.Mr.Weasley..said.Harry.slowly,..if.Fudge.is.meeting.Death.Eaters.like.Malfoy,.if.he.s.seeing.them.alone,.how.do.we.know.they.haven.t.put.the.Imperius.Curse.on.him?..
.Don.t.think.it.hasn.t.occurred.to.us,.Harry..said.Mr.Weasley.quietly...But.Dumbledore.thinks.Fudge.is.acting.of.his.own.accord.at.the.moment.‐.which,.as.Dumbledore.says,.is.not.a.lot.of.comfort..Best.not.talk.about.it.any.more.just.now,.Harry...
The.doors.slid.open.and.they.stepped.out.into.the.now.almost‐deserted.Atrium.
.Eric.the.watchwizard.was.hidden.behind.his.Daily.Prophet.again..They.had.walked.straight.past.the.golden.fountain.before.Harry.remembered..
.Wait…..he.told.Mr.Weasley,.and,.pulling.his.moneybag.Irom.his.pocket,.he.turned.back.to.the.fountain..
He.looked.up.into.the.handsome.wizard.s.face,.but.close‐to.Harry.thought.he.looked.rather.weak.and.foolish..The.witch.was.wearing.a.vapid.smile.like.a.beauty.contestant,.and.from.what.Harry.knew.of.goblins.and.centaurs,.they.were.most.unlikely.to.be.caught.staring.so.soppily.at.humans.of.any.description..Only.the.house‐elf.s.attitude.of.creeping.servility.looked.convincing..With.a.grin.at.the.
thought.of.what.Hermione.would.say.if.she.could.see.the.statue.of.the.elf,.Harry.turned.his.moneybag.upside‐down.and.emptied.not.just.ten.Galleons,.but.the.whole.contents.into.the.pool..
*.
.I.knew.it!..yelled.Ron,.punching.the.air...You.always.get.away.with.stuff!..
They.were.bound.to.clear.you,..said.Hermione,.who.had.looked.positively.faint.with.anxiety.when.Harry.had.entered.the.kitchen.and.was.now.holding.a.shaking.hand.over.her.eys,..there.was.no.case.against.you,.none.at.all...
.Everyone.seems.quite.relieved,.though,.considering.you.all.knew.I.d.get.off,.
.said.Harry,.smiling..
Mrs.Weasley.was.wiping.her.face.on.her.apron,.and.Fred,.George.and.Ginny.were.doing.a.kind.of.war.dance.to.a.chant.that.went:..He.got.off,.he.got.off,.he.got.off…..
That.s.enough!.Settle.down!..shouted.Mr.Weasley,.though.he.too.was.smiling.
.
.Listen,.Sirius,.Lucius.Malfoy.was.at.the.Ministry.‐..
.What?..said.Sirius.sharply..
.He.got.off,.he.got.off,.he.got.off…..
.Be.quiet,.you.three!.Yes,.we.saw.him.talking.to.Fudge.on.Level.Nine,.then.they.went.up.to.Fudge.s.office.together..Dumbledore.ought.to.know...
.Absolutely,..said.Sirius...We.ll.tell.him,.don.t.worry...
.Well,.I.d.better.get.going,.there.s.a.vomiting.toilet.waiting.for.me.in.Bethnal.Green..Molly,.I.ll.be.late,.I.m.covering.for.Tonks,.but.Kingsley.might.be.dropping.in.for.dinner.‐..
.He.got.off,.he.got.off,.he.got.off…..
That.s.enough.‐.Fred.‐.George.‐.Ginny!..said.Mrs.Weasley,.as.Mr.Weasley.left.the.kitchen...Harry,.dear,.come.and.sit.down,.have.some.lunch,.you.hardly.ate.breakfast...
Ron.and.Hermione.sat.themselves.down.opposite.him,.looking.happier.than.they.had.done.since.he.had.first.arrived.at.Grimmauld.Place,.and.Harry.s.feeling.of.giddy.relief,.which.had.been.somewhat.dented.by.his.encounter.with.Lucius.Malfoy,.swelled.again..The.gloomy.house.seemed.warmer.and.more.welcoming.all.of.a.sudden;.even.Kreacher.looked.less.ugly.as.he.poked.his.snoutlike.nose.into.the.kitchen.to.investigate.the.source.of.all.the.noise..