Right Now Could Last Forever

“Krum!” I said, excited that he remembered me.

I stood up and jumped over the back of my chair, before running over to him. I stood in front of him for a moment, as if asking permission. He smile played on his lips before he gave a small nod. I immediately wrapped my arms around him and gave him a hug.

“How are you?” I asked.

“Good,” he said, “how about you? How’ve you been?”

“Good,” I said nodding.

“Here, have this,” said Krum, taking my hand.

There was a cough behind us and I realised that everyone was watching us. Fred and George were giving me a weird look, and I realised that they didn’t know I knew Victor Krum. Or that I could speak a different language.

“I’ll talk to you later,” I said, and quickly hurried back to my seat.

“How do you know Krum,” Fred hissed at me once I had sat back down.

When I was little, my Dad used to take me with him to work; well actually, I wouldn’t let him leave without me. He’d taken me to Durmstrang Institute, and while he’d talked to the headmaster, they got some of the students to look after me; including Krum.

“Family friend,” I whispered back, smiling to myself.

“If you two are done...” said Bagman in his booming voice.

And then came the Irish team. Aidan Lynch was being supported by Moran and Connolly; the second crash seemed to have dazed him and his eyes looked strangely unfocused. But he grinned happily as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered their approval. My hands were numb with clapping.

At last, when the Irish team had left the box to perform another lap of honour on their brooms (Aidan Lynch on the back of Connolly’s, clutching hard around his waist and still grinning in a bemused sort of way(, Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and muttered “Quietus.”

“They’ll be talking about this one for years,” he said hoarsely, “a really unexpected twist, that... shame it couldn’t have lasted longer... ah, yes, I owe you... how much?”

For Fred and George had just scrambled over the backs of their seats, and were standing in front of Ludo Bagman with broad grins on their faces, their hands outstretched.

I looked down at my own hand; where there was now the golden snitch; it’s wings tucked safely back inside its self.