Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J. K. Rowling [75]
“Nice dog, Harry!” called a tall boy with dreadlocks.
“Thanks, Lee,” said Harry, grinning, as Sirius wagged his tail frantically.
“Oh good,” said Mrs. Weasley, sounding relieved, “here’s Alastor with the luggage, look …”
A porter’s cap pulled low over his mismatched eyes, Moody came limping through the archway pushing a cart full of their trunks.
“All okay,” he muttered to Mrs. Weasley and Tonks. “Don’t think we were followed. …”
Seconds later, Mr. Weasley emerged onto the platform with Ron and Hermione. They had almost unloaded Moody’s luggage cart when Fred, George, and Ginny turned up with Lupin.
“No trouble?” growled Moody.
“Nothing,” said Lupin.
“I’ll still be reporting Sturgis to Dumbledore,” said Moody. “That’s the second time he’s not turned up in a week. Getting as unreliable as Mundungus.”
“Well, look after yourselves,” said Lupin, shaking hands all round. He reached Harry last and gave him a clap on the shoulder. “You too, Harry. Be careful.”
“Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled,” said Moody, shaking Harry’s hand too. “And don’t forget, all of you — careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don’t put it in a letter at all.”
“It’s been great meeting all of you,” said Tonks, hugging Hermione and Ginny. “We’ll see you soon, I expect.”
A warning whistle sounded; the students still on the platform started hurrying onto the train.
“Quick, quick,” said Mrs. Weasley distractedly, hugging them at random and catching Harry twice. “Write. … Be good. … If you’ve forgotten anything we’ll send it on. … Onto the train, now, hurry. …”
For one brief moment, the great black dog reared onto its hind legs and placed its front paws on Harry’s shoulders, but Mrs. Weasley shoved Harry away toward the train door hissing, “For heaven’s sake act more like a dog, Sirius!”
“See you!” Harry called out of the open window as the train began to move, while Ron, Hermione, and Ginny waved beside him. The figures of Tonks, Lupin, Moody, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shrank rapidly but the black dog was bounding alongside the window, wagging its tail; blurred people on the platform were laughing to see it chasing the train, and then they turned the corner, and Sirius was gone.
“He shouldn’t have come with us,” said Hermione in a worried voice.
“Oh lighten up,” said Ron, “he hasn’t seen daylight for months, poor bloke.”
“Well,” said Fred, clapping his hands together, “can’t stand around chatting all day, we’ve got business to discuss with Lee. See you later,” and he and George disappeared down the corridor to the right.
The train was gathering still more speed, so that the houses outside the window flashed past and they swayed where they stood.
“Shall we go and find a compartment, then?” Harry asked Ron and Hermione.
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.
“Er,” said Ron.
“We’re — well — Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage,” Hermione said awkwardly.
Ron wasn’t looking at Harry; he seemed to have become intensely interested in the fingernails on his left hand.
“Oh,” said Harry. “Right. Fine.”
“I don’t think we’ll have to stay there all journey,” said Hermione quickly. “Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time.”
“Fine,” said Harry again. “Well, I-I might see you later, then.”
“Yeah, definitely,” said Ron, casting a shifty, anxious look at Harry. “It’s a pain having to go down there, I’d rather — but we have to — I mean, I’m not enjoying it, I’m not Percy,” he finished defiantly.
“I know you’re not,” said Harry and he grinned. But as Hermione and Ron dragged their trunks, Crookshanks, and a caged Pigwidgeon off toward the engine end of the train, Harry felt an odd sense of loss. He had never traveled on the Hogwarts Express without Ron.
“Come on,” Ginny told him, “if we get a move on we’ll be able to save them places.”
“Right,” said Harry, picking up Hedwig’s cage in one