"Now, everyone. We need to talk," said Mrs. Weasley after dinner. Ron started to groan, but then stopped because he seemed to realize it could be important. After all, his mother had been kind in the past, only using the dreaded sentence "We need to talk" when it was really crucial. The rest of the time, she jumped right into the lecture. So Ron decided he would keep quiet and let his mother talk. He sat attentively like the others, and noticed that Harry had a rather hopeful look on his face.
Mrs. Weasley began to talk in a serious voice. "We know what happened last year. Well…the…events – seem to have happened differently than we expected, and I don't believe any of you know about it."
Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but it seemed no one noticed. He had wanted to tell Ron and Hermione himself but perhaps Mrs. Weasley would. He could explain to his friends later all the details; he was sure Mrs. Weasley wouldn't mention all of it.
He had stopped listening as he thought, and he "came back to earth" after Mrs. Weasley had apparently already explained and was answering questions.
"I was expecting this much," he heard her say as he came out of his near daydreaming state of mind. "I know you children…" Ron coughed in a way that obviously meant he objected to being called a child, but Mrs. Weasley went on. "…May not want to believe that Professor Snape is innocent…well, near innocent, and innocent of the crime we previously believed he committed – he did not murder your headmaster, and right now he's in a quite safe place and will return to Hogwarts for this year." She paused, looking at Harry.
"Harry, are you alright?" she asked. "Is something wrong; I thought you'd be pleased!"
"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley…thanks for telling me – us…" Harry said in an apologetic way. He didn't want to upset Mrs. Weasley, who was the closest thing he'd had to a mother since his real mother had passed away.
Ron glanced at Harry as well, and when Mrs. Weasley finally looked away, he slightly moved his arm to get Hermione's attention as well as Ron's, and mouthed, "Later." Both of them opened their mouths, closed them, and then nodded at him, still looking confused from the news they'd heard, and even disbelieving, understandably.