Past Present

"Honestly, why didn't you two pack as you went along? It's not as though you were carrying a full set of luggage anyway. I finished packing in two minutes this afternoon," Hermione scolded. Harry had just come running into Ron's room with his haphazardly packed bag and hopped up and perched himself on the edge of Ron's high bed with Viktor and Hermione. Viktor was the only one who could put his feet flat on the floor from there. Ron was still opening dresser drawers and discovering things he didn't remember bringing in the first place.

"Oh, do be quiet Hermione! Not all of us can be as perfect as you... why on earth do I have four pairs of socks in here? Why did I think I needed that many socks?"

"Probably because you never unpacked your bag from your last trip," Hermione countered.

"If we find anything else you forgot, I will haff it sent," Viktor said in a soothing voice. "By the way, I think you forgot this," he said in an even tone, reaching into his pocket and drawing out a small knitted hat, which he offered to Hermione. Harry thought it looked suspiciously as though it were a house elf sort of size.

"Well, but I...I... it's not..." Hermione stammered, going a bit pink.

"Still working with spew, then, Hermione?" Ron said, dissolving into a fit of laughter. "Knitting for freedom?"

Viktor cast him a sidelong glance, then spoke softly to Hermione. "First of all, it would not count. The clothes haff to be given to them by their master, and since Potenko is headmaster, they would haff to come from him. Guests and students do not count. They would not even wear it. They would think it a mark of disgrace, it does not look like something they foraged for. Besides...they would scream something awful about it if it did set them free. I heard Potenko is haffing a hard enough time getting them each to take a day off a month. They are trying to talk him down to a half day if he insists. They think... Dobby...was that his name?" he continued at the silent nod from Harry, "They think Dobby is a regular scandal, getting wages. It is going to take time for them to get used to it, Hermione. They may never want it. Remember what I said about making people happy being a dangerous business? I think that applies to house elves too. Remember, Dobby wanted to be free. Little wonder, if Malfoy takes after his father at all."

Harry piped up, "You remember how miserable Winky was, don't you Hermione? Crying like that all the time."

"Who is Winky?" Viktor asked. It was obvious that Hermione had failed to tell Viktor about the house elf at Hogwarts that wailed over the fact that she was free.

"I'll tell you sometime in a letter, here in these next few weeks. Too complicated to tell you all of it right now. She's at Hogwarts too," Harry replied.

"They can't help it they're brainwashed to think they have to work all the time," Hermione said stubbornly, her eyes tearing up and her lip quivering. Harry knew that was the last stage she went through before progressing to great whooping sobs.

"Brainwashed or not, if they do not want it, you cannot force it on them. Forcing freedom they do not want on them would be no better than forcing servitude on them," Viktor said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Dumbledore and Potenko, they are trying to change things, slowly, but they are trying to change. Slow is probably the only way it is going to work. Setting them free willy nilly just because you want them to be free, that would be chaos."

"Hogwarts and Durmstrang weren't built in a day, huh?" Harry joked.

"Actually, it was. The castle, anyway," Viktor replied, looking a bit puzzled.

"And so was Hogwarts," Hermione said hotly, drying her eyes. "If you two would ever read..."

"We know! We know! Hogwarts, A History! You've told us a blue million times! We don't need to read it, what with you spouting it at us like that all the time!" Ron complained.

"But anyway, the point is... buildings are not so complicated as living beings. They haff these funny things called 'minds of their own' and 'feelings' and they do not always react the way you think they should," Viktor interjected, in a conciliatory tone.

Alexei's grinning face popped in around the doorframe. "Elena is downstairs. She wants the two of you to come downstairs, Ron, Harry, so she can tell you goodbye and so she can take you to the kitchen and get you some snacks for later. Hermione vill not haff any room in her pack, what with all that chocolate." The boys gathered up their haphazardly packed bags and walked toward the door.

"See you downstairs, Hermione," Harry called back over his shoulder. He dearly wished Hermione wouldn't turn into a sobbing mess every time she got upset. At least Viktor didn't seem to get all worked up over it, he just calmed her down. He and Ron never quite knew how to handle her when she got that way.

"See you downstairs, Viktor," Alexei called back in a singsong voice, following after them. Viktor stood up from the edge of the bed and took Hermione's hands, to steady her when she slipped from her perch, since she was farther away from the wooden stepstool that butted against the bed.

"You forgot something else, you know," he said softly.

"What?"

"This," he said, producing her hair clip from the other pocket.

"Oh. I forgot to give you this, too," she said, reaching into her pack, placing the clip inside and fetching out a slender volume, entitled Russian Composers. "I realized I didn't get you a thing for your birthday, and I picked this up when I bought my schoolbooks. It reminded me of you. I thought you would like it."

"Thank you," he said, accepting it and looking thoroughly pleased. "We should go soon if we are going to make the portkey back," he said, with regret in his voice. "I will miss you Sokrovishte, but remember, three weeks is not that long." They embraced and kissed, then stood for a moment in silence, considering one another. Suddenly Viktor reached over and scooped up her pack off the bed. "And I am carrying this back," he said with a small grin.

"Go ahead then. I give up," she teased, reluctantly stepping back from in between his arms. They walked to the entryway, where Elena, Alexei, and even Potenko were waiting. Potenko seemed to be bidding Ron and Harry a hearty goodbye. Elena ran over and fell on Hermione, giving her a warm hug, then letting her go to hold her at arm's length and study her.

"Take care, Hermione. It vas good to haff you," she said.

"Gave her somevone new to fuss over," Alexei added, grinning wide.

"Oh, you," Elena scolded.

"Miss Granger, thank you once more for the dance, and thank you for your visit," Potenko added, bowing low once more. Then he grasped her hand and said, "Do tell Dumbledore I said hello. Now, I must go, and you must too, if you are to make it back without undue hurry."

"Thank you," she told him. "I enjoyed it so much."

"Where's this portkey back, then?" Ron asked.

"Through there. Other edge of the forest. There's a trail through there. A good little walk. We will stop to rest and eat before we get there," Viktor told him, pointing out the open front door.

Elena and Alexei stood in the door and waved to them after they had cleared the moat and crossed the lawn, before they went into the trees. "So, Madame Elena, what is your final verdict?" Alexei asked, looking at her expectantly and slipping an arm around her waist.

"Mark my vords. Ve vill be going to their vedding some day. Miss Granger vill be qvite easily Viktor's equal vith a bit of aging."

"She must be qvite the young voman, then, if she merits the approval of the two toughest judges of character I have ever known," he replied, nodding.

"Who?"

"Viktor Krum and Elena Keznova."

"She might even be good enough for him," Elena teased.

"Oh, you. Old mother hen."