"Did you tell anybody? Did you tell Dumbledore?"
"No." Harry mumbled. Sirius looked stern, but his expression softened. They walked around Diagon Alley until twelve forty-five. "We better head up to my place." said Sirius. Sirius held out his arm for the Knight Bus. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna laughed as they stepped on. Stan was very excited to see them again.
"Ello, 'Arry!" he exclaimed with a wide smile. Harry mumbled his greeting. Sirius beamed at him and said, "Number twelve, Grimwald Place."
Stan nodded and Sirius went to join the other four. They were on the bus for ten minutes, when Stan said, "Next stop, Grimwald place!" There was a loud BANG and Harry found himself on the grungy street once again. In seconds, Number Twelve appeared put of nowhere. But when it appeared, it didn't look near as dismal. When they stepped inside, Harry could've sworn he stepped into a room at the Burrow.
"Good, isn't it?" Harry heard a familiar voice say. He looked around to see the twins smiling on the staircase. Harry smiled back. George signaled for them to follow.
"Come on, we'll show your room, Harry." They walked upstairs and came to a portrait of Umbridge, cowering beneath many centaurs. Harry laughed, and when he did so, the portrait stretched into a door. "Cool, huh?" Harry nodded. "It was all Fred's idea."
"Brother, you are modest. It was your idea."
"I am sure it was yours, Fred."
"But I am sure it was yours, George."
"Actually, it was mine." Mr. Weasley had just stepped in.
"We were talking about the portrait itself. Not how it stretched to a door."
"Ah." said Mr. Weasley. "In that case, it was both of yours idea."
"What do you mean, Father?" asked Fred.
"Well, when you were thinking of a portrait to do, George remembered the picture you sent Harry. Then, you Fred, suggested making that the portrait. George, you laughed, then agreed."
"Then it was my idea-" said George.
"And my idea." said Fred. They shook hands like they were making a business decision.
Harry stepped in and looked around. There were quidditch posters every where.
"You gonna share those?" asked Fred, pointing to Harry's box of chocolate frogs under his arm.
"Yeah, of coarse." said Harry. Everyone piled into Harry's room and sat down. Mr. Weasley walked out the door. "where's he going?" asked Harry, nodding toward the door while opening his box.
"He only stayed 'til you guys got here." said Fred, holding out his hand.
"Patience." said Luna. George and Fred jumped. They hadn't noticed her. She laughed.
"One for you," Harry handed a frog to Luna. "One for you, you, you, you, and you." He said, handing them to every one else. "And one for me." He opened his frog and put it in his mouth. He turned over the card, and his frog fell out of his mouth.
"What? Rare one?" Asked Fred. Harry was in shock. He had turned his card over, wondering what it would be, as it said 'Special Edition.' He had turned it over, to find his own face, first hiding behind the border, now staring up at himself and smiling weakly, on the back. Harry handed it to Luna, out of instinct, as she was sitting on his right. Luna dropped her own frog.
"Wow."
"What?!" demanded the twins. Luna tossed them the card, and they practically choked.
They then handed to Ron Hermione, and Sirius. All of their mouths fell open.
"This is, a, surprise." said Sirius. He turned it over and read the back. "Harry Potter is famous for his defeat of Lord Voldemort. But less than two years ago, he witnessed his return. According to resources-"
"Whats betting the resource is Dumbledore?" said Fred, suppressing a laugh. Sirius continued. "-resources, Harry had greatly delayed the return of Voldemort." Sirius looked up from the card. "Well, that's interesting."
"Really hit you head on, didn't they?" asked Fred, taking the card again.
"Yeah, they did." Harry was smiling now. "Sirius, do you want it?" He asked. Sirius smiled.
"Yeah, sure." He held out his hand to Fred. Fred handed him the card and helped himself to another frog. They spent the rest of the afternoon eating frogs and swapping cards. There were no more special edition cards in the box. Sirius looked at his watch.
"You four had better get back." There were moans of disappointment, none louder than the twins, and they all stood up. "I'll see you to the school." He walked out with them. Fred and George followed, and Harry watched the door shrink back into the humorous portrait. He held back a laugh.
"Bye, you guys!" said George, waving.
"Farewell." said Fred bowing with a laugh. Sirius stuck out his arm, and the bus appeared with a tell tale BANG. They all climbed on before Stan could speak.
"Hogwarts." said Sirius. He sat down and waited patiently He did a double take to the man sitting on his left.
"Keep you shirt on." said a familiar growl. Harry looked over and smiled.
"Hello, Moody." he smiled.
"Hey, Potter. Glad to hear your summer went," he looked at Sirius, "well." he smiled. Harry noticed his magical eye swiveling. It stopped on Stan he was staring nonstop at Harry.
"You know him?" he asked gruffly, nodding to Stan. Harry laughed.
"I ride the bus a lot." he laughed. "More than I would like." he added.
"Moody smiled.
"Where are you headed, Alastor?" Sirius asked, after casting a weary look at Stan, who suddenly became very interested in his right thumb nail.
"Hogsemeade." he growled.
"Show him your frog card, Sirius." Luna suggested dreamily. Sirius laughed and pulled out the card. The card Harry ducked for cover, but when he saw who the card was being handed to, came out and smiled with a sigh of relief.
"Limited Edition, eh? You hold on to this one." he handed the card back to Sirius who pocketed it. The bus had just narrowly missed a light post, before it stopped, and a skeletal old witch ambled off from the second deck, mumbling about never getting her hot chocolate. Harry laughed.
"Next stop, 'Ogsemeade!" shouted Stan. He sat down, and with a BANG the rumbled onto the streets of Hogsemeade. The bus stopped, and the six of them climbed off. They walked down the street a bit, when Moody said, "I'm headed this way." he jabbed a thumb down the road.
"All right, see you Alastor." Sirius nodded, and led Harry and the others up the road to Hogwarts. When they got to the front doors, he bade them farewell, turned, and walked back down the road.
"Today was fun." breathed Ron, and the walked down the deserted corridor to their common rooms.
"I go this way." Luna said, dreamily. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Luna." said Harry.
"See you."
"Good night." yawned Hermione. The three of them continued down the corridor until they got to the fat lady.
"Titilandus." Harry yawned. The fat lady swung open, with her eyes still closed. The three of them climbed through.
"Good night, Harry, Ron." Hermione said, stifling a huge yawn.
"'Night." they said. Harry and Ron walked slowly up to their dormitory. Ron fell face forward on his bed, and started snoring instantly. Harry climbed in to bed and stared at the ceiling for what seems hours, until he fell asleep. Harry had a number of dreams, which blended together. All he could remember when he woke up at around three, is he dreamed Hagrid was dressed as Father Christmas, Dobby was dancing with Winky, and Sirius kept turning into a shaggy black dog, and back. Harry didn't understand what these dreams meant, maybe they were nonsense. He lay back down. When he woke up next morning, he remembered naught of the dream.
The newt week of school went by swiftly. When Saturday came again, Dumbledore announced it was another Hogsemeade weekend. Much confused murmuring followed this announcement, as Dumbledore sat down again, and continued an animated conversation with Professor McGonagall.
"What's betting every weekend from now on is a Hogsemeade weekend?" asked Ron, helping himself to fourths of sausage. Harry shrugged.
"It is a possibility, isn't it?" said Hermione, thoughtfully, mindlessly eating bacon, while reading her Daily Prophet. After breakfast, they lined up in the hall to go to Hogsemeade. On the way down the road, they talked about Quidditch.
"Given thought to joining the team, Hermione?" asked Ron. "It'd be really cool if all three of us were on the team."
"I've thought about it." she said. "But I don't really know-"
"Oh, come on, Hermione, you'll be great." Ron encouraged.
"All right, I'll try out, if you just drop it."
