We Will Shine {Book 6 in the Star of Gryffindor Series}

Chapter 23 - A Little More Normal

~Astra~

Dear Father,

Well, Albus and Wren don't hate me anymore. Unfortunately, what brought us back together was another episode. I didn't break my arm this time, at least. I just threw a trash bin across a classroom at a teacher.

Mr. Potter is worried, which makes me worried. What's worse is I dreamed about it before. That's the second time it's happened. I've had three dreams like this, though. We're all scared it's going to happen again.

I don't know what to do. I'm scared.

Love, Astra

~~~~

So, someone could control my every move if they chose to, but it seemed to be only what I saw in my dreams. I could try to avoid it by not learning the spell I'd dreamed about, but I didn't see how that would help. If it was the Imperius curse, or something similar, it apparently didn't matter if I knew the spell or not.

Basically, I was screwed.

I couldn't spiral again. Wren said that's what Stillens wanted. He wanted me to get depressed and moody, just to validate the rumors going around that I wasn't stable. As if throwing a trash bin at poor Professor Edwards wasn't enough. When people asked about it, I brushed it off as a joke. I hadn't tried to hurt her or anything. It had just been a prank I hadn't thought out too well. That seemed enough for most of the people I talked to regularly.

On the bright side, Wren and Albus didn't hate me. They really didn't. I can't explain how happy I was to sit with them during classes again, to not be alone during the free period after Care of Magical Creatures anymore, to have them back.

I was most thankful for it in Potions and Herbology, the classes Colette didn't take. Scorpius didn't mind me sitting with him, but it wasn't the same. I was more than happy to move back to my old seat. Besides, me moving back gave Albus an excuse to sit next to Poppy.

In other good news, Trelawney had decided I was far too advanced for her N.E.W.T.-level class, and had determined to give me private lessons. I was glad (Divination was an incredibly pretentious class, and I hated it), even if that meant I had to spend two hours alone with Trelawney every week. Most of that time was spent learning how to use different ways of divination, like tarot cards or crystal balls or tea leaves, though Trelawney also spent hours making me go over every detail of every dream I'd had in the past few months, especially the ones about myself.

After my third private lesson, Albus and Poppy were waiting for me at the bottom of Trelawney's tower. They both seemed excited, and I raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

"We went with Clarissa and Lily to talk to Kimmel about intramural quidditch teams!" Poppy exclaimed. "She said it sounded like a good idea, if we were willing to do the work ourselves!"

Albus nodded. "Madam Hooch said she'd help a little, if we needed it, but really I think we'll be fine as long as we can train people how to play!"

I grinned. "That's awesome!"

"We put a sign up sheet in the entrance hall," Poppy explained. "Anyone who wants to join, can."

"Except we made an executive decision that anyone already on a House team can't actually play," Albus explained, "just so more people get a chance to. But we're going to coach!"

"This is going to be great!" I exclaimed.

Albus had to patrol that night. We made plans for intramural quidditch and played wizard's chess until then, with me mainly watching because they both beat me every time I played. Albus did at least let me win once (followed by a crushing defeat from Poppy). He denied it, of course, saying I'd won fair and square, but we both knew I was as hopeless at chess as we were at history of magic.