Return

the Ministry of Magic

For a split second, he did not take in the mass of struggling limbs that had appeared out of thin air right beside his chair. He hurried to his feet as Kreacher disentangled himself and, bowing low to Harry, croaked, "Kreacher has returned with the thief Mundungus Fletcher, Master."

"We sent him to get Mundungus " harry explained.

Mundungus scrambled up and pulled out his wand; Hermione, however, was too quick for him.

"Expelliarmus!"

Mundungus's wand soared into the air, and Hermione caught it. Wild-eyed, Mundungus dived for the stairs. Ron rugby-tackled him and Mundungus hit the stone floor with a muffled crunch.

Everyone chuckled.

"Muggle style!" the twins yelled and Arthur looked intrested.
"What's rugby?"
"muggle sport" Hermione explained.

"What?" he bellowed, writhing in his attempts to free himself from Ron's grip. "Wha've I done? Setting a bleedin' 'house-elf on me, what are you playing at, wha've I done, lemme go, lemme go, of – "

"You're not in much of a position to make threats," said Harry. He threw aside the newspaper, crossed the kitchen in a few strides, and dropped to his knees beside Mundungus, who stopped struggling and looked terrified.

"Am I that scary?" Harry asked, looking generally confused.

"When you're angry?" Ron chuckled.

"Yes,"  Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna nodded, having had the anger directed at them or seen him direct it at others. Sirius snorted, luckily he never had to deal with that Harry. 

Ron got up, panting, and watched as Harry pointed his wand deliberately at Mundungus's nose. Mundungus stank of stale sweat and tobacco smoke. His hair was matted and his robes stained.

"Kreacher apologizes for the delay in bringing the thief, Master," croaked the elf. "Fletcher knows how to avoid capture, has many hidey-holes and accomplices. Nevertheless, Kreacher cornered the thief in the end."

"You've done really well, Kreacher," said Harry, and the elf bowed low.

Sirius blinked in surprise.

"Right, we've got a few questions for you," Harry told Mundungus, who shouted at once.

"I panicked, okay?

"What, when's he talking about?" James asked, he paused before breathing "oh" in realisation.

I never wanted to come along, no offense, mate, but I never volunteered to die for you, an' that was bleedin' You-Know-Who come flying at me, anyone woulda got outta there. I said all along I didn't wanna do it –"

"For your information, none of the rest of us Disapparated," said Hermione.

"Well, you're a bunch of bleedin' 'eroes then, aren't you,

"Yes, they are," james and Lilly said proudly.

but I never pretended I was up for killing meself –"

"We're not interested in why you ran out on Mad-Eye," said Harry, moving his wand a little closer to Mundungus's baggy, bloodshot eyes. "We already knew you were an unreliable bit of scum."