Ron did a funny hop, and triumphant punch. Harry laughed. When they got down to Hogsemeade, people were crowded around something.
"And the only living thing around was this snake?"
"Yup. Don't know why it's still here."
"Do you think the snake did it?"
"Possibility, isn't it?"
Harry ran forward. "Where's the snake?" he said urgently.
"Right here." said a man in mauve robes. The snake was wriggling madly. Harry took the squirming snake. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you." to Harry, he was speaking english. To everyone else, a faint hissing escaped his lips. Onlookers gasped, but Harry ignored them. The snake became very still, gazing at Harry intently. "Did you see who did this?" He indicated the body. The snake nodded. Again onlookers gasped. "Did you see where they went?"
"Yes." this time, the hiss escaped the snake.
"Can you show me?" Harry asked.
"Of coarse I can." Harry set the snake down. "Follow, me." The snake began to slither down an alley. Harry followed, and everyone else followed the snake. "I've heard them, yes, I have. Jussst down here." Harry stopped abruptly, so did the snake. He had just heard a familiar voice, and a cold shiver ran down his spine.
"Yes, the deed is done. The Dark Lord will be pleased." came Percy Weasley's voice. "One more death is needed. One, I can achieve. Harry Potter. I can act as though, I was wrong, get on my family's good side." He gave a cold laugh. "Then, I'll have him." All the death eaters joined in laughing this time. Harry turned around quickly.
"Get Dumbledore, Professors Snape and McGonagall, Hagrid, bring them down, quickly!" Harry said. Some of the onlookers nodded. Harry noticed one of them was Moody.
"Let us wait until nightfall, to come out again." Came a cold female voice. "We'll need to catch up on the news. Haven't gotten a paper since, well, I cant remember. Wait, I do remember. Haven't gotten a paper since my dear cousin died." Percy's was the loudest laugh. Harry picked up the snake.
"Thank you." he hissed. The snake nodded, but instead of leaving, stayed wrapped around Harry's arm. Just then, Dumbledore, Snap, McGonagall, Hagrid, and Moody were running down the alley.
"What have you heard?" asked Dumbledore.
"It's a meeting of death eaters. I only recognized two voices. One was Lestrange, and the other-"
"Spit it out!" demanded Snape. Harry looked into Snape's cold eyes. But they weren't cold. They seemed filled with fear.
"Percy Weasley." said Harry. All five of them looked perplexed, if not disbelieving.
"You, you are sure of this?" stammered Professor McGonagall. Harry nodded. McGonagall looked at Dumbledore, as if for reassurance, but he stared intently at Harry.
"Where did you hear this?" he sounded very urgent.
"Right over there." Harry pointed to the wall where he had heard Percy's voice, the snake still coiled around his arm.
"Very well. Minerva, get Remus, and bring him here. Severus," Snape stopped looking at Harry to gaze at the Headmaster.
"Yes?" he said lightly.
"I need you to fetch Sirius. He is at Grimwald Place." Snape nodded, and with one more look at Harry, he turned on his heel and walked off. Professor McGonagall stood there, ringing her hands, then followed Snape. Dumbledore turned back to Harry, who had just been joined by Ron and Hermione.
"Harry, I wish you to stay in this alley. I will stay here as well, but when Sirius arrives, I must leave." Harry nodded. Ron looked from Dumbledore to Harry, then to Hermione, and back to Dumbledore. Harry sighed and told them the story. Ron looked as though someone had given him a good slap in the face. His face was steadily becoming redder.
"Are, are you sure it was Percy?" asked Hermione, looking nervously at Ron, who was punching his fist in his hand.
"Yes. And Lestrange." harry looked at the snake, slowly slithering to his neck. He looked at the snake. "You can go home now."
"Very well. If you need me, I will be around the Hogss Head." the snake slithered off his arm, and down the alley. Harry looked back up at the others. At that moment, Snape was coming down the alley. Harry was very surprised to see him talking pleasantly with Sirius. He looked at them for a second, then shrugged it off.
