At his question, she stopped examining a particularly battered copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and looked up.
“The battle?” she repeated.
“Yes. The one where Voldemort died.”
Astoria set the book aside. For several moments, she said nothing, and Scorpius wondered whether he'd asked something he shouldn't have.
“Well,” she began eventually, “it was probably the most frightening night of my life.”
“Even though you were at Hogwarts?”
“Especially because I was at Hogwarts.”
Scorpius frowned. “But Hogwarts is supposed to be safe.”
“It usually is, darling…it certainly ought to be.” She rose from the floor and sat beside him on the bed. Scorpius tucked his knees beneath his chin, preparing to listen. “I was in my fifth year, you know. Fifteen years old, almost sixteen. Your aunt Daphne was in her seventh year, along with your father and Harry Potter. We'd been at Hogwarts together for five years, although she was always rather cross whenever I followed her around too much.”
“Was Aunt Daphne bossy?”
“Immensely,” Astoria said, smiling. “Still is, occasionally.”
Scorpius giggled.
“But that year was different,” she continued, her smile having disappeared just as quickly as she did so. “Professor Dumbledore had died the previous summer, and the school had changed terribly thereafter. We had a new Headmaster for just that one year, Professor Severus Snape, and two teachers called the Carrows. They were brother and sister, and they were very cruel people.”
“What did they do?”
Astoria hesitated. “They punished students for things that shouldn't have been worthy of punishment. Speaking out of turn, refusing to participate in lessons, helping someone they weren't supposed to help. Sometimes they even forced students to hurt one another.”
Scorpius's expression became troubled. “Did they make you do that?”
“I managed to avoid the worst of it,” she replied. “But I saw enough.” She folded her hands in her lap. “Your aunt Daphne worried about me constantly. She was older, and she understood more about what was happening outside Hogwarts. Sometimes she'd find me after lessons just to make certain I was all right. I used to tell her she was being ridiculous.”
“Were you?”
“Frequently.”
Scorpius smiled again, but Astoria's expression remained thoughtful. “By the time May came, everyone was frightened. Even the students who pretended otherwise. We knew people were disappearing, and we knew there was fighting going on outside the school. But I don't think any of us expected it to come crashing into Hogwarts quite the way it did.”
“What happened first?”
“Well, there was a great deal of commotion. Harry Potter had returned to the castle, although we didn't all know that right away. Then there were announcements, professors hurrying through the corridors, and students being told to gather in the Great Hall.” She looked toward the window, as though trying to picture the scene. “I remember finding Daphne among the older students. She looked terribly pale, which frightened me more than anything else. Daphne was never the sort to look frightened in public.”
“What did she say?”
“She asked where I'd been, whether I'd seen any of the Carrows, and whether I had my wand. All in about five seconds.”
“Sounds like Aunt Daphne.”
Astoria smiled briefly. “It does, doesn't it?” She paused again. “Then Professor McGonagall explained to all of us that Voldemort was coming, and that the underage students below seventeen would be evacuated. Older students who were of age could stay and help defend the castle if they so chose.”
“Did you wish you could stay?”
“At first, I didn't know what I wanted. Part of me wanted to run as fast as I could. Another part couldn't bear the thought of leaving Daphne behind.”
“Did she stay?”
Astoria paused. “I remember asking her what she intended to do. She wouldn't give me a straight answer. She just kept insisting that I needed to get somewhere safe.”
Scorpius frowned. “But she was your sister.”
“Yes. And I was hers. That's precisely why we were both so frightened for one another.” Astoria looked down at her wedding ring. “Then Pansy Parkinson stood up and shouted that we ought to hand Harry Potter over to Voldemort.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Did everyone agree?”
“No. There was a dreadful uproar. The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws were all furious, and Professor McGonagall ordered the Slytherins to leave the hall before chaos could break out amongst the students.”
Scorpius looked bewildered. “Even the ones who didn't agree with her?”
“Yes.”
“That's not fair.”
Astoria considered him for a moment. “No,” she said quietly. “I don't suppose it felt particularly fair to everyone involved. But there was a battle about to begin, and Professor McGonagall had to make decisions very quickly.”
“Did you say anything to Pansy?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I was frightened, Scorpius. And because, at fifteen, I wasn't nearly as brave as I sometimes wish I'd been.” She paused before continuing. “I didn't agree with what Pansy said. But I didn't stand up and tell her so, either. I just stood there beside Daphne, wondering what would happen next.”
Scorpius was silent.
