1. Asteria Potter
The Potter family was a happy one.
It was the last day of the summer vacation for the three children of the Potter family.
While James and Sirius were in the backyard, Asteria Potter was in her room. She had just finished writing a letter for her best friend, Evelyn, in which she had written to her that she couldn't wait to see her on the platform tomorrow.
Her owl, Patch, was waiting for his reward. He had just sent another letter and now he has to carry another one. Patch deserved its name - it was a snow-white owl, the only difference being the large orange stain on the head.
Asteria had placed his letter, before she offered him his food. "This time, stop pinching Evelyn by the hand no matter how funny it may seem to you." Asteria told Patch as if the owl understood her and would answer her. But Asteria was sure her owl could understand her. Every time she gets into an argument with James, Patch would sit on his shoulder and pinch him. For Asteria it was the funniest thing, but the same could not be said of her older brother who looked at her as if she had just betrayed him.
After Patch took flight, Asteria decided to finally get out of her room. Asteria Potter was as different as possible from her brother. James was known for his positive and energetic nature, especially for the pranks he could do with his three friends.
The Marauders were well known at Hogwarts.
On the other hand, Asteria spent time with her two friends. Evelyn, whom she befriended in her third year. Evelyn was from Ravenclaw, and after Asteria defended her against some Slytherins who were laughing at Evelyn's pigtails and acne, the two girls became close. And then there was Eric; Asteria considered him her half. Although Asteria was very close to her two brothers, it was Eric to whom she told everything and whom she trusted the most. The two first met on the train in their first year before arriving at Hogwarts. Although the two are part of different houses, their friendship did not end even five years later.
Asteria prefers to spend her time in her home or Hogwarts room, sleeping or reading. However, when there was a party in the Gryffindor tower, she was not absent from any party. Especially since Sirius was the one who forced her to take part in those parties. From his perspective she needed "a little fun. The books will be waiting for you, but not the opportunity to see me dancing while I was listening to Queen."
Just as she arrived in the living room, her two brothers entered the door, who seemed clearly tired. James threw himself on the couch, with Sirius immediately following him.
"You know maybe instead of playing Quidditch, you could learn for your last year." Asteria advised them, taking a seat on the armchair next to the sofa. Sirius shuddered when he heard the girl's voice, giving her an ugly look in exchange for which Asteria rolled her eyes.
James smiled at his sister, then turned to Sirius. "Do you think my dear Lily-flower is doing this now? Or she sits and thinks about how much she loves me and how much she regrets not telling me earlier." James looked at a point as if he had the most beautiful dream. Sirius snorted, making Asteria laugh.
James heard that and turned to the two traitors. "Laugh as much as you want, but I know. This year is the year when my dear Lily will realize the feelings she has for me."
Asteria smiled. It was admirable the way James loved Lily. Although Asteria noticed that Lily always tells James to leave her alone and that nothing would happen between them, the Potter girl noticed how a small smile would stick on Lily's face every time James made a cute gesture or as her eyes searched for James in a room full of people.
Sirius had slapped him on his shoulder. "I hope that happens, Prongs."
The three siblings were discussing how they could spend their last day of vacation. None had any idea, until Sirius thought of going to the Diagon Alley to meet Remus and Peter. In this way they will be able to buy some new writing quills, and Asteria some books to read. Although at first Asteria was not in the mood to leave, hearing about the books she was ready to go.
Euphemia Potter enters the living room with a big smile on her face followed by her husband, Fleamont Potter. "I'm so happy for you, James." His mother told him as she hugged him. Sirius noticed the letter Mia was holding in her hand and went to pick it up.
Asteria regretted that she had not taken a picture of him, because his expression was to be remembered. Sirius eyes had little left and came out of his orbits at how much he stared at that letter. Then a grin appeared on his face, "I can't believe Minnie called you Head Boy. She probably decided to play Cupid for you and Evans." Sirius words made a pink color appear on James' cheeks.
Asteria grinned, slapping her brother on the ribs with her elbow in jest, "Now you'll have plenty of time to spend with Lily." Sirius laughed, and James pushed Asteria beside him.
