.Sirius!..he.said..
Harry.whipped.round..Siriuss.untidy.dark.head.was.sitting.in.the.fire.again..
.Hi,..he.said,.grinning..
.Hi,..chorused.Harry,.Ron.and.Hermione,.all.three.kneeling.down.on.the.hearthrug..Crookshanks.purred.loudly.and.approached.the.fire,.trying,.despite.the.heat,.to.put.his.face.close.to.Sirius.s..
.How.re.things?..said.Sirius..
.Not.that.good,..said.Harry,.as.Hermione.pulled.Crookshanks.back.to.stop.him.singeing.his.whiskers..The.Ministry.s.forced.through.another.decree,.which.means.we.re.not.allowed.to.have.Quidditch.teams.‐..
I.
.Or.secret.Defence.Against.the.Dark.Arts.groups?..said.Sirius..
There.was.a.short.pause..
.How.did.you.know.about.that?..Harry.demanded..
.You.want.to.choose.your.meeting.places.more.carefully,..said.Sirius,.grinning.still.more.broadly..The.Hog.s.Head,.I.ask.you...
.Well,.it.was.better.than.the.Three.Broomsticks!..said.Hermione.defensively.
.That.s.always.packed.with.people.‐..
.Which.means.you.d.have.been.harder.to.overhear,..said.Sirius...You.ve.got.a.lot.to.learn,.Hermione...
.Who.overheard.us?..Harry.demanded..
.Mundungus,.of.course,..said.Sirius,.and.when.they.all.looked.puzzled.he.laughed...He.was.the.witch.under.the.veil...
That.was.Mundungus?..Harry.said,.stunned...What.was.he.doing.in.the.Hog.s.Head?..
What.do.you.think.he.was.doing?..said.Sirius.impatiently...Keeping.an.eye.on.you,.of.course...
.I.m.still.being.followed?..asked.Harry.angrily..
.Yeah,.you.are,..said.Sirius,..and.just.as.well,.isn.t.it,.if.the.first.thing.you.re.going.to.do.on.your.weekend.off.is.organise.an.illegal.defence.group...
But.he.looked.neither.angry.nor.worried..On.the.contrary,.he.was.looking.at.Harry.with.distinct.pride..
.Why.was.Dung.hiding.from.us?..asked.Ron,.sounding.disappointed...We.d.ve.liked.to.ve.seen.him...
.He.was.banned.from.the.Hog.s.Head.twenty.years.ago,..said.Sirius,..and.that.barman.s.got.a.long.memory..We.lost.Moody.s.spare.Invisibility.Cloak.when.Sturgis.was.arrested,.so.Dung.s.been.dressing.as.a.witch.a.lot.lately….anyway…
.first.of.all,.Ron.‐.I.ve.sworn.to.pass.on.a.message.from.your.mother...
.Oh.yeah?..said.Ron,.sounding.apprehensive..
.She.says.on.no.account.whatsoever.are.you.to.take.part.in.an.illegal.secret.Defence.Against.the.Dark.Arts.group..She.says.you.ll.be.expelled.for.sure.and.your.future.will.be.ruined..She.says.there.will.be.plenty.of.time.to.learn.how.to.defend.yourself.later.and.that.you.are.too.young.to.be.worrying.about.tht.right.now..She.also..(Sirius.s.eyes.turned.to.the.other.two)..advises.Harry.and.Hermione.not.to.proceed.with.the.group,.though.she.accepts.that.she.has.no.authority.over.either.of.them.and.simply.begs.them.to.remember.that.she.has.their.best.inteests.at.heart..She.would.have.written.all.this.to.you,.but.if.the.owl.had.been.intercepted.you.d.all.have.been.in.real.trouble,.and.she.can.t.say.it.for.herself.because.she.s.on.duty.tonight...
.On.duty.doing.what?..said.Ron.quickly..
.Never.you.mind,.just.stuff.for.the.Order,..said.Sirius...So.it.s.fallen.to.me.to.be.the.messenger.and.make.sure.you.tell.her.I.passed.it.all.on,.because.I.don.t.think.she.trusts.me.to...