Of All the Stars in the Sky

“Astoria, be a good girl,” my mother says as she pats me on the head softly. “Don't cause any trouble. I would hate for you to be expelled.”

“I won't, Mum,” I promise. “I'll be good. I won't get expelled. If I do, my wand will be snapped.” I scrunch up my nose as my mind conjures up the horrid scene of my wand being snapped. I shudder and then push it away from my mind. Why am I thinking of these things? Of course it won't happen!

“The house is going to be quite quiet now. I still remember how you and Daphne would argue all day and night...” my father trails off all while smiling.

“Dad!” I cry, my cheeks going red as cherries. “I was younger back then! I'm eleven now! I know what I'm doing!” Daphne, who is standing on the train beside me, lets out a noise that sounds like a stifled laugh. I shoot her a look and she smiles somewhat sheepishly.

“Hurry along girls,” my mother tells us. “You might just miss the train!”

“Miss the train,” Daphne mutters, “as we're right beside it...”

“I'll send you letters! Lots and lots of letters! With my owl, Evander,” I call as I climb onto the train. My older sister, Daphne, is waiting for me. She looks slightly impatient, almost like she has something else to do. Which I assume she does.

“What house do you reckon you'll be in?” Daphne asks me as she helps me carry my luggages in the train and drags it along the corridor for me. The action is quite nice and very selfless of her. Though I know she's only doing this to get rid of me faster so she can meet up with her friends. But for why she's asking me about my house...I assume she'll tell her friends so they can have a good laugh at me. But I go on telling her anyways. I like telling others stuff. My mother says I can't keep my mouth shut and I suppose it's true. I always have an opinion and I like sharing it. Daphne calls me superficial because my judgement is usually poor but who's she to decide that?

I shrug in answer to Daphne's question. “I don't know. I don't think Hufflepuff will be my house because...” I can't find a good reason. All I know is that I am definitely not a Hufflepuff. Who knows what house I'm going to be in?

I don't get a chance to finish because Daphne cuts in. I hate when she cuts in but she does that often. So often that I'm almost use to it. I have to break that habit now. I shouldn't let anyone silence me like that. “Father will disinherit you if you were put in Hufflepuff, or even worse—Gryffindor.” Daphne finishes the sentence with distaste clear in her tone. She spits out the word like it's scum from the ground.

“What's wrong with Gryffindor?” I cry. I don't like the thought of house inequalities. It just doesn't sit well with me. “Or even Hufflepuff? I'll be a Ravenclaw!” I finish, crossing my arms and giving Daphne a defiant look.

Daphne takes one look at me and snorts. “No mean to offend... But you don't strike me as the smart type. Quite the opposite, if you insist on me to answer.”

“Daphne!” I cry. “You are so mean!” But this is expected out Daphne anyways. She's always mean to me. Especially when Mum and Dad aren't around.

Daphne shrugs. “Well think of it this way. What's your favourite animal out of these four? The badger, lion, eagle, or the snake?”

“Hm,” I ponder, thinking it through. “Lions are too big and loud... Badgers scare me. Eagles...are...unique. But...I like the snake the best.” Instantly, my mind conjures up an image of Draco, the shining constellation of the dragon. But I prefer to think of it as a snake. The Muggle legends of Draco is so fascinating too.

“Well there you go!” Daphne says, almost in an exasperated tone, in my answer to her question. “You'll be in Slytherin. Make father proud.”

“I know that Dad was in Slytherin... What house was Mum in?” I ask. Daphne surely knows. She knows everything. Well...she says that she knows everything. I'm not sure if I take her word for it but she seems to know all.

“I think...Ravenclaw... Mum was very smart. I heard she was Outstanding on all her O.W.L.'s”

“That's great! Was there anything about stars and constellations on the O.W.L.'s? Maybe Astronomy?” I ask. Daphne roll her eyes at me.

“I don't know. I'm in third year, if you've forgotten. O.W.L.'s are in fifth year.”

“You know, I can write about Draco if there is!” I exclaim. Then I start filling Daphne on more facts about Draco, the Muggle constellation.

