.. you 
have your mother's eyes. 

Harry shook his head. 

"It was stupid, thinking it was him," he muttered. "I mean, I knew he 
was dead." 

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"You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we 
don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your 
father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you 
have need of him. How else could you produce that particular Patronus? 
Prongs rode again last night." 

It took a moment for Harry to realize what Dumblefore had said. 

Last night Sirius told me all about how they became Animagi," said 
Dumbledore, smiling. "An extraordinary achievement -- not least, keeping 
it quiet from me. And then I remembered the most unusual form your 
Patronus took, when it charged Mr. Malfoy down at your Quidditch match 
against Ravenclaw. You know, Harry, in a way, you did see your father 
last night.... You found him inside yourself." 

And Dumbledore left the office, leaving Harry to his very confused 
thoughts. 

Nobody at Hogwarts now knew the truth of what had happened the night 
that Sirius, Buckbeak, and Pettigrew had vanished except Harry, Ron, 
Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore. As the end of term approached, Harry 
heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none 
of them came close to the truth. 

Malfoy was furious about Buckbeak. He was convinced that Hagrid had 
found a way of smuggling the hippogriff to safety, and seemed outraged 
that he and his father had been outwitted by a gamekeeper. Percy 
Weasley, meanwhile, had much to say on the subject of Sirius's escape. 

"If I manage to get into the Ministry, I'll have a lot of proposals to 
make about Magical Law Enforcement!" he told the only person who would 
listen -- his girlfriend, Penelope. 

Though the weather was perfect, though the atmosphere was so 

cheerful, though he knew they had achieved the near impossible in 
helping Sirius to freedom, Harry had never approached the end of a 
school year in worse spirits. 

He certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry to see Professor Lupin 

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go. The whole of Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was 
miserable about his resignation. 

"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" said Seamus Finnigan gloomily. 

"Maybe a vampire," suggested Dean Thomas hopefully. 

It wasn't only Professor Lupin's departure that was weighing on Harry's 
mind. He couldn't help thinking a lot about Professor Trelawney's 
prediction. He kept wondering where Pettigrew was now, whether he had 
sought sanctuary with Voldemort yet. But the thing that was lowering 
Harry's spirits most of all was the prospect of returning to the 
Dursleys. For maybe half an hour, a glorious half hour, he had believed 
he would be living with Sirius from now on... his parents' best 
friend.... It would have been the next best thing to having his own 
father back. And while no news of Sirius was definitely good news, 
because it meant he had successfully gone into hiding, Harry couldn't 
help feeling miserable when he thought of the home he might have had, 
and the fact that it was now impossible. 

The exam results came out on the last day of term. Harry, Ron, and 
Hermione had passed every subject. Harry was amazed that he had got 
through Potions. He had a shrewd suspicion that Dumbledore might have 
stepped in to stop Snape failing him on purpose. Snape's behavior toward 
Harry over the past week had been quite alarming. Harry wouldn't have 
thought it possible that Snape's dislike for him could increase, but it 
certainly had. A muscle twitched unpleasantly at the corner of Snape's 
thin mouth every time he looked at Harry, and he was constantly flexing 
his fingers, as though itching to place them around Harry's throat. 

Percy had got his top-grade N.E.W.T.s; Fred and George had scraped a 
handful of O.W.L.s each. Gryffindor House, meanwhile, largely thanks to 
their spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup, had won the House 
championship for the third year running. This meant that the end of term 
feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold, and that the 
Gryffindor table was the noisiest of the lot, as everybody celebrated. 
Even Harry managed to forget about the journey back to the Dursleys the 
next day as he ate, drank, talked, and laughed with the rest. 

As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next mornIng, 

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Hermione gave Harry and Ron some surprising news. 

"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. 
I've decided to drop Muggle Studies." 

"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said 
Ron. 

"I know," sighed Hermione, "but I can't stand another year like this 
one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without 
Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule 
again." 

I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it," said Ron grumpily. 
"We're supposed to be your friends." 

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone," said Hermione severely. She looked 
around at Harry, who was watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind a 
mountain. Two whole months before he'd see it again.... 

"Oh, cheer up, Harry!" said Hermione sadly. 

"I'm okay," said Harry quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays." 

"Yeah, I've been thinking about them too," said Ron. "Harry, you've got 
to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll 
call you. I know how to use a fellytone now --" 

"A telephone, Ron," said Hermione. "Honestly, you should take Muggle 
Studies next year...." 

Ron *ignored her. 

"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and 
stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work." 

This proposal had the effect of cheering Harry up a great deal. 

"Yeah... I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let me come... especially 
after what I did to Aunt Marge...." 

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Feeling considerably more cheerful, Harry joined Ron and Hermione in 
several games of Exploding Snap, and when the witch with the tea cart 
arrived, he bought himself a very large lunch, though nothing with 
chocolate in it. 

But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made him truly 
happy turned up.... 

"Harry," said Hermione suddenly, peering over his shoulder. "What's that 
thing outside your window?" 

Harry turned to look outside. Something very small and gray was bobbing 
in and out of sight beyond the glass. He stood up for a better look and 
saw that it was a tiny owl, carrying a letter that was much too big for 
it. The owl was so small, in fact, that it kept tumbling over in the 
air, buffeted this way and that in the train's slipstream. Harry quickly 
pulled down the window, stretched out his arm, and caught it. It felt 
like a very fluffy Snitch. He brought it carefully inside. The owl 
dropped its letter onto Harry's seat and began zooming around their 
compartment, apparently very pleased with itself for accomplishing its 
task. Hedwig clicked her beak with a sort of dignified disapproval. 
Crookshanks sat up in his seat, following the owl with his great yellow 
eyes. Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm's way. 

Harry picked up the letter. It was addressed to him. He ripped open the 
letter, and shouted, "It's from Sirius!" 

"What?" said Ron and Hermione excitedly. "Read it aloud!" 

Dear Harry, 

I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know 
whether they're used to owl post. 

Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this owl 
falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about his reliability, but 
he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job. 

I believe the dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a 

365 



hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse 
me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle 
will be lifted. 

There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief 
meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt -


"Ha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "See! I told you it was from him!" 

"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?" said Ron. "Ouch!" The tiny owl, 
now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what 
it seemed to think was an affectionate way. 

Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name 
but told them to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault. Please 
consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your 
godfather. 

I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you that 
night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to 
get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the 
sight of me alarmed you. 

I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next 
year at Hogwarts more enjoyable. 

If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me. 

I'll write again soon. 

Sirius 

Harry looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of 
parchment in there. He read it through quickly and felt suddenly as warm 
and contented as though he'd swallowed a bottle of hot butterbeer in one 
gulp. 

I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, hereby give him permission to 
visit Hogsmeade on weekends. 

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"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" said Harry happily. He looked 
back at Sirius's letter. "Hang on, there's a RS...." 

I thought your ftiend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault 
he no longer has a rat. 

Ron's eyes widened. The minute owl was still hooting excitedly. "Keep 
him?" he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment