When they returned to the small hut, they quickly realised that matters had not improved in their absence. Remus Lupin was once again conscious, but only just, and was trying to make himself heard above the shouts of Snape and Sirius.

"Look what you've done to him!" Sirius was yelling furiously at the Potions master. "All because of some stupid school prank. Look at him!" Whilst he spoke, he was flinging his wand about the place angrily, causing great swathes of bandages to wrap themselves around Lupin's arm and left leg.

"Sirius, I don't think – " tried Lupin, pushing at the bandages and getting somewhat tangled up in them. Sirius ignored him, and continued shouting. Harry, Ron and Hermione stood in the doorway in awe, unnoticed.

"You're not helping him much yourself, are you Black?" retorted Snape, holding a small bottle of potion in his hand and shaking it violently as though he wished it were Sirius or Lupin.

"Severus, will you – "

Again, Lupin was ignored. The bandages were beginning to mummify him, and Harry and the others had stuff their fists into their mouths to stop themselves from giggling. Apparently impatient, Lupin took his own wand and muttered something at the reams of white cloth, and all of a sudden they flew back to Sirius and Snape and began to wrap themselves around their mouths, creating an effective gag. Both men turned to stare at Lupin in astonishment. Neither could speak to summon a charm of any kind, and Lupin sunk down into his chair looking spent.

"If you could both stop bickering for a while," he said. "Thank you. Harry, Ron, Hermione – come in, and shut the door. Now. Sirius, Severus – for pity's sake just shake hands and stop shouting at each other – we don't have the time for it… and my head aches enough as it is. Shake!" He shouted the last word, and to Harry's amusement both Sirius and Snape were startled into obeying him. Lupin grinned a crooked grin, and waved his wand at them.

"Releaso," he said. The bandages fell to the floor, and Sirius and Snape glared at him, looking so alike that Harry wondered briefly whether anyone would be fool enough to point out their similarities. Fortunately though no one was, and Lupin continued.

"We need to act fast," he said. "Can you give me whatever it is you've brewed up, please, Severus?"

"I need some dock and willow first," replied Snape reluctantly, and even more reluctantly took the missing ingredients from Hermione's waiting hand to add them to the small bottle. He said something quietly under his breath to it, and steam rose through the cork. Harry and Ron looked at him suspiciously, but Lupin took it when Snape offered it to him and downed it quickly, grimacing as he did so.

"Eugh," he said, wincing. No one failed to notice the rather smug look that Snape hastily buried at this response.

"Remus," said Sirius quietly, apparently weighing up his friend's state of health and looking – not surprisingly, thought Harry – slightly doubtful, "Will you be well enough to return to Hogwarts?"

Hogwarts! This was getting even more curious, thought Harry. What on earth was going on?

Professor Lupin nodded. "If you'll just bandage me up a bit, Snuffles," he replied, with a slight grin at Ron. "Though not quite as enthusiastically as last time, please." He stood up. "I suppose we'd better swap robes back, Severus," he added, shrugging painfully out of the thick black cloak he was wearing and handing it to Snape, who willingly flung the injured man's own tattered garments back at him.

Harry couldn't quite hide his sharp intake of breath at seeing Lupin without his robes on; Snape's clothing had had the effect of making him seem slightly bulkier than he actually was. Lupin was almost stick thin, as thin as Sirius had been the first time they'd met him after he'd escaped from Azkaban, and his shirt was torn and bloodstained beyond recognition.

"You bastard," hissed Sirius, before Lupin or anyone else had the chance to stop him. "Look what you've done to him! You're meant to be on our side… You…"

He was shaking with rage, and Harry suddenly sensed that the whole thing may well blow up in a minute. Lupin was close to passing the point where he would be able to play the role of peacemaker any longer – and he shouldn't have to in the first place, Harry thought with a small burst of anger. He was just about to speak when Hermione stepped in instead.

"Look at you both!" she shouted shrilly. "Two grown men bickering like schoolboys when all you both really want is to get him – " she jerked a thumb at Lupin, " – better. Well why don't you just do it? He's fit to collapse in a moment!"

Everyone turned to stare at her in astonishment, and she turned a little pink.

"Well, it's true," she added defensively. Snape glowered at her like he wanted to strangle her and Sirius was also apparently not particularly pleased at the interruption, but Harry and Ron chimed in as well.

"Professor Lupin's going to fall over soon," predicted Ron. "Look, see? He just did."

"He's broken the teapot," said Harry, looking.

"And the chair," added Hermione.

"Yes, OK, fine," said Sirius, hurrying to drag his friend upright – accompanied, much to everyone's surprise, by Snape, who took the other arm and then slapped him gently – for Snape, at least – round the face to bring him round.

"Hey – " began Sirius, and then stopped as Lupin woke and Harry kicked his ankles.

"Quiet," snapped Snape. "The potion should start to work in a moment. Why don't you bandage your pet wolf up?" But his words lacked the biting edge they'd possessed earlier, and Sirius ignored him successfully enough.

Sure enough, the potion did appear to be taking effect, and Lupin stood when Sirius had finished, thanked him, and drained the rest of his tea.

"Right," he said. "We should be off."

Harry glanced round at everybody. "Er – how?" he asked, voicing the thoughts of at least Ron and Hermione and possibly the others as well.

"Well – er – " hesitated Lupin, looking at Harry as though he was weighing him up, and Harry prepared himself for some bad news.

"Yes?" demanded Snape.

"Well we can't apparate; at least, Harry and Ron and Hermione can't, and anyway I think Voldemort is strong enough to sense that kind of magic now… He'd be onto us if we tried anything as strong as an apparating charm. I think the best thing we can do is to… walk."

For a moment there was a silence. Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but Snape got there before him.

"Fine," he said gruffly. "When do we start?"