Daphne snickers. “Draco...” she mutters. “Wait until he hears about this... Wait until his father hears about this.” Daphne gives another snicker.

“What's so funny?” I ask. “You're always laughing whenever I mention Draco!”

Daphne gives me a sincere look. “Nothing of course. Nothing at all.”

Of course, whenever Daphne says that, the opposite was always true. But she looks so sincere. She is definitely telling the truth. She's my sister after all. Why would she lie to me?

“Come on, let's look for a place to sit. Mum and Dad insisted that I sit with you,” Daphne says. Then she gives me a sly look, “unless you want to go off by yourself, I'm perfectly fine with that.” Daphne looks at me like she's begging me to say that I don't want to sit with her.

Honestly, I don't really want to sit with her and I'm feeling quite nervous about meeting the others on the train. What's that expression used to describe it? Butterflies in the stomach? That's exactly how I'm feeling. I want someone here who actually knows something.

Maybe it would be better if I sit in the compartment with the rest of the first-years. They should be feeling nervous too—if only a little bit. And Daphne can be pretty mean to me too, I don't want her shouting at me during the whole train ride.

“Um...” I begin. “I'll...I'll look for a seat by myself,” I say. “But you'll come see me off the train, right?”

“Yeah, sure,” Daphne says dismissively, as if desperate to get away from me. “Good bye.” She hurries away and doesn't look back at me. I'm left abandoned in the corridor with my stuff when Daphne disappears into another carriage further up.

Well, I think to myself, I better find a place to sit. Don't want to be standing the whole train ride.

As much as I'd like to prove that I can do it I don't think anyone will care. I stumble down the corridor and look for compartments that still has room for me. Most of them are full. And the ones with a few seats left... The occupants either looks at me like I'm a disease or they themselves look like they have a disease... Well...I mean not so friendly.

I finally come across one with a single girl in it. She looks around my age and is staring out the window. She seems quite lonely. All I can see from here is that she has wavy blonde hair.

“Hullo,” I say, my voice quite quiet. She doesn't hear and I try again. Confidence, Astoria! Confidence! You sound ridiculous without confidence, I scold myself. “May I sit here? All the other compartments are empty or...” I don't finish. I don't want to seem like such a big coward. I'm just...afraid of them... Well...they just—

“Yes,” she says in a soft quiet voice. “There's room here.”

I gratefully enter the compartment and place my luggage down. I take a seat across from the girl. She continues to look out the landscape. I don't really know what to do, so I stare out the window too.

“My name is Novielle Dobbs,” she says suddenly. She gives me a friendly smile and I return the smile.

“I'm—” Before I even get a chance to say anything, the door to our compartment opens suddenly. Roughly, actually. So roughly that it slams with a loud crack. A girl around my age with large dark eyes, curly black hair, and a prominent chin stands at the doorway. There is an air of extreme boldness about her.

“Excuse me,” she says loudly like we're deaf. “But I've heard that Harry Potter is on the train. Do you, perhaps, know where he is?” She speaks this dramatically. I immediately have an extreme dislike for this girl, but I attempt to push it away. She acts like how Daphne would act sometimes. She acts like...what's the phrase again? She acts like the whole world revolves around her. And maybe it did at her home but now here.

“No,” I say calmly and even offer her a smile. An attempted smile, that is. “Maybe you can ask the others on the train.”

The girl doesn't say anything. She looks us up and down, as if judging us. Then she scrunches up her nose and walks away, leaving the compartment door wide open.

I close the compartment door after her. “She's quite rude,” I observe. “Or maybe it's just me,” I add quickly, trying not to seem as if I judged too quickly. But I do judge too quickly and it if I cover that up, I'd be lying about myself. I shouldn't lie to someone like Novielle. She seems like a nice person. Immediately, I start analyzing my moves and wonder what I should say next and—

“I agree,” Novielle says to my relief. I tell myself to stop over thinking things. “She doesn't seem very nice. You didn't get to telling me your name, by the way.”

“Astoria Greengrass,” I say. “And did that girl say that Harry Potter is on the train?” I ask, remembering her words.

“Yes,” Novielle says. “I believe she did.”

