Chapter 2

"Don't you think you're being just a little unfair?" Ron asked. Hermione was still
fuming, pacing back and forth impatiently across the Gryffindor common room. "I mean, it sounds
like she was just trying to be friendly-"

"Friendly?" Hermione nearly shouted, "She embarrassed me, Ron. How can you take her side
on this? And then Professor Trelawney..." she brushed away a tear, angry with herself for showing
such strong emotions in front of Ron. Suddenly, Ron did something he had never done before; he
put an arm around her shoulder. Hermione stopped crying at once and looked into Ron's eyes. She
was surprised, no doubt, and she could tell that Ron, too, was startled by what he had done, but
she smiled. His arm seemed...almost to belong there somehow...

"You're right," she said, "I've been acting silly. Still, that was a pretty rotten trick
Professor Trelawney played."

"You're not going to let an old witch like her ruin your day, are you? Personally, I don't
see why Dumbledore didn't fire her a long time ago."

Harry, who had been practicing on his Firebolt for the start of a new Quidditch season
joined them just then, a letter in his hand. "Hagrid has just invited us to his cabin for tea,"
he announced. "He said he has something really important to tell us about-" he stopped. He had
suddenly gotten an odd feeling on the back of his neck. Almost like- almost like someone was
watching them.

"About what, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah...look, we'd better go. He said for us to join him by six, and it's almost six
fifteen as it is." Hermione and Ron looked at him funny, obviously aware he was keeping something
from them, but they didn't question him about it. Of course, Harry couldn't be certain, but for
the briefest moment he could have sworn there had been someone else in that room... watching. He
shivered.

Not knowing for certain whether or not they were supposed to be out of their common room
at this time in the afternoon, Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided to go under the cover of the
invisibility cloak. It was awkward fitting the three of them under it, but they had done it before
and with little trouble, they managed to find their way down the long, winding, castle stairs.
Suddenly, they froze, hearing footsteps and whispers coming closer.

"Are you quite certain you weren't mistaken, Severus?" A voice asked. Harry recognized
it at once. It was the voice of Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself. Harry tensed. He
had mistrusted the minister ever since he had almost allowed the Dementors to perform the Kiss on
Sirius, and even Dumbledore had almost lost patience with him the previous year. This man was no
Minister. He was only interested in his self-image and would do whatever it took to make himself
look better- even if it meant endangering the rest of the magical race.

"Quite certain, Minister," came the reply. "I saw him with my own two eyes, sneaking down
to Hagrid's cabin. They're up to no good, and it's my responsibility to see to the safety of those
attending this school."

"Yes, of course. Well then, the proper authorities must be alerted at once. We don't
want a creature like that running around the school, do we?"

"He's dangerous without a doubt, Minister," came the reply. "Personally, I was quite
disappointed that the dementors didn't get him last time. It could have saved us all quite a bit
of concern."

Hermione let out an audible gasp, despite her efforts to remain quite silent.
They were talking abour Sirius! Harry and Ron hushed her at once, but the damage had been done.
"What was that?" Snape said, spinning around in the direction of the invisible trio. "Who's
there?"

Harry signaled that they should move several paces to the right. For although the
invisibility cloak made them impossible to see, it in no way prevented them from being solid, and
the last thing Harry wanted right now was to be found out by Professor Snape.

"Calm down, Severus!" Fudge said in alarm. "I didn't hear anything. I daresay you're
overworked. Perhaps we should see about aranging you a vacation."

Snape turned back towards Fudge just then, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't wait to
hear what was said next. They were sure Hagrid must be quite worried by now- and they had to warn
Sirius that he had been seen. "Is he nuts?" Ron asked the moment they were outside the castle and
ear shot. "What is he doing coming back here like this?"

"He's concerned, Ron," Harry replied simply. "Voldemort-" here Ron and Hermione gave an
involuntary shudder- "is back. Or had you forgotten?" Ron shrugged, obviously not convinced that
this was a good enough reason to come out of hiding, but he dropped the subject. They had reached
Hagrid's hut. Harry threw off the invisibility cloak just then, but just as he was about to knock,
the door opened and Hagrid's giant frame filled the doorway.

"Where've you three been?" he asked. "You've had me worried, all right, Harry. Gave me a
good scare."

"Hagrid," Harry said quickly, "we heard Snape and the Minister of Magic talking. They-"

"Ah, so they've seen him, huh?" Hagrid asked. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one
another in surprise. "Ah well...nothing we can do about it now, I dare say. Apart from being
careful, of course. But come inside. Were you seen?"

Hagrid's cabin was just as Harry remembered it. The fireplace, the table which, though
huge, was rather small looking when realizing for whom it was for...and there, in the corner,
stood- "Sirius!" All three shouted at once.