"Harry! What happened? Severus could only give me very vague details." He hurried to Harry, who repeated the story for him. Sirius looked nervously at Ron, who was redder than Harry had ever seen him, and was still punching his hand. Harry also saw an anger boil inside Sirius when he mentioned Lestrange.
"We'll need to have someone we can trust watch this alley." said Snape. Dumbledore was considering it very deeply.
"Minerva, send word to Arthur."
She nodded and with a crack, was gone. Dumbledore turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Ron, Hermione, please excuse us." They nodded and walked off. Ron had stopped punching his hand, but was now wringing his hands. Dumbledore leaned into Harry.
"It seems, your gift came quite handy." he smiled, and turned to Sirius. He smiled. Sirius nodded. Harry looked from Sirius, to Dumbledore, then back. Sirius turned to Harry.
"I'll see you later, Harry." He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, turned and left.
"Harry, go and find your friends. Try and forget what you have heard, for now. But be ready to retrieve the information, when it is asked for." Dumbledore said. Harry nodded. He looked at Moody and Snape again. His eyes met with Snape's for a split second. Then he looked away and continued out of the alley. When he stepped into the sunlight, he spotted Ron and Hermione waiting for him. They walked over to him.
"What was that about?"asked Ron, staring at Harry sternly. Harry looked at him for a second, and told them what Dumbledore had said to him. Hermione looked confused, which was a first.
"You say he smiled at Sirius, then Sirius nodded, then Sirius left?" she said.
"Yeah. No clue what it might." Hermione was deep in thought, and Ron had continued punching his hand.
"Ron, you'll bruise yourself!" exclaimed Hermione, attempting to grab his hand.
"I think he's imagining his hand is Percy's face." observed Harry. Ron suddenly looked up.
"S-sorry." He stopped. A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall had returned, with a very confused Mr. Weasley. He had only time enough to glance quickly at the trio, before being bustled into the alley.
"No." Harry mumbled. Sirius looked stern, but his expression softened. They walked around Diagon Alley until twelve forty-five. "We better head up to my place." said Sirius. Sirius held out his arm for the Knight Bus. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna laughed as they stepped on. Stan was very excited to see them again.
"Ello, 'Arry!" he exclaimed with a wide smile. Harry mumbled his greeting. Sirius beamed at him and said, "Number twelve, Grimwald Place."
Stan nodded and Sirius went to join the other four. They were on the bus for ten minutes, when Stan said, "Next stop, Grimwald place!" There was a loud BANG and Harry found himself on the grungy street once again. In seconds, Number Twelve appeared put of nowhere. But when it appeared, it didn't look near as dismal. When they stepped inside, Harry could've sworn he stepped into a room at the Burrow.
"Good, isn't it?" Harry heard a familiar voice say. He looked around to see the twins smiling on the staircase. Harry smiled back. George signaled for them to follow.
"Come on, we'll show your room, Harry." They walked upstairs and came to a portrait of Umbridge, cowering beneath many centaurs. Harry laughed, and when he did so, the portrait stretched into a door. "Cool, huh?" Harry nodded. "It was all Fred's idea."
"Brother, you are modest. It was your idea."
"I am sure it was yours, Fred."
"But I am sure it was yours, George."
"Actually, it was mine." Mr. Weasley had just stepped in.
"We were talking about the portrait itself. Not how it stretched to a door."
"Ah." said Mr. Weasley. "In that case, it was both of yours idea."
"What do you mean, Father?" asked Fred.
"Well, when you were thinking of a portrait to do, George remembered the picture you sent Harry. Then, you Fred, suggested making that the portrait. George, you laughed, then agreed."
"Then it was my idea-" said George.
"And my idea." said Fred. They shook hands like they were making a business decision.
Harry stepped in and looked around. There were quidditch posters every where.
