Past Present

"Ron! You can't write Bill just asking to look at Viktor's money! Or to ask about his parents! It's invading his privacy!" Harry whispered urgently. But Ron went on scribbling on the parchment, the two family owls stalking around them expectantly, down from their perches in the barn, ready to be off. Baramir. Harry thought he remembered Viktor calling the big gray barn owl he had taken to Durmstrang Baramir.

"Harry, don't you wonder why Viktor seems so concerned about the money? I mean, this is a big, nice inn. There's some land with it. He's an only child..." Harry widened his eyes and Ron paused, "...now... his parents both make money, why all the concern about the money? I mean, for Pete's sake, Harry, he acts like they would starve if they didn't take all his money."

"Sure I wonder, Ron, but, it's rude talk about where his money goes behind his back. If we want to know, we should just ask Viktor..."

"Yes, I think you should." They turned to see Viktor, standing in the barn door, leaning against the frame, his arms crossed, highlighted by the sunset behind. "Votever it is you vont to know."

Ron crumpled the parchment and stuck it into his pocket, shamefaced. "Viktor, we're sorry, it's just, well..." Harry trailed off.

Ron mumbled, "We just wondered why you seem so hot and bothered for your parents to take all your money. They seem to do alright..."

Viktor snorted softly, raising his eyebrow disapprovingly at some imaginary spot on the floor. "All those years ago, my mother spent eight months in hospital. She had to relearn how to valk. She did not vork for more than two years. Neither did my father. He vos busy looking after her. And me. They had to double mortgage this place, to live on, to send me to Durmstrang. A half-year late. I still haff some schooling left, exams to take. Between that and Quidditch and the Tournament last year, alvays playing catch up."

Viktor sat heavily astride a hay bale, picking at the stray straws sticking out of it. "But, Viktor, it's not your responsibility. You were only a child," Harry said.

"It vos if ve vonted to keep it. They couldn't get ahead on their own. Not barely even, either. So long vith so much money going out, none coming in."

"I'm sure your parents appreciated it, but they want you to start taking care of yourself. Not them. Parents are odd that way. They either want to take care of you, or toss you out into the world and make you look after yourself. Sometimes it doesn't make any sense which they decide to do today. Half the time, Mum does both before breakfast," Ron piped up.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, Viktor's face crumpled, a pained look settling in place of the usual impenetrable mask. In a strangled voice, he said, "But it vos my fault. If it hadn't been for me, they vould not haff been there..."

Harry interjected, "Viktor... it..."

But Viktor picked up again as though he hadn't heard, "I had seen a Muggle boy vith vone at the museum, I had to haff a damned baseball cap..." Seemingly angry at himself, he was plucking frantically at the piece of straw in his hands.

Harry touched his shoulder. "Viktor, it wasn't your fault. It could have happened anyway."

Viktor looked Harry levelly in the eye. "But it did not. It happened because I vonted something from my parents. I tried not to vont anything from them after that, I avoided them and her as much as I could. Two years, hardly a vord about her between us. By then, they needed money so badly they both vorked all they could. Mama even took boarders in the inn. You don't talk much vith strangers living vith you, or vorking all the time. By the time the boarders left, I vos at Durmstrang. I did not get paid much to be a practice reserve, but it vos better than nothing. Playing paid much better, but it still takes a lot to buy a place like this twice over, books, supplies. But they do not need me now. They do not vont my help. The money was all I had to offer instead of... her. " he said despondently. He grimaced at the straw in his hands.

"I think your mother and father would disagree with that. They obviously love you very much. I just think, well, they seem proud. Proud of you. And proud for themselves. Viktor, you like to do things for yourself, don't you think they do too?" Harry responded. Harry could now see why Viktor had refused the mediwizards last year at the World Cup, when he had so obviously needed medical attention. He was proud. They all were. He couldn't imagine any of them accepting help from anyone unless it was absolutely necessary.

Viktor considered this statement a moment, then nodded. "I just vish ve had not vasted so much time being...proud...strong. Ve do not know each other as vell as ve should because of it. I see that now. I used to see everything but that bloody snitch too late. I hope that changes," he said dully, standing up and walking back toward the inn, not looking back.