Future Nostalgia / Harry Potter Fanfic

The Trial

The next morning, Estella woke up to an empty bed but a note on the side table.

Morning Es,

Sorry I couldn't be with you when you awoke. You know Ron and his incessant questions. I did run down and grab breakfast for you; your favorite, banana muffin, and french vanilla coffee. I hope it's still warm by the time you awake.

Love you,

Harry

Estella smiled as she read the note, that was Harry for you.

Estella scarfed down the muffin and quickly drank the warm coffee before getting dressed and making her way downstairs.

"Estella, so glad you could join us," said Sirius as he walked over to the girl and pulled her into a giant hug.

"Hi, Sirius, you know I like to sleep in," replied Estella, hugging him back before pulling away.

"Yes, a trait you most certainly get from your mother. Aspen was never one to sleep in," said Sirius.

Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Sienna, Ron, and Harry all stood grouped together, all looking rather particular, as they had tied cloths over their noses and mouths.

Mrs. Weasley hurried over to her and handed her a cloth to cover her nose and mouth.

"What is it that we're doing?" asked Estella as Harry moved to tie it in the back for her.

"The doxies! Now, cover your faces and take a spray," Mrs. Weasley said, pointing to a bottle of black liquid standing on a spindle-legged table. "Doxycide. I've never seen an infestation this bad-what that house-elf's been doing for the last ten years. The only room he ever cleaned was your mothers-"

Hermione's face was half concealed under the cloth but Estella saw her throw a reproachful look at Mrs. Weasley at these words.

"Kreacher's really old, he probably couldn't manage-"

"You'd be surprised what Kreacher can manage when he wants to, Hermione," said Sirius who had just reentered the room carrying a bloodstained bag of what appeared to be dead rats. "He's cleaned Aurora's room for ten years, given that she and," he cut himself off. "She was his favorite Black. Anyway...this writing desk..."

He dropped the bag of rats onto an armchair, then bent over to examine the locked cabinet which was slightly shaking.

"Well, Molly, I'm pretty sure this is a boggart," said Sirius, peering through the keyhole, "but perhaps we ought to let Mad-eye have a shifty at it before we let it out-knowing my mother it could be something much worse."

"Right you are, Sirius," said Mrs. Weasley.

They were both speaking in carefully light, polite voices that told Estella quite plainly that neither had forgotten their disagreement of the night before.

A loud, clanging bell sounded from downstairs, followed at once by the cacophony of screams and wails that had been triggered the previous night by Tonks knocking over the umbrella stand.

"I keep telling them not to ring the doorbell!" said Sirius exasperatedly, hurrying back out of the room. They heard him thundering down the stairs as Mrs. Black's screeches echoed up through the house once more: "Stains of dishonor, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth..."

"Close the door, please, Estella," said Mrs. Weasley.

Estella quickly closed the door. Sirius had managed to shut the curtain over his mother's portrait. Mrs. Weasley was bending over to check the page on doxies in Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests, which was lying open on the sofa.