George.looked.around.the.table..
.Still.alive…..he.said.slowly...But.that.makes.it.sound…..
He.did.not.need.to.finish.the.sentence..It.sounded.to.Harry,.too,.as.though.Mr.Weasley.was.hovering.somewhere.between.life.and.death..Still.exceptionally.pale,.Ron.stared.at.the.back.of.his.mothers.letter.as.though.it.might.speak.words.of.comfort.to.him..Fred.pulled.the.parchment.out.of.George.s.hands.and.read.it.for.himself,.then.looked.up.at.Harry,.who.felt.his.hand.shaking.on.his.Butterbeer.bottle.again.and.clenched.it.more.tightly.to.stop.the.trembling..
If.Harry.had.ever.sat.through.a.longer.night.than.this.one,.he.could.not.remember.it..Sirius.suggested.once,.without.any.real.conviction,.that.they.all.go.to.bed,.but.the.Weasleys..looks.of.disgust.were.answer.enough..They.mostly.sat.in.silence.around.the.table,.watching.the.candle.wick.sinking.lower.and.lower.into.liquid.wax,.occasionally.raising.a.bottle.to.their.lips,.speaking.only.to.check.the.time,.to.wonder.aloud.what.was.happening,.and.to.reassure.each.other.that.if.there.was.bad.news,.they.would.know.straightaway,.for.Mrs.Weasley.must.long.since.have.arrived.at.St.Mungo.s..
Fred.fell.into.a.doze,.his.head.lolling.sideways.on.to.his.shoulder..Ginny.was.curled.like.a.cat.on.her.chair,.but.her.eyes.were.open;.Harry.could.see.them.reflecting.the.firelight..Ron.was.sitting.with.his.head.in.his.hands,.whether.awake.or.asleep.it.was.impossible.to.tell..Harry.and.Sirius.looked.at.each.other.every.so.often,.intruders.upon.the.family.grief,.waiting….waiting….
At.ten.past.five.in.the.morning.by.Ron.s.watch,.the.kitchen.door.swung.open.and.Mrs.Weasley.entered.the.kitchen..She.was.extremely.pale,.but.when.they.all.turned.to.look.at.her,.Fred,.Ron.and.Harry.half.rising.from.their.chairs,.she.gave.a.wan.smile..
.He.s.going.to.be.all.right,..she.said,.her.voice.weak.with.tiredness...He.s.sleeping.
.We.can.all.go.and.see.him.later..Bill.s.sitting.with.him.now;.he.s.going.to.take.the.morning.off.work...
Fred.fell.back.into.his.chair.with.his.hands.over.his.face..George.and.Ginny.got.up,.walked.swiftly.over.to.their.mother.and.hugged.her..Ron.gave.a.very.shaky.laugh.and.downed.the.rest.of.his.Butterbeer.in.one..
.Breakfast!..said.Sirius.loudly.and.joyfully,.jumping.to.his.feet...Where.s.that.accursed.house‐elf?.Kreacher!.KREACHER!..
But.Kreacher.did.not.answer.the.summons..
.Oh,.forget.it,.then,..muttered.Sirius,.counting.the.people.in.front.of.him...So,.it.s.breakfast.for.‐.let.s.see.‐.seven….bacon.and.eggs,.1.think,.and.some.tea,.and.toast.‐..
Harry.hurried.over.to.the.stove.to.help..He.did.not.want.to.intrude.on.the.Weasleys..happiness.and.he.dreaded.the.moment.when.Mrs.Weasley.would.ask.him.to.recount.his.vision..However,.he.had.barely.taken.plates.from.the.dresser.when.Mrs.Weasley.lifted.them.out.of.his.hands.and.pulled.him.into.a.hug..
.I.don.t.know.what.would.have.happened.if.it.hadn.t.been.for.you,.Harry,..she.said.in.a.muffled.voice..They.might.not.have.found.Arthur.for.hours,.and.then.it.would.have.been.too.late,.but.thanks.to.you.he.s.alive.and.Dumbledore.s.been.able.to.think.up.a.good.cover.story.for.Arthur.being.where.he.was,.you.ve.no.idea.what.trouble.he.would.have.been.in.otherwise,.look.at.poor.Sturgis…..