Chapter 25

"Look there," Ron said, relief evident in his voice. "Returned from the dead, has he?"

Harry shot him a disgusted look. "Don't even joke about those sorts of things anymore, it's just not ethical. Especially since some among us have been dead."

"It's not that big of a deal," Hermione said airily, taking a sip from her orange juice. "Let him make all the jokes he wants, it might turn out that he's got something right for once."

Ron shot her a nasty look, and returned to his sausage with gusto.

After breakfast the three of them crept into the hallway, hid behind a rather auspicious pillar, and waited for Draco to come along. Presently, he swaggered by, guarded on either side by the still rather chunky Crabbe and Goyle.

"Dormus," Hermione whispered and pointed her wand at Crabbe. He slumped to the ground. Hermione repeated the spell, this time motioning to Goyle. He also collapsed, snoring loudly, to Draco's immense chagrin.

"What the hell?" Draco muttered, staring at his cronies. "They can't have fallen asleep again, bloody hell."

"It wasn't natural, Malfoy," Hermione called teasingly. "You'd better come over here, before someone hears me talking to you." Draco grinned, and jogged over to his friends by the pillar.

"You better have an explanation, Granger," he said with a smile. "But, none the less, very classy."

"You know it," she replied with a wink.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"You two get over each other already," he sighed in mock anger. "We have better things to do than watch the two of you flirt like mindless hippos."

"Mindless hippos?" Hermione said indignantly. "I don't weigh that much, you dimwit!"

Harry snickered and Hermione hit him in the shins with her book-bag. While Harry clutched his knees and groaned, Hermione took Draco's arm and grinned.

"How did you sleep last night?" she asked. His smile dropped, and Harry stopped his fake moans of pain.

"Terrible," Draco replied, shuddering. "Worst dreams I've had in a long time, lord."

"Worst dreams you've ever had?" Ron asked darkly. "We all had bad dreams, except Hermione. She said her's was just weird."

"I dreamed of Persephone," she said quietly, then explaining what the Queen of the Dead had said.

"Wow," Ron said, scratching his head. "Scarred Ones? That's new. There's the Chosen One, like from that movie Harry likes, what was it? Oh yeah, Nebula Wars."

"Star Wars," Harry replied through gritted teeth, his jaw bulging. "And the Chosen One had to do with his ability to use the Force not scars, you idiot."

"Yeah, whatever," Ron said vaguely. "We all have our secret shameful obsessions."

"And your secret obsession is bondage!" Harry replied hotly.

"Liar!" Ron exclaimed, turning redder than her hair, which Hermione had thought was impossible. "You didn't hear that at all. Moving on, another topic, please."

"Right," Hermione said hastily. "What did you dream about, Draco?"

"I dreamt about my dad killing me," Draco said, shaking his head in either anger or despair, Hermione couldn't tell.

"Your worst memory," Harry said with such grimness that Hermione couldn't help cast him a worried look.

"Yeah," Draco said.

"Oh, Crabbe and Goyle are waking," Hermione said. "We'd better head toward Dumbledore's office if we're ever going."

"Good idea," Harry said, pushing them toward the stairs.

"Well," Dumbledore said after they had explained the entire story to him. "It seems that you four have been in and out of my office almost regularly this month."

"Indeed," Ron said grumpily. "I'd like to stop that soon."

"You four need to stop getting yourselves involved in matters out of your hands," Dumbledore said, a small smile playing on his lips. "School ends at the end of the month, and I don't know how on earth you four would do without each other."

"Professor," Hermione said, changing the subject. "What happened to you? No one knew where you were."

Dumbledore suddenly became grave, and looked at them over the top of his glasses, his expression grim.

"Many things have happened in the last week or so, amongst them, someone who should be dead, has been brought back."

"Besides me?" Draco laughed.

Dumbledore smiled, but remained serious. "Yes, someone who died last year. Someone who was very important to some of you."

Hermione's fears caught in her throat, and before Dumbledore could speak again, she already knew.

"Sirius," she sighed, burying her face in her hands.

When Dumbledore nodded, a shock spread through the room, and for a moment, everyone was silent.

"What do you mean?" Harry demanded suddenly. "Hermione said that it was not possible to bring him back, and even you, Professor, said that it was impossible to get him back."

"I was right, Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "This is unnatural. This is a fluke, something is wrong within the balance, and someone had to be sent to help settle the dispute."

"Why Sirius?" Harry asked, his voice choked. "Why?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry with such compassion and understanding that the others had to look away. "Who hates Voldemort more than you, Harry? Sirius' best friends and his life were destroyed by that man, Hades and Persephone know that Sirius will do all he can to help destroy Voldemort."

"There has to be a catch," Harry muttered feverishly. "This is too good to be true, it can't be real."

"It's real, Harry," Hermione whispered, wondering how she had known so instinctively. "But, Sirius will have to return to the Elysian Fields once You-Know-Who is obliterated."

"Of course," Harry laughed manically. "As soon as I get him back, I'll have to lose him again!"

Ron gently patted Harry on the back, hoping that his movement would not set off another flurry of emotion.

"Harry, you'll get to spend the summer with Sirius," Dumbledore said gently. "I'm fairly certain that Voldemort will take at least a few months to regroup his Death-Eaters and regain his strength. By then, you'll have returned to Hogwarts, and will be once again under my protection."

"Do I have to go stay with the Dursleys?" Harry asked dully. For a split second it looked as if Dumbledore could deny Harry nothing, but his face quickly fell into an apologetic state.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "For the first half of the summer, yes, but around your birthday you can come to the Headquarters."

Harry smiled quietly, and Hermione felt a great sense of calm settle over her, and she hoped that maybe, just maybe, everything would settle down for the summer.

A/N: Sorry, just had to put in that part about Harry liking Star Wars... I'll admit, I'm obsessed! Completely besotted. Only a few more weeks until Episode 3! And only one more chapter until Disfigurement is finished. Want to say thanks to everyone who's reviewed, and if you haven't in a while, go ahead and do it now. :) anglachel