Lost Memories

lxiii. broken friendship

Dirk Cresswell also tried to question Harry's reliability against the murder allegations against him for Dumbledore. The conversation carried on more about Harry and his whereabouts; all the speculations and theories of where he was and whether or not he's actually alive. After a few more minutes, the fire died and as did the voices. We reeled in our Extendable Ears and looked at one another. Harry couldn't seem to remain quiet, "Ginny— the sword—"

"I know!" I breathed. Hermione reached for the beaded bag and pulled out the portrait of Phineas Niggellus that she stole from the Black House to prevent him from ratting us out.

"I'm very sorry, Professor Black," said Hermione, "but we have some questions."

Hermione had charmed the portrait to place a black blindfold over Phineas Niguellus's eyes.

"Remove this foul addition at once! Remove it, I say! You are ruining a great work of art! Where am I? What is going on?"

"Never mind where we are," said Harry, and Phineas Nigellus froze, abandoning his attempts to peel off the painted blindfold.

"Can that possibly be the voice of the elusive Mr Potter?"

"Maybe he is," I said. "We've got a couple of—"

"I recognize that voice from Dumbledore's office. Lovely American girl, friends with Harry Potter and—"

"Shut up and listen," I snapped. "You need to answer some questions about the sword of Gryffindor!"

"Ah," said Phineas Nigellus, now turning his head this way and that in an effort to catch sight of Harry, "yes. That silly girl acted most unwisely there —"

"Shut up about my sister," said Ron roughly. Phineas Nigellus raised supercilious eyebrows. "Who else is here?" he asked, turning his head from side to side.

"Both of your tones displeases me! The girl and her friends were foolhardy in the extreme. Thieving from the headmaster!"

"They weren't thieving," said Harry. "That sword isn't Snape's."

"It belongs to Professor Snape's school," said Phineas Nigellus. "Exactly what claim did the Weasley girl have upon it? She deserved her punishment, as did the idiot Longbottom and the Lovegood oddity!"

"Neville is not an idiot and Luna is not an oddity!" said Hermione.

"Where am I?" repeated Phineas Nigellus, starting to wrestle with the blindfold again. "Where have you brought me? Why have you removed me from the house of my forebears?"

"Never mind that! How did Snape punish Ginny, Neville, and Luna?" I asked urgently.

"Professor Snape sent them into the Forbidden Forest, to do some work for the oaf, Hagrid."

"Hagrid's not an oaf!" said Hermione shrill.

"And Snape might've thought that was a punishment," said Harry, "but Ginny, Neville, and Luna probably had a good laugh with Hagrid."

"What we really wanted to know, Professor Black, is whether anyone else has, um, taken out the sword at all? Maybe it's been taken away for cleaning or — or something?" Hermione tried politely.

"Muggle-borns," he said. "Goblin-made armour does not require cleaning, simple girl. Goblins' silver repels mundane dirt, imbibing only that which strengthens it."

"Don't call Hermione simple," I seethed.

"I grow weary of contradiction," said Phineas Nigellus. "Perhaps it is time for me to return to the headmaster's office?"