Past Present

"So, Pettigrew, he was really responsible? He is still alive? And Voldemort has a body..." Viktor's voice had resumed its usual strength.

"Yes...Viktor, you said his name! Dumbledore is just about the only other person I've heard use his name out loud... Everyone else calls him You-Know-Who."

"Voldemort? If you're afraid to give a thing a name, how on earth are you ever supposed to be brave enough to fight it? If you're afraid to speak something out loud because you think that makes it real, you are fooling yourself. Pettigrew. An animagus. A traitor. A rat. How appropriate." Viktor bit his lower lip gently with his teeth.

"Yes. He was hiding with Ron's family the whole time. That fool Fudge wouldn't know a blatant truth if it danced on his head and sang the national anthem. Wouldn't take the word of a bunch of kids. Sirius is still in hiding. All we get are letters to each other. Actually, I was a little surprised when he wrote me back and told me to go on this trip and have a good time. He was a lot suspicious of you last year. Rode me for going off into the woods with you alone," Harry summed up.

"There you go, then. See what secrets do? It is mutual. I would not haff trusted Sirius Black. Wanted murderer, dangerous criminal. Half the wizard world would probably kill him on sight, call the authorities second. I would not trust me either, if I were you. You were a fool to go into the woods with me, I was a fool for watching where you were going instead of watching my back. Couple of fools, and we paid for it, did we not? Well, that casts a new light on things. Definitely. Much better not to be fed fairy tales," Viktor was rubbing his chin as he spoke.

"If it makes any difference, I trusted you before that. You were alright. Now, I trust you as much as anyone I trust at Hogwarts. It took a lot of courage for you to tell us about your sister. It took a lot of courage for you to tell me what you just did. Dumbledore would have let me fumble around in the dark for months and made me figure it out on my own, most likely. Sometimes I feel like he's playing charades with me, and not giving any hints until I've already guessed the answer. Learning experience, and all that. Still, I trust you as much as Dumbledore," Harry said tentatively.

"Why, since that is not the half of what I should probably tell you?" Viktor asked.

"Because, it's obvious you love Hermione. Really love her. Hagrid once said that real dark wizards didn't care for anyone but themselves, no love for anyone else. You couldn't be too dark if you spotted the good in a girl that even her two best friends had missed. And you're... honorable. Hermione's no fool. She would be careful who she gives her heart to. And I don't know if you've noticed, but I believe she's handed it over."

Viktor snorted softly, a noise that seemed to say he couldn't believe his luck. "I will do my best to merit it, then. I had a feeling about her, too."