Hagrid was depressed because of an article Rita Skeeter wrote about him. Hermione, Ron, and Harry had gone to talk to him. Astra and Heather hadn't come because they thought it would be best if it was just his closest friends.
Late that day, Astra and Heather sat down with Hermione, Ron, and Harry.
"How did things go with Hagrid?" Astra asked.
"It went pretty well," Harry said, with a smile.
Harry thought of something. Hermione had spent a lot of time reading and obtaining information, and she did not know of a way to breathe underwater. Ron did not know of a way to breathe underwater for an hour either, and he had spent his whole life in the wizarding world. Astra was younger, but she had both spent her whole life in the wizarding world, and spent a lot of time reading and obtaining information.
"Hey, Astra," he said, rushing up to her in the hallway.
"What," Astra asked, stopping beside him. Hermione, Ron, and Heather stopped too.
"You're very knowledgeable. Do you know of a way to breathe underwater?"
She paused, thinking, as Professor Moody started to walk past. "I remember reading about a plant that could allow people to breathe underwater, but I don't remember what it was called, or anything else about it."
"Do you remember what book it was in?"
"Sorry, no."
"I guess we'll just have to the library and look through all of the Herbology books," Hermione said.
"What if the library doesn't have the book?" Ron asked.
"It's worth a shot," Hermione said, "and there are five of us."
They tried, but they didn't have any luck.
The next morning, Harry found a note on his bedside table.
It was in childish handwriting, which was hard to make out, but Harry recognized it as Dobby's, from when Hermione and Astra would have him write letters and simple words to help him remember what they looked like.
It also had some misspelling, but Dobby had clearly tried to spell with the phonics method, which Heather had taught him for reading. This was not too surprising, as Dobby often seemed to be soundings words out when trying to read, despite Hermione's warning that phonics did not work on all words and should be used with caution.
Anyway, Harry was able to figure out that the message was asking him to come down to the kitchens, to meet Dobby, and to bring his friends.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Astra, Starbeam, Heather, and Samuel went down to the kitchens, to meet Dobby. "Dobby heard too wizards talking about a plant called gillyweed, and how they were wondering if any of the contestants would use it in the next task, because it helps you breath underwater for an hour, and Dobby knows where to find some."
"That's great, Dobby!" Harry exclaimed. "Thank you so much."
"You're so helpful Dobby," Astra said, "and you're really smart, figuring out how to get gillyweed, and writing a note."
"Dobby thanks you," Dobby said.
A few days later, Professor Dumbledore made an announcement. "I recently received an anonymous note, which appeared to say that Bartemius Crouch Jr. was Moody, so I checked into it. It turns out that he has escaped from Azkaban, and has kidnapped Mad-Eye Moody and has been impersonating him with Polyjuice Potion. Barty Crouch has been sent back to Azkaban, the real Professor Moody is willing to take over his post teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"We don't know why he was doing this, but there are investigators trying to figure it out."
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Astra, Starbeam, Heather, and Samuel went to meet Dobby outside the kitchens. On the way, Astra happily mentioned that she suspected that Dobby wrote Professor Dumbledore the note.
When they got there, Winky was with Dobby, and she looked very upset.
"Hello," Dobby greeted. "Dobby hopes nobody minds me inviting Winky. Dobby doesn't want to leave her alone with the other house-elves. They have been giving her a hard time."
"I thought she and the other house-elves were getting along now," Astra said.
"They were, until Winky figured out that Master Crouch was Professor Moody, and then Winky reluctantly agreed to let Dobby write a note turning him in.
"You two did the right thing," Hermione said.
Astra suddenly walked into the kitchen, followed by Starbeam. Harry, Ron, and Heather followed as well.
"Winky did what she thought was right, and so did Dobby," Astra yelled, in a surprising angry tone. "Winky really needs supportive friends right now. Is Dobby the only one good enough to be a friend? I understand that house-elves have duties to their masters, who Winky no longer has, by the way, but what about their duties to the other house-elves who they work alongside?"
All of the house-elves were looking at her, so at least she had gotten their attention.
Astra was trembling now, and Starbeam was rubbing against her leg.
Ron gently took Astra's hand, and led her to the door, which Hermione was holding open. Heather, Dobby, and Winky moved away from the doorway, and Ron led Astra out. Starbeam and Harry followed.
Astra sank to the ground, and Starbeam crawled into her lap. Oddly, she and Ron were still holding hands.
Everyone else sat down, around them.
"Winky thanks you, Miss Malfoy," Winky said.
"You-you're welcome," Astra said, breathing deeply. "I don't know what came over me," she said.
"I do," said Hermione.
Astra decided she wanted to go down to the kitchens, before dinner. Starbeam, Heather, and Samuel went with her.
"Where's Winky?" Astra asked Dobby, after they greeted each other.
"Over there," Dobby said, pointing to where she was cooking with some of the other house-elves. "Your outburst worked, and the other house-elves are nice to her again. Thanks Astra. It's a good thing that you're so courageous."
"Um… you're welcome, but I'm not really. I wasn't even intending to do that. I don't know what came over me."
"That probably just shows that you're braver than you believe," Heather chimed in.