I woke up, so warm, so very sleepy, that I didn't open my eyes, wanting to drop off again. The room was still dimly lit;I wassure it was still nighttime and had a feeling that I couldn't havebeen asleep very long.

 Then he heard whispering around me. 

"They'll wake them if they don't shut up!"

 "What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?" 

I opened my eyes blearily. I could see the outlines of Mrs. Weasley and Billclose by. Mrs. Weasley was on her feet. 

"That's Fudge's voice," she whispered. "And that's MinervaMcGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?" 

Now I could hear them too: people shouting and runningtoward the hospital wing."Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva —" Cornelius Fudgewas saying loudly. 

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled Professor McGonagall. "When Dumbledore finds out —"

 I heard the hospital doors burst open. Unnoticed by any ofthe people around my bed, all of whom were staring at the door asBill pulled back the screens, I sat up .Fudge came striding up the ward. Professors McGonagall andSnape were at his heels. 

"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of Mrs. Weasley.

 "He's not here," said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "This is a hospitalwing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to —"

 But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up theward."What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking fromFudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing thesepeople? Minerva, I'm surprised at you — I asked you to standguard over Barty Crouch —" 

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"

 I had never seen Professor McGonagall lose control likethis. There were angry blotches of color in her cheeks, and herhands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury. 

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eaterresponsible for tonight's events," said Professor Snape, in a low voice, "heseemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted onsummoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. Hebrought it up to the office where Barty Crouch —" 

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" ProfessorMcGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementorsto set foot inside the castle, but —" 

"My dear woman!" roared Fudge, who likewise looked angrierthan I had ever seen him, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous —" 

But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's."The moment that — that thing entered the room," shescreamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, "it swooped downon Crouch and — and —" 

I felt a chill in my stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to find words to describe what had happened. I did not needher to finish her sentence. I knew what the dementor must havedone. It had administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It hadsucked his soul out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.

 "By all accounts, he is no loss!" blustered Fudge. "It seems he hasbeen responsible for several deaths!"

 "But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainlyfor the first time. "He cannot give evidence about why he killedthose people."

 "Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blusteredFudge. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severushave told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on YouKnow-Who's instructions!" 

"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius,"Dumbledore said. "Those people's deaths were mere by-productsof a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body." 

Fudge looked as though someone had just swung a heavy weightinto his face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He began tosputter, still goggling at Dumbledore. 

"You-Know-Who . . . returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore . . ." 

"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," said Dumbledore, "we heard Barry Crouch confess. Under the influence ofVeritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, andhow Voldemort — learning of his continued existence from BerthaJorkins — went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry and Emma. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."

 "See here, Dumbledore," said Fudge, and I was astonishedto see a slight smile dawning on his face, "you — you can't seriously believe that. You-Know-Who — back? Come now, comenow . . . certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be actingupon You-Know-Who's orders — but to take the word of a lunaticlike that, Dumbledore . . ." 

"When Harry and Emma touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, they were transported straight to Voldemort," said Dumbledore steadily. "They witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if youwill step up to my office." A hand squeezed mine, Draco was looking scared. But he didn't let go of my hand. 

Dumbledore glanced around at Harry and me and saw that we were awake, but shook his head and said, "I am afraid I cannot permityou to question Harry and Emma tonight."Fudge's curious smile lingered. He too glanced at Harry and me, thenlooked back at Dumbledore, and said, "You are — er — preparedto take Harry and Emma's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"

 There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Sirius growling. His hackles were raised, and he was baring his teeth atFudge. 

"Certainly, I believe Harry and Emma," said Dumbledore. His eyes wereblazing now. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard their account of what happened after they touched the Triwizard Cup; thetwo stories make sense, they explain everything that has happenedsince Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer." 

Fudge still had that strange smile on his face. Once again, heglanced at Harry and me before answering."You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned,on the word of a lunatic murderer, and children who . . . well . . ."Fudge shot Harry and me another look, and I suddenly understood. 

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," I said quietly. Draco, Nicholas, Zoe,Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill all jumped. None ofthem had realized that Harry and I were awake.

 Fudge reddened slightly, but a defiant and obstinate look cameover his face."And if I have?" he said, looking at Dumbledore. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy veryquiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over theplace And the girl —what can she do? Communicate with You-Know-Who himself or something?" 

"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry and Emma have been experiencing in their scars?" said Dumbledore coolly. 

"You admit that they have been having these pains, then?" said Fudgequickly. "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly — hallucinations?" 

"Listen to me, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, taking a step toward Fudge, and once again, he seemed to radiate that indefinable sense of power that I had felt after Dumbledore had Stunnedyoung Crouch. "Harry and Emma are as sane as you or I. That scar upon their foreheads have not addled their brains. I believe it hurts thmm whenLord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous." 

