Future Nostalgia / Harry Potter Fanfic

Special Moments in the Library

Over the course of the next week, Estella and Harry had racked their brains on how to persuade Slughorn to hand over the true memory, but nothing came to mind, nothing that would end in a good way, at least.

They were sitting beside the fire in the common room; the only other people awake were fellow sixth years. There had been a certain amount of excitement earlier when they had come back from dinner to find a new sign on the notice board that announced the date for their Apparition Test. Those who would be seventeen on or before the first test date, the twenty-first of April, had the option of signing up for additional practice sessions, which would take (heavily supervised) in Hogsmeade.

Ron had panicked on reading the notice; he had still not managed to Apparte and feared he would not be ready for the test. Hermione, who had now achieved Apparition twice, was a little more confident. Never had Estella been so annoyed that her birthday fell in early May, just a little under two weeks after the test. Harry, who wouldn't turn seventeen for another four months, could not take the test whether ready or not like Estella.

"At least you two can Apparate, though!" said Ron tensely. "You'll have no trouble come July."

"I've only done it once," Harry reminded him.

Estella had been able to do it five times, but only after falling a million.

Having wasted a lot of time worrying aloud about Apparition, Ron was now struggling to finish a viciously difficult essay for Snape that the three others had already completed.

"I'm telling you, the stupid Prince isn't going to be able to help you with this, Harry!" Hermione said, loudly. "There's only one way to force someone to do what you want, and that's the Imperius curse, which is illegal-"

"Yeah, I know that, thanks," said Harry, not looking up from the book.

"It has to be done by persuasion, Harry," said Estella. "Grandad says only we can get the memory and Slughorn likes you more.

"How d'you spell 'belligerent'?" said Ron, shaking his quill very hard while staring at his parchment. "It can't be B-U-M-"

"No, it isn't," said Hermione, pulling Ron's essay toward her. "And 'augury' doesn't have O-R-G-either. What kind of quill are you using?"

"It's one of Fred and George's Spell-Check ones...but I think the charm must be wearing off..."

"Yes, it must be," said Hermione, pointing at the title of his essay, "because we were asked how we'd deal with dementors, not 'Dugbogs,' and I don't remember you changing your name to 'Roonil Wazlib' either."

"Ah no!" said Ron, staring horror-struck at the parchment while Estella giggled. She'd definitely be calling him "Roonil" now. He might even prefer that to Won-Won. "Don't say I'll have to write the whole thing out again!"

"It's okay, we can fix it," said Hermione, pulling the essay toward her and taking out her wand.

"I love you, Hermione," said Ron, sinking back in his chair, rubbing his eyes wearily.

Estella's eyes snapped to Hermione, who'd turned faintly pink, but merely said, "don't let Lavender hear you saying that."

"I won't," said Ron, his head in his hands. "Or maybe I will...then she'll ditch me..."

"Why don't' you just break up with her?" asked Estella, shaking her head.

"You've never dumpled anyone, have you?" said Ron. "You've got Harry who'd never stop following you if you did break up. Like a lost puppy, that one."

Estella laughed and Harry glared at Ron.

"I wouldn't follow her like puppy, Ron, which doesn't matter because we're not going to break up, and she's stuck with me," said Harry, brightly.