Astra

L - The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare

MOST PEOPLE WERE DISCUSSING the curses in awed voices - "Did you see it twitch?" "- and when he killed it - just like that!" Astra thought it was horrible. She was on the brink of shouting out at people for taking the lesson so lightly, when Hermione tapped her shoulder and pointed up a side passage.

Neville was standing alone, halfway up the passage, staring at the stone wall opposite him with the same horrified, wide-eyed look he had worn when Moody had demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse.

"Neville?" Hermione said gently.

Neville looked around.

"Oh hello," he said, his voice much higher than usual. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it? I wonder what's for dinner, I'm - I'm starving, aren't you?"

"Neville, are you all right?" asked Astra.

"Oh yes, I'm fine," Neville gabbled in the same unnaturally high voice. "Very interesting dinner - I mean lesson - what's for eating?"

Ron and Harry joined.

"Neville, what -?"

But an odd clunking noise sounded behind them, and they turned to see Professor Moody limping toward them. All five of them fell silent, watching him apprehensively, but when he spoke, it was in a much lower and gentler growl than they had yet heard.

"It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville. "Why don't you come up to my office? Come on...we can have a cup of tea...."

Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of tea with Moody. He neither moved nor spoke. Moody turned his magical eye upon Harry.

"You all right, are you, Potter?"

"Yes," said Harry, almost defiantly.

Moody's blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed Harry. Then he said, "You've got to know. It seems harsh, maybe, but you've got to know. No point pretending...well...come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you."

Neville looked pleadingly at Astra, Hermione, Harry, and Ron, but the others didn't say anything. Astra was just about to reach out and say that they had to get to class, but Neville had already been steered away, one of Moody's gnarled hands on his shoulder.

"What was that about?" said Ron, watching Neville and Moody turn the corner.

"I don't know," said Hermione, looking pensive, but looking at Astra. She was looking at where Neville had disappeared with a sad, knowing look on her face. 

The boys also noticed it, and Harry was starting to get annoyed by that same look that she always held; as if she knew things that no one else did. Sure, she lived at Hogwarts, but how much more special did that make her? He simply wished how she knew everything. Astra knew exactly where Sirius was, and that he was innocent in the first place. She had known about the tournament and the age barrier. Hell, he even remembered that she had known the time without a watch at all. She knew all the answers to divination, though was she actually a seer? And now, she knew what was going on with Neville, but didn't feel the need to tell them, even though now, it seemed like the trio was also her friends. It didn't make any sense, but watching as Hermione changed the topic at the look on Astra's face, it seemed that she was in on the secret as well.

"Well, that was an... interesting lesson, wasn't it?" she said, and Astra shook her head slightly and followed them off to the Great Hall. Ron was immediately taken by the subject change and started talking.

"Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right -" Astra stepped on his foot, and a look of realization dawned on his face. Glancing at Harry, he remained silent for the rest of the walk.