Future Nostalgia / Harry Potter Fanfic

The Possession of Katie Bell and Attempted Date Plans

"Anyone who names themselves 'Prince' doesn't seem too nice to me," added Hermione.

"I don't see where you get that from," said Harry heatedly. "If he'd been a buddying Death Eater he wouldn't have boasted about being 'half-blooded,' would he?"

"The Death Eaters can't all be pure-bloods, there aren't enough pure-blood wizards left," said Hermione stubbornly. "I expect most of them are half-bloods pretending to be pure like Voldemort. IT's only Muggle-borns they hate, they'd be quite happy to let you, Estella, and Ron join up."

"There's no way they'd let me be a Death Eater!" said Ron indignantly, a bit of sausage flying off the fork he was now brandishing at Hermione and hitting Erie Macmillian on the head. "My whole family are blood traitors. They'd probably take Estella cause of her abilities, though. But blood traits are as bad as Muggle-borns."

"Any they'd love to have me," said Harry sarcastically. "We'd be best pals if they didn't keep trying to do me in.

This made Ron and Estella laugh; even Hermione gave a grudging smile, and a distraction arrived in the shape of Ginny.

"Hey, I'm supposed to give you this."

It was a scroll of parchment with Harry's name written upon it.

"Thanks, Ginny...It's Dumbledore's next lesson!" Harry told them, pulling open the parchment and quickly reading its contents. "Monday evening!"

"Ginny, do you want to go with us?" asked Estella, as they got up from the table.

Ginny shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm going with Dean and then meeting up with Luna-might see you there," she replied, waving at them as she left.

Filch was standing at the oak front doors as usual, checking off the names of the people who had permission to go into Hogsmeade. The process took even longer than normal as Filch was triple-checking everybody with the Secrecy Sensor.

"What does it matter if we're smuggling Dark stuff OUT?" demand Ron, eyeing the Secrecy Sensor with apprehension. "Surely you ought to be checking what we bring IN?"

His cheek earned him a few extra jabs with the Sensor, and he was still wincing as they stepped out into the wind and sleet.

The walk to Hogsmeade was not enjoyable. Estella wrapped her scarf over her lower face; the exposed part felt both raw and numb. The road to the village was full of students bent double against the bitter wind. Estella made sure she walked beside Harry, as his taller figure blocked a good amount of wind from her and he didn't even know it. More than once Estella wondered whether they might not have had a better time in the warm common room, and when they reached Hogsmeade and saw that Zonko's Joke Shop had been boarded up, Estella took it as confirmation that this trip was destined not to be fun. Ron pointed, with a thickly gloved hand, toward Honeydikes, which was mercifully open, and the three of them staggered in his wake into the crowded shop.

"Thank God," shivered Ron as they were enveloped by war, toffee-scented air. "Let's stay here all afternoon."

"Estella, Harry!" said a booming voice from behind them.

"Ugh," groaned Estella as Harry muttered, "Oh no."

The four of them turned to see Professor Slughorn, who was wearing an enormous furry hat and an overcoat with matching fur collar, clutching a large bag of crystalized pineapple and occupying at least a quarter of the shop.

"That's three of my little suppers you've missed, Harry, and two for you, Estella!" said Slughorn, poking Harry genially in the chest. "It won't do, I'm determined to have you both! Miss Granger loves them, don't you?"