KCB-I still think that the end of that chapter is confusing.

Emm-What was confusing about that chapter???

KCB- Well for one thing, you wrote it. For another thoing (okay, I'm really having issues with this keyboard) excuse me, thing, I really don't know. It just confuses me.

Emm-Well then. On to chapter 4!!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: Would you like us to take some Veritaserum to convince you that WE'RE NOT J.K. ROWLING?!?!?!?!?

Chapter 4

Grimmauld Place

As he fell out of the fireplace (this was definitely not his favorite way to travel) Ron and Hermione ran forward and hugged him.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione cried. "We were so worried about you!"

"Hermione, that's really great and all, I'm just fine now, but I won't be if you don't stop choking me," Harry gasped.

"Oh, right, sorry," Hermione let go of Harry and he caught his breath as Lupin and Mr. Weasley stepped out of the fireplace.

"Harry," Remus asked hesitantly, "are you ok? Why are you lying on the floor?"

"Hermione almost strangled him when she gave him a hug," Ron replied.

"I did not!" she argued.

"Why don't you help Harry take his things up to his room?" suggested Mr. Weasley.

"Good idea," Lupin agreed, as he pushed Harry's trunk over towards the three of them.

"You're with me, the same room we had last year," Ron told Harry as they lugged his trunk up the stairs. Harry nodded, as he was afraid to talk. This house had so many memories of Sirius; it was hard to keep his tears from coming. It had only been about 3 years since he had learned Sirius was innocent and helped him escape on Buckbeak the hippogriff. That reminded him-what happened to Buckbeak? Sirius had been taking care of him. So he asked,

"Hermione, Ron, what happened to Buckbeak?"

"I think that Lupin has been taking care of him," Ron replied. "He seems really depressed."
"Who, Lupin?" Harry asked.

"No, Buckbeak! It's like he can tell that Sirius..." Hermione trailed off, chancing a sideways look at Harry, who was currently very interested in the wallpaper. "Oh Harry!" she cried as she hugged him once more. This was too much for Harry, who started sobbing into Hermione's shoulder. Ron took this opportunity to take Harry's trunk into the room, as Harry and Hermione talked about Sirius.

"Hermione, no matter what you guys say I'll always feel like this was my fault."

"But it wasn't Harry, you can't keep blaming yourself!"

"I had a dream last night. Sirius was sitting on the sand, and then he started sinking and saying that I should have learned to protect myself and then Lupin came and got angry at me; he said that if it weren't for me he would still be here and then you guys said it was my fault and..."

"Harry," Hermione put her hand on his shoulder, "don't do this to yourself. Just repeat after me-it is not my fault. Can you say that with me? It's not you fault, Harry. Sirius wouldn't want you to do this, you know that. Besides, if it weren't for you, he would have gotten the Dementor's Kiss at 3rd year, remember?"

"You helped too, you know."

"A little, but you really did most of it. You got Buckbeak out of Hagrid's garden, you flew him up to the tower, and you used your Patronus to save us all. But anyway Harry, this wasn't your fault. Sirius was supposed to stay here, but he obviously cared enough about you to risk being either killed by Death Eaters or recaptured by the Ministry to protect you."

"So? It was my fault he was there in the first place."

"But we went to go save him!"

"If I had just studied Occlumency we wouldn't have had any problem!"

"I don't think I could have mastered Occlumency with Snape for a teacher."

"Still, I should have tried harder!"

"I really don't think you were to blame at all. But let's talk about this later, I think Ron's feeling a little awkward." It was true; Ron was standing in the doorway with a strange look on his, partway between pity, anger, and embarrassment.

"C'mon," he told them, "lunch is ready." They left Hermione's room (where they had been talking) and walked downstairs to the kitchen, Harry feeling a little less guilty after his talk with Hermione. He made a mental note to thank her and tell her she would make a good psychiatrist once he was feeling better.

After lunch Harry was feeling just as bad as he did when he came. It was Ron's turn to cheer him up, and he had just the right idea.

"Hey Harry, why don't we go play Quidditch?"

"Umm, Ron, wouldn't that be kind of suspicious?" Hermione pointed out.

"Oh yeah, it would, wouldn't it. Well, we could Floo over to the Burrow," Ron suggested.

"Yeah," replied Harry. "Quidditch is just what I need now." So after asking Lupin and Mr. Weasley for permission, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, along with Crookshanks, flooed to the Burrow. Since Harry didn't have his Firebolt (It had been confiscated last year) he borrowed one of the twins' brooms, since they had left them there. Harry and Ron played Quidditch for almost 3 hours, while Hermione watched and did homework and Crookshanks chased gnomes. Harry seemed much better after a few good games, although he was a little concerned that he wouldn't be able to play during school, since he had gotten a lifetime ban from Umbridge, last year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Oh, I'm sure Dumbledore will lift that," Hermione reassured him. "But we ought to be heading back, it's probably almost dinner."

"And we wouldn't want to miss that, now would we?" Ron grinned. Harry and Hermione stared at him. "Well, don't you need to get ready for your big date?"

"Ron!" cried Hermione exasperatedly. "That's not until tomorrow!"

"Yeah," he replied, "but I thought girls took at least 24 hours to get ready!"

"Aaaaah! Ron, give it a rest!" and she chased him into the burrow, with Harry and Crookshanks close behind.

That was a little better, right?? Right?????????? Sigh R and R Please.