is still against the rules. I shall send you a note on your punishment tomorrow after I discuss it with your Head of House."

Score.

Professor McGonagall stalked away, and the class went on as usual. Draco and Astra sent angry looks towards each other and hurled vitriol through the mind link for the entirety of the class.

Thomas came back, a little embarrassed.

After Astra and Draco's fight, no one made fun of him, though. Everyone was relatively silent. The first thing Astra did when she finished the class was head to the Owlery to send Father a note on the school brooms.

Father,

I send you this letter to, of course, inform you long overdue, and for that I apologize, that Draco and I have been Sorted into Slytherin. I have added Neville Longbottom and an intelligent muggleborn named Hermione Granger to my list of acquaintances.

Fear not, Father. I have not turned. I am neither a bleeding hearted Hufflepuff nor an empty-headed Gryffindor. I simply think she will be useful as an ally.

Classes were satisfactory. Potions, of course, was quite interesting - Ronald Weasley blew up his cauldron. Speaking of Weasley, he has repeatedly accosted me in a(fruitless) attempt to gain my favors. When that proved to be a foolish strategy, he thankfully gave up. He now insults and belittles us at every turn. Out of pure curiosity, how is Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act going?

I have, unfortunately, an issue with Flying Class, however. The brooms are practically prehistoric! They are frayed and absolutely disgusting and certainly not satisfactory. I would recommend the Board of Governors have a discussion on the merits of Comet Two Sixties instead of...whatever those are.

Your loving daughter,

Astra Malfoy(her seal, the star)

Daughter,

Do try not to infect Draco with your unfortunate case of lateness from now on. I am, of course, proud you have been Sorted into the House of our ancestors. However, concern becomes me as I hear that you have befriended a muggleborn.

Are you sure she is...suitable?

Longbottom, if he is as powerful as his parents, should be a worthy friendship.

As for Ronald Weasley and his family, I relayed your concerns to Theophrastus, and unfortunately, the Muggle Protection Act was widely opposed. A shame, truly. And surprisingly, Arthur Weasley was found to be harboring a flying car in a recent raid for "contraband".

I shall discuss your concerns about the brooms at the Board Meeting this Sunday.

Your father,

Lord Lucius Malfoy(his seal, the crown)

As soon as the class ended, Astra was called to Severus' office. She waved goodbye to her friends and slowly mounted the stone steps of the staircase. She quietly tiptoed towards the dungeon, trying not to call any attention to herself. As she neared her godfather's office, she wanted to melt into the ground.

"Astra," his voice was low and angry.

"I'm sorry, Sev- Professor," she corrected herself.

"Messing around on a broom like a Gryffindor?!" He was pacing angrily, all while his eyes were directly staring daggers into her eyes.

"I got Weasley in trouble!" She defended herself.

"At the price of yourself and Draco!" Severus nearly shouted.

"And Draco?" Astra asked worriedly. Despite her ongoing feud with him, he was still her brother.

"He, you, and Weasley will be serving detention with me every day for the next week until the next flying class." He informed her.

"But Severus!" She moaned, horrified.

"Stop whining like a Hufflepuff." Severus snapped. "You will start your detention now."

"But-"

"Scrub the cauldrons!" He ordered.

Astra gritted her teeth. "Yes, Professor Snape." She scrubbed the cauldrons methodically, all while cursing the day she began to love Severus, because that just made her pain worse. After about an hour, Severus asked her why he was angry. Astra's first instinct was to say, because I disobeyed Madam Hooch, then she realized Severus wouldn't be asking her if it was that. "Because I...got in trouble?" she guessed.

"Yes, but no." He replied. She waited for him to elaborate.

"You shamed Slytherin House when you foolishly tried to play yourself as innocent. You are worthless." Severus's words sliced through her like a knife. She winced.

"If you had stayed a cunning Slytherin, you would have been Princess of Slytherin by Fifth Year. Now? This is an alarming setback. You acted foolishly, and you have shamed us." He explained. "While it was intelligent, the way you lost Gryffindor points, it was a cover up for your mess-up on the broom and your feud with Draco. You should not have needed a cover-up."

"So what do I do, Severus?" Astra almost yelled.