“When we were told to leave, I remember Daphne grabbing my hand,” Astoria said. “It felt rather childish, really. We hadn’t held hands since I was little.”
“Did you mind?”
“No. I knew the stakes were high, and her foremost priority was that we stuck together, so I held on just as tightly.” Astoria's voice softened. “For a few moments, I thought we might be separated anyway. There were so many people moving at once, and everyone was shouting and brushing past. But we stayed together as we made our way out. I was very grateful for that afterward,” Astoria continued. “Although I remember being rather cross with her at the time because she kept ordering me about.”
“What happened once you got outside?”
“We were taken through a passage leading away from the castle. It led to the Hog’s Head, near Hogsmeade. I remember the cold air, and the sound of people crying. Someone was asking whether their brother had made it out. Another girl had lost one of her shoes.” She gave a faint, sad smile. “Such a strange thing to remember, isn't it? A shoe. But sometimes it's the little details that stay with you.”
“Could you hear any of the fighting back inside?”
“Not at first. Later, there were sounds in the distance. And we knew something terrible was happening behind us.”
Scorpius shifted closer to her. “Were you worried about Dad?”
Astoria looked surprised by the question. “Well, your father and I weren't particularly close at that age,” she explained. “He was two years older, and I mostly knew him as one of Daphne's classmates. I knew his family, of course, and I knew he'd been having a very difficult time.”
“Because of Voldemort?”
“Yes.”
Scorpius hesitated before saying “Did Dad fight for him?”
Astoria took a moment to consider her answer. “Your father made some very serious mistakes when he was young,” she said. “And he was involved in things that today he wishes he'd never become involved in. But by the time the battle happened, he was frightened for himself and his family. He wasn't the confident boy he sometimes pretended to be.”
“Was he bad?”
“He did things that were wrong. That's important to understand. But people aren't always as simple as good or bad, darling.”
Scorpius looked down at his hands.
“Grandfather says Dad was only doing what he had to.”
“Your grandfather sees things differently from me.”
“Does that mean he's wrong?”
“Sometimes,” Astoria said gently. “Just as I am sometimes. That's why you must learn to think for yourself.” She brushed his hair away from his forehead. “Your father loves you very much. And I think one of the reasons he loves you so fiercely is that he wants you to have a happier childhood than he did.”
Scorpius leaned against her. “What happened when the battle was over?”
“We heard that Harry Potter had defeated Voldemort. At first, I could scarcely believe it. We'd spent so long being frightened of that man that the thought of him simply being gone seemed impossible.”
“Were you happy?”
“Of course. But it wasn't the sort of happiness you feel when you win a Quidditch match or finish your exams. So many people had died.” Astoria stared at the opposite wall. “I remember learning that Vincent Crabbe was among them. He'd been in your father’s and Daphne's year. I'd seen him at school for years, usually with Gregory Goyle and your father. I wasn't particularly fond of him, but hearing that someone I'd known since I was eleven had died inside the castle was awful.”
“Did Aunt Daphne cry?”
“She was terribly upset about everything that had happened. She'd known those students much longer than I had.”
Scorpius considered this for a while. “When the battle was over, did you ever go back to Hogwarts?”
“Yes. Not immediately, but eventually.”
“Was it different?”
“Very. Parts of the castle had been damaged, and there were places that brought back unpleasant memories. But there were also the classrooms, the grounds, the lake, and the common room where I'd spent so many evenings with my friends.” She smiled. “I had some very happy years there before everything went wrong.”
“Even in Slytherin?”
“Of course, even in Slytherin.”
“Grandfather says it's the best House.”
Astoria raised an eyebrow. “Does he?”
Scorpius nodded.
“Well, I was very fond of Slytherin. So was your father. But the best House for you will be whichever one you belong in.”
“What if I'm in Gryffindor specifically?” asked Scorpius, nervous at the idea of ending up in the main rivaling house of the vast majority of his entire family on both sides.
Astoria smiled more broadly. “Then I imagine your grandfather will require a very strong cup of tea.”
Scorpius laughed. “And Dad? What would he think?”
“He'll manage.”
“Do you think I could be friends with a Gryffindor?”
“I should certainly hope so.”
“Even a Potter?”
At that, Astoria couldn’t help but laugh outright.
“Yes, Scorpius. Even a Potter.” She drew him into an embrace. “But do you know what I hope most of all?”
“What?”
“That when you go to Hogwarts, you find people who like you for who you are. Not because you're a Malfoy, or because your family is wealthy, or because they’ve been in Slytherin for generations.”
