.Course,.once.Dumbledore.turned.up.on.your.side,.there.was.no.way.they.were.going.to.convict.you,..said.Ron.happily,.now.dishing.great.mounds.of.mashed.potato.on.to.everyone.s.plates..
.Yeah,.he.swung.it.for.me,..said.Harry..He.felt.it.would.sound.highly.ungrateful,
.not.to.mention.childish,.to.say,..I.wish.he.d.talked.to.me,.though..Or.even.looked.at.me...
And.as.he.thought.this,.the.scar.on.his.forehead.burned.so.badly.that.he.clapped.his.hand.to.it..
.What.s.up?..said.Hermione,.looking.alarmed..
.Scar,..Harry.mumbled...But.it.s.nothing….it.happens.all.the.time.now…..
None.of.the.others.had.noticed.a.thing;.all.of.them.were.now.helping.themselves.to.food.while.gloating.over.Harrys.narrow.escape;.Fred,.George.and.Ginny.were.still.singing..Hermione.looked.rather.anxious,.but.before.she.could.say.anything,
.Ron.had.said.happily,..I.bet.Dumbledore.turns.up.this.evening,.to.celebrate.with.us,.you.know...
.I.don.t.think.he.ll.be.able.to,.Ron,..said.Mrs.Weasley,.setting.a.huge.plate.of.roast.chicken.down.in.front.of.Harry...He.s.really.very.busy.at.the.moment...
.HE.GOT.OFF,.HE.GOT.OFF,.HE.GOT.OFF
.SHUT.UP!..roared.Mrs.Weasley..
*.
Over.the.next.few.days.Harry.could.not.help.noticing.that.there.was.one.person.within.number.twelve,.Grimmauld.Place,.who.did.not.seem.wholly.overjoyed.that.he.would.be.returning.to.Hogwarts..Sirius.had.put.up.a.very.good.show.of.happiness.on.first.hearing.the.news,.wringing.Harry.s.hand.and.beaming.just.
like.the.rest.of.them..Soon,.however,.he.was.moodier.and.surlier.than.before,
.talking.less.to.everybody,.even.Harry,.and.spending.increasing.amounts.of.time.shut.up.in.his.mother.s.room.with.Buckbeak..
.Don.t.you.go.feeling.guilty!..said.Hermione.sternly,.after.Harry.had.confided.some.of.his.feelings.to.her.and.Ron.while.they.scrubbed.out.a.mouldy.cupboard.on.the.third.floor.a.fe.days.later...You.belong.at.Hogwarts.and.Sirius.knows.it.
.Personally,.I.think.he.s.being.selfish...
That.s.a.bit.harsh,.Hermione,..said.Ron,.frowning.as.he.attempted.to.prise.off.a.bit.of.mould.that.had.attached.itself.firmly.to.his.finger,..you.wouldn.t.want.to.be.stuck.inside.this.house.without.any.company...
.He.ll.have.company!..said.Hermione...It.s.Headquarters.to.the.Order.of.the.Phoenix,.isn.t.it?.He.just.got.his.hopes.up.that.Harry.would.be.coming.to.live.here.with.him...
don.t.think.that.s.true/.said.Harry,.wringing.out.his.cloth...He.wouldn.t.give.me.a.straight.answer.when.I.asked.him.if.1.could...
.He.just.didn.t.want.to.get.his.own.hopes.up.even.more,..said.Hermione.wisely.
.
.And.he.probably.felt.a.bit.guilty.himself,.because.I.think.a.part.of.him.was.really.hoping.you.d.be.expelled..Then.you.d.both.be.outcasts.together...
.Come.off.it!..said.Harry.and.Ron.together,.but.Hermione.merely.shrugged..
.Suit.yourselves..But.I.sometimes.think.Rons.mums.right.and.Sirius.gets.confused.about.whether.you.re.you.or.your.father,.Harry...
.So.you.think.he.s.touched.in.the.head?..said.Harry.heatedly..
.No,.I.just.think.he.s.been.very.lonely.for.a.long.time,..said.Hermione.simply..