A dozen or so minutes later, the two of them had donned hooded robes and appeared outside 12 Grimmauld Place by Apparition.
It was now the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters. They had not Apparated directly inside because it was protected by a host of spells, including an Anti-Apparition Charm.
Only a few designated Floo Powder connections could take someone straight in, such as the one linked to the Minister's Office after Scrimgeour's negotiations with Dumbledore.
Snape eyed the Black family home and muttered, "Doghouse."
Will said nothing. Snape's description was apt.
Snape pushed open the door of 12 Grimmauld Place with practiced ease. They crossed the dim entrance hall and entered the spacious drawing room.
Just then, a familiar, hulking figure rounded the corner of the corridor.
He carried an enormous bag marked with smears of cream. It looked as though he had just given someone a huge bag of cream cakes.
"Hagrid," Snape asked at once, "where's Dumbledore?"
"Professor Dumbledore isn't here." Hagrid scratched his shaggy head. "He went to France two days ago to deal with something urgent. Reckon he'll be gone a few more days."
"France?" Snape frowned. That old man certainly gets around.
"Well, if it isn't Snivellus. You look like you're in a hurry." Sirius came downstairs with a meat-sauce-filled taco in his hand.
Sauce dripped onto the stairs. Kreacher, the Black family's House-elf, dutifully wiped it up, muttering, "Young Master Black hasn't a shred of noble bearing..."
Snape glanced at Sirius. "I didn't think a stray dog could understand human feelings."
"What did you say, Snivellus?" Sirius's face darkened.
"Easy, easy." Hagrid raised his hands to calm them. "You can't be fighting among yourselves now."
Will was about to intervene when the old fireplace suddenly flared with green flames.
A panic-stricken wizard stumbled