.But.you.re.telling.people,.aren.t.you?..said.Harry,.looking.around.at.Mr.Weasley,
.Sirius,.Bill,.Mundungus,.Lupin.and.Tonks...You.re.letting.people.know.he.s.back?..
They.all.smiled.humourlessly..
.Well,.as.everyone.thinks.I.m.a.mad.mass‐murderer.and.the.Ministry.s.put.a.ten.thousand.Galleon.price.on.my.head,.I.can.hardly.stroll.up.the.street.and.start.handing.out.leaflets,.can.I?..said.Sirius.restlessly..
.And.I.m.not.a.very.popular.dinner.guest.with.most.of.the.community,..said.Lupin...It.s.an.occupational.hazard.of.being.a.werewolf...
.Tonks.and.Arthur.would.lose.their.jobs.at.the.Ministry.if.they.started.shooting.their.mouths.off,..said.Sirius,..and.it.s.very.important.for.us.to.have.spies.inside.the.Ministry,.because.you.can.bet.Voldemort.will.have.them...
.We.ve.managed.to.convince.a.couple.of.people,.though,..said.Mr.Weasley..Tonks.here,.for.one.‐.she.s.too.young.to.have.been.in.the.Order.of.the.Phoenix.last.time,
.and.having.Aurors.on.our.side.is.a.huge.advantage.‐.Kingsley.Shacklebolt.s.been.a.real.asset,.too;.he.s.in.charge.of.the.hunt.for.Sirius,.so.he.s.been.feeding.the.Ministry.information.that.Sirius.is.in.Tibet...
.But.if.none.of.you.are.putting.the.news.out.that.Voldemorts.back.‐..Harry.began..
.Who.said.none.of.us.are.putting.the.news.out?..said.Sirius..Why.d.you.think.Dumbledore.s.in.such.trouble?..
.What.d.you.mean?..Harry.asked..
They.re.trying.to.discredit.him,..said.Lupin...Didn.t.you.see.the.Daily.Prophet.last.week?.They.reported.that.he.d.been.voted.out.of.the.Chairmanship.of.the.International.Confederation.of.Wizards.because.he.s.getting.old.and.losing.his.grip,.but.it.s.not.true;.he.was.voted.out.by.Ministry.wizards.after.he.made.a.speech.announcing.Voldemorts.return..They.ve.demoted.him.from.Chief.Warlock.on.the.Wizengamot.‐.that.s.the.Wizard.High.Court.‐.and.they.re.talking.about.taking.away.his.Order.of.Merlin,.First.Class,.too...
.But.Dumbledore.says.he.doesn.t.care.what.they.do.as.long.as.they.don.t.take.him.off.the.Chocolate.Frog.Cards,..said.Bill,.grinning..
.It.s.no.laughing.matter,..said.Mr.Weasley.sharply...If.he.carries.on.defying.the.Ministry.like.this.he.could.end.up.in.Azkaban,.and.the.last.thing.we.want.is.to.have.Dumbledore.locked.up..While.You‐Know‐Who.knows.Dumbledore.s.out.
there.and.wise.to.what.he.s.up.to.he.s.going.to.go.cautiously..If.Dumbledore.s.out.ol.the.way.‐.well,.You‐Know‐Who.will.have.a.clear.field...
.But.if.Voldemort.s.trying.to.recruit.more.Death.Eaters.it.s.bound.to.get.out.that.he.s.come.back,.isn.t.it?..asked.Harry.desperately..
.Voldemort.doesn.t.march.up.to.people.s.houses.and.bang.on.their.front.doors,
.Harry,..said.Sirius...He.tricks,.jinxes.and.blackmails.them..He.s.well‐practised.at.operating.in.secret..In.any.case,.gathering.followers.is.only.one.thing.he.s.interested.in..He.s.got.other.plans.too,.plans.he.can.put.into.operation.very.quietly.indeed,.and.he.s.concentrating.on.those.for.the.moment...
.What.s.he.after.apart.from.followers?..Harry.asked.swiftly..He.thought.he.saw.Sirius.and.Lupin.exchange.the.most.fleeting.of.looks.before.Sirius.answered..