** Ahem, ahem, hello all. School as we know it has officially ended until I start my new school in Australia in September. Yippee!!!

I am also exhausted because I have recently been involved in a full scale production of Carmina Burana – and I am due to go to Barcelona for a week starting this Saturday, so no updates, folks!

THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO: Charley – for being the 100th person to put me on their favourite author's list!!!!!!

I am glad you were all very impressed by my chapter title. I had a bet with myself that it wouldn't completely fit the box and I was right! Could you imagine that in the real book? It would take up a whole page!!!

…

A note to Phoenixpadfoot89:

You know, I think you are the kind of person who goes around being mean to people just for the fun of it. I mean, if you are going to be critical, you could at least be civil. I quote:

'this is a gay story,(it really sucks) you should Quit writing fanfiction, All your work sucks

this story is dumb...& the REAL OOtP is already out!  ~No offense (hehe) but your fanfiction sucks~

Your story is horrible just like you. You are hideous you beast.'

I mean, if you really think you can do better, you could at least leave me a URL so I could read the amazing work you have produced that seems to give you the right to say cruel things about other people's hard work. If you don't think you can do better – well, you shouldn't have implied so in the first place.

…

IMPORTANT NOTICE: As you all know, I am the least funny person in the entire universe and beyond. However, I would like to bring to your attention that the comical genius and my great friend Anya Wood (), has written a highly amusing HP fic which I strongly advise you to read. It is named Locked in the Dungeon, and will have you in stitches in a matter of seconds!

Now that I am done being a walking advertisement, on with the fic!! **

Ron stood in the doorway, taking in all that he saw in much the same way had Remus had just done. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the hooded and robed figure by Harry's bed.

"Who are you?" he asked, a little hoarsely.

"Take a wild guess," said Sirius, cheerfully.

Ron sighed with relief. "I thought you maybe might have been a Death Eater."

"Yeah, and still be in here, because…"

"Good point," said Ron, smiling at him. There was definitely something wrong with his voice.

"Ron," said Harry. "Are you ok?"

"That all depends," said Ron, turning to look at him with a blank face. "Are you ok?"

Harry just stared at him. He wasn't sure whether he could believe what Ron was supposedly trying to tell him.

Ron lifted the sleeve of his school robes. Beneath it, they all saw clearly a thin white line, not a cut, nor quite a scar. It started just above his wrist and extended further than they could see beneath Ron's robes.

Harry swore.

"Language Potter," said Ron, smiling wryly. "It was there when I woke up. I'm rather surprised it didn't hurt, actually."

"So am I," said Harry. "Especially if it looks like that."

"Let's see yours then," said Ron, and Harry motioned to his bandage.

"I'd show you, but I'm forbidden to remove this."

"Owch."

"Yep."

"What is going on here?" asked Madam Pomfrey, a little shrilly. The two boys ignored her. They were two intrigued by this new example of what the connection between them could do.

"How did you know where to find us?"

"I guessed. Something like that," Ron pointed at Harry's arm, "couldn't really land you anywhere else. So what did happen?"

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "Remus had a bit of an accident. I helped out."

Ron paled. "You mean… like your Dad used to do?"

"Er… I guess so, if you put it that way…"

"You idiot! You could have been killed!"

Harry flinched. Being scolded by Sirius was one thing, by Ron was another. He'd never admit it, but Ron seemed to have inherited his mother's unbeatable talent for telling people off.

"Not really. Werewolves aren't a danger to animals, remember? I used a stag form."

"They can't turn you into another werewolf – but what's to stop them tearing you to little pieces? Sorry, Professor," he added to Remus, who had suddenly gone even paler than before, if that was at all possible.

"Spare me the lecture," said Harry. "I've already had one – or two."

"That's not all," said Ron, shaking slightly. "I can't believe you'd be so selfish. If you'd have died, what do you think would have happened to me?"

Silence.

Then Harry managed to choke out, "I didn't think… I mean, I didn't know… how was I meant to know this would happen?"

Even as he spoke the words, he realised how stupid they sounded. He felt ignorant, and selfish. He could have killed Ron.

As he thought more about this, a terrible fear rose in his chest, a fear not of something to come as much as something that might have been.

