There.was.instant.uproar..
.We.re.of.age!..Fred.and.George.bellowed.together..
.If.Harry.s.allowed,.why.can.t.I?..shouted.Ron..
.Mum,.I.want.to.hear!..wailed.Ginny..
.NO!..shouted.Mrs.Weasley,.standing.up,.her.eyes.overbright...I.absolutely.forbid.‐..
.Molly,.you.can.t.stop.Fred.and.George,..said.Mr.Weasley.wearily..They.are.of.age...
They.re.still.at.school...
.But.they.re.legally.adults.now,..said.Mr.Weasley,.in.the.same.tired.voice..
Mrs.Weasley.was.now.scarlet.in.the.face..
.I.‐.oh,.all.right.then,.Fred.and.George.can.stay,.but.Ron.‐..
.Harry.ll.tell.me.and.Hermione.everything.you.say.anyway!..said.Ron.hotly.
.
.Won.t.‐.won.t.you?..he.added.uncertainly,.meeting.Harry.s.eyes..
For.a.split.second,.Harry.considered.telling.Ron.that.he.wouldn.t.tell.him.a.single.word,.that.he.could.try.a.taste.of.being.kept.in.the.dark.and.see.how.he.liked.it.
.But.the.nasty.impulse.vanished.as.they.looked.at.each.other..
.Course.I.will,..Harry.said..
Ron.and.Hermione.beamed..
.Fine!..shouted.Mrs.Weasley...Fine!.Ginny.‐.BED!..
Ginny.did.not.go.quietly..They.could.hear.her.raging.and.storming.at.her.mother.all.the.way.up.the.stairs,.and.when.she.reached.the.hall.Mrs.Blacks.ear‐splitting.shrieks.were.added.to.the.din..Lupin.hurried.off.to.the.portrait.to.restore.calm..It.was.only.after.he.had.returned,.closing.the.kitchen.door.behind.him.and.taking.his.seat.at.the.table.again,.that.Sirius.spoke..
.OK,.Harry….what.do.you.want.to.know?..
Harry.took.a.deep.breath.and.asked.the.question.that.had.obsessed.him.for.the.last.month..
.Where.s.Voldemort?..he.said,.ignoring.the.renewed.shudders.and.winces.at.the.name...What.s.he.doing?.I.ve.been.trying.to.watch.the.Muggle.news,.and.there.hasn.t.been.anything.that.looks.like.him.yet,.no.funny.deaths.or.anything...
That.s.because.there.haven.t.been.any.funny.deaths.yet,..said.Sirius,..not.as.far.as.we.know,.anyway….and.we.know.quite.a.lot...
.More.than.he.thinks.we.do,.anyway,..said.Lupin..
.How.come.he.s.stopped.killing.people?..Harry.asked..He.knew.Voldemort.had.murdered.more.than.once.in.the.last.year.alone..
.Because.he.doesn.t.want.to.draw.attention.to.himself,..said.Sirius...It.would.be.dangerous.for.him..His.comeback.didn.t.come.off.quite.the.way.he.wanted.it.to,
.you.see..He.messed.it.up...
.Or.rather,.you.messed.it.tip.for.him,..said.Lupin,.with.a.satisfied.smile..
.How?..Harry.asked,.perplexed..
.You.weren.t.supposed.to.survive!..said.Sirius...Nobody.apart.from.his.Death.Eaters.was.supposed.to.know.he.d.come.back..But.you.survived.to.bear.witness...
.And.the.very.last.person.he.wanted.alerted.to.his.return.the.moment.he.got.back.was.Dumbledore,..said.Lupin...And.you.made.sure.Dumbledore.knew.at.once...
.How.has.that.helped?..Harry.asked..
.Are.you.kidding?..said.Bill.incredulously...Dumbledore.was.the.only.one.You‐
Know‐Who.was.ever.scared.of!..
Thanks.to.you,.Dumbledore.was.able.to.recall.the.Order.of.the.Phoenix.about.an.hour.after.Voldemort.returned,..said.Sirius..
.So,.what.s.the.Order.been.doing?..said.Harry,.looking.around.at.them.all..