“Wow!” I exclaim. “That's surprising! I didn't know that he was on this train! Daphne never told me,” I add in the end a little bitterly.

“Daphne?” Novielle ask with curiosity in her voice. “Who's that?”

“My older sister,” I say, “she's two years older than me.”

“I have a younger sister,” Novielle says. “Her name is Emma Dobbs. She's a year younger than me.”

“Is she coming to Hogwarts next year?” I ask, slightly interested.

“I'm not sure,” Novielle replies after a while of thought. “I'm not sure if she's...magical enough. Mum and Dad were surprised when I got my letter.”

“How so?” I ask. “Is she a...Squib?”

“What's a Squib?” Novielle asks, looking at me blankly with her pale blue eyes.

“Oh, a Squib is a non-magical person born into a wizarding family. ” I say. It's making sense now. “Are you Muggle-born?”

“Um...” Novielle hesitates. “I think so. If Muggle is what I think it means. Non-magical folk, am I right?”

I nod. “Don't worry,” I say when a look of concern crosses her face. “There are plenty of Muggle-borns at Hogwarts. Nothing bad will happen to you just because you're a Muggle-born.”

“Astoria... Are you a Muggle-born?” Novielle asks me.

“No,” I says, almost laughing. “I'm pure-blooded. My Mum and Dad are both magical.”

The door to our compartment open again and (I almost expect it to be that girl again) a boy our age peers in, looking extremely self-conscious. “Um...” he begins. “I-I'm Derek. You've got any room here?”

“Yes,” I say. “It's nice to meet you.” I smile at him and he smiles back nervously.

He places his stuff down and sits beside me as I shift to make room. “Derek MacDonald,” he says. “I'm Derek MacDonald.” He pushes his dark hair from his forehead, revealing his bright green eyes that darted to and fro constantly.

“Novielle Dobbs,” Novielle says, looking out her window again, seeming disinterested in the newcomer.

“Astoria Greengrass,” I say. “What house do you think you're going to be in, Derek?” I immediately asked.

Derek looks up at me, as if surprised that I'd actually want to carry out a conversation with him. “...um... I don't know...honestly.” He scoots a little further away from me. I notice but I didn't say anything about it.

Novielle suddenly looked up and smiled at us. “Well,” she said. “I want to be in Ravenclaw. Though I'm not sure if I'm fit to be in Ravenclaw, really. But any house would be fine.”

“I'm think I'm a Hufflepuff,” Derek says gloomily, as if the word 'Hufflepuff' is draining the happiness from him like a Dementor.

“There's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff,” I say quickly. I'm always quick to defend. “Why are you so sad?”

“I...I heard it wasn't the best. And I hate yellow. In Hufflepuff, no one notices you. You're just... a Hufflepuff. No one cares about the Hufflepuffs. At least I'm not going to be in Slytherin.” Derek makes a face at the mention of the Slytherin house.

Slightly offended, I say, “Daphne said I was probably going to be in Slytherin.” I can hear a hint of anger in my voice and I force myself to calm down.

“Oh,” Derek says, sounding surprised. “You seemed nice, though.”

“Slytherins don't have to be mean,” I says, glaring at him. Derek looks a bit frightened and I let out a sigh. “I'm sorry,” I say. “I just don't like it when others judge you because of your house.”

“Sorry,” Derek says quickly. “You're a pure-blood, aren't you? I think I remember the Greengrass family name.”

I nod. “Are you a Muggle-born too?”

“No,” Derek says. “I'm a half-blood.”

So all three of us are probably going to be in different houses. I like Novielle and Derek already though. But—if we aren't in the same houses, we won't be around each other a lot.

The compartment door opens again and a girl with brown hair steps in. Her face is red and slightly blotchy. “May I sit here?” she asks, her voice slightly shaky.

Novielle and I exchange looks. She has obviously just been crying.

Novielle nods. “Sure,” she says.

“What's your name?” I ask.

“Hazel Stickney,” she says, wiping at her eyes.

Derek doesn't seem to know that she is feeling quite traumatized. “Your face is red,” he says, making no point to cover that he is staring at her oddly.

Novielle and I give Derek a glare and he shrinks back.

