Professor Snape asked Draco, Harry, Hermione, and Ron to stay after class. "I spoke to Professor Dumbledore. He told me that the carriages are and have always been pulled by thestrals, and thestrals can only be seen by people who have seen death."
Draco was confused. "But, Astra's never seen death."
"Didn't she witness her father killing a werewolf?"
"But, it was a werewolf. A werewolf doesn't count," he said, raising his voice, "especially not when our dad was saving her life."
"It's still seeing death," Ron said.
"Fine," Draco snapped, "but I'm going to be the one to tell her." He knew that she wouldn't take the information well.
At the beginning of lunch, Draco pulled Astra and Starbeam out into the hallway, and explained that the carriages are pulled by thestrals, which can only be seen by those who have seen death.
"But, I've never seen death."
"Professor Snape said you probably saw dad kill the werewolf that attacked you."
Draco watched his sister go silent, and freeze. He wondered what she was thinking.
Starbeam rubbed against her leg, and Draco started to pick the cat up, but stopped when he noticed Astra trembling a lot. Thinking about what his mom would do, he stood up, gently grabbed Astra, and lowered her down to the ground. Starbeam crawled into Astra's lap, and Draco wrapped his arms around his sister.
Draco hadn't expected Astra to have a full-blown attack, but she had.
Draco left Astra with Starbeam, and went into the great hall. Heather rushed up to him. "Draco, is Astra all right?" she asked.
"Well, she got very upset. I think about more then just the therestrals, but I'm not sure what. We're going to eat out in the hall. Don't bother us."
Heather went back to her table.
Draco prepared two plates of food, and poured two glasses of pumpkin juice. He only had two hands, so he levitated both plates and glasses with her wand, and went out the door. He carefully lowered everything to the ground, and then he sat down beside Astra.
"Thank you, Draco," Astra said.
"You're welcome," he said, with a sad smile. "Could you tell me what you were thinking about, when you started panicking."
Astra paused, taking a few deep breaths. "The memory of dad walking into my room, brandishing his wand, and rescuing me from the werewolf was a memory that I had always held on to. I'd think about it whenever it seemed like he didn't love me anymore. I hardly ever thought about what happened right after that, which was the werewolf falling over dead, but I've thought about it now, and I hate thinking about that."
Her tone got bitter. "The werewolf was a monster, and it deserved to die. If all lycanthropes bothered to drink wolfsbane potion, then lycanthropy would one day be a thing of the past. If all lycanthropes, from before the invention of wolfsbane potion had bothered to get locked up, every full moon night, lycanthropy would already be a thing of the past. Shame on them, and shame on their families."
Draco took a deep breath. "You're right. It's horrible." He really did think it was horrible, but he wondered right afterwards if that was the best thing to say.
"And shame on the bratty girl I was before the attack," Astra continued. "And shame on the repeated thoughts that she had become a better person after the attack. I'm damaged goods, and there's nothing good about it."
Draco stared at her, in shock, at a loss for words. "I love you," he suddenly blurted out. He could not remember ever saying that to her before, but he meant it.
Astra looked at her in shock.
Something dawned on him, which he had suspected for years.
Astra threw her arms around him. Seconds later, they pulled away, and looked at each other.
Draco took a deep breath. "You are not damaged goods, well you are damaged, but it's not like it's your fault or anything. You used to seem so weak and vulnerable, but now it just seems like you have a lot of crap to deal with that I don't, and you're not a spoiled snob like me, and you don't pick on other people to avoid showing vulnerability. I'm sorry I used to pick on you."
Astra smiled, slightly. "I love you, too."
At dinner that evening, people were talking about Harry's shouting match with Professor Umbridge. "Let's get out of here," Hermione said.
"We can eat by the kitchens," Astra suggested.
Astra, Starbeam, Hermione, Heather, Samuel, Harry, and Ron left and went to their S.P.E.W. meeting spot, right outside the kitchens. Astra and Starbeam went into the kitchen.
Dobby rushed over to them, and they exchanged pleasantries.
"Would you like to come out and eat with us?" Astra asked.
"Dobby would love too," Dobby said. "Dobby will be right out."
Astra went out and sat down, with the other.
Dobby brought out a tray with enough food for everyone, and they all ate in silence, for a bit.
"So, how have you been, Dobby?" Astra asked.
"Great. Winky's been great too. We each get a day off a week now, and we visit each other on those days. I've been teaching her how to read."
Astra smiled, and so did everyone else.
"Good for her, and good for you too Dobby."
"How are you, Harry? Dobby's been worried about you."
"Not too great. I just got in trouble for getting mad when our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher said Voldemort was not back, and now everyone's talking about it in the great hall."
"Dobby is very sorry," he said, sadly. He looked at Astra. "How have you been, Astra?"
"Not too great. I've been more anxious, since finding out Voldemort returned. Also, my metamorphmagus powers have disappeared again."
Narcissa sent Scorpius back to Hogwarts. She opened the letter, from Draco, and read it. It explained the thestrals, Astra's panic attack, and his conversation with Astra afterwards. Narcissa ended up in tears.
First, she wrote a letter to Draco, and how proud she was of him and the great way he had handled that. Next, she tried to write a letter to Astra about it, but she could not come up with what to say. It eventually occurred to her that is sounded like Draco had handled it so well that maybe she did not have to say anything about it, and if she did say anything about it then Astra would know that Draco told her about their private conversation.