`I.shall.see.you.in.half.an.hour,..said.Dumbledore.quietly.`One.….two.….three.…..
Harry.felt.the.familiar.sensation.of.a.hook.being.jerked.behind.his.navel..The.polished.wooden.floor.was.gone.from.beneath.his.feet;.the.Atrium,.Fudge.and.Dumbledore.had.all.disappeared.and.he.was.flying.forwards.in.a.whirlwind.of.colour.and.sound.….
‐.CHAPTER.THIRTY‐SEVEN.‐.
The.Lost.Prophecy
Harry.s.feet.hit.solid.ground;.his.knees.buckled.a.little.and.the.golden.wizard.s.head.fell.*ith.a.resounding.dunk.to.the.floor..He.looked.around.and.saw.that.he.had.arrived.in.Dumbledore.s.office..
Everything.seemed.to.have.repaired.itself.during.the.Headmaster.s.absence..The.delicate.silver.instruments.stood.once.more.on.the.spindle‐legged.tables,.puffing.and.whirring.serenely.The.portraits.of.the.headmasters.and.headmistresses.were.snoozing.in.their.frames,.heads.lolling.back.in.armchairs.or.against.the.edge.of.the.picture..Harry.looked.through.the.window..There.was.a.cool.line.of.pale.green.along.the.horizon:.dawn.was.approaching..
The.silence.and.the.stillness,.broken.only.by.the.occasional.grunt.or.snuffle.of.a.sleeping.portrait,.was.unbearable.to.him..If.his.surroundings.could.have.reflected.the.feelings.inside.him,.the.pictures.would.have.been.screaming.in.pain..He.walked.around.the.quiet,.beautiful.office,.breathing.quickly,.trying.not.to.think..But.he.had.to.think….there.was.no.escape….
It.was.his.fault.Sirius.had.died;.it.was.all.his.fault..If.he,.Harry,.had.not.been.stupid.enough.to.fall.for.Voldemort.s.trick,.if.he.had.not.been.so.convinced.that.what.he.had.seen.in.his.dream.was.real,.if.he.had.only.opened.his.mind.to.the.possibility.that.Voldemort.was,.as.Hermione.had.said,.banking.on.Harry.s.love.of.playing.the.hero…
It.was.unbearable,.he.would.not.think.about.it,.he.could.not.stand.it….there.was.a.terrible.hollow.inside.him.he.did.not.want.to.feel.or.examine,.a.dark.hole.where.Sirius.had.been,.where.Sirius.had.vanished;.he.did.not.want.to.have.to.be.alonc.with.that.great,.silent.space,.he.could.not.stand.it.‐.
A.picture.behind.him.gave.a.particularly.loud.grunting.snore,.and.a.cool.voice.said,..Ali.….Harry.Potter.…..
Phineas.Nigellus.gave.a.long.yawn,.stretching.his.arms.as.he.surveyed.Harry.out.of.shrewd,.narrow.eyes..
`And.what.brings.you.here.in.the.early.hours.of.the.morning?..said.Phineas.eventually.`This.office.is.supposed.to.be.barred.to.all.but.the.rightful.Headmaster..Or.has.Dumbledore.sent.you.here?.Oh,.don.t.tell.me.…..He.gave.another.shuddering.yawn..`Another.message.for.my.worthless.great‐great‐
grandson?..
Harry.could.not.speak..Phineas.Nigellus.did.not.know.that.Sirius.was.dead,.but.Harry.could.not.tell.him..To.say.it.aloud.would.be.to.make.it.final,.absolute,
.irretrievable..
A.few.more.of.the.portraits.had.stirred.now..Terror.of.being.interrogated.made.Harry.stride.across.the.room.and.seize.the.doorknob..
It.would.not.turn..He.was.shut.in..
`I.hope.this.means,..said.the.corpulent,.red‐nosed.wizard.who.hung.on.the.wall.behind.the.Headmaster.s.desk,.`that.Dumbledore.will.soon.be.back.among.us?..