            Gone. The word rang in her ears with its falseness. Sirius wasn’t gone—she knew that now. He was there. He was just on the other side. He’d been in her dreams, for Merlin’s sake. Hermione shook her head, ignoring the bewilderment on both boys’ faces. "Maybe to you," she said stiffly. "But if I am going to waste my days as a secretary at the Ministry, I might as well make use of my time there." She brushed past them and flew out the door to Sirius’s room.