Future Nostalgia / Harry Potter Fanfic

The Third Task

It was daybreak. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Estella had crept out of their dormitories very early and hurried up the Owlery together to send a note to Sirius. Now they were standing looking out at the misty grounds. Unbeknownst to Ron and Hermione, Harry and Estell were puffy-eyed and pale as they'd snogged late into the night.

"Just go through it again, Harry," said Hermione. "What did Mr. Crouch actually say?"

"I've told you, he wasn't making much sense," said Harry. "He said he wanted to warn Dumbledore about something. He definitely mentioned Bertha Jorkins, and he seemed to think she was dead. He kept saying stuff was his fault...he mentioned his son."

"Well, that was his fault," said Hermione testily.

"He was out of his mind," said Harry. "Half the time, he seemed to think his wife and son were still alive, and he kept talking to Percy about work and giving him instructions."

"And....remind me what he said about You-Know-Who?" said Ron tentatively.

"I've told you," Harry repeated dully. "He said he's getting stronger."

"It makes sense. I've been talking with my grandad about my visions, and abilities have got stronger and much clearer. I know the third task, and I know something's going to happen," muttered Estella. Her grandfather had been forcing her to attend lessons to strengthen her Occlumency and Legilimency abilities. He'd even tried to see if she could restore life, but the most she felt when she did that was her hands growing intensely warm and a small light radiating from them before fading away.

There was a pause. Then Ron said in a falsely confident voice, "But he was out of his mind like you said, so half of it was probably just raving..."

"He was sanest when he was trying to talk about Voldemort," said Harry, and Ron winced at the sound of the name. "He was having real trouble stringing two words together, but he seemed to know where he was, and know what he wanted to do. He just kept saying he had to see Dumbledore-"

"Shh!" said Estella suddenly.

Somebody was climbing the steps up to the Owlery. Estella could hear three voices arguing, coming closer and closer.

"That's blackmail, that is, we could get into a lot of trouble for that-"

"We've tried being polite; it's time to play dirty, like him. He wouldn't like the Ministry of Magic knowing what he did-"

"Why don't you just let me give you the money-"

"No!" snapped two voices.

"I'm telling you, if you put that in writing, it's blackmail!"

"Yeah, and you won't be complaining if we get a nice fat payoff, will you?"

The Owlery door banged open. Fred, Geroge, and Sienna came over the threshold, then froze at the sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Estella.

"What're you doing here?" Ron and Fred said at the same time.

"Sending a letter," said Harry and George in unison.

"What, at this time?" said Hermione and Fred.

Estella and Sienna laughed. That was too good.

Fred grinned.

"Fine-we won't ask what you're doing if you don't ask us," he said.

He was holding a sealed envelope in his hands. Estella glanced at it, but Fred, whether on purpose or by accident, shifted his hand so that the name on it was covered.

"Well, don't let us hold you up," Fred said, making a mock bow and pointing at the door.

Ron didn't move. "Who're you blackmailing?" he said.