'Oh, Harry! '
In the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley looked at the approaching Harry and said loudly, interrupting Hibiscus' monologue about the wedding.
'Excellent. I was just going to tell you about the security measures on the way to the Hogwarts tomorrow.
We've borrowed a Ministry car, and there'll be an Auror waiting at the station - '
'Will Tonks be there? '
Asked Harry, handing over his Quidditch jersey.
"No, probably not. According to Arthur, she should have been arranged somewhere else."
'That Tonks, she's getting sloppy, 'Fleur mused thoughtfully.
Said Fleur thoughtfully, looking at her pretty face on the back of a tea-spoon. "If you ask me," she said, "it's a very big mistake."
'Yes, thank you very much. '
Said Mrs Weasley sharply, interrupting Fleur again.'You'd better get on with your packing, Harry.
I hope you'll pack up your trunks tonight, if you can, so as not to leave in such a mess as you usually do. '
Indeed, their departure the next morning went more smoothly than usual.
When the Ministry car drove up to the Burrow, they were already there: their trunks were packed.
Hermione's cat, Crookhill, was safely in his hamper,
Hedwig, Ron's owl, Piggy, and Anan, Jenny's new purple dwarf, were all locked up in cages.
'Goodbye, Arley. '
She said in a husky voice and kissed Harry.
Ron hurried forward, looking expectant, but Jenny stuck out her foot and tripped him, sending him tumbling into the dirt at Fleur's feet.
He was so angry that his face turned red and his body was covered in dust. Without even saying goodbye, he hurriedly got into the car.
It was not Hagrid who was waiting for them at King's Cross, his face beaming.
As soon as the car stopped, two stern-looking bearded Auror in black Muggle suits stepped forward and, without a word, escorted them into the station.
'Quick, quick, through the barricade, 'said Mrs Weasley.
Said Mrs. Weasley, who seemed to be a little flustered by the security.
'Better let Harry go first, and- '
She looked inquiringly at one of the Auror, who nodded slightly, took Harry by the arm, and led him toward the wall between the ninth and tenth platforms.
"I can walk by myself, thank you."
Harry said angrily, wrenching his arm from Aurora's grasp.
He pushed the wheelbarrow towards the solid wall, ignoring the silent company of the Auror.
A second later, he found himself standing on platform nine and three quarters. On the other side of the crowd, the bright red Hogwarts Express was belching steam.
A few seconds later, Hermione and the Weasleys arrived as well.
Without asking for the opinion of the gloomy Auror, Harry motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow him along the platform, looking for an empty carriage.
"We can't go together, Harry."
Hermione said apologetically, "Ron and I are going to the captain's carriage first, and then we have to patrol the corridor."
"Oh, right, I forgot."
"You'd better get in the car quickly. There are only a few minutes left."
Mrs. Weasley glanced at her watch.
"Well, I wish you a pleasant term, Ron …"
"Mr. Weasley, may I have a word with you?"
Harry made an impulsive decision.
"No problem," said Mr. Weasley.
Said Mr. Weasley, looking a little surprised, but following Harry where no one could hear them.
After much deliberation, Harry came to the conclusion that if he wanted to tell someone, Mr. Weasley was the best person to do it.
In the first place, he worked in the Ministry, in the best position to investigate, and in the second place, Harry thought it unlikely that Mr. Weasley would suddenly become angry.
As they walked away, he saw Mrs. Weasley and the gloomy Auror giving them suspicious looks.
"When we were in Diagon Alley-"
Harry began, but Mr. Weasley stopped him with a change of expression.
"I was trying to find out where you and Ron and Hermione were! You pretended you were in the shed behind Fred and George's shop. "
"How did you-"
"Don't beat around the bush, Harry. Do you know who you're talking to? I brought up Fred and George. "
"Well … yes, that's right. We weren't in the shed behind."
"Very well, then. Let's hear the worst of it."
"Well, we followed Draco – with my Invisibility Cloak."
"Was there any particular reason why you did it? Or was it a whim? "
"Because I thought Malfoy was up to something."
Harry ignored the look of annoyance and ridicule on Mr. Weasley's face. "He threw off his mother, and I wanted to find out why."
"That's right."
Mr. Weasley said in a patronizing tone.
"Did you find out why?"
"He went into Boggin Bock's shop," said Harry.
"Began to order the fellow in the shop, Boggin, rather viciously, to fix something for him.
Then he said he hoped Boggin would keep something else for him.
From what he said, it seems to be the same thing that needs to be repaired. They seem to be a pair, and then … "
Harry drew in a deep breath.
"There was something else. When Mrs Morkin tried to touch Malfoy's left arm, he jumped eight feet out of the way.
I think he's been branded with the Dark Mark.
I think he's taken his father's place as a Death Eater. "
Mr. Weasley seemed taken aback.
He paused. "Harry, I don't believe that Mystery Man would let a sixteen-year-old —"
"Who really knows what the mysterious man will do and won't do?"
Asked Harry crossly. "Forgive me, Mr. Weasley, but isn't it worth looking into?
If Malfoy had something to fix, and needed to threaten Boggin into doing it for him, it might have something to do with the Dark Arts. It's dangerous, isn't it? "
"Really, I'm not sure, Harry," said Mr. Weasley slowly.
Mr. Weasley said slowly. "You see, when Lucius Malfoy was arrested, we searched his house and confiscated everything that might be dangerous."
"You may have missed something."
"Yes, I'm sure," said Mr. Weasley.
Said Mr. Weasley, but Harry could feel that he was being perfunctory.
There was a whistle behind them. Almost everyone was on the train, and the doors were closing.
"You'll have to hurry," said Mr. Weasley.
Said Mr. Weasley, as Mrs. Weasley shouted, 'Harry, hurry up!'
Harry dashed over, and Mrs. Weasley helped him carry the box onto the train.
"Well, darling, you're coming to spend Christmas with us. It's been arranged with Dumbledore, so we'll see each other again soon."
Mrs. Weasley spoke through the window as Harry slammed the door. "You must take good care of yourself —"
She ran after the train, and when she turned her head, the train turned a corner and she was out of sight.
Mr. Weasley came up from behind and stood beside his wife, his face grave.
"He's probably guessed it."
"It's good that he guessed it. It's not too sudden to be prepared."
"I think you've got a good idea. He shouldn't —"
"You never know. Go back and tell Jon."
"Yes."
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