"You cunningly lead your enemies into a trap instead of sloppily getting yourself detained," he rolled his eyes. "Leave. I expect an essay at least a foot long detailing all of your mistakes. Additionally, I want a paragraph on suitable insults to call yourself in that situation."

"Yes, sir!" Astra said cheekily. Her spirits were back up, had been since the moment he called her "intelligent".

"Out," he ordered.

As she was about the step over the threshold, Severus called her back. "And Astra?"

Astra turned around.

"Expect a package this evening."

When the owls flooded into the Great Hall that night, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Astra was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was honestly not very surprised when it was dropped straight onto her plate.

A letter marked with READ FIRST on it was hanging off the parcel. Astra ripped it off and eagerly unfolded it, Blaise on her left and Daphne on her right glancing over her shoulder.

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE

You will be playing Chaser for the Slytherin Team.

The parcel contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand - do NOT show ANYONE other than perhaps your brother and a few trustworthy friends. Marcus Flint will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session. They occur every Thursday.

Professor Severus Snape

Astra gleefully showed it off to her friends. Draco, still estranged from her, was practically green with envy. Pansy, who sat across from her, relayed the message to their friends at the Ravenclaw Table. Astoria sent her a thumbs up while Hermione mouthed something about Quidditch Through The Ages.

At once, the entire group, even Hermione, Neville, Astoria, Theo, and Luna rose. They headed for the dungeons, eager to open the package, but found the way barred by Weasley, Thomas, and Seamus Finnegan.

Weasley, before anyone could stop him, snatched the broom out of Astra's hands and felt it intently. "You're in for it now, Potter," he smirked, a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "This," he waved it at her, "is a broomstick."

"No, it's my staff," Astra said mockingly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Obviously it's a broomstick, Weasley. A Nimbus Two Thousand, to be exact. What was it I said about slapping on some glasses?"

"You'll be in big trouble now," Weasley said. "Good broomstick or not, First Years aren't allowed them."

"And you and your family would know so much about broomsticks." She snarked. "I suppose you lot have to save up twig by twig."

Before he could answer, Professor Flitwick was there. "Oh, hullo, children!" He said jovially. "Not fighting, I hope?" He raised an eyebrow at Astra dn Weasley.

"She's got a broomstick!" Weasley snitched.

"Ah, yes!" He said cheerfully. "I heard all about the special circumstances, Mr Weasley."

Weasley looked red. Astra took the moment to turn around with her friends and head towards the Slytherin Common Room.

When they reached the door, she knocked on it thrice, then kicked it with her foot. Seconds later, it opened. It wasn't the knocking that opened it, of course. The knocking was there as a precaution to hide the real way to get it - the password. If a Slytherin came with non-Slytherins, they would perform an intricate pattern of kicking and knocking.

Then, whichever Prefect was there at the moment would allow the door to open. The Prefect could only open it if they looked through the secret spyhole and saw that whoever was there was a Slytherin. Non-Slytherins could not get in on their own.

Astra and her friends settled down on armchairs in the Common Room. She could tell the other Slytherins were quite annoyed at hosting a "loony girl" and a mudblood, but Astra's glares seemed to intimidate them enough to zip it. At least it's only the Outer Common Room.

"Okay everyone, the great unveiling of the…NIMBUS TWO THOUSAND!" She cried dramatically. She ripped it open and sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle and a long tail of neat, straight twigs with Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top, was the Nimbus in all its glory.

Astoria and Draco, the Quidditch fanatics they were, reverently gazed upon the broom. "She's beautiful," Astoria breathed.

"Hey, it's MY broom! Shouldn't I get to pick the gender?" She joked.

"Too late." Luna said dreamily. "Unfortunately, the Nargles on the broom will only accept female as its gender."

Uneasy glances were exchanged by all the Slytherins plus Hermione minus Astra, who just laughed and said, "does that mean that it's female-exclusive?"

Draco looked horrified. "It better not be, Greengrass!" He aimed this at Astoria. "YOU changed the gender!"

"It's not." Hermione broke in.

"What?" Everyone asked.

"Female-exclusive," Hermione rolled her eyes. "No offense Luna, but I don't really believe in those...creatures, so I can safely say brooms don't have a gender or a gender preference."

"Good!" Draco grabbed at the Nimbus, but Astra snatched it back. "You haven't said sorry."

"Well, I'm not." Draco said arrogantly.

