‘Listen, don't go asking too many questions about Hagrid,

’ said Sirius hastily, ‘it'll just draw even more attention to the fact that he's not back and I know Dumbledore doesn't want that. Hagrid's tough, he'll be OK.’ And when

they did not appear cheered by this, Sirius added, ‘When's your next Hogsmeade weekend, anyway? I was thinking, we got away with the dog disguise at the station, didn't we? I thought I could—’

‘NO!’ said Harry and Hermione together, very loudly.

‘Sirius, didn't you see the Daily Prophet?’ said Hermione anxiously.

‘Oh, that,’ said Sirius, grinning, ‘they're always guessing where I am, they haven't really got a clue—’

‘Yeah, but we think this time they have,’ said Harry. ‘Something Malfoy said on the train made us think he knew it was you, and his father was on the platform, Sirius— you know, Lucius Malfoy—so don't come up here,

whatever you do. If Malfoy recognises you again—’

‘All right, all right, I've got the point,’ said Sirius. He looked most displeased. ‘Just an idea, thought you might like to get together.’

‘I would, I just don't want you chucked back in Azkaban!’ said Harry.

There was a pause in which Sirius looked out of the fire at Harry, a crease between his sunken eyes.

‘You're less like your father than I thought,’ he said finally, a definite coolness in his voice. ‘The risk would've been what made it fun for James.’

‘Look—’

‘Well, I'd better get going, I can hear Kreacher coming down the stairs,’ said Sirius, but Harry was sure he was lying. ‘I'll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I? If you can stand to risk it?’

There was a tiny pop, and the place where Sirius's head had been was flickering flame once more.