.he.had.never.dreaded.his.return.more..
Professor.Umbridge.left.Hogwarts.the.day.before.the.end.of.term..It.seemed.she.had.crept.out.of.the.hospital.wing.during.dinnertime,.evidently.hoping.to.depart.undetected,.but.unfortunately.for.her,.she.met.Peeves.on.the.way,.who.seized.his.last.chance.to.do.as.Fred.had.instructed,.and.chased.her.gleefully.from.the.premises.whacking.her.alternately.with.a.walking.stick.and.a.sock.full.of.chalk.
.Many.students.ran.out.into.the.Entrance.Hall.to.watch.her.running.away.down.the.path.and.the.Heads.of.Houses.tried.only.half‐heartedly.to.restrain.them..
Indeed,.Professor.McGonagall.sank.back.into.her.chair.at.the.staff.table.after.a.few.feeble.remonstrances.and.was.clearly.heard.to.expess.a.regret.that.she.could.not.run.cheering.after.Umbridge.herself,.because.Peeves.had.borrowed.her.walking.stick..
Their.last.evening.at.school.arrived;.most.people.had.finished.packing.and.were.already.heading.down.to.the.end‐of‐term.leaving.feast,.but.Harry.had.not.even.started..
`Just.do.it.tomorrow!..said.Ron,.who.was.waiting.by.the.door.of.their.dormitory.
.`Come.on,.I.m.starving...
`I.won.t.be.long….look,.you.go.ahead…..
But.when.the.dormitory.door.closed.behind.Ron,.Harry.made.no.effort.to.speed.up.his.packing..The.very.last.thing.he.wanted.to.do.was.to.attend.the.Leaving.Feast..He.was.worried.that.Dumbledore.would.make.some.reference.to.him.in.his.speech..He.was.sure.to.mention.Voldemort.s.return;.he.had.talked.to.them.about.it.last.year,.after.all….
Harry.pulled.some.crumpled.robes.out.of.the.very.bottom.of.his.trunk.to.make.way.for.folded.ones.and,.as.he.did.so,.noticed.a.badly.wrapped.package.lying.in.a.corner.of.it..He.could.not.think.what.it.was.doing.there..He.bent.down,.pulled.it.out.from.underneath.his.trainers.and.examined.it..
He.realised.what.it.was.within.seconds..Sirius.had.given.it.to.him.just.inside.the.front.door.of.number.twelve.Grimmauld.Place..`Use.it.if.you.need.me,.all.right?.
Harry.sank.down.on.to.his.bed.and.unwrapped.the.package..Out.fell.a.small,
.square.mirror..It.looked.old;.it.was.certainly.dirty..Harry.held.it.up.to.his.face.and.saw.his.own.reflection.looking.back.at.him.
He.turned.the.mirror.over..There.on.the.reverse.side.was.a.scribbled.note.from.Sirius..
.This.is.a.two‐way.mirror,.I.ve.got.the.other.one.of.the.pair..If.you.need.to.speak.to.me,.just.say.my.name.into.it;.you.ll.appear.in.my.mirror.and.I.ll.be.able.to.talk.in.yours..James.and.I.used.to.use.them.when.we.were.in.separate.detentions..
Harry.s.heart.began.to.race..He.remembered.seeing.his.dead.parents.in.the.Mirror.of.Erised.four.years.ago..He.was.going.to.be.able.to.talk.to.Sirius.again,
.right.now,.he.knew.it.‐.
He.looked.around.to.make.sure.there.was.nobody.else.there;.the.dormitory.was.quite.empty..He.looked.back.at.the.mirror,.raised.it.in.front.of.his.face.with.trembling.hands.and.said,.loudly.and.clearly,..Sirius...
His.breath.misted.the.surface.of.the.glass..He.held.the.mirror.even.closer,
.excitement.flooding.through.him,.but.the.eyes.blinking.back.at.him.through.the.fog.were.definitely.his.own..