Astra kept thinking about the longing way Starbeam had looked at Crookshanks, and about how what they were doing was apparently what sexual intercourse was.
The next morning, Astra was leaving the her dorm when Hermione approached her. "Astra, you know that Crookshanks wasn't trying to hurt Starbeam, right?"
"I realize that now. I feel like I should apologize to him."
Narcissa was very upset about the letter she got from Hogwarts. It claimed that there was an enchantment on Hogwarts that made pets less likely to want to have sexual intercourse with each other, but it did not keep pets from doing it entirely. When did pets did have sexual intercourse with each other, Hogwarts could put enchantments on those pets that made them unable to have babies, but they did not want to do that without permission.
Narcissa was furious. She apparated into Hogsmeade.
Years ago, before the attack, Astra had not been the anxious girl that she was today. She never panicked, but she did occasionally get upset, often about things that she would consider too small to get all upset over today.
Astra had been given a pet cat because she had asked for a furry pet. Weeks later, Astra was upset about something petty, and seemed to calm down somewhat when Starbeam hopped onto her lap.
After the attack, Astra was so anxious and horrified that the calming effect that Starbeam had on her became almost non-existent. Narcissia had gotten very happy when she read an article, in the daily prophet, about a guy who had invented enchantments that increased some of the effects of animals. Narcissa hired him to come over and do an enchantment on Starbeam, to increase the calming effects of her on Astra. They did not get rid of Astra horror and anxiety, but they did seem to help.
Afterwards, the man warned that if they did any other enchantments on Starbeam, it would probably get rid of this one. She thanked him and paid him. Shortly after he left Malfoy Manor, Lucious did a memory charm on the man, so that he forgot the last twenty-four hours and could not tell anyone about his time with the Malfoy's.
Narcissa stormed into the headmaster's office. She showed him the letter. "This is completely unacceptable. My daughters cat should never be distracted from my daughter, so she should never be messing around with another cat, and there should be no chance that she should ever end up with kittens."
"Be reasonable," he calmly said. "We can do enchantments on the cats."
"No, because those enchantments aren't safe," she said.
"Mrs. Malfoy, does Starbeam have a calming enchantment on her?"
"If you tell anyone about that, my husband will hear about it," she retorted, in horror. Professor Dumbledore did not seem as though he would have spent much time around Astra, yet he somehow suspected.
"I won't," he said, still calm. "We could just do the enchantment on the other cat."
"No, you will banish the other cat from the grounds. The with kittens risk is the main problem, but there is also the problem of the other cat distracting her from my daughter."
"The other cat is Miss Granger's cat."
"So?"
"So, I'm worried that banishing her cat from the grounds will wreck her and Astra's friendship."
"Not if Hermione's a good friend."
"Let's bring the girls in here and see what they think."
Miss Granger and Astra were brought in. Astra was not happy to see her mother. Narcissa suspected that Astra realized that she was pissed the moment she saw her.
"Mrs. Malfoy here is so upset about what the cats were doing last night that she wants Crookshanks banished from the grounds."
Astra and Miss Granger both looked horrified.
Astra held onto Starbeam, who was sitting on her lap, and looked like she was about to cry. "But, Mummy, Starbeam and Crookshanks love each other. It would be cruel to separate them."
Narcissa placed a comforting hand on Astra's shoulder, and looked down at her. For the first time since arriving, she spoke calmly. "I don't care about Starbeam, and I really do not care about Crookshanks. I just care about you. The last thing you need is Starbeam neglecting you because she's too distracted by another cat."
Astra started to sob.
"Fine," Narcissa said. "He doesn't have to be banished from the grounds, but he does need the enchantment, and someone has to make sure that my Starbeam is not with kittens."
Miss Granger and Professor Dumbledore looked as though they were trying not to laugh.
"I can arrange that," said Professor Dumbledore.
Once the girls were gone, Narcissa turned to Professor Dumbledore. "And if she is then the kittens must be terminated, without Astra knowing," she said. She feared that Astra would not approve of terminating the unborn kittens, but if Starbeam were with kittens then she would not be able to take care of Astra.
Astra, Starbeam, and Hermione joined Harry, Ron, Heather, and Samuel in the great hall.
Hermione sat down, as Astra got out Starbeams water bowl and her wand. "What's going on?" Harry and Ron asked, at the same time.
"They're going to be a castrating charm on Crookshanks, but they are not banishing him from the grounds," Hermione said. "Mrs. Malfoy wanted him banished from the grounds, which Astra said was cruel."
Astra sat down.
"The moment Astra started to cry, her mother caved," Hermione finished.
The boys looked as though they were trying not to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Astra asked.
"That you probably wouldn't cry intentionally, but you have a mother who basically encourages you to cry intentionally," Ron said.
That evening, in the Gryffindor common room, Professor McGonagall approached Astra. "Astra, I have to take Starbeam, so she can have a test to make sure she's not with kittens."
"Alright," Astra said. She picked up Starbeam, who was sitting on her lap, and got up.
"You can't come," Professor Mcgonagall said.
"Why not?" Astra asked.
"Because if you're there she'll be distracted by you."
Hermione got up. "I'll take her," she said.
"You can't come," Professor Mcgonagall said.
"Why," Hermione asked.
"On second thought, yes you can. It's just that I was instructed to bring her myself."
Astra was not with kittens.