It was 10 P.M. on the evening of Friday, August 31st, 1996, and Troy Macmillan had just entered his son Ernie's room.
"Good evening, dad, " said Ernie formally.
"Good evening, Ernie, " replied Troy seriously, "Before you start your sixth year at Hogwarts tomorrow, I think it is time for me to reveal why I named you Ernie."
"I've never thought much about it before, " admitted Ernie, "But now that you mention it, I'm glad of the opportunity to learn why you named me Ernie."
"First, " said Troy in a businesslike voice, "I am a person who takes life seriously and had hoped you would be as well. Well, Ernie means serious."
"So, dad, " said Ernie pompously, puffing out his chest, "You must be very proud of what a serious student I am and how seriously I take my studies."
"I am, " said Troy proudly, "I'm proud of what a great student you are but I'm even prouder of how seriously you take your education. I'm also proud of the fact that you take things seriously in general."
"I wish our fucking Ministry would've taken Voldemort's return more seriously from the start, " piped up Ernie bitterly.
"Along those lines, " said Troy solemnly, "Ernie also means Battle to the Death. To be clear, I would never actually want you to die, of course, but I would want you to be willing to lay yourself on the line."
"I know you fought in the First Wizarding War and survived, dad, " said Ernie proudly, "If it ultimately comes to it, I will fight in the ongoing Wizarding War if the opportunity presents itself and my service could be useful."
"I would be proud of you if you did and ashamed of you if you didn't, " said Troy, "I wouldn't want you to be a glory hound or deliberately seek danger, but I would want you to choose to fight if it came to it."
"Sometimes, you've got to think about more than your own safety. Sometimes you've got to lay yourself on the line for others or even for the world as a whole, " said Ernie fiercely.
"That's exactly what I hoped you would grow up to understand when I named you Ernie, " said Troy emotionally.
"I know I have enough bravery in me to have been Gryffindor, I know I have enough ambition in me to have been Slytherin, and I know I'm intelligent enough to have been Ravenclaw, " said Ernie in a boastful voice, "But, because my loyalty is my best quality, I'm Hufflepuff. I promise you can count on me to fight if the time comes."
"I know I can, " said Troy confidently.
"Dad, " said Ernie gratefully, "Thank you for explaining my name's meaning to me. I'll live up to it."
"You already have, " Troy reminded him, remember that Ernie also means serious. I thought before you started your sixth year at Hogwarts was the opportune time to tell you."
"It was, " said Ernie simply.
"Good luck at Hogwarts this year, " Troy told his son.
And with that, father and son exchanged an emotional hug.