.Back.again,.the.blood‐traitor.brats..Is.it.true.their.father.s.dying?..
.OUT!..roared.a.second.voice..
Harry.scrambled.to.his.feet.and.looked.around;.they.had.arrived.in.the.gloomy.basement.kitchen.of.number.twelve,.Grimmauld.Place..The.only.sources.of.light.were.the.fire.and.one.guttering.candle,.which.illuminated.the.remains.of.a.solitary.supper..Kreacher.was.disappearing.through.the.door.to.the.hall,.looking.back.at.them.malevolently.as.he.hitched.up.his.loincloth;.Sirius.was.hurrying.towards.them.all,.looking.anxious..He.was.unshaven.and.still.in.his.day.clothes;
.there.was.also.a.slightly.Mundungus‐like.whiff.of.stale.drink.about.him..
.What.s.going.on?..he.said,.stretching.out.a.hand.to.help.Ginny.up..Thineas.Nigellus.said.Arthur.s.been.badly.injured.—..
.Ask.Harry,..said.Fred..
.Yeah,.I.want.to.hear.this.for.myself,..said.George..
The.twins.and.Ginny.were.staring.at.him..Kreacher.s.footsteps.had.stopped.on.the.stairs.outside..
.It.was.‐..Harry.began;.this.was.even.worse.than.telling.McGonagall.and.Dumbledore...I.had.a.‐.a.kind.of.‐.vision.
And.he.told.them.all.that.he.had.seen,.though.he.altered.the.story.so.that.it.sounded.as.though.he.had.watched.from.the.sidelines.as.the.snake.attacked,
.rather.than.from.behind.the.snake.s.own.eyes..Ron,.who.was.still.very.white,.
gave.him.a.fleeting.look,.but.did.not.speak..When.Harry.had.finished,.Fred,
.George.and.Ginny.continued.to.stare.at.him.for.a.moment..Harry.did.not.know.whether.he.was.imagining.it.or.not,.but.he.fancied.there.was.something.accusatory.in.their.looks..Well,.if.they.were.going.to.blame.him.just.for.seeing.the.attack,.he.was.glad.he.had.not.told.them.that.he.had.been.inside.the.snake.at.the.time..
.Is.Mum.here?..said.Fred,.turning.to.Sirius..
.She.probably.doesn.t.even.know.what.s.happened.yet,..said.Sirius..The.important.thing.was.to.get.you.away.before.Umbridge.could.interfere..I.expect.Dumbledores.letting.Molly.know.now...
.We.ve.got.to.go.to.St.Mungo.s,..said.Ginny.urgently..She.looked.around.at.her.brothers;.they.were.of.course.still.in.their.pyjamas...Sirius,.can.you.lend.us.cloaks.or.anything?..
.Hang.on,.you.can.t.go.tearing.off.to.St.Mungo.s!..said.Sirius..
.Course.we.can.go.to.St.Mungo.s.if.we.want,..said.Fred,.with.a.mulish.expression.
.
.He.s.our.dad!..
.And.how.are.you.going.to.explain.how.you.knew.Arthur.was.attacked.before.the.hospital.even.let.his.wife.know?..
.What.does.that.matter?..said.George.hotly..
.It.matters.because.we.don.t.want.to.draw.attention.to.the.fact.that.Harry.is.having.visions.of.things.that.are.happening.hundreds.of.miles.away!..said.Sirius.angrily...Have.you.any.idea.what.the.Ministry.would.make.of.that.information?..
Fred.and.George.looked.as.though.they.could.not.care.less.what.the.Ministry.made.of.anything..Ron.was.still.ashen‐faced.and.silent..
Ginny.said,..Somebody.else.could.have.told.us….we.could.have.heard.it.somewhere.other.than.Harry...
.Like.who?..said.Sirius.impatiently...Listen,.your.dad.s.been.hurt.while.on.duty.for.the.Order.and.the.circumstances.are.fishy.enough.without.his.children.knowing.about.it.seconds.afer.it.happened,.you.could.seriously.damage.the.Order.s.‐..