Fudge had taken half a step back from Dumbledore, but helooked no less stubborn."You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a cursescar acting as an alarm bell before. . . ." 

"Look, we saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted. He tried toget out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley forced him back. "I saw theDeath Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy —"Snape made a sudden movement, but as I looked at him,Snape's eyes flew back to Fudge. Draco choked "no. Emma, tell me--"

"Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, visibly affronted. "A very oldfamily — donations to excellent causes —" 

"Macnair!" I continued. 

"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"

 "Avery — Nott — Crabbe — Goyle —""You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" said Fudge angrily."You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! Forheaven's sake, Dumbledore — the boy and girl were full of some crackpotstory at the end of last year too — their tales are getting taller, andyou're still swallowing them — the boy can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy? And god knows what the girl can do--" 

"You fool!" Professor McGonagall cried. "Cedric Diggory! Mr.Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"

 "I see no evidence to the contrary!" shouted Fudge, now matching her anger, his face purpling. "It seems to me that you are alldetermined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we haveworked for these last thirteen years!" 

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had alwaysthought of Fudge as a kindly figure, a little blustering, a littlepompous, but essentially good-natured. But now a short, angrywizard stood before me, refusing, point-blank, to accept theprospect of disruption in his comfortable and ordered world — tobelieve that Voldemort could have risen.

 "Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore repeated. "If you acceptthat fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, wemay still be able to save the situation. The first and most essentialstep is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors —"

 "Preposterous!" shouted Fudge again. "Remove the dementors?I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safein our beds at night because we know the dementors are standingguard at Azkaban!"

 "The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asksthem!" said Dumbledore. "They will not remain loyal to you,Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behindhim, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hardpressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteenyears ago!" 

Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no wordscould express his outrage.

"The second step you must take — and at once," Dumbledorepressed on, "is to send envoys to the giants." 

"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge shrieked, finding his tongueagain. "What madness is this?" 

"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late,"said Dumbledore, "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights andtheir freedom!"

 "You — you cannot be serious!" Fudge gasped, shaking his headand retreating further from Dumbledore. "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants — people hatethem, Dumbledore — end of my career —" 

"You are blinded," said Dumbledore, his voice rising now, theaura of power around him palpable, his eyes blazing once more,"by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too muchimportance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity ofblood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone isborn, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyedthe last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any —and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now —take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, inoffice or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magicwe have ever known. Fail to act — and history will remember youas the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a secondchance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!" 

"Insane," whispered Fudge, still backing away. "Mad . . ." 

And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standingfrozen at the between Harry's bed and my bed, her hands over her mouth. Mrs. Weasley was still standing over Harry, her hand on his shoulder toprevent him from rising. Draco was grasping my hand tighter.Zoe, Nicholas, Bill, Ron, and Hermione were staring atFudge.

 "If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far asthis, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "we have reached a parting ofthe ways. You must act as you see fit. And I — I shall act as I seefit."

 Dumbledore's voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like amere statement, but Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore wereadvancing upon him with a wand. 

"Now, see here, Dumbledore," he said, waving a threatening finger. "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect foryou. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I'vekept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves,or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me —"

 "The only one against whom I intend to work," said Dumbledore, "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain,Cornelius, on the same side."

 It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rockedbackward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun hisbowler hat in his hands. Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in hisvoice, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be . . ." 

Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the leftsleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showedit to Fudge, who recoiled.

 "There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not asclear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by theDark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and hismeans of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark ofany Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly,at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff'stoo. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt theMark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears theDark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow DeathEaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold." 

"Oh God" whispered Zoe. 

 Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head.He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared,apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm, then lookedup at Dumbledore and whispered, "I don't know what you andyour staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. Ihave no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to theMinistry." 

He had almost reached the door when he paused. He turnedaround, strode back down the dormitory, and stopped at Harry'sbed."Your winnings," he said shortly, taking a large bag of gold outof his pocket and dropping it onto Harry's bedside table. "Onethousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances . . ." 

He crammed his bowler hat onto his head and walked out of theroom, slamming the door behind him. The moment he had disappeared, Dumbledore turned to look at the group around Harry's and my beds.

"There is work to be done," he said. "Molly . . . am I right inthinking that I can count on you and Arthur?

""Of course you can," said Mrs. Weasley. She was white to thelips, but she looked resolute. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur'sfondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry allthese years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."

 "Then I need to send a message to Arthur," said Dumbledore."All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministrywho are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."

 "I'll go to Dad," said Bill, standing up. "I'll go now." 

"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Tell him what has happened. Tellhim I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry —" 

"Leave it to me," said Bill.He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, squeezed my other hand, kissed his mother on thecheek, pulled on his cloak, and strode quickly from the room. 

