The.trouble.is,..she.said.to.Harry,..until.V‐Voldemort.‐.oh,.for.heaven.s.sake,.Ron.‐
.comes.out.into.the.open,.Sirius.is.going.to.have.to.stay.hidden,.isn.t.he?.I.mean,
.the.stupid.Ministry.isn.t.going.to.realise.Sirius.is.innocent.until.they.accept.that.Dumbledore.s.been.telling.the.truth.about.him.all.along..And.once.the.fools.start.catching.real.Death.Eaters.again,.it.ll.be.obvious.Sirius.isn.t.one….I.mean,.he.hasn.t.got.the.Mark,.for.one.thing...
.I.don.t.reckon.he.d.be.stupid.enough.to.turn.up,..said.Ron.brac‐ingly.
.
.Dumbledore.d.go.mad.if.he.did.and.Sirius.listens.to.Dumbledore.even.if.he.doesn.t.like.what.he.hears...
When.Harry.continued.to.look.worried,.Hermione.said,..Listen,.Ron.and.I.have.been.sounding.out.people.who.we.thought.might.want.to.learn.some.proper.Defence.Against.the.Dark.Arts,.and.there.are.a.couple.who.seem.interested.
.We.ve.told.them.to.meet.us.in.Hogsmeade...
.Right,..said.Harry.vaguely,.his.mind.still.on.Sirius..
.Don.t.worry,.Harry..Hermione.said.quietly...You.ve.got.enough.on.your.plate.without.Sirius,.too...
She.was.quite.right,.of.course,.he.was.barely.keeping.up.with.his.homework,
.though.he.was.doing.much.better.now.that.he.was.no.longer.spending.every.evening.in.detention.with.Umbridge..Ron.was.even.further.behind.with.his.work.than.Harry,.because.while.they.both.had.Quidditch.practice.twice.a.week,.Ron.also.had.his.prefect.duties..However,.Hermione,.who.was.taking.more.subjects.than.either.of.them,.had.not.only.finished.all.her.homework.but.was.also.finding.time.to.knit.more.elf.clothes..Harry.had.to.admit.that.she.was.getting.better;.it.was.now.almost.always.possible.to.distinguish.between.the.hats.and.the.socks..
The.morning.of.the.Hogsmeade.visit.dawned.bright.but.windy..After.breakfast.they.queued.up.in.front.of.Filch,.who.matched.their.names.to.the.long.list.of.students.who.had.permission.from.their.parents.or.guardian.to.visit.the.village.
.With.a.slight.pang,.Harry.remembered.that.if.it.hadn.t.been.for.Sirius,.he.would.not.have.been.going.at.all..
When.Harry.reached.Filch,.the.caretaker.gave.a.great.sniff.as.though.trying.to.detect.a.whiff.of.something.from.Harry..Then.he.gave.a.curt.nod.that.set.his.jowls.aquiver.again.and.Harry.walked.on,.out.on.to.the.stone.steps.and.the.cold,
.sunlit.day..
.Er.‐.why.was.Filch.sniffing.you?..asked.Ron,.as.he,.Harry.and.Hermione.set.off.at.a.brisk.pace.down.the.wide.drive.to.the.gates..
.I.suppose.he.was.checking.for.the.smell.of.Dungbombs,..said.Harry.with.a.small.laugh...I.forgot.to.tell.you…..
And.he.recounted.the.story.of.sending.his.letter.to.Sirius.and.Filch.bursting.in.seconds.later,.demanding.to.see.the.letter..To.his.slight.surprise,.Hermione.found.this.story.highly.interesting,.much.more,.indeed,.than.he.did.himself..
.He.said.he.was.tipped.off.you.were.ordering.Dungbombs?.But.who.tipped.him.off?..
.I.dunno,..said.Harry,.shrugging...Maybe.Malfoy,.he.d.think.it.was.a.laugh...
They.walked.between.the.tall.stone.pillars.topped.with.winged.boars.and.turned.left.on.to.the.road.into.the.village,.the.wind.whipping.their.hair.into.their.eyes..