Chapter 5
After Harry and Mrs Weasley had disappeared to the Burrow, Sirius went outside and Apparated to the cottage he had formerly shared with Remus in Godric’s Hollow. Remus told him, “Those Ministry members continued talking to me after you and Harry rushed off to Minerva’s office. They said that, since the Ministry won’t know if you and I conspire to take Harry back for both of us—but if they do find out, he’ll be taken away from both of us—we can’t see each other during the summer when Harry is at home.” “This is not based on logic at all. We know you’re not dangerous in your human form, Remus,” said Sirius. “If I ever meet this Madam Umbridge—although I don’t think she deserves such a title on any basis other than her job in the Ministry…I guess this means I have to go back to my parents’ old house forever. Minerva told me to go there because we could no longer live together with Harry. I can’t believe I let Harry go stay with the Weasleys and leave me in that house alone.
“You know, attendance at Hogwarts isn’t compulsory. What if I kept Harry at home? That would probably be the safest thing for him anyway, because who knows how Wormtail will help You-Know-Who—whom I decidedly do not support, no matter what the Ministry once thought of me or what my family’s beliefs are, or even regardless of whether my brother Regulus was once a follower of You-Know-Who—now that, despite our best efforts to bring Wormtail to justice, he escaped?” “You normally would never have thought of doing such a thing, Sirius,” said Remus, “but you must go now, otherwise the Ministry will suspect us of plotting to circumvent my forced separation from Harry. Who knew that the last time I’d ever see him was the day we returned home after the end of the last school year?” After Sirius Apparated away, Remus said to himself, “I’ve lost everything I loved: the job I had, any chance I had at future employment, my adopted son, and even my marriage to my husband Sirius has been nullified—all because I’m a werewolf! I have nothing left, except this house that I once shared with Sirius and Harry. I don’t even remember what it was like living here before we adopted Harry. Besides that, I have nothing left.”
Meanwhile, at the Burrow, Mr Weasley had gotten tents for the Weasley family, Harry, and Hermione to use at the Quidditch World Cup later in the summer; they’d be camping for a night. Harry said to Mr Weasley, “For complicated reasons involving Remus’ lycanthropy, Sirius and I are being forced to stay in Sirius’ parents' old house. Sirius really hates it there, especially when he’s alone. Could he sleep in a tent outside?” “That’ll be easy,” Mr Weasley explained. He walked into the tent, and Harry followed him in to see that Mr Weasley had put an Extension Charm on it. “Ron’s room will be way less crowded if Sirius and I both sleep in here,” Harry continued. “The only thing that matters is that Sirius and I are away from Remus, who cares where we are? Fred and George are in Ron’s room because Bill and Charlie are in theirs, so I’m sure they’d really appreciate Ron’s room being less crowded.” (Bill and Charlie were the two oldest Weasley children, both of whom lived outside of England but were of course coming back to visit for such a special occasion as the Quidditch World Cup.) Mr Weasley went into the house, threw some Floo powder into the already burning fireplace, and went to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Sirius was grateful to Mr Weasley for getting him (Sirius) out of the house he hated, and so was Harry; he, Harry. would feel especially bad about having to live in the old house of his Muggle relatives the Dursleys, given that they were arrested for their abuse of him. Sirius therefore gladly settled into the tent the Weasleys offered him in their yard; Mrs Weasley said that Sirius could stay in the house when Harry and the others (except her) were gone for the Quidditch World Cup.