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'But why；' Hermione persisted； 'why on earth would Voldemort want to use Sirius to get the weapon； or whatever the thing is？'
'I dunno； there could be loads of reasons！' Harry yelled at her。 'Maybe Sirius is just someone Voldemort doesn't care about seeing hurt …'
'You know what； I've just thought of something；' said Ron in a hushed voice。 'Sirius's brother was a Death Eater； wasn't he？ Maybe he told Sirius the secret of how to get the weapon！'
'Yeah … and that's why Dumbledore's been so keen to keep Sirius locked up all the time！' said Harry。
'Look； I'm sorry；' cried Hermione； 'but neither of you is making sense； and we've got no proof for any of this； no proof Voldemort and Sirius are even there …'
'Hermione； Harry's seen them！' said Ron； rounding on her。
'OK；' she said； looking frightened yet determined； 'I've just got to say this …'
'What？'
'You： this isn't a criticism； Harry！ But you do： sort of： I mean … don't you think you've got a bit of a … a … saving…people thing！' she said。
He glared at her。
'And what's that supposed to mean； a 〃saving…people thing〃？'
'Well： you：' she looked more apprehensive than ever。 'I mean： last year； for instance： in the lake： during the Tournament： you shouldn't have： I mean； you didn't need to save that little Delacour girl： you got a bit： carried away：'
A wave of hot； prickly anger swept through Harry's body； how could she remind him of that blunder now？
'I mean； it was really great of you and everything；' said Hermione quickly； looking positively petrified at the look on Harry's face； 'everyone thought it was a wonderful thing to do …'
That's funny；' said Harry through gritted teeth； 'because I definitely remember Ron saying I'd wasted time acting the hero： is that what you think this is？ You reckon I want to act the hero again？'
'No； no； no！' said Hermione； looking aghast。 That's not what I mean at all！'
'Well； spit out what you've got to say； because we're wasting time here！' Harry shouted。
'I'm trying to say … Voldemort knows you； Harry！ He took Ginny down into the Chamber of Secrets to lure you there； it's the kind of thing he does； he knows you're the … the sort of person who'd go to Sirius's aid！ What if he's just trying to get you into the Department of Myst…？'
'Hermione； it doesn't matter if he's done it to get me there or not … they've taken McGonagall to St Mungo's； there isn't anyone from the Order left at Hogwarts who we can tell； and if we don't go； Sirius is dead！'
'But Harry … what if your dream was … was just that； a dream？'
Harry let out a roar of frustration。 Hermione actually stepped back from him； looking alarmed。
'You don't get it！' Harry shouted at her； 'I'm not having nightmares； I'm not just dreaming！ What d'you think all the Occlumency was for； why d'you think Dumbledore wanted me prevented from seeing these things？ Because they're REAL； Hermione … Sirius is trapped； I've seen him。 Voldemort's got him； and no one else knows； and that means we're the only ones who can save him； and if you don't want to do it； fine； but I'm going； understand？ And if I remember rightly； you didn't have a problem with my saving…people thing when it was you I was saving from the Dementors； or …' he rounded on Ron '… when it was your sister I was saving from the Basilisk …'
'I never said I had a problem！' said Ron heatedly。
'But Harry； you've just said it；' said Hermione fiercely； 'Dumbledore wanted you to learn to shut these things out of your mind； if you'd done Occlumency properly you'd never have seen this …'
'IF YOU THINK I'M JUST GOING TO ACT LIKE I HAVEN'T SEEN …'
'Sirius told you there was nothing more important than you learning to close your mind！'
'WELL； I EXPECT HE'D SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF HE KNEW WHAT I'D JUST …'
The classroom door opened。 Harry； Ron and Hermione whipped around。 Ginny walked in； looking curious； closely followed by Luna； who as usual looked as though she had drifted in accidentally。
'Hi；' said Ginny uncertainly。 'We recognised Harry's voice。 What are you yelling about？'
'Never you mind；' said Harry roughly。
Ginny raised her eyebrows。
There's no need to take that tone with me；' she said coolly； 'I was only wondering whether I could help。'
'Well； you can't；' said Harry shortly。
'You're being rather rude； you know；' said Luna serenely。
Harry swore and turned away。 The very last thing he wanted now was a conversation with Luna Lovegood。