"I – I'm sorry." He knew the words were useless to correct the severity of what he could have done, but they had to be said.

"Well, that's something, I suppose," said Ron, shrugging.

Harry looked at him in disbelief. "You're not angry?"

"Not really. Considering we only found out about it this morning, it was a little late for you to have figured out what not to do."

"That makes no sense, but ok." Harry suddenly realised something and groaned.

"Hermione is absolutely going to kill us now."

"I keep telling you, she isn't going to find out…" Ron suddenly became aware that he was blabbing rather efficiently in front of the Headmaster, Snape, and Sirius, not to mention McGonagall, Remus, Hagrid, and the school Matron.

~Oops. ~

Yeah.

"Will somebody kindly inform me as to precisely what you two are talking about?" Sirius asked, just a little dangerously.

"Us?" said Harry, innocently, knowing he'd already lost.

"Yes."

"Oh, all right," sighed Harry.

"What? Harry, what are you doing?" exclaimed Ron.

"Ron is my Blood Brother," Harry said quickly.

This news was greeted with a stunned silence.

~Nice one,~ Ron sent.

Look at McGonagall's face, Harry replied. I should do stuff like this more often.

~What did you do it for? ~

How would you have explained it?

~Good point. ~

"Really?" Remus was finally able to choke out. "How… interesting…"

"Harry," said Sirius, sounding as though it was taking every ounce of will he possessed to stay calm. "My nerves aren't what they used to be. I'm not up to these little shocks."

"Well," said Dumbledore. "How enlightening. I hope you are keeping the results of this experiment well recorded. You could write a book. You'd make millions."

Ron's eyes lit up for a second, but then darkened when he realised that they hadn't written anything down at all.

Hermione would probably do that for us, Harry told him.

~ She'd have to dig us up first, ~ he replied.

.*.

At that precise moment in time, Hermione was feeling just about ready to do worse than bury her two best friends. She was going to cremate them – preferably alive.

She had woken up at six o'clock that morning, fed Crookshanks; petted Madeleine who'd popped down for some owl treats, and packed her bag.

By the time Lavender and Parvati were up and complaining about the state of their hair after a night in bed, which was fairly routine, Hermione was ready to make her way downstairs to the Gryffindor common room.

Usually, Harry, whom Hermione knew didn't get nearly as much sleep as he ought to, was waiting for her, and they'd go and throw Ron out of bed together.

Today however, he had not been waiting for her in the common room, and, a little vexed, Hermione climbed the stairs to the fifth year boy's dormitory.

She had knocked at first, of course, and Dean let her in. When she entered, Dean, Seamus and Neville were all standing around, staring at her, in various states of undress.

Trying hard not to laugh, she asked them where Ron and Harry were, and they told her that they hadn't seen either of them all morning.

More than a little worried, now, Hermione had made her own way down to the entrance Hall, where, instead of Harry and Ron, she'd met Nearly Headless Nick, who, at her interrogation, had politely informed her that he had seen Ron that morning, and all was well.

When she'd asked Nick, equally politely, where Ron had gone, the ghost told her that 'Young Mr. Weasley' had asked him, very politely, not to tell anyone the answer to that self same question.

At this, Hermione had decided to forego breakfast, and go to the one place she could be sure of talking to someone who was as miserable as she was.

And that was why she was currently sitting alone on the edge of a basin in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, reading 'The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5', once more.

The teenage ghost had not yet appeared, which, Hermione now realised was probably a good thing. In fact, she thought, what am I doing here at all?

Laughing at herself slightly for letting anger get the better off her, Hermione hopped off the basin. As she did, something about one of the basins further down the line caught her eye.

She moved over to investigate. It was the largest, and lowest basin of them all. The bottom was normal grey stone, but a few inches from the top was a ring of red, as though whatever had been in the basin had been partially washed away.

There were spots of red too, around the top of the basin where the soap would usually stand – not that there had been any soap in this bathroom for about fifty years.

Hermione put her finger to one of the red spots. It came away quite easily as a kind of dry powder. She sniffed it. It smelled slightly coppery, like…

"What are you doing?"