"Hmm." She glared at him.

"Ooh, I have an idea." Pansy said.

"Yeah?" Astra asked interestedly.

"Chess game!" Pansy and Daphne said in unison.

"But I'm pants at it!" She protested.

"Stress chess, darling," Pansy said arrogantly, sounding much like Astra's mother. "You don't need to be good."

So Astra agreed reluctantly, Hermione was the referee, and the game began. "Pawn d2 to d4." She said.

"Good opening move!" Pawn D2 commented.

"Pawn e7 to e6." Draco countered.

"You should've gone further," Pawn E7 chided.

"Knight g1 to f3!" Astra ordered.

And so the game went on. About fifteen minutes later, Draco had her in a checkmate.

"Sod it," she muttered. "Good show."

Sorry.

Sorry.

"They're sorry, I can tell," Astoria said.

"Well, now that's sorted," Theo remarked.

"Who wants to work on my essay?" Astra asked.

"On what?" Hermione narrowed her eyes a little.

"We have to do the second portion - insulting me based on what I did wrong at flying class." She explained.

"Insulting you? I'm down," Blaise smirked.

"Prat." Astra muttered.

"Wait - what happened at flying class?" Astoria asked.

Draco explained.

"How Gryffindorish of you, Astra," Astoria teased.

"All of you, in?" Astra ignored Astoria.

"Yeah," "Sure," "Why not?" Chorused the group.

"I call starting." Daphne raised her hand.

"I'm wounded, Daph." Astra raised a hand to her chest.

"You know what I mean." She said.

"Let's make a list," Suggested Hermione.

"I have a quill!" Luna said.

Astoria took out paper from her sack and placed it on the table next to the Wizard Chess board. The paper was too big, and didn't fit fully on the table.

"Dammit." said Theo.

"Language," Hermione chastised. She picked up the Wizard Chess set and gingerly placed it on the ground next to the chair she was seated on.

"Sorted." Neville said.

"Let's work on the list," Astra jumped in.

"Daphne first, right?" Astoria questioned.

"Yeah." Daphne confirmed.

The list was as follows:

Daphne

Draco

Blaise

Pansy

Vincent

Greg

Theo

Astoria

Neville

Luna

Hermione

"Okay, I've got one." Daphne said. "You acted like an uncouth Gryffindor."

"Not bad, not bad," Astra said appraisingly. She scrawled that down quickly and it was Draco's turn next.

"My turn. Gryffindor reincarnate." Draco sneered.

"I'm not putting that down, brother mine." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Draco said teasingly. "You have to!"

"But-"

"Let's vote, all!" Blaise raised his voice. "Who votes Astra writes it down?"

The vote was eight to three.

"Get writing, Astra!" Astoria snorted.

"I hate you all," she grumbled, but wrote it down nonetheless. "Who's next in line to torture me now?"

"Me," Blaise said evilly.

"I'm doomed, aren't I," she moaned.

"More like recklessly idiotic and mulish." Blaise said.

Astra pointed her quill at him. "You, Zabini, are a sadist."

"And proud of it. Why isn't your quill moving?"

Astra wrote it down.

AN: The scene with the scarf is derived from The Ambitions of Rebekah Potter by Alexandria Biast.

Answer to my House: Slytherin.

Question: What would your animagus form be?

I actually planned Training With Flint but I just kinda lost the motivation, so I cut it off and I will leave it to your imagination. I know the Midnight Duel happens before Harry gets his broom, but we can safely assume Slytherins move faster 'cause they have more money. And I know the group is big(12 people!) but I hope I did a good job with them. I'll post a list of Astra's friend group just to make things easier:

Draco Malfoy - Slytherin

Vincent Crabbe(Friend, not a best friend) - Slytherin

Gregory Goyle(Friend, not a best friend) - Slytherin

Blaise Zabini - Slytherin

Astra Malfoy - Slytherin

Daphne Greengrass - Slytherin

Pansy Parkinson(Friend, not a best friend) - Slytherin

Theodore Nott - Ravenclaw

Neville Longbottom - Ravenclaw

Luna Lovegood - Ravenclaw

Hermione Granger - Ravenclaw

Astoria Greengrass - Ravenclaw

Don't worry though, the next chapter is all about the duel!

Question: What would your animagus form be?