somebody had yelled in his ear. For a few moments he lay immobile as the prospect of
the disciplinary hearing filled every tiny particle of his brain, then, unable to bear it, he
leapt out of bed and put on his glasses. Mrs Weasley had laid out his freshly laundered
jeans and T-shirt at the foot of his bed. Harry scrambled into them. The blank picture on
the wall sniggered.
Ron was lying sprawled on his back with his mouth wide open, fast asleep. He did not
stir as Harry crossed the room, stepped out on to the landing and closed the door softly
behind him. Trying not to think of the next time he would see Ron, when they might no
longer be fellow students at Hogwarts, Harry walked quietly down the stairs, past the
heads of Kreacher's ancestors, and down into the kitchen.
He had expected it to be empty, but when he reached the door he heard the soft rumble of
voices on the other side. He pushed it open and saw Mr and Mrs Weasley, Sirius, Lupin
and Tonks sitting there almost as though they were waiting for him. All were fully
dressed except Mrs Weasley, who was wearing a quilted purple dressing gown. She leapt
to her feet the moment Harry entered.
"Breakfast," she said as she pulled out her wand and hurried over to the fire.
"M - m - morning, Harry," yawned Tonks. Her hair was blonde and curly this morning.
"Sleep all right?"
"Yeah," said Harry.
"I've b - b - been up all night," she said, with another shuddering yawn. "Come and sit
down ..."
She drew out a chair, knocking over the one beside it in the process.
"What do you want, Harry?" Mrs Weasley called. "Porridge? Muffins? Kippers? Bacon
and eggs? Toast?"
"Just - just toast, thanks," said Harry.
Lupin glanced at Harry, then said to Tonks, "What were you saying about Scrimgeour?"
"Oh ... yeah ... well, we need to be a bit more careful, he's been asking Kingsley and me
funny questions ..."
Harry felt vaguely grateful that he was not required to join in the conversation. His
insides were squirming. Mrs Weasley placed a couple of pieces of toast and marmalade
in front of him; he tried to eat, but it was like chewing carpet. Mrs Weasley sat down on
his other side and started fussing with his T-shirt, tucking in the label and smoothing out
the creases across his shoulders. He wished she wouldn't.
"... and I'll have to tell Dumbledore I can't do night duty tomorrow, I'm just too tired,"
Tonks finished, yawning hugely again.
"I'll cover for you," said Mr Weasley. "I'm OK, I've got a report to finish anyway
Mr Weasley was not wearing wizards' robes but a pair of pinstriped trousers and an old
bomber jacket. He turned from Tonks to Harry.
"How are you feeling?"
Harry shrugged.
"It'll all be over soon," Mr Weasley said bracingly. In a few hours' time you'll be
cleared."
Harry said nothing.
The hearing's on my floor, in Amelia Bones's office. She's Head of the Department of
Magical Law Enforcement, and the one who'll be questioning you."
"Amelia Bones is OK, Harry," said Tonks earnestly. "She's fair, she'll hear you out."