Future Nostalgia / Harry Potter Fanfic

We've Had Time, Haven't we?

All lessons were suspended, all examinations postponed. Some students were hurried away from Hogwarts by their parents over the next couple of days- the Patil twins were gone before breakfast on the morning following Dumbledore's death, and Zacharias Smith was escorted from the castle by his haughty-looking fatter. Seamus, on the other hand, refused point-blank to accompany his mother home; they had a shouting match in the entrance hall that resolved when she agreed that he could remain behind for the funeral. She had difficulty in finding a bed in Hogsmeade as many witches and wizards were pouring into the village, preparing to say their last respects to Dumbledore.

Some excitement was caused among the younger students, who had never seen it before, when a powder-blue carriage the size of a house, pulled by a dozen giant winged palominos, came soaring out of the sky in the late afternoon before the funeral and landed on the edge of the forest. Estella watched from a window as a gigantic handsome olive-skinned, black-haired woman descended the carriage steps and threw herself into Hagrid's arms. Meanwhile, a delegation of Ministry's officials, including the Minister of Magic himself, was being accommodated within the castle. Estella was diligently avoiding contact with them; she was sure that, sooner or later, she would be asked again to account for her grandfather's last execution from Hogwarts.

Harry, Ron, Estella, and Hermione were spending all of their time together. The beautiful weather seemed to mock them; Estella could imagine how it would have been if he had not died, and they had this time together at the very end of the year, the pressure of homework lifted.

They visited the hospital wing twice a day; Neville had been discharged, but Bill remained her Madam Pomfrey's care. His scars were as bad as ever-in truth, he now bore a distinct resemblance to Moody, though with both eyes and legs and a good head of hair, but his personality seemed just the same as ever. All that appeared to have changed was that he now had a great liking for very rare steaks.

"...so eet ess lucky 'e is marrying me," said Fleur happily, pumping up Bill's pillows, "because ze British overcook their meat, I 'ave always said this."

"I suppose I'm just going to have to accept that he really is going to marry her," sighed Ginny later that evening, as she, Harry, Ron, Estella, and Hermione sat beside the open window of the Gryffindor common room, looking out over the twilt grounds.

"She's a fun person to be around, Ginny," said Estella, ignoring the look she got from Ginny. "Even your mom likes her now."

"Well, I suppose if Mum can stand it, I can."

"Anyone else we know died?" Ron asked Hermione, who was pursuing the Evening Prophet.

Hermione winced at the forced toughness in his voice. "No," she said reprovingly, folding up the newspaper. "They're still looking for Snape but no sign..."

"Of course not," said Harry, who became angry every time this subject cropped up. "They won't find Snape till they find Voldemort."

"I'm going to bed," yawned Ginny. "I haven't been sleeping that great."

She waved at the four and departed for the girls' dormitories. The moment the door had closed behind her, Hermione leaned forward.

"I've found something in the library."

"R.A.B.?" asked Harry.

"No," she said sadly, "Estella and I have been trying, but we haven't found anything. There are a couple of reasonably well-known wizards with those initials, but they don't seem to fit at all. Judging by that note, the person who stole the Horcrux knew Voldemort, and we can't find a shred of evidence that links the people we've looked into. No, actually, it's about...well, Snape."