At.this.point,.Mrs.Weasley.entered.the.bedroom.behind.them..
.Still.not.finished?..she.said,.poking.her.head.into.the.cupboard..
.I.thought.you.might.be.here.to.tell.us.to.have.a.break!..said.Ron.bitterly...D.you.know.how.much.mould.we.ve.got.rid.of.since.we.arrived.here?..
.You.were.so.keen.to.help.the.Order,..said.Mrs.Weasley,..you.can.do.your.bit.by.making.Headquarters.fit.to.live.in...
.I.feel.like.a.house‐elf,..grumbled.Ron..
.Well,.now.you.understand.what.dreadful.lives.they.lead,.perhaps.you.ll.be.a.bit.more.active.in.SPEW!..said.Hermione.hopefully,.as.Mrs.Weasley.left.them.to.it.
.
.You.know,.maybe.it.wouldn.t.be.a.bad.idea.to.show.people.exactly.how.horrible.it.is.to.clean.all.the.time.‐.we.could.do.a.sponsored.scrub.ol.Gryffindor.common.room,.all.proceeds.to.SPEW,.it.would.raise.awareness.as.well.as.funds...
.I.ll.sponsor.you.to.shut.up.about.SPEW,..Ron.muttered.irritably,.but.only.so.Harry.could.hear.him..
*.
Harry.found.himself.daydreaming.about.Hogwarts.more.and.more.as.the.end.of.the.holidays.approached;.he.could.not.wait.to.see.Hagrid.again,.to.play.Quidditch,.even.to.stroll.across.the.vegetable.patches.to.the.Herbology.greenhouses;.it.would.be.a.treat.just.to.leave.this.dusty,.musty.house,.where.half.of.the.cupboards.were.still.bolted.shut.and.Kreacher.wheezed.insults.out.of.the.shadows.as.you.passed,.though.Harry.was.careful.not.to.say.any.of.this.within.earshot.of.Sirius..
The.fact.was.that.living.at.the.Headquarters.of.the.anti‐Voldemort.movement.was.not.nearly.as.interesting.or.exciting.as.Harry.would.have.expected.before.he.d.experienced.it..Though.members.of.the.Order.of.the.Phoenix.came.and.went.regularly,.sometimes.staying.for.meals,.sometimes.only.for.a.few.minutes.of.whispered.conversation,.Mrs.Weasley.made.sure.that.Harry.and.the.others.were.kept.well.out.of.earshot.(whether.Extendable.or.normal).and.nobody,.not.even.Sirius,.seemed.to.feel.that.Harry.needed.to.know.anything.more.than.he.had.heard.on.the.night.of.his.arrival..
On.the.very.last.day.of.the.holidays.Harry.was.sweeping.up.Hedwigs.owl.droppings.from.the.top.of.the.wardrobe.when.Ron.entered.heir.bedroom.carrying.a.couple.of.envelopes..
.Booklists.have.arrived,..he.said,.throwing.one.of.the.envelopes.up.to.Harry,.who.was.standing.on.a.chair...About.time,.I.thought.they.d.forgotten,.they.usually.come.much.earlier.than.this…..
Harry.swept.the.last.of.the.droppings.into.a.rubbish.bag.and.threw.the.bag.over.Ron.s.head.into.the.wastepaper.basket.in.the.corner,.which.swallowed.it.and.belched.loudly..He.then.opened.his.letter..It.contained.two.pieces.of.parchment:
.one.the.usual.reminder.that.term.started.on.the.first.of.September;.the.other.telling.him.which.books.he.would.need.for.the.coming.year..
.Only.two.new.ones,..he.said,.reading.the.list,.The.Standard.Book.of.Spells,.Grade.5,
.by.Miranda.Goshawk,.and.Defensive.Magical.Theory,.by.Wilbert.Slinkhard...
Crack.
Fred.and.George.Apparated.right.beside.Harry..He.was.so.used.to.them.doing.this.by.now.that.he.didn.t.even.fall.off.his.chair..