Dawn Rivera

The Bribe

If Kreacher can escape a lake full of Inferi, I am confident that the capture of Mundungus will take a few hours at most, and I prowl around the house all morning in a state of high anticipation. However, Kreacher does not return this morning, or even this afternoon. By nightfall, I feel discouraged and anxious, and a supper composed largely of mouldy bread, upon which Hermione and I tried a variety of unsuccessful Transfigurations, does nothing to help.

Kreacher does not return the following day, nor the day after that. However, two cloaked men have appeared in the square outside number twelve, and they remain there into the night, gazing in the direction of the house they can not see.

"Death Eaters, for sure," says Ron, as he, Harry, Danny, Hermione and I watch from the drawing room window. "Reckon they know we're in here?"

"I don't think so," I say, though I feel frightened, "or they'd have sent Snape in after us, wouldn't they?"

"D'you reckon he's been in here and had his tongue tied by Moody's curse?" asks Ron.

"Yes," says Hermione, "otherwise he'd have been able to tell that lot how to get in, wouldn't he? But they're probably watching to see whether we turn up. They know that Harry, Danny and Dawn own the house, after all."

"How do they - ?" begins Harry.

"Wizarding wills are examined by the Ministry, remember?" I say. "They'll know Uncle Sirius left us the place."

The presence of Death Eaters outside increases the ominous mood inside number twelve. We have not heard a word from anyone beyond Grimmauld Place since Mr Weasley's Patronus, and the strain is starting to tell. Restless and irritable, Ron has developed an annoying habit of playing with the Deluminator in his pocket: this particularly infuriates Hermione and I, who are whiling away the wait for Kreacher by studying The Tales of Beedle the Bard and do not appreciate the way the lights keep flashing on and off.

"Will you stop it!" Hermione cries on the third evening of Kreacher's absence, as all light is ducked from the drawing room yet again.

"Sorry, sorry!" says Ron, clicking the Deluminator and restoring the lights. "I don't know I'm doing it!"

"Well, can't you find something useful to occupy yourself?" I say.

"What, like reading kids' stories?"

"Dumbledore left me this book, Ron - " says Hermione.

" - and he left me the Deluminator, maybe I'm supposed to use it!"

And so the bickering continues, until Mrs Black begins to scream, "Mudbloods and filth dishonouring my house - " and we realise Harry and Danny have left the room.

Ron, Hermione and I come crashing down the stairs behind Harry and Danny, wands and hands pointing, like theirs, at the unknown man now standing with his arms raised in the hall below.

"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"

"Oh, thank goodness," I say weakly, potions my hands at Mrs Black instead; with a bang, the curtains swish shut again and silence falls. Ron, too, lowers his wand, but Harry and Danny do not.

"Show yourself!" Danny calls back.

Lupin moves forwards into the lamplight, hands still held high in a gesture of surrender.

"I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moody, one of the four creators of the Marauders Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce Patronusus, Harry and Danny, which take the forms of a stag and a lion."

"Oh, all right," says Harry, lowering his wand, "but we had to check, didn't we?"

"Speaking as your ex-Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree that you had to check. Ron, Hermione, Dawn, you shouldn't be quite so quick to lower your defences."