“I'm Novielle Dobbs,” Novielle says. “You seem quite sad.”

“It's nothing,” Hazel says. “I'm just...stressed.”

We don't probe any further but Derek looks like he wants to. I give Derek a warning look and he gives me a nervous smile.

“I'm Astoria Greengrass,” I say, “and he's Derek MacDonald. Are you a first-year too?” I ask. Hazel nods at me. “That's great,” I say, “we're all first-years.”

“I saw Harry Potter,” Hazel says suddenly. “At the end of the train: Harry Potter.”

“I've read about him in the books I've gotten for school,” Novielle says. “He defeated the Dark Lord. I wonder how old he is now?”

“I think he's the same age as Daphne. Two years older than us,” I tell her. We continue on with conversation about the boy Harry Potter and the books we bought for school.

The door to our compartment opens a little before one o'clock. “Anything from the trolley, dears?” a plump lady asks us.

I'm not very hungry. But it's still a long way until Hogwarts. With the few sickles Mum had given me, I buy a few Chocolate Frogs and a bag of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans. Novielle examines my Every-Flavour Beans bag with interest.

“What's this?” Novielle asks me curiously.

“Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans,” I explain. “They're actually every flavoured. There are normal ones like strawberry and peppermint. But then there are those odd ones like puke and bogey flavoured ones.” I take a small nibble out of the light pink bean I'm holding. Watermelon. “That's why you have to try a bit first.” I pop the bean in my mouth.

Hazel had gotten a bunch of Chocolate Frogs and is completely immersed in them. Derek, on the other hand, is staring blankly out the window.

“Derek?” I ask. “Don't you want some?”

Derek shakes his head. “If I eat when I'm nervous, I get sick.”

I make a disgusted face. The thought of Derek getting sick all over the compartment... Derek catches my look and blushes madly.

“Do you want to go see Harry Potter?” Hazel asks me suddenly as if wanting to contribute to something. “I can show you where he is.”

“No,” I say. “That's fine. I don't want to bother him.” Honestly, I would love to see him, but I figure that I'd see him in Hogwarts sometime anyways. Him being famous and all.

“Does anyone want to come?” Hazel asks us. “I can take you there if you want.” Everyone shakes their heads. Hazel sighs and looked down at the cards she had collected.

We talk until mid-afternoon. That's when the rain started.

“I don't like the rain,” I state as the rain splattered onto the window. “The clouds cover the sky. Especially at night. I hate when the clouds cover the night stars.”

“You stargaze?” Hazel asks me, sounding quite surprised.

I nod. “I like stars and constellations.”

“Which is your favourite star...or constellation?” Novielle asks me, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

“Draco,” I say immediately all while sitting up straighter. “And then Scorpius comes next. Well...everybody calls it Scorpio, but I like the name Scorpius better.”

“That's interesting,” Derek says. “But they all sound...snake-like.”

“I know,” I say, nodding. “I actually kind of like snakes.” Derek gives me a look like I'm insane. I shrug off his expression. “What?” I ask him, giving him a demanding look.

Derek shakes his head. “Nothing...” he mutters. I decide not to say anything about that.

There are loud footsteps near our corridor. I'm curious at who it might be so I open the door before anyone can say anything else and peek out.

There are three boys. A blonde hair boy swaggers in the middle. Beside him are two muscly boys. They look something like the blonde boy's cronies.

The blonde haired boy looks slightly surprised at my sudden appearance. I don't shrink back into the compartment immediately. I watch them with curiosity. The blonde boy catches my eyes and sneers at me. “If it isn't a stupid little first-year. What's gotten into you, huh?” he says in a lazy drawl. The boys beside him began to laugh at me. I feel a sudden flush rise to my cheeks and I quickly duck back into my compartment and shut the door. So much for bravery.

As they're right beside my compartment, I hear the blonde haired boy's voice say, “Coward.” There is ugly laughter from the boys again before it fades away further down the train.

Novielle, Hazel, and Derek all stare at me.

“What,” Derek begins, “was that all about?”

“There was noise,” I say, “and I wanted to see what it was. I didn't know that they were older boys who insulted everyone they come across,” I say. “They're even more rude than that girl in the beginning. At least she wasn't as open about it.” Novielle nods in agreement with me.