'Wait；' said Hermione suddenly。 'Wait： Harry； they can help。'
Harry and Ron looked at her。
'Listen；' she said urgently； 'Harry； we need to establish whether Sirius really has left Headquarters。'
'I've told you； I saw …'
'Harry； I'm begging you； please！' said Hermione desperately。 'Please let's just check that Sirius isn't at home before we go charging off to London。 If we find out he's not there； then I swear I won't try to stop you。 I'll e； I'll d … do whatever it takes to try and save him。'
'Sirius is being tortured NOW！' shouted Harry。 'We haven't got time to waste。'
'But if this is a trick of Voldemort's； Harry； we've got to check； we've got to。'
'How？' Harry demanded。 'How're we going to check？'
'We'll have to use Umbridge's fire and see if we can contact him；' said Hermione； who looked positively terrified at the thought。 'We'll draw Umbridge away again； but we'll need lookouts； and that's where we can use Ginny and Luna。'
Though clearly struggling to understand what was going on； Ginny said immediately； 'Yeah； we'll do it；' and Luna said； 'When you say 〃Sirius〃； are you talking about Stubby Boardman？'
Nobody answered her。
'OK；' Harry said aggressively to Hermione； 'OK； if you can think of a way of doing this quickly； I'm with you； otherwise I'm going to the Department of Mysteries right now。'
The Department of Mysteries？' said Luna； looking mildly surprised。 'But how are you going to get there？'
Again； Harry ignored her。
'Right；' said Hermione； twisting her hands together and pacing up and down between the desks。 'Right： well： one of us has to go and find Umbridge and … and send her off in the wrong direction； keep her away from her office。 They could tell her … I don't know … that Peeves is up to something awful as usual
I'll do it；' said Ron at once。 I'll tell her Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department or something； it's miles away from her office。 e to think of it； I could probably persuade Peeves to do it if I met him on the way。'
It was a mark of the seriousness of the situation that Hermione made no objection to the smashing up of the Transfiguration department。
'OK；' she said； her brow furrowed as she continued to pace。 'Now； we need to keep students right away from her office while we force entry； or some Slytherins bound to go and tip her off。'
'Luna and I can stand at either end of the corridor；' said Ginny promptly； 'and warn people not to go down there because someone's let off a load of Garrotting Gas。' Hermione looked surprised at the readiness with which Ginny had e up with this lie； Ginny shrugged and said； 'Fred and George were planning to do it before they left。'
'OK；' said Hermione。 'Well then； Harry； you and I will be under the Invisibility Cloak and we'll sneak into the office and you can talk to Sirius …'
'He's not there； Hermione！'
'I mean； you can … can check whether Sirius is at home or not while I keep watch； I don't think you should be in there alone； Lee's already proved the windows a weak spot； sending those Nifflers through it。'
Even through his anger and impatience； Harry recognised Hermione's offer to acpany him into Umbridge's office as a sign of solidarity and loyalty。
'I： OK； thanks；' he muttered。
'Right； well； even if we do all of that； I don't think we're going to be able to bank on more than five minutes；' said Hermione； looking relieved that Harry seemed to have accepted the plan； 'not with Filch and the wretched Inquisitorial Squad floating around。'
'Five minutes'll be enough；' said Harry。 'C'mon； let's go …'
'Now？' said Hermione； looking shocked。
'Of course now！' said Harry angrily。 'What did you think； we're going to wait until after dinner or something？ Hermione； Sirius is being tortured right now！'
'I … oh； all right；' she said desperately。 'You go and get the Invisibility Cloak and we'll meet you at the end of Umbridge's corridor； OK？'
Harry didn't answer； but flung himself out of the room and began to fight his way through the milling crowds outside。 Two floors up he met Seamus and Dean； who hailed him jovially and told him they were planning a dusk…till…dawn end…of…exams celebration in the mon room。 Harry barely heard them。 He scrambled through the portrait hole while they were still arguing about how many black…market Butterbeers they would need and was climbing back out of it； the Invisibility Cloak and Sirius's knife secure in his bag； before they noticed he had left them。
'Harry； d'you wa