𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐏 𝟏𝟐

"Finally." said Ron, eyeing the door in surprise but also happiness.

"What?," said Harry , pulling a large platter of bacon and eggs toward him.

"The girls are back to normal" said Ron. He put down the bit of toast he was eating and took a large swig of pumpkin juice.

Harry looked over at the door to see Emily and Hermione laughing holding each other's hands, walking towards them. Emily still looked tired seeing as she had probably only just got back from Umbridge but she looked more happier now.

The girls sat down, Hermione sitting next to Ron and Emily next to Harry "Hey." Emily smiles next to him "How was detention?" Harry asked.

Emily just stared at him "It was fine."

Then Ron said, "Listen . . . you and Emily don't fancy going out a bit earlier with me, do you? Just to ,er, give me some practice before training? So I can, you know, get my eye in a bit . . ."

"Yeah, okay," said Harry.
"Course." Emily smiled at him.

"Look, I don't think you should," said Hermione seriously, "you're both really behind on homework as it-"

But she broke off; the morning post was arriving and, as usual, the Daily Prophet was soaring toward her in the beak of a screech owl, which landed perilously close to the sugar bowl and held out a leg; Hermione pushed a Knut into its leather pouch, took the newspaper, and scanned the front page critically as the owl took off again.

"Anything interesting?" said Ron; Harry smiled, he knew Ron was keen to get her off the subject of homework. Emily just ate little bits of her bacon.

"No," she sighed, "just some guff about the bass player in the Weird Sisters getting married. . . ."

She opened the paper and disappeared behind it. Harry devoted himself to another helping of eggs and bacon; Ron was staring up at the high windows, looking slightly preoccupied.

"Wait a moment," said Hermione suddenly. "Oh no . . . Sirius!"

"What's happened?" shouted Emily, and she snatched at the paper so violently that it ripped down the middle so that she and Hermione were holding half each.

Harry looked over Emily's shoulder to read it.

" 'The Ministry of Magic has received a tip off from a reliable source that Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer . . . blah blah blah . . . is currently hiding in London!' " Hermione read from her half in an anguished whisper.

"Lucius Malfoy, I'll bet anything," said Harry in a low, furious voice. "He did recognize Sirius on the platform. . . ."

"What?" said Ron, looking alarmed. "You didn't say."

"Shh!" said the other three.

". . . 'Ministry warns Wizarding community that Black is very dangerous . . . killed thirteen people . . . broke out of Azkaban . . .' the usual rubbish," Hermione concluded, laying down her half of the paper and looking fearfully at Emily, Harry and Ron.

"Well, he just won't be able to leave the house again, that's all," she whispered. "Dumbledore did warn him not to."

"Ethan, get your ass over here, now," Emily hissed.

Ethan grumbled under his breath, sliding off the other side of the table, and made his way toward her.

"Look... read it." Emily's voice was sharp but tinged with frustration as she handed him her half of the torn page. Hermione passed hers along at the same time.

Emily glanced down at the scrap of Daily Prophet in her hands. Most of the page had been nothing but advertisements—Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, apparently offering a sale. She frowned.