Fudge stared for a moment at the silver, sacred-looking cat licking its paw, then said with a laugh:
"Ha, at first glance I thought it was Umbridge's Patronus. After all, she's the only person I know whose corporeal Patronus is a cat-but hers isn't a tabby-and it doesn't wear glasses."
The tabby Patronus, whose facial markings looked rather like spectacles, did not bother acknowledging Fudge. It simply watched Dumbledore intently, its nose and whiskers twitching together as Professor McGonagall's stern voice emerged:
"Albus, Severus asked me to pass this on to you-'Return to Hogwarts as soon as possible. I've found that man's accomplice. Remember, don't let on that anything is wrong. That man has more than one accomplice.'"
Having delivered its message, the tabby Patronus dissolved into a glorious burst of light.
Before anyone could react, the owl, which had waited ages for someone to open the window, opened it itself and flew inside. Irritably, it stuffed the letter into Dumbledore's beard and gave him a tiny peck to express its displeasure.
"Ah... sorry for the wait." Coming back to himself, Dumbledore smiled and retrieved the letter, then took a Sherbet Lemon sweet from his pocket and fed it to the owl. With the sweet in its beak, the owl flapped its wings twice, hopped through the window, and sped away.
In stark contrast to Dumbledore's reaction, Fudge's face had darkened the moment he heard the Patronus's message. The light streaming through the window made his features look almost savage. Only with considerable effort did he keep his voice steady as he said hoarsely:
"Albus, this was the real reason you came to visit me in person, wasn't it? That man-You-Know-Who-are you trying to tell me through this clumsy charade that You-Know-Who is coming back?
"Very well, you've certainly hinted