Of them. He headed downstairs toward the kitchen, which he kept visiting because he was

Sure that was where Kreacher was most likely to reappear. Halfway down the flight of

Stairs into the hall, however, he heard a tap on the front door, then metallic clicks and the

Grinding of the chain.

Every nerve in his body seemed to tauten: He pulled out his wand, moved into the

shadows beside the decapitated elf heads, and waited. The door opened: He saw a

Glimpse of the lamplit square outside, and a cloaked figure edged into the hall and closed

the door behind it. The intruder took a step forward, and Moody’s voice asked, “Severus

Snape?” Then the dust figure rose from the end of the hall and rushed him, raising its

Dead hand.

“It was not I who killed you, Albus,” said a quiet voice.

The jinx broke: The dust-figure exploded again, and it was impossible to make

Out the newcomer through the dense gray cloud it left behind.

Harry pointed the wand into the middle of it.

“Don’t move!”

He had forgotten the portrait of Mrs. Black: At the sound of his yell, the curtains

hiding her flew open and she began to scream, “Mudbloods and filth dishonoring my

house –”

Ron and Hermione came crashing down the stairs behind Harry, wands pointing,

Like his, at the unknown man now standing with his arms raised in the hall below.

“Hold your fire, it’s me, Remus!”

“Oh, thank goodness,” said Hermione weakly, pointing her wand at Mrs. Black

Instead; with a bang, the curtains swished shut again and silence fell. Ron too lowered his

Wand, but Harry did not.

“Show yourself!” he called back.

Lupin moved forward into the lamplight, hands still held high in a gesture of

Surrender.

“I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four

creators of the Marauder’s Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I

taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag.”

“Oh, all right,” said Harry, lowering his wand, “but I had to check, didn’t I?”

“Speaking as your ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree that

you had to check. Ron, Hermione, you shouldn’t be so quick to lower your defenses.”

They ran down the stairs towards him. Wrapped in a thick black traveling cloak,

He looked exhausted, but pleased to see them.

“No sign of Severus, then?” he asked.

“No,” said Harry. “What’s going on? Is everyone okay?’

“Yes,” said Lupin, “but we’re all being watched. There are a couple of Death

Eaters in the square outside –”

“We know –”

“I had to Apparate very precisely onto the top step outside the front door to be

sure that they would not see me. They can’t know you’re in here or I’m sure they’d have

more people out there; they’re staking out everywhere that’s got any connection with you,

Harry. Let’s go downstairs, there’s a lot to tell you, and I want to know what happened

after you left the Burrow.”

They descended into the kitchen, where Hermione pointed her wand at the grate.

A fire sprang up instantly: It gave the illusion of coziness to the stark stone walls and

Glistened off the long wooden table. Lupin pulled a few butterbeers from beneath his

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 639