"You gonna share those?" asked Fred, pointing to Harry's box of chocolate frogs under his arm.
"Yeah, of coarse." said Harry. Everyone piled into Harry's room and sat down. Mr. Weasley walked out the door. "where's he going?" asked Harry, nodding toward the door while opening his box.
"He only stayed 'til you guys got here." said Fred, holding out his hand.
"Patience." said Luna. George and Fred jumped. They hadn't noticed her. She laughed.
"One for you," Harry handed a frog to Luna. "One for you, you, you, you, and you." He said, handing them to every one else. "And one for me." He opened his frog and put it in his mouth. He turned over the card, and his frog fell out of his mouth.
"What? Rare one?" Asked Fred. Harry was in shock. He had turned his card over, wondering what it would be, as it said 'Special Edition.' He had turned it over, to find his own face, first hiding behind the border, now staring up at himself and smiling weakly, on the back. Harry handed it to Luna, out of instinct, as she was sitting on his right. Luna dropped her own frog.
"Wow."
"What?!" demanded the twins. Luna tossed them the card, and they practically choked.
They then handed to Ron Hermione, and Sirius. All of their mouths fell open.
"This is, a, surprise." said Sirius. He turned it over and read the back. "Harry Potter is famous for his defeat of Lord Voldemort. But less than two years ago, he witnessed his return. According to resources-"
"Whats betting the resource is Dumbledore?" said Fred, suppressing a laugh. Sirius continued. "-resources, Harry had greatly delayed the return of Voldemort." Sirius looked up from the card. "Well, that's interesting."
"Really hit you head on, didn't they?" asked Fred, taking the card again.
"Yeah, they did." Harry was smiling now. "Sirius, do you want it?" He asked. Sirius smiled.
"Yeah, sure." He held out his hand to Fred. Fred handed him the card and helped himself to another frog. They spent the rest of the afternoon eating frogs and swapping cards. There were no more special edition cards in the box. Sirius looked at his watch.
"You four had better get back." There were moans of disappointment, none louder than the twins, and they all stood up. "I'll see you to the school." He walked out with them. Fred and George followed, and Harry watched the door shrink back into the humorous portrait. He held back a laugh.
"Bye, you guys!" said George, waving.
"Farewell." said Fred bowing with a laugh. Sirius stuck out his arm, and the bus appeared with a tell tale BANG. They all climbed on before Stan could speak.
"Hogwarts." said Sirius. He sat down and waited patiently He did a double take to the man sitting on his left.
"Keep you shirt on." said a familiar growl. Harry looked over and smiled.
"Hello, Moody." he smiled.
"Hey, Potter. Glad to hear your summer went," he looked at Sirius, "well." he smiled. Harry noticed his magical eye swiveling. It stopped on Stan he was staring nonstop at Harry.
"You know him?" he asked gruffly, nodding to Stan. Harry laughed.
"I ride the bus a lot." he laughed. "More than I would like." he added.
"Moody smiled.
"Where are you headed, Alastor?" Sirius asked, after casting a weary look at Stan, who suddenly became very interested in his right thumb nail.
"Hogsemeade." he growled.
"Show him your frog card, Sirius." Luna suggested dreamily. Sirius laughed and pulled out the card. The card Harry ducked for cover, but when he saw who the card was being handed to, came out and smiled with a sigh of relief.
"Limited Edition, eh? You hold on to this one." he handed the card back to Sirius who pocketed it. The bus had just narrowly missed a light post, before it stopped, and a skeletal old witch ambled off from the second deck, mumbling about never getting her hot chocolate. Harry laughed.
"Next stop, 'Ogsemeade!" shouted Stan. He sat down, and with a BANG the rumbled onto the streets of Hogsemeade. The bus stopped, and the six of them climbed off. They walked down the street a bit, when Moody said, "I'm headed this way." he jabbed a thumb down the road.
"All right, see you Alastor." Sirius nodded, and led Harry and the others up the road to Hogwarts. When they got to the front doors, he bade them farewell, turned, and walked back down the road.
"Today was fun." breathed Ron, and the walked down the deserted corridor to their common rooms.
"I go this way." Luna said, dreamily. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Luna." said Harry.
"See you."
"Good night." yawned Hermione. The three of them continued down the corridor until they got to the fat lady.
"Titilandus." Harry yawned. The fat lady swung open, with her eyes still closed. The three of them climbed through.
"Good night, Harry, Ron." Hermione said, stifling a huge yawn.
"'Night." they said. Harry and Ron walked slowly up to their dormitory. Ron fell face forward on his bed, and started snoring instantly. Harry climbed in to bed and stared at the ceiling for what seems hours, until he fell asleep. Harry had a number of dreams, which blended together. All he could remember when he woke up at around three, is he dreamed Hagrid was dressed as Father Christmas, Dobby was dancing with Winky, and Sirius kept turning into a shaggy black dog, and back. Harry didn't understand what these dreams meant, maybe they were nonsense. He lay back down. When he woke up next morning, he remembered naught of the dream.
The newt week of school went by swiftly. When Saturday came again, Dumbledore announced it was another Hogsemeade weekend. Much confused murmuring followed this announcement, as Dumbledore sat down again, and continued an animated conversation with Professor McGonagall.
"What's betting every weekend from now on is a Hogsemeade weekend?" asked Ron, helping himself to fourths of sausage. Harry shrugged.
"It is a possibility, isn't it?" said Hermione, thoughtfully, mindlessly eating bacon, while reading her Daily Prophet. After breakfast, they lined up in the hall to go to Hogsemeade. On the way down the road, they talked about Quidditch.
"Given thought to joining the team, Hermione?" asked Ron. "It'd be really cool if all three of us were on the team."
"I've thought about it." she said. "But I don't really know-"
"Oh, come on, Hermione, you'll be great." Ron encouraged.
"All right, I'll try out, if you just drop it."
Ron did a funny hop, and triumphant punch. Harry laughed. When they got down to Hogsemeade, people were crowded around something.
"And the only living thing around was this snake?"
"Yup. Don't know why it's still here."
"Do you think the snake did it?"
"Possibility, isn't it?"
Harry ran forward. "Where's the snake?" he said urgently.
"Right here." said a man in mauve robes. The snake was wriggling madly. Harry took the squirming snake. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you." to Harry, he was speaking english. To everyone else, a faint hissing escaped his lips. Onlookers gasped, but Harry ignored them. The snake became very still, gazing at Harry intently. "Did you see who did this?" He indicated the body. The snake nodded. Again onlookers gasped. "Did you see where they went?"
"Yes." this time, the hiss escaped the snake.
"Can you show me?" Harry asked.
"Of coarse I can." Harry set the snake down. "Follow, me." The snake began to slither down an alley. Harry followed, and everyone else followed the snake. "I've heard them, yes, I have. Jussst down here." Harry stopped abruptly, so did the snake. He had just heard a familiar voice, and a cold shiver ran down his spine.
"Yes, the deed is done. The Dark Lord will be pleased." came Percy Weasley's voice. "One more death is needed. One, I can achieve. Harry Potter. I can act as though, I was wrong, get on my family's good side." He gave a cold laugh. "Then, I'll have him." All the death eaters joined in laughing this time. Harry turned around quickly.
"Get Dumbledore, Professors Snape and McGonagall, Hagrid, bring them down, quickly!" Harry said. Some of the onlookers nodded. Harry noticed one of them was Moody.
"Let us wait until nightfall, to come out again." Came a cold female voice. "We'll need to catch up on the news. Haven't gotten a paper since, well, I cant remember. Wait, I do remember. Haven't gotten a paper since my dear cousin died." Percy's was the loudest laugh. Harry picked up the snake.
"Thank you." he hissed. The snake nodded, but instead of leaving, stayed wrapped around Harry's arm. Just then, Dumbledore, Snap, McGonagall, Hagrid, and Moody were running down the alley.