"I don't know what you mean. This year I'm going to be my best." James admitted seriously, arranging his clothes on him. You say he was called the King of the World, not the Head Boy.
Asteria approached Sirius and whispered in his ear, "He thinks he's going to win Lily this way. I don't know whether to applaud him or make fun of him."
After Sirius and Asteria made a few more jokes about James, the three of them, along with Mia and Monty, used the Floo Network to get to Diagon Alley. They had decided to spend forty minutes and then meet them all in front of Ollivanders. After separating from their parents, the three teenagers set out in search of Remus and Peter. In the end, they only found Remus in front of the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
"Where's Peter?" Sirius asked Remus after taking him in his arms.
The werewolf shrugged and said to everyone, "I don't know. He told me he'd be here, but he didn't seem to come." The four friends wondered where the Pettigrew boy might be, then entered the ice-cream shop. If Peter were to come, he would find them here.
.Sirius was talking about the pranks he was going to do at Hogwarts since it was their last year and he had to stay in the teachers' memory somehow. He was amazed to hear that James would not take part in these pranks. Even Remus seemed confused about this change in Potter's behavior, but everything was clear when Asteria whispered to him that it was about Lily.
"You can't be serious!" Sirius exclaimed, seeing the grin appearing on James's face he regretted his words.
"I am not Sirius, you are!" James laughed as though it was the most funny joke he ever said, and Remus sighed exasperated. "I'm really serious, dear Padfoot. You will see that Lily-flower will fall for this side of me and she will decide to be with me."
Asteria listened to them as she ate her ice-cream. "Frankly, I expected Remus to be Head boy. But Minnie seems to have had other plans."
James put a hand to his heart as though his younger sister's comment had hurt him, "I cant believe you trust Moony much more than your brother. Naturally Minnie noticed my efforts for the school." Asteria sniffed at her brother's dramatizes.
Sirius, too, said, "I thought Moony would be Head boy as he is already a Prefect."
Remus, on the other hand, was glad James was Head boy. It would have meant another responsibility, and with the full moon he would have been too tired to do something else. He was pleased to be a Prefect.
James threw his arm over Asteria's shoulders and smiled, "Maybe you will be Head Girl in your seventh year. I'll tell everyone that I was your model in life and you decided to follow me in everything I do."
Asteria had rolled her eyes, shaking James's arm away from his shoulders. They continued to discuss their next exams and Quidditch, until all at once the discussion took place in a different direction. They had all heard that Voldemort was forming a team of Death Eaters, and it was most likely made up of half students who were to return to Hogwarts the next day. Although they have heard of attacks on the Muggles-borns and Muggles. Asteria was concerned about Lily who was Muggle-born, but especially about Eric.
Sirius broke the silence that had fallen,"Now we must be more united than ever. Right away we'll be back to Hogwarts tomorrow, I bet half of Slytherins already bears his tattoo. They would boast to anyone if they were not at risk of being reported." He added with disgust, then the disgust was replaced with a grim look. "I bet my younger brother is part of the club of those maniacs."
Asteria looked up when she heard about the little son of the Black family. She had little interaction with him, except when she saw him on Platform nine and three-quarters accompanied by Walburga and Orion, or in the classes they had together because they were in the same year. She could not yet forget the look he had cast back to her in the fall after the summer when Sirius had run away from home and moved to the Potter family.
Asteria was standing by her parents as they waited for the arrival of Hogwarts Express. She could feel Sirius's anxiety as Sirius moved from one foot to another while waiting for the train. He looked at a point as though he could make the train appear faster. James had left in search of Remus and Peter, leaving Sirius with Asteria and their parents.
She walked toward the Black boy when she saw that Sirius attention was on someone else. Only a little before them had Walburga and Orion Black appeared with their son, Regulus Black. Regulus seemed as though he were giving anything not to be there. He noticed, too, that the older brother was looking at them and turned toward him. He could also notice Potter's family standing by as though to stop him from doing something he shouldn't.
Walburga turned to Sirius and cast him the worst look she could use. After he had fled home, he had gone to those blood traitors.
