Emotionally. Ginny poured her heart out into that diary, she made herself incredibly

vulnerable. You’re in trouble if you get too fond of or dependent on the Horcrux.”

“I wonder how Dumbledore destroyed the ring?” said Harry. “Why didn’t I ask

him? I never really . . .”

His voice trailed away: He was thinking of all the things he should have asked

Dumbledore, and of how, since the headmaster had died, it seemed to Harry that he had

Wasted so many opportunities when Dumbledore had been alive, to find out more . . . to

Find out everything. . . .

The silence was shattered as the bedroom door flew open with a wall-shaking

Crash. Hermione shrieked and dropped Secrets of the Darkest Art; Crookshanks streaked

Under the bed, hissing indignantly; Ron jumped off the bed, skidded on a discarded

Chocolate Frog wrapper, and smacked his head on the opposite wall; and Harry

Instinctively dived for his wand before realizing that he was looking up at Mrs. Weasley,

Whose hair was disheveled and whose face was contorted with rage.

“I’m so sorry to break up this cozy little gathering,” she said, her voice trembling.

“I’m sure you all need your rest . . . but there are wedding presents stacked in my room

that need sorting out and I was under the impression that you had agreed to help.”

“Oh yes,” said Hermione, looking terrified as she leapt to her feet, sending books

flying in every direction. “we will . . . we’re sorry . . .”

With an anguished look at Harry and Ron, Hermione hurried out of the room after

Mrs. Weasley.

“it’s like being a house-elf,” complained Ron in an undertone, still massaging his

head as he and Harry followed. “Except without the job satisfaction. The sooner this

wedding’s over, the happier, I’ll be.”

“Yeah,” said Harry, “then we’ll have nothing to do except find Horcruxes. . . .

It’ll be like a holiday, won’t it?”

Ron started to laugh, but at the sight of the enormous pile of wedding presents

waiting for them in Mrs. Weasley’s room, stopped quite abruptly.

The Delacours arrived the following morning at eleven o’ clock. Harry, Ron,

Hermione and Ginny were feeling quite resentful toward Fleur’s family by this time; and

It was with ill grace that Ron stumped back upstairs to put on matching socks, and Harry

Attempted to flatten his hair. Once they had all been deemed smart enough, they trooped

Out into the sunny backyard to await the visitors.

Harry had never seen the place looking so tidy. The rusty cauldrons and old

Wellington boots that usually littered the steps by the back door were gone, replaced by

Two new Flutterby bushes standing either side of the door in large pots; though there was

No breeze, the leaves waved lazily, giving an attractive rippling effect. The chickens had

Been shut away, the yard had been swept, and the nearby garden had been pruned,

Plucked, and generally spruced up, although Harry, who liked it in its overgrown state,

Thought that it looked rather forlorn without its usual contingent of capering gnomes.

He had lost track of how many security enchantments had been placed upon the

Burrow by both the Order and the Ministry; all he knew was that it was no longer

Possible for anybody to travel by magic directly into the place. Mr. Weasley had

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 672