Hermione screamed and whirled round. Moaning Myrtle was floating in mid-air barely an inch from her face.

She laughed, and swooped backwards a little.

"Don't do that," said Hermione. For some reason, this only made the ghost laugh harder.

Hermione shook her head and went back to pondering the stain on her finger. "What is this, Myrtle, do you know?" she asked.

"That?" said Myrtle airishly. "That's blood, stupid."

"Blood?"

Hermione looked back in the basin. Judging by the height of the red ring in the basin, that was an awful lot of blood.

"Who's?"

"Those two boys of yours, of course. Didn't you know? They were in here about a week ago, and they hardly even spoke to me."

Hermione went as white as a sheet. Harry? And Ron?

Myrtle smiled at her expression, and flipped upside down much in the same manner as Peeves the Poltergeist.

"They sat there for absolutely ages."

.*.

Later, when everyone had gotten over the tiresome but now familiar business of 'do you realise how hurt you could have been?'s 'did you even consider the consequences?'s and 'why didn't you tell me?'s, the conversation turned to the original subject of general confusion.

"Professor, I would still like to know who this man is, and what he is doing here," said Madam Pomfrey.

"Me too, Albus," said McGonagall in a childish voice Harry had never heard her use before.

"An' me," said Hagrid. The large man still had not let go of Buckbeak the hippogriff, who by this time had started to look a little squashed.

Dumbledore sighed.

"No way," said Sirius quickly. "Dumbledore, they'll kill me!"

"Really?" said McGonagall. "Now that is an interesting sentiment, isn't it?"

"You don't really have a choice," said Dumbledore. "You oughtn't really to have come crashing in here like that, you know."

"I don't really care all that much about that. I was worried for Remus."

"You might as well, Padfoot," said Remus, tiredly. "It's best that we have some others on our side other than the Aurors. Aurors are traditionally not trusted by the general public."

"Tell me something I don't know," said Sirius. "Oh, all right, fine. But I want your word you won't hex me as soon as I tell you."

McGonagall and Pomfrey looked sceptical. "I can assure you that this man has my utmost confidence," said Dumbledore.

"And mine," said Remus.

"And mine," said Harry, as though his opinion actually mattered for anything.

"Oh very well," said Madam Pomfrey, and McGonagall nodded.

With a reluctant sigh, Sirius stood up and let the hooded cloak fall from his shoulders.

** Yes, I just felt like leaving another cliffie. I know this chapter is shorter than usual, but I also thought I'd do a thanks list – I haven't done one for a while. Just in case some of you people who do not have lives or anything better to do actually read the whole thing – yes, I did use copy and paste for FAQ's. Imagination can only stretch so far, you know.

Here be thanks:

Lil Lupin

Princess55: I am very proud indeed of my beautifully long chapter title.

Windswift: I hope you're better or you get better soon. If not – here's a nice chapter to help you once again!!

Athelas: I saw what you said to Anya about my cliffies!! Ha ha I am evil!! I am the evil queen of cliffies!! Wendy/Sirius showdown? I've worked that out apart from the finer points. I was going to do it so that Wendy would meet Sirius in the hospital wing like McGonagall and Hagrid, but then I decided it would be too much at once. I'm building up to it, don't worry. I'm not sure about Wormtail's demise. I might keep him alive just for fun, but then Sirius and Remus would probably beat me to a pulp, especially after what he just did to Remus!!

Storyspindler: I know. Tense, wasn't it?

August wynd: I always like to keep Sirius and Snape on tenterhooks when they are together – it leads to interesting dialogue.

Yoshi-fan2003

Skahducky: Ahh, when will Wendy talk to Sirius? I've worked that out apart from the finer points. I was going to do it so that Wendy would meet Sirius in the hospital wing like McGonagall and Hagrid, but then I decided it would be too much at once. I'm building up to it, don't worry.

Athenakitty: Sorry, wasn't I clear enough? I do that sometimes, there's a certain other thing I have to clear up later involving Wendy's husband. Peter stole Remus' potions, if you read the last bit of chapter 24 again you might understand it better. Maybe I should have said it straight out – but you know me, I prefer keeping people guessing up until the last minute and to work things out for themselves. Keep reading!

