Ethereal

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The Order of The Phoenix

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"I've ironed your best clothes for tomorrow morning, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said to Harry during dinner on Wednesday evening, "and I want you to wash your hair tonight, too. A good first impression can work wonders."

Ron, Hermione, Sadie, Fred, George, and Ginny all stopped talking and looked over at him. Harry nodded.

"How am I getting there?" he asked Mrs. Weasley, trying to sound unconcerned.

"Arthur's taking you to work with him," said Mrs. Weasley gently. Mr. Weasley smiled encouragingly at Harry across the table.

"You can wait in my office until it's time for the hearing," he said.

Harry looked over at Sirius, but before he could ask the question, Mrs. Weasley had answered it.

"Professor Dumbledore doesn't think it's a good idea for Sirius to go with you, and I must say I. . . ."

". . . .think he's quite right," said Sirius through clenched teeth. Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips.

"When did Dumbledore tell you that?" Harry said, staring at Sirius.

"He came last night, when you were in bed," said Mr. Weasley.

Sirius stabbed moodily at a potato with his fork and Harry lowered his own eyes to his plate. 

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"I knew it!" yelled Ron, punching the air. 

"You always get away with stuff!" Sadie yelled as she and Ron high-fived. 

"They were bound to clear you," said Hermione, who had looked positively faint with anxiety when Harry had entered the kitchen and was now holding a shaking hand over her eyes, "there was no case against you, none at all."

"Everyone seems quite relieved, though, considering you all knew I'd get off," said Harry, smiling.

Mrs. Weasley was wiping her face on her apron, and Fred, George, and Ginny were doing a kind of war dance to a chant that went: "He got off, he got off, he got off. . . ."

"That's enough! Settle down!" shouted Mr. Weasley, though he too was smiling. "Listen, Sirius, Lucius Malfoy was at the Ministry. . . ."

"What?" said Sirius sharply.

"He got off, he got off, he got off. . . ."

"Be quiet, you three! Yes, we saw him talking to Fudge on Level Nine, then they went up to Fudge's office together. Dumbledore ought to know."

"Absolutely," said Sirius. "We'll tell him, don't worry."

"Well, I'd better get going, there's a vomiting toilet waiting for me in Bethnal Green. Molly, I'll be late, I'm covering for Tonks, but Kingsley might be dropping in for dinner. . . ."

"He got off, he got off, he got off. . . ."

"That's enough Fred, George, Ginny!" said Mrs. Weasley, as Mr. Weasley left the kitchen. "Harry, dear, come and sit down, have some lunch, you hardly ate breakfast. . . ."

Sadie, Ron and Hermione sat themselves down opposite him, looking happier than they had done since he had first arrived at Grimmauld Place.

"Course, once Dumbledore turned up on your side, there was no way they were going to convict you," said Ron happily, now dishing great mounds of mashed potato on to everyone's plates.