Emma Potter; Going to War

30: Number 12 again [Pt.2]

I wearily  looked around; we had arrived inthe 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 toward us all, looking anxious. He was unshaven and still in his day clothes;there was also a slightly Mundungus-like whiff of stale drink abouthim. 

"What's going on?" he said, stretching out a hand to help Ginnyup. "Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured —Emma?"

Wow, I looked that bad?

It's too late. . .

No. . . I thought desperately No it's not. 

Dead. 

Dead?

Dead. And it's your fault. 

My fault?

The man who opened his home to you is dead. . .You killed him. . .

I stumbled

Sirius immediately pulled me away from Fred and George and towards himself. Holding me like I was dying, something that I can only describe as a fatherly hold.  

"What happened?" Sirius asked again, settling me in a chair and a protective arm around my shoulder.

"Ask Harry," said Fred.

 "Yeah, I want to hear this for myself," said George.

 The twins and Ginny were staring us. Kreacher's footsteps hadstopped on the stairs outside.

 "It was —" Harry began; this was even worse than telling McGonagall and Dumbledore. "we had a — a kind of — vision. . . ."

 And he told them all that we had seen, though we altered the storyso that it sounded as though we had watched from the sidelines as thesnake attacked, rather than from behind the snake's own eyes. . . .

Ron, who was still very white, gave us a fleeting look, but did notspeak. When Harry had finished, Fred, George, and Ginny continuedto stare at us for a moment. I did not know whether I wasimagining it or not, but I fancied there was something accusatory intheir looks. Well, if they were going to blame us for just seeing theattack, I was glad Harry had not told them that we had been inside thesnake 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 Dumbledore's letting Molly know now." 

"We've got to go to St. Mungo's," said Ginny urgently. She lookedaround at her brothers; they were of course still in their pajamas. "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 amulish 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 thatHarry and Emma are having visions of things that are happening hundreds of milesaway!" said Sirius angrily. "Have you any idea what the Ministrywould make of that information?"