“There was a girl here earlier?” Hazel asks, seeming very interested. “What was her name?”

“Oh,” Novielle says, “we didn't get her name. She asked if we knew where Harry Potter was. Then she looked at us like we were rodents and left the compartment.” The way Novielle says it so naturally makes a slight smile come to my face.

“She also spoke like she was the Queen,” I add. “Well, actually—she spoke like a spoiled girl who thought she was the Queen.”

“What did she look like?” Hazel is hanging onto our every word.

“Um...” I try to conjure up a picture of her. “She had long, curly black hair. Her chin stood out. She also had big dark eyes. Why, do you know her?”

Hazel closes her eyes and then she opens them. “Romilda Vane,” she nearly spits out, her voice filled with loathing and disgust.

I understand why Hazel sounds like she hates this Romilda Vane so much, but her vehemence still surprises me. “Why?” I ask Hazel. “What did she do to you?”

Hazel looks at me and takes a deep breath. “Remember I was...crying, earlier? It was because of her. I don't want to go into details,” Hazel says, looking as if she didn't want to relive the whole scene again.

“Alright,” I say. “You don't need to say it.”

A while later, the three boys are walking up the corridor again. Everyone in my compartment hears it and we all exchange looks. I don't look outside this time. I hope that they would have forgotten where my compartment is. Surely he has better things to do than insult a little first-year like me. And he's older than me, obviously. If anyone is a coward, it's him.

Unfortunately, he stops by my compartment. My whole compartment is quiet. Novielle is looking out the window again, seeming disinterested. Derek looks a bit on the green side and Hazel is frozen in place.

I don't know what they would do, and apparently, they didn't either because they walk on again like they haven't stopped in the first place. Maybe they had been waiting for me to stick my head out again.

“They're in Slytherin,” I say immediately. “I remember. They're in Slytherin,” I say bitterly. “It's always the mean ones who give Slytherins a bad name...”

“Not everyone is the same,” Novielle reassures me. “Not every Slytherin is bad.” Derek has a sheepish look on his face when Novielle says that.

The rain is thickening as the train keeps going on. “It's like we're moving towards the storm,” Novielle observes. The windows are a solid shimmering grey. They darken gradually until the lanterns have to be turned on for light.

Then the train starts to slow down. Derek looks up. “I think we're almost there,” he says. His expression is mixed with both fear and excitement.

“I don't know about that...” Novielle says, staring at the window, which is now completely black.

The train slows to a stop. The only sound to be heard now is the wind and the rain raging outside. It's a deafening sound and Derek almost covers his ears before forcing his hands to lie on his lap.

“I don't think we're there yet,” Hazel mutters, her brown eyes wide. I frown and I open the compartment door. Sure enough, everyone seems confused by this. There are heads by other compartments too, looking around curiously.

I catch sight of the blonde haired boy again not so far away. He sees me again and sneers. “Little first-year scared? But of course, that's to be expected from people like you.” But as soon as he says that, the train stops suddenly. There is a loud thud from behind me followed by a squeal of pain that sounds like Derek's squeal.

“The luggage fell,” he tells me. As quickly as Derek had said that, the lamps flickers off with no warning whatsoever. Hazel gives a frightened yelp and I quickly step back into the compartment and sit down. What is going on? Does this happen all the time? I don't think so because the other students had seemed confused too. What is going on?

“We've stopped,” Novielle says suddenly. “We're not even at Hogwarts yet.”

“What's going on?” Hazel asks, voicing the same question I have in my head.

“I think someone's coming,” Derek whispers, sounding quite excited and nothing like the scared and nervous boy he thought himself to be. “I want to see what it is.”

“Are you sure?” I ask him. “Maybe the train just broke down.” Truthfully, I want to watch him go just so I can laugh at him when he comes back screaming. That's very sadistic of me, of course.

“No,” Derek says, reaching out for the open doorway. “I don't think so. Astoria, do you want to come with me?” he asks.