Asteria had placed her hand slowly on his back and tried to attract his attention, "Come on, Sirius, you don't have to pay attention to these people." At first he was as though he had not heard it, but then a smile had appeared on his face and set off in search of James who still did not turn, Euphahia and Fleamont behind him.
The Potter girl sighed and started to follow them, but she felt someone's gaze on her back. She wanted to ignore it, but she felt that look as though she were burning.. To her surprise, it was Regulus Black who was looking at her. She tried not to be intimidated by the fact that he kept his eye on her even though they were at a good distance. Asteria had the impression that as much hatred as she could see in his eyes, he was going to draw out his wand and use one of those curses upon her which Asteria was sure he knew. It was Asteria that ended their visual contact. She was sure she was not going to have such a moment with Regulus Black in the near future.
The blond girl was not sure why she was remembering this now, or why she was thinking of Regulus Black. She tried to forget about him, turning her attention to the shop window as the boys beside her were still talking. Asteria could swear that she had seen Evelyn's dark hair. She had got to her feet and before she reached the door, James shouted behind her.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked her when he saw that his sister was no longer beside him.
Asteria replied as she opened the door, "I'll go get a book and meet where we agreed with mother and father." Before James added anything else, the Potter girl had disappeared.
Sirius noticed his brother's expression and asked, "What's wrong? Are you afraid she'll be back home with too many books?" The dark haired boy was trying to spread the tension, but James did not smile.
James sighed, adjusted his glasses better, "I don't like she left alone. She can meet some...with some Slytherin and I don't want her to be alone with them!"
Remus was trying to relax James, "Don't worry so much. She will not meet anyone, and even so, Asteria can take care of herself."
Asteria had lost Evelyn out of sight. She was not even entirely sure whether that girl was her friend, but it was three months since she had not seen her, and she had missed her badly. In her motion, Asteria had reached an area where she knew she should not be. All the light was gone, the place having a very dark atmosphere. She had decided to turn, but two people had appeared before her, whom she did not wish to see soon. Avery and Mulciber. They were two of the people known to be among Volemort's group and to use the worst curses.
Avery grinned up toward Asteria, "Look who we have here, Mulciber. Potter's little sister is lost. And we, like good guys, will help her find her way, will we?"
Asteria bit her tongue so that she would not start cursing them. It would not help, it would make the situation worse. She tried to walk past Avery, but he pulled her by the wrist back. "Take your dirty hands off me!" Asteria withdrew her wrist, casting a ugly look at him."Get out of my way."
"Why? What can you do to me as you don't have your wand with you?" Avery was sneering as Mulciber looked amused behind him.
Asteria felt her patience go, "I know your brain is not yet developed and you don't understand what you are told, but I'll try again. Get out of my way." Before she knew, Asteria found herself pushed into the wall behind her. Her head could feel it breaking in half.
Avery put his face close to her and whispered, "Be careful, little witch. Only this year you have your brother with you to protect you, then next year you remain alone." Avery felt amused at the look on her face. "And now you may think Hogwarts is a safe place, but you will soon change your mind.
Asteria was sure it was about those who became Death Eaters. And she was even more certain that the two before her already were.
That was not what she intended to do, but before she could tell, Asteria had spat Avary directly. She would regret it later, now enjoying his shocked expression that wiped her saliva out of his face.
"You little bitch-," Avary had been interrupted by Regulus Black, who blocked his view on the blond girl.
Regulus looked bored at the wand that was in Avery's hand, "I suggest you put your wand away. If it is found that you used it on her, you will be in trouble before we get to Hogwarts. And you don't want that, do you, Avery?", Regulus warned him, then added sarcastically, "I hope your brain understands what I say and it is not so difficult."
Before he left, Avery looked at Regulus, "Take care, Black. You don't want to be enemy of someone you shouldn't." Regulus answer was a sweep of eyes over his head.
Asteria straightened and watched the two idiots disappear into the darkness, leaving her alone with Regulus. Regulus, which in turn was watching her.
Asteria opened her mouth to thank him, but Black stopped her. "I didn't do it for you. So there is no reason to thank me." Without adding anything else, Regulus left, but Asteria called after him.
"Yet you did it, so thank you!"
Regulus sighed without answering her. A corner of his mouth, however, rose.