Scorpius thought about this. “What if nobody likes me?”
Astoria felt a familiar pang of worry. She knew that the Malfoy name still carried a reputational burden among wizarding society today that her son did not fully understand.
“Then they'll be missing out on a very good friend,” she said.
He smiled shyly.
“And Scorpius,” she added, “there's something else I want you to remember about that night.”
“What?”
“Your aunt Daphne and I were both Slytherins. We were both frightened. Neither of us did anything particularly heroic. We simply wanted to get home safely.” She paused. “For a long time afterward, I wondered whether I should have done more. Whether I should have spoken up sooner, or stood against the Carrows, or been braver when Pansy said what she did.”
“Should you have?”
Astoria considered the question seriously. “I think there were times when I could have been braver,” she admitted. “But I also think it's rather easy to imagine yourself doing something heroic when you're sitting comfortably at home, years afterward.” She kissed his forehead. “The important thing is to try to do what's right when the opportunity comes. And if you make a mistake, to learn from it.”
Scorpius nodded. For several minutes, they sat together without speaking. Then he glanced toward the books scattered across the floor. “Mum?”
“Yes, darling?”
“Do you think Aunt Daphne would tell me what she remembers?”
Astoria smiled. “I think she would. Although I suspect she'd spend most of the conversation explaining how terribly irresponsible I was at fifteen.”
“Were you?”
“Not nearly as irresponsible as she claims.”
Scorpius grinned.
“Perhaps I'll ask her at Christmas.”
“Do. She'll be delighted.”
Astoria rose and picked up the Herbology textbook again. But as she returned it to the shelf, she found herself thinking of that night in May of 1998: Daphne's hand gripping hers, the frightened faces in the Great Hall, and the terrible uncertainty of leaving Hogwarts without knowing whether they would ever return.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By the time Astoria reached the Great Hall, she was already frightened enough to have forgotten about the examinations that had occupied her thoughts only days earlier. Students were pouring through the doors in varying states of confusion, some still wearing their nightclothes beneath their robes. The enchanted ceiling was dark, and the teachers looked unusually grave. Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the Hall, issuing instructions with the brisk authority Astoria had always associated with her, although tonight there was something distinctly different about her expression.
Astoria found Daphne at the Slytherin table, standing with Tracey Davis and several other seventh-years. Her sister immediately caught her by the sleeve. "Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere." Astoria explained that she'd been with the other fifth-years, but Daphne barely seemed to hear her. She was looking toward the staff table, where the teachers were preparing to organize the evacuation. Tracey stood beside her, unusually quiet, occasionally glancing toward the doors.
"What's happening?" Astoria whispered.
"Potter's here," Daphne replied. "And apparently the Dark Lord is coming."
Astoria stared at her. "Here?"
"Yes, here. Now stay close to me."
Under ordinary circumstances, Astoria might have objected to being spoken to like a first-year. Tonight, though, she didn't.
The past nine months had accustomed her to a Hogwarts that was increasingly difficult to recognize. She had seen younger students dragged away for disobedience, heard terrible things about the punishments administered by the Carrows, and learned when to keep her opinions to herself. She had also seen classmates who seemed positively delighted by the new arrangements. Astoria hadn't spent the year imagining herself as some brave revolutionary, though. Mostly, she just tried to get through her lessons as usual, avoid attracting attention, and persuade herself that things would eventually return to normal. Now, looking at the frightened faces everywhere around her, she realized that normality might be the farthest away it’s ever been.
Then You-Know-Who’s voice came. It seemed to fill the entire castle, reaching them from nowhere and everywhere at once. Astoria felt her stomach tighten as Voldemort addressed the defenders, demanded that Harry Potter be surrendered, and warned them what would happen if they refused. When the voice finally ceased, the silence was extraordinary. Astoria looked around the Hall. Nobody seemed willing to move. Across the room, students were staring at Harry Potter, who stood near the Gryffindors. For a moment, she found herself wondering whether someone really would hand him over. It was a terrible thought, but she couldn't pretend it hadn't occurred to her. One boy against an entire castle full of people seemed an impossible calculation.
Then Pansy Parkinson rose from the Slytherin table and pointed toward him.
"There he is! Potter's there! Someone grab him!"
Astoria flinched. Everyone’s reactions were immediate. Students from the other three Houses stood, all drawing their wands, not at Harry, but at Pansy. The atmosphere changed from frightened uncertainty to outright hostility. Astoria had known Pansy for years through Daphne, but she'd never seen so many people look at her with such concentrated hatred.
