Amie and the Army (Harry Potter fan-fic) Book 5 COMPLETED

Release

Sorry for the long break! As I said, I've been in Tanzania (mainland and Zanzibar) with my class, and I got home about a week ago. I've been really tired, and I've been sick for two weeks or more, and I've had to focus on school a bit. Yesterday I had the biggest Swedish test of the year (it's called Nationals). So I hope I'm forgiven :)

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"Your?" Harry said confusedly.
"My dear old mum, yeah," said Sirius. "We've been trying to get her down for a month but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas. Let's get downstairs, quick, before they all wake up again." 
Amie could see that Harry really didn't understand.
"But what's a portrait of your mother doing here?" Harry asked, bewildered, as they all walked across the hall and down the steps that led to the basement kitchen.
"Hasn't anyone told you? This was my parents' house," said Sirius. "But I'm the last Black left, so it's mine now. I offered it to Dumbledore for Headquarters - about the only useful thing I've been able to do." 
Sirius voice sounded hard and bitter, so Amie walked up to him when they entered the kitchen. While Harry looked around, Amie said with a stern tone;
"You can't at least try to act like you're happy to see him? At least stop looking gloomy," 
Sirius had the decency to look ashamed. Amie looked over at the kitchen table where Mr. Weasley and Bill were talking with their heads close together, the table littered with parchments left from the meeting. Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat, which made Mr. Weasley look around and jump to his feet.
"Harry!" he exclaimed, hurrying forward and shaking Harry's hand. "Good to see you!"
In the backround Bill was rolling up the parchments on the table.
"Journey all right, Harry?" Bill called, trying to gather up far too many scrolls at the same time. "Mad-Eye didn't make you come via Greenland, then?"
"He tried," said Tonks, walking over to help Bill, but knocking over a candle on the last parchment instead. "Oh no - sorry -"
"Here, dear," said Mrs. Weasley irritably, using a spell to repair the parchment. In the light caused by the charm, the parchment lit up, and a plan of a building could be seen. Mrs. Weasley was looking at Harry, and then she snatched the parchment from the table and stuffed it into Bill's arms that were already full.
"This sort of thing ought to be cleared away promptly at the end of meetings," she snapped, before sweeping off towards an ancient dresser from which she started unloading dinner plates. Bill took out his wand, muttered, "Evanesco!" and the scrolls vanished. 

"Sit down, Harry," said Sirius, more nicely this time. "You've met Mundungus, haven't you?"
Mundungus, who'd been sleeping at the table, jerked awake.
"Some'n say m'name?" Mundungus mumbled sleepily. "I 'gree with Sirius..." He raised a grubby hand in the air as though voting, his droopy, bloodshot eyes unfocused. Ginny giggled. 
"The meeting's over, Dung," said Sirius, as they all sat down around him at the table. "Harry's arrived." 
"Eh?" said Mundungus stupidly, peering over at Harry through his dirty ginger hair. "Blimey, so 'e 'as. Yeah... you all right, 'Arry?"
"Yeah," said Harry.
Mundungus, still watching Harry, nervously fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a pipe. He put it in his mouth, ignited it with his wand and took a puff. The green smoke engulfed him within seconds.
"Owe you a 'pology," he said to Harry. 
"For the last time, Mundungus," called Mrs. Weasley, "will you please not smoke that thing in the kitchen, especially not when we're about to eat!" 
"Ah," said Mundungus. "Right. Sorry, Molly."
The green cloud vanished as Mundungus put away the pipe in his pocket, but instead there was the smell of burning socks. 
"And if you want dinner before midnight I'll need a hand," Mrs. Weasley said to the room at large. "No, you can stay where you are, Harry dear, you've had a long journey." 
"What can I do, Molly?" said Tonks enthusiastically, bounding forwards. 
Mrs. Weasley hesitated, looking apprehensive. 
"Er - no, it's all right, Tonks, you have a rest too, you've done enough today." 
"No, no, I want to help!" said Tonks happily, knocking a chair over while hurrying towards the dresser, from which Ginny was collecting cutlery. Amie got up as well, and soon enough everyone had something to do, except for Harry, Sirius and Mundungus who remained at the table. Amie helped make the table, when she heard Sirius talking.