Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [6]

⚡️ Chapter 33 ⚡️

Vega remained quiet, watching as Dumbledore took from an inside pocket another crystal phial and Harry fell silent at once, remembering very well that Dumbledore had said it was the most important memory that he had collected. The way the headmaster had introduced it made Vega a bit uncertain but she hoped that they wouldn't be seeing anything bad.

However, as she watched, Vega noted that the crystal phial's contents proved difficult to empty into the Pensieve, as though they had congealed slightly. It was strange because as far as she knew, memories weren't supposed to go bad like this –

So, what's going on with that?"

"This will not take long," Dumbledore spoke to the two Gryffindor students, when he had finally emptied the phial. Vega and Harry share a quick and brief look with each other. "We shall be back before you know it. Once more into the Pensieve, then..."

Just as before, Vega stepped up and placed her face into the stone basin, and seconds later, she found herself falling through the silver surface into the darkness. When she landed, Vega found herself right in front of a man she recognised in an instant.

It was a much younger Horace Slughorn.

Given that Vega was so used to him bald that he found the sight of Slughorn with thick, shiny, straw-coloured hair quite disconcerting; it looked as though he had had his head thatched, though there was already a shiny Galleon-sized bald patch on his crown.

Slughorn's moustache, less massive than it was these days, was gingery-blond. He was not quite as rotund as the Slughorn that Vega knew now, though the golden buttons on his richly embroidered waistcoat were taking a fair amount of strain.

On the other hand, his little feet resting upon a velvet pouffe, he was sitting well back in a comfortable winged armchair, one hand grasping a small glass of wine, the other searching through a box of crystalised pineapple. Very familiar actions, now that Vega had seen him at the Christmas party. It seemed like only his appearance changed.

By the time that Harry and Dumbledore arrived, Vega ad noticed that they were currently standing in the midst of Slughorn's office, given from his cupboards.

Half a dozen boys were sitting around Slughorn, all on harder or lower seats than his, and all in their mid-teens. Vega recognised Voldemort at once.

Voldemort's was the most handsome face and he looked the most relaxed of all the boys. His right hand lay negligently upon the arm of his chair; with a jolt, Vega saw that he was wearing Marvolo's gold-and-black ring; he had already killed his father.

"Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?" Voldemort asked.

"Tom, Tom, if I knew I couldn't tell you," Slughorn replied, wagging a reproving, sugar-covered finger at Riddle, though ruining the effect slightly by winking. "I must say, I'd like to know where you get your information, boy, more knowledgeable than half the staff, you are,"

Riddle smiled; the other boys laughed and cast him admiring looks.

"What with your uncanny ability to know things you shouldn't," Slughorn continued on ward. "And your careful flattery of the people who matter – thank you for the pineapple, by the way, you're quite right, it is my favourite –"

As several of the boys tittered, something very odd happened. The whole room was suddenly filled with a thick white fog, so that Vega could see nothing but the faces of Harry and Dumbledore, who were both standing beside her. She couldn't understand what was going on, but something told her to keep quiet and just listen to what happened next.

Then Slughorn's voice rang out through the mist, unnaturally loudly, "You'll go wrong, boy, mark my words!"

And the fog cleared as suddenly as it had appeared and yet nobody made any allusion to it, nor did anybody look as though anything unusual had just happened. Confused and concerned, Vega looked around as a small golden clock standing upon Slughorn's desk chimed eleven o'clock. She wasn't the only one who did so, either, Slughorn looked over as well.