Harry Potter 05 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

softly, ‘did you know that Lucius Malfoy recognised you last time you risked a little jaunt outside? Clever idea, Black, getting yourself seen on a safe station platform … gave you a cast-iron excuse not to leave your hidey-hole in future, didn’t it?’
    Sirius raised his wand.
    ‘NO!’ Harry yelled, vaulting over the table and trying to get in between them. ‘Sirius, don’t!’
    ‘Are you calling me a coward?’ roared Sirius, trying to push Harry out of the way, but Harry would not budge.
    ‘Why, yes, I suppose I am,’ said Snape.
    ‘Harry – get – out – of – it!’ snarled Sirius, pushing him aside with his free hand.
    The kitchen door opened and the entire Weasley family, plus Hermione, came inside, all looking very happy, with Mr Weasley walking proudly in their midst dressed in a pair of striped pyjamas covered by a mackintosh.
    ‘Cured!’ he announced brightly to the kitchen at large. ‘Completely cured!’
    He and all the other Weasleys froze on the threshold, gazing at the scene in front of them, which was also suspended in mid-action, both Sirius and Snape looking towards the door with their wands pointing into each other’s faces and Harry immobile between them, a hand stretched out to each, trying to force them apart.
    ‘Merlin’s beard,’ said Mr Weasley, the smile sliding off his face, ‘what’s going on here?’
    Both Sirius and Snape lowered their wands. Harry looked from one to the other. Each wore an expression of utmost contempt, yet the unexpected entrance of so many witnesses seemed to have brought them to their senses. Snape pocketed his wand and swept back across the kitchen, passing the Weasleys without comment. At the door he looked back.
    ‘Six o’clock, Monday evening, Potter.’
    And he was gone. Sirius glared after him, his wand at his side.
    ‘What’s been going on?’ asked Mr Weasley again.
    ‘Nothing, Arthur,’ said Sirius, who was breathing heavily as though he had just run a long distance. ‘Just a friendly little chat between two old school friends.’ With what looked like an enormous effort, he smiled. ‘So … you’re cured? That’s great news, really great.’
    ‘Yes, isn’t it?’ said Mrs Weasley, leading her husband forward to a chair. ‘Healer Smethwyck worked his magic in the end, found an antidote to whatever that snake’s got in its fangs, and Arthur’s learned his lesson about dabbling in Muggle medicine, haven’t you, dear ?’ she added, rather menacingly.
    ‘Yes, Molly, dear,’ said Mr Weasley meekly.
    That night’s meal should have been a cheerful one, with Mr Weasley back amongst them. Harry could tell Sirius was trying to make it so, yet when his godfather was not forcing himself to laugh loudly at Fred and George’s jokes or offering everyone more food, his face fell back into a moody, brooding expression. Harry was separated from him by Mundungus and Mad-Eye, who had dropped in to offer Mr Weasley their congratulations. He wanted to talk to Sirius, to tell him he shouldn’t listen to a word Snape said, that Snape was goading him deliberately and that the rest of them didn’t think Sirius was a coward for doing as Dumbledore told him and remaining in Grimmauld Place. But he had no opportunity to do so, and, eyeing the ugly look on Sirius’s face, Harry wondered occasionally whether he would have dared to mention it even if he had the chance. Instead, he told Ron and Hermione under his voice about having to take Occlumency lessons with Snape.
    ‘Dumbledore wants to stop you having those dreams about Voldemort,’ said Hermione at once. ‘Well, you won’t be sorry not to have them any more, will you?’
    ‘Extra lessons with Snape?’ said Ron, sounding aghast. ‘I’d rather have the nightmares!’
    They were to return to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus the following day, escorted once again by Tonks and Lupin, both of whom were eating breakfast in the kitchen when Harry, Ron and Hermione came down next morning. The adults seemed to have been midway through a whispered conversation as Harry opened the door; all of them looked round hastily and fell silent.
    After a hurried breakfast, they all pulled on jackets and scarves against the chilly grey January morning. Harry had an unpleasant constricted sensation in his chest; he did not want to say goodbye to Sirius. He had a bad feeling about this parting; he didn’t know when they would next see each other and he felt it was incumbent upon him to say something to