Phoenix

The Balloon Pops

We reeled in the Extendable Ears.

Harry was unable to say more than, "Ginny – the sword –"

"I know!"said Hermione. She lunged for the tiny beaded bag, this time sinking her arm in it right up to the armpit.

"Here ... we ... are ..." she said between gritted teeth, and she pulled at something that was evidently in the depths of the bag. Slowly, the edge of an ornate picture frame came into sight. Harry hurried to help her. As they lifted the empty portrait of Phineas Nigellus free of Hermione's bag, she kept her wand pointing at it, ready to cast a spell at any moment.

"If somebody swapped the real sword for the fake while it was in Dumbledore's office," she panted, as they propped the painting against the side of the tent, "Phineas Nigellus would have seen it happen, he hangs right beside the case!"

"Unless he was asleep," said Harry.

"Try to be optimistic," I said with a forced smile.

Hermione knelt down in front of the empty canvas, her wand directed at its centre, cleared her throat, then said, "Er – Phineas? Phineas Nigellus?"

Nothing happened.

"Phineas Nigellus?" said Hermione again. "Professor Black? Please could we talk to you? Please?"

'"Please" always helps,"said a cold, snide voice, and Phineas Nigellus slid into his portrait.

At once, Hermione cried, "Obscuro!"

"You are really sarcastic for a dead person," I couldn't help muttering.

"You should have met me when I was alive," he shot back.

I rolled my eyes and held my tongue. It would do any good to offend him while we needed information. It was like my mother used to say: let them think they have the power, and they will never see you pulling the strings.

A black blindfold appeared over Phineas Nigellus's clever, dark eyes, causing him to bump into the frame and shriek with pain.

"What – how dare – what are you –?"

"I'm very sorry, Professor Black,' said Hermione, 'but it's a necessary precaution!"

"Remove this foul addition at once! Remove it, I say! You are ruining a great work of art! Where am I? What is going on?"

"We will fix it when you go back in the bag," I said. He quieted a little, but frowned nine the less.

"Never mind where we are," said Harry, and Phineas Nigellus froze, his frown turning to a grin.

"Can that possibly be the voice of the elusive Mr Potter?"

"Maybe," said Harry. "We've got a couple of questions to ask you – about the sword of Gryffindor."

"Ah," said Phineas Nigellus, now turning his head this way and that in an effort to catch sight of Harry, "yes. That silly girl acted most unwisely there."

"Shut up about my sister," said Ron roughly. Phineas Nigellus raised supercilious eyebrows.

I sighed, knowing that Ron just gave away his identity.

"Who else is here?" he asked, turning his head from side to side.

"Who we are is irrelevant," I said with a sideways glance at Ron.

"Your tone displeases me! The girl and her friends were foolhardy in the extreme. Thieving from the Headmaster!"

"They weren't thieving," said Harry. "That sword isn't Snape's."