But just as soon as he asks that, I feel something cold creep up my spine. I suddenly feel very drained and I look around the compartment. I can't really see anything, but Derek seems to have stopped in place. “Never mind,” he says and grabs my hand as if my hand is a teddy bear for him to hold. I try to jerk it away, but he holds tightly.

There is just enough light down the corridor from other compartments to see a cloaked figure drifting down the corridor. I suck in a deep breath. Merlin, what is that thing? It certainly isn't human. It's tall enough to reach the ceiling of the corridor. I look down and immediately, I'm a second away from getting sick. There is a bony hand... It's grey, slimy, and...ugly. It looks undead...

I cover my mouth to keep from screaming.

The thing, whatever it is, kept moving along. It doesn't look at us at all. None of us moves. Not until the lanterns are back on and the train begins to move along again.

“What was that?” I whisper, awe and fear obvious in my voice.

“That must be...” Novielle stares at the ceiling, as if trying to remember something. “Something...that...”

“That was a monster!” Hazel whispers fiercely. Derek nods in agreement, seeming happy that he hadn't gone out to inspect the train earlier.

Novielle shakes her head. “No, not just a monster...” she says, “it's...a guard... A guard of Azkaban, I think. Um...a Dementor.”

The name 'Azkaban' suddenly reminded me of something.

“Sirius Black!” I say so suddenly and loudly that I make Derek flinch. I realize he's still holding my hand and we both pull away, red in the face. “Anyways,” I continue, “maybe they're looking for Sirius Black.”

“On the train?” Novielle asks me. “On the train to Hogwarts? What would Sirius Black be doing here? Certainly, he wouldn't come to Hogwarts. He can be easily caught.”

Hazel shudders. “Who cares? Those things were scary,” she says. Derek nodded in agreement.

After a while the train stops at the Hogsmeade station and our fear of the Dementor is long forgotten. I press my face against the window and look out.

“We're here!” I say, excitement clear in my voice. “We're at the Hogsmeade station.”

“Astoria,” Derek says, “aren't you nervous?”

“Not really,” I admit, “more excited than nervous.”

Derek, Novielle, Hazel, and I all leave the compartment together. “I'm going to meet my sister. Be back soon,” I tell them, hurrying off in a different direction. On the way, I bump into someone and almost fall on the ground.

“Sorry,” I mutter quickly. I look up for a split second to see who I had bumped into.

Not again. I shouldn't have even looked up.

The sneering face of the blonde haired boy is looking down at me. “It's you again,” he says in his lazy drawl. “Watch where you're going, filthy Mudblood.”

I open my mouth to object. How dare he! I'm not a Mudblood! And how dare he used that term to describe me, a pure-blood! “I,” I begin defiantly, lifting up my chin so I'm staring into his stone grey eyes, “am not a Muggle-born. You're such a... You're such a—”

I don't manage to get the word out because he leans forward right in my face like he wants to prove a point. His eyes are malicious. A chill goes through the air and I immediately close my mouth. I don't back away but I want to. Something about the way he looks at me wants to make me run away from him.

But I have to hold my ground. I can't let myself be pushed around by him.

“It's Malfoy,” he finally says. He says his name like it holds some importance.

But of course it holds some importance. Malfoy—he is a pure-blood. From an extremely wealthy and influential family.

I swallow. A smug look spreads across his pale, pointed face.

I had thought he was going to spit on my face (which would have be disgusting), but he doesn't. He steps back and I see Daphne not far away.

Without thinking, I shove pass him and he lets out a noise of surprise like he hadn't thought I would retaliate. But of course I had to retaliate. He had provoked me and I always had to have the last word. I need the last word.

“Daphne!” I says, waving my arms almost frantically at her. She has her back to me and had been talking with a bunch of other girls. Daphne turns around and sees me. She scowls at the sight of me.

“Astoria,” she sighs, seeming unhappy to see me. “Follow your other first-year friends, if you have any, and follow that big man over there.”

With that, Daphne turns around and continues to talk with her third-year friends. I sigh and turn away, ready to head back to Novielle, Derek, and Hazel.

And I bumped into someone. Again.

I groan inwardly and turn around slowly, preparing for that whatever-his-name-is Malfoy's stupid smirk and his stupid drawl.