After returning to the Black family's old house with Mr. Weasley, Jerry and Harry shared the good news with Sirius and the others, who had been waiting anxiously.
"I knew it!" Ron exclaimed, punching the air. "There was no way Dumbledore would let you two get expelled!"
In the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, Lupin, and the others had all believed that Jerry and Harry would not be expelled, but hearing it confirmed still lifted a heavy weight from their hearts.
Sirius hugged Harry in delight when he heard that the charges against him had been dropped. Mrs. Weasley gently dabbed away her tears with her apron, while Fred, George, and Ginny broke into a dance none of them had ever seen before, chanting over and over, "They're all right, they're all right, they're both all right!"
At that moment, Harry suddenly felt that the old house, usually so dreary, dim, and faintly sinister, had become wonderfully welcoming. Even Kreacher, the Black family's house-elf who always sneered at them, looked a little more agreeable to him.
"All right, everyone, I have to go. There's an urgent case in Bethnal Green that needs my attention."
"Oh, Molly, I might be back late. I'm covering Tonks's shift." After briefly explaining the situation with Lucius Malfoy to Sirius and the others, Mr. Weasley hurried away.
"Where's Hermione?" Jerry had not seen her since returning from the Ministry of Magic.
"I think she's resting in one of the upstairs rooms. I'll go get her!" Ginny said.
"No need, Ginny. I was just going upstairs to change." Jerry stood up.
Upstairs in Jerry's room, Hermione lay curled on his bed, her hair spread in a chestnut swirl and his pillow clutched tightly in her arms.
Jerry tiptoed over to the bed and carefully draped the robe