Past Present

"Has Viktor lost his way to the Great Hall? I haven't seen him down here for meals for days," Ginny asked Hermione at dinner.

"Writing, still, I expect. You don't produce a decent six scroll paper overnight, you know. And he was hoping to have the paper itself done tonight, one day for revisions and all that," Hermione replied.

"Six! But the last one just had to be two!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Difference is, he took a class entitled History of Magic. I suppose the only difference in the two might have been him having a professor that was slightly more lively than Professor Binns. Since he didn't actually take a class called Defense Against Dark Arts at Durmstrang, and he isn't taking it here, they wanted more proof that he had the material down. Which wasn't such a big deal when he was supposed to be getting almost six months to finish it. But six days, well, five days to write it... really! Umbridge did it on purpose you know. She wanted him to have to do it or risk Dumbledore getting put out. I imagine it's not worth it to mention Dolores Umbridge around Viktor this week, unless you want your head bitten off, not that I blame him. Of course, staying up most of the night every night might have something to do with it. If he came down for a meal, I get the feeling he would just pass out in the soup. Every time I've gone by the last few days, he looks like he's about to drop. Besides, I think Dobby's been taking him more food than he can handle, anyway. Told me he fed part of it to the dogs because he couldn't possibly eat that many sandwiches. I take it Dobby provided him with a whole picnic basket that put the one we got at Durmstrang to shame," Hermione said.

"You know, he fell asleep while I was there the other day. Sitting up in the chair. Before that, he was sleeping on the desk," Harry pointed out. The words had no sooner left his mouth than a large gray barn owl glided to a halt in the middle of the table.

"Now why would Baramir be stopping off for me?" Hermione wondered out loud. Harry noted that Baramir patiently and quietly submitted to Hermione's fumbling to get the thick roll of parchment off of his leg. The second she had it off, she gave him a bit of toast and he flapped away from the Gryffindor table and back outside. Unrolling the outermost piece, she read

Done. Thesis attached. Sleeping until you get done reviewing it.

Viktor

"Well then, I suppose that's what I'll be doing this evening, then. Reviewing this. All I have is a bit of reading for Defense Against Dark Arts, otherwise," Hermione said, rolling the parchment back around the bundle.

"You call a whole chapter a bit of reading?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"Ron, honestly! If you spent half as much time reading as you did complaining about it, you would be done twice as quickly! Suppose I had better get to this, then," Hermione said, pushing her chair back and taking leave of the hall.

"Six scrolls worth of essay in one evening. That is love and dedication," Harry laughed, shaking his head.

"Madness. That's what that is. Absolute madness," Ron countered.