Draco turned into a ferret, and was bounced up and down. He was repeatedly slammed against the floor, and squealed in pain.
Astra awoke, breathing heavily, to find Starbeam pawing at her face. Astra hadn't had a nightmare in awhile, but Starbeam still remembered how to notice and wake her up. Astra sat up in bed, and held Starbeam to her chest, stroking her. She was glad that she had Starbeam around, and that at least this nightmare had not involved werewolves. Astra heard what sounded like footsteps approaching.
"Astra, are you alright?" asked one of her dorm mates, in a whisper.
"Yeah," Astra said. "I just had a bad dream."
"Oh. Um... do you want to talk about it?"
"No, but thanks for asking." Astra pulled the curtains a tiny bit apart, and peeked through the hole. She realized why she hadn't recognized the voice. It was Heather, the other girl who rarely said anything.
Astra and Draco ran into each other in the hallway, shortly before breakfast the next morning. Draco took Astra's hand, and pulled her into an empty corridor, and they each told each other what had happened the evening before.
Before they separated, there was something else Draco wanted to know. "How are you doing, with the other kids in your year?"
Astra looked down, sadly. "It's-it's like I can't really talk to anyone outside the family, unless they start the conversation first, and it doesn't help that I feel so out of place with the other Gryffindor's." Hermione and Harry were the only Griffindor's who had tried to make her feel like she belonged. Her mother had sent her an owl, yesterday, telling her that it was okay that she had been sorted into Gryffindor, but she couldn't help but wonder if her mother was really fine with ir or if she just wrote that to make her feel better. She also couldn't help but notice that her father had not signed the letter.
"I know it's scary," Draco said, "but it's good to have friends your own age."
"I know. I'll try." Astra was more comfortable interacting with people who were older then she was. That's what she was used to, and she wondered if she really needed friends her own age.
Harry cringed when Draco approached, but Draco didn't say anything. He simply set a folded up piece of paper on the desk beside Harry's, where Hermione was sitting, and then walked away.
Hermione picked up the note, opened it, read it, and gasped. She then handed the note over to Harry and Ron.
Granger, thank you for helping Astra yesterday.
That evening, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Astra, and Starbeam, went to the kitchens. They went down a staircase, and found themselves in front of a painting of food.
Harry looked at the painting, that was where the marauders map said the door to the kitchen was. He hesitated, and then touched the painting, and it turned into a door.
They walked through it, into a large kitchen. Some of the house-elves looked at them. One of them, who was covered in various different clothes, started rushing toward them.
"Harry Potter, sir! Astra!" He stopped a few feet in front of Astra. "Dobby is sorry, Astra. I hope I didn't startle you."
"You didn't. I'm not as easily startled as I once was."
"D-Dobby?" Harry gasped.
"It is Dobby, sir, it is!" Dobby looked back and forth, between Harry and Astra.
"May Dobby hug you?" he asked Astra. She nodded, and they hugged.
He looked at Harry. "May Dobby hug you, sir?" he asked Harry. He nodded, and they hugged.
"Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, and Astra, and Harry Potter and Astra has both come to see him, and at the same time!"
"Yeah," Harry said. "We met in the great hall, after Astra was sorted into Gryffindor."
Dobby looked at Astra. "You're a Gryffindor! Congratulations!"
"Thanks, although I really don't know how I ended up in Gryffindor."
"Why wouldn't you?"
"Well, I'm basically a coward."
"No you're not. Just because some things require more courage from you then from most people, that doesn't mean you're a coward. You've got a lot more nerve than you give yourself credit for. Gryffindor will be good for you."
"Thanks, Dobby. I hope you're right. Did you get a paid job here?"
"Yes. Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby a job!"
"Congratulations Dobby!" Astra said.
"Thank you!" Dobby said. "Would Harry Potter, Astra, and friends like a cup of tea?" Dobby asked.
"Er - year, okay," Harry said.
Sudden, six house-elves were holding trays in front of Harry, Astra, Ron and Hermione. The trays were landed with teapots, cups, biscuits, and a jug of milk.
"Good service!," Ron said, sounding impressed.
Hermione frowning at Ron, while Astra poured a cup of milk and put on the floor, and then Starbeam started to lap it up.
"How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked.
"Only since yesterday. For over a year Dobby has traveled the country, sir, trying to find work. But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now."
The house-elves, who had been listening and watching, all looked away.
"Good for you, Dobby," Hermione praised.
"Thank you, miss!" said Dobby, grinning. "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. "That's not the point of a house-elf," they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face. Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes, and he wants to get paid. Dobby likes being free!
"And then Dobby realize that Astra will probably start Hogwarts soon, and that Harry Potter will probably still be at Hogwarts! And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, if Dobby wants paying! And so, Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby gets a galleon a week, and one day off a month!"
"That's not very much," Hermione said.
"Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off," he said, with a shiver, "but Dobby beat him down miss ... Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better."
Dobby told them about his plans for his wages, which was mostly buying new clothes. Eventually, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Astra realized that they should probably get back to their dormitory before curfew, so they prepared to take their leave.
Many of the surrounding house-elves, while bowing and curtsying, offered snakes to take back with them. Hermione refused, with a pained look, while Harry and Ron loaded their pockets with cream cakes and pies. Astra started to reach for a cream cake, but then she paused, looked at Hermione, and pulled her hand away.
"Thanks a lot," Harry said. "See you, Dobby!"
"Goodnight, Dobby," Astra said.
"Astra, Dobby can come and see you sometimes, right?"
Astra smiled. "Yeah. I would love that."
"Harry Potter ... can Dobby come and see you, sometimes, sir?"
"Course you can," said Harry.
Dobby beamed.
"But you don't have to call me sir, all the time. You can just call me Harry," he said.
"Alright, Harry," Dobby said.
"And you don't have to call me miss," Hermione called back, as they walked out the door.
"You know what?" said Ron. "All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George - nicking food from the kitchens - well, it's not exactly difficult, is it? They can't wait to give it away!"
"I think this is the best thing that could have happened those elves, you know," said Hermione. "Dobby coming to work here, I mean the other elves will see how happy he is being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them that they want that too."
"I hope so," said Astra. "It's good that they make the best of what they've got, but it's still sad. Dobby's not all simple minded, like house-elves are supposed to be, and I've wondered if they might all have the potential to not be simple minded at all."