"Minerva," said Dumbledore, turning to Professor McGonagall,"I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also — ifshe will consent to come — Madame Maxime."Professor McGonagall nodded and left without a word. 

"Poppy," Dumbledore said to Madam Pomfrey, "would you bevery kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I thinkyou will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Dowhat you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I thinkDobby will look after her for us." 

"Very — very well," said Madam Pomfrey, looking startled, andshe too left. 

"Mr Malfoy, Mr Tallow" said Dumbledore "it is very admirable that you care so much about Emma. But I will ask you to leave. You need your sleep. Ms Anderson, you may stay."  No one questioned him, Draco and Nicholas left. And Zoe grabbed my  hand.

Dumbledore made sure that the door was closed, and that their footsteps had died away, before he spoke again."And now," he said, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius . . . if you could resumeyour usual form."

 The great black dog looked up at Dumbledore, then, in an instant, turned back into a man.Mrs. Weasley screamed and leapt back from the bed. 

"Sirius Black!" she shrieked, pointing at him. 

"Mum, shut up!" Ron yelled. "It's okay!" 

Snape had not yelled or jumped backward, but the look on hisface was one of mingled fury and horror."Him!" he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equaldislike. "What is he doing here?" 

"He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore, looking between them, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for youto lay aside your old differences and trust each other."

 I thought Dumbledore was asking for a near miracle. Siriusand Snape were eyeing each other with the utmost loathing."I will settle, in the short term," said Dumbledore, with a bite ofimpatience in his voice, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shakehands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless thefew of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hopefor any of us."

 Very slowly — but still glaring at each other as though eachwished the other nothing but ill — Sirius and Snape moved towardeach other and shook hands. They let go extremely quickly. 

See? Boys are petty. Even when they grow up.

"That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you.Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin,Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher — the old crowd. Lie low atLupins for a while; I will contact you there."

 "But —" said Harry.

"Please--" I whispered

 I wanted Sirius to stay. I did not want to have to say goodbye again so quickly."You'll see me very soon, Harry, Emma" said Sirius, turning to us. "Ipromise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don'tyou?" 

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah . . . of course I do." 

Sirius grasped my hand briefly, nodded to Dumbledore, transformed again into the black dog, and ran the length of the roomto the door, whose handle he turned with a paw. Then he wasgone.

 "Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know whatI must ask you to do. If you are ready . . . if you are prepared . . ." 

"I am," said Snape.He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.

 "Then good luck," said Dumbledore, and he watched, with atrace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly afterSirius.It was several minutes before Dumbledore spoke again. 

"I must go downstairs," he said finally. "I must see the Diggorys.Harry, Emma — take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later."Harry slumped back against his pillows as Dumbledore disappeared . Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley were all looking at us. None of them spoke for a very long time. 

"You've got to take the rest of your potion, Harry, Emma" Mrs. Weasleysaid at last. Her hand nudged the sack of gold on Harry's bedside cabinet as she reached for the bottle and the goblet. "You have a goodlong sleep. Try and think about something else for a while . . .think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"

 "I don't want that gold," said Harry in an expressionless voice."You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. Itshould've been Cedric's."

 The thing against which he had been fighting on and off eversince he had come out of the maze was threatening to overpowerhim. I could feel a burning, prickling feeling in the inner cornersof his eyes. Harry blinked and stared up at the ceiling. I reached out to grab his hand 

"It wasn't your fault, Harry," Mrs. Weasley whispered.

 "I told him to take the cup with me," said Harry

I suddenly couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't hold it in. "It's my fault" I said "It's my fault--I should--should have warned you immediately. But-but--I was selfish and--it's all my fault!" 

 Now the burning feeling was in my throat too. I wished they would look away.Mrs. Weasley set the potion down on the bedside cabinet, bentdown, and put her arms around me. 

I had no memory of everbeing hugged like this, as though by a mother. The full weight ofeverything I had seen that night seemed to fall in upon me asMrs. Weasley held him to her. my mother's face, my father's voice,the sight of Cedric, dead on the ground all started spinning in hishead until I could hardly bear it, until I was screwing up my faceagainst the howl of misery fighting to get out of me. 

Mrs Weasly went on to hug Harry.  I saw a bug upon the window, a beetle. I smirked. I got up, and stumbled towards the window sill.

"Emma--"

"Emma what re you--"

I brought down my hand, trapping the beetle. I brought it to my eye level "gotcha Skeeter" I whispered, the bug was struggling. I smiled, a small victory. 

"Can I have a jar please?" I asked.

Mrs Weasly brought me one. And I put the beetle in jar, sealed the lid and put an unbreakable charm on the jar.

"Your potion, Harry, Emma" said Mrs. Weasley quickly, wiping hereyes on the back of her hand. 

I drank it in one gulp. The effect was instantaneous. Heavy,irresistible waves of dreamless sleep broke over me; I fell backonto his pillows and thought no more.