The Potter Twins and the Half-Blood Prince {6}

15. Memories That Fade

"I could be nothing but a memory to you" - Memories That Fade Like Photographs, All Time Low

Late in the afternoon, a few days after New Year, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and I line up beside the kitchen fire to return to Hogwarts. The Ministry has arranged this one-off connection to the Floo Network to return students safely and quickly to the school. Only Mrs Weasley, Dad, and Sirius are here to say goodbye, as Mr Weasley, Fred, George, Bill, and Fleur are all at work. Mrs Wealsey dissolves into tears at the moment of parting. Admittedly, it takes very little to set her off lately; she had been crying on and off ever since Percy had stormed from the house on Christmas Day, with his glasses splattered with mashed parsnips (for which Fred, George, and Ginny all claim credit).

"Don't cry, Mum," says Ginny, patting her on the back as Mrs Weasley sobs into her shoulder. "It's okay..."

"Yeah, don't worry about us," says Ron, permitting his mother to plant a very wet kiss on his cheek, "or about Percy. He's such a prat, it's not really a loss, is it?"

Mrs Weasley sobs even harder as she enfolds me in her arms.

"Promise me you'll look after yourselves...Stay out of trouble..."

"We always do, Mrs Weasley," says Harry. "We like a quiet life, you know us."

"The apple didn't fall far from the tree, Molly," Dad says, as he and Sirius step forward to say their goodbyes. "Better yet, look after each other," he adds.

I step into the emerald fire and shout "Hogwarts!". I have one last fleeting view of the Weasley's kitchen before the flames engulf me; spinning very fast, I catch blurred glimpses of other Wizarding rooms, which are whipped out of sight before I can get a proper look; then I'm slowing down, before stopping squarely in the fireplace in McGonagall's office. She barely glances up from her work as I clamber out over the grate.

"Evening, Potter. Try not to get too much ash on the carpet."

"No, Professor."

I straighten my jacket and flatten my hair as Ron comes spinning into view, followed promptly by Harry and Ginny. Soon, the four of us troop out of McGonagall's office and off toward Gryffindor Tower. I glance out the windows as we pass; the sun is already sinking over the grounds carpeted in deeper snow than had lain over the Burrow garden. In the distance, I can see Hagrid feeding Buckbuck in front of his cabin.

"Baubles," says Ron confidently, when we reach the Fat Lady, who is looking rather paler than usual and winces at his loud voice.

"No," she says.

"What d'you mean, ''?"

"There is a new password," she says. "And please don't shout."

"But we've been away, how're we supposed to - "

"Harry! Haylee! Ginny!"

Hermione is hurrying towards us, very pink-faced and wearing a cloak, hat, and gloves.

"I got back a couple of hours ago, I've just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck - I mean Witherwings," she says breathlessly. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

"Yeah," says Ron at once, "pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim --"

"I've got something for you, Harry and Haylee," says Hermione, neither looking at Ron nor giving any sign that she had heard him. "Oh, hang on -- password. Abstinence."

"Abstinence?" I repeat, dumbfounded.

"Precisely," says the Fat Lady in a feeble voice, and swings forward to reveal the portrait hole.