When Jenna returned to their shared bedroom with Sirius, she found that he was already asleep. Or maybe he was just pretending to be sleeping, perhaps because he didn't want to speak at the moment.

Jenna couldn't understand him. She had accepted that it was her duty to return to Hogwarts with Harry, but it was as though Sirius was fighting against such acceptance. Although she didn't really blame him. He had to be stuck in this horrible house again, all alone except for Kreacher and the screaming portrait of his deranged mother. And Snape certainly didn't help, never missing a chance to mock Sirius and egg him on with his words, saying how useless he was.

Jenna wished she could hold Sirius and kiss him one last time. To tell him how much she loved him. But only Lexi Hooper knew that this was probably the last time they were going to see each other, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop fate.

So with a long sigh, Jenna laid back in bed and pulled up the blanket to cover herself, both of them having their backs to each other as they kept their eyes open.

The next morning, everyone woke up early to leave as planned. It was hard to decide who was feeling gloomier about their return to Hogwarts; Harry, or Sirius.

Crookshanks went to the girls' room and willingly walked into her cat basket so Hermione could carry her downstairs, where the others were awaiting them with their luggage, saying their farewells.

"Goodbye, Harry, take care," said Molly, hugging him.

"See you Harry, and keep an eye out for snakes for me!" said Arthur genially, shaking his hand.

"Right — yeah," Harry said awkwardly.

He then turned to face Sirius and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so Sirius was giving him a brief, one-armed hug.

He said gruffly, "Look after yourself, Harry," and next moment Harry found himself being shunted out into the icy winter air, with Tonks chivvying him down the steps. Today she was heavily disguised as a tall, tweedy woman with iron-gray hair.

The door of number twelve slammed shut behind them. They followed Remus down the front steps. As he reached the pavement, Harry looked around. Number twelve was shrinking rapidly as those on either side of it stretched sideways, squeezing it out of sight; one blink later, it had gone.

Although what Jenna didn't know, was that Sirius had given Harry one of his two-way mirrors.

Years ago, back at the time when Sirius and Jenna were in their seventh year at Hogwarts, they had been put in separate detentions. Sirius took James's mirror and gave it to Jenna, so they could talk to each other while they were in separate places.

After their detention was over, Jenna placed James's mirror in her trunk, making a mental note that she would give it back to him another time. Although even after Sirius and Jenna had moved into their own little flat, the mirror stayed in their drawer, and Jenna completely forgot to give it back to her brother.

Last year, when Jenna had gone back to her and Sirius's old flat to pick up a few stuff, she had found both mirrors and so brought them back to Grimmauld Place. Although Sirius didn't tell her that earlier that day, he had taken James's mirror and given it to Harry in a package, in case he would want to talk to him.

"Come on, the quicker we get on the bus the better," said Tonks, and Crookshanks could see slight nervousness in the glance she threw around the square.

Remus then flung out his right arm. The next moment, a violently purple, triple-decker bus appeared out of thin air in front of them, narrowly avoiding the nearest lamppost, which jumped backward out of its way.

A thin, pimply, jug-eared youth in a purple uniform leapt down onto the pavement and said, "Welcome to the —"

"Yes, yes, we know, thank you," said Tonks swiftly. "On, on, get on —"

And she shoved Harry forward toward the steps, past the conductor, who goggled at Harry as he passed.

" 'Ere — it's 'Arry — !"

"If you shout his name I will curse you into oblivion," Tonks muttered menacingly, now shunting Ginny and Hermione forward.

"I've always wanted to go on this thing," said Ron happily, joining Harry on board and looking around.

Jenna knew that Harry had already taken the Knight Bus before, when he had been running away from his aunt and uncle. She had seen him that night, along with Sirius, while they were in their animal forms.

"Looks like we'll have to split up," said Tonks briskly, looking around for empty chairs. "Fred, George, Lexi, and Ginny, if you just take those seats at the back... Remus can stay with you..."

She, Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded up to the very top deck, and Crookshanks was being carried by Hermione, still in her cat basket.

As Harry and Ron handed Stan eleven Sickles each, the bus set off again, swaying ominously. It rumbled around Grimmauld Square, weaving on and off the pavement, then, with another tremendous BANG, they were all flung backward.

A few minutes later, they were rolling through a snowy Hogsmeade. Flecks of snow hit the large window at the front of the bus. At last they rolled to a halt outside the gates to Hogwarts.

Remus and Tonks helped them off the bus with their luggage and then got off to say good-bye. Harry glanced up at the three decks of the Knight Bus and saw all the passengers staring down at them, noses flat against the windows.

"You'll be safe once you're in the grounds," said Tonks, casting a careful eye around at the deserted road. "Have a good term, okay?"

"Look after yourselves," said Remus, shaking hands all round and reaching Harry last. "And listen..." He lowered his voice while the rest of them exchanged last-minute good-byes with Tonks, "Harry, I know you don't like Snape, but he is a superb Occlumens and we all — Sirius included — want you to learn to protect yourself, so work hard, all right?"

"Yeah, all right," said Harry heavily, looking up into Remus's prematurely lined face. "See you, then..."

The seven of them struggled up the slippery drive toward the castle, dragging their trunks. Crookshanks glanced back through her cat basket, seeing that the Knight Bus had already gone. She could already feel that this was going to be a long year.