Harry rushed outside the door, to the side walk where the black dog was waiting patiently.
"Sirius," he said under his breath. The dog only wagged his tail and went around the Dursley's house, so he was well concealed behind a bush. Harry blinked, but in that moment the dog had transformed from a shaggy, black dog, to his godfather.
Sirius looked pretty well--he had had a shave, he didn't look half so gaunt as before. In fact the only thing that troubled Harry were the deep, dark circles under Sirius' eyes.
"Sirius," Harry said. "What're you doing here?"
"Dumbledore's orders," replied Sirius.
"But here where the Muggles can see you!" cried Harry, realising he sounded like Hermione.
"I saw the picture the Muggles had of me on their news two years ago. That was when I was in Azkaban."
"How are you? Where's Buckbeak?" Harry said. He still couldn't believe that Sirius had the nerve to turn up on Privet Drive. It must be really important, thought Harry.
"I'm fine, Buckbeaks tethered at Hagrid's hut at Hogwarts."
"At Hogwarts? Won't they kill him?" asked Harry.
"Even if the Ministry had time now to worry about hippogriffs, they wouldn't be able to recognize him," Sirius said.
"But--but," Harry spluttered. He sounded like Dudley when he found his show was cancelled. "But--why are you here?"
"Dumbledore told me to get you."
"But why?"
Sirius looked into Harry's eyes. "Voldemort," he said in barely a whisper. Harry felt his stomach doing flip flops.
"But . . . I thought he couldn't get me while I was at the Dursley's," said Harry, his brow furrowed.
"Dumbledore doesn't know; the spell, the er--incantation, was it, that Voldemort did to you," fury shone in Sirius' eyes, "might've made you suscepitble to harm, even with the Dursleys."
Sirius looked around. "Dumbledore told me to take you somewhere where Voldemort can't find you."
Find him? Harry felt like a hunted animal. "Where should I go? Ron's house?"
"No...Mr. Weasley's a Ministry employee. You'd be too easy to find. Dumbledore said to take you to a Muggle friends house--Hermione Granger, I believe? He's already made plans."
"I'm going to Hermiones?....I've never been there before," Harry said. He still couldn't believe it...Voldemort was coming? It improbable.
"You'll leave today?"
"Today?" asked Harry. "What'll the Dursley's say?"
"Won't get much of a chance to, will they? Come on," Sirius said, a trace of a smile appearing on his face. "Why don't I take you inside."
This would be interesting, Harry thought. The Dursley's lived in a neverending fear of Sirius. How would they feel as he showed up at their home? Harry came back into the house, Sirius behind him.
"Harry, have you got your wand?"
"What? Are you going to curse Dudley?"
"No, don't worry."
"I wasn't worrying! It's right here," Harry pulled his wand out of his over-sized pocket--during the summer he always wore Dudley's enormous hand me down clothes.
"Sirius," he said under his breath. The dog only wagged his tail and went around the Dursley's house, so he was well concealed behind a bush. Harry blinked, but in that moment the dog had transformed from a shaggy, black dog, to his godfather.
Sirius looked pretty well--he had had a shave, he didn't look half so gaunt as before. In fact the only thing that troubled Harry were the deep, dark circles under Sirius' eyes.
"Sirius," Harry said. "What're you doing here?"
"Dumbledore's orders," replied Sirius.
"But here where the Muggles can see you!" cried Harry, realising he sounded like Hermione.
"I saw the picture the Muggles had of me on their news two years ago. That was when I was in Azkaban."
"How are you? Where's Buckbeak?" Harry said. He still couldn't believe that Sirius had the nerve to turn up on Privet Drive. It must be really important, thought Harry.
"I'm fine, Buckbeaks tethered at Hagrid's hut at Hogwarts."
"At Hogwarts? Won't they kill him?" asked Harry.
"Even if the Ministry had time now to worry about hippogriffs, they wouldn't be able to recognize him," Sirius said.
"But--but," Harry spluttered. He sounded like Dudley when he found his show was cancelled. "But--why are you here?"
"Dumbledore told me to get you."
"But why?"
Sirius looked into Harry's eyes. "Voldemort," he said in barely a whisper. Harry felt his stomach doing flip flops.
"But . . . I thought he couldn't get me while I was at the Dursley's," said Harry, his brow furrowed.
"Dumbledore doesn't know; the spell, the er--incantation, was it, that Voldemort did to you," fury shone in Sirius' eyes, "might've made you suscepitble to harm, even with the Dursleys."
Sirius looked around. "Dumbledore told me to take you somewhere where Voldemort can't find you."
Find him? Harry felt like a hunted animal. "Where should I go? Ron's house?"
"No...Mr. Weasley's a Ministry employee. You'd be too easy to find. Dumbledore said to take you to a Muggle friends house--Hermione Granger, I believe? He's already made plans."
"I'm going to Hermiones?....I've never been there before," Harry said. He still couldn't believe it...Voldemort was coming? It improbable.
"You'll leave today?"
"Today?" asked Harry. "What'll the Dursley's say?"
"Won't get much of a chance to, will they? Come on," Sirius said, a trace of a smile appearing on his face. "Why don't I take you inside."
This would be interesting, Harry thought. The Dursley's lived in a neverending fear of Sirius. How would they feel as he showed up at their home? Harry came back into the house, Sirius behind him.
"Harry, have you got your wand?"
"What? Are you going to curse Dudley?"
"No, don't worry."
"I wasn't worrying! It's right here," Harry pulled his wand out of his over-sized pocket--during the summer he always wore Dudley's enormous hand me down clothes.