happened up at the school at Halloween?"

 I did hear a rumor," admitted Madam Rosmerta. 

"Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?" said Professor McGonagall exasperatedly. 

"Do you think Blacks still in the area, Minister?" whispered Madam Rosmerta. 

"I'm sure of it," said Fudge shortly. 

"You know that the dementors have searched the whole village twjce?" said Madam Rosmerta, a slight edge to her voice. "Scared all my customers away... It's very bad for business, Minister."

 "Rosmerta, dear, I don't like them any more than you do," said Fudge uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution... unfortunate, but there YOU are.... I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore -- he won't let them inside the castle grounds." 

"I should think not," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?" 

"Hear, hear!" squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick, whose feet were dangling a foot from the ground.

 "All the same," demurred Fudge, "they are here to protect you all from something much worse.... We all know what Black's capable of..." 

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought... I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead." 

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," said Fudge gruffly. "The worst he did isn't widely known." 

"The worst?" said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity, "Worse