"What have you heard?" asked Dumbledore.
"It's a meeting of death eaters. I only recognized two voices. One was Lestrange, and the other-"
"Spit it out!" demanded Snape. Harry looked into Snape's cold eyes. But they weren't cold. They seemed filled with fear.
"Percy Weasley." said Harry. All five of them looked perplexed, if not disbelieving.
"You, you are sure of this?" stammered Professor McGonagall. Harry nodded. McGonagall looked at Dumbledore, as if for reassurance, but he stared intently at Harry.
"Where did you hear this?" he sounded very urgent.
"Right over there." Harry pointed to the wall where he had heard Percy's voice, the snake still coiled around his arm.
"Very well. Minerva, get Remus, and bring him here. Severus," Snape stopped looking at Harry to gaze at the Headmaster.
"Yes?" he said lightly.
"I need you to fetch Sirius. He is at Grimwald Place." Snape nodded, and with one more look at Harry, he turned on his heel and walked off. Professor McGonagall stood there, ringing her hands, then followed Snape. Dumbledore turned back to Harry, who had just been joined by Ron and Hermione.
"Harry, I wish you to stay in this alley. I will stay here as well, but when Sirius arrives, I must leave." Harry nodded. Ron looked from Dumbledore to Harry, then to Hermione, and back to Dumbledore. Harry sighed and told them the story. Ron looked as though someone had given him a good slap in the face. His face was steadily becoming redder.
"Are, are you sure it was Percy?" asked Hermione, looking nervously at Ron, who was punching his fist in his hand.
"Yes. And Lestrange." harry looked at the snake, slowly slithering to his neck. He looked at the snake. "You can go home now."
"Very well. If you need me, I will be around the Hogss Head." the snake slithered off his arm, and down the alley. Harry looked back up at the others. At that moment, Snape was coming down the alley. Harry was very surprised to see him talking pleasantly with Sirius. He looked at them for a second, then shrugged it off.
"Harry! What happened? Severus could only give me very vague details." He hurried to Harry, who repeated the story for him. Sirius looked nervously at Ron, who was redder than Harry had ever seen him, and was still punching his hand. Harry also saw an anger boil inside Sirius when he mentioned Lestrange.
"We'll need to have someone we can trust watch this alley." said Snape. Dumbledore was considering it very deeply.
"Minerva, send word to Arthur."
She nodded and with a crack, was gone. Dumbledore turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Ron, Hermione, please excuse us." They nodded and walked off. Ron had stopped punching his hand, but was now wringing his hands. Dumbledore leaned into Harry.
"It seems, your gift came quite handy." he smiled, and turned to Sirius. He smiled. Sirius nodded. Harry looked from Sirius, to Dumbledore, then back. Sirius turned to Harry.
"I'll see you later, Harry." He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, turned and left.
"Harry, go and find your friends. Try and forget what you have heard, for now. But be ready to retrieve the information, when it is asked for." Dumbledore said. Harry nodded. He looked at Moody and Snape again. His eyes met with Snape's for a split second. Then he looked away and continued out of the alley. When he stepped into the sunlight, he spotted Ron and Hermione waiting for him. They walked over to him.
"What was that about?"asked Ron, staring at Harry sternly. Harry looked at him for a second, and told them what Dumbledore had said to him. Hermione looked confused, which was a first.
"You say he smiled at Sirius, then Sirius nodded, then Sirius left?" she said.
"Yeah. No clue what it might." Hermione was deep in thought, and Ron had continued punching his hand.
"Ron, you'll bruise yourself!" exclaimed Hermione, attempting to grab his hand.
"I think he's imagining his hand is Percy's face." observed Harry. Ron suddenly looked up.
"S-sorry." He stopped. A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall had returned, with a very confused Mr. Weasley. He had only time enough to glance quickly at the trio, before being bustled into the alley.