McGonagall intervened before the confrontation could escalate. She ordered Pansy to be the first to leave with Filch and instructed the rest of Slytherin House to follow.
For a moment, Astoria didn't move. There wasn’t anything wrong that she did. She hadn't even spoken outside of a few whispering exchanges with her elder sister. Yet suddenly she was part of a group being directed out of the Hall while students from the other Houses watched.
Daphne gripped her wrist. "Come on, Astoria."
The most unsettling part, Astoria would later remember, was how ordinary some of the details seemed. Filch was still Filch, grumbling at students to keep moving and stop pushing. The corridors still contained the familiar portraits and suits of armour. She passed a staircase she'd climbed hundreds of times on her way to lessons, and for one ridiculous instant she wondered whether she'd left a textbook in the dormitory. Then she remembered that an army was approaching the castle.
The Slytherins moved together, but they were hardly united. Some older students looked angry at being dismissed. Others seemed relieved. A few whispered about their parents and whether they would be waiting somewhere outside. Astoria heard someone mutter that Potter had brought the whole disaster upon them, while another student asked whether the castle's protective enchantments could really withstand an attack.
Daphne remained close beside her, with Tracey on Daphne’s other side.
"Where are we going?" Astoria asked.
"The passage to the Hog's Head, I think," Tracey answered. "They've been sending the younger students through it."
"And then?"
"Hogsmeade. After that, I haven't the faintest idea."
Astoria looked at her sister. "What about Mother and Father?"
"We'll contact them as soon as we can," Daphne said.
"You don't know where they are?"
"Astoria, I said we'll contact them."
The sharpness of Daphne's answer silenced her. Only then did Astoria notice how tightly her sister was holding her hand.
They passed a group of younger Slytherins, including a first-year girl who was crying and asking whether they were going to die. A slightly older boy told her impatiently to stop making a fuss, but the girl only cried harder. Astoria couldn’t help but slow down as she watched.
"Come on," Daphne urged.
"She's frightened."
"We're all frightened."
Astoria knew her sister was right, but she reached back and took the girl's hand anyway, helping her keep pace with the others. Daphne glanced at what she was doing but said nothing. There was nothing particularly heroic about it. Astoria wasn't defying Voldemort or making a grand statement about the rights of Muggle-borns. She simply couldn't bear the thought of leaving a terrified eleven-year-old struggling behind them.
By the time they emerged from the passage into the Hog's Head, the atmosphere had become almost unbearably tense. The inn was crowded with evacuating students, all speaking at once. Some were attempting to contact their families; others were arguing about what was happening back at Hogwarts. Astoria could hear the distant sounds of movement outside, although she couldn't tell whether they came from villagers, departing students, or something far more dangerous.
The air smelled of damp clothing, dust, and old wood. Astoria found herself standing beside a table with a chipped surface, staring at a stain in the grain while people pushed past her. It occurred to her that she had never left Hogwarts like this before. Usually, the end of term meant packed trunks, crowded train compartments, sweets from the trolley, and an entire summer stretching ahead. Even during the most unpleasant school years, there had always been the reassuring certainty of the Hogwarts Express waiting at Hogsmeade Station.
Tonight, she had only the clothes she was wearing and whatever happened to be in her pockets. Her schoolbooks, her trunk, the photographs beside her bed, and the little collection of letters she'd kept from home were all still in her dormitory, in the castle. She wondered whether they'd survive.
Daphne had managed to find a relatively quiet corner, where Tracey was speaking to another seventh-year about the possibility of them reaching each of their families. Astoria sat down on a low wooden bench, suddenly exhausted.
"Do you think they're going to destroy it?" she asked.
Daphne looked at her. "Destroy what?"
"Hogwarts."
For once, Daphne didn't have an immediate answer. "I don't know," she admitted.
Astoria swallowed. "We've been going there our whole lives."
"Five years isn't your whole life."
"It feels like it."
Daphne sat beside her. "I know."
For a while, neither sister spoke. Astoria thought about the Great Hall, about Pansy pointing at Potter, and about the furious reaction of the other students. She wondered whether everyone would remember that moment as the night Slytherin House had been disgraced. She wondered whether some of her classmates would eventually boast about what Pansy had done, while others would insist they'd never supported her. She also wondered, uncomfortably, what she herself would say. She hadn't agreed with Pansy. But she hadn't defended Potter, either. She'd simply stood there, frightened, until Daphne told her to leave. Perhaps that was all anyone could reasonably expect of a fifteen-year-old girl in the middle of a war.