Photographs from the Past

The woman sat in the chair by the fire everyday now. She didn't speak to anyone. The children were scared of her. Some said she was mad. When Professor Longbottom had heard them saying that during Herbology, he had told them he knew her when she was a girl and she wasn't mad. Just very, very, sad. She had lost a lot, he said. So one day a small Gryffindor first year went up to her chair and said hello. Her name was Rosie Finnigan. When she introduced herself, the woman lifted her head from the battered old book she held and said, "Is your father Seamus Finnigan?"

Rosie looked up from her feet. "Yes. Do you know him?"

"I did. A long time ago. I have a photo of him here, would you like to see it?"

Rosie smiled. "I'd love too."

The woman opened her book to a page near the middle. In the center of the page was an old wizarding photograph; it showed a handsome young sandy haired man with his arm around a slim girl. They were both laughing and waving at the camera. The young man leaned over and kissed the girl on the lips. She laughed and batted at him.

The women sighed. "Seamus and Lavender. What a pair. Your mother and father, Rosie."

"I've never seen a photo of Mum and Dad as kids. Mum said they didn't keep any."

"So many didn't. Some didn't want to be reminded of those times. It reminds them of lost loved ones. But I have photos of everyone. They're the only things I have left."

"Why? Don't you have any family?"

The woman laughed bitterly. "Here, look at this tonight and maybe you will understand." She handed Rosie the book. "And I have a challenge for you. From looking at these photos figure out who I am. When you come tomorrow call me by name."

"I'll come." Rosie clutched the book to her chest. "Thank you."

That evening Rosie curled up in a chair in the corner of the common room and opened the book. On the first page was a large photo of four teenagers in Hogwarts robes. The boy on the far right was tall and lanky with shaggy red hair. He had his arm around the girl next to him; she was pretty, with thick wavy brown hair. Every now and then he would bury his face in her hair and she would laugh. Next to the girl was a petite girl with flame red hair. She had her head thrown back and she was laughing as the boy next to her, a slim boy with messy black hair and bright green eyes behind wire framed glasses, leaned over and tickled her. Rosie smiled at the picture and turned the page.

The next photo was of a wedding party. The bride was a tall, exotic looking, black women. The groom was slightly shorter with red hair and a big grin. They had their arms around each other. Next to the groom was a man who looked exactly like him. Rosie noticed that this photo had a caption. It read, "Fred and Angelina's Wedding. Angelina, Fred and George." The twin must be George.

Rosie turned another page and gasped. It was another photo of the black haired boy and the red haired girl. They were hugging like they had been in the first photo, but this time the boy's messy hair was pushed out of his eyes and Rosie could see the lightening bolt shaped scar. That boy was Harry Potter. The man who had killed You-Know-Who. Dad always said that he had been at school with Harry and that he wasn't just a hero. He was a person too.

In the next photo a tall black boy and a small dark girl waved at the camera. These two looked somehow familiar. Rosie looked at the caption. It said, "Dean and Parvati." Rosie's eyes widened. It was Mr. And Mrs. Thomas, her Mum and Dad's best friends.

Rosie excitedly turned the page. It was the photo of her parents. She smiled down at them, wishing she were back home.

Rosie gasped as she turned the page and recognized Professor Longbottom. He was holding the hand of the girl next to him; she had long white blonde hair and large pale eyes, but she was smiling at Professor Longbottom. The caption was, "Neville and Luna." Rosie stifled a giggle. She hadn't known what Professor Longbottom's first name was.

The next photo was of a Quidditch team. The Gryffindor team, Rosie could tell from they're robes. She noticed that Harry Potter, the red haired girl and the red haired boy were all on the team.

On the next page the photo was missing, but there was a caption that read, "Hogsmeade, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna."

The next photo was of a large group of teenagers in the great hall at Hogwarts. The caption was, "Graduation! Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Parvati, Dean, Seamus, and Lavender. The Graduating Gryffindors. We will miss you."

The following four pages were blank. No photo, no caption, nothing.

Then, Rosie turned a page and gasped. The photo was of the foursome from the first page. Except this photo was like a little movie replaying over and over. They were standing on the Hogwarts lawn when a dark figure appeared. Harry turned and yelled something, shoving the red haired girl behind him. The figure raised its wand and a green flash shot out of it. Harry shouted a spell and they both fell in unison. Slumping to the ground. The girl rushed to his side and started to sob silently. The red haired boy hugged the brown haired girl tightly as they both cried. A tall man with a long white beard and long white hair swept up to them and lifted the body into the air with a quick spell. Rosie realized that this man was Albus Dumbledore.

As it started over again Rosie turned the page. This photo was of the red haired girl, the red haired boy, and the brown haired girl. They were all wearing black and there was one word scrawled under the photo, "Funeral."

Rosie stared at the last page. It was the one opposite the funeral photo. There was no photo. Only the words, "My life ended that day."

Rosie closed the book, stood and walked out of the common room. She walked down several corridors to the library. She smiled at the librarian and started searching. Around eight o' clock Rosie found what she had been searching for. A fat leather book titled, "Harry James Potter-a biography of our departed hero, by Anthony Goldstein." She pulled it off the shelf and sat down at one of the big tables. She opened it to the table of contents and found what she was looking for. Chapter 13, "Friends, Enemies, and Love Everlasting." She opened it to that page and started to read.

The next morning before breakfast Rosie went to see the woman. She clutched the book in one hand and hoped desperately that she was right. But once the chair by the fire and its occupant were in view, Rosie was sure.

She walked up to her and said, "Here is your book back. Thank you for letting me see it." Then Rosie turned and started to walk toward her first class of the day. "Oh, and I'll come and see you again Miss..."