.It.means.he.gave.them.a.load.of.gold,..said.Sirius.contemptuously,.throwing.the.medal.into.the.rubbish.sack..
Several.times.Kreacher.sidled.into.the.room.and.attempted.to.smuggle.things.away.under.his.loincloth,.muttering.horrible.curses.every.time.they.caught.him.
at.it..When.Sirius.wrested.a.large.golden.ring.bearing.the.Black.crest.from.his.grip,.Kreacher.actually.burst.into.furious.tears.and.left.the.room.sobbing.under.his.breath.and.calling.Sirius.names.Harry.had.neverheard.before..
.It.was.my.father.s,..said.Sirius,.throwing.the.ring.into.the.sack...Kreacher.wasn.t.quite.as.devoted.to.him.as.to.my.mother,.but.1.still.caught.him.snogging.a.pair.of.my.father.s.old.trousers.last.week...
Weasley.kept.them.all.working.very.hard.over.the.next.few.days..The.drawing.room.took.three.days.to.decontaminate..Finally,.the.only.undesirable.things.left.in.it.were.the.tapestry.of.the.Black.family.tree,.which.resisted.all.their.attempts.to.remove.it.from.the.wall,.and.the.rattling.writing.desk..Moody.had.not.dropped.by.Headquarters.yet,.so.they.could.not.be.sure.what.was.inside.it..
They.moved.from.the.drawing.room.to.a.dining.room.on.the.ground.floor.where.they.found.spiders.as.large.as.saucers.lurking.in.te.dresser.(Ron.left.the.room.hurriedly.to.make.a.cup.of.tea.and.did.not.return.for.an.hour.and.a.half)..The.china,.which.bore.the.Black.crest.and.motto,.was.all.thrown.unceremoniously.into.a.sack.by.Sirius,.and.the.same.fate.met.a.set.of.old.photographs.in.tarnished.silver.frames,.all.of.whose.occupants.squealed.shrilly.as.the.glass.covering.them.smashed..
Snape.might.refer.to.their.work.as..cleaning.,.but.in.Harrys.opinion.they.were.really.waging.war.on.the.house,.which.was.putting.up.a.very.good.fight,.aided.and.abetted.by.Kreacher..The.house‐elf.kept.appearing.wherever.they.were.congregated,.his.muttering.becoming.more.and.more.offensive.as.he.attempted.to.remove.anything.he.could.from.the.rubbish.sacks..Sirius.went.as.far.as.to.threaten.him.with.clothes,.but.Kreacher.fixed.him.with.a.watery.stare.and.said,
.
.Master.must.do.as.Master.wishes,..before.turning.away.and.muttering.very.loudly,..but.Master.will.not.turn.Kreacher.away,.no,.because.Kreacher.knows.what.they.are.up.to,.oh.yes,.he.is.plotting.against.the.Dark.Lord,.yes,.with.these.Mudbloods.and.traitors.and.scum…..
At.which.Sirius,.ignoring.Hermione.s.protests,.seized.Kreacher.by.the.back.of.his.loincloth.and.threw.him.bodily.from.the.room..
The.doorbell.rang.several.times.a.day,.which.was.the.cue.for.Sirius.s.mother.to.start.shrieking.again,.and.for.Harry.and.the.others.to.attempt.to.eavesdrop.on.the.visitor,.though.they.gleaned.very.little.from.the.brief.glimpses.and.snatches.of.conversation.they.were.able.to.sneak.before.Mrs.Weasle.recalled.them.to.
their.tasks..Snape.flitted.in.and.out.of.the.house.several.times.more,.though.to.Harry.s.relief.they.never.came.face.to.face;.Harry.also.caught.sight.of.his.Transfiguration.teacher.Professor.McGonagall,.looking.very.odd.in.a.Muggle.dress.and.coat,.and.she.also.seemed.too.busy.to.linger..Sometimes,.however,.the.visitors.stayed.to.help..Tonks.joined.them.for.a.memorable.afternoon.in.which.they.found.a.murderous.old.ghoul.lurking.in.an.upstairs.toilet,.and.Lupin,.who.was.staying.in.the.house.with.Sirius.but.who.left.it.for.long.periods.to.do.mysterious.work.for.the.Order,.helped.them.repair.a.grandfather.clock.that.had.developed.the.unpleasant.habit.of.shooting.heavy.bolts.at.passers‐by.