Ambookworm247

Evil Willow

Naomi Silver Wolf

Lady FoxFire: You think cliffie's are evil? Go back and read your own story!! Ahem, beg pardon. I'll update if you update first – sound fair?

Kateydidnt: Reactions have to wait till next chapter – I'm too tired and writer's blocked to do them now!!

Kleeber-elmo: Don't worry, school has finished so updates should occur more quickly. I can't promise mind, you know, what with moving to the other side of the world and stuff.

A-Potter-Person

Mandie/snuffles

Lorelei Wood

AllieSkittlez

Sgtharrison46

Shinystars007: yes, once again, I am overly proud of that chapter title.

Zazz: Well, if you have been reading for months it's about time you reviewed then isn't it!!! (jk) keep reading!!!

EriEka127

Grace: Gees, you are hyper. Judging from your review I know you'd enjoy Anya Wood's story as per mentioned at the top of this chapter.

Jordan

John

Charley: of course you are looking forward to it – who isn't? I'm glad it's one of your favourites, cos if it wasn't, I'd feel guilty about dedicating this chapter to you!!

AutumnHeart

Mell: Hello faithful 1000th reviewer. (you're never going to live that down, you know.) I'm glad you like the Rent-A-Hero – it derived from something Anya Wood said to me once. Go read her story! Er, oh yeah, Snape. Well, pictures are quite different than the real thing. If Snape hadn't seen the pictures, he would have actually said whatever it was Harry dared him to say – but well done for remembering.

Gaul

Jess

Katani Petitedra: Of course I love cliffies! They bring up the review count if nothing else!! I'm glad you don't think all the characters are too out of character. Be sure to let me know if I swerve off the line.

MadMaddie: Thank you! I feel so special!

Ranger

Skysong: I know, I love that chapter title.

Wingweaver: I know that too.

Centra-gal86: Well, you got your answer. Personally I think Ron's reaction was I little mild, but I was pressed for time.

SillyGillie: Hmm, there's an idea. I haven't got this story up anywhere else, but I guess I might consider it.

Malfoys Chick

Princessflowerchild: oops!

Emily: AU is Alternate Universe. Basically means that I'm not writing the events of fifth year in a different way to the way it was published – and that's true enough, I can tell you!!

Hrei-siesn: thanks!

Alynna Lis Eachann

Bumblebee Bucy: **grin**

Porphyrophobic Grape 

Ascafeniel: Well, now they're getting shorter.

Tiger Lily: Now, do you really think I'm going to let on? I don't think so!

TinkerbellOfHell

Von

Illusoire

Gryffindor-girl

The Social Leper: **groan** oh no not again!! The text message was meant to make you cry, actually **grin**. Sorry, I am so evil. There look, now you are on my list. Do you read my story? I say, I didn't know! I do have instant messenger, silly, how else would I be on your contacts list? Er, toothpaste that is disgusting I can just imagine you devouring it. **barf**. Keep reviewing so I know you are still alive. Carmina Burana was great, by the way. Barcelona in a week's time, yippee!!

Lily Skylo

PhoenixPadfoot89: are you the same PhoenixPadfoot89 who sent me all the horrible reviews? Cos if you're not, sorry, if you are, I can't believe you would have the cheek to send me a nice review as well.

Iniysa

FainOakenbringer: Do you know, I think there might be a hitch in the site. Every time someone reviews saying congrats on 1000 reviews, it comes out 10. I mean, imagine, tons of people have been congratulating me on getting ten reviews when I have 1100 and something. Weird, huh?

Saber: Good…

Darienetta Stoke: **sniff, sniff* they love me! They really love me!! He, he!

Slytherin-GIRL

Lady-of-the-Dragons

Sorry if I've missed you out – I do that occasionally.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: As you all know, I am the least funny person in the entire universe and beyond. However, I would like to bring to your attention that the comical genius and my great friend Anya Wood (), has written a highly amusing HP fic which I strongly advise you to read. It is named Locked in the Dungeon, and will have you in stitches in a matter of seconds!!

Yes, I know I already said it. I just wanted to get my point across.

~*Laterose*~

**