*Sirius is not overly attached to any of the quills lying on his desk, but he does lean back in his chair, based on the suspicion that he is perhaps regarded better from a distance. Certain memories of fleeting interactions with the boy, typically flanked by silent, nervous Regulus, are coming back to Sirius now. Apparently graduation hadn't mellowed him into anything even remotely more normal. There is almost a measure of respect for Barty's dedication to this strangeness.*

What's the string, in this analogy?