.I.thought.it.might.be.that,..said.Sirius,.casting.a.disdainful.look.at.the.opposite.wall...She.ll.have.put.another.Permanent.Sticking.Charm.on.the.back.of.it,.I.don.t.doubt,.but.if.1.can.get.rid.of.it.I.certainly.will..Now.go.away,.Kreacher...
It.seemed.that.Kreacher.did.not.dare.disobey.a.direct.order;.nevertheless,.the.look.he.gave.Sirius.as.he.shuffled.out.past.him.was.full.of.deepest.loathing.and.he.muttered.all.the.way.out.of.the.room..
.‐.comes.back.from.Azkaban.ordering.Kreacher.around,.oh,.my.poor.mistress,
.what.would.she.say.if.she.saw.the.house.now,.scum.living.in.it,.her.treasures.thrown.out,.she.swore.he.was.no.son.of.hers.and.he.s.back,.they.say.he.s.a.murderer.too.‐..
.Keep.muttering.and.I.will.be.a.murderer!..said.Sirius.irritably.as.he.slammed.the.door.shut.on.the.elf..
.Sirius,.he.s.not.right.in.the.head,..Hermione.pleaded,..1.don.t.think.he.realises.we.can.hear.him...
.He.s.been.alone.too.long,..said.Sirius,..taking.mad.orders.from.my.mother.s.portrait.and.talking.to.himself,.but.he.was.always.a.foul.little.‐..
.If.you.could.just.set.him.free,..said.Hermione.hopefully,..maybe.‐..
.We.can.t.set.him.free,.he.knows.too.much.about.the.Order,..said.Sirius.curtly.
.
.And.anyway,.the.shock.would.kill.him..You.suggest.to.him.that.he.leaves.this.house,.see.how.he.takes.it...
Sirius.walked.across.the.room.to.where.the.tapestry.Kreacher.had.been.trying.to.protect.hung.the.length.of.the.wall..Harry.and.the.others.followed..
The.tapestry.looked.immensely.old;.it.was.faded.and.looked.as.though.Doxys.had.gnawed.it.in.places..Nevertheless,.the.golden.thread.with.which.it.was.embroidered.still.glinted.brightly.enough.to.show.them.a.sprawling.family.tree.dating.back(as.far.as.Harry.could.tell).to.the.Middle.Ages..Large.words.at.the.very.top.of.the.tapestry.read:.
The.Noble.and.Most.Ancient.House.oj.Black.Toujours.pur..
.You.re.not.on.here!..said.Harry,.after.scanning.the.bottom.of.the.tree.closely..
.I.used.to.be.there,..said.Sirius,.pointing.at.a.small,.round,.charred.hole.in.the.tapestry,.rather.like.a.cigarette.burn...My.sweet.old.mother.blasted.me.off.after.I.ran.away.from.home.‐.Kreacher.s.quite.fond.of.muttering.the.story.under.his.breath...
.You.ran.away.from.home?..
.When.I.was.about.sixteen,..said.Sirius...I.d.had.enough...
.Where.did.you.go?..asked.Harry,.staring.at.him..
.Your.dad.s.place,..said.Sirius...Your.grandparents.were.really.good.about.it;.they.sort.of.adopted.me.as.a.second.son..Yeah,.I.camped.out.at.your.dad.s.in.the.school.holidays,.and.when.I.was.seventeen.I.got.a.place.of.my.own..My.Uncle.Alphard.had.left.me.a.decent.bit.of.gold.‐.he.s.been.wiped.off.here,.too,.that.s.probably.why.‐.anyway,.after.that.I.looked.after.myself..I.was.always.welcome.at.Mr.and.Mrs.Potter.s.for.Sunday.lunch,.though...
.But….why.did.you….?..
.Leave?..Sirius.smiled.bitterly.and.ran.his.fingers.through.his.long,.unkempt.hair.
.
.Because.I.hated.the.whole.lot.of.them:.my.parents,.with.their.pure‐blood.mania,
.convinced.that.to.be.a.Black.made.you.practically.royal….my.idiot.brother,.soft.enough.to.believe.them….that.s.him...